A Pawn's Passage

Chaac arrived with the wind, manifesting beside Kukulkan.

His entire body was shrouded in a veil of mist and drizzle, making his true appearance impossible to discern.

The Sun Warriors immediately turned their bows and aimed at Chaac.

Chaac made no move at all, yet the rain suddenly intensified, transforming from a fine spring drizzle into a raging storm.

The raindrops grew denser. At first, they merged into countless streaks, and soon they became an unbroken curtain of water.

For a moment, these Sun Warriors, radiant with golden light, became blurred beneath the torrential rain. Every light arrow was dissolved in the downpour. In the end, these warriors formed from the light of the sun slowly melted away like clay figures, collapsing into muddy sludge.

The Rain God Chaac shook his body and split into four deities, each taking its place in one of the four cardinal directions: east, west, south, and north.

Kukulkan’s current condition had already made it impossible to defeat Ixchel. Now, facing two opponents at once, he immediately fell into a disadvantageous position.

The four manifestations attacked simultaneously, each striking one of the Feathered Serpent God’s four vital points.

For an instant, the entire divine kingdom seemed to freeze in place.

Chaac had once been the second most powerful deity after Itzamna. The fact that he had survived the Holy Court’s surprise assault spoke for itself. Though gravely wounded and no longer what he once had been, he was still not to be underestimated.

A moment later, everything stirred back to life.

The violent wind and torrential rain could not last forever. They gradually subsided. The clouds and mist slowly dispersed.

When the sun reappeared, it had undergone a dramatic transformation. It had previously stood high at noon, but now it hung low in the western sky, on the verge of setting.

The setting sun stained the sky crimson. But this was far from over. After dusk would come nightfall, which was the dominion of the moon.

Ixchel had already completely suppressed Kukulkan.

This time, the sun and moon would no longer share the sky. What came next would be their succession, with the moon completely replacing the sun.

The Feathered Serpent God, having been struck at his vital points, did not struggle. Instead, he seemed frozen in place, utterly motionless.

Chaac’s four facades merged back into one.

Then the Feathered Serpent God’s enormous body began to disintegrate like a river of golden sand, breaking apart into countless golden grains that scattered throughout the divine kingdom.

These grains of golden sand contained immensely powerful solar energy. Some fell upon the palace, blasting it into ruins. Others landed upon the barren earth, instantly turning it into a scorched wasteland. Others fell upon trees and living creatures, reducing them all to ashes.

Qi Xuansu looked up at the sky.

Although the setting sun of dusk was on the verge of disappearing, it stubbornly refused to give way to night and the moon.

Was Kukulkan still alive?

Qi Xuansu was startled and turned his gaze toward Ixchel.

The moon maiden answered Qi Xuansu’s unspoken question. “Sage Qi, that was merely Kukulkan’s avatar. His true body still remains within his bedchamber. Even so, destroying this avatar has dealt him a tremendous loss. God Chaac and I are about to enter Kukulkan’s bedchamber. Would you care to accompany us as a witness?”

Qi Xuansu naturally would not agree. With his current cultivation, becoming involved in a battle between gods would be tantamount to courting death.

At that moment, Madam Wu said, “We should still take a look. Use your Corpse Liberation Incarnation.”

Qi Xuansu immediately understood Madam Wu’s meaning. As an immortal object, Madam Qi need not fear a clash between gods. He could manifest his Corpse Liberation Incarnation using the Seven Feather Five Fires Fan. United with Madam Wu, his incarnation would possess the cultivation of a Pseudo-Immortal. Even if it could not intervene in the battle, it would at least have the ability to protect itself. Meanwhile, Qi Xuansu’s true body could withdraw from the area, preferably returning to the Paititi pocket realm, ready to retreat immediately if anything went wrong.

After giving it some thought, Qi Xuansu nodded. “All right.”

This was not the first time Qi Xuansu had done something like this. Back when he ventured into Yomi-no-Kuni, his true body’s cultivation had likewise been insufficient, so he had controlled the Sakka to enter in his stead. If he had the Sakka with him now, he could have participated far more directly. Unfortunately, he did not, leaving him little more than a spectator.

In the blink of an eye, Qi Xuansu had condensed his Corpse Liberation Incarnation with Madam Wu’s assistance. His true body retreated along the serpent passage by which they had entered, while his Corpse Liberation Incarnation followed Ixchel up the staircase bathed in golden light.

It had been from the top of this staircase that Kukulkan’s avatar had extended its head moments earlier, demonstrating just how broad the staircase was. At its end stood a golden curtain of light, barring the way forward.

Beyond the golden curtain lay Kukulkan’s bedchamber. It was clear that this place had transcended the concept of ordinary palaces or buildings, becoming abstract and ethereal. Though called a bedchamber, it more closely resembled a unique space existing independently within the divine kingdom.

At that moment, a mass of black mist drifted over, carrying the stench of decay. The mist condensed into the figure of a rotting man with the head of an owl. He held an obsidian knife with his right hand, while his left cradled a human skull.

It was none other than Ah Puch, the Death God of the North.

As an evil god, there was nothing surprising about his decision to rebel against the chief god.

Ixchel smiled and said, “God Ah Puch, you have arrived as well. Please open the path that leads to the usurper.”

Ah Puch was not participating in this rebellion against Kukulkan for nothing. At this moment, he reiterated his condition once more. “As we agreed, after Kukulkan is slain, I shall inherit his divine authority of death.”

Ixchel maintained her smile. “Naturally.”

