A Pawn's Passage

Under Long Xiaobai’s lead, the two arrived above Yunmeng Marsh.

At this moment, there was no mist over Yunmeng Marsh, which probably meant that the entrance to the Immortal’s cave dwelling had not opened.

Long Xiaobai’s home was beneath the water. For the current Qi Xuansu, going underwater was not at all difficult. With all Five Immortal Lineages at his disposal, he had five different ways to move freely underwater.

Qi Xuansu casually cast the Diviner’s Water-Avoidance Spell, then followed Long Xiaobai as she descended into the water.

Long Xiaobai had originally intended to reveal her true form, but Qi Xuansu stopped her. If someone actually saw her and rumors started spreading about a flood dragon suddenly appearing in Yunmeng Marsh, it would inevitably invite unwanted trouble and cause another commotion. It was better to avoid unnecessary complications.

As the two continued their descent, Qi Xuansu only felt as though his horizons were broadened.

Yunmeng Marsh had been continuously expanding over the years. Some rivers, wetlands, and forests that had originally been part of the surrounding land had gradually sunk beneath the lake, so they could still see the remains of abandoned buildings and even the wondrous sight of underwater forests.

This also showed that these places had been submerged within a short period of time rather than slowly swallowed by the waters over countless years, which was why the original appearance of the mountains and forests had been preserved. This proved that the accounts concerning the White Lotus Sect, where an entire region had turned into a vast expanse of water overnight, were true.

Clearly, this was highly abnormal. Then again, the world was vast, with plenty of strange and supernatural occurrences.

The Daoist Order had to pursue development while also expanding outward. So, they would not concern themself with things that did not pose a tangible threat.

Yunmeng Marsh had undergone too many changes over the years, and Long Xiaobai had been away for too long. She actually got lost and led Qi Xuansu around in several large circles, with no clue where her home was.

Qi Xuansu did not rush her. He patiently followed while observing the traces of human habitation around them. After being submerged in the lake for so long, only ruined walls and crumbling remnants remained. The underwater trees were much the same. At first glance, they still appeared intact, but in truth, the trees had long since died and turned into ancient waterlogged timber.

Yet there was not the slightest trace of a person. If all these ruined buildings had truly been swallowed by the lake overnight, then in all likelihood, people should have been swept into the water as well. But he did not see a corpse or even any bones, which made the whole thing exceedingly strange.

Just then, Long Xiaobai suddenly exclaimed through their divine sense communication, “Found it!”

Qi Xuansu looked in the direction she was facing.

It was an ancient palace that had tilted over. Its back half had already sunk into the mud, leaving the entire structure angled upward at 45 degrees.

The palace bore an unmistakable ancient style, dating back to even before the First Emperor unified the realm. In ancient times, before Yunmeng Marsh was completely covered by the lake, it contained vast stretches of forests, rivers, and wetlands. It was also an ancient hunting ground. This palace might have been ruins from the Chu Kingdom, where the King of Chu and his large entourage would stop to rest whenever they came to Yunmeng Marsh to hunt.

But now, the palace had been transformed into a dragon’s lair.

Qi Xuansu had seen one before, when he helped the Longevous attack the old flood dragon’s palace off the Southern Continent. At first glance, that dragon palace was still quite imposing, magnificent, and lavish. Compared with the old flood dragon’s palace, Long Xiaobai’s lair fell far short.

Qi Xuansu asked through his divine sense, “Did you build this yourself?”

Long Xiaobai replied, “I was born in a stone cavern. It was fine at first, but as I grew, it became more and more cramped. So I left the cavern, found this place, and made some modifications to it.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “Let’s go inside and take a look.”

Long Xiaobai went ahead, while Qi Xuansu followed behind her.

In ancient times, giants existed, especially throughout the Xiang and Chu regions. The Great Witches were the most typical examples. For this reason, this palace was exceptionally massive, and its gates were large enough for a flood dragon to pass through without any modification.

Since the entire palace was tilted, Qi Xuansu and Long Xiaobai did not enter normally through the palace gates. Instead, they descended into it from above.

The interior of the palace was tilted as well. Following the downward slope to its end, they came to a tunnel excavated by Long Xiaobai. After passing through the long passage, they officially entered her lair.

Naturally, this place did not conform to human aesthetics. It resembled an underground cavern that had simply been reinforced. A huge, rough circular stone platform lay in the center, but its surface had been worn smooth. This was probably Long Xiaobai’s bed, where she coiled herself up to sleep.

This was far inferior to Kukulkan’s palace. The difference between the two was simply worlds apart, like comparing a royal palace hall to a thatched hut.

Of course, considering the difference in their ages, one could hardly expect a child to build a mansion.

Long Xiaobai proudly introduced the place. “This is my home!”

Qi Xuansu looked around. “Xiaobai, your home is a little too basic. Don’t you have any possessions?”

To Qi Xuansu’s surprise, Long Xiaobai immediately replied, “Of course I do!”

Still, there was a noticeable lack of confidence behind those words. After seeing the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, she also knew that her shabby little lair was hardly something that could impress Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu expressed his disbelief. “Do you really have any? Looking at how bare your home is, it doesn’t seem like you’d have any treasures at all. I was just making an offhand remark, so there’s no need to put on a brave front.”

Long Xiaobai felt insulted, and a faint flush appeared on her snow-white face. “Don’t look down on me!”

With that, Long Xiaobai went over to the stone platform where she used to sleep, lifted several stone slabs, and dug out a stone pillar that was as tall as a person from underneath.

