Chapter 550: Dragon

As the temporarily trapped Xunián struggled, pushing its six tentacles and two legs against the ground, Li Huowang, copper coin sword in hand, leaped high. He bellowed for it to die. The next moment, the sharp sword tip plunged into the left eye socket imprinted on the human skin and steadily emerged from the back of the head.

Li Huowang didn't forget the taboo Zhuge Yuan had just mentioned. He pushed forcefully on the sword hilt with both hands, using this force to bounce back directly and land steadily. However, when he saw Xunián, with a sword still lodged in its head, standing firmly in place, Li Huowang's face immediately turned exceptionally grim.

Li Huowang noticed that at some point, his left foot had been pierced by something red. It had become shriveled and significantly aged. Xunián's intelligence was far higher than he had imagined; it could even trade injuries, setting traps to prevent him from using his Spine Sword to escape. He questioned aloud what this creature was made of, baffled that a copper coin sword, designed specifically to break evil, was stuck in its head with no reaction.

Li Huowang decisively shed his red Taoist robe, throwing it to the ground. He then pulled out his fire steel from his pocket. The Xunián, still impaled by the sword, stood its ground. It didn't charge at Li Huowang. Instead, it twisted its human-skin-covered face to look to its left. Its massive beastly body tilted slightly downwards, and from beneath the human skin, it let out a menacing, beast-like growl.

The next moment, heavy, disorderly footsteps resounded once more. This time, they were closer, so close that Li Huowang found them grating. He turned his head slightly. In the chaotic darkness, he saw a mountain-like colossal object approaching him, accompanied by the footsteps.

It was very close. When it drew even closer, Li Huowang, with his excellent eyesight, discerned the object's full appearance in the darkness. Lanterns, dragon banners, round jade plaques, decorative rings, bells—various old and dust-covered decorations densely adorned the towering, massive wooden structure before him. Four pillars, painted with red cloud dragons and wrapped with dark blue satin ribbons, and dark cloud dragon feather-patterned curtains between the pillars, completely enclosed the entire wooden structure. The heavy, disordered footsteps originated from beneath this wooden structure, where various ragged, skeletal eunuchs, their heads tightly bound with white cloth strips, were pulling ropes forward like mules.

Although everything on the wooden structure had become much more dilapidated, soiled, and even rotten, Li Huowang recognized it instantly: It was the Grand Qi Emperor's Imperial Chariot! He had never imagined that the commotion he had just heard belonged to the Grand Qi's child zombie emperor!

An intense gaze shot from the wooden structure, fixating on Li Huowang. He knew instantly that he was being targeted. Glancing at Xunián in the distance, then at the oppressive Imperial Chariot closing in on him, Li Huowang inwardly cursed the wretched place, lamenting his constant bad luck.

Under these circumstances, words were unnecessary. Li Huowang opened his mouth wide and spat out Li Sui. He then raised his Spine Sword and forcefully slashed it towards her, sending her back to Daliang. Immediately after, he unhesitatingly raised his fire steel and slashed it hard across his own skin. With a boom, Li Huowang instantly burst into flames. He was now like a dazzling torch, instantly illuminating everything around him.

Through the flickering flames, Li Huowang glanced at Xunián. He then charged towards the massive Imperial Chariot, engulfed in fire. Compared to the enigmatic Xunián, this Qi Emperor seemed easier to deal with and appeared more flammable. As the two drew closer, Li Huowang heard other sounds. These desiccated eunuchs continued pulling, numbly repeating nonsensical phrases such as "Long live the Emperor," "Thank you for your grace," and "Auspicious greetings, Your Majesty."

The next moment, as Li Huowang raised his right hand, the eunuchs were instantly engulfed in flames, becoming moving torches. Li Huowang's injured foot slowed his movement, but he had other means. With a crash, Peng Longteng crashed down heavily beside Li Huowang. Its massive hand single-handedly grabbed the flaming Li Huowang and tossed him towards the highest point of the Imperial Chariot.

As Li Huowang crashed inside, and the cloud-patterned curtains spontaneously combusted and burned away, Li Huowang saw the child emperor of Grand Qi amidst the flames. A child, only six or seven years old, wearing an oversized dragon robe, sat on an even larger dragon throne, appearing utterly disproportionate. Even more incongruous was his appearance. He had only heard that this child emperor of Grand Qi had long been dead, a zombie. Yet, all he saw was a chubby, seemingly normal child with eyes full of innocence.

The next moment, this seemingly normal child began to rise, and the dragon robe beneath him was pulled higher and higher. Once the robe was fully raised, it finally revealed the stacked Dragon Veins beneath. Who could have imagined that this child emperor of Grand Qi was not merely a single person? He had already connected with the Dragon Veins while still alive!

A fierce wind erupted. The entire Dragon Vein coiled in the air, and at its pinnacle, the child emperor clapped his chubby hands, giggling with delight. A powerful aura pressed down, suppressing even the flames on Li Huowang's body, preventing them from leaping upwards. With a whoosh, Li Huowang gripped his Spine Sword and slashed forcefully towards the sky. The rift flew towards the entity, yet had no effect whatsoever! This was the first time since acquiring the Spine Sword that Li Huowang had seen its cutting through the gaps of dual histories have no effect.

The Dragon Vein's body suddenly shuddered. A phantom image shot forth, striking Li Huowang heavily. As he flew out of the burning Imperial Chariot, spitting blood, the flames on his body instantly extinguished. The surrounding illusions, including Shangguan Yuting and Zhuge Yuan, flickered in and out of visibility. Seeing himself about to fall from a great height to the ground, he abruptly closed his eyes and instantly felt himself plunging into cold lake water.

When he struggled to the surface and opened his eyes again, he found himself half-buried in the soil. As Li Huowang struggled to crawl out of the earth, he anxiously asked Zhuge Yuan in his mind if they were all right. Zhuge Yuan opened his mouth and anxiously said something, but Li Huowang couldn't hear him clearly at all. However, when he saw Zhuge Yuan pointing towards the Imperial Chariot, Li Huowang turned his head and saw the Grand Qi Dragon Vein, like a true dragon, swooping down towards him with immense pressure.

A furious roar erupted, making the Dragon Vein abruptly halt in mid-air, coiling itself with head and tail intertwined. Li Huowang looked towards the sound's origin and saw that it was Xunián. Its fur was completely bristling, and it appeared enraged by the Dragon Vein's presence. Seeing this, Li Huowang looked down at his pierced leg. He decided to try and see if he could return to Daliang while they were locked in battle.

Li Huowang immediately acted on his thought. He raised his Spine Sword, cut open a rift, and rushed towards it. But the next moment, the Dragon Vein swept down forcefully, shattering the rift instantly. It seemed the Dragon Vein was extremely repulsed by the appearance of these rifts to dual histories. It abandoned the Xunián, who had been provoking it, and directly lunged at Li Huowang.

The stacked Dragon Vein was incredibly fast and immensely powerful. With a swift swing, Li Huowang's left shoulder caved in by half. Li Huowang's Purple Tassel Sword pierced the Dragon Vein's back, but the injury was no more than a scratch to the entity. This was the first time Li Huowang had encountered such a formidable foe; nothing he had on him seemed to have any effect.