A Pawn's Passage

As someone from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, Qi Xuansu naturally recognized the origin of this phrase.

It was from the Awakening to Reality, which stated that a Spirit Pill would allow one to grasp fate in one’s own hands so that it was no longer dictated by the heavens. The glorious Golden Elixir could be formed in a day, as were the words of the Ancient Immortals, and those who claimed that it could only be done in years were merely procrastinating. Refining this miracle medicine had its difficulties and ease, depending on both the self and the heavens. Only when one’s fate was in one’s hands could golden lotuses grow amidst fierce flames.

This Daoist canon was akin to the Confucian Thousand Character Classic—everyone could recite it. However, only a few could actually achieve it.

Qi Xuansu naturally understood the weight of Spirit Pill and miracle medicine. If taken correctly and gradually refined, they would not necessarily grant immortality, but one could effortlessly become a Heavenly Being. Moreover, it ensured eternal youth and ageless beauty, far superior to relying on cultivation to reverse aging. Even at 100 years old, one could still appear youthful.

After the revival of the Daoist Order, the creation projects reproduced this Spirit Pill and miracle medicine, albeit with reduced potency and at exorbitant costs. The Blood Pill Qi Xuansu consumed was essentially a half-finished Spirit Pill, or rather, a flawed version suspected to be shoddy with limited efficacy.

However, the Spirit Pill Zhang Yuelu used was an authentic one from Huasheng Hall, with no side effects whatsoever.

Such Spirit Pills were not sold externally. Even within the Daoist Order, only a few could have access to them. However, it was unsurprising that Zhang Yuelu had one because Sage Cihang used to serve as the Huasheng Hall Master before she became the Tiangang Hall Master.

It would have been a ridiculous joke if even the Huasheng Hall Master could not requisition a Spirit Pill.

Zhang Yuelu had originally intended to become a Heavenly Being through her own efforts, but at this critical juncture, she had no choice but to use it.

Fortunately, Zhang Yuelu was at the ninth level of the Guizhen stage, only one step away from the Xiaoyao stage of Heavenly Beings. Unlike Qi Xuansu, she did not need to meditate to process the pill’s power and could advance a level without delay.

In the blink of an eye, three thunderous flying discs reached Zhang Yuelu.

Zhang Yuelu neither dodged nor flinched. She casually reached out and grasped one of the lightning discs. Upon contact, countless tiny, snowflake-like sparks scattered, accompanied by a chaotic web of fiery light. Yet Zhang Yuelu stood firm. Not even the edge of her sleeve was damaged. Her palm glimmered with residual purple lightning and slight scorch marks, but they quickly healed.

Using the same method, Zhang Yuelu crushed the other two flying discs into fragments.

This was the epitome of resisting the might of heaven with human strength.

Marshal Thunder had long since been a Heavenly Being and had even slain others at his level. Yet witnessing this scene still shocked him greatly.

This was why Banished Immortals were the foremost of the Five Daoist Lineages.

Heavenly-Being Banished Immortals displayed an overwhelming advantage over other lineages. After all, the Heavenly Immortal lineage was superior to the Earthly Immortal lineage.

Qi Xuansu was equally shocked.

Just as he was about to ask a question, Madam Qi spoke. “Before the Holy Xuan, Daoists spoke of Five Immortals, but in reality, there were only three main lineages: Earthly Immortals, Manly Immortals, and Ghostly Immortals.

“The Godly Immortal lineage existed but had been lost, leaving only a few Ancient Immortals barely lingering on Earth. Later, the Holy Xuan reorganized and categorized the lineages, retrieving the nearly-lost Godly Immortal lineage from ancient texts.

“But even with that, there were only four, not five lineages. The missing one was the Heavenly Immortal lineage. You might have noticed that during the Holy Xuan’s era, there was no mention of Heavenly Immortals or Banished Immortals. No matter how brilliant the Holy Xuan, Li Daoxu, or Xu Wugui were, they were all Earthly Immortals.

“That was because back then, one could only ascend to a Heavenly Immortal by first becoming an Earthly Immortal. But now, the Daoist Order has a direct path to becoming a Heavenly Immortal from a Banished Immortal. Don’t you find that strange?

Qi Xuansu nodded. “It is indeed strange.”

Madam Qi continued, “That’s because the Heavenly Immortal lineage was created by the two Li brothers—the Holy Xuan and Donghuang. Or rather, they further divided the Earthly Immortals into two categories. One was for ordinary Earthly Immortals, nothing remarkable. The other was Earthly Immortals like the Holy Xuan and Donghuang, who were polymaths, mastering the strengths of all lineages.

“Using themselves as templates, they created a new lineage that incorporated the strengths of the other four Immortals, surpassing them. This bypassed the process of first becoming an Earthly Immortal before ascending to a Heavenly Immortal. The price for this was the loss of the Earthly Immortal’s Five Innate Tais.

“Thus, the Daoist Order developed the concept of Banished Immortals. However, the threshold for this tradition was so high that 99% of people gave up even trying. If the Daoist Order had not dominated the world and gathered talents from across the land, and if the old fragmented state had persisted, this lineage would have been lost long ago.

“In a sense, Banished Immortals symbolize the prosperity of the Daoist Order. Still, the Daoist Order was not satisfied with this and decided to dig up the lost Corpse Liberation Immortal lineage from old records and modify it, leading to the birth of the Rogue Cultivator lineage.”

Qi Xuansu grew curious. “What are the Five Innate Tais?”

Madam Qi replied, “The five mystical abilities that can only be used as an Earthly Immortal. Their power is immense, capable of destroying heaven and earth. That was how the Holy Xuan transformed the Zhengyi Sect’s Yunjin Mountain into its current state.”