At first, Qi Xuansu was still expecting to have a good laugh, but when he saw the patterns on the stone pillar, his expression abruptly changed.

Long Xiaobai had been watching Qi Xuansu all along. Seeing such an expression appear on his face, she immediately realized that the stone pillar she had treasured and kept hidden away was no ordinary object.

Seeing this, she raised her chin haughtily, suddenly feeling much more confident.

Qi Xuansu walked up to the stone pillar and gently ran his hand across it. “Where did you find this?”

Instead of answering his question, Long Xiaobai asked, “You recognize this stone pillar?”

Qi Xuansu said, “This isn’t some ordinary stone pillar. It’s a totem of the Ancient Wuist Sect.”

Since Long Xiaobai had studied at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, she naturally knew of the Ancient Wuist Sect. She could not help but ask, “Which Great Witch?”

When it came to knowledge of the Great Witches, Qi Xuansu could be considered something of an expert. He said, “This is Wu Yang’s totem.”

Long Xiaobai thought for a moment. “You mean the Wu Gorge’s Wu Yang?”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “That’s her. Goddess Peak in Wu Gorge is her Daoist sanctuary. The Daoist Order and the Imperial Court have permitted her to receive incense offerings from later generations.”

Only then did Long Xiaobai answer, “This totem was originally in the great hall outside. When I first came here, it had already fallen over. But I could tell at a glance that there was something extraordinary about it, so I deliberately kept it as part of my collection.”

Qi Xuansu said thoughtfully, “That explains it. Wu Yang once summoned the King of Chu’s soul. The famous Summons of the Soul was written about Wu Yang. Out of gratitude for Wu Yang’s kindness, it would make perfect sense for the King of Chu to erect a totem dedicated to her within his palace.”

Long Xiaobai could not help but ask, “What’s written on this totem?”

Qi Xuansu read aloud, “O soul, return! Why have you left your body and wandered to the four directions? Why abandon your place of joy and depart for those inauspicious lands?... O soul, return! In the east you cannot abide... Return! You must not entrust yourself there... O soul, return! In the south you must not remain...”

Long Xiaobai was stunned. “Wait, you actually understand it? I was just asking casually.”

Qi Xuansu was not simply making things up on the spot. After advancing to the Pseudo-Immortal stage, he had obtained Wu Peng’s divine abilities and secret knowledge concerning the Ancient Wuist Sect, including their script. In essence, he was now an inheritor of the Ancient Wuist Sect’s legacy.

Qi Xuansu said, “This is Wu Yang’s spell for summoning the soul. After a person dies, the soul returns to heaven while the spirit returns to earth. Summoning the soul can call both soul and spirit back into the body, bringing the dead back to life.”

Long Xiaobai clicked her tongue in amazement. “Wow, it’s that powerful?”

Qi Xuansu said, “Provided there is still a soul left to summon.”

As he spoke, Qi Xuansu caught sight of the pained expression on Long Xiaobai’s face from the corner of his eye, so he said, “This totem really is quite useful to me. Could you give it to me? Don’t worry, I won’t take it from you for nothing.”

If this had been Little Yin, her eyes would already have started darting around upon hearing those words, and she would have instantly changed her tune and begun bargaining.

But Long Xiaobai was not like the cunning Little Yin. Although it pained her somewhat, she still put on a magnanimous front. “It’s merely a totem, so I’ll just give it to you. I’m a dragon! I possess the wealth of the Four Seas. Something like this means nothing to me.”

Qi Xuansu was a natural contrarian. The more someone demanded something from him, the less willing he was to give it. For example, when Little Yin wanted a big tiger, he gave her a big tabby cat. When Little Yin wanted a great white crane, he gave her a big white goose. Yet if Little Yin did not ask him for anything, he would instead start thinking about her and voluntarily give her all sorts of treasures.

If Long Xiaobai had made exorbitant demands and displayed insatiable greed, Qi Xuansu would most likely have brought up her Daoist Priest Kindred status. Yet Long Xiaobai had deliberately acted magnanimously, which left Qi Xuansu feeling somewhat guilty.

Qi Xuansu said, “How about this? I’ll approve whatever perfected method you want to learn, as long as it doesn’t violate any taboos.”

Long Xiaobai’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

This was precisely why she had infiltrated the Wanxiang Daoist Palace in the first place. Now that the opportunity had practically delivered itself to her doorstep, how could she possibly refuse?

Qi Xuansu said, “Of course. I’m the Palace Master, after all. I have at least this much authority.”

Some might argue that Qi Xuansu was using his authority for personal gain. But that would not be entirely fair. Setting aside Long Xiaobai’s Daoist Priest Kindred status, Qi Xuansu was giving away one perfected method in exchange for the Ancient Wuist Sect’s perfected method. When he returned to the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, he would certainly add the Soul-Summoning Spell to the library’s collection.

Thus far, Qi Xuansu had learned only two perfected methods. Given his current status and cultivation level, learning another one was perfectly reasonable.

One could hardly demand that Qi Xuansu devote himself entirely to contributing to the Daoist Order without giving any consideration to his own interests. After all, he was no saint.

This was also a common failing among certain self-proclaimed moral purists. They always held others to the standards of saints, intolerant of the slightest imperfection.

After receiving Qi Xuansu’s promise, Long Xiaobai immediately tossed her earlier heartache to the back of her mind. No matter how valuable the totem was, she could not understand it anyway. Being able to exchange it for a perfected method was truly an unexpected windfall for her.

Qi Xuansu took the totem and gazed intently at the various characters and patterns inscribed upon it. His eyes instantly began to shine with brilliant light.