Chapter 1018: Mutation

Hearing Qing Wanglai in the kitchen, Li Huowang said nothing, slowly shaking his head.

Just then, a familiar engine sound grew from a distance. Li Huowang immediately exchanged a knowing look with Yang Na and Yi Donglai.

With a loud bang, the front door was violently kicked open. A completely transformed Zhao Shuangdian walked in from outside, exclaiming, "Where's Li Huowang!?"

Li Huowang's pupils widened as he stared at Zhao Shuangdian. Her once smooth hair was now messy and greasy, looking as if she hadn't washed it in days. Her clothes were noticeably oversized and ill-fitting, and her former light makeup was gone, leaving her face bare.

He remembered the former Zhao Shuangdian. If he wasn't mistaken, the previous Zhao Shuangdian had been an intellectual beauty. But the current Zhao Shuangdian looked entirely different, a completely changed person.

As Li Huowang stared at her, Zhao Shuangdian immediately noticed him. She let out a laugh and walked towards him.

Yang Na was about to step forward to stop her, but Zhao Shuangdian pushed her aside. "Li Huowang," she said, "why did you call me here? Is there something you need to say in person?"

"Wh-what!?" Li Huowang's mind instantly reeled. Her words had completely derailed his plan.

At that moment, Li Huowang could no longer stick to his previous intentions. He immediately pulled Zhao Shuangdian and left Qing Wanglai's villa.

Under the bamboo grove, Li Huowang looked at Zhao Shuangdian in disbelief. "Why are you like this?" he asked, "Why?"

"What are you talking about? You're acting crazy," Zhao Shuangdian said with a slight frown, crossing her arms as she looked at Li Huowang.

Quickly recalling Yang Na's earlier unusual behavior, Li Huowang immediately understood what had happened.

"Is it because I devoured your Heavenly Principle?" he exclaimed. "Then I'll return it to you! I'll return it to you right now!"

Just as Li Huowang pulled out his military knife, preparing to cut flesh from himself for Zhao Shuangdian to consume, she forcibly grabbed his shoulders.

"Why?" he cried. "I've already returned it, why don't you want it? Why won't you take your Heavenly Principle back! I don't know how to use your Heavenly Principle at all!" Li Huowang struggled desperately.

Yi Donglai rushed over and quickly tried to persuade him. "Li," he said, "she won't understand what you mean if you talk like that."

Looking at Zhao Shuangdian's expression, Li Huowang took a deep breath. "Alright," he said, "let go of me. I'll explain everything from the beginning."

"Explain what?" a voice called out.

Zhao Shuangdian released him and waved towards the direction of the voice. "Qingzi, it's nothing," she said. "Li Huowang said he needed to talk to me about something." Li Huowang turned his head and saw Qing Wanglai walking towards them with his characteristic smile.

"Let's sit inside then," Qing Wanglai suggested. Hearing this, everyone started walking indoors.

In the spacious living room, Zhao Shuangdian asked, "What is it you want to talk about?"

Li Huowang looked at her, then at Qing Wanglai, who was wiping his hands nearby. He opened his mouth, but for a moment didn't know how to begin.

Sanqing was far more vigilant than he had imagined. Although he didn't know what was happening at the moment, he was watching them closely.

Explaining now was impossible. Directly telling them that Qing Wanglai intended to seize the Heavenly Principles of all the Slayers of Fate would completely waste the advantage he had painstakingly gained.

Moreover, if he directly confronted them like this, it would not only alert them, but more importantly, Zhao Shuangdian might not believe him, especially this completely different Zhao Shuangdian.

Just then, Li Huowang heard the sound of the television. He immediately pointed towards it, exclaiming, "Look! Fushang Tian!"

Everyone turned their heads simultaneously to look at the television mounted on the wall, and the scene of a typhoon passing by on the screen. A pane of glass fell from a height and shattered on the ground, startling the on-site reporter.

When he saw the others turn to look at him, Li Huowang immediately said with utmost seriousness, "Fushang Tian has already made its move! It's approaching us. We must find every possible way to deal with this nuisance."

Qing Wanglai blinked and pushed up the glasses on his nose. "Is this what you meant by 'something important'?" he asked.

"Isn't this important?" Li Huowang retorted. "Fushang Tian will be here in eight days! This is news I struggled to obtain! If we don't come up with a solution before Fushang Tian arrives, we'll all die!"

"Six days," a voice interrupted Li Huowang.

"Huh?" Li Huowang looked at Chen Hongyu, who was watching TV.

"Not eight days, but six days," Chen Hongyu said, pressing the TV remote to turn up the volume. "According to the meteorological station, Typhoon Emerald is expected to reach this city in five days. Citizens are advised..."

Hearing this, Li Huowang's face suddenly turned extremely grim. Fushang Tian hadn't been affected by the temporal rewind either; it was still approaching!

Previously, Qing Wanglai had mentioned eight days, but now only six days remained!

"Wait! Does that mean..." Li Huowang suddenly realized something and, trembling, picked up his phone.

His hand trembled slightly, showing a hint of fear, but he skillfully dialed Sun Xiaoqin's number nonetheless. A robotic voice replied, "We're sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service. Please check the number and try again."

With red eyes, Li Huowang stubbornly dialed Li Jiancheng's number again. But the same voice from the other end plunged his heart into utter despair.

"Th-this... how could this be... how could this..." Li Huowang, tears streaming down his face, repeatedly dialed the familiar numbers, but no one ever picked up.

Not only was Fushang Tian itself unaffected by the temporal rewind, but even his previous memories were also unaffected.

The past had already been altered by Fushang Tian: Sun Xiaoqin had hanged herself, and Li Jiancheng was also dead.

"Why! Why!" he screamed. "Why involve them! Come and get me if you dare!"

With veins bulging on his forehead, Li Huowang raised the phone in his hand and slammed it violently onto the ground.

Li Huowang's action startled everyone around him, causing them to take a step back.

Ba Nanxu, with an uneasy expression, walked up to Zhao Shuangdian and said, "Hmm... maybe we should send him back."

Yi Donglai walked over and firmly grabbed Li Huowang's clenched fist, leaning in to whisper in his ear, "Li! Calm down! Don't forget our plan; this isn't over yet!"

Hearing this, Li Huowang took several deep breaths, and with Yi Donglai's help, slowly sank onto the sofa.

When Li Huowang calmed down and looked at the others again, he found them sitting at the dining table, quietly discussing something and occasionally glancing in his direction.