A Pawn's Passage

Yayu, the son of the primordial deity Zhulong, was betrayed and slain by his own subordinates. The Heavenly Emperor could not bear Zhulong’s grief, so he ordered for Yayu’s corpse to be sent to Lingshan. The Ten Great Witches of Lingshan revived Yayu with the Undying Elixir. Yet after resurrection, Yayu’s nature changed drastically, becoming a dragon-headed, cat-bodied monster that devoured humans. In the end, the Heavenly Emperor had no choice but to order for his execution.

This incident triggered a chain of upheavals that led to the decline of Ancient Wuism and ultimately gave rise to the Longevity Stone Heart.

Shuten-Doji and Yayu share a striking similarity. Both were resurrected, only to lose their sanity. Shuten-Doji’s condition was somewhat better, but the difference was marginal.

This inevitably led Sage Qingwei to link the two cases together. In the world, things might differ in form, yet their underlying essence was often the same.

In retrospect, the First Emperor’s decision to send Daoists to Fenglin in search of the Elixir of Immortality was not without reason. These acts of resurrection did indeed resemble Ancient Wuism’s Undying Elixir.

As more secrets of Fenglin surfaced, the Golden Tower Council’s interest only deepened.

When the Daoist Order first set foot in Fenglin, the Tenmon Sect, wary of their flourishing and united might, chose to surrender rather than resist. Thus, the Daoist Order did not explore Yomi, Izanagi, and Mount Oe. Their investigations into Mount Fuyo also remained shallow. Only when the Tenmon Sect launched its “revere the emperor, expel the Dao” movement did the Daoist Order begin to unravel these secrets.

It was not that Sage Qingwei refused to keep secrets, but the army contained disciples from all three Daoist sects, not just the Taiping Sect. Even Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had come into contact with these revelations. There was no chance to silence them, and it was impossible to keep the news contained. So it was better to report directly to the Golden Tower Council. At least then, the Taiping Sect would still get the bulk of the merit.

Sage Qingwei had already resolved to investigate this matter thoroughly. Beyond strengthening the Daoist Order, it would also greatly weaken the Tenmon Sect, killing two birds with one stone.

Thus, someone with firsthand knowledge was needed as an ally.

Without doubt, Tamamo-no-Mae, who had been resurrected and bound to the Tenmon Sect’s service, was the most fitting choice.

Tamamo-no-Mae understood this as well. She replied, “It is what I desire. I dare not ask for more.”

Meanwhile, Zhang Qihan’s fierce battle with the Saio still raged on.

Zhang Qihan unleashed the third imprinted mystical ability of the Eight Scenes Lantern, a technique from the Virtuous Great Sage Jiang Hedao.

A phantom of Jiang Hedao appeared, raising both hands. His left hand was above his right, poised as if he was about to press his palms together.

His left hand suddenly pressed downward, and the vast sky above Mount Omikami sank as though dragged down with it.

People often used the phrase “the sky has collapsed” to describe a great calamity. At this moment, it truly felt as though the heavens were collapsing.

At the same time, his right hand pushed upward from below.

Mount Omikami shook violently, as if struck by an earthquake.

At that instant, heaven and earth seemed to close in, squeezing the narrow strip of space between them.

If the two hands were to fully meet, everything caught between heaven and earth would be crushed to dust.

This technique bore a simple, straightforward name, called the Heaven and Earth Convergence.

The first to bear its weight was Princess Himiya Akiko. Under the crushing force of Jiang Hedao’s palms, she was forced to wield the Ame-no-Murakumo, conjuring a massive serpent’s shadow that stood like a colossal pillar, straining to hold up the heavens.

She had already been gravely wounded by the Heavenly Preceptor’s thunder technique earlier. So at this moment, she was relying on the power of the Yasakani Magatama to tide her through.

