A Pawn's Passage

Passing through the portal, they stepped into the interior of Wuxing Mountain.

The hollowed-out mountain was a world of its own, entirely beyond Qi Xuansu’s expectations.

In Qi Xuansu’s mind, he had imagined it as a structure with descending floors or perhaps a vast abyss below, crisscrossed by stone beams like a spiderweb, with people as tiny as ants scurrying back and forth across them.

But Qi Xuansu was wrong.

Inside Wuxing Mountain, the space seemed distorted. There was no sense of up or down, only a straight path forward, as if they were walking across flat ground. But from the outside, the mountain’s midsection should not have had this kind of interior depth.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen explained, “Wuxing Mountain has two layers of formations. The outer one seals the mountain, blocking all types of escape techniques and teleportation spells. The inner one is like a small world, expanding the mountain’s inner space while simultaneously suppressing the earth qi.”

Only then did Qi Xuansu understand. Turning downward into forward was a spatial distortion.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen pointed ahead at a frame-like structure not far away. “There should’ve been another permanent Yin-Yang Gate here for passage, but it’s already been closed. None of us has the means to forcibly open this gate, so we’ll just have to walk.”

With that, Spirit Guard Jia Chen took the lead.

This corridor—if it could even be called that—was about 30 meters tall and 60 meters wide, more than enough for one to fully manifest a Spiritual Body or for a large cavalry to pass through. There was no telling how long this corridor extended, as its end was nowhere in sight, and the slight downward slope suggested that the end remained hidden.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen did not recklessly dart forward, because no one knew what kinds of restrictions or traps lay ahead. To rush over blindly was to risk flying straight into a spider’s web.

The three followed behind Spirit Guard Jia Chen when Yao Pei suddenly spoke. “I’ve heard that among the 12 first-rank Spirit Guards, each wields a different weapon. Some favor long blades, and some are experts with firearms and crossbows. May I ask what weapon you are most skilled with, Spirit Guard Jia Chen?”

Spirit Guard Jia Chen replied frankly, “I specialize in blades and shields.”

Shields were a weapon rarely seen among Daoist priests. However, they were very common among the Spirit Guard. In contrast, the long swords nearly every Daoist carried were almost never used by Spirit Guards. Even when they did wield swords, they were the heavier kind of greatswords. That was because in battlefield combat, the traditional slender longsword was simply impractical. Other types of blades and shields were also preferred among the Black Robes.

On this point, Qi Xuansu very much agreed with Spirit Guard Jia Chen. He never liked using swords and preferred blades. He did not yearn to be a white-robed, heroic sword immortal. Rather, he had always had a certain admiration for the armored warriors charging into battle and capturing fortresses. Yet looking at himself now, he was destined for neither. Most likely, he was fated to become a scheming, calculating Daoist priest, neither graceful nor fierce, instead sinister, like the villains in novels.

But being a Daoist priest came with one major advantage—power.

With authority in hand, anything in the world, no matter how difficult, was at least worth attempting. Immortals could be man-made, Wuxing Mountain could be hollowed out, and even relying on external means for longevity was not entirely impossible.

Besides, it was said that in the Western Continent, Paladins particularly favored large shields. In the Central Plains, a knight simply meant a cavalry soldier, with emphasis on the horse. But in the West, a knight was a title and status. They were not necessarily mounted either.

The instructors at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace had once explained in lectures that when the Daoist Order built its Spirit Guard system, exchanges between East and West were already frequent. The Daoist Order had begun absorbing Western influences, so the Spirit Guard system incorporated aspects of the knightly tradition, blending it with the Shaman, Martial Arts Practitioner, and Rogue Cultivator lineages.

Spirit Guards existed because some people had limited talent in cultivation. Anyone who was gifted enough to be a Banished Immortal like Zhang Yuelu would not choose to be a Spirit Guard because that would be a waste of talent. Still, Spirit Guards needed some basic cultivation, so most often, they started as Rogue Cultivators.

Soon, the group entered a massive cavern hall that seemed to have once been a storage area, though now it was completely empty.

A towering figure blocked their path, with a sealed exit behind him.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen halted and sighed softly. “I thought Prince Liao himself would come to block the way, but I didn’t expect it would be...”

He paused, unsure how to address the person before them.

