A Pawn's Passage

The Daoist Order was clearly capable of many things. The only question was whether they were willing to put in the effort. This divine descent was the prime example. If they truly wished to orchestrate one, they could achieve it flawlessly.

Qi Xuansu’s features became indistinct and blurry beneath the canopy of purple light.

At the same time, Qin Quanxiao felt a tremendous pressure descending.

To some extent, this pressure even surpassed that of a Pseudo-Immortal. Although an Ancient Immortal’s full power could never fully descend to the mortal realm, the source of this purple light was connected to an Ancient Immortal’s divine kingdom.

By this point, the Heavenly Court, Qingping Society, Ziguang Society, and The Inn had all taken the stage, representing the Taiping Sect, Quanzhen Sect, Zhengyi Sect, and the Imperial Court, respectively.

The Ziguang Society sent only two people, but their quality was undoubtedly the highest, with one Pseudo-Immortal and even True Lord Ziguang herself. Though not present in person, such a divine descent was second only to a personal incarnation and the descent of a divine kingdom.

Outside Wuxing Mountain, the stars in the sky grew even brighter, outshining the brilliance of the full moon.

The ones who felt this most keenly were naturally Zhang Wuhen and Star Keeper Xuanji.

Both were Pseudo-Immortals in the Godly Immortal lineage with extremely close ties to True Lord Ziguang. Zhang Wuhen bore True Lord Ziguang’s bloodline, while Star Keeper Xuanji was Her Ladyship’s right-hand.

The two stopped fighting simultaneously and turned to gaze at the magnificent violet rays piercing through Wuxing Mountain.

Zhang Wuhen said, “I truly didn’t expect that True Lord Ziguang, who once stormed Jade Capital and battled Donghuang, would one day serve the Daoist Order.”

Star Keeper Xuanji chuckled. “Times change. If there are no eternal friends, then there are certainly no eternal enemies.”

Zhang Wuhen sneered. “Does True Lord Ziguang intend to betray the alliance of the Three Secret Societies and follow in the footsteps of True Lord Taiyin?”

Star Keeper Xuanji replied, “Loyalty only holds when the price of betrayal is too low. If the Daoist Order offers enough incentives, the other two Ancient Immortals can be recruited as well. The key lies in whether the Daoists are willing to pay.”

Having once been part of the Daoist Order, Zhang Wuhen understood this principle well. Thus, she did not argue.

Star Keeper Xuanji said calmly, “Your defeat is already sealed.”

Within Wuxing Mountain, Qin Quanxiao was going through a whirlwind of emotions. He had thought victory was in his grasp, but in the blink of an eye, the situation flipped, and he now found himself at a complete disadvantage.

At this moment, the Owner had been banished, and Wu Guangbi was being held off by Madam Qi, so he could not rush over.

Wu Guangbi’s best opportunity to act had actually been during the clash between Madam Qi and the Owner. But at that time, no one knew who or where the Thumb was. Wu Guangbi had no choice but to endure patiently and focus solely on guarding against the Thumb. In the end, he was utterly deceived.

Now he finally understood the meaning behind Sage Donghua’s arrangements, but it was already meaningless.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were indeed indispensable. In the entire Imperial Capital, only two people were suitable as vessels—Li Changge and Qi Xuansu. The former was clearly out of the question. Li Changge standing out of the way and not causing trouble would already be considered a blessing. Naturally, the only choice was Qi Xuansu.

True Lord Ziguang would only make contact with a member of the Zhang family. So in the end, the Heavenly Preceptor chose Zhang Yuelu to act as his envoy, bringing True Lord Ziguang into this fight.

Just moments ago, it had been Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu stuck in a dilemma, and now, it was Qin Quanxiao’s turn.

Though he wanted to disrupt True Lord Ziguang’s divine descent, this beam of purple light was connected to her divine kingdom. So how could he, with his meager power, hope to challenge a divine kingdom?

He could only stand and watch helplessly. Yet if he retreated, he would lose everything. Years of planning would collapse in a single moment. How could he possibly accept that?

As Qin Quanxiao struggled in this dilemma, the purple light finally faded.

Qi Xuansu slowly descended. His face was cloaked in rippling radiance, making it difficult to discern his features. Nebulous purple qi emerged and slowly revolved around him.

Zhang Yuelu had once experienced the divine descent of True Lord Siming up close. Comparing the two, though True Lord Siming’s descent had been grand and imposing, it lacked refinement due to the absence of a human vessel. As such, divine power leaked out uncontrollably. It was like a crude, heavy sword, massive but lacking any sharpness; more like a metal pillar.

In contrast, True Lord Ziguang’s descent now lacked grandeur but radiated exquisite refinement from within. One could say it was perfect and harmonious, like a finely forged blade honed to perfection, its sharpness able to shatter gold and jade.

Qi Xuansu—or rather, True Lord Ziguang—raised a hand and pointed at Qin Quanxiao from afar.

The Imperial Prince staggered backward as if struck by a heavy blow, nearly losing his footing.

Qin Quanxiao had only recently entered the Zaohua stage and was still a long way from being a Pseudo-Immortal. But the Ancient Immortal True Lord Ziguang wielded the power of a Pseudo-Immortal with this vessel, so there was a considerable gap between them.

True Lord Ziguang then pressed downward with her hand.

Qin Quanxiao dropped to one knee. This time, it was his turn to have blood streaming from his orifices.

He could only brace himself with both hands on the Sword of Mandate that was embedded in the ground to avoid collapsing.

