A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu looked toward the stone tablet in Great Sage Jiang’s hand.

When Itzamna entered the state of death, it would have been impossible for him to carry any possessions.

This stone tablet had likely remained in Chak Chel’s possession all along. When she sent away the divine authority of the sun, she had also sent this tablet with it, and it had now ended up in Great Sage Jiang’s hands.

Although this altar was of limited practical value to the Daoist Order, it still could not simply be handed over to others. Judging from the situation, it was all but certain that the number of immortal objects under Great Sage Jiang’s care would exceed five, and it could eventually surpass ten.

There were indeed quite a few immortal objects of uncertain purpose. Many of them were spoils of war claimed by the Daoist Order. Moral Sovereign was the greatest trophy of them all. It was humiliating for the Confucian School that its supreme immortal object had become the weapon of the Daoist Grand Master. For the Daoist Order, however, it was an honor and tangible proof of their dominance over the Three Religions.

Every successive Daoist Grand Master had worked toward the same goal—transforming from Grand Master of the Daoist Order into the Supreme Leader of the Three Religions. It was a glorious achievement and an illustrious title worthy of being recorded in history.

Great Sage Jiang tapped on the stone tablet. The pyramid altar gradually became transparent once more before slowly fading from sight.

The altar’s protective measures were remarkably reliable. Kukulkan had known all along that the altar was hidden within the Paititi pocket realm. Yet despite all these years, he had never managed to open it. If even a Quasi-First-Tribulation Immortal could not accomplish such a feat, it was even less likely that anyone else could. Madam Wu’s safety was therefore not a concern.

Great Sage Jiang instructed, “Keep Madam Wu’s Moon in Water with you. After 49 days, activate the mirror, and I will come to examine Madam Wu’s condition.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “Understood, Elder Jiang.”

Great Sage Jiang said nothing further. He passed through the Moon Mirror’s portal and returned to Jade Capital, departing the same way he had arrived.

The portal then transformed back into a mirror and fell into Qi Xuansu’s hands. This half was none other than Moon in Water.

Meanwhile, Great Sage Tantai arrived at the divine kingdom. At this point, it was difficult to say to whom the divine kingdom actually belonged. Kukulkan was dead, and Itzamna was dead as well. Thus, it had become ownerless, like True Lord Taiyin’s Palace of Cold Light.

This was the tacit understanding between the Daoist Order and the Western Daoist Order. Paititi had been discovered by Qi Xuansu, so Great Sage Jiang, acting on behalf of the Daoist Order, naturally took responsibility for handling it and took away the key to both Paititi and the altar. As for the divine kingdom, since it involved the ancient gods, it would be left entirely to the Western Daoist Order to handle without interference.

The two sides did not even need to discuss the arrangement in detail. It was much like the fact that Gong Fu had never appeared here in the first place. His authority lay within the military, whereas matters concerning the ancient gods fell squarely under Tantai Zhenxiao’s jurisdiction.

While Itzamna carried himself like an emperor destined to conquer the world, the burly elder Tantai Zhenxiao was more like a battle-hardened old general. He did not have that overt imperial dominance about him. Instead, he was taciturn and resolute, acting with decisive efficiency. Once he had made up his mind, no one could change it.

Compared to Gong Fu, Tantai Zhenxiao had always been a man of few words. Having partnered for many years, the two complemented each other perfectly.

Tantai Zhenxiao stepped into Kukulkan’s bedchamber. Although everyone present was an Immortal in terms of cultivation, in sheer presence and bearing, Tantai Zhenxiao clearly overshadowed all the others.

The ancient gods had simply fallen too far. Their hearts harbored darkness, and there was little about their words or actions that could be described as upright or honorable.

The moment Tantai Zhenxiao arrived, the ancient gods knew that the outcome had already been decided.

Ixchel put away the dagger in her hand and offered Tantai Zhenxiao a respectful greeting.