At first glance, the Eight Scenes Lantern seemed absurdly powerful. In truth, it was a weapon with a vast gulf between its lower and upper limits. That was because it required eight different Immortals or Pseudo-Immortals to imprint their techniques onto it. It could not be just one person supplying eight different techniques. Thus, this artifact was a test of one’s networking skills and influence. Only within the Daoist Order—where so many Immortals could lend their strength—could the lantern shine in its full glory. In the hands of wandering cultivators, it would serve no more than as a lantern.

Princess Himiya Akiko felt powerless, yet there was nothing she could do. What troubled her even more was Ise-jingu. Logically, with the oguji and shoguji stationed there, the Daoists should have had no hope of breaking in. Even with a Longevity-stage Immortal intervening, the Tenmon Sect had the Three Great Kami’s descents and a divine artifact—the Yata Mirror. So, its safety should have been assured. However, for reasons she could not explain, unease gnawed at her heart.

Beneath her feet, the flood dragon was locked in a desperate struggle against Suzuka Gozen and Zhang Qihan’s inner demon.

Suzuka Gozen’s cultivation was inferior to the flood dragon’s, but she wielded the Three Radiant Swords, which could draw on the earth qi of Mount Suzuka. Moreover, the Changchun Restorative Formation restored her to her peak state.

With the inner demon’s aid, her courage only grew. Suzuka Gozen was brimming with the same fearless spirit she had once shown during her time as Tate Eboshi.

Suzuka Gozen might be given an honorary title, but she was still worlds apart from someone like Princess Himiya Akiko, a royal princess born into privilege. At her core, Suzuka Gozen was still the wild Soshi, the notorious bandit.

The flood dragon, long pampered as a sacred beast under the Saio’s command and venerated by the Tenmon Sect, had grown complacent. It enjoyed offerings and luxury. It was also unseasoned in real battle, so it often missed crucial openings to attack.

Suddenly, Zhang Qihan shouted, “Suzuka Gozen, stand aside!”

Suzuka Gozen did not hesitate for even a moment and immediately retreated backward.

The inner demon likewise returned into Zhang Qihan’s body.

As Jiang Hedao’s phantom slowly faded, Zhang Qihan invoked the fourth mystical ability of the Eight Scenes Lantern.

This divine art originated from the Imperial Preceptor.

Once the Imperial Preceptor’s clones appeared, he merely flicked his wide sleeve. Though the motion seemed casual, 36 streams of sword qi shot skyward, like towering pillars bridging heaven and earth, stirring winds and clouds in a grand spectacle.

It was one man, one sword, enough to form a sword formation.

This formation that was filled with killing intent emerged from nothing, like an iron cage trapping both the Saio and the flood dragon within.

Without any visible movement from the Imperial Preceptor, countless sword qi erupted inside the formation, weaving into a vast net that was all aimed at the flood dragon.

In that instant, all sounds ceased. Even the whistling winds were shredded and scattered by the sword qi.

The Imperial Preceptor’s sleeves billowed and swayed amidst the surging sword qi, making him seem like an Immortal standing atop the clouds.

The Imperial Preceptor raised his left arm.

In that moment, every stream of sword qi quivered with joyous resonance, like blades of cold steel, so lifelike it was impossible to tell illusion from reality.

The Imperial Preceptor’s arm then descended heavily forward.

In an instant, these swords fell like rain.

The flood dragon sensed immense danger. Its twin whiskers trembled violently as a faint light flickered within its maw. Then, a purple Dragon Pearl slowly emerged, floating before it.

Many mistakenly believed the golden core to be a low-level realm, merely the condensation of a golden bead within one’s body. However, the formation of the golden core was to ascend into immortality.

The so-called golden core symbolized permanence, indestructibility, purity, and completeness. Ancient Immortals borrowed this name to represent the innate brilliance of true spirit. It was called the Taiji by Confucians, Perfect Enlightenment by Buddhists, and Golden Core by Daoists. Though the names differ, they were the same in essence. Cultivating it made one a sage, a buddha, and an immortal. The true path of the Golden Core was not about forming a literal golden ball within the body. The real path was to use the body as a furnace, refining and fusing essence, qi, and spirit. Only then could one attain immortality.

