Chapter 893: Ambush

Li Huowang knew that his cultivation as a heart-saint relied entirely on the primordial qi within his body. However, what he didn't know was that the people of Tianchen Kingdom could not only easily access the Dao of Heaven, but they could also extract the primordial qi from their own bodies! The slow-flowing yellow substance clutched by the claw in Li Huowang's chest was his own primordial qi; it was the first time he had seen it outside his body. Li Huowang had suffered countless injuries in the past, but none had ever been so severe. Without his primordial qi, he would be unable to cultivate and would likely become nothing more than an ordinary mortal.

A tearing sound rang out again, and the sharp claw began to pull the primordial qi, attempting to extract it from Li Huowang's body. At this critical moment, a dozen tentacles rapidly emerged from Li Huowang's back, firmly coiling around the hand and preventing the extraction of his primordial qi. Li Huowang wouldn't let this precious opportunity created by Li Sui slip away. He immediately yanked the Vertebrae Sword from his back.

However, his assailant was behind him. Every time Li Huowang tried to turn, his attacker mirrored his movement, making it impossible to strike. In desperation, Li Huowang hardened his resolve, grabbed his own head with both hands, and twisted it forcefully to the left. With a cracking sound of bone as his neck rotated, Li Huowang's face instantly swapped places with the back of his head. As his head twisted around, Li Huowang finally saw the owner of the claw.

It was a hunchbacked old man with one eye larger than the other. A single horn on his head parted his white hair, revealing a blurry, singular eye beneath. His right hand was plunged into Li Huowang's chest, while his left held a root staff adorned with gourds of various sizes.

"Die!" Li Huowang roared, and with a bone-cracking sound of twisting joints, he brought the Vertebrae Sword, gripped in a reverse hold, down on his attacker. Before the sword even reached him, the assailant's body began to twist and deform. This was not Zhuge Yuan's spine; this was Li Huowang's own heart-saint spine.

Seeing that his hand was stuck and Li Huowang's attack was imminent, the one-eyed old man decisively swung his staff. His right hand instantly severed, and like a lizard shedding its tail, he quickly pulled away from Li Huowang, narrowly avoiding death.

When Li Huowang gritted his teeth and twisted his head back into place, he saw that the vast opera house contained more than just the old man with the staff. The masked woman who had played the stringed instrument earlier, Broken Ear (who had tried to recruit him before), and several unfamiliar faces in strange attire were all standing around him, a total of eight individuals. It was clear that they had been deliberately sent by Tianchen Kingdom after receiving news of his arrival.

Li Huowang, his expression grave, looked down at the severed hand still embedded in his chest. He hadn't expected the people of Tianchen Kingdom to arrive so quickly, nor had he anticipated them discovering his true nature so swiftly and adapting their ambush strategy accordingly. His enemies this time were unlike any he had faced before; they were the entire world. If they found even the slightest weakness, his situation would become extremely perilous. That had been a close call. If Li Sui hadn't been with him and they had truly extracted his primordial qi, the consequences would have been catastrophic.

"Master Li, we meet again," Broken Ear said, bowing to Li Huowang.

"What? More empty words?" Li Huowang noticed that the bandits he had just captured had taken advantage of the chaos to escape. Since the ambush had failed, Li Huowang should, in theory, have sought an opportunity to retreat. However, he was unwilling to leave, as his objective in Tianchen had not been achieved. He hadn't determined the number of dragon veins, nor had he gathered any useful intelligence. Returning now would be a wasted trip, and getting back into Tianchen Kingdom later would likely be a significant effort.

Broken Ear seemed disinclined to attack immediately and continued to question Li Huowang. "Master Li, I've heard you are a benevolent person. Why then do you assist evil? The White Lotus Sect is a heretical cult, after all."

Li Huowang almost scoffed in anger. "Now you call the White Lotus Sect a heretical cult? Back when you conspired to steal the Dao of Heaven from the Unborn Mother, why didn't you call her evil then?"

Broken Ear looked surprised. "Master Li, why do you say that? You've been deceived by those wicked people! I don't know who told you this, but it's false. Things weren't like that at all back then." Broken Ear continued, clasping his hands and shaking them towards the south. "At that time, the Evil Mother enslaved us like cattle. The entire Tianchen Kingdom was a living hell. Our ancestors were forced into desperate resistance." He then added, "Master Li, are you planning to help that Evil Mother turn Tianchen Kingdom into a living hell once more?"

Li Huowang stood there, looking around. "Heh... so it's a case of each side claiming to be in the right, isn't it? Funny how from your perspective, all of you seem to be good people." He continued, "Didn't you want my help? Fine, I'll help you. As long as you don't provoke the White Lotus Sect, I guarantee they won't come to your Tianchen. Li Huowang always keeps his word!" Hearing this, Broken Ear's expression grew heavy, and he remained silent, clearly unwilling to easily trust Li Huowang's assurance.

"Let me tell you, stop with this act; it's useless. Your spies in Daqi may have gathered a lot of information, but you still haven't found out why I help the White Lotus Sect! Li Sui, attack!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Huowang's body instantly dispersed like fine sand.

But Broken Ear and the others quickly saw through the illusion. The one-eyed old man lightly waved his gourd staff forward, and the brightly lit opera house around them was instantly peeled back like a curtain. At that moment, Li Huowang, engulfed in flames and with his body cracking open, had already charged directly towards him!

The old man immediately raised his staff and slammed it towards Li Huowang. The stoppers in the gourds' mouths popped open, unleashing a powerful suction force. However, as Li Huowang's body effortlessly passed through the gourds, the one-eyed old man realized that what was before him was merely an illusion. By the time he reacted, it seemed it was too late. The real Li Huowang, ablaze with fire, was already behind him.

Before his opponent could react, the Vertebrae Sword in Li Huowang's hand plunged directly into the old man's high, bulging hump. Immediately, a sound like a bursting abscess erupted, and putrid, yellow, snot-like pus, reeking horribly, gushed frantically from the wound. Li Huowang's flames scorched the pus, turning it into billowing white smoke. The sensation from the sword hilt told Li Huowang that something was buried within the rotten pus. Gripping the hilt, he yanked it down forcefully, cleaving the entire hump open and revealing a divine statue buried within the viscous discharge.