Tantai Zhenxiao nodded in return. “You have my thanks for your efforts, Daoist friend.”

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the Death God Ah Puch and the Rain God Chaac before finally settling on Chak Chel. “On behalf of the Daoist Order and the Western Daoist Order, I hereby announce the following decisions.

“First: Ixchel, Goddess of the Full Moon, shall succeed Kukulkan as Chief God and lead the pantheon.

“Second: Chak Chel, Goddess of the Stars and Moon, has harbored treacherous intentions. Her motives are beyond excuse, and her fate shall be decided by the newly appointed Chief God, Ixchel.

“Third: this divine kingdom shall serve as the shared Divine Court and shall belong to no individual.

“Fourth: the divine authority of the sun left behind by Itzamna and Kukulkan shall be held in temporary custody by the Western Daoist Order.”

No one voiced any objection. Had Itzamna still been alive, the ancient gods might still have had the right to say “no.” But now, they no longer had that luxury. Although they still outnumbered the Daoists, their spirit had been utterly crushed by the overwhelming might of the Daoist Order. Nor could they compare themselves to Wu Luo or True Lord Siming, both of whom enjoyed the backing of the Buddhist Sect. Without that support, the two of them would have died countless times over.

As the greatest beneficiary of the arrangement, Ixchel was the first to respond. “I agree.”

Since Ixchel had already stated her position, Ah Puch and Chaac could hardly refuse. They likewise voiced their support.

Having lost the divine authority of the sun, it would indeed be difficult for Ixchel to exercise complete control over this divine kingdom. After this battle, however, the ancient gods were no longer in any position to contend with the Western Daoist Order, even though they still held a numerical advantage.

Tantai Zhenxiao declared in a deep voice, “I hereby proclaim Ixchel the fourth-generation Chief God.”

Ixchel accepted the position without hesitation and immediately turned her gaze toward Chak Chel.

At this point, Ah Puch and Chaac could no longer remain as passive as before. They had to make their allegiance unmistakably clear.

The two of them joined forces with Ixchel, surrounding Chak Chel.

With Tantai Zhenxiao watching from the side, there were four Immortals in total. Chak Chel had no room whatsoever to resist and could only await her fate.

Ixchel began to enumerate Chak Chel’s crimes.

“As the Chief God, I hereby proclaim the crimes of Chak Chel.

“First: In order to resurrect Itzamna, you secretly initiated the Shadow Tide, harvesting living souls.

“Second: You supported Itzamna’s resurrection, attempting to shatter the unified order.

“Third: You incited Kukulkan to rule without restraint, aiding tyranny and evil.

“Fourth: You assisted Kukulkan in promoting widespread blood sacrifice, showing no love for the people.

“Fifth: You secretly undermined Kukulkan, rendering him incapable of fulfilling the duties of the Chief God. Exploiting his authority in his name, you ruled arbitrarily, installed your own loyal followers throughout the Southern Continent, monopolized the affairs of the gods, and tolerated not the slightest dissent. Your intentions are beyond excuse.

“Sixth: Without the approval of either the Western Daoist Order or the Divine Court, you sacrificed Kukulkan in order to resurrect Itzamna.

“Seventh: You caused Madam Wu to suffer grievous injuries, nearly costing her life.

“Eighth: You recklessly divulged confidential matters to outsiders and abused your authority.

“Ninth: The turmoil now engulfing every corner of the Southern Continent stems from your reckless and perverse actions, in direct violation of the established policies of both the Daoist Order and the Western Daoist Order.”

Ixchel swept her gaze across those present before concluding, “These nine grievous crimes have enraged both mortals and gods alike and are intolerable in this realm. Since the founding of the Divine Court, not one god has committed such grievous offenses. I now submit this matter for the deliberation of all Sages and all gods. If there are no objections, Chak Chel shall be executed.”

Ixchel was equally decisive, fearing that delay might invite unforeseen complications. Though she spoke of submitting the matter for public deliberation, before her words had even finished, she had already driven the dagger in her hand straight into Chak Chel’s heart.

