A Pawn's Passage

In Shangguan Ya’s view, the Wuist healer’s use of the Stone Heart was crude and primitive, still trapped within the realm of illusion made real. Qi Xuansu’s Stone Heart was undeniably real, yet it still retained the essence of illusion.

The Eight Tribes were always in relentless pursuit of the highest mysteries of creation. So such a masterpiece was utterly irresistible, just as the Elixir of Immortality was to the First Emperor.

Shangguan Ya could not suppress her growing urge to keep peering deeper.

She wanted to “dissect” Qi Xuansu further to uncover the true nature of his Stone Heart.

Many mistook her glasses for a magical artifact. In a sense, they were not wrong. The lenses were polished from crystal, within which miniature formations were embedded to dispel illusions. This function overlapped with that of her artificial eye.

The primary purpose of her glasses was to conceal her artificial eye. The more power the eye used, the brighter it glowed, so it was unsuitable for covert observation. The glasses absorbed this emitted light, masking it to a degree.

Beyond that, the artificial eye had other functions. It could resist image recording stones and Earth Qi Recall. Thus, if anyone tried to record her, the playback would only show a blurred silhouette. Another function of her artificial eye was allowing her to shoot blade light. So if the opponent was unaware, they could be struck before realizing it. Lastly, it could exert mental influence through direct eye contact, similar to the Shamans’ Bewitching Technique.

This artificial eye was a masterpiece of the Eight Tribes, combining the finest elements of both the Huasheng Hall and the Arcane Council.

Qi Xuansu’s Longevity Stone Heart was not identical to Li Changge’s. The former emphasized compatibility. It could forcibly accommodate any lineage, even melding three Spiritual Bodies into one. It could also merge the Spiritual Body with the Manly Immortal’s True Form.

Meanwhile, Li Changge’s Longevity Stone Heart emphasized perception. His spiritual intuition was terrifyingly sharp, to the point of near-omniscience. He could foresee danger before it came, making him nearly impossible to outmaneuver.

If Shangguan Ya had tried to spy upon Li Changge in this manner, he would have sensed it at her very first glance. Even with her glasses concealing much of her presence, his intuition would have pierced through her disguise.

Qi Xuansu was far less sensitive compared to Li Changge. He only had a normal awareness, so he did not notice Shangguan Ya’s subtle probing at first. But as her actions grew bolder, when she tried to peer into the very depths of his Longevity Stone Heart, it became impossible for him not to sense it.

Following the strange sensation at his heart, Qi Xuansu lifted his gaze and met Shangguan Ya’s.

In that instant, it was as if the constellations bloomed within Qi Xuansu’s eyes, shimmering in endless flow.

Among the three deities, True Lord Taiyin and Himiko embodied yin and yang, respectively. Both were primarily offensive in their divine arts, while True Lord Ziguang’s powers leaned toward mysticity.

In the blink of an eye, as their gazes met, the light from Shangguan Ya’s artificial eye grew ever brighter. It was so intense that even her glasses could no longer conceal it. This was not of her own will, as her artificial eye’s automatic counterattack function was triggered.

The strange phenomenon was so evident that even Han Yongfeng, Lu Yuting, and Ke Qingqing noticed it. They were bewildered because Daoist Shangguan was supposedly an ally that Second Deputy Qi personally invited. Why did the two seem to be clashing instead? They were not in Jianghu, so people did not need to test each other the moment they met.

But if one set aside Qi Xuansu’s title of Second Deputy Mansion Master and considered his identity with the Qingping Society, then the two of them were indeed people of Jianghu.

With a faint hiss, Shangguan Ya’s artificial eye seemed to ignite. A wisp of green smoke curled upward. Though as a Heavenly Being, she could withstand such scorching, the sight was still terrifying to behold.

With her artificial eye, Shangguan Ya saw a deity with a robe that seemed like the starry night, unfathomably dark and ever-shifting.

Shangguan Ya could also see the profiles of two other deities on either side. One was as serene and cool as the moon, while the other was blazing and fierce like the sun.

Clearly, there was no strict hierarchy among the three goddesses. Whichever aspect was active would come to the forefront. At this moment, it was this star goddess who held dominance.

This sight made Shangguan Ya think of a deity who represented the constellations—True Lord Ziguang.

Back then, seven Ancient Immortals joined forces to rebel against the Daoist Order. In the end, only three remained. True Lord Ziguang was one of those survivors, so her divine might was beyond question.

Shangguan Ya thought, Second Deputy Qi didn’t merely fuse multiple lineages. His Shaman lineage even encompassed several Spiritual Bodies?

Qi Xuansu was also taken aback. He had not expected Shangguan Ya to pierce through his concealment, something even many Zaohua stage Heavenly Beings and even Pseudo-Immortals had failed to do. This “truth” she had glimpsed was not about his cultivation level but about his very core—the Longevity Stone Heart.

