A Pawn's Passage

These Knights fought with extraordinary valor, but they were hopelessly outnumbered.

Facing the Spirit Guards’ assault, these Knights were ultimately doomed to perish. Even so, the Spirit Guards failed to capture any of them alive. After all, the souls of these Knights had already burned away, rendering even soul-searching techniques useless.

The Juesheng Hall naturally hoped to capture a living prisoner and obtain more intelligence. Now, it seemed their only hope lay in capturing the Metropolitan who led them.

Tantai Ying was an anomaly within the Tantai family. She was a Qi Refiner rather than a Martial Arts Practitioner. With a simple grasping motion, her innate qi transformed into a gigantic hand that lunged toward the fleeing Metropolitan.

This Metropolitan was no ordinary figure either. He escaped Tantai Ying’s grasp with a spell embedded within his ring. The effect was similar to the Daoist Star Shift Technique.

At that moment, a figure moved even faster than Tantai Ying, streaking toward the Metropolitan.

That figure was none other than Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu had no desire for unnecessary complications. If Tantai Ying became entangled with the Metropolitan and accidentally allowed him to escape, Qi Xuansu would still have to intervene in the end. It was better to act personally from the start and ensure there was no possibility of failure.

Qi Xuansu let out a tremendous roar, even more powerful than the Buddhist Lion’s Roar. It was like a thunderclap, radiating outward from him in all directions.

The Metropolitan immediately felt his thoughts become sluggish and frozen, his mind turning completely blank.

It was the Martial Arts Practitioner’s Blood Roar.

As a Qi Refiner, Tantai Ying was not entirely immune. However, Qi Refiners’ physiques were second only to Martial Arts Practitioners, and since Qi Xuansu was not targeting her directly, she suffered no real harm. She merely felt her spirit tremble and her innate qi and blood fluctuate.

On the other hand, the Metropolitan leaned more toward the Shaman lineage and was naturally countered by Martial Arts Practitioners.

Combined with the disparity in cultivation, when Qi Xuansu unleashed the entirety of his blood qi and released a second Blood Roar, the Metropolitan felt as though a blazing sun had appeared before him. Everything became a sea of white. His entire body seemed to be burning, and he could no longer even tell where he was.

The power of this shout far surpassed the first Blood Roar. Within a radius of several kilometers, the area became saturated with blood qi and supreme yang energy. In this aspect, those who relied heavily on physical strength and blood qi were affected less, while those who focused on spirit and Thoughts were more suppressed.

Seizing the opportunity, Qi Xuansu struck again. He spread his fingers and reached toward the Metropolitan, whose six senses had been temporarily sealed.

Although the Metropolitan could no longer perceive Qi Xuansu’s movements, he knew he had fallen into grave danger. Without the slightest hesitation, he raised the holy emblem in his hand.

In an instant, brilliant light erupted.

A pillar of light descended from the heavens, enveloping the Metropolitan within it.

Along with it came the bells of Heaven, grand and solemn, as though proclaiming some divine decree.

A figure gradually emerged within the pillar of light. It had golden curls and sapphire-blue eyes, and wore magnificent armor adorned with countless gemstones. White wings spread from its back, while a golden halo floated above its head.

This was the later, refined image of an Apostle. The Apostles’ true appearances were far too terrifying and unsuitable for spreading faith, so the Holy Court had deliberately beautified them to a certain extent. When the religion spread to the Central Plains, Western priests likened the Supreme Will to the Heavenly Emperor and referred to these refined Apostles as Angels.

The greatest differences between these refined Angels and ordinary humans were the wings on their backs and the halos above their heads, much like how the distinguishing feature between fox demons and humans was the tails behind them.

This was the descent of an Angel.

However, it was merely an incarnation, far removed from the true Apostle, so Qi Xuansu could deal with it himself.

The Metropolitan had never expected the Angel to defeat such a powerful enemy. Instead, he chose to merge with the Angel. Instantly, the radiance intensified to an overwhelming degree. No shadows remained anywhere, as light filled every corner. An indescribable pressure descended upon everyone nearby, causing their minds and movements to become sluggish and heavy.

Qi Xuansu’s expression turned solemn. He clenched his fist and activated his body spirits. Within the countless acupoints of his palm, the body spirits that looked identical to him glowed golden. Then, the body spirits within the acupoints throughout his entire body emerged one after another, causing his whole body to glow as well, as if a deity had descended into the mortal world.

In the next instant, Qi Xuansu threw a punch. Explosive sounds like rolling thunder erupted sequentially from the joints of his fingers, wrist, elbow, and shoulder. His jade-like fist vibrated at an astonishing frequency within an almost imperceptible range, producing countless afterimages before suddenly converging into a single point.

As Qi Xuansu struck, the numerous body spirits within him mirrored his move, so this single punch carried the momentum of countless warriors. It resembled a battlefield drenched in slaughter, with surging blood qi rolling forward like a tide. The fist intention condensed into a single point, while its force shook the void itself, generating layer upon layer of ripples. Wherever it passed, all light twisted and shattered.

This was Qi Xuansu’s all-out punch.

Faced with this punch, the Angel’s incarnation endured for only a brief moment before collapsing like a clay statue made of loose sand, disintegrating completely.

After all, it was merely an ordinary incarnation. For an Apostle, as long as sufficient divine power was available, such incarnations could be mass-produced.

The Metropolitan fell from the sky, yet he still clutched the holy emblem tightly in his hand. It was precisely because of this emblem that he had been able to summon the Angel and even exert a degree of control over it.

