Mutated Tao

Chapter 1011: Death

“Senior Li, is it my turn?”

Li Huowang shuddered at the sound of that familiar voice.

He looked up and saw Bai Lingmiao standing before him.

Memories flooded his mind—from when she gave him a bun back in the Zephyr Temple to all the moments they’d shared together. His expression twisted in pain.

“Why… why?! Why is this happening?” Li Huowang exclaimed, tightly clutching his head.

Bai Lingmiao gently pried his hands away from his head. “Senior Li, is it my turn?”

“No! It’s not your turn yet! Not yet! We need to run and escape!”

Li Huowang didn’t know where they could go. He just wanted to flee.

He gripped her hand and channeled his cultivation, dragging her along. The world around them blurred as they sped through the Qi Kingdom, then the Tianchen Kingdom, and finally Hou Shu.

However, no matter how far he ran, what he sought to escape loomed ever closer.

Li Huowang ran past the places where he had once trodden upon, but the more he ran, the slower he became.

He had nowhere left to run when he arrived back at the destroyed Zephyr Temple.

Staring at the three charred statues on the altar, Li Huowang howled. He clutched his head and trembled, knowing there was no way to hide. He couldn’t alter the path ahead. If he didn’t send Bai Lingmiao up with the two Jiang Xiangshous, history itself would change.

And if it did, everything would be over.

On one side lay the lives of everyone in the world. On the other, Bai Lingmiao’s life. He had to choose.

The pain torturing his heart would’ve been more than enough for him to use the Cang-Qiang Ascension. He wanted to do something to remove his heartache.

He drove a sharp pike into his palm, ripping at his flesh. Pain seared through him, but it did nothing to ease the mental torment. Blood and tears fell to the ground.

Li Huowang reached for another torture tool, but Bai Lingmiao stopped him. “Senior Li, you can tell me what’s troubling you. You don’t have to bear this alone.”

“I… I can’t…” His voice faltered as he met her gaze.

While he longed to change everything, there was no way out. Everything up to this point was a consequence of his actions, and the only way forward was to follow the path he’d forged.

Bai Lingmiao, as if understanding her fate, remained calm. She carefully placed her slender fingers on Li Huowang’s mouth. “Senior Li, you don’t have to worry about me. The Heavenly Mater told me.”

Li Huowang pulled her into an embrace, his heart breaking. He couldn’t bear the thought of Bai Lingmiao dying.

Bai Lingmiao whispered, “Senior Li, will I die once I go up there?”

Li Huowang shook his head in pain. “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

Bai Lingmiao patted his back lightly. “Senior Li, don’t worry. The Heavenly Mater promised to send me back once everything is over.”

Li Huowang wanted to trust her, but he knew it was impossible. Bai Lingmiao was just lying to make him feel better.

Bai Lingmiao was the Saintess of the White Lotus Sect. From the mural in the underground chamber of Cowheart Village, Li Huowang knew the truth. The Heavenly Mater wanted Bai Lingmiao to ascend and be reborn as the Heavenly Mater of the past—the same one who once ruled the Tianchen Kingdom.

There was an impassable gap between Simings and mortals, except for the Siming in control of the Heavenly Dao of Bewilderment.

He didn’t know what fate awaited Bai Lingmiao when she was up there. He wasn’t even sure if he would be able to see her again.

“No! I won’t accept this!” Li Huowang bit his lips and looked at Bai Lingmiao, determination flashing in his eyes.

“Miaomiao, don’t worry. I’ll save you! I must save you!

“I won’t let this end here. We promised to return to Cowheart Village together. I won’t accept this outcome.

“The Heavenly Mater may be untouchable now, but I swear, once we’ve dealt with Fu Shengtian, I’ll tear her apart!

“I will save you, and I will even save Suisui! In this crazy world, anything is possible!”

The Second Deity chuckled and kissed Li Huowang’s forehead. “Now that’s the undefeatable Li Huowang that I know and love. We’ll just be assisting them up there, so don’t worry. We are not marching to our deaths. We will kill Fu Shengtian!”

Li Huowang wiped his tears and rose to his feet. There was still hope, and he couldn’t give up. How could he save Suisui if he faltered now?

He turned to look at the three charred statues and howled. “Three Ancient Ones! Just you wait! I will kill you!”

With a single blow, he smashed the statues to pieces.

“Senior Li, send me back. There’s no time.”

But he shook his head. “Not yet. We need to go somewhere else first. You weren’t alone with the six White Donkeys… There was someone else too.”

Gao Zhijian soon returned from the Baiyu Capital. The mission was so smooth that he doubted himself. Why does Senior Li require all five of us emperors just to send two Dragon Veins up there?

Just as he passed the Ox Tail Gate and returned to Shangjing, he couldn’t help but notice Li Huowang frowning and Bai Lingmiao smiling. They had been waiting for him at the altar.

“Gao Zhijian, something else needs to be sent to the Baiyu Capital.”

“Hm? What do you need to send up there?”

“Two Jiang Xiangshous.”

Li Huowang’s words were like a cold wind, chilling everyone to the bone. The meaning behind them was unmistakable.

Gao Zhijian froze for a moment, then quickly composed himself. After a brief exchange with the other Emperors, he let out a strained smile. “Understood. I’ll give the orders right away.”

Turning to Bai Lingmiao, he added, “Senior Bai, I need the White Lotus Sect’s help for this. Can you do it?”

Bai Lingmiao was no longer as calm as she had been. Two streams of tears stained her cheeks. Li Huowang reached out to wipe them away, but the tears didn’t stop.

The Second Deity answered in her stead. “Yes.”

The White Lotus Sect and the palace soon issued the command to assemble. Soon, both the soldiers and White Lotus devotees gathered in the open fields to the west of Shangjing. The murderous area influenced everyone present.

The purpose of their assembly became clear when the orders were relayed.

The millions of soldiers were anxious. Almost half of them were devotees of the White Lotus Sect, and they were pretty much the same as the soldiers after being influenced by the murderous aura.

The devotees of the White Lotus Sect surrounded Bai Lingmiao and kneeled sincerely. The sight was awe-inspiring, a testament to their devotion.

The White Donkeys at the front spoke on behalf of the other devotees. “Saintess, is this the will of the Heavenly Mater?”

Bai Lingmiao had almost cried herself dry. She used her remaining strength to utter a single word. “Yes.”

The devotees all stood up when they heard her.

“Heavenly Mater! The Void Home! Brothers and sisters! It’s time for us to finally return to the Void Home!”

The voices spread out like ripples in a lake.

Everyone from the White Lotus Sect cheered with a thunderous boom, their murderous aura adding to their excitement.