For Immortals, the Golden Core was formless and intangible. But for beasts, their inner core was tangible. It was the condensed essence of their being, so it was extremely precious and could even be used as a weapon in battle.

The Dragon Pearl transformed into purple qi that surged like a great river flowing from the heavens, scattering the sword qi.

The Imperial Preceptor casually flicked his sleeve, and the sword formation shifted accordingly, grinding away at the purple qi and sword qi. Meanwhile, the purple qi collapsed the towering pillars of sword light with thunderous crashes.

The sky dimmed, and the earth quaked. It was a terrifying spectacle. Stray streams of sword qi ripped into the ground, carving bottomless ravines.

It became impossible to discern whether the sword formation was shredding the purple qi or the purple qi was scattering the formation, as everything was chaotic.

At that moment, a magnificent beam of sword light shot skyward, nearly piercing through the entire Mount Omikami and breaking out into the open.

It was none other than the Imperial Preceptor himself, wielding the Skycaller.

This time, it was not just a phantom Imperial Preceptor from the Eight Scenes Lantern, but the Imperial Preceptor joining the fray in person.

The greatest difference between his imprinted version and his true body was that he held a genuine immortal sword in his hands.

Overwhelming fear gleamed in the flood dragon’s golden eyes, yet it had no room to retreat. It unleashed a piercing roar and expelled an immense torrent of dragon’s breath.

The Imperial Preceptor swung his sword once. The sword qi surged forth like an unstoppable river.

The dragon’s breath was instantly annihilated, and upon the already-ruined slopes of Mount Omikami, yet another ravine appeared, straight as a drawn line stretching dozens of kilometers and over 3 meters deep.

This was what it meant to split the mountains with a single strike.

The sword’s force was overwhelming, as though it could topple the mountain.

The flood dragon had no choice but to leave Princess Himiya Akiko to face the sword formation alone.

It swallowed its Dragon Pearl back into its throat and conjured countless water orbs before it. Each was the size of a human head, packed together tightly like a curtain of pearls.

The Skycaller clashed against the watery curtain, shattering over a thousand orbs before its force was spent. However, the water spheres continued to appear without end.

The Imperial Preceptor paused briefly and then vanished from sight.

The flood dragon sank downward, separating from Princess Himiya Akiko, who still hovered in the sky. It landed on the ground to avoid a pincer attack and coiled its massive body into a serpent-like formation, reinforcing its watery pearl curtain, waiting still and watchful.

The next instant, countless streams of sword qi descended like an inverted tornado, crashing down from above.

The countless water orbs were instantly shredded by the cascading sword qi. The sheer number of blades far outstripped the dragon’s water curtain, which was utterly annihilated in one strike. The subsequent torrent of sword qi rained down upon the dragon’s body, setting its countless scales quivering violently. With overwhelming force, the Imperial Preceptor’s sword qi pinned the dragon down as if it were a man crushed beneath a waterfall, unable to rise. All the beast could do was roar in futile rage, twisting its massive body in vain.

Yet this boundless barrage of sword qi was not the true killing move. The real deathblow lay in the Skycaller.

When the Imperial Preceptor reappeared, he was already standing upon the dragon’s nape, driving the immortal sword downward.

The flood dragon let out a mournful, piercing shriek, thrashing wildly as its colossal body rolled, shaking the earth and mountains.

Unfazed, the Imperial Preceptor strode swiftly along the dragon’s neck, dragging the Skycaller with him along the dragon’s body. Wherever the blade passed, scales peeled away like shards of iron, and dragon blood poured down in sheets of crimson rain.

The dragon’s struggles grew ever more frenzied, rolling and thrashing as torrents of water surged around it. However, there was nothing it could do to dislodge the immortal sword lodged deep in its throat.

Soon, the Imperial Preceptor had returned to his starting point, his blade tracing a perfect circle around the dragon’s neck.

With a thunderous crack, the dragon’s head was severed, and blood gushed forth like a fountain.

This was the Flood Dragon Slaying Technique.