Mutated Tao

In the timeless chaos of Baiyu Capital, the other Simings stood fused in a ring. At the center were Ji Zai and the dying Three Ancient Ones.

Ji Zai’s gaze lingered on the Three Ancient Ones’ form. It was woven from interconnected secrets, concealing its nature so well that Ji Zai couldn’t distinguish the Heavenly Dao of Secrets from the Heavenly Dao of Growth. For the Siming in control of secrets, concealment was second nature.

But this posed no obstacle for Li Huowang. He didn’t need to identify the correct Heavenly Dao—he simply had to consume everything.

As Li Huowang devoured the body of the Three Ancient Ones, he turned to the other Simings with a puzzled expression. “What’s wrong? Don’t you want the Heavenly Daos of the Three Ancient Ones?”

However, none of the Simings answered him. They just stood there motionlessly.

Li Huowang shrugged and returned to his task. Better that than leaving it to unreliable hands. It was far safer for him to hold the power.

It’d be troublesome if someone else acquired the power but decided not to help. Li Huowang preferred to rely on himself.

Just then, the Heavenly Mater approached and sat beside him. She extended her “arm” covered in white feathers and carefully caressed his own twisted six arms.

Li Huowang felt a warmth in his heart. It felt nice to have someone that would trust him no matter what.

Perhaps that trust was what kept him going through every ordeal.

Ji Zai and the Heavenly Mater shared a fleeting smile before continuing to absorb the Heavenly Dao.

To Li Huowang’s surprise, Qing Wanglai was still alive despite his severe injuries.

Still, Qing Wanglai was on the brink of death. He coughed up blood and chuckled. His gaze shifted to the skies, and he felt a tugging sensation on his body.

Soon, a tattooed woman with a cigarette in her mouth blocked his vision. “It must hurt, doesn’t it? Want me to release you?”

A smoke ring drifted downward, enveloping his face.

Even so, Qing Wanglai flashed his signature smile. “Li… do you really… think that… I don’t have a backup plan…? You think… I would… so easily?”

Li Huowang paused momentarily, then continued to munch on Qing Wanglai’s body. “What are you talking about? In your state, what could you possibly do? Don’t tell me you poisoned your own flesh.”

“Why… not? I have… caught up… with your perception of the world… I have… anticipated that… you would… do this…”

Shock rippled through Li Huowang as he retched. “You actually poisoned yourself?!”

As Qing Wanglai laughed, Li Huowang felt his abdomen cramping in pain. It was just as intense as the pain he had experienced when he first took the pills at Zephyr Temple, the ones that Dan Yangzi had refined to become immortal.

Li Huowang stuck his finger down his throat to induce vomiting.

He emptied his stomach, but the pain continued to intensify in his abdomen.

“Li Huowang… since you… don’t want to die… I will… send you… to your death. My plan… must be completed…”

The others rushed to aid him. Wu Qi was frantic, trying to help him flush out the poison from his system.

Li Huowang’s condition deteriorated. His complexion turned pale, and beads of sweat streamed down his face.

Even Yang Na had the same symptoms.

Li Huowang snarled and forced himself up after pushing everyone away. He grabbed Qing Wanglai and pulled the latter upwards forcefully, asking, “What did you do?!”

However, Qing Wanglai could no longer reply. His lifeless body sagged, his lips frozen in a smile.

Despite everything, Li Huowang saw a white object tucked into Qing Wanglai’s collar. He took it out and discovered it was a note.

As he read the note, he quickly realized that it was explicitly addressed to him. These were Qing Wanglai’s final words.

Li Huowang, if you’re reading this, you chose not to help me. You were too shallow to care about the survival of the projections. Since you wouldn’t listen, I had no choice but to force you. After consuming me, you’ll have no more than two days to live. Of course, I didn’t give you two days out of generosity. It’s just that a higher dose would’ve killed me instantly.

Do you think I didn’t fight you directly because I couldn’t win? No, it was because of hope. The futile hope that maybe, just maybe, you might see reason.

Unfortunately, I was wrong. Up until the very end, I remained the sole voice of reason. Don’t worry, though—you won’t die alone. The key to saving our true selves is beneath my corpse. Destroy the projections here, and you might save our real bodies.

Li Huowang’s eyes darted to the blood-soaked ground beneath Qing Wanglai and spotted several shattered test tubes, their glass shards glinting among the pools of blood.

While the others were panicking, Qing Wanglai had silently smashed three test tubes onto the bloodstained ground.

The three fluids in the test tubes had mixed together, releasing an invisible, odorless gas. Li Huowang didn’t know what the fluids were, but he was certain they wouldn’t be as simple as anesthetic or paralyzing agents.

Qing Wanglai had been deceiving everyone. It was all a ruse—even without consuming the other Heavenly Daos, he intended to poison everyone else. His goal was to kill every Siming in the Baiyu Capital.

When Li Huowang rechecked Qing Wanglai’s corpse, the grin seemed even wider.

Fury ignited within him. He grabbed Yang Na’s gun and shot Qing Wanglai’s head open with a deafening bang.

Amid the splatter of blood and brain matter, another piece of paper fluttered free.