A Pawn's Passage

Sikong Cuo gently caressed the Xuan Jade in his hand, his chanting voice turning lower.

Xuan Jades varied in terms of quality. However, Xuan Jades were so rare that there were no definitive standards for comparison.

In essence, Xuan Jades were like fragments of jades of varying sizes, scattered across the world. These fragments could not be judged by conventional logic. Their size was not measured by physical volume but by their capacity for how much divine power they could hold.

Among the two Xuan Jades Qi Xuansu had, the Xuan Jade of Death was larger than the Xuan Jade of Life. However, the Xuan Jade in Sikong Cuo’s hand surpassed even Qi Xuansu’s Xuan Jade of Death.

The more divine power a Xuan Jade could contain, the greater its uses would be. Smaller fragments had minimal use for Heavenly Beings.

For Qi Xuansu to become a Heavenly Being, he would need a larger Xuan Jade. The higher one’s cultivation, the greater the Xuan Jade had to be for it to be effective.

To become an Immortal, one would need not only high-quality Xuan Jade, but also a vast quantity of it.

Naturally, the larger the Xuan Jade, the more divine power was required to activate it.

However, this particular Xuan Jade had already been activated. After all, divine power was no issue for an Ancient Immortal.

The Xuan Jade began to glow. The light coursed through the veins within the jade.

The shadow of a palace appeared above Zhenwu Lake.

The palace was a mirrored structure, connected at the base and symmetrical above and below. While the building styles of the upper and lower parts were similar, their colors differed—the upper half resembled a mausoleum, while the lower half resembled an underground tomb.

The mausoleum above was for the living to pay their respects, while the tomb below was for burying the dead, perfectly symbolizing the path of life and death.

In the main hall above hung a white sun, while a black moon hung in the inverted tomb below.

The white sun descended, while the black moon rose, gradually coming together to form an eye. From a distance, it resembled the Daoist yin-yang symbol.

The sun and moon symbol matched the one deep within Sikong Cuo’s eyes. It seemed to be an unlocking mechanism.

The Xuan Jade emitted a soft and gentle moonlight, making it seem as though Sikong Cuo was holding a rising moon in his hands.

Sikong Cuo let go of the Xuan Jade, letting it float freely.

The Xuan Jade traced a perfect arc through the air as it flew to the center of Zhenwu Lake before sinking in the very spot where the Gift had entered the water.

The Gift merged with the Xuan Jade in the lake, completing the final step.

Sikong Cuo’s expression grew increasingly solemn. Though he was a cult demon, there was an air of sacred dignity about him. Even if his beliefs were misguided, his devotion far surpassed that of many who walked the righteous path.

A thunderclap boomed, illuminating the dark sky.

In an instant, torrential rain befell. The fierce downpour created countless ripples across the surface of Zhenwu Lake.

......

Bai Yingqiong stood under the corridor with her hands behind her back, gazing at the pouring rain outside. Her mood was as gloomy as the weather.

With all means of communication blocked, Bai Yingqiong felt as if she had suddenly become blind and deaf. She did not know what was happening and found it nearly impossible to convey her intentions.

Thus, she had to resort to the most primitive methods of sending out messengers, which was excruciatingly slow.

Moreover, the heavy rain itself was suspicious.

Soon, a rain-soaked Daoist priest hurried over. He stopped outside the corridor and bowed. “Sage Bai, we have news from the water treatment plant.”

“What is it?” Bai Yingqiong waved her hand, indicating the Daoist priest could forgo the formalities.

The Daoist priest reported, “Deputy Hall Master Zhang’s personnel from Tiangang Hall has successfully cleared the treatment plant. According to a Tiangang Hall superintendent, Deputy Hall Master Zhang and Ziwei Hall’s Superintendent Qi are now heading to the Gratitude Temple. Under Deputy Hall Master Zhang’s orders, Spirit Guard Xu has left Jinling Prefecture to contact Jade Capital from another city.”

Bai Yingqiong was surprised. “She’s composed under pressure. You said she went to the Gratitude Temple?”

The Daoist priest replied respectfully, “Yes, Sage.”

