A Pawn's Passage

Based on Qi Xuansu’s observations, most immortal objects possessed a certain degree of spirituality and could respond to the outside world to some extent rather than being completely inanimate. However, this spirituality could hardly be called intelligence, and it was insufficient to give rise to a separate spirit.

Qi Xuansu suspected that Madam Wu had been born from the fusion of a fragment of that female Immortal’s remnant soul with the spirituality of the Seven Feather Five Fires Fan, which was why she was virtually indistinguishable from a human.

The Guizang Lantern belonged to the category of immortal objects with exceptionally high spirituality, almost on par with Skycaller and Moral Sovereign. To be honest, Qi Xuansu would have preferred these immortal objects to be a little less spiritual. When one’s cultivation was insufficient, the greater an immortal object’s spirituality, the less obedient it became. The Guizang Lantern frequently ignored him altogether.

That was also one of the reasons Great Sage Jiang had decided to entrust the Seven Feather Five Fires Fan to Qi Xuansu. Had it been almost any other immortal object, Qi Xuansu simply would not have been able to use it due to his lack of cultivation.

This time, the Guizang Lantern’s response probably had little to do with Qi Xuansu and was instead out of respect for Madam Wu. Qi Xuansu even found himself wondering whether, if the Guizang Lantern had a spirit of its own and foresaw Madam Wu becoming an Immortal in the future. Was it deliberately currying favor with Madam Wu in advance, hoping that she would later lend it a hand and help it become an Immortal as well?

Just then, Madam Wu poked Qi Xuansu with a finger, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Qi Xuansu looked at Madam Wu, who gestured toward the Guizang Lantern with her chin.

Although the Guizang Lantern had been lit, there was nothing within its light. It was merely providing ordinary illumination. Setting aside the fact that both Qi Xuansu and Madam Wu could see perfectly well in the dark, the corridor itself was already bathed in sunlight. There was no need for extra lighting whatsoever.

Qi Xuansu understood immediately. It was waiting for more lamp oil, or rather, divine power.

If the Guizang Lantern had been a living person, it would probably have complained that it got fed 8 meals a day when it was with the Heavenly Preceptor and never once had to worry about lamp oil. Ever since it ended up with Qi Xuansu, it only knew of hunger and had to demand more lamp oil. Qi Xuansu’s complete lack of awareness was absolutely frustrating, yet he still expected the Guizang Lantern to respond to him. That was simply wishful thinking!

Qi Xuansu infused divine power into the Guizang Lantern, replenishing its lamp oil. Immediately, the flicker of light began to change.

At first, a blazing sun appeared within the light, radiating boundless brilliance.

The sun was perfectly round. Then, along its western edge, a faint sliver of shadow suddenly appeared.

The shadow became increasingly distinct.

The more one outlined something, the darker it became. That was exactly what it looked like now. It was as though someone were repeatedly tracing the sun’s western edge with an ink brush, making the outline darker and thicker with every stroke.

The sky gradually darkened, slowly turning pitch black. Against the black sky hung a solitary sun, making its brilliance seem all the more dazzling. It also resembled the distant opening of a well seen by someone trapped at the bottom, forever visible yet forever out of reach.

The shadow then began to expand. Only now did it become apparent that the shadow itself was also circular. It was as though two circles were beginning to overlap. The overlapping portion blocked the sun’s light, becoming a pitch-black shadow. As for the circle obscuring the sun, only the overlapping shadow could be seen, while the parts that did not overlap with the sun remained completely invisible.

The sky had become completely dark, as though night had fallen.

The overlap deepened, and the shadow continued to spread. The sun gradually took on the shape of a moon. Then, little by little, it became a crescent, until only a brilliant arc of light remained, the exact opposite of the thick black outline that had first appeared.

In the end, even that brilliant arc disappeared, leaving behind nothing but endless darkness and deathly silence.

The black circle finally covered the sun completely, at last revealing its full form.

Qi Xuansu naturally recognized what it was. “A solar eclipse.”

Madam Wu said, “It’s not over yet.”

Sure enough, the sun’s transformation continued. The shadow did not stop moving, and the complete darkness lasted only for a brief moment. Soon, a ring of golden light appeared around the black circle from the radiance of the sun shining from behind it.

The shadow had advanced from west to east, and it now retreated in the same direction.

Once again, it was the sun’s western edge that changed first. A dazzling golden outline appeared, as though the same brush were tracing its contour, only this time the ink was radiant gold, repeatedly deepening the luminous border.

What followed unfolded in the exact reverse of what had happened before. The shadow steadily receded, and the sun’s light gradually re-emerged, first as a crescent like a sickle, then growing like the transformations of a moon.

The sky brightened along with it, changing from a night so dark that nothing could be seen into a deep blue, like the first light of dawn.

At last, the sun dispelled the shadow and once again shone in all its brilliance.

Yet compared to the sun from before, this one seemed subtly different. Having undergone a rebirth, it appeared even brighter and purer, carrying the sense of having cast off all worldly impurities.

At that point, the vision projected by the Guizang Lantern came to an abrupt end, and the wick that Madam Wu had lit flickered out.

A certain realization dawned upon Qi Xuansu, and he fell into deep contemplation.

Madam Wu asked, “It seems you’ve understood something, haven’t you?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “We’ve been investigating the Shadow Tide all this time, and I could never figure out what the black sun symbol meant. I even associated it with the Dark Sun emblem of the Slaughter Apostle Zuriel. But now, I finally understand. It isn’t a black sun at all, nor does it have anything to do with Zuriel. The black sun symbol is actually a solar eclipse.”