Though she had seen only part of his essence, it was far more than anyone else ever had. If Shangguan Ya were to scheme against Qi Xuansu, she would never again mistake him for a mere Martial Arts Practitioner or Rogue Cultivator.

From this, it was clear that each field had its masters, and in this field, the Eight Tribes were indeed professionals.

Qi Xuansu did not indulge Shangguan Ya. The moment he sensed her intrusion, he struck back immediately. The counterattack worked well enough, but in the blink of an eye, he spent around 200 marks of divine power, which pained him.

After all, he was no longer on the Fenglin battlefield, where he possessed over 6,000 marks of divine power, so 200 marks to him back then was nothing.

However, he was now left with only 1,700 marks of divine power.

He soon realized that the Spiritual Statue of True Lord Ziguang was excellent for defense but lacking in offense. If he truly wished to give Shangguan Ya a lesson she would not forget, he would need to use something more ruthless.

Zhang Yuelu’s deadly move was the Six Void Tribulations, while Qi Xuansu’s was Izanagi’s demonic fire.

Suddenly, strange flames ignited deep within Qi Xuansu’s eyes, carrying a sinister, otherworldly aura.

The demonic fire was unique in that it arose from nothing, both real and illusory, akin to a flame born of the heart. In Fenglin, countless people had found that a single stray thought could ignite it within themselves.

Though Qi Xuansu was far inferior to Izanagi’s sealed remnants, he and Shangguan Ya were directly linked in confrontation at this moment, so the demonic fire slipped easily into her body.

In an instant, Shangguan Ya’s face twisted, showing signs of demonic transformation.

Hair and scales began to sprout over the exposed parts of her skin. A horn-like bulge swelled on her forehead, while strange lumps writhed and crawled beneath her flesh, as though worms were moving within.

Even now, Qi Xuansu still did not fully understand the principle behind the demonic transformation. He merely knew that it occurred, not the reason. He understood it was tied to Izanagi, Yomi-no-Kuni, and yin energy, but how they were connected, and why the phenomenon persisted even after Izanagi’s death, remained a mystery to him.

Han Yongfeng and Lu Yuting, having fought on the battlefields of Fenglin, were all too familiar with such demonic changes. Many humans, gripped by obsession or steeped in yin energy, had transformed into demons in the span of a single heartbeat.

Seeing this, the two exchanged a startled glance.

Shangguan Ya, though shaken, did not panic. Her artificial eye was in her left socket, so she lifted her left hand and pressed her temple. The eye that was nearly aflame dimmed rapidly and settled into silence.

Qi Xuansu still needed Shangguan Ya’s help, so it would not do to offend her completely. Seeing that his point had been made, he withdrew the demonic fire.

After all, Shangguan Ya was at the Wuliang stage, so once freed from the demonic fire’s corrosion, she immediately began reversing the demonic transformation. The horn on her forehead shrank, the scales and hair fell away, and she gradually returned to a human form once more.

Qi Xuansu said nothing, remaining calm, as though nothing had happened.

After a brief silence, Shangguan Ya asked, “What was that?”

Qi Xuansu countered, “What did you see?”

Shangguan Ya did not answer right away. Instead, she glanced at the other three present.

Qi Xuansu raised his hand in a small gesture and ordered, “You three may go for now. I have something to discuss with Daoist Shangguan.”

The three rose, bowed respectfully, and departed.

When only the two of them remained, Shangguan Ya spoke slowly. “I saw a Stone Heart.”

Qi Xuansu replied with another question. “The Eight Tribes claim descent from the ancient Creation Project, so how could you know nothing of this?”

Shangguan Ya accepted defeat with grace and answered honestly. “As our name suggests, the Eight Tribes consist of eight divisions, each focused on different studies. The Heaven Tribe’s foundation lies in the Longevity Stone, which originated from the Ancient Wuist Undying Elixir. I vaguely sensed that your Stone Heart is similar to the Longevity Stone, yet also fundamentally different.”

Qi Xuansu was unsurprised.

The Longevity Stone and the Longevity Stone Heart were different. The former was the predecessor, and their purposes diverged entirely. The Longevity Stone was made for resurrection and survival through heavenly tribulations, while the Longevity Stone Heart served as the foundation of a unique cultivation system. If Shangguan Ya’s words were true, and the Heaven Tribe mainly researched the Longevity Stone, it was only natural that they knew little about its evolved form.

Sage Qingwei and the others knew about the Longevity Stone Heart in detail only because they were the Daoist heirs, candidates for the seventh-generation Grand Master. Thus, they knew of the Daoist Order’s most classified secrets. Ordinary people could not be compared to such figures.

Qi Xuansu paused in thought, then chose to show his sincerity. “It’s called the Longevity Stone Heart.”

Shangguan Ya fell into contemplation. “Does it have something to do with the Lingshan Paradise?”

Qi Xuansu’s eyes flickered with surprise. “How much do you know?”