A Pawn's Passage

Countless red beams shot from the ruby ring like a torrential rain of blood-red arrows, filling the whole space with a deathly aura.

The blood-red storm instantly engulfed Pei Shenfu.

The razor-sharp killing intent carried by each red beam was so convincing that Pei Shenfu almost believed every single one of them was real.

When falsehood was taken for the truth, even truth became false.

Since Pei Shenfu believed them to be real, many of the illusory red beams actually became real, further increasing the power of the blood-red storm.

The remaining power of the Six Tribulations surrounding Pei Shenfu instantly collapsed.

The single real red beam pierced through her ribs from below at an angle with utter precision and passed straight through her heart.

However, at that moment, Pei Shenfu had also advanced into the Pseudo-Immortal stage.

For a Pseudo-Immortal, having the heart pierced was not a fatal injury. For an Immortal, the heart could be shattered and the head severed, and they still would not die.

Star Lord Yuheng did not stop there. After the red beam pierced Pei Shenfu’s heart, a corrosive force immediately spread throughout her blood and qi, traveling along her meridians in every direction as though it intended to dissolve her entire body into a pool of viscous liquid.

Once again, it was turning falsehood into reality.

This was actually a false illusion of impending death born from the genuine threat of death caused by a lethal strike. Falsehood was concealed within truth, both intertwining until each was indistinguishable from the other. In a life-and-death battle, there was simply no opportunity to carefully tell them apart.

As long as one believed both the truth and the falsehood, then everything became real. These illusory injuries would transform into genuine injuries and manifest directly upon the body, turning a false state of near-death into a real one.

That was why spells were essentially the art of deception. As long as it could deceive someone, the deception became reality. So long as there was even the slightest opening, that weakness could be continuously magnified until a tiny breach became a collapsing dam.

The Scripture of Zuriel was even more formidable. It had reached the level of deceiving oneself as well as others.

Yet Pei Shenfu, who had barely any rationality left at this point, was immune to it.

Under the influence of extreme arrogance, her conceit had reached its absolute peak.

In her current state, even the Three Deputy Grand Master were beneath her, so how could she possibly be injured and die?

Pei Shenfu attacked with all her might.

The Six Void Tribulations transformed into the Xiaoyao Six Void Tribulations.

Wherever the Six Tribulations passed, the countless overlapping mirrors within the palace shattered in succession.

Star Lord Yuheng’s purple eyes were reflected on every shard of mirror that was sent flying.

Only one mirror remained intact—the freestanding mirror. Star Lord Yuheng was hidden within it, the smile gone from her face and replaced by a solemn expression.

A Pseudo-Immortal who was on the brink of insanity was undoubtedly terrifying.

The power of the Six Tribulations also transformed into an enormous vortex, continuously sucking in mirrors from outside the palace and violently sweeping up everything in its path.

The entire world of mirrors was on the verge of collapse.

The real world outside could even be seen through the shattered mirrors.

Finally, Yin fire, black ice, heavenly wind, thunder, the Netherworld, and red earth broke through the confines of the divine domain and manifested in the real world. They then spread in every direction, instantly reducing the Li family’s residence to ruins, as though the entire area had been subjected to a bombardment by the Phoenix Eye Bomb.

Had Li Tianzhen not sensed that something was wrong and fled quickly, while also possessing a life-saving fan, he might well have died at the hands of Pei Shenfu, his temporary ally.

Pei Shenfu certainly would not have taken responsibility for it.

Star Lord Yuheng also revealed her true body, finally looking somewhat disheveled and irritated. The situation had originally been certain to end in her victory, only for Pei Shenfu to break out of it using the Scripture of Zuriel, causing all of Star Lord Yuheng’s efforts to fall short at the final hurdle.

At this point, she had no other choice but to pray to the deity she served.

A speck of purple light appeared out of thin air and descended upon the spot between her eyebrows.

The purple hue within Star Lord Yuheng’s eyes grew even more intense. Purple radiance spilled from her eye sockets, wavering and swaying in the air.

It was a divine descent.

Star Lord Yuheng was also a vessel for True Lord Ziguang. Although her compatibility could not compare with Qi Xuansu’s, she could still wield the power of a Pseudo-Immortal.

Pei Shenfu condensed yin fire into a sword, manifesting the abridged version of the Taiyin 13 Swords. It had no inner demon or Taiyin Sword Formation, so its power was far inferior to the original.

A bright moon subsequently appeared. Although it could not compare with the bright moon manifested by Li Tianqing, it was still not to be underestimated.

Immediately afterward, starlight shone brilliantly as numerous stars appeared around the moon.

These stars were not one with the moon. Instead, they formed a cage that imprisoned it.

Star Lord Yuheng had made her move.

At this point, there were a total of eight Pseudo-Immortals participating in the battle—Qi Xuansu, Li Tianqing, Master Wan, the old Buddhist monk, Lin Yuanmiao, Wu Guangbi, Star Lord Yuheng, and Pei Shenfu.

Even an Immortal would not dare withstand a combined strike from all eight of them.

In fact, with just one more Pseudo-Immortal, their combined strength would be enough to rival three Immortals.

This was the depth of the Daoist Order’s foundation, and this was still a relatively restrained internal conflict. For some small nations, a battle of this scale would already resemble an existential catastrophe. If the Three Daoist Sects were to wage an all-out war against one another, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Having mobilized four Pseudo-Immortals, Pei Shenfu and Li Tianqing had not exactly underestimated Qi Xuansu either. After all, this combat power was enough to attempt an ambush on an Immortal.

