Mutated Tao

Chapter 579: Prelude

The prelude to the war started outside the eastern walls of Shangjing.

Shai Zi stood at the helm of the army to fight the Surveillance Bureau.

Li Huowang looked at the cavalries wearing heavy black iron armor, blanketing the skies and crashing down toward them. He frowned and took a few steps back to reach the edge of the wall.

Just as they crashed into the city wall, Li Huowang jumped backward and fell down the wall. Halfway down, Li Huowang swung his spine sword, and a spacetime rift that led to the Qi Kingdom manifested.

Peng Longteng then materialized and grabbed Li Huowang. She used both of her hands to throw Li Huowang into the riff. At the same time, Li Huowang’s two legs and Li Sui’s four tentacles used Peng Longteng as a wall to jump off of her. He disappeared into the rift in the blink of an eye.

A few breaths later, Li Huowang looked around calmly in the Qi Kingdom.

There was chaos throughout the Liang Kingdom due to the war, but the Qi Kingdom was calm. There wasn't even a survivor in sight, and Li Huowang couldn't see anything other than the ruins of a once peaceful city.

However, the solar eclipse had passed. There were still black spots on the sun, but there weren't that many black spots anymore, and it seemed that the situation was starting to return to normalcy.

The Qi Kingdom was in ruins, but the kingdom was in a better situation compared to when evil entities roamed the kingdom like last time.

“Daoist, look! You saved this world by connecting the Emperor of the Qi Kingdom to the Dragon Vein of the Liang Kingdom! The people of the Qi Kingdom no longer have to worry in despair! Praise be to the Buddha! May the Buddha protect us!” the old monk’s illusion exclaimed with a grin while staring toward the east.

“The Buddha did not protect us! You should thank Zhuge Yuan!” Li Huowang roared.

Then, with a sword in hand, he walked past the ruins to reach the place where he had seen those golden banners in the Liang Kingdom. He didn't have the luxury of time to care about what was happening to the Qi Kingdom.

He had to stop Shai Zi, or the Liang Kingdom would perish.

It would be difficult for him to get close to Shai Zi in the Liang Kingdom, so he decided to travel to the Qi Kingdom and hope that upon his return to the Liang Kingdom, he'd be near Shai Zi.

This approach was much easier than just running straight into an army.

“We're almost there. It should be around here…” Li Huowang muttered.

Just then, Shangguan Yuting emerged from his shadow and looked around before nodding. “All right. The Chief is ready. We will go back in five minutes.”

Li Huowang nodded and waited for the five minutes to pass. He could swear that this was the longest five minutes of his life so far.

Will the Chief’s plan work? What if Shai Zi becomes—no! I can’t think of that! I’m a Strayed One! I cannot think about those things so easily!

“Now!” Shangguan Yuting shouted.

Li Huowang immediately swung his spine sword. A spacetime rift manifested, and numerous limbs fell into the Qi Kingdom, tainting the Qi Kingdom's ground in a crimson hue. These limbs had come from the troops of the Liang Kingdom.

The Qi Kingdom's side was empty, but the Liang Kingdom's side was packed to the brim with people.

Li Huowang didn't hesitate and propelled himself into the rift using his two legs and Li Sui's tentacles.

Upon appearing on the other side, Li Huowang was taken aback by the intensity of the fight. The rhythmic beats of war drums and the grotesque noises of slaughter echoed nonstop. The killing intent and bloodlust made Li Huowang's veins bulge.

“Oh? Is that you, my Left and Right Jinwu Guard? How come you've just arrived? Have you completed your mission?” A voice echoed on Li Huowang's side. He turned and saw Shai Zi in Gao Zhijian's body beneath the golden dragon banner.

Li Huowang looked at the army, glaring at him along with the other commanders and generals next to Shai Zi.

However, Li Huowang wasn't nervous at all. He took a deep breath and said, “We should stop now. The Chief wants me to deal with you, but I’m technically working under you, so the Chief’s plan is destined to fail.”

