The Unruly Immortals

In the dimly lit farmhouse courtyard, Li Huowang, trembling, clutched the blade protruding from his own chest, staring in shock at the Li Huowang with the same features standing before him.

"You... I..." Li Huowang, pale from blood loss, staggered backward.

The sudden turn of events threw his mind into disarray, one moment grappling with the mention of Hong Zhong in the other's words, the next confronting his imminent demise.

Just as Li Huowang was about to fall, his fellow disciples rushed to his side, frantically supporting him.

Long black nails trembled as they reached for the blade tip in Li Huowang's chest, but before touching it, they retracted swiftly, striking heavily against the pale drumhead.

"Boom, boom, boom! Ox-Head and Horse-Face are bringing the chains. The Two Lords of Hell have unfurled their sails! Boom, boom, boom!! To whisk away the mischievous child to the netherworld, life and death hinge on this moment. There's no need to say, for we already know, the child has reached Ghost Gate Pass! Boom, boom, boom! Today we seek not others but invite the King of Grief to stand before us..."

As the chants of the Soldier-Shifting Decree sounded, the big red bridal veil began to squirm, and gusts of cold wind swirled, as if trying to form something.

Bai Lingmiao wanted to save Li Huowang, but the doppelganger Li Huowang would not just stand by; with a flick of his wrist, three leaf-shaped cards shot out umbrella-fashion towards Li Huowang.

"Clang, clang, clang!" The leaf cards struck the stone slabs, ringing out sharply. Gao Zhijian, in his Heavy Armor, used his large body to shield the dying Li Huowang, his usually simple eyes now steadfastly fixing on the enemy ahead.

"Huh? Big Boss Hong Zhong, where'd you scam these guys from? So very loyal, but -"

With a light snap of his fingers, every clay statue on the surrounding rooftops clamorously stood up. "But, they're not as good as me. Why don't you step down and let me be Hong Zhong?"

No sooner had he spoken than the clay figures leaped en masse, pelting down towards them like raindrops.

So these things were under his command; he was both the good and the bad guy, and all the so-called troubles of Gan Yuan Village were just a trap set by the Oblivion Path.

"Ring, ring, ring!!" The piercing sound of bells rang out incessantly as Chun Xiaoman grew taller, with dozens of You Lao Ye rapidly lunging forward.

"Ah!" Gao Zhijian, wielding the Wolf Fang Club seized from a bandit lair, swung it with all his might, unable to contain the Evil Qi spilling from his body.

Although they fought valiantly, against the overwhelming number of clay men, it was clear they were outmatched, retreating as they battled in a perilously dire situation.

And as the drumming and the urgency of the Soldier-Shifting Decree's chant intensified, whether it was sweat or tears, the two big red bridal veils were soaked through.

However, seeing the two blades slowly being removed from Li Huowang's chest, and the wounds gradually healing, Bai Lingmiao likewise clung to a sliver of hope.

"It's okay! Senior Brother Li can be saved! He won't die!"

Gradually, with the aid of the Immortal Sects, the knives that had pierced Li Huowang's chest were steadily extracted, and the wounds were barely sealed.

"Ting, ting, ting~!" Just as the bloodstained knives fell to the ground, Bai Lingmiao suddenly saw someone abruptly standing before him.

It was the doppelganger Senior Brother Li; he was the Oblivion Path spoken of by Li himself, capable of changing appearances!

Looking at the gods covered with red bridal veils before him, his lips curled into a sinister, crooked smile. "Heh~heh~ You've got some skills, huh? All healed up?"

"Puchi, puchi," the sounds continued as three razor-sharp daggers plunged straight into Li Huowang's mangled chest.

Hearing the devastated sobs from beneath the red veils, the doppelganger Li Huowang burst into maniacal laughter, bending forward, clutching his eyes with one hand and his stomach with the other, his body convulsing uncontrollably.

Li Huowang, who had passed out from the pain, was awoken once again. He took a deep breath and regained control over his body, which was gradually growing cold.

"Fire... water... mouth..." The hallucinations, along with the ringing of bells and the beating of drums, made it impossible for him to hear the sounds around him clearly.

"Stop the noise! Stop the noise!! Be quiet!!" Li Huowang shouted with the last of his strength, and to his surprise, the noise actually stopped.

As the hallucinations ceased, the voice of Oblivion Path reached Li Huowang's ears once more. "Boss Hong Zhong~ hehehe~~"

With those words, the face of Oblivion Path appeared right in front of Li Huowang, face to face with him, as if he were looking into a mirror.

The sound of drums rang out once more, and both the Great God and Second God rushed forward, only to be thrown back by the wall of mud that surged from behind with a roar.

"Come on, Boss Hong Zhong, don't lie on the ground. It's so dirty down there."

Oblivion Path grabbed the hilt of the dagger in Li Huowang's chest and levered it upwards with force, violently pulling him up.

Looking at the dying Li Huowang, a hint of reflection appeared in Oblivion Path's eyes. "Tsk tsk tsk, had enough fun yet, Boss Hong Zhong? How about... I help you change back?"

Li Huowang stared at the face so close to his, unable to hear what the other was saying, because the hallucinations had once again begun ringing in his ears.

"What are you... where exactly do you come from?" Li Huowang asked sluggishly, addressing the voice once more.

Seeing that Li Huowang wasn't speaking, Oblivion Path sighed softly, "Well then, since that's the case, have a good journey, Boss Hong Zhong. From now on, I'll disguise myself as you, deceive the other cards, and then I'll be the new Hong Zhong! Hehehe~"

He grabbed the dagger's hilt with both hands and exerted his arms' strength, like a butcher slaughtering a pig, slowly and steadily cutting the blade towards Li Huowang's head.

He intended not only to cut Li Huowang open and spill his entrails, but also to forcefully slice Li Huowang's head into three pieces.

Watching Li Huowang struggle more fiercely, the double-pupiled face on his own grew even more grotesquely delighted with laughter.

The pain intensified the hallucinations, making Li Huowang feel as though the voice was very close. "Who the hell are you!! What exactly are you!"

With Li Huowang's final inner cry, he suddenly felt a strong urge to vomit, and the next moment, his neck swelled to the thickness of a head.

Li Huowang moved his nearly bloodless hands and violently grabbed Oblivion Path's arm in front of him, opening his mouth wide in shock.

In an instant, black tentacles dripping with sticky liquid, mixed with dark red blood, sprayed out of Li Huowang's mouth, directly covering Oblivion Path's face.

This scene was not only unexpected for Oblivion Path but also for Li Huowang himself. The hallucinations in his ears were actually coming from Black Taisui within him!

Oblivion Path, somewhat panicked, flung himself backward, but Black Taisui's tentacles clung stubbornly to his face, with the stitches previously sewn by Bai Lingmiao fraying apart.

The tentacles, twisting at rapid speed like serpents, drilled into Oblivion Path's orifices. Double-pupiled Li Huowang let go of the dagger, touching his own face with a hint of panic.

"Swoosh!" With a flick of Oblivion Path's hand, four leaf cards rapidly formed a protective umbrella, slashing towards the tentacles.

Black Taisui, as if aware of the sharpness of the leaf cards' edges, quickly retreated into Li Huowang's mouth.

Accompanied by a tearing sound and Oblivion Path's screams of agony, the skin that resembled Li Huowang's face, along with the double-pupiled eyeballs, were brutally ripped off.