A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu’s words were extremely blunt, tearing all pretense apart. Or rather, he was outright scolding Qi Jianyuan.

He was not someone particularly skilled in navigating social affairs, but he understood the principle of not burning bridges. Moreover, Qi Jianyuan’s status was impressive, with the backing of a prestigious family, a strong lineage, and an esteemed master. Under normal circumstances, Qi Xuansu would not provoke such a person, much less turn him into a mortal enemy.

However, since this involved his master, Qi Xuansu was truly enraged this time and could not care less about the consequences. Why had he fought so hard to climb the ranks within the Daoist Order? It was just so that he could stand tall and speak without fear.

Furthermore, flowerbed Daoists looked down on wild Daoists, believing them to be crude and uncivilized. Similarly, wild Daoists also had their own contempt for the flowerbed Daoists, seeing them as nothing but decorative vases—beautiful but useless.

Qi Xuansu was a wild Daoist. Though he was not entirely without backing, whether it was Zhang Yuelu, Madam Qi, Pei Xiaolou, or Lei Xiaohuan, they had only provided him with a relatively fair environment or helped him improve his cultivation. But when it came to rank and official status, he had fought and risked his life for every merit he earned to gain his promotion from the seventh rank to the fourth rank. That was why he spoke with such confidence.

Qi Jianyuan’s pride was brutally wounded by Qi Xuansu’s bluntness. Naturally, he was infuriated. But in his fury, he laughed coldly. “Since you claim not to rely on anyone’s influence and have such an impressive record, I assume you have great confidence in your own cultivation. Would you care to duel with me? I’d like to see for myself just what kind of skills Qi Haoran’s disciple could possibly have!”

Fighting was prohibited within the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, but the Star Observation Deck was not strictly within the compound, nor was it in the Upper Palace. If they were to fight here, it could still be justified.

Qi Xuansu had no intention of backing down and replied, “I recall the Holy Xuan once mentioned in his youth that he doesn’t care about one’s lineage or track record on how many people one has defeated. To him, a battle is measured by only one thing—life or death. Do you agree? If so, we can go down and fight.”

“Fine by me.” Qi Jianyuan wasted no more words. With a flash, he disappeared from the Star Observation Deck and landed not far from Xingye Lake. Between the mountains and water was a vast open field filled with blooming flowers. The white reed flowers swayed gracefully in the wind, which was a stunning scene.

Qi Xuansu followed, leaping down from the Star Observation Deck.

Seeing this, Sun Hewu and Yao Pei did not intervene. Since this matter involved internal conflicts in the Qi family, they found it difficult to take a stance. Besides, no one had expected that a simple exchange of words would escalate into a duel.

At this point, a fight between the two men who shared a last name was inevitable. Though the Daoist Order preached harmony and non-interference, a vast organization as such was bound to have its share of impurities.

Not everyone possessed the heart for true detachment. More often than not, when one carried a deadly weapon, the desire to use it would inevitably arise. That was why internal duels within the Daoist Order were so common.

With just a few words exchanged, the two had already stepped into the unwritten agreement of a private duel.

At most, Sun Hewu and Yao Pei would step in to prevent anyone from being killed, but they would not interfere with the fight itself.

The many disciples of the Wanxiang Daoist Palace instinctively stepped back when they saw two men leaping down from the Star Observation Deck, their eyes fixed on the unfolding battle.

Qi Xuansu drew his horizontal blade, the tip angled downward and the edge facing himself while the spine faced Qi Jianyuan. Though he said nothing, his meaning was clear—he was inviting Qi Jianyuan to reveal his weapon.

Qi Jianyuan reached back and drew his longsword. The meter-long blade radiated no overt spiritual light such as a green glow, white arc, or purple aura, yet its surface was as clear as water, reflecting his face like a mirror.

Qi Jianyuan gave his sword a flick and said, “Make your move.”

Qi Xuansu wasted no words, lunging forward with his blade. The white reed flowers bowed their heads in submission along the line of his charge.

The Dayan Spirit Blade Technique was known for its speed. After Qi Xuansu practiced the Demonic Blade, his Dayan Spirit Blade Technique improved as well.

His attack was unbelievably fast. Within a split second, the tip of Flying Shadow was already at Qi Jianyuan’s throat.

However, Qi Jianyuan’s cultivation was ultimately a level above Qi Xuansu’s. At the last possible moment, he managed to block the strike. But his sword hand trembled slightly, and only then did he realize just how high Qi Xuansu’s cultivation was—only a step away from becoming a Heavenly Being. His progress was only a fraction behind that of Zhang Yuelu and the others.

Qi Xuansu followed up with a flurry of strikes that were completely silent, not stirring a hint of wind. Hence, Qi Jianyuan could not track his opponent’s blade trajectory.

Qi Jianyuan had no choice but to fully activate his sword techniques, ensuring his defense was flawless when blocking each attack.

