A Pawn's Passage

Qi Jiaoyao did not wait until they discovered the immortal object to speak frankly with Qi Xuansu. Doing so then might have made him feel deceived or betrayed, so she chose to explain at this moment instead.

Qi Xuansu was naturally tempted by the prospect of an immortal object, yet he remained realistic. “If there really were an immortal object, the Heavenly Preceptor or Elder Yao would have taken it long ago. How could it still be here now?”

Qi Jiaoyao said, “There are naturally reasons why the Heavenly Preceptor and Elder Yao didn’t take this immortal object. But before answering that, let me ask you something. Do you know how immortal objects are made?”

Qi Xuansu paused in surprise. He truly did not know much about this.

For example, the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Sword and Seal were said to have been bestowed by the Primordial Daoist Ancestor and later further refined by the Ancestral Heavenly Preceptor. The Daoist Order’s Three Lanterns and the Seven Feather Five Fires Fan were originally immortal objects of the Kunlun Paradise, only appearing in the world after Kunlun descended.

Most immortal objects seemed to be heirlooms passed down from earlier generations. Although the Daoist creation project once attempted to replicate immortal objects, it ultimately only managed to produce semi-immortal objects.

Thus, he genuinely had no idea how immortal objects were made.

Qi Jiaoyao said, “Many immortal objects were forged by the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. He could create them due to his cultivation level and his era. Some say that he was the one who formed heaven and earth. Others say he is as old as this world itself. In short, when the Primordial Daoist Ancestor attained the Dao, the world was still in the Taiyi stage. Back then, the world was indistinct, with unclear boundaries, somewhere between reality and primordial chaos. Some laws of the Dao had not yet withdrawn and were manifested between heaven and earth. Everything was like molten iron that had not yet cooled, formless and easily shaped. In that era, creation and forging were extremely simple. By contrast, in the present Taiji stage, the world has become more solid and real, and the great laws have withdrawn, like molten iron solidifying into hardened metal, so to reshape it now requires a lot more effort.”

Qi Xuansu understood. The transformation of the world itself was the key reason later generations found it extremely difficult to create immortal objects.

Qi Jiaoyao changed her tune. “But just because it’s difficult to create immortal objects doesn’t mean it’s impossible. As long as one pays a sufficient price, it’s still possible. For instance, the Longevity Stone counts as an immortal object, doesn’t it? Hasn’t someone successfully refined it?”

Qi Xuansu felt a jolt of surprise and scrutinized Qi Jiaoyao. “You said you’ve been trapped inside Lingshan Paradise this whole time. How would you know about Chen Shuhua?”

“Who’s Chen Shuhua?” Qi Jiaoyao asked back. “That name sounds like someone from the royal family of the Yu Kingdom. I don’t even care about the Great Xuan royal family, so why would I bother knowing about some minor kingdom’s royalty?”

Qi Xuansu said, “Then what you just said about refining the Longevity Stone...”

Qi Jiaoyao replied confidently, “I was talking about the Grand Shaman of the Shamanistic Sect, the Imperial Preceptor of the Golden Horde, refining the Longevity Stone back in the day. What are you talking about?”

Qi Xuansu fell silent. He had misunderstood.

Qi Jiaoyao also realized something and said, “From what you’re implying, this person, Chen Shuhua, also managed to refine a Longevity Stone?”

Qi Xuansu thought for a moment, then briefly recounted Chen Shuhua’s story.

Qi Jiaoyao clicked her tongue. “That’s impressive! But refining a Longevity Stone has its drawbacks. You can either steal dragon qi or slaughter innocents indiscriminately. Back then, the Golden Horde’s Imperial Preceptor sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lives. Both Chen Shuhua and that Imperial Preceptor deserved their deaths.”

She returned to the main topic. “So back to immortal objects. As far as I know, when Wu Zhen died, she somehow fused with a semi-immortal object she carried. I’m sure you know how valuable an Immortal’s remains are. After all, Immortals don’t die of old age. They don’t simply sit and pass away. Killing an Immortal, or an Immortal dying in calamity, usually results in total annihilation of body and soul, making it very difficult for any remains to be left behind. Cases where the remains are preserved are exceedingly rare.

“Occasionally there will be mortal shells left behind by Daoist immortals who died in battle. The Daoist Order would give them a proper burial and guard them strictly. Even fewer can be used for creation projects. Even if such remains exist, it doesn’t necessarily mean an immortal object can be forged.

“After Wu Zhen’s remains fused with her semi-immortal object, it began showing signs of advancing into a true immortal object. This is an extremely rare occurrence, nearly impossible to reproduce, which is why Elder Yao didn’t disturb Wu Zhen’s remains. Since this fusion process is extraordinarily long, Elder Yao also didn’t take it away.”

Qi Jiaoyao counted on her fingers. “By my calculations, it should be about ready now. Even if it’s not a true immortal object yet, it should at least be a quasi-immortal object.”

Qi Xuansu raised an objection. “Something this important would certainly have been passed down by Elder Yao. If there really were an immortal object, the Earthly Preceptor would have already retrieved it personally. How could it fall to us?”

Qi Jiaoyao said, “Because full fusion still requires several decades, the current Earthly Preceptor hasn’t taken this quasi-immortal object. That gives us a chance to intercept it.”

Qi Xuansu grew even more suspicious. “Where exactly did you learn all these secrets? Don’t tell me you’re the Earthly Preceptor’s lover?!”

“What are you talking about?!” Qi Jiaoyao’s voice suddenly rose sharply.

