A Pawn's Passage

The elemental energy churned violently as soon as the inner demon manifested. Continuous explosions accompanied by chaotic, unintelligible demonic chants resounded in the heavens, disturbing the mind.

The flood dragon beneath Princess Himiya Akiko immediately let out a series of dragon roars to counter the demonic chants.

Under the vast suppression of the dragon’s might, the eerie aura brought by the inner demon’s manifestation instantly dispersed. Seizing the moment, Princess Himiya Akiko struck down with her sword at the inner demon’s head.

Though the inner demon’s head was severed with one strike, it reformed as if nothing had happened. Then, it let out a furious roar. The black clouds above roiled, and from it, a pillar of light descended, enveloping Princess Himiya Akiko. Within that pillar, ghostly yin fire arose, burning her from all directions.

Princess Himiya Akiko merely swung her sword, summoning a dense layer of clouds. These clouds from the Ame-no-Murakumo surpassed even the Banished Immortal’s Joyous Cloud Shield, protecting her from the yin fire.

She struck again toward the black clouds above. Countless serpentine shadows surged skyward. From afar, they looked like densely packed threads.

Once these serpentine shadows entered the clouds, the entire mass roiled like boiling water in a cauldron. Light and darkness alternated within it, and the yin fire within the pillar flickered, showing signs of instability.

Princess Himiya Akiko extended her left hand in a grasping motion, from which a blazing sun slowly rose. The world was instantly flooded with light. As she spread her five fingers, radiant sunlight spilled out, so brilliant that even the surging black clouds could not conceal its brilliance. The pillar of light and yin fire attempting to burn her were immediately dispelled.

At the same time, Zhang Qihan conjured a bright moon in his palm. Its moonlight directly opposed the blazing sun. This Blue Tide Bright Moon Technique was part of the Taiyin 13 Swords.

The sun and moon shone together, evenly matched in strength.

When the sunlight and moonlight finally faded, Princess Himiya Akiko thrust her sword once more.

To Zhang Qihan, Princess Himiya Akiko had disappeared, as all he could see were endless clouds rolling and unfurling.

Zhang Qihan invoked the Dark Yin Sword Qi of the Taiyin 13 Swords. First, a single crescent arc of sword qi appeared, then it multiplied. Layers upon layers of sword qi stacked together until it became an overwhelming torrent that surged forth.

The sword qi and cloud qi clashed silently, but it stirred heaven and earth before both dissipated into nothingness.

Princess Himiya Akiko twisted the Ame-no-Murakumo, the blade tearing through the air as she launched nearly a hundred strikes toward Zhang Qihan’s vital points. No sword light nor sword qi could be seen, only strange serpentine shadows that wound unpredictably.

Zhang Qihan’s body was split into a hundred forms. In an instant, Princess Himiya Akiko felt countless figures surrounding her on all sides. Not only did they dissolve all of her strikes, but they also attacked from every direction, leaving her with no room to dodge or escape, as if she were besieged by an army.

Even so, Princess Himiya Akiko showed no fear. She channeled the Ame-no-Murakumo, summoning more cloud qi that shielded her whole body.

A rapid, continuous clamor of metal clashing against stone rang out. The cloud qi dispersed, and all the duplicates surrounding Princess Himiya Akiko vanished without a trace.

Zhang Qihan revealed his form once more. He employed the Taixuan Sword Heart Series, his moves shifting endlessly—sometimes direct and forceful, sometimes winding and twisting, sometimes spiraling and encircling. Each strike brimmed with killing intent, and every blow aimed at a vital point. The Heavenly Demon Immortal Slaying Sword clashed with the Ame-no-Murakumo, filling the air with the sound of shattering metal. Black flames and serpent shadows intertwined, casting their faces in shifting light and shadow.

The stalemate lasted for a while until the flood dragon beneath Princess Himiya Akiko suddenly shot out a blast of dragon’s breath. Zhang Qihan was forced to slash it apart with his sword. But at that instant, Princess Himiya Akiko seized the opportunity, abruptly shifting her move to pierce straight through the Taixuan Sword Heart Series and thrusting her sword directly into his shoulder.

The physique of an Immortal was incredibly resilient, able to withstand even a skewered heart or a severed head. However, the Ame-no-Murakumo was a divine artifact and possessed its own mystical properties. Thus, the wound inflicted was far from ordinary.

Within the Tenmon Sect, there were records of five shinkan from the Atsuta-jingu who attempted to spy upon the Ame-no-Murakumo. As soon as they drew near, dense mist rose up automatically, obscuring all vision. When the mist was dispelled, they saw a wooden box about 1.5 meters long. Within it was a stone chest, its gaps sealed with red earth. Inside the stone chest lay a hollowed camphor tree trunk, and the space between the log and the stone was likewise filled with red earth. The inside of the cylindrical log was lined with gold, and the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword rested upon it. Not long after, those shinkan who had spied upon the sword became victims of the sword’s curse. Only one remained to record the tale.

From this, it was evident that the Ame-no-Murakumo possessed two mystical powers—generating protective cloud qi and possessing an innate curse attached to the blade itself.

