A Pawn's Passage

The onlookers were completely dumbfounded, their mouths agape in disbelief.

A Heavenly-Being Martial Arts Practitioner appeared so utterly helpless before this young Daoist. Could this Daoist be the famous Li Changge, who had been unstoppable at the Three Religions Assembly?

In fact, Qi Xuansu kept speaking because he was buying himself a moment to breathe. This “breather” was not about recovering his innate qi or blood qi, but rather about regaining his rationality.

The more he used the Demonic Blade, the faster the madness consumed his reason. If the madness managed to overcome his reason, then Qi Xuansu would completely succumb to his violent instincts. By then, he would not be able to recognize even his kin or his ally.

However, if Qi Xuansu paused mid-battle, he could halt the madness momentarily, allowing his reason to return and maintain some clarity. That was why if he completely withdrew from the Demonic Blade state, the madness would gradually fade like the ebbing tide.

Since Qi Xuansu did not want Zhao Fu’an to notice this weakness, he veiled his pauses and breaths behind harsh taunts, masking his momentary respite and provoking the man further.

Yet, Zhao Fu’an was not some inexperienced youth like Qi Jianyuan. Though he did not fully see through Qi Xuansu’s intent, he still sensed something amiss. Forcing himself up, he twisted his body mid-air and launched a knee strike directly at Qi Xuansu’s temple.

Qi Xuansu raised a hand, blocking the knee strike, then shifted his footing to absorb the impact. Seizing the moment, he gripped Zhao Fu’an’s ankle and smashed him down onto the ground.

Zhao Fu’an was forced to brace himself against the ground, but before he could recover, Qi Xuansu’s foot struck his chest. His entire body was sent flying sideways, tumbling over 30 meters away.

Qi Xuansu pressed the advantage, swiftly closing the distance. Meanwhile, Zhao Fu’an dug his fingers into the ground, leaving behind five deep claw marks as he finally halted his backward slide. But before he could even stand, Qi Xuansu was already bringing down a devastating punch.

It was the Mountain Fist from the Tantai Fist Intention.

Caught off guard, Zhao Fu’an could only tilt his head to avoid a direct hit to his vital points. At the same time, he crossed his arms over his head, attempting to block the strike.

Yet the sheer force of the blow drove half of Zhao Fu’an’s body into the ground.

Qi Xuansu was unrelenting, following up with a fierce knee strike.

Though Zhao Fu’an’s lower body was already buried in the ground, the impact still sent him sliding backward, his body carving a trench over 3 meters long and 30 centimeters wide.

Qi Xuansu did not immediately continue his assault. Instead, he paused briefly, allowing himself to regain some rationality.

Since he had already seized the upper hand, there was no need to fully succumb to his berserk state.

This brief pause also gave Zhao Fu’an a moment to catch his breath. Pressing his palms against the ground, he forced himself up. Thanks to his Martial Arts Practitioner’s physique, he suffered no fatal injuries, but his Tiger Armor was completely shattered.

Qi Xuansu charged forward once more.

Seeing this, Zhao Fu’an no longer dared to meet the attack head-on. Instead, he channeled his Samaya Seal, focusing entirely on defense.

The Samaya Seal was a profound defensive technique that sealed and regulated the acupoints, aligned the body’s meridians, and nurtured the essence of the organs. Its blood qi flowed continuously, unbroken like an eternal tide, harmonizing the spirit and body.

Once mastered, its power moved effortlessly. A single thought could lead to movement and force that could expand and contract naturally, like the ebb and flow of a tide. A master of this technique would stand firm like a mountain, unmoved even amid raging waves. When force was needed, it could descend like an unstoppable mountain.

To cultivate the Abhaya Seal, one must first master the Samaya Seal. These techniques could also be used as palm strikes or punches. While Zhao Fu’an had yet to practice the Abhaya Seal, his years of training in the Samaya Seal were not to be underestimated.

With Zhao Fu’an fully committed to defense, Qi Xuansu found himself unable to break through immediately. Left with no other choice, he continued channeling the Demonic Blade, pushing him closer to the brink of losing control.

As his madness took over, Qi Xuansu’s attacks grew increasingly unpredictable, each strike aimed directly at Zhao Fu’an’s weak points. This was the true brilliance of the Demonic Blade. Once fully immersed in its state, rational thought faded, but his instincts and perception heightened exponentially. It was akin to how, before an earthquake, humans remained oblivious, yet birds and beasts instinctively sensed the danger.

In truth, a far more fitting name for the Demonic Blade would have been the Mad Blade.

Regardless, the Demonic Blade was an unorthodox perfected method, which the Samaya Seal could not compare to.

After a hundred exchanges, Zhao Fu’an could no longer hold out even though had focused entirely on defense. Qi Xuansu’s fist struck him square in the chest. His heart acupoint had already been injured earlier, so this strike only worsened it.

The punch resonated like the toll bell, sending waves of energy reverberating throughout Zhao Fu’an’s body.

Zhao Fu’an’s feet lifted off the ground as he was sent hurtling backward, smashing a stone lion into pieces upon impact.

Qi Xuansu’s last shred of reason teetered on the verge of collapse. He threw his head back and howled at the sky.

Zhao Fu’an struggled to stand, his body swaying unsteadily. His armor was completely ruined, and he looked utterly battered.

At this moment, Zhao Fu’an’s vision was clouded in a deep crimson haze. He bellowed, “Qi Xuansu!”

Qi Xuansu moved like a shadow, delivering another punch directly to Zhao Fu’an’s abdomen.

