Chapter 461: Heaven Beyond Heaven

The instant Li Huowang saw Bai Lingmiao return to normal, he immediately moved the jade lotus away and quickly shook her, holding her close.

"Miao Miao! Miao Miao!" The extremely tense Li Huowang watched Bai Lingmiao slowly open her eyes, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"Senior Brother Li..." Bai Lingmiao's pink eyes were brimming with hurt and sadness.

"It's good that you're okay, it's good that you're okay." Feeling immense relief, Li Huowang hugged her close and gently patted her back.

His gaze slowly moved upward, looking at Zhuge Yuan in mid-air, silently mouthing "thank you." If it hadn't been for his extensive knowledge, recognizing the purpose of this jade lotus, Miao Miao might truly have been in danger.

"No need to be so polite, Brother Li, it was just a small favor. I truly didn't expect this Twelve-Grade Merit Jade Lotus to be with you; I searched for it for a long time back then."

Li Huowang took a deep breath. Sliding his left hand under Bai Lingmiao's knees and wrapping his right arm around her waist, he lifted her bridal style and walked out of the dark room. The Two Gods, their red veil back on, silently followed behind.

He lowered his head and kissed Bai Lingmiao's fragrant white hair. Li Huowang gently coaxed, "I know you're hurting deeply, but there's always a proper order for things. Let's get through this deadly natural disaster first, and then we can talk properly, alright?"

Listening to Li Huowang's constantly beating heart, Bai Lingmiao, her head buried in his embrace, nodded slightly. Compared to before, Bai Lingmiao was now far too quiet.

The tunnel dug by the White Lotus Sect underground was not long. Li Huowang quickly passed through the White Lotus Hall and walked up the steps, out of the Bai family ancestral hall.

When the sound of fighting came from the direction of the Bai family courtyard, Li Huowang's heart sank slightly. It seemed things weren't over there yet, so he quickened his pace to offer assistance.

But just a few steps in, Li Huowang's expression slightly stiffened, his body froze in place. With his unusually keen perception, he felt something watching him.

Gradually, Li Huowang's body began to tremble uncontrollably. He didn't know why he was trembling, but his body seemed to have a mind of its own, and the tremors grew increasingly violent.

"That is...." Li Huowang's constantly trembling head slowly lifted, looking up at the pitch-black sky.

The pitch-blackness peeled back layer by layer like a curtain, revealing the churning Brahma energy beneath. There were the incredibly intricate, overlapping rotations of the heavenly path, and the golden-purple light that illuminated the crimson palace.

A drop of cold sweat slid down Li Huowang's cheek and dripped onto Bai Lingmiao's hand.

Buried in Li Huowang's embrace, she looked up at him, now completely frozen. She followed his gaze upwards, but saw nothing.

"Senior Brother Li, what's wrong?" Bai Lingmiao's voice began to show a hint of unease.

Just as she lightly tugged at Li Huowang's red Daoist robe, his mouth began to open wider and wider uncontrollably.

With a "crack," as his jaw opened until it completely dislocated, a rapid, almost screaming crane cry emanated from deep within his throat. As soon as this sound emerged, it spread like an infection, nearly assimilating all other ambient sounds into its own.

Under the propagation of this strange crane cry, some root-like tendrils began to stretch out along Li Huowang's shadow.

When Bai Lingmiao felt something pulling at her shoes in the darkness, her eyes welled up with tears in panic. "Senior Brother Li!"

The rapid, overlapping crane cries continued unabated, but Li Huowang heard Bai Lingmiao's desperate plea. He struggled to close his eyes, trying to block out the influence of the entity in the sky, but his eyes seemed to have a will of their own and wouldn't obey.

Suddenly, the hands holding Bai Lingmiao shot up. He plunged his index and middle fingers directly and fiercely into his own eyes, then forcefully gouged them out. Both of his eyeballs were brutally torn from their sockets.

Yet, it was useless. The bloodshot eyeballs stared fixedly at the thing in the dark sky!

Only when Li Huowang clenched his hands and completely crushed these two objects did his screams replace the strange crane cries, and everything gradually returned to normal.

Li Huowang, his body drained of strength, went limp and collapsed onto the ground with Bai Lingmiao still in his arms.

The Two Gods and Bai Lingmiao, one on each side, quickly helped Li Huowang up.

At this moment, Li Huowang's jaw was completely dislocated, his mouth wide open, panting heavily. Saliva mixed with blood and sweat streamed down his face. He looked extremely weak, as if his soul had been sucked out.

Seeing Bai Lingmiao about to beat the drum, Li Huowang pressed down on her hand holding the drumstick. He then placed both hands on his jaw and forcefully pushed it, setting the bone back into place.

"Don't summon the immortals. In this situation, the evil spirits have gone completely mad! Those immortals might not listen to your command, and they might even come and refuse to leave."

Bai Lingmiao, heartbroken, reached out to touch the two bloody holes on Li Huowang's face, asking tearfully, "Senior Brother Li, what's wrong with you? Why did you suddenly gouge out your own eyes?"

This question made Li Huowang tremble violently, and his mouth began to open wide again, involuntarily. Immediately, Li Huowang raised his violently trembling hands to cover the bloody holes on his face, continuously muttering, "Don't... don't... don't... All beings are afflicted, all afflictions are suffering. Afflictions are neither born nor extinguished, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing..."

Everything he had just witnessed flickered in and out of his mind.

After repeating the calming mantra hundreds of times, when Li Huowang tried to lower his hands, he found that his palms were stuck tightly to his face by the blood clots and couldn't be removed.

Hardening his heart, Li Huowang suddenly pulled his hands, and his eye sockets, which had just stopped bleeding, once again gushed forth with bloody tears.

Li Huowang tilted his head, listening to his surroundings, and suppressing the pain, asked, "Where am I now?"

"Master, you're in the Bai family courtyard. Bear with it, I'll put some wound medicine in your eyes."

Hearing Lü Xiucai say this, Li Huowang laboriously stood up, gripping his sword, preparing to walk outside.

"Master, Master, you're so injured, you don't need to go. Your wife, the Fool, and Xiao Man have almost finished off those evil spirits. And even if they can't, I'm here."

No sooner had Lü Xiucai finished speaking than others rushed over to persuade him. Seeing that there was truly no danger, Li Huowang sat back down, took out the "Fire Robe Sutra," and began to treat his own injuries.

With the sizzling sound of flames cauterizing flesh, a layer of charred blood scab formed, staunching the flow of blood.

After Lü Xiucai wrapped a roll of gauze around Li Huowang's eyes, he sat there quietly, his ears twitching slightly, listening for any movement outside. He began to plan for potentially worse scenarios in the future.

Just then, Li Huowang suddenly felt a warmth on his arm and cheek, and he heard loud cheers all around him.

"What now?!" Li Huowang gripped his sword hilt and abruptly stood up.

"Young Daoist Master! The sun is back! Hahaha! It seems someone else was beating gongs elsewhere and scared off the monstrous sun-eater!"