Qi Xuansu added, “Outside reinforcement.”

“Yes, an outsider.” Spirit Guard Jia Chen echoed, with a hint of ridicule in his voice.

Before them stood a Westerner with dazzling golden hair, deep blue eyes like the sea, and handsome, sharp features. However, he had a prominent aquiline nose. He seemed composed, with an odd sense of calm about him.

He wore a gleaming white full-body armor, bearing a distinctly Western style, but not the modern kind. Instead, it was a Western style from centuries past, ornate and exquisite, edged with gold, decorated with gold-threaded patterns, and inlaid with red gemstones. For armor, such flourishes could easily seem impractical or even showy, but if the craftsmanship was superb, such details were merely minor considerations.

That equally ornate and exquisite helmet was tucked under his arm, and a crimson cloak was draped behind him. He held a massive sword that was half his height, with its tip plunged into the ground. The blade was inscribed with Western runes, entirely different from the Daoist talismans.

The man before them was likely a Paladin.

It was hard to tell what cultivation he had. Perhaps he was a Legendary Demigod or a Divine Being, which corresponded to a Pseudo-Immortal.

Strictly speaking, Pseudo-Immortal was not an official stage of cultivation. It was used to define the top-tier Zaohua-stage Heavenly Beings who were just one step away from immortality. Due to special reasons, Pseudo-Immortals possessed partial Immortal traits or were even incarnations of actual Immortals.

For Martial Arts Practitioners, those in the Zaohua stage could already access the Shattered Void Realm. Pseudo-Immortals were still in the same realm, just more advanced. But Manly Immortals would have reached full mastery.

Thus, to differentiate Zaohua-stage Heavenly Beings with advanced cultivation, the term Pseudo-Immortal emerged.

Based on the Holy Court and the Arcane Council’s classification, Heavenly Beings were called Demigods; Xiaoyao-stage Heavenly Beings were called Proto-Demigods; Wuliang-stage Heavenly Beings were True Demigods; Zaohua-stage Heavenly Beings were Legendary Demigods; and Pseudo-Immortals were called Divine Beings, qualified to become gods.

“To resolve everything with brute force is undoubtedly foolish.” To their surprise, the Westerner spoke in flawless Mandarin with a Great Xuan Court dialect.

There were indeed Westerners at the Great Xuan Court, but they were mostly missionaries. Paladins like this were rare sights.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen responded calmly, “Force is the last resort, but also the most effective one.”

He paused, then continued, “According to the treaty between the Daoist Order and the Holy Court, no personnel higher-ranking than an archbishop may enter Daoist territory without permission. Likewise, no Daoist official of fourth rank or higher may enter the Western Continent without invitation. Please produce the proper documentation, or I have the authority to expel you from our lands.”

The Paladin replied calmly, “I have left the Holy Court and hold no office. I have come East as a wandering knight, employed by the Emperor of the Eastern Continent.”

A so-called wandering knight was much like a wandering Daoist, fringe figures within their respective institutions.

However, wandering Divine Beings or Pseudo-Immortals were even rarer than the 36 Omniscient Sages.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen did not bother playing word games because it was pointless. The great chess players—the Grand Master, the three Deputy Grand Masters, and the Emperor—would not fall from power over minor pieces. They only lost when the entire game was over. Only the chess pieces themselves would fall in one move and die.

So even if they proved that the Imperial Court had plotted this, they could not do anything about it. Could they force the Emperor to condemn himself in public? Even the Holy Xuan was not so arrogant during his time. Granted, it might be because the founding emperor was the Holy Xuan’s father-in-law.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen drew a pitch-black shield resembling the carapace of the Black Tortoise and his greatsword, different from the horizontal blade Qi Xuansu favored. Instead, it was a heavy blade that had to be carried on the shoulder. It was half his height, and its broad blade twisted in rhythmic, wave-like curves, less like a standard sword and more like an exotic weapon.

The Paladin across from them placed his helmet on, pulled down the visor to cover his face, and reached for the massive sword beside him.

In that instant, the sword ignited with white flames.

The two men—one in black armor and the other in white—resembled the yin-yang symbol.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen asked, “May I ask for your name?”

The Paladin’s voice was low and calm. “My true name is very long and unsuitable for your Eastern tongues. You may call me Renatus of Dragonburg.”