Almost simultaneously, Zhao Fu’an gathered his last breath and let out a Blood Roar that erupted like spring thunder. With his raw, unrestrained blood qi, he shattered the Green Netherworld Armor on Qi Xuansu’s body.

Then, Zhao Fu’an swept his arm across.

Though the Xiaoyao-stage Martial Arts Practitioner was said to grant an Indestructible Divine Form, it merely signified the initial completion of vital acupoint refinement. The refinement levels of different acupoints varied, as Martial Arts Practitioners typically began refining acupoints from their fists or their heart, using these as foundations before expanding throughout their entire body. Naturally, the acupoints that were refined first far surpassed the rest in terms of resilience.

For Zhao Fu’an, his right arm was his strongest limb, as it was where he had first begun his acupoint refinement.

His entire right arm shone brilliantly, turning almost translucent and revealing his skin, meridians, bones, muscles, and coursing blood qi. Thirty-six body spirits could be seen clearly within it, mirroring his sweeping motion.

Zhao Fu’an swept out with all his strength, bringing with him a windstorm. There was almost no flaw to be found.

Qi Xuansu’s last shred of reason faded completely. Through sheer instinct, he sensed the minute flaw.

The human body contained tens of thousands of acupoints, and no one could refine them all. Heavenly-Being Martial Arts Practitioners only refined the 365 most crucial acupoints, while Manly Immortals refined over 1,200 primary acupoints. Thus, even on a single arm, there were still numerous unrefined, minor acupoints.

Qi Xuansu raised his right arm to block the devastating sweep, but it snapped instantly on impact. With his left hand, he struck directly at dozens of Zhao Fu’an’s unrefined acupoints. This severed the internal connection between Zhao Fu’an’s 36 fully refined acupoints, leaving one acupoint temporarily isolated like an island.

Zhao Fu’an suddenly felt as if his flow of blood qi was severed, akin to a coursing river being blocked by over a dozen dams. Thus, he hesitated for a brief moment.

Qi Xuansu also possessed a Martial Arts Practitioner’s regenerative abilities that mended his fractured bones instantly. He formed a knifehand and traced a path along Zhao Fu’an’s arm, all the way to the shoulder. Due to his partial Golden Body transformation, his knifehand gleamed like a golden blade, shredding through Zhao Fu’an’s sleeve wherever it passed.

At last, he severed Zhao Fu’an’s right arm with a single slash.

Even so, Qi Xuansu, who was now fully consumed by madness, showed no signs of stopping and intended to finish him off.

Ji Jiaozhen had been watching the battle from the side. At that moment, he let out a soft sigh, appeared behind Qi Xuansu in an instant, and reached out to press his hand onto the young man’s shoulder.

Still immersed in the Demonic Blade state, Qi Xuansu required no time to react. Before Ji Jiaozhen’s palm could even touch his shoulder, Qi Xuansu had already abandoned Zhao Fu’an, turning to face his new opponent.

Fortunately, Ji Jiaozhen’s cultivation far surpassed that of Qi Xuansu and Zhao Fu’an. His sheer strength alone was enough to subdue Qi Xuansu’s Demonic Blade.

Ji Jiaozhen allowed Qi Xuansu’s attack to strike toward his vitals, yet with one firm hand, he pressed down on the latter’s shoulder, completely halting his movement. Then, with his other hand, he struck the top of Qi Xuansu’s head, not to injure him, but to awaken him.

In an instant, Qi Xuansu’s mind cleared, and his rationality returned.

Only then did Ji Jiaozhen release him.

Qi Xuansu stood frozen, as if waking from a deep dream. It took a moment before he fully regained clarity and turned to Zhao Fu’an’s severed arm.

Zhao Fu’an lay slumped on the ground, completely powerless to fight back and at the mercy of his opponent.

However, Qi Xuansu could not truly kill Zhao Fu’an.

Regardless of whether Zhao Fu’an deserved to die, killing him would escalate the conflict beyond personal grudges. If a Daoist disciple were to slay the Imperial Court’s Garrison Chief Military Officer, news of this would immediately reach the Emperor’s ears. The current emperor of the Great Xuan Dynasty was none other than the world’s only Great Sage Ziji.

Not even a Sage could withstand the consequences, let alone a small pawn like Qi Xuansu. His only fate would be to flee as a fugitive and defect to a secret society.

This was precisely why Ji Jiaozhen intervened, saving Qi Xuansu once again.

Qi Xuansu had already anticipated this outcome and had prepared accordingly. He retrieved a pouch of 500 Ruyi coins, which roughly amounted to half a Taiping coin, from his magical receptacle, then tossed the pouch onto Zhao Fu’an’s lap with a smug smirk.

“General Zhao, one shouldn’t make enemies lightly in officialdom. But once enmity is formed, it must be settled thoroughly by eliminating the root so as not to leave future troubles. If you wish to seek revenge at a later date, I will gladly play along. Back in Baidi City, you were in cahoots with Lingyunzi, telling me and Qing Xiao to go with the flow. Today, as we part, I will return these same words to you.

“Here’s a quote spoken by the Primordial Daoist Ancestor to the Confucian Sage.

“A skilled merchant hides his wealth as if he has none. A true gentleman with great virtue appears simple and unassuming. Abandon arrogance and greed, rid yourself of vain desires and indulgence, as such things do not benefit one’s being. Close your mouth, block off your senses, dull your sharpness, untie your knots, soften your glare, and settle your dust. This is the mystical unity.”