Chapter 692: Death of the Soldier

Inside the exceedingly muddy Cloud Marsh, rain continued to fall relentlessly. Li Huowang and the others struggled forward, pushing through along paths that were barely passable.

The deeper they ventured, the more perilous their journey became. An endless stream of Dharma Sect followers emerged from every unexpected corner. Beyond these human attackers, Li Huowang noticed a multitude of toppling human figures. Though they varied in form, they were not stone statues; instead, their bodies teemed with wriggling green worms. What was even more peculiar was that their lower bodies were not distinct; instead, they were like wood, sprouting long, root-like tendrils. These tendrils were intertwined within the mud. As these figures grew in number, Li Huowang felt as though he was ensnared in the Dharma Sect's vast, inescapable net. Though they remained motionless, he had an unsettling feeling that they could spring to life at any moment.

Suddenly, Li Huowang's legs, mired in the mud, froze. It was evident this was a trap; any further movement would lead him directly into the enemy's snare.

"Are you certain the Dragon Veins are within this Cloud Marsh? Don't let the Dharma Sect fool you," Li Huowang asked Xuanpin. "Even the Zuwang Dao couldn't deceive me, so I trust they won't either. Three Dragon Veins are sufficient to alter a region's feng shui; that much is undeniable."

Xuanpin's words did little to reassure Li Huowang. Knowing there was a trap and still being forced to walk into it was hardly a pleasant prospect.

As he pressed his hand against his temple, Peng Longteng, Monk, Qiu Chibao, and Jin Shanzhao all manifested. Under Li Huowang's command, they advanced at the forefront, clearing a path. The rain intensified, and as it poured down, the entire marsh became shrouded in mist, progressively reducing visibility.

"Boom, boom, boom," the drum on Bailin Miao's waist began to beat, its low rhythm echoing far amidst the heavy rain. With Li Huowang at the center, everything around them gradually became clear in Bailin Miao's mind, and the Dharma Sect's numerous sneak attacks proved fruitless.

Li Huowang had expected the subsequent waves of enemies to be stronger, but the Dharma Sect's assault suddenly ceased. "Senior Brother Li, to our left, someone is under attack about a li away!"

"Go! Let's help them!" Li Huowang quickly led the others closer; he couldn't allow the Dharma Sect to defeat them one by one.

Upon arrival, Li Huowang saw that the victim was the Altar Master of the Later Shu Astronomical Bureau. Under the torrent of heavy rain, the stone figures seemed to come alive, appearing and disappearing in the mist. Sharp fangs protruded from the Altar Master's mask. These yellowish-white fangs clashed and trembled rapidly, emitting a staccato "da-da-da" sound that was continuously echoed by similar sounds from within the mist. Suddenly, the ground cracked open, and five human figures, like fingers, erupted from the earth, completely engulfing the Altar Master as if in a hand.

Witnessing this, Li Huowang gave a quick instruction, then charged into the mist without hesitation, raising the copper coin sword in his hand to provide aid. Li Huowang had only intended to assist an ally, but just as he passed a fallen stone statue, the statue suddenly exploded. A cold gleam appeared, and a long sword thrust out, aiming for Li Huowang's face.

"Clang!" A grating impact resounded, scattering sparks. When he saw that his Purple Sprout Sword hadn't even left a scratch on the opponent's weapon, Li Huowang's heart instantly tightened; he was facing a formidable foe.

The figure, sword in hand, slowly emerged from the mist. Dressed in a bullfighting suit and clogs, its head was bowed low, messy black hair matted with rain completely obscuring its face. Seven or eight long swords pierced its chest from front to back.

"What is this?" Li Huowang's brow furrowed.

"Be careful. This is a Dispersed Immortal from Siqi," Xuanpin's illusion nearby replied.

"An Immortal? What exactly is a Dispersed Immortal?" Before Li Huowang could voice his question, the entity before him executed a sword flourish and charged. Just as Li Huowang prepared to parry, his body inexplicably shifted an inch to the left, allowing a curved saber to narrowly miss him.

By the time Peng Longteng's massive body, like a shield, blocked the Dispersed Immortal in front, Li Huowang turned to see another Dispersed Immortal emerge from behind him. Unlike the first, this one wielded a very strange curved saber. That was a narrow escape. If Li Sui's eyes hadn't been on the back of his head, allowing him to perceive the sneak attack, he might have lost his head.

"Two?" The thought had barely formed when a long spear shot directly out of the ground, piercing the sole of Li Huowang's left foot. There were enemies within the earth as well. When Li Huowang looked up and saw another Dispersed Immortal descending from the sky, crashing towards him, he immediately realized that these individuals were here to besiege and kill him!

With a "thud," Li Huowang directly absorbed the impact of the Dispersed Immortal's curved saber from his left side with his body, then raised his Spine Sword with his right hand and swung it into the air. Just as the flung fissure repelled the Dispersed Immortal above, the six tentacles within Li Huowang's body forcefully pushed against the ground, propelling him into mid-air. Seeing that the repelled Dispersed Immortal was still nearby, Li Huowang's body swiftly flickered, displacing him directly above it. He drew his copper coin sword and swung it forcefully, instantly severing the Dispersed Immortal's head.

But who would have thought that at this very moment, a cold gleam simultaneously appeared from all directions around Li Huowang. "Swish!" The curtain of rain in the air was instantly halted. All the Dispersed Immortals, leaving afterimages, burst forth from the mist, lunging at Li Huowang.

"Break!"

The weapons of the four Dispersed Immortals crashed heavily into Li Huowang's body, and a grating metallic scraping sound echoed in his ears. The rain in the sky began to fall once more. Enduring the intense pain, Li Huowang, suspended mid-air by various weapons, gasped for breath. Then he roared furiously: "You motherf***ers hurt my daughter!!"

The next moment, Li Huowang reached out and gouged out his own eyeball. Crushing it forcefully with one hand, he caused a strange hue to envelop everyone present.

"Boom!" The flames on Li Huowang's body rapidly spread to the surrounding Dispersed Immortals, transforming them into exact replicas of himself. Li Huowang's skin rapidly ignited, and the towering flames swiftly evaporated the falling rain into steam.

The Dispersed Immortals attempted to retreat, but Li Huowang's sacrifice of his eyeball made their movements incredibly sluggish. Unable to retreat, the Dispersed Immortals, engulfed in flames, began to fight back desperately. This, however, was precisely what Li Huowang desired. In this situation, they wouldn't last long. Although they were called Dispersed Immortals, Li Huowang believed they were not true Immortals; true Immortals, he thought, should not fear being burned.

Soon, all four Dispersed Immortals collapsed, their legs crossed in a meditative posture. Nothing was left on the ground except for their four burnt, dark-red weapons stuck upright.