Qi Xuansu asked again, “Madam Qi, how do you know these secrets?”

“The Qingping Society has great powers and is capable of anything.” The two recited in unison.

Qi Xuansu sighed helplessly. “Even if you’re brushing me off, can’t you at least change your excuse?”

Madam Qi immediately struck Qi Xuansu on the head with her tobacco pipe. “You dare lecture me, boy? How dare you mimic my words? You think you’re all grown now, huh?”

Qi Xuansu flailed his hands, trying to block her strikes but failing miserably. He could see stars dancing before his eyes, so he pleaded for mercy. “I’m sorry! I won’t do it again!”

Only then did Madam Qi stop, though she could not resist landing one final blow on Qi Xuansu’s bum with her tobacco pipe.

Qi Xuansu only counted himself lucky that Zhang Yuelu had not seen this embarrassing scene. At his age, he was still getting whacked on the head and bum with a stick, like an adolescent who needed disciplining. If Zhang Yuelu had seen this, he would have no dignity left.

At this moment, Zhang Yuelu naturally had no time to look elsewhere. She once again grasped her Amorphous Paper, transforming it into a paper sword. The sound of the blade tearing through the air resounded continuously, forming a symphony.

In an instant, Zhang Yuelu had launched nearly a hundred strikes toward Marshal Thunder’s vital points. Her sheer speed left no overlapping sword shadows, only a crisscrossing web of sword qi. An ordinary Guizhen-stage master would see nothing but Zhang Yuelu raising her hand, followed immediately by their body covered in slashes.

This was the Falling Flowers Technique from the Cihang Sword Sequence, derived from Buddhist teachings and refined into two exquisite sword techniques, one for offense and one for defense.

Marshal Thunder was struck by over a dozen blows, his body bathed in blood, and his earlier confidence completely gone. However, even the most powerful sword technique had its limits. As Zhang Yuelu’s sword qi waned, Marshal Thunder immediately flared his wide sleeves.

The entire thunder pool churned violently. The Zhenwu Lake seemed to be boiling as countless bolts of lightning surged upward, intertwining and converging from all directions to encircle Zhang Yuelu.

Zhang Yuelu immediately transitioned from the Falling Flowers Technique to the Golden Lotus Technique. One lotus after another bloomed out of nowhere, countering the bolts of lightning surrounding her.

A rapid series of metallic clashes resounded as the golden lotuses scattered, dispersing the countless bolts of lightning surrounding Zhang Yuelu.

Zhang Yuelu waved her paper sword, scattering countless paper fragments from its blade. The fragments expanded with the wind, transforming into spinning paper lotuses that rained down like snowflakes.

These paper lotuses were split from the Amorphous Paper, their petals as sharp as blades. When spinning, they sliced through metal and cut through jade, like it was butter.

Marshal Thunder had no choice but to draw his ancient sword, Azure Thunderbolt, which was the core of his formation, to strike down the paper lotuses.

The paper lotuses failed to do any damage, but Zhang Yuelu had not expected them to secure victory.

She had already closed in on Marshal Thunder, her paper sword emitting a flurry of dazzling white light that enveloped his entire body. The compassionate and luminous swordsmanship took on a killing intent, with every strike targeting a vital point.

At this life-or-death juncture, Marshal Thunder unleashed swordsmanship far surpassing his usual level. With his ancient sword, Azure Thunderbolt, he met Zhang Yuelu’s attacks head-on, barely managing to hold his ground.

However, after becoming a Heavenly Being, Zhang Yuelu could effortlessly employ techniques previously beyond her reach.

Suddenly, a vast thunderous sound erupted. However, it did not instill fear. It was more like a sudden rebuke, dissipating murderous intent, quelling hostility, and inspiring surrender.

Under this majestic thunderous sound, even Marshal Thunder felt it hammer against his heart, causing his blood and qi to churn and his mind to waver.

“This is the Great Thunder Sword from the Cihang Sword Sequence!” Marshal Thunder immediately regained his senses and channeled his qi to resist the hypnotic voice.

Though he quickly regained clarity after a moment of disorientation, the lapse left a slight gap in his otherwise impenetrable defense. Zhang Yuelu seized the opportunity, thrusting her sword straight at Marshal Thunder’s throat.

At the critical moment, Marshal Thunder raised his left hand, spreading his index, middle, and ring fingers one by one like blooming petals, spinning them to catch the paper sword aimed at his throat.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yuelu unleashed the Thunder Palm from the Five Thunder Celestial Heart Method, striking Marshal Thunder’s chest. The palm force surged like a tsunami, filling all directions. Countless streaks of purple lightning flickered faintly in the air, drawing in the surrounding essence.

Like the Wanhua Divine Sword Palm, the power of Thunder Palm varied according to one’s cultivation level. With Zhang Yuelu’s current level at the Xiaoyao stage of Heavenly Being, the Thunder Palm’s might was incomparable to before.

Marshal Thunder could not dodge in time, letting Zhang Yuelu’s palm land squarely on his chest.

In the next moment, Zhang Yuelu’s face turned deathly pale. She had used her full strength in this strike, only to find her true essence being continuously absorbed into Marshal Thunder’s body, vanishing without a trace like a stone sinking into the sea.

Zhang Yuelu’s expression shifted slightly. “This is the Eclipse Method?”

Marshal Thunder laughed sinisterly. “The absorption power of the Eclipse Method isn’t as strong as the Umbra Method, and it requires close contact to work. Junior Tiangang Hall Master, if you had stuck to using your sword, I wouldn’t have had a chance to employ this Eclipse Method. Yet you chose to strike me with your palm—how self-defeating.”