A Pawn's Passage

This was not a Banished Immortal’s Three Corpse Incarnation but rather the perfected Yin-Yang Unification Method. Simply put, it transformed the yin and yang qi within one’s body into two people, both of whom were Li Tianqing.

Qi Xuansu had not even noticed when Li Tianqing had pulled off the switch. Presumably, when Li Tianqing used the Transforming Demonic Hand to obscure Qi Xuansu’s six senses, he had seized the opportunity to employ this technique as well. Even Qi Xuansu’s Demonic Blade was unable to distinguish between them.

This was where Earthly and Heavenly Immortals truly held the advantage. The higher their cultivation level and the more perfected techniques they learned, the more their combat prowess would grow exponentially. Once they became Immortals, the sheer variety of methods at their disposal was no less than that of manmade Banished Immortals.

As one of the outstanding seventh-generation disciples, Li Tianqing certainly had his own exceptional qualities.

The moment Li Tianqing said, “Rise,” countless shadows appeared beneath Qi Xuansu’s feet and converged into one place, resembling a vast lake as they churned and roiled. Then, thirteen figures rose from within, completely surrounding Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu swept his gaze around him. All thirteen figures were dressed in black, their faces pale and rigid. There were no eyeballs within their sockets, only eerie black flames burning within.

Qi Xuansu remained unfazed. “The Thirteen Sword Slaves.”

The Taiyin 13 Swords had two branches—one involved nurturing inner demons, while the other involved controlling sword slaves. The final move of the former was the Inner Demon Manifestation, while the final move of the latter was the Sword Demon Manifestation.

This was rather like the Daoist Order’s present situation—inner demons sought inward, while sword slaves sought outward.

Simply put, people who had failed in cultivating the Taiyin 13 Swords became sword slaves.

The essence of the Taiyin 13 Swords lay in the profound and mysterious connection between each sword technique. The power of one sword added to another was greater than that of two swords separately. Thus, the more techniques of the Taiyin 13 Swords one mastered, the greater their power became. However, the autonomous sword intention of the Taiyin 13 Swords would also grow stronger. When the power of the Taiyin 13 Swords reached its peak, the wielder would find it increasingly difficult to control them until their mind was eventually eroded and they were transformed into a sword slave.

After becoming a sword slave, the person did not die completely. Instead, they became expendable material for others to form the Taiyin Sword Formation.

One could imagine how much time and effort it took to gather thirteen qualified sword slaves. In ancient times, some people deliberately scattered copies of the Taiyin 13 Swords on the streets as supposed fortuitous encounters. Many who did not understand what they were getting into would foolishly treasure the technique as though they had obtained a priceless treasure, believing that they had stumbled upon fortune and that they would soon master a divine art and roam the Jianghu unhindered. It perfectly illustrated the saying that every gift from fate already had its price secretly marked. In the end, they merely labored for someone else’s benefit and were reduced to sword slaves. This practice was known as refining sword slaves.

The Holy Xuan considered this method far too cruel, so he cut out portions from the Taiyin 13 Swords and prohibited the refining of sword slaves. However, sword slaves that had already been successfully refined were still passed down. It was known that the Quanzhen Sect possessed one complete set, presumably in the Earthly Preceptor’s hands, while the Taiping Sect also possessed a complete set. This was most likely the same set now in Li Tianqing’s possession.

The two Li Tianqings merged back into one. No one knew what method he had used, but he had somehow temporarily suppressed the demonic fire that would have troubled anyone else.

Li Tianqing declared, “Everyone says that you and the Junior Imperial Preceptor are the Twin Peaks of the Daoist Order’s eighth generation. Naturally, these sword slaves would hardly be worthy of your attention. However, circumstances leave me no choice, so I must boldly ask you for some pointers, Sage Qi.”

Qi Xuansu said, “You are a senior who has been renowned for many years. Why be so modest? Though I have dabbled in the Taiyin 13 Swords, I am constrained by my Godly Immortal Lineage and have never completed the final sword technique. You, on the other hand, have mastered all thirteen sword techniques, so you should be superior to me in this regard.”

