Now, Daoist Yu Xuzi was also enjoying it.
What was different was that although Granny Yu hadn’t fully awakened back then, her bones and flesh were still very tough, which allowed Li Zhiyuan to cling to her back and burn her for a long time.
But as for Daoist Yu Xuzi, he had just had all his scales removed, effectively turning himself into a peeled egg, tender and white, presenting himself right before him.
Karmic Fire could burn on him without any hindrance, raging fiercely.
Daoist Yu Xuzi asked in agony, "Why, why, why!"
Li Zhiyuan replied, "Should I thank you for your appreciation and recognition of me, to the extent that you added an extra act willingly? Did you guess that I wouldn’t just obediently walk into this?"
"Of course you wouldn’t; you entered just for the thrill. You have no reverence for the Heavenly Dao in your heart, and you are naturally suspicious. All these, you have shown yourself.
So I knew, you wouldn’t just obediently enter the way I told you because you doubted me; you haven’t really believed me from the start."
"Daoist, is it possible that what you saw in me, what I showed, was also deliberately shown to you?"
Under the burning of Karmic Fire, Daoist Yu Xuzi’s face twisted ferociously: "Why? It’s already here, how could you still not believe? How could you still not run away?"
The first round of performance made Daoist Yu Xuzi feel insecure; he thought Li Zhiyuan wouldn’t believe him.
So, he added another round for himself.
In the second round, he played a Daoist who "awakened" and was struggling desperately against the consciousness of a demon.
For this, he sacrificed so many of his scales, suffering severe injuries to his vitality, just to regain trust in the second round.
But whether he was trusted or not was secondary; the main concern was the severe oppression brought by the arrival of the Big Fish.
He felt that even if the youth had doubts, he should be panicked and then choose to believe and leave quickly.
He thought his design was ingenious, yet the youth was completely unmoved, as if he had already seen through Daoist’s tactics.
More painful than the roasting of Karmic Fire was the intense confusion in his heart.
He believed there might be real geniuses in the world who could see through all disguises, but the youth’s performance seemed to tell him that the youth didn’t just see through it.
No matter how well he played, no matter how meticulously he planned, even if he did achieve perfection, to the youth, it still appeared as silly and ridiculous as dancing naked.
That was the most incomprehensible part for him. Why, why is that!
Li Zhiyuan did not answer him; he just continued to release Karmic Fire.
Clouds of white mist rose, and filled with intense resentment and confusion, Daoist Yu Xuzi began to become more and more transparent until he completely dissipated.
Li Zhiyuan clapped his hands, stood up, closed his eyes, feeling slightly dizzy.
Tan Wenbin immediately took out a bottle of Jianlibao from his bag, opened it with a "pop," and handed it over.
Li Zhiyuan took it and drank it all in one gulp.
Run Sheng then picked up half of the Yellow River Shovel and smashed it towards the stone brick.
The brick cracked, revealing a lamp inside with a black flame.
Yin Meng said, "If we take this stone slab out, it’s as if it truly goes out, but aren’t the fish appearing in the three families of Min’an Town the ones it released from here?"
Li Zhiyuan replied, "They are released from here. The Array here targets only it."
Yin Meng asked, "Then why didn’t it let those fish carry the lamp out?"
Li Zhiyuan answered, "Probably because those fish couldn’t resist the temptation of the soul lamp; they all have their own thoughts and ambitions and are not completely controlled, especially in front of this thing."
Those were indeed fish with dreams and ambitions.
Run Sheng said, "So, was it really just lying there letting me hit it willingly?"
Tan Wenbin interjected, "Yes, exactly, cherish such an opponent; it’s hard to encounter a second one in a lifetime."
The vibrations grew closer.
The Big Fish came ashore from the river, passed through the village, and its figure could now be seen.
It didn’t thrash its way up; it swam up, and although it left the water, the ground beneath it turned mucky.
The "thud thud thud" sounds were from its tail beating.
With such a large fish, when it was in the water, it didn’t seem so exaggerated in appearance, but when it completely comes ashore and in front of you, the immense intimidation and pressure felt almost tangible.
Tan Wenbin handed his Yellow River Shovel to Run Sheng.
Then, holding the shovel, Run Sheng stood in front of Li Zhiyuan.
"Xiao Yuan, I can still open my Qi Sea."
Despite being tired now, he still had a trump move left.
"Brother Binbin, there’s a drawn blueprint in my backpack; according to the drawing, go and plant the array flags behind."
Tan Wenbin immediately carried the bag and ran back.
Planting array flags according to the blueprint was not new to him, and practice makes perfect; he carried out the task efficiently, like dusting.
What Li Zhiyuan asked Tan Wenbin to arrange was the Array to get out.
The method previously mentioned by Daoist Yu Xuzi could also get out, but it required him to lead the way because Yin Meng and Run Sheng couldn’t travel through the Underworld.
Hence, from the perspective of usage efficiency, it was better to have Tan Wenbin set up a simpler passage.