A Pawn's Passage

The greatest difference between a semi-immortal and an immortal object lay in the fact that the latter had a spirit.

For example, the Daoist Order held an immortal object known as the Seven Feather Five Fires Fan, kept within the Kunlun Paradise. It gave rise to a spirit that could take a human form, dressed as a Daoist nun, to wield the artifact itself.

Although such immortal objects were rare among rarities because most could not transform into a human form, all immortal objects were endowed with spirituality. Thus, with spirit came the ability to choose and acknowledge a master.

The Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords were no exception. When the Zhang family patriarch and Earthly Preceptor Xu ascended together at the Ascension Platform of the Kunlun Paradise, they left behind these swords, which returned to the Dazhen Mansion of their own accord. That was their spirit at work.

Strictly speaking, the true master of the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords was neither Qi Xuansu nor Zhang Yuelu, but the Heavenly Preceptor, Zhang Wushou.

It was the Heavenly Preceptor who had lent the two swords to them. If necessary, he could reclaim them at any time, and neither Qi Xuansu nor Zhang Yuelu had the right or ability to object. This was also the main reason Qi Xuansu had chosen to exchange his merits for Pure Bodhi, because he could only have peace of mind in wielding what truly belonged to him.

Zhang Yuelu’s thought process in hurling Purple Afterglow to Qi Xuansu was that the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords should be, in some ineffable way, connected to the Great Sage. Under normal circumstances, that might not work. But Izanagi was a god, and his demonic fire not only enveloped Qi Xuansu but also enshrouded the Twin Swords. When a god used divine demonic fire to sear the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords, this was not just a skirmish with mortals. So, the Heavenly Preceptor would inevitably sense it and respond.

The demonic fire burned ever fiercer. Under its blaze, the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords flickered, their green and purple radiance blinking unsteadily.

From the very moment the severed hand seized Qi Xuansu, Qi Xuansu’s Spiritual Body had already collapsed. That was because the Spiritual Body was part of the Godly Immortal lineage, so when facing a high-tier Godly Immortal existence, his low-level Spiritual Body shattered almost instantly.

Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was not a true Shaman but a manmade Banished Immortal, so he had other lineages he could rely on that did not suffer from such an inherent weakness. Thus, he did not collapse as swiftly as his Spiritual Body had.

Qi Xuansu’s expression grew twisted, and the flames in his eyes burned ever more fiercely.

The strength of the Longevity Stone Heart was tied closely to the cultivation of its host. It itself was unaffected by the demonic fire, but to aid Qi Xuansu in resisting the flames, it could only ceaselessly draw upon his own divine power.

Soon, Qi Xuansu’s divine power had already fallen to 2,000 marks. Fortunately, this was only Izanagi’s severed hand. If it were Izanagi in his peak state, this measure of divine power would have been drained in an instant.

However, the situation within Qi Xuansu’s body continued to worsen. It was like two nations at war. Qi Xuansu kept losing cities and yielding ground, retreating step by step.

Outwardly, this presented as more charred marks spreading across his body. Cracks opened upon them, like the lines of a talismanic pattern through which dark red light seeped out.

That voice in Qi Xuansu’s heart grew louder. It was no longer mere temptation but coercion, an attempt to subdue by force.

At that moment, a hand appeared out of thin air, passing through the demonic fire to grasp the hilt of Purple Afterglow.

A figure emerged before Qi Xuansu, utterly untouched by the raging flames.

In the next instant, the sword light upon Purple Afterglow flared brilliantly and began to disperse the demonic fire.

It was as if, when Qi Xuansu had lost half his dominion, reinforcements suddenly arrived to help him reclaim lost territory and even mount a counterattack.

With the aid of this external force, Qi Xuansu finally regained some clarity. The demonic fire in his eyes gradually weakened, and he could see the figure before him.

It was an old Daoist with white hair and a white beard. By mortal standards, he seemed even more transcendent than the Imperial Preceptor, exuding an Immortal’s grace, his expression tinged with benevolence.

Qi Xuansu moved his lips and forced out with difficulty. “Heavenly Preceptor?”

Zhang Yuelu knew that she had only one chance to salvage the situation, so to ensure she could pierce through Qi Xuansu’s Martial Arts Practitioner’s physique and all other defenses, she had poured in nearly all her strength. Her true essence was utterly spent. She crouched on the ground, unable to get up.

When Purple Afterglow pierced Qi Xuansu’s abdomen, but no change followed for a long while, Zhang Yuelu’s heart nearly leaped into her throat.

As time trickled by, Zhang Yuelu felt the seconds stretch unbearably, as though a hundred years had passed.

For a fleeting moment, Zhang Yuelu even wondered if she had made the wrong decision. After all, they were in a pocket realm, sealed off from the outside world. So perhaps the Heavenly Preceptor could not sense his Twin Swords at all.

But then, if the pocket realm had been completely sealed, that would make sense. This pocket realm was already riddled with cracks, and they had further broken its seals. It was impossible that such a place could obstruct the resonance between an Immortal and his chosen artifact. After all, an immortal object’s mystical abilities could not be compared with the communication abilities of Daoist licenses or mother-child talismans.

When the Heavenly Preceptor appeared, Zhang Yuelu finally let out a long breath of relief.

Her gamble had been right. The Heavenly Preceptor truly could sense anomalies through his Twin Swords.

