Cooperation

Chapter 169: Cooperation

With a whistling sound, the bronze-coin sword formed of Danyangzi's flesh swung toward them. Li Huowang and the One-Ten retreated simultaneously with perfect默契默契.

The other three Mahjong figures immediately surged forward, intercepting Danyangzi.

Seizing this rare moment to breathe, One-Ten looked at Li Huowang. "Well? If you help us deal with Danyangzi, we'll part ways amicably afterward."

Li Huowang, however, completely ignored his words. He stamped his feet against the ground, preparing to go relieve the three Zuowandao members in the distance.

Seeing this, One-Ten spoke again. This time, his words finally made Li Huowang stop.

"Not enough? Then I'll add one last stake!"

"Li Huowang, you're a Heart-Element, aren't you? The constant bewilderment isn't easy to bear, is it? If you help us this time, we can tell you how a Heart-Element can escape that bewilderment! We can make you a normal person!"

Watching the shock spread across Li Huowang's face, One-Ten quickly explained: "That's right, a Heart-Element really can escape the bewilderment. It's just that the method is extremely difficult! Ordinary people could never find it on their own!"

"Stop lying. Even Abbess Jingxin couldn't find it. What makes you think you can?" Li Huowang's tone was hard, but he didn't leave.

Watching his companions struggle in the distance, One-Ten's words grew faster.

"That old nun Chen Hongxiu doesn't know a damn thing! I'll tell you the truth! One of the Four Joys of the Zuowandao, North Wind, is a Heart-Element! He's lived for a hundred and ninety years, and he's doing just fine! No more bewilderment clinging to him!"

Just as Li Huowang fell into thought, the other three Zuowandao members in the distance could no longer hold out.

A bronze-coin sword of flesh stabbed into one of the Mahjong figures' chest. His torso began to bulge.

A moment later, his entire body exploded, turning into a mass of bloody, mangled flesh that splattered everywhere.

"See! Three people dead already! If you don't stop Danyangzi completely, we'll both end up dead, and he'll swoop in to reap the benefits. Is that what you want?"

"I'll say it plain! Even if I'm scheming against you, so what? Who do you hate more—him or us? We've already lost three people, and your master Danyangzi hasn't lost a single hair! Think carefully!"

These words seemed to convince Li Huowang. If it came down to choosing a winner between Danyangzi and the Zuowandao, the choice was simple.

Li Huowang watched Danyangzi chasing the two remaining Zuowandao members in the distance. He nodded. "Hurry up. I'll hold him first."

Just as Danyangzi opened his bloody maw, about to bite off a Zuowandao member's square head, Li Huowang arrived just in time, in the nick of a thousand-weight danger.

This time, he didn't bother dodging. He stamped his feet and shot straight toward Danyangzi's gaping mouth.

The writhing worms formed by the Thousand Greats Record stirred restlessly, like bloodthirsty leeches, burrowing out from Li Huowang's chest and revealing ring-shaped fangs inside their mouths toward Danyangzi.

With a clang, Danyangzi's mouth snapped shut just before Li Huowang reached it.

Li Huowang, covered in worms, slammed heavily into Danyangzi's horrifying face.

All the worms opened their mouths, trying to burrow into Danyangzi's flesh.

But unexpectedly, Danyangzi's fingers, formed from writhing tentacles, quickly formed a hand seal.

The flesh on Danyangzi's body twisted in reverse, lunging at Li Huowang, trying to devour him completely.

Blood, skin, bones, organs, worms—all of it mixed together in an extremely confined space, tearing and devouring each other.

Finding Li Huowang difficult to deal with, Danyangzi tried to finish off the Zuowandao first, but Li Huowang wouldn't let him.

The two began to intermingle, becoming part of each other.

Though Danyangzi seemed stronger than Li Huowang, devouring him was no easy task.

What Li Huowang had bartered from Bashe by sacrificing his own Five Phases and Five Viscera was not something that could be easily overcome.

Those worms were unaffected by Danyangzi's abnormal flesh. They clung tightly to Li Huowang's own flesh and blood, refusing to let it be consumed.

To One-Ten and the others, Danyangzi and Li Huowang in the distance seemed to have turned into a single, constantly writhing ball of flesh.

"Master, you're still alive and well, I see," Li Huowang sneered at the orange-sized, skinned human head right in front of him.

Though he smiled, Li Huowang was burning with the desire to eat his flesh and drink his blood.

Danyangzi, however, kept a sarcastic grin on his face the whole time.

"Worthless disciple, do you really think you can fight me? I am a demigod. What are you but a mere mortal?"

"Then how come this mere mortal has you, the great demigod, all tangled up? Master, your demigod status isn't living up to the name!"

While they were locked in struggle, the remaining three Zuowandao members began to act. They quickly sat down cross-legged around the master and disciple, closed their eyes, and began to chant.

"There is a path to cultivation! Practice perfects the nature! Cast out cleverness and shatter the body! Rest in silent sitting-forgetfulness! Unmoved within the stillness! The subtle enters the light! Those who tread different paths! Grasp no ultimate meaning! By this Dao's way! The wondrous can be expected! Little effort, great merit! How essential! How wondrous! Hahaha!!"

With the chanting, patterns of domino tiles—mahjong and pai-gow leaves—flowed out from beneath their clothes and spread rapidly across the ground.

These patterns quickly assembled into strange talismans. The strokes and lines began to tremble, emitting laughter of varying pitches.

The laughter grew louder, infecting the Ao-Jing Sect followers watching nearby, and also reaching Danyangzi and Li Huowang in the distance.

Everyone's voices began to echo within the cave, the echoes growing louder. Li Huowang's ears began to pick up something hidden within the laughter.

Something dark and obscure, something ordinary human senses could not comprehend. Though he couldn't understand it, Li Huowang felt a strange familiarity.

"This is the Xi Shen! I remember! The Xi Shen from the Hu family shrine! The Zuowandao are summoning the Xi Shen!"

But Danyangzi sensed more.

"No! Wrong, boy. You're wrong. They aren't summoning it. They're deceiving it!"

"They're not just deceiving Bashe—they're deceiving their own Double Joy God! None of their divine powers are their own! Everything they have, they've tricked from somewhere else!"

Li Huowang sensed something being drawn by the laughter. Things were staring at him from within the walls all around—the Xi Shen. Three gazes.

The laughter in his ears grew louder. Li Huowang knew that whatever they were doing, it had reached its most critical moment.

Just as the laughter was about to reach its peak, Li Huowang glanced at the three seated Zuowandao members. A faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth. His body suddenly contracted.

All the worms inside Danyangzi's body, still entangled with his distorted flesh, withdrew along with Li Huowang.

(End of chapter)