A Pawn's Passage

Without a doubt, the three beams of light corresponded to the Three Great Kami. The Tenmon Sect was already in an extremely precarious situation, so they no longer held back and initiated three divine descents at once.

The beams of light grew brighter. Within them, vague figures could be faintly seen.

During this process, no one else could do anything. They could neither stop the beams from descending nor interrupt the divine descent.

That was because the beams connected directly to the Takamagahara Divine Kingdom.

However, they could not simply sit and await death.

There were two possible ways to resolve the situation. The first was to find a way for Qi Xuansu to summon the Three Yin Beings at once. However, this method was not foolproof. The Yin Beings were indeed powerful, but no one could guarantee they could securely overcome the divine descent of the Three Great Kami. Moreover, Master Wan’s body was too large to come through the Yin-Yang Gate, and he might not be able to move freely. In such circumstances, casualties were highly likely, and even victory would be a pyrrhic one. The debt of such a favor would be far too great.

The other method came from Li Changge. Before joining the battle, he had told his peers that he carried Moon Mirror, a semi-immortal object.

Before Qi Xuansu fell into a dilemma, Li Changge had already taken out the Moon Mirror.

This semi-immortal object was similar to the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords, as it could also be divided into two halves. One half was called Moon in Water, while the other half was called Flower in Mirror. Hence, they were collectively named the Moon Mirror.

If two people each held one half, they could use this artifact to construct a Yin-Yang Gate that would not be disturbed by external forces. In other words, Moon in Water and Flower in Mirror were physical manifestations of a Yin-Yang Gate, and the maximum distance between the two depended on the cultivation level of the bearers.

For this reason, while Moon Mirror was wondrous, it also had significant limitations. With Li Changge’s cultivation level, there was no way he could bridge from Fenglin to Jade Capital. At most, he could only connect to the Xiujing field camp.

The figures within the three beams became increasingly clear. The first to appear was the youngest of the three, Susanoo-no-Mikoto. He was the god who ruled over the seas. Though his face remained indistinct, he was obviously male.

He gazed indifferently down at the Daoists, unleashing a tide of divine power that swept in all directions.

Many of the heavily injured shinkan of the Tenmon Sect were instantly restored after being bathed in this divine power.

However, the Spirit Guards could not endure it, feeling as though they were carrying the weight of a mountain.

Naturally, Qi Xuansu and his peers bore the brunt of the impact. Though difficult to withstand, they actually breathed a slight sigh of relief because this was only a Pseudo-Immortal level of divine descent. The Three Great Kami did not recklessly burn through their foundation to descend in their true forms.

Even so, a Pseudo-Immortal level of divine descent was still awe-inspiring. They had seen the divine descents of Wu Luo, True Lord Siming, True Lord Ziguang, Himiko, and so on. Having witnessed more than a few Pseudo-Immortals in combat, they were no longer easily unsettled; instead, they could face it with composure.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu each held a sword, standing before Li Changge to shield him from the “wind and rain”.

A mirror appeared in Li Changge’s hand. The surface, made of an unknown material, was even clearer than glass. Along its edges were carvings of countless flowers, like a vine in full bloom, perfectly circling the frame.

Li Changge raised the mirror high, its surface shining with brilliant light. From afar, it looked as if he were holding up a radiant full moon.

The mirror then slowly rose higher and grew larger, like a rising moon in the east.

When it reached the zenith of the sky, ripples spread across the mirror’s surface, and a blurred figure gradually emerged from within.

Susanoo also noticed the Moon Mirror and quickly swept his hand to it.

A torrent of divine power surged down, like a torrent of golden sand, each grain distinct, translucent, yet filled with intense golden light.

Without hesitation, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu merged their twin swords, generating an intense sword light that surged upward against the flow.

This sword light, strong enough to slay even a Heavenly Being, still held no advantage against Susanoo’s divine power. It endured only for a brief moment before collapsing.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu immediately suffered a backlash.

Blood seeped from Qi Xuansu’s orifices, but with one inhale, he drew it back into his body.

Zhang Yuelu’s face first turned pale, then flushed with a fierce red that seemed too bright and unusual.

However, their combined strike had bought Li Changge enough time.

The figure within the mirror had already stepped through its surface and descended into this place. With a casual wave of his sleeve, he scattered the torrent of divine power as if it were merely a passing sandstorm.

The four prodigies recognized this newcomer. It was the Imperial Preceptor, who had given a speech at his welcome banquet not long ago. It was the very Imperial Preceptor.

The Imperial Preceptor was not there to protect the four juniors. He was there to protect Sage Qingwei, ensuring that this Fenglin campaign would succeed. Qi Xuansu, Zhang Yuelu, Yao Pei, and Li Changge’s roles were merely to lead the way for the Imperial Preceptor.

Once the Imperial Preceptor arrived, all divine power receded like the tide, unable to come within even a meter of him.

With the position of Grand Master currently vacant, the three Deputy Grand Masters held the highest authority. Each governed a separate sect, and together with the Emperor of the Great Xuan Dynasty, they became the four most powerful figures across the Central Plains.

