A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 1348: Stirring Trouble

The relationship between the Holy Court and the Steam Evangelical Sect was somewhat akin to that between the Imperial Court and regional warlords. The warlords lacked the strength to overthrow the Imperial Court, while the Court faced excessive costs and risks in eliminating the warlords. Thus, the relationship had settled into its current state.

The Steam Evangelical Sect had three Immortals—the Patriarch, a Cardinal Bishop, and the head of a monastery. Under normal circumstances, only two Immortals remain stationed on the Northern Continent, balancing the Western Daoist Order in the Southern Continent. Although the Southern Continent still had ancient gods, the Holy Court had apostles to counter them. When the Holy Court first arrived in the New Continent, the apostles fought a war against the local gods and achieved a decisive victory. The scene of flourishing vitality still lingered in memory. Moreover, the ancient gods resided within divine realms and found it difficult to directly intervene in mortal conflicts, so they were not a major concern.

However, this did not mean that if a full-scale war erupted, the Steam Evangelical Sect would stand alone. The Holy Court would certainly provide support. While there were conflicts between the Holy Court and the Steam Evangelical Sect due to a clash over control of the Northern Continent, the Holy Court was not driven out. The changes were mostly at the leadership level, and ties between the Western Continent and the Northern Continent remained close. The Holy Court still held significant interests in the New Continent.

But if the Western Daoist Order and the Tawantin Empire were to seize the New Continent, all of those interests would be lost. After all, the Steam Evangelical Sect was still part of the Holy Court. No matter who held power, the Northern Continent would still be under the light of the Supreme Will. But if it fell to the Western Daoist Order, it would change hands entirely, becoming the domain of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. Thus, the Holy Court could not remain indifferent.

Under normal circumstances, the two sides were evenly matched, and the Western Daoist Order would not be able to launch a surprise attack on St. York.

However, circumstances were changing. Even before the war in Fenglin broke out, tensions had already been rising among the Nederland, Ibia, and Lune Kingdoms. After years of delay, war finally erupted. Lune Kingdom, supported by the Arcane Council and the Steam Evangelical Sect, gained the upper hand. Its king had always resisted the Holy Court, so to maintain balance and prevent the Lune Kingdom from becoming dominant, the Holy Court either had to directly support the other two nations or enforce a ceasefire. Due to the presence of the Daoist Order, the Pope was compelled to choose the latter. The Patriarch of the Steam Evangelical Sect, who supported the Lune Kingdom, naturally could not miss this conclave.

This ultimately led to a temporary weakening of defenses on the Northern Continent.

The Western Daoist Order’s original plan was not to attack St. York but San Francisco. However, upon learning that the Patriarch had left, Huangfu Ji temporarily changed the plan. While still following Elder Gong’s advice to strike swiftly and withdraw without lingering, he altered the target and aimed directly at St. York.

In short, due to these changes, many in San Francisco escaped disaster. Some avoided the Evangelical Ministry’s purge, while others avoided the Western Daoist Order’s assault.

The only one to suffer was St. York.

In fact, Qi Xuansu had inadvertently helped Huangfu Ji by luring the Evangelical Ministry away from St. York.

The upper ranks of the Steam Evangelical Sect could ignore the explosion in the Lower District, as it was filled with “rats in the gutters.” As long as the overall situation remained stable and the factories in the Lower District were unaffected, with production continuing uninterrupted, it did not matter. The Steam Evangelical Sect could also ignore the flying craft crash at sea, since that was the responsibility of the City Council. As long as the City Council did not request assistance, it could be treated as if nothing had happened.

But this time, they could no longer remain indifferent.

The crashed flying craft belonged to the Evangelical Ministry, and the victims were their own people.

This was a direct blow to the Steam Evangelical Sect, and so it demanded a response.

Thus, after the incident, the Cardinal Bishop left St. York and personally came to the scene.

Had Qi Xuansu left even a moment later, he would have run straight into this cardinal.

This was also one of the reasons Qi Xuansu chose to kill immediately. Exchanging even a few extra words was risky, and there was no time to search souls or take prisoners.

This inadvertently created an opportunity for Huangfu Ji, serving as a diversion, drawing attention in one direction while striking in another.

Since the plan was to strike once and withdraw, choosing the right target was crucial.

Huangfu Ji had no interest in the Lower District, since it was filled with pitiful slaves. He had not sunk so low as to prove his strength by slaughtering them. He was equally uninterested in the Central District, where many civilians lived, for the same reason.

If he was going to attack, he would go big.

Huangfu Ji set his sights on the Upper District. As it happened, he carried a Grade-A Series Two Phoenix Eye Bomb.

In theory, the Grade-A Series Two Phoenix Eye Bomb was strictly controlled, and even Qi Xuansu in his current position would not have the authority to use it. However, long ago, for certain strategic reasons, the Daoist Order had provided the Western Daoist Order with a batch of Dragon and Phoenix Eye Series Ammunition.

As for how they used them, that was left to the Western Daoist Order’s discretion.