Qi Xuansu and Qi Jianyuan clashed; their blade and sword flashed in a fierce exchange. Despite Qi Xuansu’s lower cultivation level, he was the one on the offensive, while the higher-level Qi Jianyuan found himself on the defensive.

The sound of metal striking metal was endless. Blade qi and sword qi crisscrossed the battlefield, sending countless white reed flowers swirling through the air like drifting snowflakes.

Qi Xuansu’s blade grew faster until his Demonic Blade was unleashed to its fullest. Dozens of afterimages appeared around Qi Jianyuan, overlapping and stacking until, eventually, his figure was completely obscured.

Yet despite this, Qi Xuansu’s blade still failed to break through Qi Jianyuan’s defenses. After all, Qi Jianyuan was a Heavenly Being.

At the last moment, Qi Jianyuan found an opening and thrust his sword between Qi Xuansu’s brows.

The latter swiftly retreated. As the two moved, Qi Jianyuan’s sword tip remained precisely one centimeter from Qi Xuansu. The wavering sword qi at the tip still managed to cut a thin wound across Qi Xuansu’s forehead, resembling a blood-red vertical eye.

After retreating for over 30 meters, Qi Xuansu abruptly stopped. In an instant, his single blade became double blades as he blocked Qi Jianyuan’s sword.

Qi Xuansu wielded Flying Shadow in his right hand. Its blade was straight and slender, with only a slight curve that resembled a short sword. In the meantime, he held a black Ghosthead Machete with his left hand that flickered between illusion and reality. Its thick spine and broad edge seemed heavy.

The two blades were completely opposite—one was pure strength and heaviness, while the other was as light and fluid as the wind.

Qi Xuansu fought with both hands at once. He used Flying Shadow to execute the Demonic Blade, while he used the Ghosthead Machete with the Dayan Spirit Blade Technique. His greatest advantage lay in his sheer unpredictability. If he suddenly unleashed this combination, no opponent of the same realm could last more than a hundred moves against him. Even those who were one level above him would be completely caught off guard.

Qi Xuansu blocked Qi Jianyuan’s sword and immediately launched an attack with Flying Shadow. However, the strike was not straightforward. One moment, it seemed to be in front, the next it appeared behind.

For a moment, Qi Jianyuan could not determine its trajectory and had no choice but to retreat to avoid the attack. Yet, Qi Xuansu’s speed was terrifying. Before Qi Jianyuan could complete his backward leap, Flying Shadow was already pointed at his chest once more.

Qi Jianyuan noticed that Qi Xuansu’s moves were becoming increasingly fierce, yet the Ghosthead Machete remained unused. Unable to determine his opponent’s intentions, he could only focus on his swordsmanship.

He employed the Nandou 28 Swords, which was an orthodox perfected method. Though its power was not as explosively aggressive as certain unorthodox perfected methods, its precision and refinement held up against Qi Xuansu’s blade.

At that moment, Qi Xuansu’s left hand suddenly brought down the now-solidified Ghosthead Machete in a devastating slash. Qi Jianyuan barely dodged, but a thunderous boom followed as the ground split open with a meter-long fissure, revealing the sheer power of the strike.

Qi Xuansu fully embraced a dual-blade fighting style—combining hardness with softness, yin with yang. For those encountering this approach for the first time, it was a nightmare to deal with.

Despite Qi Jianyuan’s higher cultivation and experience, he found himself struggling. However, he gradually discerned a pattern from this. Flying Shadow was swift and ever-changing, designed to entangle and restrain the opponent. But the real threat lay in the Ghosthead Machete, which was immensely powerful, fluctuating between illusion and reality. When it struck, it was like a thunderbolt seeking to claim one’s life, making it the real weapon to fear.

After exchanging dozens of moves, Qi Xuansu suddenly found an opening. His left hand brought the Ghosthead Machete crashing down with overwhelming force, as if carrying the weight of the heavens. The attack was unavoidable, leaving Qi Jianyuan with no choice but to meet it head-on with his longsword.

But to Qi Jianyuan’s surprise, his sword met nothing but air. There was no resistance or collision, as if the attack never existed.

It was not that Qi Jianyuan had missed the block. Qi Xuansu’s Ghosthead Machete had turned into an illusion, phasing through Qi Jianyuan’s longsword and slicing straight toward his neck.

This strike made no sound, yet Qi Jianyuan felt an overwhelming sense of danger. He could almost feel his neck splitting apart.

At that moment, Qi Jianyuan, holding his sword with only one hand, had no choice but to block with his free left hand. Yet the moment his hand met the Ghosthead Machete, his protective qi shield proved utterly useless. His palm felt as if it had been sliced open.

The machete shifted from illusion to reality in an instant, passing through without hesitation. A thin line of blood appeared on his left hand, making it seem as though it had been severed and gingerly reattached.

After bypassing Qi Jianyuan’s left hand, the Ghosthead Machete continued its path, completely ignoring his protective qi shield and slicing deep into his neck. A long, bloody gash opened up, sending a spray of blood into the air.