Li Tianqing chuckled. “Seniority and age are secondary. What truly matters is the superiority of one’s abilities. Some learn the Dao earlier than others, but mastery determines seniority. Although I am one generation your senior, I would not dare presume upon my seniority.”

Qi Xuansu smiled faintly. “Very well. Since you put it that way, I’ll give you a pointer or two, lest you remain ignorant of the vastness of the world. If I accidentally kill you, then I suppose your pursuit of knowledge caused your sacrifice.”

When it came to sarcastic insinuations, Qi Xuansu was entirely self-taught and could compare to any member of the Li family, which many people have commented on.

Li Tianqing’s expression immediately turned grave.

Being modest about oneself was considered gracious, but having someone else point out one’s shortcomings struck a sore spot. Li Tianqing had claimed that a senior might be inferior to a junior and asked Qi Xuansu to give him a pointer or two, but when Qi Xuansu actually assumed the airs of a superior, Li Tianqing felt disgusted.

Li Tianqing snorted coldly. Without any discernible movement from him, thirteen longswords simultaneously ignited with black yin fire before flying into the hands of the thirteen sword slaves. As the swords flew toward their respective sword slaves, the yin fire trailing behind them stretched into streaks that crisscrossed overhead, weaving into a vast net that descended directly upon Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu neither dodged nor evaded. He spread his hands apart and tore the descending net open down the middle. Although the yin fire was formidable, it was nothing like the raging inferno an Immortal faced during their second heavenly tribulation.

After tearing through the great net of yin fire, Qi Xuansu shot forward, heading straight for Li Tianqing.

Li Tianqing retreated, and the thirteen sword slaves moved with him, shifting from their original encirclement into a battle formation that blocked Qi Xuansu’s access to Li Tianqing.

Qi Xuansu threw a punch. One sword slave held his sword horizontally before him, gripping the hilt with his right hand while pressing his left index finger against the blade, forcibly withstanding Qi Xuansu’s strike.

The yin fire burning along the blade could not harm Qi Xuansu in the slightest. Qi Xuansu continued pressing forward. The longsword in the sword slave’s hands bent inward into an alarming arc as the sword slave was steadily forced backward.

However, there were more sword slaves behind him. Two sword slaves braced against the first using the same posture. Behind those two stood another four sword slaves, and behind those four stood another six.

Qi Xuansu’s punch forced the first sword slave backward, but the sword slave never completely gave way. As more sword slaves joined their strength to his, Qi Xuansu’s advance grew slower until he finally came to a complete stop.

With the strength of all thirteen sword slaves combined, they not only stopped Qi Xuansu’s punch but even began forcing Qi Xuansu backward.

Immediately afterward, the sword formation abruptly shifted, trapping Qi Xuansu within it once more.

In Qi Xuansu’s field of vision, more and more sword slaves appeared, along with an ever-growing number of swords. They were layered not only front to back but also one above another. The sword slaves and their swords interwove to form a mountain that completely obscured Li Tianqing from view.

Qi Xuansu continued throwing out punches. Wherever each punch passed, his fist intention shattered several sword shadows. In the blink of an eye, more than 100 sword shadows had vanished. Qi Xuansu was surrounded by enemies on all sides, yet he swept through them as effortlessly as crushing rotten wood.

However, the Taiyin Sword Formation continuously spawned new sword shadows. As long as the thirteen sword slaves that formed its foundation remained alive and their qi remained unhindered, these shadows would be endless.

At the same time, traces of sword qi continuously seeped into Qi Xuansu’s body.

Little by little, they accumulated, relentlessly attacking Qi Xuansu’s life force.

However, Qi Xuansu was not afraid. After all, this body was merely a Corpse Liberation Incarnation. Even if his true body were here, the Longevity Stone Heart would still allow him to withstand it. Li Tianqing certainly knew of the Longevity Stone Heart, but he probably did not fully understand its mysterious qualities.

Qi Xuansu suddenly unleashed Present Saha from the Three Sacred Fist.