Qi Xuansu pressed his palms together in apology.

It was not entirely unreasonable for Qi Xuansu to think this way. With so many secrets involved, even Yao Pei might not know everything. Someone more trusted than a granddaughter could only be a bed partner. After all, a superior and a secretary could easily become close.

Qi Xuansu himself had deliberately switched to a male secretary to avoid such suspicions.

Qi Jiaoyao’s lingering anger had not yet faded. “Watch what you say. You male Daoists are always thinking about this sort of thing.”

Qi Xuansu could only apologize again.

But Qi Jiaoyao soon revealed her true intention. “Initially, we were supposed to split things fifty-fifty if we succeeded. But because of what you just said, it’s now sixty-forty. I’ll take six, and you’ll take four.”

Qi Xuansu felt that it all sounded so familiar. This reminded him of what Madam Qi would say. It seemed Qi Jiaoyao had not truly been angry at all. Her irritation was just a pretense to bargain with him.

Qi Xuansu scoffed. “And how would you go about splitting a single immortal object? You mean the one who gets it compensates the one who doesn’t?”

Qi Jiaoyao nodded. “Exactly.”

Qi Xuansu did not really mind such an arrangement. Though immortal objects were rare, the Daoist Order had vast resources. As long as he advanced steadily, he would eventually obtain one. After all, he was already using one half of an immortal object now.

Moreover, immortal objects had high thresholds. Obtaining one did not necessarily mean one could use it.

Qi Xuansu said, “I could forgo the immortal object. But what compensation can you offer me, Daoist Qi? Forty percent should at least be one semi-immortal object.”

“Whoa...you really don’t want it?” Qi Jiaoyao was somewhat surprised. She had prepared many arguments to persuade Qi Xuansu to give up the immortal object, yet he accepted the offer without hesitation, which was completely beyond her expectations.

Qi Xuansu said, “If I can become the Grand Master, let alone one immortal object, the entire Daoist Order would be within my grasp. There’s no need for me to offend the Earthly Preceptor over a single immortal object.”

“The Grand Master? Such bold words,” Qi Jiaoyao muttered. “If you really become the Grand Master, I’ll write my name backward.”

Qi Xuansu had already put forward his guiding principle and formally entered the competition for the eighth-generation Grand Master, so there was no need for secrecy. “I look forward to that day. If I truly ascend to that position, I will definitely invite you to witness the ceremony.”

Qi Jiaoyao rolled her eyes at Qi Xuansu, though with the bronze mask on, he could not see it.

Qi Jiaoyao said, “A semi-immortal object...I don’t have one, but I do have some other nice things.”

With that, Qi Jiaoyao took something from her sleeve and said solemnly, “This is called a Xuan Jade. It originated from Huasheng Hall. Rumor has it that the Li family has been collecting these. They can greatly accelerate one’s cultivation, allowing one to attain immortality.”

Qi Xuansu suddenly felt both amused and exasperated. Wasn’t this too much of a coincidence? No one was more familiar with the Xuan Jade than he was.

This item could indeed allow someone to attain immortality, but only with the Longevity Stone Heart. Without it, the Xuan Jade was nothing more than useless junk.

Qi Jiaoyao did not know he possessed a Longevity Stone Heart, so she intended to use this to fool him. How shameless!

Qi Xuansu said, “As far as I know, the Li family collects Xuan Jade because they possess an heirloom Longevity Stone Heart. Combined with the Xuan Jade, it can create manmade Banished Immortals. Li Changge, whom I mentioned before, is one such example. I don’t have a Longevity Stone Heart, so the Xuan Jade is completely useless to me.”

Qi Jiaoyao fell silent for quite some time, evidently not expecting Qi Xuansu to be so knowledgeable. For a moment, she was unsure how to respond.

However, Qi Xuansu was still tempted by the Xuan Jade, since hers was a large piece comparable to the one given by the Yao family. He continued, “The Li family would definitely be interested, so it still has value. But one piece of Xuan Jade isn’t enough. You’ll need to add something else.”

Qi Jiaoyao said shamelessly, “I’ve already emptied my savings just to enter the Lingshan Paradise, so I really don’t have anything else. You’re not expecting me to offer myself, are you?”

Qi Xuansu replied expressionlessly, “Daoist Qi, I am already married. I will not betray my Daoist companion.”

Qi Jiaoyao snorted. “You’re truly crafty. Fine then. I still have about 300,000 Taiping coins. Do you want them?”

Qi Xuansu shook his head. “The Daoist Order provides for my food, clothing, housing, and travel. I don’t really have much need for money.”

Even if he needed to spend money, like giving Little Yin pocket money or supporting Madam Qi and Zhang Yuelu, they were all his family, so there was nothing embarrassing about it.

Qi Jiaoyao could only steel herself and say, “Fine, you win. I still have a Buddhist sarira.”

Qi Xuansu asked curiously, “What does it do?”

“Although it isn’t the Lord Buddha’s relic, it is still a buddha’s sarira,” Qi Jiaoyao said. “Using it allows you to unleash the Abhaya Seal once, which is roughly equivalent to a full-force strike from a top-tier Pseudo-Immortal. It’s a great life-saving item. If it were a sarira of the Lord Buddha himself, it would be even more extraordinary. Wu Peng died beneath a Buddha’s palm formed from such a sarira back then.”

Qi Xuansu felt a slight stir in his heart. No wonder Qi Jiaoyao dared to bargain with him without fear of betrayal. It turned out she had such a powerful life-saving trump card.