Mutated Tao

A massive ship sailed on the azure sea. Li Huowang stared at the waves while occasionally checking the Shimmer Mirror.

“Captain, are you sure we are heading in the right direction?” He looked at the man with dark skin and calloused feet.

“I’ve been sailing for more than forty years. My ship will navigate flawlessly as long as you give the right coordinates.”

Just then, a muffled cry came from the bottom of the deck, sounding excruciatingly painful.

But the captain ignored the screaming from the Ao Jing Sect. He continued his work without acknowledging them. When he turned around, a single mahjong tile with the Hong Zhong pattern could be seen at the back of his neck.

The captain was not the only one with the mark. Li Huowang had tricked the entire ship's crew into turning them into his pieces.

Li Huowang didn’t want to employ any random group of people because he feared that there could be spies from the Dharma Sect. That was why he used the Sitting Oblivion Dao’s tricks.

After confirming they were sailing in the right direction, Li Huowang walked down from the deck and entered the cabin. He had just entered when he saw Li Sui meditating with her legs crossed.

“What are you doing?”

“Father, didn’t you say I turned into a Strayed One? I’m learning from you to cultivate the ‘Truth.’ I want to become as strong as you.”

The surroundings did not change, so it was clear that Li Sui did not succeed, but Li Huowang was still touched by her actions.

He patted her shoulders. “Cultivate well. We can solve it together if you encounter any problems. Also, did the illusion of the man appear again?”

Li Sui shook her head as she placed her legs down. “No. He only appeared once.”

“Only once…” Li Huowang pondered. It didn’t sound like an illusion created by being a Strayed One, so it wasn’t a major issue.

“Don’t worry, it's just an illusion. I have several of them, which have been following me for a few years. Even if you end up with illusions too, it won’t affect you. At most, they would just be annoying.”

“Alright father. I won’t worry too much about it.” Li Sui beamed as she squinted her eyes.

“Sorry for dragging you into this.”

“It’s alright.” Li Sui hugged Li Huowang and snuggled into his embrace. “Father, I want to help you. I want to protect you and make sure you don’t die.”

As Li Huowang was patting her head, one of the Ao Jing Sect members interrupted them. “Daoist Li, Elder Shen is calling you.”

He let go of Li Sui before following the person down deeper into the other cabins.

The cabins in which the Ao Jing Sect were staying was covered in the stench of blood. They also drew various runes using blood, but Li Huowang was used to it.

He approached Shen Benyou. “Is something wrong?”

“Does Daoist Li know who we’re facing? Who are the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas?”

Li Huowang briefly explained what he had experienced at Yang Xiaohai’s old home. “From the captives, we’ve learned that we are most likely facing the deities that the boat people worshiped. I’ve seen it once before, and it seems it controls water.”

“The Dragon King’s Heavenly Dao appears to control water and could forcibly change someone’s Ten Emotions and Eight Sufferings. You should prepare yourself.”

But Shen Benyou shook her head. They didn’t exist in the past. We knew about the boat people's faith, but most were merely superstitious. They only prayed to calm themselves before they went out to the sea. It seems that an impostor took over and proclaimed themselves as the boat people’s deity.

“Is it a Siming from another world? Did they come from beyond the Baiyu Capital?” Li Huowang wasn’t surprised since he had a similar conjecture.

Shen Benyou shook her head again. “The Sacrificial God hasn't answered us in a long time. I do not know what to do. We should be careful this time. No matter who these Dragon Kings are, we should be careful since the Dharma Sect recruited them.”

“You can’t die anyways. What are you afraid of? Aren’t you ashamed to call yourself the Ao Jing Sect?” Li Huowang did not hold back. “Also, we are not fighting against them head-on. We only need to take away their tribute. The mission shouldn’t be that dangerous. Once we are down there, I will steal their tribute while all of you suppress the Dragon King and the others.”

I’m worried, not afraid. There are too many variables. Daoist Li, do you not see them? Do you really think this is a coincidence?

“And what good is it for us to be worried? You are worried, and yet you wanted me to owe you a favor to do this? You wouldn’t have accepted it if you were that worried.”

Li Huowang wanted to scold her further, but the captain’s voice came from above the deck. “Sir, we are here!”

“We’ve reached the place. I will listen to you once this is over.”

Shen Benyou took a bag of metal thorns and opened her mouth. She dumped the contents of the bag into her mouth covered in blisters and ulcers before chewing on the steel thorns forcefully.

Four Ao Jing Sect members walked over and carried her palanquin. They followed Li Huowang up to the deck.

Everyone gathered at the top of the deck. They saw that the ocean was still the same, but Li Huowang sensed danger. He felt gazes coming from the bottom of the ship. Something had noticed them.

Li Huowang opened his mouth and swallowed Li Sui before waving his arm. The Ao Jing Sect members jumped into the sea like dumplings into boiling water.

Li Huowang jumped into the icy water and took a deep breath. The briney sea water surged into his lung and suffocated him.

Li Huowang instinctively struggled as his breathing became rapid and his body turned rigid. The suffocating feeling intensified until it reached a peak. Li Huowang quickly got used to the sensation of drowning.

Under normal circumstances, he would’ve drowned to death. However, with the Heavenly Dao of Death gone, he couldn’t die. That was why he could dive into the water without any hesitation.

Several black tentacles with suction cups and hooks appeared out from Li Huowang’s body. He swam swiftly in the oceanic current.

Li Huowang looked at the others. He saw the Lion Dance Palace had fused into a blob before transforming into a fish-like being. Densely layered palms covered in white tassels were arranged into the fins.

As for the Ao Jing Sect, they had turned the water around them into a bloody-red color.

Li Huowang pointed to the deep, dark ocean, and everyone descended even further.