A Pawn's Passage

The purple starlight transformed into words, “Sever it.”

At the same time, True Lord Ziguang provided an image of a blurry figure wielding a sword and slashing straight down.

Qi Xuansu was somewhat doubtful. “That simple?”

Though it was a rhetorical question, True Lord Ziguang still gave a reply. “Zaohua stage.”

In True Lord Ziguang’s era, there had been no such divisions of cultivation stages. Yet True Lord Ziguang kept pace with the times.

Qi Xuansu understood. Though it seemed simple, the requirement for one’s cultivation was high. It was like breaking down a door. Everyone knew the fastest and simplest method was to just barge right through, but the problem was that breaking down a door required great strength. Not just anyone could do it.

The purple starlight shifted again into words, “Pocket Realm.”

A seal was always paired with a pocket realm. The pocket realm was like a house, and the seal was its door; together, they formed a prison.

The strength of seals and pocket realms always declined with time, requiring constant reinforcement and repair. For example, the Zhengyi Sect’s Demon-Vanquishing Cave, the Quanzhen Sect’s Demon Suppression Tower, and the Taiping Sect’s Dragon Cave were all periodically reinforced. Only the Demon-Vanquishing Cave had a mystical self-healing ability. The other two demanded vast costs. Before the unification of the Daoist Order, the Dragon Cave was nearly abandoned, and the Demon Suppression Tower was left dilapidated, with only the top few levels still functional. Only after the Daoist sects were unified were both places restored to proper use due to pooled resources.

The seal before them might originally have required a Pseudo-Immortal or even a true Immortal to force open. But after a series of upheavals, Ise-jingu could no longer maintain it. Thus, the seal had weakened to the point where even a Zaohua-stage Heavenly Being could breach it. This seal leaked on all sides, allowing the aura of the pocket realm to seep out, which was how Little Yin had sensed it.

The best example was the Ghost Kingdom. Before the unification of the Daoist sects, the Ghost Kingdom also leaked on all sides, its yin energy constantly spilling out, turning Beimang Mountain—one of the 72 Blessed Lands—into a ghostly domain. Only after unification was the pocket realm repaired. The Three Yin Beings were then assigned to handle its yin energy, and Beimang Mountain gradually regained its original form.

From this perspective, Ise Province’s current state might well have been linked to this seal. All seals in this region had fallen into disrepair, like Shuten-Doji’s seal. But that space in which Shuten-Doji’s head was kept hardly qualified as a pocket realm. It was merely a tiny magical receptacle.

On the other hand, a pocket realm was used as the seal to another pocket realm, showing that whatever was kept inside was higher than that of Shuten-Doji’s head. Since Ise-jingu could not even repair Shuten-Doji’s small seal, they were also not able to maintain this pocket realm and seal.

However, compared to the immense cost of repairing a pocket realm and reinforcing its seal, building a Tenshukaku was far cheaper. Thus, Ise-jingu settled for the second-best option by assigning the Taira clan to construct a Tenshukaku here, using manpower to guard the seal. The guards served as an early-warning system. If anyone tried to open the seal, the shrine would know immediately. But later, further upheavals occurred, and even this pavilion was abandoned. Likely, the Jingu felt that nothing had happened here for so many years, so they no longer cared and resorted to using the bluff of an abandoned building.

However, since it was a pocket realm, the way one entered was the way one exited. There were no other exits.

After a few minutes, Qi Xuansu withdrew from this special state of divination and then relayed what he had learned to the other three.

In truth, it was mainly Zhang Yuelu and Lin Yuanmiao who could offer counsel. Little Yin was not to be relied upon in that regard.

After hearing this, Zhang Yuelu said, “Since True Lord Ziguang said it’s a 50-50 risk, we can give it a try. I’ve nearly recovered my full strength from a few days of rest, so we can use the Twin-Sword Union to forcibly break the seal.”

Lin Yuanmiao added, “After we break the seal, should we leave someone outside? If something unexpected happens, that person can notify the Daoist Order. After all, there could be restrictions that block your licenses or talismans from working.”

“That’s the voice of prudence. I agree!” Qi Xuansu nodded.

The three of them all turned their gaze to Little Yin.

Little Yin immediately scowled, “Why are you all looking at me? I’m not staying outside! Who knows what treasures you’ll find in there? Are you planning to split the loot behind my back? I don’t care. I’m going in with you to keep an eye on things.”

Zhang Yuelu said, “Tian Yuan and I must enter together so that we can use the Twin-Sword Union. If you insist on coming with us, then Elder Lin will have to stay outside.”

Qi Xuansu pondered for a moment. “That works. Honestly, I’d be more worried if Little Yin was left outside alone. What if she wandered off when she got bored? Then we’d really be in trouble. Elder Lin is steady and reliable. He won’t slip up.”

“Stop looking down on me!” Little Yin pouted.

Zhang Yuelu chuckled. “Then it’s settled. Elder Lin will stay outside. We’ll set a limit of three days. If we haven’t come out by then, please notify the Xiujing army camp.”

Lin Yuanmiao nodded in agreement.

