A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu flew through the air, watching as rolling black mist suddenly spread outward from the center of Zhenwu Lake.

The dense thunderclouds in the sky expanded to cover all of Jinling Prefecture.

Qi Xuansu felt a stifling sensation as an ominous premonition arose.

The purple energy in Zhang Yuelu’s eyes flickered like a candle in the wind. Her tone grew heavier as she stated, “It really is a Divine Descent.”

“Divine Descent?” Qi Xuansu asked.

He understood what Divine Descent was; he just was not sure what to expect in this scenario.

Zhang Yuelu, who was also privy to many secrets about Ancient Immortals, briefly explained what she knew to Qi Xuansu.

The silver lining in this Divine Descent was that the seals around Jinling Prefecture would be broken. Thus, Jinling Prefecture would no longer be an isolated city. It was now like a jar with its lid removed. This would allow Daoist reinforcements to arrive without much hindrance.

It turned out that the curses spread by the Cult of Fates were merely acting as a smokescreen. They likely knew that, no matter how defenseless Jinling Prefecture appeared, it was still a stronghold of the southeast, so it had enough resources to suppress any curses.

In fact, the Daoist Order had already begun limiting the spread of these Gifts, starting from the water treatment plant.

The Cult of Fates’ ultimate goal was to perform a Divine Descent, bringing True Lord Siming into Jinling Prefecture. For a city lacking the usual number of Heavenly Beings, this would be catastrophic.

Zhang Yuelu said softly, “Tian Yuan, you should return to the water treatment plant and wait for reinforcements. I’ll go over and check what’s happening. My senior sister and the others should have arrived by now.”

Qi Xuansu immediately refused. “I’m going with you.”

Zhang Yuelu was not surprised by Qi Xuansu’s response. He had already proved to her that he would always choose her, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

Knowing that Qi Xuansu would only be convinced by reason and not by force, Zhang Yuelu softened her tone and explained, “Some people believe that doing what you can is commendable, but risking your life for what you can’t is even better. They think that reckless disregard for reason or safety shows one’s sincerity. But I don’t agree with that. Tian Yuan, don’t act on impulse.”

Qi Xuansu shook his head. “I’m not acting on impulse. I have no desire to move you or myself to tears, and I understand what my priorities are. I’m not the sentimental type. You’re less experienced than I am in life-and-death situations, and I have my reasons for accompanying you.”

Zhang Yuelu stared steadily at Qi Xuansu, who met her gaze without flinching.

When it came to life-and-death situations, Zhang Yuelu was no match for Qi Xuansu. Moreover, he was not someone who blindly followed orders. If Zhang Yuelu was right, he would not object or insist on his way. But if he thought she was wrong, he would oppose her.

His confidence stemmed from a point Zhang Yuelu had mentioned, that Jinling Prefecture was like a sealed jar. For the Divine Descent to occur, the “lid” of the jar would have to be opened to allow True Lord Siming to enter. At that moment, Jinling Prefecture would no longer be cut off from the outside world.

In other words, Qi Xuansu could take advantage of the pervasive yin energy across the city to open the portal to the Ghost Kingdom and summon the Three Yin Beings when necessary. Even if the Three Yin Beings were no match for True Lord Siming, he could still ensure his and Zhang Yuelu’s safety.

However, Qi Xuansu could not explain this to Zhang Yuelu, so he needed to come up with an excuse.

Zhang Yuelu did not get angry. Instead, she paused for a moment of introspection.

She wondered if she had been too presumptuous. Admittedly, Qi Xuansu was not her equal in many aspects, but everyone had their strengths and weaknesses. Qi Xuansu had his own advantages.

Moreover, she had fought Qi Xuansu before outside Jiangling Prefecture, when he was disguising himself as Wei Wugui. Back then, she had nearly been outplayed by him.

In short, Qi Xuansu was not a towering tree shielding her from the wind and rain, but he was also not a child needing her protection.

They were meant to be companions walking side by side. That was what she wanted all along, right?

Having come to this realization, Zhang Yuelu did not ask Qi Xuansu for his reasoning and simply nodded. “Alright, let’s go together.”

Qi Xuansu was stunned, as he had not expected Zhang Yuelu to be so agreeable. The excuse he had been crafting in his head was completely unnecessary.

With that, Zhang Yuelu descended and began walking on foot.

Qi Xuansu hurriedly followed suit, landing on the ground.

