Mutated Tao

“Something has gone extremely wrong! I’m about to be discharged from the hospital, but then something like that happened!” A phone was pressed to Li Huowang's ear as he paced anxiously in the empty corridor. “Don’t talk to me about fragmented thoughts and perception. I’m not autistic; my thoughts and perception aren't fragmented! I’m not having hallucinations, either. I was cured a long time ago!”

Li Huowang sighed as he heard the reply, and then his voice instantly became much calmer as he said, “I do want to be discharged. I really don’t want to be considered mentally ill for the rest of my life, but...”

A look of struggle and pain suffused Li Huowang’s face. “Everything that happened on that ship was too real as if I had really experienced it! I did indeed get the bronze coin sword! I did indeed have one arm bitten off by the opponent’s dog! But they all... they all disappeared!”

At the end of the corridor, several people from Li Huowang’s group secretly peeked at him.

“You see, this guy still claims he’s not sick. I’ve seen plenty of this in the hospital. This is a typical case of schizophrenia,” a young guard with a buzz cut speculated.

“It doesn’t seem like it. Look at how he talks in circles. People with schizophrenia don’t take their medication, and their minds aren’t that sharp. I feel like it’s more like a personality disorder; I had a neighbor with that disorder.”

Many people were curious about Li Huowang's illness, and some even secretly bet their snacks on it. Li Huowang's presence provided a bit of relief from the boredom of the monotonous hospital.

“Doctor Yi, I’m really afraid that everything that had happened before will become meaningless. I-I’m really confused right now; I don’t know whether it's real or not, and it's making me hesitate.”

“Okay, then, come over when you have the time. Thank you,” Li Huowang said. He ended the call and frowned while pacing back and forth in the corridor.

At first, Li Huowang thought that everything going smoothly, but the inexplicable experience at sea was truly bewildering to him.

If it were fake, then wouldn't that mean that what he had experienced at sea was just a hallucination produced by his fragmented thoughts and perception?

If that were the case, what kind of mental illness was he suffering from? Was there even any cure for it?

If it was real... Li Huowang hesitated, sensing that he was in big trouble and that he had to handle it properly.

It had to be handled properly, as making the wrong choice meant that he'd end up digging a bigger hole in the ground for himself.

Li Huowang felt hopeless. He truly had no idea what to do a this point.

Dak, dak, dak~

A strange noise echoed from outside the window. Li Huowang walked over and saw the vast army of the Great Liang beyond the window.

The cacophony of hooves and the overwhelming aura from the soldiers made Li Huowang feel extremely tense.

The sight was the exact meaning of the word "endless."

The powerful officials were with the troops as well, which added to the intimidating scene.

“Where are these soldiers going?” Li Huowang asked in a low voice.

“They’re not going anywhere. The followers of the Dharma Sect will not dare to rebel as long as they are intimidated.”

“Hehe, we don't have to be afraid of their rebellion. The Flying Leopard troops can completely annihilate such sects,” Liu Zongyuan said with a hint of pride.

“Don’t worry; it seems that the higher-ups also attach importance to the changes in the Great Qi. The spies and paws of the Surveillance Bureau are here along with the higher-ups, so we should be safe."

Li Huowang finally understood the reason behind the army's presence here, and he finally had a clear understanding of Gao Zhijian’s capability.

The Emperor of Great Liang was the type of person to keep his word.

A general sensed Li Huowang and the others' gazes; he looked over but immediately looked away upon seeing the badges attached to Li Huowang and the others' waists.

Once the soldiers of the Great Liang had passed by them, Li Huowang turned to Fo Yulu beside him and said, “Don’t worry about them. Let’s just focus on our task at hand."

The Great Qi’s Dharma Sect had to be handled properly. Otherwise, the entire Great Liang would become chaotic once again.

Everyone mounted their horses and galloped toward Yinling City; they were going to contribute to the resistance against the Great Qi’s Dharma Sect.

They had spent just a few days on the road, but the three monks from the Righteous Monastery had already changed drastically.

When Li Huowang first met them, the Abbot of Righteous Monastery, Chan Du, was as thin as a skeleton. After a few days of vegetarian meals, Chan Du's flesh and skin had returned to normal.

The incredible sight made Li Huowang look at the divine powers of the Righteous Monastery in a different light.

“Abbot, what other divine powers did your Buddha grant you in addition to the ability to transform into a thousand-arm Buddha? You should tell me because we're working together against the Dharma Sect.”

Chan Du released the reins with both hands and clasped them together. “Amitabha, this humble monk has been meditating for sixty years and has already transcended the realm of heavenly freedom.”

Li Huowang was completely puzzled. What did it mean to transcend the realm of heavenly freedom?

“Abbot, can you keep it simple? I'm a bit confused—”

A black vulture swooped down from the sky before Li Huowang could finish his sentence. When Li Huowang's gaze met with the vulture, he saw a black-robed Lama through the vulture’s eyes.

Then, Li Huowang saw the Lama point his finger toward his own forehead with his right hand, which was covered with age spots and was holding a vajra.

“Respected one, reveal your true nature!”

Li Huowang's heart went numb, and he felt empty as if he had lost something important.

However, he didn’t feel anything abnormal, which was contrary to his expectations.

Swoosh!

Li Huowang slashed out with his purple-tasseled sword, splitting the vulture in half.

"An ambush!” Li Huowang exclaimed.

And that was when a rain of vultures plummeted toward the others.

The Abbot of the Righteous Monastery put his hands together, and his figure phased through the saddle, merging with the horse.

It didn’t end there. When the three monks were finally merged with their horses, their flesh and blood began to merge with each other as well.

Finally, a fleshy creature that resembled a Buddha appeared before everyone.

It was a Buddha that Li Huowang had seen in the Righteous Monastery.

The Buddha had roughly eight pairs of arms. Each hand was holding a different seal—the vajra, lotus, or lion seal. Soon, more than ten mouths chanted sutras at the same time.

“In the heavens, the true Dharma was preached. Abandon the heavenly palace; descend from the mother’s womb. Born from the right side of the body, walk as a Buddha; open the gate of Dharma, cleanse impurities...”

The sutras were in different volumes, but they were in harmony with each other, which made the sutras sound extremely sacred and solemn.

As the Buddha’s voice pervaded the air, the vultures’ wings abruptly stuck to their bodies, and their eyes were eventually stuck to their eyelids as well. Then, they fell from the sky like rocks thrown into the ocean.

Li Huowang looked up at the Buddha—no, at the compassionate face of the abbot. It was then that he finally understood the meaning of the realm of heavenly freedom.

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