The prince who had orchestrated the entire Wuxing Mountain affair struggled to speak. “Pei Xuanzhi! Pei Xuanzhi!”

At that moment, the eunuch ancestor of the Xuanhui Court, who had been seated calmly atop the lake, finally rose slowly to his feet.

“Sit,” True Lord Ziguang commanded. Her words carried the force of divine law.

The Pseudo-Immortal had no choice but to sit back down on the lake’s surface.

Though both had the cultivation level of Pseudo-Immortals, True Lord Ziguang was a true Immortal. She was only temporarily limited to a Pseudo-Immortal’s strength. In contrast, the eunuch ancestor of the Xuanhui Court had a limitation to his power because he had to rely on the Imperial Palace’s dragon qi to be able to contend with an Immortal.

Wuxing Mountain was not within the Imperial Capital, so it was clear who was the superior one among them.

True Lord Ziguang gazed at the lake with purple qi surging in her eyes. The once-still waters suddenly began to boil violently, churning up towering waves.

The Monkey with the strength of an Immortal was slumbering within the lake. It now had a complete body and was no longer a mere prototype. All that was missing was the spirit. The original plan was to form this spirit by leveraging the mystical power of the midnight hour during the transition between the years to form this spirit. Otherwise, the Monkey would not be considered a mind cultivator.

However, this was also the Monkey’s most vulnerable moment.

True Lord Ziguang intended to destroy the Monkey at this moment, executing the final act of the Anchor the Monkey operation.

At the same time, True Lord Ziguang cast a wave of purple radiance toward Zhang Yuelu.

As the light fell upon her, Zhang Yuelu felt all her injuries heal. The dread in her heart faded, replaced by a dramatic surge in her cultivation.

The Thunder Talisman within her fully fused, and the true intention within allowed her to rapidly master both the Five Thunder Celestial Heart Method and the Dragon Tiger Sword Technique, pushing her cultivation to the brink of the Xiaoyao stage, one step away from the Wuliang stage.

Strictly speaking, this was not a gift from True Lord Ziguang. It was a legacy of the Ancestral Heavenly Preceptor. True Lord Ziguang had simply retrieved it from the Punishment Pillars at the Demon-Vanquishing Platform, refined it into a Thunder Talisman, and finally delivered it to Zhang Yuelu, returning it to its rightful heir.

The Ancestral Heavenly Preceptor was a Second-Tribulation Immortal who founded the predecessor of the Zhengyi Sect. He alone swept through the last remnants of Ancient Wuism by slaying four Great Witches, including Wu Luo. His small legacy was but a trivial Thought to him, but even a single Thought from him could stir the world, more than enough to greatly benefit his descendants.

Elsewhere, Yao Pei gradually fell into a disadvantage because she had lost a part of her soul. Thus, she could no longer keep up with Li Changge, the manmade Banished Immortal.

There was no doubt that the foremost among the three Daoist prodigies could rival any Heavenly Being in the Wuliang stage. His ability was no exaggeration.

This had nothing to do with fate or fortune. The Li family had cultivated a peerless talent through sheer manpower and resources. He had already defeated Qin Lingge, who wielded an immortal object.

Yao Pei had the bloodline of a Great Witch. So Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu were not worth mentioning in comparison.

Li Changge fully deserved the title of being the best among the younger generation.

Of course, Yao Pei was remarkable as well. Any peer would have lost to her, except for Li Changge.

Li Changge transformed Mortal Vitality into a 30-meter-long battering ram, slamming it into Yao Pei’s Great Shaman True Form. She was blasted backward, her giant feet gouging two trenches in the ground before she was driven into the cliffside and nailed in place by Mortal Vitality, unable to move.

Yet Yao Pei showed no fear.

Agreeing to duel Li Changge was not solely to test her strength. More importantly, she truly believed she would not die here. This confidence did not stem from her own capabilities but from her trust in her master, Sage Donghua.

Indeed, Sage Donghua did not disappoint her.

Just as Li Changge prepared to end her, his Longevity Stone Heart, which was normally dormant, suddenly issued a warning in the form of dread.

If Qi Xuansu’s Longevity Stone Heart was tied to Lingshan Paradise and the Great Witches, then Li Changge’s had a unique and mysterious quality of its own.

Li Changge wavered for a moment.

When his clarity returned, Mortal Vitality, still in the form of a battering ram, remained embedded in the cliff. But Yao Pei, who had earlier been pinned by the ram, had vanished.

Li Changge’s pupils contracted as he quickly scanned his surroundings.

That was when he saw a figure shrouded in purple radiance, holding a now normal-sized Yao Pei in one hand.

Li Changge’s heart skipped a beat.

With his extensive familial knowledge, true “secrets” were rare, so it did not take him long to deduce the figure’s identity.

“This time, the Taiping Sect and the Imperial Court lost. The Quanzhen Sect and Zhengyi Sect have won,” Li Changge muttered to himself, composed despite the shock. “So be it. A single defeat is not complete ruin. Who’s to say we won’t return stronger?”

True Lord Ziguang had no intention of seizing the moment to slay Li Changge. She, too, had no desire to become mortal enemies with the Imperial Preceptor over Daoist affairs. If she were the Earthly Preceptor, it might be worth the trouble, but she was not.

Li Changge understood this, which allowed him to remain calm.

True Lord Ziguang reached out, and the Holy Xuan Card that Li Changge had stashed in his sleeve appeared in her hand. She crushed it without hesitation, then struck Yao Pei’s body to restore the missing part of her soul.