Mutated Tao

Li Huowang was devastated, no longer displaying the energy he had moments ago. “They are not from the Qi Kingdom… They really aren’t from the Qi Kingdom…”

Chan Du realized what had happened when he heard Li Huowang’s muttering. “I see. So that’s what had happened.”

Chan Du pondered a bit before clasping his hands and asking Li Huowang, “Benefactor Li, do you know where they came from? Did you have any conflict with them in the past?”

Li Huowang nodded but said nothing. He sat on the ground for a long time.

He had previously wanted to know who the assailants were, but now he wished he didn’t know.

Chen Yurong couldn’t stand the silence and asked. “Daoist, what should we do next?”

Li Huowang raised his head, his blurry eyes refocusing. “What else can we do? Find a way to get back that sword! I want to go back and ask that bastard personally!”

Li Huowang refused to believe that Gao Zhijian would send people to attack him like this.

It was impossible for him to send assassins after Li Huowang! Gao Zhijian used to be a simple and honest brute who wielded a club as he followed Li Huowang.

There was no way Gao Zhijian sent assassins after consulting Li Huowang only once. He needed to ask Gao Zhijian personally to find out what had happened!

“Daoist, you are right. No matter if they are from the Qi Kingdom or not, we need to find your sword back. This concerns your ability to return to the Liang Kingdom as well as the survival of the Qi Kingdom.”

Another person interrupted, “But there’s no more survivors. How can we find the sword now?”

“We have a way!” Li Huowang’s voice made everyone shut up. “Even if the Gan family is unable to find the sword, there are other beings who can find it. For example, Shangji Guankou!”

He had once used one of Shangji Guankou’s secrets to find Shai Zi, the Twisted One of Doulao. He was sure he could locate his spine sword if he found Shangji Guankou again.

“Daoist, I have to interrupt you for now. Everything in this world has paused.[1] There’s no longer any feng shui. It would be difficult to find Shangji Guankou.”

Li Huowang raised his head and stared into the sky. “Who said I will be finding it in the Qi Kingdom? I can just go find the Siming in charge of the Heavenly Dao of Secrets!”

“Si… Siming?! I don’t think that’s possible!”

“Who says so? I can do it since I’m Ji Zai!”

He recalled how he had encountered the Siming before and turned to Chan Du. “Prepare for the Samgharama Ceremony! I need to find your Buddha, and I need a catalyst to do that!”

Chan Du hesitated. “Benefactor Li, the Samgharama Ceremony is not simple. It would consume a lot of resources even during regular times. I’m afraid it might not be prudent to do so now…”

“Are you going back on your words now?” Li Huowang glared at Chan Du.

Chan Du sighed and fiddled with his prayer beads before finally nodding. “Amitabha. This old monk heeds your words. The Qi Kingdom is yours, and your words are the rules.”

The Samgharama Ceremony was soon conducted in the Righteous Monastery. It was still the same as the previous one, with the Great Equal Assembly being conducted in the outer circle and the Samgharama Ceremony being conducted in the inner circle.

Li Huowang slowly closed his eyes amidst the wriggling flesh.

He didn’t know how long it took, but the voices around him and his senses gradually disappeared.

When Li Huowang opened his eyes again, he saw the Five Dhyani Buddhas in all their glory, hanging above his head like the moon.

Under the moonlight, Li Huowang’s physical flesh slowly escaped his control.

Li Huowang tore off his own eyes and shouted at the Buddhas while his body was still intact, “I’m not here to see you! I’m here to see another Siming! The one from before that controls secrets!“

Just then, Li Huowang slowly regained control of his body. He was currently blind, so he couldn’t confirm whether the Five Dhyani Buddhas had left.

“Are you here? Are you there? I’m Ji Zai! Do you still remember me? I was the one who ran at the forefront last time! All of you owe me one! I have some trouble in the mortal realm, and asking for some secrets from Shangji Guankou shouldn’t be too much, should it?”

Li Huowang had barely finished speaking when he suddenly felt a sensation of something brushing past him. It felt as if strands of hair had grazed his skin.

“You are here. Who are you?”

Li Huowang bent down hastily to pick up his eyes. He plugged them back in before he looked up.

He saw nothing. It was the same as when he was blinded.

However, Li Huowang could clearly feel the strands brushing past his body.

Li Huowang extended his right hand, attempting to grasp the strands of hair, but his hand returned empty.

“What is this?”

Li Huowang was asking that question when the strands brushed past his head. The questions in his heart were answered.

“Seen yet unseen, thus it’s called Yi. Heard yet not listened, thus it's called Xi. Grasped yet unattainable, thus it’s called Wei. Individually, the three cannot be questioned, hence they merge into one. It’s without a fixed form, and it's not obscured below. It is intricately subtle and cannot be named, thus returning to a state of nothingness. This is the form of the formless and the image of the non-existent.”

"Yi Xi Wei? Are you the Three Ancient Ones?" Li Huowang's body abruptly jerked, and he woke up from his dream. The sight that greeted him was a bunch of naked monks around him.

Li Huowang suddenly found that all the questions in his heart had been answered, and his doubts had completely vanished. It was as if he had always known the exact location of Zhuge Yuan’s spine sword!

Li Huowang didn’t care which Siming was in control of secrets, but he knew he needed to take his sword back now!

“Let’s go! I saw it! Everyone, let’s depart now!” Li Huowang ran outside impatiently.

One of the senior monks wiped the sweat off his chin and looked at Chan Du with confusion. “Abbot, I thought the Samgharama Ceremony was used to meet the Buddhas. How did he meet the Three Ancient Ones?”

Chan Du stared at the unmoving Buddha statue and shook his head. “I do not know either.”

No one dared to ignore Li Huowang’s order in the Qi Kingdom. Those with even an ounce of strength followed Li Huowang’s orders and marched out.

Li Huowang held onto the image of his spine sword and moved faster.

They arrived at a place with numerous hills. The culprits were hiding among the complicated terrain.

When they got close to the location, Li Huowang used his cultivation to sink into the ground as if it were water.

The others separated and formed a large encirclement. They slowly closed in to prevent the assailants from escaping.

They approached silently, with everyone holding their breath as they prepared themselves for a battle to the death.

The air was filled with tension as they neared their target. Many of them were already chanting their techniques in preparation.

However, they stopped when they got close. There was nothing in the middle except for a green grassy field.

1. As in there’s no day and night, and no changes to the seasons. As such, there’s no feng shui either. ☜