Madam Wu pondered for a moment before saying, “A solar eclipse is simply one manifestation of the sun. From that, we can confirm two things. First, the Shadow Tide is indeed connected to Kukulkan. Second, the eclipse confirms that Kukulkan is currently too preoccupied to attend to anything else. Precisely because he is occupied, he needs greater amounts of divine power. That makes perfect sense.”

Qi Xuansu said, “I’m afraid it’s not that simple. According to the legend of the Paititi pyramid, once the sacrifice succeeds, the sun will be destroyed, and the world will fall into darkness. Looking back at what we just saw during the eclipse, doesn’t the moment when the sun was completely swallowed by shadow resemble the destruction of the sun? Doesn’t the darkness that followed resemble the world’s descent into darkness?”

Madam Wu’s expression changed slightly. “But the prerequisite for that legend is obtaining the divine artifact of Paititi’s royal family, opening the pyramid, and carrying out the sacrifice. Could it be that all of our previous deductions were wrong? That Kukulkan has actually already obtained the artifact and completed the sacrifice, which is why he has entered this dormant state?

“Perhaps Kukulkan isn’t merely preoccupied at all. Instead, he has entered a special state, undergoing an extraordinary transformation. When he finally emerges once more, he may well have become a First-Tribulation Immortal.

“Are we still going in? If Kukulkan is simply occupied with his own predicament, like someone gravely wounded and on the verge of death, then the two of us don’t have much to fear. But if he is in the midst of a transformation, that’s another matter entirely. Interrupting that transformation might not inflict serious harm on him, but it would certainly enrage him completely. Even with the Daoist Order backing us, we wouldn’t be able to intimidate him. If it comes to that, I’ll probably be able to preserve my own life, but your chances of survival would be slim.”

Madam Wu’s meaning was perfectly clear. The prudent course was to withdraw for the time being, report everything to the Daoist Order, and decide what to do afterward.

Qi Xuansu contemplated for a moment before saying, “I don’t see it that way. Perhaps things haven’t reached that stage yet.”

By now, Madam Wu had completely shed her usual fiery and impulsive demeanor. She was calm and deadly serious as she asked, “Then what’s your view? This concerns life and death. Don’t hold anything back and explain yourself clearly.”

She added, “I accepted Jiang Hedao’s request to ensure your safety. If you can’t convince me, I won’t allow you to proceed.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Madam Wu, if what you said is true, and Kukulkan is undergoing a transformation, couldn’t we think of it as the equivalent of a secluded cultivation session?”

Madam Wu considered the idea before nodding. “Yes, that’s a fair comparison.”

Qi Xuansu continued, “Whenever we enter seclusion, the very first thing we do is arrange for someone to stand guard or activate protective formations to ensure that we won’t be disturbed. Once someone interferes, the best-case outcome is that all previous efforts are wasted. The worst case is cultivation deviation. It’s an extremely dangerous situation. But look at what we’ve encountered on our way here. This entire palace has no protective formations whatsoever, allowing us to walk all the way to the innermost bedchamber unhindered. We haven’t encountered any respectable guardians either, only a single Sun Guardian, whom you melted with ease. Doesn’t that seem far too careless? Even if we hadn’t come, what if Ixchel had attacked instead?”

Madam Wu froze for a moment. That possibility had never occurred to her.

Qi Xuansu continued, “If what you said is true, and Kukulkan can become a First-Tribulation Immortal through this transformation, then he should have completely sealed off his palace. At the same time, he should have gathered every one of his guardians here, perhaps even inviting the deity he trusted most to personally stand watch until the transformation was complete. No matter the cost, it would all be worthwhile if it meant becoming a First-Tribulation Immortal.

“Think about it. If someone within the Daoist Order had a chance to become a First-Tribulation Immortal, what would the Daoist Order do? They would probably dispatch several Immortals to protect that person, activate every protective formation available, and might even place parts of Jade Capital and the Kunlun Daoist Mansion under temporary lockdown to ensure absolutely nothing could go wrong. Even if Kukulkan’s circumstances can’t compare with those of the Daoist Order, his preparations still shouldn’t be this inadequate.”

His line of reasoning genuinely convinced Madam Wu.

Madam Wu had no choice but to admit, “You’re right. It really is far too strange. Logically speaking, the one standing in our way here should have been the Star and Moon Goddess Chak Chel, yet she is nowhere to be found. Could it be that Ixchel attacked, forcing Chak Chel to leave and confront her?”

Qi Xuansu shook his head. “No. Following that line of reasoning, if Chak Chel were guarding the palace, then even if Ixchel managed to invade Kukulkan’s divine kingdom, Chak Chel wouldn’t leave her post to meet her in battle. She would simply make her stand right here at the entrance. The Daoist Order teaches us to identify the principal contradiction and keep sight of the bigger picture. Right now, the principal issue is whether Kukulkan can become a First-Tribulation Immortal, not whether an external enemy can be repelled. Chak Chel’s duty would be to defend the palace, not to defeat Ixchel. As long as Kukulkan succeeds, every other loss would be acceptable, and Ixchel herself would cease to be a serious concern. The ancient gods have lived for so many years that they certainly understand all sorts of tactics, like making a feint in the east while attacking in the west. They won’t lose the greater objective over a minor concern.

“That’s precisely why I believe Chak Chel wasn’t lured away at all. She simply isn’t here. In other words, Kukulkan’s palace is completely undefended.

“Either Chak Chel has her own agenda and has betrayed Kukulkan, or Kukulkan doesn’t even trust Chak Chel and is deliberately making his palace empty. Or Kukulkan truly is so occupied with his own situation that he can no longer concern himself with anything else.”

Hearing this, Madam Wu sighed. “The ancient gods really do hide unfathomable depths.”