Mutated Tao

“Li Huowang, come and help us quickly!”

Li Huowang whipped his bronze coin sword to wrap Bai Lingmiao in red threads before pulling her toward him.

He looked at her and made her hairpin and teeth turn soft. Now, she couldn’t harm herself.

“Come! Let me bring you back!” Li Huowang removed his spine sword from the Ox Tail Gate to bring Bai Lingmiao back down to earth.

It was too chaotic here. They needed to leave so that they could talk safely.

Bai Lingmiao suddenly gripped his arms tightly. “Wait… wait, don't go! She’s right there! We are just a little bit away!”

She then vomited out black gas from her mouth.

“Be careful! That’s the Heavenly Dao of Death! Don’t touch it!”

Li Huowang quickly dodged it and noticed Bai Lingmiao’s condition deteriorating. He prepared himself to move away from the Baiyu Capital.

Bai Lingmiao pushed him away and slowly turned under the shining sunlight. “Just… just a little bit left! I saw her! She’s in a lot of distress!”

“Wait, we might have a chance!” The Second Deity’s beast-like eyes were also stained with some suicidal compulsions. She had sensed part of Bai Lingmiao’s thoughts.

“What chance? This place is too dangerous. It would be the same if you came here again!”

Li Huowang was worried about her life and tried pulling her into his embrace. However, the Second Deity pushed him away with her claws.

Li Huowang wanted to try again, but Xuan Pin blocked him.

“Father, you are here to help. You don’t even know what she’s trying to achieve. It’s best if you don’t try to decide for her. She has her thoughts and worries, so it's best not to place yourself before her.”

Li Sui's unexpected remark took Li Huowang aback.

Still, he slowly nodded when he saw Bai Lingmiao striving to do something on her own. She was working hard to achieve her own goals. “Fine! I will help!”

Li Huowang glared at the evil entities surrounding them and helped Xuan Pin to block them.

In the field of chaos, Bai Lingmiao followed the thread and immersed herself in the black mist to get closer to the Heavenly Mater.

Death continued to take over her senses, but she could slightly move since someone else was sharing the burden with her. The Second Deity was here to help her.

It was a long and painful process.

Bai Lingmiao almost gave up a few times, but every time she remembered the people shouting in the burning fire and the half-decayed civilians, she pressed on.

She finally had the chance to end the Natural Disaster! She wouldn't let herself be the reason for failure, especially when the opportunity to end it was right in front of her. The civilians were enduring a living hell!

Bai Lingmiao bit through her lips as she smashed the softened hairpin into her heart. It broke apart in a pile of mush as she pulled on the thread.

She got closer and closer until she finally saw the Heavenly Mater.

The threads on her were undeniably connected to the Heavenly Mater and attached to her wrist and ankle. Bai Lingmiao couldn't determine if she was the one controlling the Heavenly Mater or if it was the other way around.

The suicidal compulsions in her heart were slowly replaced with mercy, causing tears to stain her white eye covers as they slowly slid down her cheeks.

“Heavenly Mater, please help them! They are suffering so much! It’s too terrible! Please let them rest in peace!”

Heavenly Mater heard her words. Bai Lingmiao raised her arms to wipe her tears, and Heavenly Mater moved too.

The spinning white lotus above Bai Lingmiao’s head suddenly stopped, making her plummet downwards.

Li Huowang and Xuan Pin quickly swooped down and caught the falling Bai Lingmiao.

Sensing the gazes around her, the weakened Bai Lingmiao smiled. “The Heavenly Mater… has returned to her throne.”

Li Huowang’s happiness was evident. “Does that mean that… Death is back?”

As he was thinking about falling down faster to see if it was true, an uncertain voice came from the Baiyu Capital.

“... Li… Wang…”

Li Huowang raised his head in alarm and stared at Baiyu Capital. “Who’s calling me?!”

“I believe… Everything you say… I… believe… them.”

Li Huowang didn’t manage to catch what the voice was talking about—it was too late. The stars and clouds were slowly concealing the Baiyu Capital. No more voices came.

They fell rapidly, and Li Huowang soon saw the Heavenly Altar below him. He also saw the group of White Lotus Sect devotees.

Li Huowang stomped on his own feet rapidly to slow down his descent before landing firmly on the ground.

The White Lotus Sect somehow got the news faster than Li Huowang. He had just stabilized himself when the devotees around him kneeled on the ground and cried.

“The Heavenly Mater had returned to the throne! The Void Home is real!”

“May she bless us all!”

“The White Lotus saves us all from the muddy chaos! The Heavenly Mater has returned!”

Bai Lingmiao looked at everyone and stumbled out of the palace. She disregarded her frail body as she stumbled forward.

She went straight to the alley where they placed the people who could not die.

This time, the alleyway was silent. The once audible groans and moans had ceased, leaving only the faint buzz of flies.

Bai Lingmiao pushed away the hands that were holding her up and walked into the alley. She saw the dead people and cried, but this time, out of happiness.

Death had returned. She was ecstatic.

It wasn’t just the people here. Those who had turned into ashes could die now. Those who had their flesh separated from their body could finally rest in peace.

More importantly, she had set out and completed what she intended to do. She did it, and she felt good.

More importantly, she accomplished what she had set out to do. She stayed committed and saw it through, leaving her with a profound sense of satisfaction.

Xuan Pin hugged Bai Lingmiao, her large red robes surrounding them both.

“Mother, you are amazing. You ended the Natural Disaster and saved so many people.”

Bai Lingmiao turned around and cried in Xuan Pin’s embrace, finally releasing all the pent-up stress in her heart. She was still young and would only turn eighteen this year.

Xuan Pin turned around and looked at her father before pointing at Bai Lingmiao.

Li Huowang shook his head and took out the spine sword. He swung open a rift and returned to the Qi Kingdom.

“Sui Sui, take care of your mother for me.”