The Saio of Fenglin only possessed three divine artifacts, while the Great Xuan Emperor had as many as four immortal objects.

For a long time, immortal objects within the Daoist Order had been extremely scarce, as most of them were sealed away in the Zixiao Palace and various paradises. After the Holy Xuan unified the Daoist Order, Jade Capital revealed itself, and the Kunlun Paradise descended to the mortal realm. Shortly after God Luwu departed, the Holy Xuan opened the Zixiao Palace. These sealed artifacts gradually resurfaced.

This sudden influx of powerful objects caused the Daoist Order’s strength to swell dramatically, enabling them to finally defeat the Buddhist Sect and begin establishing their own illustrious legacy of power.

As someone whose status was no less than the Great Xuan Emperor’s, how many immortal artifacts would the Imperial Preceptor possess? Surely not just one.

The most renowned artifact that the Imperial Preceptor possessed was the Skycaller, an immortal sword.

Unlike the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords, Skycaller was a single-handed sword. It was an heirloom of the Li family, passed down from the Great Sword Immortal Li Daoxu to the Holy Xuan and then to Donghuang. Every legendary Li family member had once wielded this sword.

Now, it was in the hands of the Imperial Preceptor, Li Changgeng. In the future, it would also be handed down to Sage Qingwei and Li Changge, just as the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords would one day be passed into Zhang Yuelu’s hands.

At this moment, the Imperial Preceptor did not immediately draw this famous immortal sword. Perhaps, he felt that Susanoo was not worth such solemnity, so he merely stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

In terms of age, the Imperial Preceptor was far younger than Susanoo. However, the Daoists believed that one’s seniority lay not in years, but in attaining the Dao, and those who had attained it deserved respect.

In terms of cultivation, the Imperial Preceptor might even surpass Susanoo.

According to the Daoist system of classification, the final sub-stage of every cultivation realm was always the longest. For example, the Guizhen stage of Xiantian Beings was divided into nine sub-levels. Likewise, the Zaohua stage of Heavenly Beings was further divided into the Pseudo-Immortal level. In essence, a Pseudo-Immortal was still in the Zaohua stage but simply seasoned.

The Longevity stage of Immortals was different. Once one stepped into immortality, there were no further sub-stages. Instead, each heavenly tribulation marked an entire major stage, and the differences between them were vast.

It was like climbing a mountain. The Longevity stage was a staircase with 100 steps, and at the end lay a great chasm. If one managed to leap across this chasm, one would survive the heavenly tribulation and become a First-Tribulation Immortal. But if one failed, one would fall into the abyss. Their body would then be destroyed and their cultivation erased. The best method, of course, was to reach the hundredth step before attempting the leap, rather than jumping from far below. Without external aid, one could never cross it.

Some had already reached the hundredth step, standing level with the chasm, but still lacked confidence, so they waited instead of leaping. Others had just stepped onto the first step, only able to look up at the top of the stairs. Though both were on the same path, the heights they stood at were vastly different.

This height did not mean that an Immortal standing higher could easily defeat one on lower ground. After all, life and death in battle depended on many other factors, including time, terrain, strategy, mystical abilities, and external objects. But if one were to compare them in terms of cultivation alone, there was indeed a difference in level.

Of course, this chasm was not fixed. When a hundred years passed, the abyss would move toward the Immortal, always maintaining its height. No matter which step one stood on, one either had to attempt the leap or turn away.

This was why reaching immortality earlier made passing a heavenly tribulation easier. A forty-year-old Immortal had sixty years left to climb the mountain steps, which was ample time to reach the hundredth step. A ninety-year-old Immortal had less than ten years left. If it had taken them 90 years just to reach the Longevity stage, that meant their talent was not extraordinary. In the remaining ten years, they could not possibly climb all 100 steps. So, it would be wiser to prepare for ascension sooner.

The three Deputy Grand Masters were acknowledged as superior to other Longevity-stage Immortals precisely because they had already reached the very top of this mountain path.

Many Godly Immortals had lived long in the mortal world, but they had to constantly consume divine power. This path was like rowing against the current. Without progress, one would fall back. In poor times, when expenses exceeded income, they would fail to advance and might even regress several steps. Thus, Godly Immortals often advanced and retreated, climbing a few steps only to fall back, or treading in place. Some who were unable to manage their expenses well or were struck by great misfortune fell back completely. Their golden bodies would decay, and they would enter their first death. If the situation could not be salvaged, their divine kingdom would then collapse, bringing about their second death.

Moreover, as long as Godly Immortals remained within their divine kingdoms, they did not need to fear the hundred-year limit. Thus, most were unwilling to take risks, lacking the spirit to strive forward. As a result, being ancient did not necessarily mean being powerful. So, it was normal for later generations to catch up and surpass them.

Moreover, the current Susanoo was only a divine descent incarnation, not the god’s true body.

The Imperial Preceptor gazed coldly at Susanoo.

Without any visible movement from the Imperial Preceptor, the radiance around Susanoo continually faded, his entire figure growing dimmer until his former imposing presence was utterly gone.