This was the very definition of a swift trial and sentence, more efficient even than the Green Phoenix Guard. The so-called deliberation had been nothing more than a formality.

Even Chak Chel had not anticipated this. She had probably expected Ixchel to imprison her first, either sealing her away, suppressing her, or executing her in secret. She had never imagined that Ixchel would be so impatient as to execute her on the spot.

As a result, Chak Chel had been caught completely off guard, allowing Ixchel to strike successfully with a single blow.

The power of the dagger was truly formidable. Chak Chel had already lost most of her ability to resist.

Chak Chel looked at Ixchel as though she wanted to say something, but in the end, no words came out. She merely opened her mouth futilely.

Ixchel’s greatest strength was her ability to adapt and bend to what the situation required.

She could humble herself before a young novice like Qi Xuansu when circumstances demanded it, and she could just as readily wield the blade herself and kill when the critical moment arrived.

After seeing Great Sage Jiang off, Qi Xuansu hurried back to the divine kingdom, arriving just in time to witness the scene. He could not help but feel a chill run through him.

This woman was truly ruthless.

She had joined forces with her allies to eliminate Kukulkan, with whom she had long been at odds, used the Daoist Order’s hand to get rid of her usurping husband, and now had personally killed her other self.

Qi Xuansu thought to himself, Had I not enjoyed the backing of the Daoist Order and a master who might one day become the Grand Master, I would have very likely ended with a very miserable death after provoking this Moon Goddess.

Ixchel’s expression remained calm, without the ferocity of someone personally avenging herself or the exhilaration of seizing supreme power. She did not even have the coldness of an executioner. It was as though she were simply carrying out the most ordinary daily task.

At that moment, two moons appeared in the sky above the divine kingdom.

One full moon grew larger and larger until it occupied nearly half the sky, while the other moon was compressed into a slender crescent, growing ever dimmer.

The full moon hung high overhead, while the dark moon sank toward the western horizon.

The fates of the two had already been decided.

Before dying, Chak Chel gathered the last of her strength and launched one final, desperate counterattack against Ixchel.

Countless rays of moonlight and starlight exploded outward, engulfing Ixchel’s figure.

When the moonlight and starlight finally faded away, only silence remained.

By then, the dark moon had vanished completely, leaving only a single moon in the sky, proclaiming that the Southern Continent now had one moon.

Ixchel still stood where she had been. Her golden body had dimmed somewhat, clearly wounded by Chak Chel’s dying strike, yet her expression remained calm. She merely lifted her chin ever so slightly, as if to declare that she had the last laugh and that she alone was the victor.

Chak Chel had vanished completely. Only two divine authorities were left where she had stood moments before. One was the divine authority of the star and moon, which had originally belonged to Ixchel before being split away from her, and the other was the divine authority of night, which Itzamna had failed to reclaim after his resurrection.

There was no doubt that these were Ixchel’s spoils of war, the very foundation upon which she would rely as the future King of Gods.

Ixchel now possessed both the moon and the stars, lacking only the sun. Had she been able to gather all three, she would have become the Master of Light, the Lord of Day and Night. Unfortunately for her, the Western Daoist Order would never allow her power to grow to such an extent. At most, she could become the Moon Goddess and the Lord of the Night.

Qi Xuansu took the opportunity to examine these so-called divine authorities.

Ordinarily, these things should have been invisible and intangible, much like a Golden Elixir—a concept rather than a physical object. Yet upon the death of their host, they would briefly materialize into a tangible form. The divine authorities resembled countless runes and talismanic inscriptions woven and layered together. They were so numerous and densely intertwined that no gaps could be seen between them, ultimately forming irregular crystalline shapes with a beauty of their own.

Once activated, each divine authority would manifest differently according to its nature. For example, the divine authority of the sun transformed into a radiant sun.

Ixchel took these two divine authorities into her hands.