A Pawn's Passage

After traveling for several days, Qi Xuansu and Qi Jiaoyao found the terrain rising and falling, growing steep and increasingly complex. Yet they could not simply fly across it. The gigantic vortices Qi Xuansu had seen in his dream appeared here, linking the sky and ground, sweeping rocks and trees into the air.

Lingshan was not a solitary peak but a mountain range stretching for thousands of kilometers. They had followed river valleys and flats for much of their journey. At sunset, Qi Xuansu and Qi Jiaoyao arrived at a valley where white bones covered the ground as far as the eye could see. These were ancient witches who had fallen in battle.

Qi Xuansu asked, “What is this place?”

Qi Jiaoyao answered, “The Thunder Pool left behind by the Ancestral Heavenly Preceptor.”

As she spoke, a tremendous bolt of heavenly lightning descended from above, striking just a few meters away from them.

Qi Jiaoyao did not panic. “Thunderclouds have gathered here for a thousand years without dispersing, constantly drawing down heavenly lightning. It’s extremely dangerous. But Elder Yao once carved out a passage, so we just need to follow it. Just remember not to step beyond the boundary of the Thunder Pool.”

Guided by Qi Jiaoyao, they traveled through the valley known as the Thunder Pool. As darkness fell, Qi Xuansu could clearly see lightning striking repeatedly in the distance, with many charred marks around them.

Although the space within Lingshan was stable and did not have too many spatial fissures, it was still unwise to fly or use techniques like the Yin-Yang Gate. There were simply too many dangerous zones. Accidentally flying into a place like the Thunder Pool would bring enormous trouble.

By the time the Blood Moon faded, the two had crossed the Thunder Pool.

They did not encounter any ancient witches or creations in the next stretch of their journey. The only things accompanying them were the biting cold and utter desolation.

It reminded Qi Xuansu of a brutal battlefield he had glimpsed from afar in his dream—the frost-covered world and ice sculptures with vivid expressions, frozen in their final moments before death.

This matched his dream quite well.

They continued onward. The temperature dropped sharply, and after several gusts of biting wind, snow began to fall. The snowflakes were large like fists, drifting down like blades that seemed intent on slicing away their ears and carving into their cheeks.

Fortunately, both Qi Jiaoyao and Qi Xuansu had their own protective methods, so the cold posed little threat. Someone with insufficient cultivation would surely have frozen into an ice statue.

After traveling for half a day, the path went around a peak, and a towering mountain rose into view. These cliffs were extraordinarily tall and perilous. Amid drifting clouds, numerous Wuist temples could be seen, possessing a unique imposing grandeur.

Perhaps because they approached from a different direction, the scenery differed entirely from what Qi Xuansu had seen in his dream.

Suddenly, many figures emerged from the snowstorm, wearing Daoist crowns and Central Plains garments. However, their attire differed from Qi Jiaoyao’s and Qi Xuansu’s, distinctly ancient.

Looking closely, these were not ancient witches but Daoists of the Heavenly Sect.

Qi Jiaoyao said, “No need to pay attention. They’re just lingering echoes of the deceased.”

As her words fell, the figures began to age rapidly. In moments, they were reduced to skin and bones, then, like dried leaves, they shattered into dust with one light touch. scattering with the wind.

Qi Xuansu asked, “You said the summit of Lingshan is blocked by restrictions. Where exactly are these restrictions?”

“We’re almost there,” Qi Jiaoyao said. “Lingshan is huge, but there’s only one main peak. The restrictions set by Elder Yao are limited to the main peak area.”

Qi Xuansu asked again, “How far is it to the main peak?”

Qi Jiaoyao replied, “At our current pace, about one more day. We’ll pass by two more Thunder Pools like before, both left by the Ancestral Heavenly Preceptor. Elder Yao merely carved pathways through them and did not destroy them completely.”

Qi Xuansu nodded.

Qi Jiaoyao admitted that she did not know what the restriction looked like, whether it could be broken, or how to break it. They would only know after seeing it.

She glanced at the Blood Moon overhead and continued, “Two places aren’t affected by the Blood Moon—the main peak of Lingshan and the Thunder Pools. That’s why we don’t need to avoid the Blood Moon and can travel day and night when we are near the Thunder Pools.”

The two continued onward. By the time the Blood Moon rose high, they still had not found a suitable place to hide. Entering a gorge, thunderous roars suddenly filled the air. Countless wild beasts ran under the crimson moonlight, filling the entire valley. The sheer number of beasts rivaled a cavalry force. To continue forward would mean colliding head-on with them.

Facing the tidal wave of charging beasts, the two leaped up, stepping onto the beasts’ backs as if walking on flat ground.

These beasts, revived under the Blood Moon, did not attack Qi Xuansu or Qi Jiaoyao.

Seeing this, they remained atop the beasts, moving along with the herd.