Qi Xuansu drew out Green Cloud and said to Little Yin and Elder Lin, “Step outside.”

The two yin creatures immediately left the Tenshukaku.

Zhang Yuelu also unsheathed Purple Afterglow. “Tian Yuan, we’re underground now. If this place collapses, we’ll be in trouble. Let’s try to restrain the sword light’s power and avoid too much collateral damage.”

Qi Xuansu nodded in acknowledgment.

After many times working together, the two had become highly proficient in the Twin-Sword Union. Their twin swords rose as one, and this time the sword light was small, no thicker than a barrel. Though it still pierced through the ceiling overhead, it did not cause the place to collapse. At most, it opened a larger skylight. Wherever the sword light passed, the red threads snapped, and the talismans hanging on them instantly turned to ash.

The already decayed seal began to crumble rapidly. Soon, a doorway emerged.

Without waiting for Qi Xuansu to call out to her, Little Yin had already leapt down through the newly opened skylight, impatiently asking, “Can we go in now?”

Qi Xuansu suggested. “Since you can be reborn on the Emperor Willow, why don’t you go scout the way first?”

Little Yin shrank back at once, her earlier eagerness vanishing as she said timidly, “I’m not scared of death. But I am scared of pain...”

Qi Xuansu scoffed. “Other than eating, what use are you?”

Little Yin looked thoroughly offended, but she had no idea how to retort to that.

So, Qi Xuansu was the first to step into the doorway.

Zhang Yuelu followed close behind, walking shoulder to shoulder with Qi Xuansu.

Perhaps feeling slightly embarrassed, Little Yin hurried after them. The trio passed through the doorway almost at the same time.

As expected, there was another world on the other side of the doorway.

In truth, all pocket realms were fundamentally similar. They were like bare houses, differing only in size and certain structures. Distinction came only from later embellishment, which created varying styles.

This particular pocket realm was a bare shell, without any decorations. It was empty on all sides, nothing but a boundless wilderness where one could only just discern heaven from earth.

After some thought, that made sense. After all, what prison would need adornment?

The earliest definition of Heavenly Immortals was not entirely the same as today’s. In the past, a Heavenly Immortal could only be transformed from an Earthly Immortal, beginning with the Longevity stage, without all the other realms from before.

The final stage of the Earthly Immortal was called the Fusion Realm. If one fused with heaven and earth, then upon attaining immortality, one would gain one of the Five Innate Tais: Taiyi, Taichu, Taishi, Taisu, and Taiji. Each corresponded to a mystical ability.

When an Earthly Immortal transformed into a Heavenly Immortal, they no longer fused with heaven and earth. So they would lose the Five Innate Tais. However, their body, soul, and true essence were fused into one, existing between illusion and reality. So long as thought endured, they were undying and indestructible, able to roam all realms and open pocket realms. In some ways, this resembled the Golden Body and Divine Kingdom of the Godly Immortals, but it was far more carefree. Their title as the foremost among the Five Immortals was well deserved.

Since Heavenly Immortals and Earthly Immortals shared the same lineage, Earthly Immortals could also open pocket realms, and many of the pocket realms left by predecessors were formed this way. However, pocket realms were restricted by the laws of the mortal world. They could not shift at will, nor arise from nothing. They had to be anchored to external things. Thus, many pocket realms were established amid mountains and rivers rich in spiritual energy.

The size of a pocket realm depended on the cultivation of the one who opened it. The smallest might be no larger than a mansion, while the largest was the Kunlun Paradise left by the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, considered unmatched in the present age.

Later, the Holy Xuan created a more convenient method, clearly distinguishing Heavenly Immortals from Earthly Immortals. Under his system, Heavenly Immortals no longer had to follow the Earthly Immortal path. But Earthly Immortals could no longer open pocket realms. In the Holy Xuan’s time, many cultivators might have been considered of the Earthly Immortal tradition, but today they would be placed under the Heavenly Immortal lineage.

Heavenly Immortals excelled in being undying and indestructible, roaming across worlds, opening pocket realms, and splitting off avatars. Earthly Immortals excelled in possessing the innate powers of the Five Innate Tais, with unmatched killing strength.

Many of the marvels of Heavenly Immortals had been displayed by Madam Qi and Sage Qingwei, like splitting off incarnations. Madam Qi’s banishment of The Inn’s Owner and Sage Qingwei’s transference of Tamamo-no-Mae and her fiery rain were all wonders of roaming the realms. The small world Madam Qi used to trap the Owner and Sage Qingwei’s Star Sword Formation could both be seen as incipient pocket realms. Since they lacked external anchors, they could not exist for long.

As a Banished Immortal cultivating the Heavenly Immortal path, Zhang Yuelu could vaguely sense the essence and operating principles of such pocket realms upon reaching the Wuliang stage, though she was still unable to open one herself. This was something Qi Xuansu could not match, for his own Banished Immortal lineage was still at the Xiaoyao stage.

After carefully sensing the area for a while, Zhang Yuelu said, “This pocket realm is indeed collapsing. It is very likely one of the many sources of Ise’s yin energy.”