Chapter 625: Merge

He inexplicably found an injury on his back. Feeling something was amiss, He Xinlai turned his head, but found nothing behind him.

Taishan Stone, sitting cross-legged in the dirt, clapped his hands together with a heavy thud, instantly sending dust swirling from the ground. Amidst the swirling dust, an empty, transparent humanoid shape was revealed, indicating that Li Huowang had just displaced his body.

The ground trembled slightly, and the nearby woods violently parted, as a swollen, fleshy Buddha, complete with limbs, rolled out from within. The Buddha intoned an ancient saying, "The sea of suffering has no end; turning back is the shore." Urgent shouts followed: "Quick! His reinforcements are here! Don't hold back! Kill him while he's blind!"

He Xinlai, with a single hand, plucked a black cloth from his sleeve, then forcefully flung it towards the sun. As the black fabric enveloped the sunlight, darkness instantly blanketed a vast area around them, forming a localized phenomenon akin to a natural disaster.

Taishan Stone uttered a low cry of "Divine soldiers!" As Taishan Stone let out that low cry, Li Huowang instantly felt gazes from all directions; he could even feel a pulling sensation within Li Sui's body. Li Sui's voice chimed, "Dad, I... I feel so joyful!" As she spoke, her tentacles rapidly spread within Li Huowang's body. This time, it was not parasitic, but assimilation. If he didn't resolve this issue immediately, he feared he would be completely assimilated by Li Sui.

"Bang!" The towering Peng Longteng positioned himself to Li Huowang's left. Li Huowang mentally urged, "Sui Sui! Hold on! Don't succumb to your instincts! We'll be out of here soon!"

Just then, the ground suddenly gave way, and Li Huowang plunged into a deep pit. Within the darkness of that pit, hidden entities, swaying their ephemeral forms, began to encircle him. As Li Huowang struggled to defend himself in the darkness, brandishing his demon-dispelling copper coin sword and purple tassel sword, He Xinlai, observing nearby, sought the perfect moment to ambush.

Spotting the vulnerabilities Li Huowang displayed in the darkness due to his blindness, He Xinlai swiftly performed a sword maneuver, charging towards Li Huowang by stepping on his own shadow. Just as his longsword was about to pierce the opponent's throat, He Xinlai's vision blurred. To his shock, the opponent steadily reached out and gripped his sword blade.

At that moment, Li Huowang slowly raised his head. The blinded eye, bulging grotesquely, then popped out and rolled onto the ground. In its place, a peculiar eye with double pupils gleamed brilliantly in his socket. Li Huowang then challenged him, "Who did you just call blind?"

While his eyes had indeed been blind moments ago, he still had access to his daughter's eye. Li Huowang had deliberately concealed this ability, planning to use the opportunity to deceive his opponent, who had indeed fallen for the trick.

He Xinlai's heart immediately sank. He unhesitatingly released his weapon and retreated into the shadows. However, he was too close to Li Huowang; there was no escape. Peng Longteng's towering body blocked his retreat, and then Li Huowang's tentacles, like an overwhelming tide, surged forth to engulf him from behind.

"Taishan! Taishan Stone!" He Xinlai desperately cried out for his ally to rescue him, but nothing happened. Realizing the situation was dire, Taishan Stone had already fled.

When the black fabric in the air was finally severed by Hong Da's flying blades, everything around them returned to normal, and Taishan Stone was nowhere to be seen. As the others surrounded He Xinlai, who was entangled by Li Huowang, everything settled.

Gazing at He Xinlai, who was now maimed and toothless, Li Huowang produced his torture kit and laid it out. "I'll handle this!"

"No!" Fo Yu Lu immediately refused. "We finally captured a Grand Shaman of the Dharma Sect. What if you accidentally kill him? He needs to be sent back to the Ministry for specialized interrogation."

Li Huowang scoffed, "Are you looking down on me? I'm from the Ao Jing Sect!"

"Everything must be done according to procedure," Fo Yu Lu insisted.

"Enough of that! When has the Ministry of Heavenly Observation ever followed rules? Aren't you just after that paltry reward of Longevity Pills? I used to work in the Ministry myself! Don't let Taishan escape for such a small gain!"

Just as Li Huowang prepared to assert himself, he noticed that this time, even Hong Da and Liu Zongyuan were siding with Fo Yu Lu.

"Brother Er, don't be like this," a voice interjected. "The Great Qi Dharma Sect hasn't been around for long, and he probably won't have much to tell us."

"What if we extract crucial information about the Dharma Sect from this man's mind?" another added. "We might be able to destroy the Dharma Sect in one swift stroke."

"Er Jiu," someone said, "I know you have many Ao Jing Sect methods, but when it comes to interrogation, there are those within the Ministry who are superior to you."

Li Huowang, his brow furrowed, scanned the faces of those before him. Their reactions suggested that this individual carried a high bounty within the Ministry of Heavenly Observation. He realized that unless he eliminated them all, he wouldn't be able to interrogate the captive.

"I must have been out of my mind to think of saving Da Liang with you all," an enraged Li Huowang muttered. "Everyone only cares about their own interests!" He turned, bent low, and plunged his head into the earth, searching for any traces of Taishan Stone's escape.

After a careful search, Li Huowang finally discerned some faint traces. Ignoring the other members of the Ministry of Heavenly Observation, Li Huowang meticulously discerned the subtle changes in the soil, then relentlessly resumed his pursuit. However, his chase soon ended as a massive mountain blocked his path. Taishan Stone had apparently anticipated pursuit and burrowed deep into the mountain. Unless Li Huowang could somehow move the entire mountain, his chase was futile.

"Brother Er, don't be angry, hehehe~" came a voice from behind. Li Huowang, without turning, retorted, "Spit it out."

"Come now, we've known each other for so long; is there any need for this?" Liu Zongyuan, wearing a wooden mask, walked up to Li Huowang with a grin. "Remember when we faced life and death together to deal with Xin Zhuo?"

"This is good news for us! Why the grim face? We've captured a Grand Shaman, and he's alive! That's a significant blow to the Dharma Sect, as they don't have many Grand Shamans."

Seeing Li Huowang's expression soften slightly, Liu Zongyuan continued, "Don't rush things. We'll eat this meal one bite at a time and tackle problems one by one. We can definitely resolve the Dharma Sect completely. Don't be angry with Lord Jixiang; just do it for my sake."

Li Huowang took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. "Do you know?" he said. "If it weren't for the waste of time, I would genuinely want to kill all of you."

"Hahaha, Brother Er, you're always joking," Liu Zongyuan chuckled, reaching to put an arm around Li Huowang's shoulder, but was blocked by the crisscrossing tentacles covering him. "Brother Er, shouldn't you retract your spiritual powers now?"

"Sui Sui, retract your tentacles," Li Huowang instructed.

"I can't retract them, Dad," Li Sui replied, her voice tinged with grievance. "After passing through that dark realm, it seems we've become stuck together..."