Soon, the beasts carried them into an enclosure, similar to a horse ranch. This was where the witches once raised wild beasts. Though dead for many years, once revived, they still returned to their familiar enclosure.

Gradually, the herd slowed from a run to a walk, then began entering the enclosure in small groups.

Qi Xuansu and Qi Jiaoyao leaped down from the beasts’ backs without entering the enclosure. There were several buildings not far away that were relatively well preserved, likely residences for the herders.

Qi Jiaoyao strode inside and saw many skeletons sitting cross-legged on the ground. These skeletons were not of witches but of humans. Their garments remained completely intact, but they had already become dry bones. Clearly, these garments were no ordinary items.

Judging from the clothing styles, all the skeletons were women.

This was quite strange. Although the Daoist Order did not lack female disciples, men dominated during the era of the Heavenly Sect and the Yellow Turban Uprising. Even today, the Daoist Order remained male-led. Under such circumstances, why were there so many female Daoists? Surely, they were not from the Cihang lineage.

After examining them closely, Qi Jiaoyao said, “They’re from the Mysterious Maiden lineage.”

Qi Xuansu was taken aback. “Didn’t the Mysterious Maiden lineage originate during the Qi Dynasty?”

Qi Jiaoyao explained, “Strictly speaking, this is the predecessor of the Mysterious Maiden lineage. That branch was primarily female and once served as a subsidiary of the Heavenly Sect. You’ve noticed the cold aura here, right? The cold yin methods and the chill come from the Mysterious Maiden lineage.”

Qi Xuansu recalled that Zhang Yuelu had once used ice thunder, clearly a variant combining thunder methods with cold yin techniques, so he found the explanation somewhat convincing.

He asked again, “Why didn’t the Heavenly Sect retrieve their bodies?”

Qi Jiaoyao said, “How would I know? Maybe they were overlooked. You’ve seen how dangerous this area is with all the storms, snow, and Thunder Pools. It’s also extremely remote. Aside from these revived beasts, no one comes here.”

Qi Xuansu asked in surprise, “Is this your first time here too?”

Qi Jiaoyao frowned. “The last time I went to Lingshan, I didn’t encounter these beasts, so I never came here. Could that guard hiding on the main peak be causing trouble behind the scenes? But I don’t think so, since there’s no sign of any creations here. Maybe even the Yao family never discovered this place. The only difference this time is you. Maybe you’re just unlucky and caused the anomaly.”

Qi Xuansu pretended not to hear.

Qi Jiaoyao didn’t expect an answer anyway and began searching around, feeling and tapping all over as if determined to dig up some treasure.

After a while, she simply started rummaging through the skeletons themselves and actually found several magical receptacles. It seemed no one had ever discovered this place, which explained why no one had collected the bodies of these female Daoists.

Qi Jiaoyao felt the trip had already paid off. But at that moment, the skeletons she had touched seemed to awaken. Flesh began to regenerate, restoring their former appearance, though they possessed no consciousness.

Qi Xuansu was no longer surprised and merely sighed. “Nothing here ever truly dies.”

Qi Jiaoyao quickly retreated to Qi Xuansu’s side. “Tian Yuan, let’s join forces and wipe out these ghosts. I’ll split the loot with you.”

Qi Xuansu declined politely. “I suggest you return their belongings and apologize. Maybe they’ll let you off.”

Qi Jiaoyao snapped angrily, “Hell no!”

Qi Xuansu chuckled. “Then you can handle it yourself.”

With that, Qi Xuansu stepped back behind Qi Jiaoyao.

Qi Jiaoyao was not scared of a few corpses. She deployed the Ruyi Light Barrier and drew her sword, taking the initiative to charge at them.

To be fair, she was only one step away from the Zaohua stage and was in no way inferior to Zhang Yuelu. Though it took some effort, she suppressed the resurrected female Daoists. Her strikes were measured. She did not shatter them, preserving their general form as a show of respect toward their Daoist predecessors. However, that respect was clearly limited, as she showed no hesitation when taking their treasures.

One should not accept rewards without contribution. Since Qi Xuansu had not helped, he naturally could not claim a share.

Watching the remains of the female Daoists who died and revived again and again, he asked, “If the ancient witches and beasts revive because of the Blood Moon, what caused these female Daoists to come back to life?”

Still annoyed at Qi Xuansu’s refusal to help, Qi Jiaoyao snorted and ignored him.

Qi Xuansu crouched down to examine the remains carefully. After a moment of thought, he suddenly reached out and tore away the garments from one of the skeletons.

Of course, there was no bosom beneath, but a beating stone heart, much smaller than the Longevity Stone prototype found in the Taiyin Corpse and rather crude in appearance.

Qi Xuansu called out, “Daoist Qi, you were wrong this time. Elder Yao not only discovered this place but also made some modifications. You searched only the waist and sleeves for magical receptacles but missed the real treasure!”