A Pawn's Passage

This was not the Cult of Fates’ long-established lair, so apart from the living corpses outside, there were no other traps or defenses.

Qi Xuansu hung the glowing Nine Yang Fiery Dome Replica at his waist and carried only the Flying Shadow in his hand.

He felt slightly uneasy without his beloved Divine Dragon Pistol that he had grown so accustomed to. Though he had magical power due to the Xuan Jade of Death, he had not studied talisman techniques and severely lacked long-range attack methods. Concealed weapons depended on stealth, making firearms an excellent complement in this situation.

Zhang Yuelu quickened her pace to walk side by side with Qi Xuansu.

She was not the type of weak woman who needed someone to protect her. It was more likely that she would be the one shielding Qi Xuansu from danger.

Qi Xuansu asked, “It’s said that the Cult of Fates excels at spreading curses. How do they do it?”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “Well, curses aren’t spread out of thin air. They use objects they call Gifts, similar to our Dragon Eye and Phoenix Eye Series ammunition. There are many types, though I’m unsure which one they will use this time.”

Qi Xuansu nodded in understanding. “So essentially, it’s not much different from poisoning the enemy camp during warfare.”

Zhang Yuelu explained, “There are some differences. Poisoning only results in death, but the Cult of Fates’ curses can make one wish for death without finding it. While I’m not entirely clear on all the classifications of their Gifts, I know some general distinctions.

“For example, the undead Daoist priests we encountered earlier were created by a GIft that induces zombification. Another type is lethally potent—touch it, and you die instantly. Another Gift can transform people into what they call Sacrifices. There’s a wide variety.”

Qi Xuansu asked again, “How do the living corpses created by the Cult of Fates differ from those made by the Huasheng Hall or the Eight Tribes?”

Zhang Yuelu paused briefly before replying, ”That’s a complex question. The three share similarities as their origins trace back to the ancient Gezao Sect’s corpse-cultivation methods that were later expanded by the Earthly Preceptor Xu Wugui.

“Elder Shangguan, Xu Wugui’s successor, incorporated these teachings into the creation projects. However, Xu Wugui, who had always trodden a fine line between good and evil, transmitted methods that were excessively cruel and against the laws of the heavens.

“Due to various considerations, the Holy Xuan banned these practices, leading to the Eight Tribes splitting off from the Daoist Order. Once separated, the Eight Tribes interacted with major secret societies, passing these methods to the Cult of Fates.”

“So the three aren’t much different?”

Zhang Yuelu shook her head. “While they share a common origin, the three have branched into different streams with varying focuses, leading to very different outcomes.

“The Daoist Order doesn’t focus on just corpse cultivation, but on the principles of yin-yang transformation, aiming to broaden its application. For instance, the Spirit Guard Armor incorporates aspects of yin-yang transformation. Hence, the Daoist Order’s achievements are the broadest and most comprehensive.

“The Eight Tribes take an extreme path, using cruel methods. Their ultimate ambition is to recreate the Sakka. Creating gods through human effort is a pursuit with the purest intent to their tradition.

“The Cult of Fates focuses on the principles of life-and-death transformation—turning life into death and death into life. They’ve creatively incorporated divine power into their unique practices. The True Lord Siming, an Ancient Immortal who governs life and death, personally refined and expanded these methods.

“Compared to the Daoist Order, which has broad applications but lacks focus and is crippled by self-imposed limitations, or the inherently flawed Eight Tribes, the Cult of Fates has the greatest achievements.

“In summary, apart from the Eight Tribes clinging stubbornly to their original vision, both the Daoist Order and the Cult of Fates have diverged from Xu Wugui’s original teachings, forging their own paths.”

Qi Xuansu probed, “I understand why the Daoist Order has self-imposed limitations and broad but unfocused development. The Holy Xuan restricting certain methods is like cutting off an arm, and too many directions divert one’s focus. But why do you say the Eight Tribes are inherently flawed?”

Zhang Yuelu explained, “Because the Daoist Order has living Immortals, and the Cult of Fates has Ancient Immortals. The Eight Tribes have none. Without the support of Immortals, much of their research cannot progress. This shortfall is more fatal than having insufficient resources, which is why it is their greatest flaw.”

Qi Xuansu had long suspected the existence of Immortals within the Daoist Order but had never confirmed it. Since the Daoist Order’s revival, discussions revolved around positions and ranks. Very few spoke openly about cultivation levels.

