Chapter 995: Three Purities

Li Huowang sat on a stone stool by the doorway, his bangs obscuring his injured eye. He frowned, gazing at the dense forest in the distance. His good eye was unfocused, clearly lost in thought.

Only he knew what occupied his mind at that moment.

"Here you go." A can of cola was presented to Li Huowang. He took it, surprised to find it was ice-cold.

"Where did you get this?" Li Huowang opened the can, took a big swallow, then returned it to Yang Na.

"The convenience store. Didn't you know? There's actually a convenience store out here in the countryside. It looks simple, but it has a bit of everything." Yang Na, beaming, took a small sip, holding the can with both hands.

She tilted her head slightly, looking at Li Huowang's grim face. "Don't worry," she gently reassured him. "We can win. After all, we're all Heavenly Mandates now, controlling the ways of the heavens."

"The Heavenly Mandates of Fushangtian deployed so many people last time, and they still suffered losses against us. That proves they're likely no match for us."

"We're not at such a disadvantage. They lost so many Heavenly Mandates, and we only lost a few. It's truly not certain who will win or lose."

Ever since accepting Li Huowang's worldview, Yang Na had shown no signs of depression. Her mental state seemed much more relaxed, and she was happy every day.

Despite Yang Na's comforting words, his mood remained heavy, especially as Li Huowang recalled Qingwang's parting remarks.

When it came to the words of the Sit-and-Forget Sect, he couldn't fully believe them, nor could he fully disbelieve them. That particular statement likely contained a mix of truth and lies, and his task now was to discern which was which.

Moreover, with enemies all around, what moves would the Three Pure Ones make next? That was an even bigger headache.

He was essentially already an enemy. An enemy isn't frightening, but one who knows you well is far more dangerous because they are aware of your weaknesses.

"Stop thinking and come eat. No matter what trouble we face later, we'll only have the strength to deal with it if we're well-fed. Let me tell you, this local Three-Yellow chicken is incredibly fragrant. I secretly had a few pieces while helping in the kitchen earlier."

Yang Na led Li Huowang inside. On the Eight Immortals table, large enough for eight, a spread of home-cooked dishes awaited them, with a steaming pot of mushroom-stewed chicken as the centerpiece.

The rich aroma wafting from it made Chen Hongyu, standing nearby, visibly swallow.

Yang Na was right; the stewed chicken was indeed delicious. He picked up a piece with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. The meat was tender yet slightly chewy, infused with a sweet, savory flavor that grew more enticing with each bite. Even the bones exuded a rich aroma, a stark contrast to the bland frozen chickens from the supermarket.

After swallowing the chicken, Li Huowang picked up the ice-cold cola and took a deep drink.

As the fizzy, ice-cold bubbles exploded on his tongue, Li Huowang scanned the faces around the table. He searched for a moment, only to realize that someone very important to him was missing. "Where's Doctor Yi?" he asked.

Ba Nanxu picked up a piece of chicken neck with skin, popping it into his mouth and chewing meat and bone together. "He's still in the warehouse, hypnotizing himself. Actually, we should really thank him. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be enjoying this delicious meal."

Li Huowang sighed inwardly, contemplating Yi Donglai's extreme reaction. He didn't want things to be this way, but time was truly running out. Facing Fushangtian, he couldn't afford to be careless in the slightest.

"Save a portion for him," Li Huowang said, picking up a slice of bamboo shoot with his chopsticks. "I'll take it to him later and talk to him properly."

Although Yi Donglai had treated him once, and he hadn't experienced another switch since, neither the doctor nor Li Huowang himself, as the patient, could be certain if he was truly cured.

He intensely disliked this feeling of instability. He needed to be one hundred percent certain that Yi Donglai had completely cured him.

"He's just a prisoner," Chen Hongyu declared, "give him some other dishes. This chicken isn't even enough for us." With that, she picked up the pot, poured all the fragrant, rich chicken broth into her own rice bowl, intending to mix it with white rice—a method she considered the most delicious.

As each person picked off a piece, only a few remained in the pot, which was rapidly emptying.

Yang Na stood up, swiftly snagging the last chicken wing with her chopsticks and placing it in Li Huowang's bowl.

Yet, no sooner had she sat down and taken a few bites of her own meal than she noticed Li Huowang frozen in place, his chopsticks untouched beside the chicken wing in his bowl.

"Huowang, why aren't you eating? Don't you love chicken wings?" Yang Na asked, nibbling on her chopsticks.

"If you're not eating it, give it to me," Chen Hongyu exclaimed, excitedly extending her chopsticks towards Li Huowang's bowl.

Just then, Yang Na watched Li Huowang's stunned expression slowly transform into surprise, then into horror, as his body recoiled.

"The Three Pure Ones!" Li Huowang suddenly bolted upright, yelling in a surge of agitation.

As Chen Hongyu's attention was diverted, Zhao Lei swiftly extended his chopsticks and snagged the chicken wing.

"Qingwang! What exactly are you trying to do?!" Li Huowang's furious roar echoed through the room.

"Oh, it's so noisy!" grumbled Chen Hongyu, her head still buried in her large bowl of rice mixed with chicken broth. "We're eating! If you want to shout, do it outside!"

Li Huowang abruptly drew the military knife from his waist, his expression turning savagely fierce. "You're back in Baiyujing again? We're all here! How dare you return to Baiyujing!"

With that, he raised the knife and began furiously swinging it at the empty space before him.

"Li Huowang, there's nothing in front of you," Wu Qi remarked, bewildered, bowl in hand.

"Of course there's nothing!" Li Huowang retorted, immediately rolling to the side. "That which cannot be seen is called Yi; that which cannot be heard is called Xi; that which cannot be grasped is called Wei! Haven't I told you before? The Three Pure Ones are inherently invisible!"

Li Huowang's heart burned with frustration as he looked at the others still at the table. They were utterly helpless in this situation; they couldn't perceive what was truly happening on the other side.

Aside from himself, Qingwang was the only one capable of influencing that other world.

Li Huowang never imagined Qingwang could be so treacherous. Seeing that he couldn't win the fight here, he had decided to make a move from the other side!

While his experiences on both sides confirmed that Yi Donglai's previous treatment had been effective, he found no joy in the current turn of events.

If his other self were indeed taken by the Three Pure Ones, it would mean a portion of Ji Zai's body had been seized, and that would spell enormous trouble!

With an incredibly grim expression, Li Huowang stared at the empty space before him, the Baiyujing. Just as he prepared to fight with all his might, Yang Na set down her chopsticks, pulled out her pistol, and without a moment's hesitation, raised it and fired into the seemingly empty air in front of Li Huowang.