Bai Yingqiong pondered for a moment before instructing, “Is there something unusual at the Gratitude Temple? Send a team of Spirit Guards to assist Deputy Hall Master Zhang.”

The Daoist priest accepted the order.

Bai Yingqiong paced back and forth for a while before suddenly recalling something. “By the way, what’s happening at Zhenwu Temple?”

“Sage Pei hasn’t sent a message yet,” another Daoist priest responded.

Bai Yingqiong felt a bad premonition. She raised her voice and ordered, “Send someone to inquire immediately.”

The Daoist priest accepted the command and left.

Just then, a Spirit Guard rushed in, barely able to hide his panic. “Sage Bai! Sage Pei is in trouble!”

Bai Yingqiong was startled. She shouted, “What exactly happened?”

The Spirit Guard stood outside in the rain, letting the water stream down his armor as he reported, “Sage Pei reported an anomaly inside Zhenwu Temple. He entered alone and hasn’t come out since—”

Bai Yingqiong’s expression darkened as she commanded, “To Zhenwu Temple!”

With that, she stepped forward and took to the air, rushing toward the fire zone.

The Daoist priests and Spirit Guards braved the torrential rain and marched on foot toward Zhenwu Temple.

……

Gratitude Temple, beneath the Porcelain Tower.

Qi Xuansu dove from the air like a hawk hunting a rabbit, landing with both feet on the Fate Guard’s shoulders. His body crouched and his knees bent slightly as he thrust Flying Shadow into the guard’s helmet.

Although the Fate Guard’s cultivation surpassed Qi Xuansu’s, Qi Xuansu had a greater overall combat prowess. With proper tactics and the effective use of external objects and mystical abilities, even a weaker opponent could prevail.

Qi Xuansu had once gained the upper hand against a fight with Zhang Yuelu when she was momentarily careless.

This Fate Guard was a living corpse lacking intelligence, so he was no match for Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu kicked the Fate Guard forcefully, withdrawing his blade at the same time. Simultaneously, he flipped backward and landed gracefully on the ground.

The Fate Guard, whose head had been pierced by Flying Shadow, fell with a heavy thud.

That was how all the Fate Guards protecting Situ Xingluan were eliminated.

Qi Xuansu turned his head to look in another direction, where Zhang Yuelu was locked in combat with Situ Xingluan.

At this moment, Zhang Yuelu had transformed the Amorphous Paper into a lotus-shaped round shield, which covered part of her body. The shield’s edges were sharp, spinning independently, resembling a flattened paper lotus. All the while, she still wielded Azure Thunderbolt in her other hand.

No one would have expected Zhang Yuelu to be skilled in the use of shields. Besides Spirit Guards, using shields was rare, not only in the Daoist Order but also in Jianghu. A shield could be considered an unconventional weapon.

Situ Xingluan relied solely on his claws to fend her off since he had never encountered such techniques before.

Fortunately, his undying body granted him resilience. Although he was at a disadvantage, he had yet to show signs of defeat.

In this regard, Situ Xingluan was no ordinary opponent. He was perhaps even more formidable than Feng Bo.

Zhang Yuelu let out a roar as she thrust her paper shield forward, knocking Situ Xingluan back. The sharp edges of the shield cut through his scales, causing blood to splatter everywhere.

Taking advantage of Situ Xingluan’s unsteady footing, Zhang Yuelu followed with a downward slash.

Situ Xingluan could only raise his arm to block the attack.

The sword, infused with true essence, gleamed with lightning and carried immense force, severing one of Situ Xingluan’s arms.

However, Situ Xingluan retreated swiftly, laughing as he said, “The Lord has descended! I must keep my useful body to serve my Lord. I can’t die here.”

With that, Situ Xingluan fled without looking back. He was so fast that Qi Xuansu did not get a chance to stop him. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the rain.

Qi Xuansu approached Zhang Yuelu, whose expression was grave.

Zhang Yuelu mused, “He said the Lord has descended. Is the Cult of Fates attempting to summon True Lord Siming to Jinling Prefecture?”