Li Huowang approached Shai Zi.

The soldiers wanted to stop him, but Shai Zi told them not to do so. He allowed Li Huowang to approach him without fear.

“Come. You've been pretending to be someone else for such a long time now, so you must be tired. Let me toast you a cup.” Gao Zhijian said, offering Li Huowang a cup of wine.

“How could it be hard? We're both from the Sitting Oblivion Dao, Boss Shai Zi. It's actually fun deceiving people,” Li Huowang said, drinking the wine without any hesitation.

The soldiers and commanders were confused, but their confusion was Li Huowang's goal.

“Hahaha~ Now really isn't the time for jokes, as we're facing such powerful enemies.”

Li Huowang chuckled as well and swept his hand across his face. A Hong Zhong’s face appeared on Li Huowang’s face, and he laughed hysterically as he responded, “Boss Shai Zi, how can this be a joke? I’m just following your orders.”

Shangguan Yuting appeared and walked toward Gao Zhijian.

Gao Zhijian’s face slowly changed into that of a Shai Zi.

Li Huowang couldn't transform the Dragon Vein itself, but the Chief’s illusion techniques could easily trick the soldiers. Once the soldiers were no longer willing to obey Shai Zi, things would go swimmingly from then on.

“Hehehe, not bad. But do you really think that you can beat me with this little trick of yours? You've overestimated yourself.” Gao Zhijian’s dragon claw tore off the illusion on his face, and his face returned to normal.

“I’m a Hong Zhong. If I’m not a Hong Zhong, then what am I?”

“You're from the Sitting Oblivion Dao! You're a Shai Zi!” Gao Zhijian exclaimed, pointing at Li Huowang.

The Chief appeared behind Li Huowang and made a seal with both hands before pressing it on Li Huowang’s nape.

“Now!” the Chief shouted.

When the Chief’s seal touched Li Huowang, he felt something infiltrating him. They were clouds of primordial breath, and they slowly entered Li Huowang

Li Huowang could sense the subtle difference between each cloud of primordial breath. These clouds of primordial breath do not belong to the Chief! These are the clouds of primordial breath that he has harvested from the Strayed Ones!

A pair of withered hands holding a set of prayer beads clapped, and an aged, low chanting echoed from beneath the Chief’s red robes. The air shimmered, seemingly becoming illusory beneath the incessant chanting.

Even the colors themselves seemed to bleed into the air as they escaped their original containers; the colors of the soldiers' armor and even the color of the earth itself were drained as the world became hazy.

The line between the illusory world and the real world started to become blurry.

Li Huowang realized that the clouds of primordial breath inside of him had become extremely easy to control.

“Huff… puff…” As Li Huowang breathed, the world seemed to contract and expand.

“I’m a Shai Zi! I’m a Shai Zi! I'm a Shai Zi!” Li Huowang repeated. Veins bulged on his temples as his face slowly changed into that of a Shai Zi.

The chanting did not stop as the Chief stared at Gao Zhijian from within the darkness of his robes. Moments later, a voice joined the chanting. “If he's a Shai ZI, and there's only one Shai Zi left in the Liang Kingdom, then you must be Gao Zhijian!

"You are not a Shai Zi!”

Shai Zi revealed confusion on his face at the remark.“I-I-I-I'm… Gao…Gao…Gao Zhijian!?”

Gao Zhijian hesitated. He was about to take a step forward when the ground before him abruptly caved in. Several dice rushed past the cavity and flew past his eyes.

Gao Zhijian instantly calmed down upon seeing the dice. He chuckled and remarked, “How devious of you, Xuan Pin. To think you'd use the Strayed One’s technique to erase me. Unfortunately, I've become the Dragon Vein, so your techniques are useless against me.

"However, I admit that you're pretty strong. How about you join me? You can have half of the Heavenly Dao that we'll certainly obtain later.”