St. York was not a special city like Jade Capital or the Holy Court, nor an ancient stronghold like the Imperial Capital. It had been established relatively recently without large-scale defensive formations. Thus, the Divine Shuttle was able to appear directly above St. York without obstruction.

Almost simultaneously, the Upper District reacted. Although St. York lacked a unified defense system, each floating island had its own independent defenses, very much a case of everyone minding their own doorstep.

The Divine Shuttle came to a halt. Huangfu Ji led the Western Daoists and revealed themselves.

From the rocky undersides of the floating islands, numerous hidden gun ports opened, extending cannons that unleashed a barrage of fire upon the group.

The Western Daoists were well-prepared. They scattered in all directions, destroying the cannons.

Huangfu Ji had already chosen his target—the floating island of the Evangelical Ministry, the same place from which Dennis and Sun Zhongnu had departed earlier.

The Evangelical Ministry was just unlucky. This place would normally be heavily guarded, but today was different. First, Dennis and Sun Zhongnu had taken away a group of personnel. Then, after their incident, another group followed the Cardinal Bishop to the crash site. Now, only Milton and a small number of people remained on the island.

Qi Xuansu had certainly been a great help to the Western Daoists.

At this moment, the floating island had activated its defensive barrier, resembling a translucent, pale-blue eggshell enclosing it.

Huangfu Ji flashed a cold smile and took out a black longbow about half his height. Upon closer inspection, two clusters of blood-red qi coiled around its ends. The bowstring was even more peculiar—made of an unknown material, about as thick as a finger. It was hollow within and seemed as though blood flowed through it.

Huangfu Ji then drew the bow and nocked an arrow. However, this was no ordinary arrow; it was the Martial Arts Practitioner’s fist intention.

Huangfu Ji was a Pseudo-Immortal Martial Arts Practitioner.

The veins on Huangfu Ji’s arms bulged, like restless little dragons ready to break free and soar into the sky.

At the same time, the blood qi around Huangfu Ji erupted violently, roaring like a great river and filling the surrounding space with a visible and tangible blood aura. The temperature rose rapidly, distorting the air and appearing like a blazing crimson sun.

The great bow was drawn to its fullest extent.

Though no visible arrow could be seen, the surging fist intention was unmistakably real.

Even without releasing the shot, the sheer force of that overwhelming fist intent was enough to shatter the courage of the weak, killing them with fear alone.

The invisible arrow pierced straight through the floating island’s defensive barrier. Though it did not completely destroy it, it opened a massive hole roughly 100 meters in diameter.

For Huangfu Ji, that was more than enough.

Huangfu Ji shot straight into the opening.

At the same time, Milton finally appeared.

Without a word, Huangfu Ji released another arrow.

This arrow was not only immensely powerful but also extremely fast, making it nearly impossible to evade. Although Milton barely managed to dodge, his lower abdomen was still pierced, leaving a hole the size of a fist. Within it was not flesh but a void of darkness, with patterns resembling shattered glass.

Along the path of the arrow, there remained a trail of blood-red aura forming a tail, accompanied by constantly trembling distortions.

This was an application of the Manly Immortal’s Shattered Void realm, crushing a line of vacuum into nothingness. It was not necessary to throw a punch. Shooting an arrow was simply an extension of the punch.

In terms of mastery over the Martial Arts Practitioner lineage, Qi Xuansu was inferior to Huangfu Ji.

Though there was no such thing as a flimsy Martial Arts Practitioner, Qi Xuansu was too diverse and lacked specialization in any one lineage. Huangfu Ji, on the other hand, was a natural-born Martial Arts Practitioner. He was already one step away from becoming a Manly Immortal. In some sense, his talent was no less than that of a Banished Immortal. He was a prodigy destined for the Manly Immortal path. Moreover, the Western Daoist Order’s Manly Immortal lineage was more complete than that of the Daoist Order, which had always placed greater emphasis on the Heavenly and Earthly Immortal paths.

As a Cardinal Priest, Milton’s strength was not to be underestimated. Yet even he, when suddenly faced with such a terrifying arrow, could only barely avoid a fatal hit in haste, escaping with his heart intact. However, the damage was still severe. The wound would not heal, and blood poured from his orifices.

Only then did Huangfu Ji put away his great bow and step forward.

Milton, well-versed in divine arts and relying on his advantageous position, raised his spiked mace and unleashed a spell called the Judgment of Light.

A massive pillar of light descended from the heavens, carrying an absolute radiance that permitted no other existence.

This pillar of light was both luminous and searing, like a flame burning so intensely that it turned white. It was also merciless, allowing no dissent and impurity, like a spear of judgment cast from heaven by a goddess, stabbing fiercely toward Huangfu Ji.

The light pillar covered an immense area, nearly enveloping the entire floating island. As a devotee of light, Milton enjoyed partial immunity and felt no fear, but Huangfu Ji had nowhere to evade or hide unless he withdrew beyond the island’s range.

But Huangfu Ji had no intention of dodging. He looked up at the sky and pushed his right palm upward.