In an instant, winds howled, and clouds surged overhead, sending billowing masses of mist cascading downward to form a gigantic vortex in the sky. Below, earth qi was drawn up and transformed into a vast expanse of earthy-yellow mist that churned violently.

Drawing from heaven above and earth below, the two forces ultimately converged in the middle.

The countless sword shadows surrounding and attacking Qi Xuansu were abruptly swept away. Although the Taiyin Sword Formation continued generating new sword shadows, a gap inevitably appeared within the formation.

Qi Xuansu finally caught sight of Li Tianqing, who had been concealed behind the sword formation.

Seizing the opportunity, Qi Xuansu flashed forward and appeared directly before Li Tianqing.

Overwhelming sword qi surged from Li Tianqing’s body and soared toward the heavens. He used his finger in place of a sword and thrust it forward.

Qi Xuansu threw a punch, meeting Li Tianqing’s sword finger head-on. He immediately felt the sword qi rushing toward his face like a gale, his robes whipping wildly in the wind.

While the two were locked in a contest of strength, a figure suddenly swept in from the side.

Wherever the figure passed, trees were uprooted, and buildings collapsed with thunderous crashes, leaving behind nothing but shattered walls and ruins. It was as though a violent storm had swept through, leaving devastation in its wake.

The one who had intervened was none other than the old monk from the Nanyang Buddhist Sect.

Bhikkhus were similar to Martial Arts Practitioners, but were still fundamentally different from them.

Buddhist Bhikkhus had a golden body and Vajra Strength, so every finger strike and palm strike carried tremendous force. When fighting an opponent, there was no need for particularly intricate techniques but brute force. Upon reaching the Heavenly Being stage, one could cultivate the Vajra Strength into Vajra Divine Strength. It possessed its own demon-subduing abilities, allowing the wielder to strike the intangible, like Martial Arts Practitioners shattering the void.

At this moment, Lin Yuanmiao was confronting Wu Guangbi, so naturally, he could not help Qi Xuansu block this attack.

In the blink of an eye, Qi Xuansu found himself in an extremely perilous situation. The slightest misstep would cause his incarnation to perish. If so, Lin Yuanmiao’s chances of survival would also be slim.

At that moment, time seemed to slow down.

The Heluo God’s voice sounded beside Qi Xuansu’s ear. “Do you need me to intervene?”

Qi Xuansu did not hesitate and replied, “Yes.”

The Heluo God wasted no words and immediately began taking control of Qi Xuansu’s incarnation.

Qi Xuansu’s consciousness did not fall dormant. Instead, he became an observer.

The flow of time returned to normal.

The old monk’s punch failed to land on Qi Xuansu. Instead, Qi Xuansu caught him by the wrist.

This old monk’s cultivation was formidable, which was why Pei Shenfu had invited him as reinforcement. By the Daoist Order’s standards, he was a Pseudo-Immortal, slightly inferior to Li Tianqing and roughly on par with Hun Ahau.

The old monk was horrified to discover that Qi Xuansu’s cultivation was actually a level above his own, almost at the pinnacle of the Pseudo-Immortal stage and only one step away from immortality. In other words, this was the greatest level of power that a Godly Immortal could exert in the mortal world.

How could Qi Xuansu possibly possess such a high cultivation level?

Even the Daoist Order’s Three Heirs had only possessed cultivation at this level a few years ago, while they were still building their reputations.

It had only been a few years since the Three Daoist Heirs became Immortal. Even accounting for the fact that they had deliberately focused on solidifying their foundations instead of rushing to advance into the Longevity stage, there was absolutely no way they had possessed such cultivation when they were Qi Xuansu’s age.

Was this the true depth of the Daoist Order’s strength? There were already two Pseudo-Immortals in their thirties.

Before the old monk could ponder further, Qi Xuansu had already forced back Li Tianqing, with whom he had been evenly matched just moments ago, before smoothly sweeping a palm across the old monk’s chest.

The old monk’s golden body remained completely unscathed, but a sharp pain suddenly pierced his heart, as though insects were gnawing away at it.