A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu continued chatting with the old man about matters concerning the White Lotus Sect.

After several centuries of growth, the Incense Hall that had once numbered only a few hundred people now had at least ten thousand members.

There might even be more than that. When the White Lotus Sect followers first arrived in this pocket realm, they had been scattered and transported to different places. It took them more than a hundred years to gradually reestablish contact, and no one had complete information about all the groups. Thus, ten thousand was merely a rough estimate that could differ significantly from the actual number. Upon closer calculation, a population of several tens of thousands was entirely possible.

After all, the people here did not grow old and die, so the population would only continue to increase rather than decrease. Those accomplished cultivators who entered the mountain and never returned were only a tiny minority.

According to the old man, after so many years of development, the White Lotus Sect had long since grown far beyond the scale of a single Incense Hall. Around 200 years ago, at the proposal of the Old Sect Master’s son, a grand assembly was convened.

The Old Sect Master had been the Sect Master of their Incense Hall before they entered the pocket realm. Later, when everyone became scattered throughout the pocket realm and established their own Incense Halls, this original Sect Master came to be known as the Old Sect Master. His son had been the one to step forward because the Old Sect Master had already received the Cloud God’s enlightenment and had disappeared, never to return.

The Old Sect Master’s son proposed that everyone simply appoint a new Sect Leader. After all, when they were still in the outside world, the White Lotus Sect had a Sect Leader and a Holy Maiden.

The White Lotus Sect naturally could not compare with the Daoist Order in terms of organizational structure, and its Sect Leader certainly could not be mentioned in the same breath as the Daoist Order’s Grand Master.

In a sense, the Sect Leader of the White Lotus Sect was more like a Chief of a Martial Arts Alliance in the Jianghu. Apart from being able to convene a grand assembly, the position was basically of little practical use.

Thus, the White Lotus Sect essentially remained a collection of Incense Halls that acted independently. During every uprising, each Incense Hall would raise its own force, going to battle under their own banners. With no unified command, they were inevitably defeated one by one.

It was not until Elder Xu consolidated the White Lotus Sect into the Qingyang Sect, personally assumed the position of Sect Leader, and placed three generals under his command that the Sect Leader finally possessed real authority. Even then, it was only a fleeting phenomenon. After that came the Heavenly Court. The Golden Patriarch wielded genuine power, but by then, nearly 500 years had passed since the era of the White Lotus Sect.

Since the Sect Leader was relatively weak, the various Incense Halls had no objection to electing another one. In fact, the Sect Masters of several larger Incense Halls were eager to compete for the position themselves. In the end, the Old Sect Master’s son became the Sect Leader because the Old Sect Master’s lingering prestige still carried considerable weight, enough to benefit his descendants. The New Sect Leader then established a new set of rules. After all, everyone had already switched their faith to the Cloud God instead of the Heavenly Mater, so the rules had to be revised accordingly.

There was also a Holy Maiden. Although the position was not as important as that of the Sect Leader, someone still had to be chosen. Since the position was restricted to women, the competition was comparatively less intense. In fact, they sometimes even had to recruit candidates just to make up the numbers, so the selection was relatively straightforward.

After listening to all this, Qi Xuansu found that this isolated branch of the White Lotus Sect actually bore some resemblance to the Daoist Order. The Sect Leader was essentially a simplified and considerably weaker version of the Grand Master. The Holy Maiden played a role somewhat equivalent to that of the Grand Master Consort and the Three Deputy Grand Masters. Meanwhile, the various Incense Hall Sect Masters were more like strengthened versions of the Omniscient Sages. The Sect Masters held the real power and were responsible for electing the Sect Leader.

The Sect Leader now presided over the Main Altar. Although he did not wield absolute power, he was still a figurehead that was nominally revered. He would also mediate the various disputes between the other Sect Masters.

The Main Altar stood at the entrance to the great mountain where the Cloud God resided, like a gatekeeper standing guard. If Qi Xuansu wanted to reach the core region, he would inevitably have to pass through this place.

After learning this, Qi Xuansu had a clear idea of what to do. He bade farewell to the old man and villagers before continuing on his journey.

Qi Xuansu had no intention of interfering with these people’s lives. Those who had fused with the pocket realm could no longer leave it, so it was better to let nature take its course. If the pocket realm were to collapse and perish one day, then that would also be their fate.

An ordinary White Lotus Sect follower might need a year or more to reach the Main Altar, but Qi Xuansu could fly, so he needed only a day or two.

Qi Xuansu soon caught sight of the great mountain where the Cloud God resided. In truth, he was still quite some distance away, though he could already make out the mountain fairly clearly. As the old man mentioned, it was shrouded in mist. From afar, only a single peak could be seen protruding above the vast expanse of white fog, like a solitary island rising from a sea of clouds.

This sea of clouds could also be some kind of formation. If one rashly entered it, one would very likely become lost amid the never-ending clouds.

Directly ahead was a faintly visible road leading into the mountain, but a fortified settlement stood squarely on its path. Qi Xuansu presumed this was the Main Altar of the White Lotus Sect.

Though Qi Xuansu could force his way through, he chose not to do so. Instead, he descended, intending to first investigate the situation.

Even if his conjecture was correct and the Cloud God was not the actual Cloud Lord from the legend and therefore did not possess the might of a Second-Tribulation Immortal, it could be another Heluo God. Qi Xuansu still did not know where Long Xiaobai was, and he did not have someone like Madam Wu at his side to assist him. He had also used up his final page of the Scripture of Zuriel. So with his Pseudo-Immortal strength alone, there was no way he could contend with an Immortal. As such, it was better to proceed cautiously.