Qi Xuansu was simply too powerful. He had proven through his actions that he was unafraid of them and that he would concern himself with Nanyang’s affairs no matter what.

What could they possibly do to him even after exhausting every trick at their disposal? They would still have to comply with him because he called the shots in Nanyang.

Elsewhere, Wu Guangbi and Lin Yuanmiao had gradually moved away from Qingshui Island, fighting all the way out to sea.

Wu Guangbi circulated the Four Seasons Sword Technique with all his might. Boundless frosty qi spread outward, rapidly freezing the seawater. In the blink of an eye, the sea that had been rippling gently moments earlier had transformed into a vast, snow-white field.

Viewed from high above, a distinct frosted line stretched from Qingshui Island deep into the sea before expanding into an enormous frost-covered plain, resembling a piece of cotton candy magnified countless times.

Twelve streams of sword qi embodying the withering and flourishing cycles of the four seasons spiraled forth. They alternated between bright and dim, cold and hot, circling Lin Yuanmiao with endless variations. Yet despite all this, Lin Yuanmiao was unaffected.

Lin Yuanmiao’s cultivation lineage came primarily from Lin Lingsu, who had two lineages—one from True Lord Qingxu Yuanmiao and another from the Heavenly Empress.

Later, Lin Lingsu was imprisoned by Sage Changchun, who still hoped to reform him. So Sage Changchun often discussed the Dao with him, delving deeply into its subtleties and mysteries. Since the Three Corpses were one with the original body, Lin Yuanmiao also benefited from these exchanges.

Both True Lord Qingxu Yuanmiao and Sage Changchun were patriarchs of the Quanzhen Sect. Sage Changchun’s master was Elder Chongyang, after whom the Chongyang Palace of Immortality was named.

Thus, everything Lin Yuanmiao had learned belonged to the orthodox lineage of the Quanzhen Sect. Whenever Great Sage Lan had some spare time, he would also discuss the similarities and differences between ancient and modern teachings with this Daoist predecessor. By comparing and corroborating their respective knowledge, both gained something from these exchanges.

Being a direct inheritor of the Five Northern Patriarchs’ orthodox lineage, Great Sage Lan had always regarded himself as part of the orthodox Quanzhen Sect. If Wu Guangbi could be regarded as an inferior version of the Golden Patriarch, then Lin Yuanmiao could likewise be regarded as an inferior version of Great Sage Lan.

After the two had fought fiercely for quite some time, Lin Yuanmiao gradually gained the upper hand.

No matter how one looked at it, Lin Yuanmiao had the foundation of an Immortal and was somewhat similar to a Divine Descent Incarnation. Whether he could actually attain immortality himself depended on other opportunities. However, under the current circumstances, as long as Lin Yuanmiao and Master Wan fully recovered to their peak states, they would be comparable to the most powerful Divine Descent Incarnations, only one step away from possessing Immortal-level strength.

Although Lin Yuanmiao had yet to recover completely, in terms of cultivation alone, he was no weaker than Li Tianqing. If Li Tianqing did not have the Taiyin Sword Formation, it would be difficult to say which of them would emerge victorious.

Wu Guangbi grew increasingly anxious, yet there was nothing he could do. He could only pin his hopes on Li Tianqing’s side.

However, the first person who could no longer hold out was the old Buddhist monk.

Earlier, the old monk had been caught off guard when Qi Xuansu’s palm swept across his chest. Immediately afterward, he felt an intense pain in his chest, as though insects were gnawing away inside him.

Once the old monk manifested his Buddhist Golden Body, he temporarily suppressed this hidden affliction.

If that had been all, it would hardly have amounted to anything. After all, this was not a serious problem with his Pseudo-Immortal cultivation. It could simply be neutralized over time. The real problem was that the old monk had to face Master Wan at the same time.

The two remained locked in a contest of strength. In terms of raw physical power, the old monk was not at a disadvantage.

But Master Wan also had surging corpse qi, which could even corrode the mortal realm. Beimang Mountain, which was a blessed paradise before, had turned into a ghostly realm due to the fissure between the yin and yang realms. That was why the Daoist Order planted the Emperor Willow to seal the fissure in the Ghost Kingdom.

If corpse qi could corrode even the world itself and defile even the body of an Immortal, what chance did a Buddhist Golden Body stand against it?

As the two sides remained locked in a stalemate, the old monk’s golden body was gradually corroded by the corpse qi. Its color steadily faded until its luster dimmed completely. Meanwhile, the previously suppressed insects resumed gnawing at his heart, distracting him.

The old monk could only watch helplessly as the insect gnawed his heart away until nothing remained.

Master Wan usually appeared rather slow-witted, even endearingly simple and honest when he interacted with Little Yin. But he was perceptive, immediately sensing the old monk’s predicament. He increased his strength, refusing to give the monk even the slightest chance to catch his breath.

The old monk had intended to launch a sneak attack on Qi Xuansu, yet in the end, it was this attempt that led to his defeat.

Under this dual assault from within his body and Master Wan, the old monk let out a miserable scream. It was quickly followed by an earth-shaking boom as Master Wan’s two enormous palms finally slammed together.

Fresh blood seeped through the gaps between Master Wan’s palms and fell into the mouths on his skin.

These mouths drank the monk’s blood ravenously. They were no longer wailing in agony. Instead, they burst into laughter.

Master Wan sat cross-legged with his palms pressed together, looking almost like a ghostly Buddha, while the corpses covering his body seemed to have transformed into a Buddhist charnel ground.