Take Zhang Yuelu, for instance. Outsiders valued her Banished Immortal lineage and her potential to become a Heavenly Being at a young age. However, within the Daoist Order, many valued her rapid ascent to the position of Deputy Hall Master and her imminent promotion to a third-rank Youyi Daoist master because she had a high chance of competing for the position of Grand Master in the future.

This highlighted the differences between perspectives outside of and within the Daoist Order.

Daoists prioritized status and rank over cultivation level, not because cultivation was unimportant, but because an individual’s strength mattered only if one could influence the broader situation. Without that, even the strongest would still be weak alone.

Why else could dragons, whose power rivaled Immortals, be hunted into near extinction by the Daoist Order?

Simply put, it was because the Daoists overwhelmed them with sheer numbers as a united organization.

Humans were social creatures. In any situation, an organized group was always stronger than an individual or a disorganized crowd.

For ordinary Martial Arts Practitioners, no matter how high their cultivation—even at the Pseudo-Immortal level—they could barely make a ripple against an organization as vast as the Daoist Order.

Only those whose cultivation could shake the Daoist Order single-handedly had significant weight. Hence, while cultivation levels were important to Daoists, they served as stepping stones within the organization. Status and rank held greater importance.

Even achieving immortality would only make one an Ancient Immortal, hardly comparable to a Grand Master in terms of prestige.

Qi Xuansu’s thoughts wandered.

He had already begun thinking about his promotion to the fourth rank. Although there was the tenure system, the Holy Xuan had left a legacy of prioritizing the younger generation, inspired by the Confucian School’s past struggles with talent shortages.

Thus, for lower-ranked Daoist priests, this policy meant special privileges and titles like Apprentice Mage and Prospective Mage. For higher ranks, the policy could remove the tenure system entirely.

In other words, if he could become a Heavenly Being before 30 years old, he could bypass the tenure system entirely. With his current connections—not merely backing, but also a robust network and resources—achieving the third rank was well within reach.

With careful maneuvering, he could secure positions like Deputy Mansion Master or Deputy Hall Master, wielding real power. By then, he would no longer have issues with housing and finances.

Just then, Zhang Yuelu suddenly said, “We’re here.”

Qi Xuansu looked ahead. At the end of the downward passage was a heavy steel door with an intricate locking mechanism that had already been unlocked.

Zhang Yuelu lightly waved her sleeve, using the breeze to push the already-ajar door open. She stepped inside first.

Behind the steel door was a large square room. The door was set into the south wall. The east wall had various lever switches, while shelves and desks were lined against the west wall, filled with what looked like log books or ledgers. The north wall featured glass windows and another iron door, through which a sedimentation tank and a network of pipes could be seen.

Zhang Yuelu approached the desk, picked up a logbook, and flipped to the latest entry. The logs stopped at 7:00 pm, suggesting that the cultists had infiltrated the water treatment plant around that time.

Judging by the number of chairs, this room had been staffed by eight Daoist priests and Daoist believers. All eight had been killed, along with the Spirit Guards stationed above. In total, there were about 20 people. Those with cultivation had been turned into living corpses by the Cult of Fates.

Qi Xuansu carried the Nine Yang Fiery Dome Replica and carefully inspected the room. There were no signs of a struggle, suggesting it was not a frontal assault or even an ambush but likely poisoning or a similar tactic.

Zhang Yuelu put down the log book and went to the east wall with the levers. She pulled down the water inlet switch and pushed up the outlet switch. She then walked toward the small iron door at the north wall.

Qi Xuansu followed her.

The small iron door led to the sedimentation tank.

The two passed through the small door and crossed a short bridge to the edge of the sedimentation tank. They gasped in shock as soon as they saw what was inside.

The sedimentation tank had turned into a fishpond teeming with indescribable monstrous fish. Some resembled catfish, but they were covered in squid-like tentacles, writhing incessantly. The sight sent shivers down their spines.

The monstrous fish entered the pipes in batches following the flow of water.

Noticing this, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu exchanged horrified glances.

Zhang Yuelu raised the Azure Thunderbolt and thrust it into the tank, channeling her true essence. Lightning burst from the blade, electrocuting the fish. Some of the monstrous fish were instantly charred, while others leaped out of the pool, scattering in all directions with their tentacles.

Qi Xuansu channeled his magical power into the Nine Yang Fiery Dome Replica, conjuring nine fire dragons as thick as his arms.

The dragons circled the sedimentation tank relentlessly, incinerating any fish that leaped out to escape.