Qi Xuansu had a bright future ahead of him, so there was no need to take excessive risks. He was no longer in the days when he had to stake his life just to seize a single opportunity. Now, he had to observe first to some extent and weigh the cost and benefits before acting.

This fortified settlement was not particularly large, with a little over a thousand inhabitants. However, it was considerably larger than the village Qi Xuansu had visited earlier. Moreover, the cultivation of the people here was clearly a level higher overall. It seemed the Main Altar still commanded considerable authority.

Qi Xuansu landed directly inside the fortified settlement, which quickly attracted the attention of the settlement’s guards.

A group of people immediately surrounded him. Although none of them wore armor, they were no mediocre fighters. Every one of them was a Xiantian Being, while their leader was at the Guizhen stage.

Although there was no systematic cultivation here, those who had received the Cloud God’s enlightenment had presumably left behind some cultivation methods of their own creation. After all, development also depended on scale. The sheer scale of the Daoist Order made transformation from a fragmented organization into a power that held sway over half the world. There had been only a few hundred people here at the beginning, so for them to have developed to their present state was no small achievement.

Qi Xuansu swept his sleeve, stirring up a gentle breeze that pushed the group several meters backward. He said, “I have come here with no ill intentions.”

These people knew enough to recognize true ability. After seeing Qi Xuansu descending from the sky and then casually displaying such a feat, they immediately changed their tone. The man leading them asked, “Your Excellency, may I ask where you have come from?”

Qi Xuansu was sorely tempted to say, “I come from whence I came and go whither I go.”

However, he restrained himself and replied, “I come from the Kunlun Jade Capital.”

The leader immediately drew in a sharp breath. Kunlun’s illustrious name was known to all. Even though these people had been born in this isolated place, cut off from the rest of the world, they had still heard of the sacred Kunlun Mountains from their elders. Kunlun was the ancestor of all mountains and the ancestral seat of the Daoist Order, an immortal realm where gods and mortals dwelled together, and the place where the Primordial Daoist Ancestor had once preached the Dao and refined elixirs.

Just then, another person asked, “Do you mean the Heavenly White Jade Capital?”

Qi Xuansu looked toward the voice and saw a woman who appeared to be around the same age as him, with attractive features and a dignified aura. She was dressed in plain robes, making it difficult to discern her figure.

The others immediately opened a path for the woman and showed considerable respect toward her.

According to the old man, there were two principal figures at the Main Altar—the Sect Leader and the Holy Maiden. Below them were various elders who might not wield much actual power but were highly respected and enjoyed considerable prestige.

Since this woman looked young, she was most likely not an elder. Moreover, dressed entirely in white, she stood out conspicuously among the crowd. As its name suggests, the White Lotus Sect had always revered the color white. The Cloud God was likewise associated with white. Based on this, Qi Xuansu inferred that she was the Holy Maiden.

Qi Xuansu explained, “After the Kunlun Paradise descended into the mortal world, Jade Capital was no longer in the heavens.”

The woman’s expression turned solemn. “Are you a member of the Daoist Order?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “Throughout the Central Plains, from the Emperor and the various princes to the wandering swordsmen and common folk, there is scarcely anyone who is not a member of the Daoist Order.”

The woman thought for a moment before asking, “Do you know Sage Su?”

This confirmed Qi Xuansu’s conjecture. Su Yuanzai had clearly visited this place more than once and had already become well acquainted with these White Lotus Sect followers, practically treating the place as his own backyard.

When strange phenomena began occurring in Yunmeng Marsh, Su Yuanzai suppressed the reports to the Golden Tower Council on the Xiangzhou Daoist Mansion’s side. However, the Imperial Court’s administration was outside Su Yuanzai’s jurisdiction, so naturally, the matter was reported upward to the Imperial Court, which then dispatched The Inn to handle it.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Do you mean Sage Gong Fu?”

Gong Fu was Su Yuanzai’s courtesy name.

The woman nodded. “Indeed.”

Qi Xuansu said, “To tell you the truth, Sage Su’s elder sister is my Daoist companion’s master.”

The woman was visibly taken aback and clearly had to think it through for a moment. After all, the relationship was somewhat convoluted.

Strictly speaking, Su Yuanzai could be considered Zhang Yuelu’s Martial Uncle. That was roughly the relationship between them.

Qi Xuansu said, “When we entered this place, Sage Su was ahead of me. Have you seen him?”

The woman shook her head. “We have not seen Sage Su yet.”

Qi Xuansu fell into contemplation. Could Su Yuanzai and the others have been transported somewhere farther away? Was I the first to reach this place? Should I linger here for a few days and observe the situation before deciding what to do? Or should I seize the initiative and enter the mountain?

What worried him was encountering Zhou Mengyao before even meeting Long Xiaobai or Su Yuanzai.

If Qi Xuansu had to face Zhou Mengyao alone, even in her current injured state, he was still not confident that he would escape unscathed. After all, Zhou Mengyao had the foundation of a true Immortal, so Qi Xuansu was still somewhat apprehensive about facing her.

The last time, Qi Xuansu had not been afraid because they were in Jade Capital, right under the nose of several Immortals. Thus, Qi Xuansu had every reason to stand his ground. But now, they were essentially out in the middle of nowhere. It was the perfect place for her to kill him and silence him forever.

This left him in a dilemma.

Qi Xuansu gathered his thoughts and said, “Young lady, you must be the Holy Maiden of the White Lotus Sect, right?”

The woman replied with complete seriousness, “We no longer believe in the Heavenly Mater. We have converted to the worship of the Cloud God, so we have officially renamed ourselves the White Cloud Sect.”

Qi Xuansu fell silent for quite some time. The White Lotus Sect was no more. They were essentially a new sect now.