The closer they got to Zhenwu Lake, the denser and more terrifying the thunder and fire became. That was why flying was no longer a wise choice.

By now, Zhenwu Lake was totally different from before.

The entire lake had risen above its banks, iced over. The massive ice block emitted alternating black and white light. The patterns of a black moon and white sun began to rotate, releasing endless yin energy. The foul qi Sikong Cuo used could corrode flesh, but this yin energy could erode the yang realm.

If it was allowed to pervade, it could even tear a rift in the mortal realm, connecting it to the Netherworld.

Lightning and heavenly fire rained down from the thunderclouds, dyeing the sky a purple-red. These thunderbolts and flames were not attacks. Instead, they seemed celebratory, like inverted fireworks.

Even though Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were still some distance away, they could clearly see a massive ice block rising, resembling a floating iceberg.

What an immense display of power!

At that moment, a deafening roar echoed through heaven and earth.

It felt as if all of Jinling Prefecture shook three times. The ground trembled violently, forming wide cracks that caused trees to sink and walls to collapse. Dust rose in all directions, accompanied by thunderous crashes.

Many civilians suffered as a result. Screams and cries of anguish filled the air.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu could not concern themselves with these events. The key issue was the imminent descent of True Lord Siming. If this Ancient Immortal successfully descended to earth, the entire Jinling Prefecture might be doomed.

Since the Gratitude Temple was located in the south and Zhenwu Temple was in the west, Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu did not pass by the ruins of Zhenwu Temple. Instead, they headed directly from the south to a spot near the shores of Zhenwu Lake.

They could see the bottom of Zhenwu Lake, which had completely dried up because its water had transformed into a massive block of ice that was now airborne.

The frozen island began to crack at the edges, breaking inward. The fragments did not revert to water but disintegrated completely, as if all their spiritual energy had been absorbed.

Gradually, a figure emerged and rapidly grew in size.

At first, the figure was the size of an infant, then it grew to the size of a teenager, a full-grown adult, and a Buddha statue, before finally reaching the height of the Porcelain Tower.

The gargantuan figure was wearing a black Twelve Ornaments Robe—an imperial ceremonial garment embroidered with twelve symbols, which were the sun, moon, stars, mountain, dragon, pheasant, sacrificial cups, algae, fire, grains of rice, axe, and two animals with their backs to each other.

He wore a flat-topped crown adorned with twelve tassels of white jade beads.

“Is that True Lord Siming?” Qi Xuansu looked up and asked.

“Yes.” Zhang Yuelu nodded. “It closely resembles the depictions of True Lord Siming circulated within the core disciples of the Daoist Order. Among the Ancient Immortals, Wu Luo retains the form of an Ancient Wuism witch, while True Lord Siming is dressed as an emperor, symbolizing his status as the ruler of the Netherworld.”

It was evident that True Lord Siming possessed the ability to alter the form of his vessel at will.

Instead of taking the grotesque shape of a tentacled, winged monstrous fish, he appeared as a dignified emperor, aligning with the populace’s conception of gods.

Influenced by the Confucian School of Principle, people often equated the heavens with gods, believing they were one entity. As the emperor was considered the “Son of Heaven,” it was natural for ordinary people to envision gods resembling the emperor.

True Lord Siming’s face was obscured by the curtain of beads, revealing only a chin with a short, slightly upturned beard that was as sharp as a blade.

From this, Qi Xuansu discerned that True Lord Siming was male, while Wu Luo was female. He had now seen the true appearance of two Ancient Immortals.

At that moment, True Lord Siming seemed to sense Qi Xuansu’s gaze.

Though True Lord Siming made no movements and still had his profile facing Qi Xuansu, Qi Xuansu felt as though he had locked eyes with the Ancient Immortal.

Qi Xuansu saw two pupils appear before him—one reflecting a white sun and the other a black moon.

In an instant, his head throbbed, his ears buzzed, and his vision blacked out. Two streams of blood flowed from his nose.

He felt a chilling, icy energy invade his body, spreading rapidly as it sought to seize control and forcibly possess him.

Startled, Qi Xuansu dared not let his guard down. He quickly channeled his innate qi to halt the cold invasion. That was when he felt a surge of warmth from his Auxiliary Heart, dispelling the chill entirely.

Qi Xuansu could not help but feel a lingering fear. This Ancient Immortal was truly formidable. True Lord Siming could easily claim his life even without looking directly at him. It was no wonder Zhang Yuelu had been reluctant to let him come along.