This curse entered Zhang Qihan’s body through the stab wound. Though a mighty Immortal would not perish from it instantly, he was nonetheless afflicted. Dark serpentine patterns spread from the wound, corroding his Immortal physique, hindering its self-recovery, and even disrupting the flow of his true essence.

At that moment, Suzuka Gozen had fully recovered. She once again merged the Three Radiant Swords into one and unleashed a vast pillar of sword light, cleaving down upon the flood dragon.

The flood dragon had no time to concern itself with Zhang Qihan. It could only spit out a screen of water to block the sword light.

During this moment of distraction, the inner demon silently slipped beneath the flood dragon and clawed away a piece of dragon scale with its blade-like fingers, causing the dragon to roar in pain.

Princess Himiya Akiko ignored the flood dragon, sweeping the Ame-no-Murakumo toward Zhang Qihan’s chest. Zhang Qihan dared not endure the strike with his body and retreated slightly instead. Meanwhile, he traced three sword circles before him that seemed solid and tangible. These sword circles lingered briefly midair, not only blocking her strikes but also rebounding them as a counterattack.

Princess Himiya Akiko showed no fear, evading the sword circles and slashing diagonally. Zhang Qihan moved to parry but faltered for an instant due to the curse, forcing him to retreat.

Immediately afterward, he drew three more sword circles that surged toward her. The Ame-no-Murakumo thrust once more, birthing eight serpent shadows that swept across, shattering the sword circles and surging straight toward Zhang Qihan.

Zhang Qihan’s figure flickered and vanished. This time, he employed the Star Shift Technique of the Nandou 28 Swords.

With such sudden advances and retreats, the two had already exchanged nearly a thousand moves in a brief moment.

In terms of cultivation, Zhang Qihan was half a level above Princess Himiya Akiko. However, since the Saio wielded an immortal object, she held the upper hand.

As a Virtuous Great Sage and the Fengling Daoist Mansion Master who had reached immortality, Zhang Qihan ought to possess an immortal object of his own. He did have one such artifact, but it was not one that fully suited him.

An immortal object that would have been most fitting for him was the Yin-Yang Immortal Robe. Unfortunately, that artifact lay within the hands of the Quanzhen Sect and was passed down through generations of Earthly Preceptors, Sage Donghuas, and Sage Wanmiaos, just as the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords and the Heavenly Preceptor’s Seal had never left the Zhengyi Sect.

Thus, Zhang Qihan could only settle for another artifact, known as the Eight Scenes Lantern.

For over a thousand years, the Eight Scenes Lantern had been stored in Bajing Palace within Xuan City. It had once belonged to the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. However, since the Primordial Daoist Ancestor had countless artifacts, this lantern was used merely for illumination. Only later did the Holy Xuan retrieve it from the Bajing Palace and bring it into the public eye.

The Eight Scenes Lantern, the Guizang Lantern, and the Nether Passage Lantern were the three immortal lanterns within the Daoist Order that had wondrous uses.

The Guizang Lantern was linked to divination and could illuminate the future. It was now held by the Zhengyi Sect, which was how the Heavenly Preceptor foresaw the end of the era. Since Heaven’s will was inscrutable, this lantern was also called the Heavenly Lantern.

The Nether Passage Lantern was now in the hands of the Quanzhen Sect. It could briefly summon projections of the dead from the netherworld, including fallen Immortals. The higher the cultivation of the bearer, the longer those projections could endure. Since the netherworld lay beneath the earth, this lantern was also called the Earthly Lantern.

The reason Zhang Qihan had not used the Eight Scenes Lantern from the get-go was that, unlike the Ame-no-Murakumo or the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords, it was not a weapon and had certain limitations.

A palace lantern that seemed utterly ordinary appeared above Zhang Qihan’s head. It had eight faces, and each corner hung with tassels.

Within the lantern was a purple flame, bright enough to illuminate an entire palace. Compared to ordinary crimson firelight, it was certainly extraordinary, yet by the standards of an immortal object, it seemed meager.

Though the Primordial Daoist Ancestor had used this lantern for illumination, that did not mean that it was all the lantern was capable of.

Many believed the essence of the Eight Scenes Lantern lay in that speck of purple flame, able to scorch the heavens and boil the seas. In truth, it was not so. That purple flame was truly meant for illumination. Aside from being inextinguishable, there was nothing special about it. The true secret of this lantern resided in its eight faces, upon each of which appeared a hazy figure, moving with the light and shadow.

The Eight Scenes Lantern could record eight immortal techniques other than those of its bearer. If held by a solitary, idle immortal, this artifact would seem rather useless, for there would be few techniques worth recording. But in the Daoist Order, where Immortals were as numerous as clouds, this artifact could unleash terrifying power.

As it borrowed the strength of many and the power of others, this lantern was called the Manly Lantern.

Its sole shortcoming was that once each recorded technique was expended, it had to be inscribed again. In other words, one would need the aid of others to fill the eight faces of this lantern. In essence, this was an artifact that tested one’s connections and relationships.

Zhang Qihan, as a Great Sage stationed overseas and representing the Daoist Order, had secured the cooperation of others. Even the three Deputy Grand Masters had inscribed their own techniques upon the Eight Scenes Lantern.