Chapter 693

The concept of "military immortal transformation" (Bingjie Xian) didn't seem to belong to the Dharma Sect; the more he considered it, the more it felt like something from the military strategists. This appeared to confirm that with the dragon veins changing hands, the military strategists of Nanping and Siqi had also defected. However, Li Huowang couldn't afford to dwell on these thoughts. Engulfed in towering flames, he prepared to enter the battle and relieve others.

He had assumed the situation would quickly resolve, but figures kept emerging from the mist. While they might not have been Li Huowang and his allies' equals, they relentlessly prevented anyone from resting. "They're stalling for time!" Just as Li Huowang realized their strategy, the ground violently shook. The earth dragon had turned over again. The earthquake caused the entire swamp to churn; with the tremors, the barely stable mud rapidly transformed into a swallowing mire. Yet, even in such conditions, more Dharma Sect followers continued to emerge from the mist, dragging others down with them, even as they were swallowed by the mire. Li Huowang had experienced these "earth dragon turns" many times and understood their significance.

"How much time do we have left?" Li Huowang shouted at Xuanpin, who responded by holding up one finger. "An hour is gone," Xuanpin said, "meaning one of the three dragon veins has already been destroyed!" This grim news instantly filled Li Huowang with a sense of dread. In such a situation, further discussion was useless. He could only grit his teeth and, leading the others, push through the Dharma Sect's assault toward Yunze.

As they pressed closer to the center of Yunze, the unknown, worm-like figures gradually dwindled, replaced by more living members of the Dharma Sect, each possessing extraordinary strength. Besides the Dharma Sect members from Daliang and Daqi, there were surprisingly many individuals from other sects and factions, their shoulders draped in black cloth, signifying their conversion to the Dharma Sect. With his formidable flames ignited, Li Huowang had no intention of wasting them. He charged at the front, using his flames to dry the ground and incinerate Dharma Sect followers, carving a path paved with corpses for the others.

Led by Li Huowang, they advanced swiftly. An hour later, they reached their destination: the deepest part of Yunze, which, unexpectedly, was a stretch of dry ground. On this ground stood an incredibly formidable rock fortress. Through its chevaux de frise spikes, Li Huowang could see nothing but the heads of some Dharma Sect members. The rain continued to fall from the gloomy sky, casting an exceptionally heavy atmosphere over the scene. Peng Longteng then seized Li Huowang and hurled him high into the air. From that vantage point, Li Huowang finally saw what lay behind the fortress.

It was the dragon vein—formed by successive emperors—now pinned by enormous stone pillars within an inverted triangular mud pit. As the dragon vein struggled, the mire in the pit violently churned, and rising miasma spread everywhere. Surrounding this pit were Dharma Sect shamans in various loose robes, dancing ceaselessly around it. The shamans connected, forming a strange, writhing incantation. The Dharma Sect was using living humans to create a living curse, casting a spell to destroy the dragon vein.

Li Huowang wanted to observe more details, but he distinctly felt his body stiffen, gradually turning to stone—the Dharma Sect had detected him. When Li Huowang landed, he found that everyone else had gathered. Since both sides had essentially revealed their positions, it was time to plan their next move.

"You handle everything else; the dragon vein is my responsibility," Li Huowang stated. He knew dragon veins were immune to most divine abilities and techniques, and he had more experience dealing with them than anyone else. "That's what I had in mind," Xuanpin replied, her body dissipating like smoke but quickly reforming before Li Huowang. "Remember our primary goal: retrieving the dragon vein is paramount. But in a place like this, the Dharma Sect must have a master guarding it. You mustn't get too embroiled with them. I will assist you; we win once we reclaim the dragon vein." "Understood," Li Huowang responded.

Li Huowang surveyed the unfamiliar faces among their ranks, asking, "Who are they? What's the plan?" Although he didn't recognize them, it was evident from their appearance that they weren't from the Bureau of Celestial Observation. "Li Huowang, at a time like this, don't waste your energy on such trivialities. The overall situation takes precedence," Xuanpin stated, her tone unchanged. Yet, Li Huowang sensed the underlying distance in her words. Even though the threat of the Dharma Sect forced them to cooperate, Xuanpin still didn't fully trust him, concealing many details, simply because he was Ji Zai's Heart-Vessel.

Li Huowang, however, was not entirely at ease with them either. "Later," he told Bai Lingmiao, "don't let your people get too far ahead. If things go wrong, turn around and run immediately!" The two Bai Lingmiaos, their upper bodies covered by red veils, nodded in unison.

"Wooosh, wooosh, wooosh—" As the Bureau of Celestial Observation of Later Shu sounded its horn, the surrounding forces began to press forward. From within the crowd, a group of fully armored cavalry spearheaded the charge. Enveloped in towering murderous intent, they charged towards the fortress like a massive sword. "Kill!" With a resounding shout, the entire battlefield instantly ignited as both sides unleashed their unique abilities, surging towards each other.

However, Li Huowang paid no attention to the chaos outside. At that moment, he had already burrowed into the mud, wriggling his tentacles like an octopus, stealthily approaching the fortress. Knowing the Dharma Sect had masters, Li Huowang did not go alone. Instead, he slowly advanced with his own people, searching for an opening. He understood that the more critical the situation, the less he could afford to be impulsive. An hour later, the fortress was breached, and the entire center of Yunze descended into pandemonium. The air was filled with incessant chanting and incantations, punctuated by booming recitations of Buddhist scriptures. When Li Huowang witnessed Zheng Boqiao of the Fangxian Sect chant a living Dharma Sect shaman into a ball of flesh and then consume it, he knew his chance had arrived.

Li Huowang pulled a box from his pocket and forcefully shoved it into his mouth. Immediately, Li Sui watched as a sharp, angular bulge formed on his father's neck and then slid downwards. The next moment, not only did the mud around Li Huowang turn to water, but even its color became transparent. Simultaneously, his charred body rapidly healed. "Li Sui! Let's go!" Li Huowang surged upwards, and a gushing spring erupted from the earth.

While others around them stared at the inexplicably appearing gushing spring, an invisible Li Huowang swiftly moved toward the dragon vein. As he drew nearer, the painful roar of the dragon vein assaulted his mind. Reaching the edge of the mud pit, Li Huowang clenched his fists and gazed at the mire. Under his focused gaze, the churning mud began to solidify, and the stone pillars pinning the dragon vein started to liquefy.

Just as Li Huowang began his actions, an unexpected phenomenon occurred: the ashen gray of the stone pillars and the dark brown of the mire rapidly lost all color, leaving only black and white. Only the golden dragon robe on the dragon vein retained its original hue, appearing strikingly vivid against the monochrome surroundings. "Who is this? What sect's technique?" The thought had barely formed in Li Huowang's mind when he realized that not only had the colors in the mud pit vanished, but his own body had also lost its color. At that moment, he felt as though he were a figure within a black-and-white landscape painting.