Mutated Tao

In the extremely muddy Cloud Swamp, the rain continued to fall relentlessly as Li Huowang led his group and struggled through barely passable paths.

The deeper they went, the more perilous it became. There was a constant stream of Dharma Sect followers emerging from unexpected places.

Besides these people, Li Huowang also saw crooked human statues, each one filled with wriggling green worms.

More peculiarly, these statues were not solitary. They were connected by root-like tendrils that intertwined beneath the soil.

As the number of these statues increased, Li Huowang felt as though he was trapped in the Dharma Sect’s web. Although the statues didn’t move, he had the nagging feeling they could spring to life at any moment.

Li Huowang came to an abrupt halt as his legs sank into the mud. It was clear this was a trap, and he would walk right into it if he continued onward.

“Are you sure the Dragon Veins are in the Cloud Swamp? Could this be a trick by the Dharma Sect?” Li Huowang asked Xuan Pin.

“Not even the Sitting Oblivion Dao could deceive me. I don’t think they can either. Three Dragon Veins can indeed alter the feng shui of a place. This is a known fact.”

Xuan Pin’s words did little to improve Li Huowang’s mood. It was not good to knowingly walk right into a trap.

Li Huowang pressed his temples, and materialized Peng Longteng, the monk, Qiu Chibao, and Jin Shanzhao.

Under his orders, they took the lead and forged a path forward. The rain intensified, shrouding the swamp in mist and reducing visibility.

Dong dong dong~ The drum at Bai Lingmiao’s waist was beat steadily, and the sound extended outwards through the rain.

Everything around Li Huowang gradually became clear in Bai Lingmiao’s mind, allowing her to thwart several ambush attempts by the Dharma Sect.

Li Huowang had assumed that the enemies would become stronger, but the Dharma Sect’s attacks suddenly ceased.

“Senior Li, there’s an attack happening a mile to our left!”

“Let’s go! Help them!” Li Huowang led his group swiftly towards the source of the commotion. He couldn’t allow the Dharma Sect to defeat them one by one.

When he arrived, Li Huowang saw the Chief of Hou Shu’s Surveillance Bureau, Zhang Tan, under attack. The statues seemed to come to life in the pouring rain, appearing and vanishing in the mist.

Sharp fangs extended from beneath Zhang Tan’s mask, which clashed and vibrated rapidly as they made a clicking sound. The same sound echoed from the mist and responded in kind.

The ground suddenly cracked open. Five statues emerged like fingers from the earth and, grasping Zhang Tan like a hand.

Li Huowang gave some instructions, then immediately charged into the mist without hesitation, wielding his bronze coin sword to assist him.

Li Huowang initially thought he was merely helping an ally. However, as he stepped over a fallen statue, it suddenly exploded. A gleaming long sword was revealed from within, slashing towards his face.

Clang! The collision sent sparks flying. He saw that his purple-tassel sword left no mark on the opponent’s weapon, making him realize he was facing a tough adversary.

A figure slowly emerged from the mist, dressed in a matador outfit and wearing tall shoes. His head was bowed and his drenched black hair covered his face. Seven or eight long swords were protruding from his chest.

“What is this?” Li Huowang frowned.

“Be careful. This is a Si Qi Immortal Soldier,” Xuan Pin’s illusion answered.

“Immortal? What is an Immortal Soldier?” Li Huowang wanted to ask this question, but the Immortal Soldier twirled its sword and lunged at him before he could.

As Li Huowang prepared to defend, his body instinctively moved an inch to the left to narrowly avoid a scimitar from behind.

Peng Longteng’s massive body shielded Li Huowang from the Immortal Soldier in front. Li Huowang turned to see another Immortal Soldier emerge behind him, wielding a strange curved blade.

It had been a close call, and he would probably have been killed if not for Li Sui’s eyes on the back of his head spotting the ambush.

Two of them? As the thought crossed his mind, a spear burst from the ground and impaled Li Huowang’s left foot. They were also underground.

Another Immortal Soldier descended from above, ready to strike. At this moment, he understood that these people had targeted and encircled him!

He took a direct hit from the curved blade with his body while swinging the spine sword upward with his right hand. The crack forced the Immortal Soldier above to retreat.

Li Huowang used his six tentacles and pushed firmly to propel himself into the air. The Immortal Soldier who had retreated temporarily was not too far away. Li Huowang’s body flashed as he shifted his body above the Immortal Soldier and swung his bronze coin sword to decapitate that Immortal Soldier.

Flashes of cold light surrounded Li Huowang from all directions.

Swoosh! The rain halted in mid-air as all the Immortal Soldiers lunged at him with phantom images behind. “Break!”

The weapons of the four Immortal Soldiers collided with Li Huowang’s body, producing a grating metallic sound. The rain resumed its heavy downpour.

Li Huowang was suspended in mid-air by the various weapons. He endured the searing pain, took a deep breath, and roared, “You hurt my daughter!”

He scooped out his eyeball and squeezed it tightly. A strange color enveloped everyone.

Boom! Flames erupted from Li Huowang’s body and spread to the Immortal Soldiers, scorching them and turning them into charred figures resembling Li Huowang.

The fire burned Li Huowang’s skin and caused the falling rain to evaporate into steam.

The Immortal Soldiers attempted to retreat, but they moved extremely slowly due to Li Huowang’s eyeball sacrifice.

Since they were unable to withdraw, the Immortal Soldiers launched a desperate counterattack, which was exactly what Li Huowang wanted.

Despite being called Immortal Soldiers, Li Huowang believed they weren’t true immortals. Genuine immortals wouldn’t fear fire.

Soon, the four Immortal Soldiers fell onto the ground. Only their charred weapons were left behind as the flames devoured them.