Chapter 711: Believer

Bare-chested, Li Huowang panted heavily, his face contorted in extreme pain. He watched helplessly as his body uncontrollably split open and then closed again, but he was powerless to stop it. Sweat, brought on by the pain, streamed down and seeped into the open flesh, making Li Huowang's body convulse from the agony. He had endured more intense pain in the past, but that kind of pain was always momentary. This sensation, however, was constant and only growing more intense.

Bai Lingmiao, nearby, tried to help, but neither spirit possession nor shamanistic rituals, nor anything else she summoned, had any effect on Li Huowang. Li Huowang knew it was useless because this torment came from Si Ming Bahui, and in his eyes, these 'cats and dogs' could do nothing against it.

As the 'Ascension' continually progressed, at first his physical senses heightened and his healing ability improved. But it was clear that Bahui was no longer content with just waiting for him to self-mutilate; it wanted to torment him personally. It was rumored that after reaching a certain stage of 'Ascension', one would become Bahui's 'Heart Knot', and he seemed to be getting close. Judging from the current situation, it seemed that once he truly became Bahui's 'Heart Knot', the pain throughout his body would never cease, enveloping him entirely.

"What? You want to snatch the 'Heart Knot' from Ji Zai? You're still not giving up?" Li Huowang asked, addressing the intense pain currently wracking his body. Pain, being a sensation, naturally offered no response. Li Huowang sat there talking to himself, his mind muddled by the continuous agony.

Fortunately, this sensation did not last long. After the time it takes two incense sticks to burn, the wounds on Li Huowang's body quickly closed. "I... I need to rest for a bit." Exhausted by the intense pain, Li Huowang leaned back and immediately fell into a deep sleep. He was simply too tired.

Bai Lingmiao came closer, and looking at Li Huowang in that state, her heart ached. She brought a basin of warm water, dipped a towel in it, wrung it out forcefully, then started to wipe Li Huowang's body. In just that short time, the wounds on Li Huowang's body had already scabbed over, and as Bai Lingmiao wiped them, the scabs fell off with a rustling sound. Li Sui's tentacles reached out from behind, sucking up all the blood scabs with their suction cups and slowly retracting. A moment later, Bai Lingmiao heard a crunching sound from behind her.

After washing Li Huowang's feet, Bai Lingmiao tucked him in and turned to leave. "Sui Sui, your father is very tired today. Sleep with him, take good care of him, and don't let anyone disturb him."

"Okay," the graceful Li Sui said. She walked to the bedside, opened her small, cherry-like mouth, and wriggling tentacles emerged from it, swiftly burrowing into Li Huowang's quilt. As she watched Li Sui fold her human form like clothes at the head of the bed, Bai Lingmiao turned and left the room.

"Li Huowang is in for it now. If this trouble isn't removed, this intense pain will probably follow him for the rest of his life." Hearing the words of the 'Two Gods' in her mind, Bai Lingmiao silently continued walking.

Soon, she entered a somewhat crowded alleyway where the wooden doors were either adorned with lotus paintings or had lotus decorations hanging, and numerous ritual banners hung from the eaves. This was a White Lotus sect area. Under the White Lotus, all beings are equal. There were no poor or fortunate people allowed to stay here, only devout White Lotus followers. Through some of the unlatched door cracks, one could even see a group of people silently prostrating themselves in prayer. Anyone who walked past Bai Lingmiao bowed their heads and respectfully stood aside.

Soon, she arrived at a hall adorned with numerous candles. In the center of the hall rested a white-glowing twin lotus, illuminating the entire room as if it were daylight. Bai Lingmiao approached the prayer mat, knelt down, and with her hands clasped, silently prayed to the white lotus. "Oh, compassionate Wusheng Laomu, your disciple begs you to free Senior Brother Li from this sea of suffering soon."

The light of the white lotus began to subtly change, as if something had happened, yet nothing had changed. After silently praying for a long time, Bai Lingmiao opened her eyes, looking at the white lotus. "Your disciple voluntarily abandons everything to serve and worship you for life. May Wusheng Laomu mercifully receive us. Your disciple is willing to recite scriptures ten thousand times for you, with utmost sincerity and reverence, and prostrate herself in adoration. But, you once promised your disciple that if you were to scheme against your disciple in this matter, I would make you regret it." After saying this softly and sweetly, Bai Lingmiao again performed three prostrations and nine kowtows to the twin lotus.

The white lotus suddenly burst into intense light, and a beam of light shot into Bai Lingmiao's glabella. She quickly felt a profound sense of compassion, and all other emotions vanished from her heart. In a white haze, Bai Lingmiao seemed to see something. It was Li Huowang, a very abstract and distorted Li Huowang. Soon, a mass of blood-red surged to his left side, while from his right palm emerged another Li Huowang. This Li Huowang was extremely peculiar; he had no back, both sides were fronts. This two-faced Li Huowang and the mass of blood-red began to pull at the Li Huowang in the middle. As their pulling strength increased, Li Huowang was ultimately torn into two halves by the two sides.

As Bai Lingmiao awoke from her vision, she immediately understood the meaning Wusheng Laomu had conveyed to her. This seemed to be a prophecy or some kind of revelation: Li Huowang could no longer use the spells of the Zoroastrian religion, especially he could not continue 'Ascending'. If he continued, he would probably truly be torn into two halves!

"Thank you, great benevolent and compassionate Wusheng Laomu, your disciple is most grateful." After saying this, Bai Lingmiao again prostrated herself devoutly a few times, then stood up and walked towards Li Huowang's bedroom.

However, just as she stepped out of the alley, she saw a haggard Lu Xiucai walking towards her. "Mistress," he said, bowing his head to Bai Lingmiao. Seeing his left hand with two severed fingers, Bai Lingmiao gave a brief instruction, telling him not to use the Great Thousand Record again, before hurrying away.

After watching Bai Lingmiao leave, Lu Xiucai entered a flat house in the alley. He reverently picked up three incense sticks, bowed to the white lotus painting on the wall, inserted them into the incense burner, and then prostrated himself before the painting, unmoving.

"Your disciple, Lu Xiucai, has made up his mind. He will remain unmarried and childless for life, will never touch any meat or strong-smelling food again, will not handle gold or silver, and is willing to use his mortal body to endure the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations on behalf of Wusheng Laomu." After he finished speaking, a middle-aged woman walked out from the corner. She was Lian Zhibei, who had once sought out Bai Lingmiao. She removed Lu Xiucai's clothes, revealing his scarred back. Before the lotus painting, she took out a tattooing needle and began to tattoo his back. Feeling the color was a bit light, Lian Zhibei rubbed the tattooing needle against the white lotus in the mural, then continued to tattoo Lu Xiucai. As each needle pierced his back, Lu Xiucai's face turned pale from the pain, but he dared not move even slightly, clamping his mouth shut tightly.