“It is my honor to serve you, Your Majesty, the future Queen of the Moon.” Ah Puch raised the obsidian knife in his hand and drew it across the golden curtain of light before him.

The blade was shrouded in a powerful aura of corrosion. The moment it touched the golden barrier, a harsh sizzling could be heard as the black aura forcibly ate a deep groove into the curtain of light.

Ah Puch continued slicing back and forth. The golden curtain yielded like butter, gradually being cut apart.

The three gods passed through the opening one after another, forcing their way into Kukulkan’s bedchamber.

As expected, this place no longer resembled a temple. Instead, it was more like an illusory realm. Rather than the imagined sea of gold, everything here was pitch black.

At the center of this space stood a platform cast entirely from gold. It resembled both a Central Plains bed and an enlarged, elongated throne. Aside from its pure gold material, it bore no additional ornamentation whatsoever.

A gigantic Feathered Serpent lay coiled upon the golden platform, its wings folded over its body as it slumbered.

Although Qi Xuansu was merely observing, he shared Madam Wu’s senses. At this moment, he finally understood why Ixchel had been so certain that Kukulkan had only been bluffing.

Kukulkan’s true body possessed not only overwhelming divine might but also tremendous blood qi, born from the formidable physique of an innately extraordinary creature. Even if Kukulkan never ascended to godhood, he could still have pursued an entirely different path to power.

His earlier avatar had possessed divine might but lacked that blood qi. It had been nothing more than a paper tiger.

The combined presence of the three deities, together with Madam Wu, whose existence was infinitely close to that of a deity, finally awakened the slumbering Kukulkan.

He slowly opened his eyes. His vertical serpent pupils swept across the assembled gods, and despite the majesty of his voice, its weakness was impossible to conceal. “What do you intend to do?”

Neither the Death God nor the Rain God answered. Instead, both turned their gaze toward the moon maiden standing between them.

Ixchel now held complete control of the situation, just as the Death God had addressed her, the future Queen of the Moon.

Rising from maiden to queen was Ixchel’s ambition.

Ixchel had been secretly building her strength and carefully laying her plans, determined to overthrow Kukulkan and become the fourth-generation King of the Gods after Hunab Ku, Itzamna, and Kukulkan. At the same time, she had repeatedly extended goodwill toward Qi Xuansu, hoping to gain the recognition of the Daoist Order that stood behind him.

Now, Ixchel was only one step away from success. All that remained was to eliminate Kukulkan.

Ixchel did not rush to speak. Instead, she turned to Madam Wu and asked, “Honored envoy of the Daoist Order, I trust you have witnessed Kukulkan’s many transgressions. May I ask your opinion on the matter?”

Madam Wu replied, “I have no objections.”

Ixchel took Madam Wu’s response as tacit approval. She put away the pendant symbolizing the alliance with the humanoid insects and produced a silver box.

It was none other than the famed Ixchel’s Silver Box, a divine artifact capable of bringing utter destruction.

This was one of the reasons the Death God and the Rain God had chosen to side with Ixchel. It was not merely because she had offered generous terms but also because she possessed overwhelming military deterrence.

Even when Itzamna was still alive, Ixchel had ranked fourth within the Divine Court, above both the Death God and Kukulkan.

Panic and fear appeared in Kukulkan’s serpent eyes, yet he still said, “Possessing only the Silver Box is not enough. You also need Chak Chel’s key, which isn’t in your hands.”

This divine artifact was somewhat similar to the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords. It was divided into two parts. One was the Silver Box in Ixchel’s possession and the other was the box’s key held by Chak Chel. It was called Chak Chel’s Key and took the form of a dagger.

By inserting the key into the Silver Box, the artifact’s true power could be unleashed, allowing it to slay even gods, just as Great Sage Jiang had used Moral Sovereign to kill Chen Shuhua.

When Ixchel had originally split into two, this divine artifact had likewise been divided in half, with the moon maiden and the tiger-clawed crone each holding one portion.

“You’re mistaken,” Ixchel said calmly. “Chak Chel’s Key is also in my possession.”

Supporting the Silver Box in her left hand, Ixchel conjured a diamond-shaped dagger in her right. It was none other than Chak Chel’s Key.

The fear in Kukulkan’s eyes turned into utter despair. “How... How is this possible?”

At that moment, the voice of the tiger-clawed crone suddenly echoed within Kukulkan’s mind. “The Sky God Itzamna once foretold that when the Great Calamity descended, God Kukulkan must offer himself as a sacrifice to the Sun. Otherwise, the Divine Court would perish. The day of sacrifice has arrived. Kukulkan, the crimson flame will guide you and compel you to fulfill the oath we swore long ago. From this day forward, the solar eclipse will no longer represent the Divine Court. We shall preserve the sun, while you will erase the shadow.”

At last, Kukulkan understood everything. He let out a furious roar, his voice like crashing thunder. “You deceived me! You all deceived me!”

But it was already too late. Kukulkan was now far too weak. He could not even leave the golden platform.

At this moment, the golden platform looked remarkably like a sacrificial altar.

Ixchel slowly inserted the dagger into the silver box.

The moment the dagger was fully driven into the box would be the moment the lock was opened.

Just as Qi Xuansu’s true body was about to leave Kukulkan’s palace, he sensed something and turned around.

The sun hanging in the dusk sky grew increasingly dim, and a shadow appeared along its western edge.

It was as though someone were repeatedly tracing the sun’s western outline with an ink brush, making the dark line thicker and darker with every stroke.

Qi Xuansu had seen this scene before, in the vision revealed by the Guizang Lantern.

The solar eclipse was about to begin.