Zhang Yuelu never doubted the Heavenly Preceptor’s ability to locate them. The Taiping Sect had a semi-immortal object known as the Moon Mirror, and the Zhengyi Sect had a similar one, called the Haotian Mirror. Only an Immortal could wield it. By holding the mirror and entering deep visualization, one could project an image of themselves tens of thousands of kilometers away, with 80% of the original body’s power. However, its flaw was that while using the Haotian Mirror, the true body could not move in the slightest and could not act in concert with the projection.

Between the two, each had its own strengths and weaknesses. Moon Mirror had a lower threshold. Its effectiveness was dependent on the user’s cultivation. The Haotian Mirror had a far higher threshold, but it could project over much greater distances. Moreover, the former allowed the true body to descend but required a guide, whereas the latter could only project an avatar but needed no guide.

Now, the Heavenly Preceptor’s avatar had descended into this pocket realm through the Haotian Mirror. Though only with 80% of his true strength, it was still more than enough to deal with nothing more than a severed arm.

In truth, even if Izanagi gathered all five sealed parts of him, he would not return to his peak state. It was only because his divine rank was so high and he was tied so intimately to the creation and perfection of Fenglin that he retained such great powers. Izanagi bore the merit of creation and thus was sheltered by Fenglin.

The Heavenly Preceptor faced Qi Xuansu and had his back to Zhang Yuelu. He said with a gentle tone, “Newborn calves know no fear toward a tiger. You little ones are truly bold to dare provoke such an ancient god.”

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were left speechless.

True Lord Ziguang’s divination had not deceived them. Instead, she was rather accurate. There was indeed about a 50% chance of danger, with the half resting entirely upon the Heavenly Preceptor.

Izanagi’s severed arm also sensed the Heavenly Preceptor’s presence. Its thumb, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger still clutched Qi Xuansu tightly, while its index finger extended to point at the Heavenly Preceptor.

Surging demonic fire swept toward the Heavenly Preceptor, reaching his front, only to vanish without a trace.

The Heavenly Preceptor made no move. Before him, it was as though a lake appeared. The rolling demonic fire plunged into its waters, like a stone into the sea, stirring up ripples but nothing more.

All the demonic fire that struck at the Heavenly Preceptor was dissolved back into its most primal yin energy and divine power.

The scene appeared simple, yet was deeply shocking. The demonic fire that had brought such torment to Fenglin proved utterly useless before the Heavenly Preceptor.

In truth, the demonic fire was like poison. The dose required to kill a man and that needed to kill an elephant were vastly different. The demonic fire a single severed arm could command was enough to render Qi Xuansu helpless, yet it could do nothing against the Heavenly Preceptor, who was a soon-to-be First-Tribulation Immortal.

Then, the Heavenly Preceptor slowly drew Purple Afterglow, which had pierced Qi Xuansu’s abdomen, and at the same time reached out to grasp Green Cloud at Qi Xuansu’s waist.

The Twin Swords let out resonant cries as they returned to their true master’s hands.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had never gained the acknowledgment of the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords. Thus, they were not considered true kin. The couple’s ability to wield the swords rested upon the Heavenly Preceptor’s support. Each time Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu used them, the couple bore the crushing weight of the swords themselves, as shown when unleashing the Twin Sword Union three times in quick succession had nearly broken the couple.

However, in the Heavenly Preceptor’s hands, there was no pressure at all. It was not because his cultivation was higher, but because he had gained the swords’ recognition.

The Heavenly Preceptor crossed the twin swords in his hands, slashing out two arcs of sword light that intersected into the shape of an “X.”

The sword light was like a pair of scissors, severing Izanagi’s palm at the wrist. Flames gushed from the wound, like the eruption of a volcano.

The palm fell to the ground, its five fingers slowly loosening, and Qi Xuansu tumbled free from its grasp.

But soon, the palm rose again. Guided by the demonic fire, it reattached itself to the arm. At first, weld-like seams could be seen at the wrist’s break, but these traces quickly vanished, leaving the arm whole once more.

It was no wonder the Vairocana had divided Izanagi into five parts and sealed them separately way back when.

Once freed from the grip, Qi Xuansu could not rise immediately. He was still kneeling on the ground, coughing violently. Flames spurted from his orifices as he hacked up clumps of matter from within his body. They were like chunks of red-hot iron. Meanwhile, the sword wound at his abdomen remained unhealed, oozing a substance that resembled molten lava.

Zhang Yuelu instinctively reached out to support Qi Xuansu, but it was as if she had touched a scorching hot branding iron. Her flesh hissed as it burned.

Ignoring the searing pain, Zhang Yuelu turned to the Heavenly Preceptor and cried, “Grandpa!”

In truth, Zhang Yuelu rarely asked anyone for help, not even her elders. This showed just how desperate she was now.

The Heavenly Preceptor chuckled. “Don’t worry, child.”

Holding the Twin Swords in his right hand, the Heavenly Preceptor traced a circle with his free left hand. A purple sphere of lightning condensed in his palm, and he pressed it upon the crown of Qi Xuansu’s head, channeling thunder into the boy’s body.

At a glance, Qi Xuansu looked as though he had been electrified.

The demonic fire rampaging within him was instantly suppressed by the purple lightning. Soon, it vanished without a trace.