From this, it was clear that the Metropolitan’s status was anything but ordinary, and the holy emblem in his possession was undoubtedly a valuable treasure.

This was hardly surprising. As an important figure within the Daoist Order, Qi Xuansu had once traveled to St. York on the Northern Continent. The only difference was that the Holy Court had failed to capture him.

At that moment, a colossal shadow materialized out of thin air, carrying an overwhelming deathly aura. The figure wore a black cloak shrouded in rolling black mist, and beneath its hood was nothing but hollow darkness.

The enormous shadow stood nearly as tall as the surrounding mountains. It held a long-handled scythe in its right hand, while it carried a gigantic set of scales in its left.

It was the Death Apostle, Samuel.

Every being experiences death, so it represents the greatest form of equality. For that reason, the Death Apostle also bore the divine authority of fairness.

Samuel swung his massive scythe toward the Metropolitan.

The giant scythe was merely a phantom. It passed through the air without making a sound. After sweeping across the Metropolitan, his body remained completely unharmed, yet the light in his eyes instantly faded, all signs of life extinguished.

Hanging from the blade of the scythe was a translucent figure, twisted in agony and struggling endlessly. That was the Metropolitan’s soul.

The Fallen Apostles were Apostles as well. To them, the souls of Holy Court priests were the finest nourishment. Although they could not directly hunt Holy Court clergy, their status as former Apostles made them experts at tempting priests whose hearts had already decayed and fallen into corruption, luring them into signing contracts.

This Metropolitan had signed a contract with Zuriel, which was why he had obtained the power to bewitch and manipulate others. It allowed him to convince those Knights to willingly burn their own souls and march to their deaths, all to buy him time to escape.

A client of this caliber naturally received special attention, much like the treatment Qi Xuansu had once received from True Lord Ziguang. Now, seeing that the Metropolitan was about to fall into the hands of the Western Daoist Order, Samuel had arrived on behalf of the Fallen Apostle to harvest the soul in advance and settle the account before suffering a total loss. After all, if the Metropolitan were transported back to Danxiu Mountain, Samuel could not possibly harvest his soul under the noses of two Immortals.

The Fallen Apostle also had a division of labor, each performing their own role. Zuriel, who excelled at corrupting hearts, was responsible for expanding the “business” by enticing people into signing contracts. Samuel handled the harvesting of souls, overseeing debt collection and post-contract recovery.

Although Hell was separated from the mortal world by a barrier, making it difficult for the Fallen Apostle to manifest themselves as ordinary deities could, the link provided by the contract ultimately allowed Samuel to appear successfully.

Naturally, Qi Xuansu could not simply stand by and allow Samuel to act as he pleased.

If the true Death Apostle had been present himself, Qi Xuansu would certainly have been no match for him. But this was merely an incarnation. In that case, there was no reason Qi Xuansu could not fight him. Moreover, if Madam Wu were brought into the battle, victory would be assured.

The immense restrictions between Hell and the mortal world greatly limited the power Samuel could wield here.

Within the darkness beneath Samuel’s hood, two crimson lights suddenly ignited, like a pair of scarlet eyes. They locked directly onto Qi Xuansu’s gaze.

In an instant, Qi Xuansu felt an overwhelming tide of fear surge toward him. It was the divine authority of fear possessed by the Death Apostle.

This was one of the defining characteristics of the Southern Continent. All ancient gods and Fallen Apostles here were closely associated with death, fear, and slaughter.

Although this shadow was merely an incarnation of Samuel, it was by no means insignificant. Qi Xuansu felt countless distracting thoughts arise within his mind. Waves of fear crashed against his spirit like a raging sea, seeking to awaken the deepest terrors hidden within his heart. At best, it would trap him in endless internal turmoil. At worst, it could shatter his mind entirely.

Fortunately, Qi Xuansu was no stranger to such attacks. Pure Bodhi immediately appeared in his hand, naturally emanating an aura of serenity that helped him withstand the overwhelming assault of fear. Only Qi Xuansu could have managed this. Had it been anyone else, even with Pure Bodhi in hand, they likely would not have endured it.

Without slowing down, Qi Xuansu continued his charge and rapidly closed in on Samuel.

Samuel raised the scales in his hand, and a mysterious force of attraction drew Qi Xuansu directly onto the right pan of the scales.

The perfectly balanced scales immediately tilted. The pan carrying Qi Xuansu sank downward, while the empty pan on the opposite side rose high into the air.

Samuel then placed a single feather onto the empty pan.

The pan beneath Qi Xuansu began to rise. It first returned to balance, then continued upward until it was lifted high above the other side. Somehow, that single feather was heavier than Qi Xuansu himself.

As the scales lost their balance, Qi Xuansu felt his soul being pulled from his body.

Alarmed, Qi Xuansu dared not be careless in the slightest. He immediately withdrew his soul into the Longevity Stone Heart. No matter how Samuel attempted to draw it out, he could do nothing to Qi Xuansu.

Samuel’s powers could not be maintained indefinitely. Once its effects faded and Qi Xuansu regained his freedom, he wasted no time and immediately unleashed Madam Wu.

The moment Madam Wu appeared, she erupted into blazing flames that completely engulfed Samuel’s shadowy form.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qi Xuansu rushed toward the giant scythe and rescued the Metropolitan’s struggling soul from its blade.

“I’ll remember you! You will pay for this!” Samuel let out an enraged roar before gradually disappearing within Madam Wu’s flames.

The feather that had been used to weigh Qi Xuansu slowly drifted downward and was caught by Madam Wu.

Madam Wu examined the feather closely and remarked, “This seems to be a feather from Kukulkan.”