A Pawn’s Passage

The situation was already clear. If the Sonno-joi faction could not defeat the Daoists within the yin-yang rift, it would be even more impossible outside it.

They had already committed nearly all their elites for this assassination, and there were no hidden cards left to play. This was the style of Fenglin, hinging everything on a gamble.

If they won the gamble, the reward was tremendous. If they lost, there would be no chance to turn things around.

In contrast, the Daoists always kept something in reserve.

The Koga Jonin summoned a bolt of crimson lightning with the third-generation Onikiri, momentarily forcing back Spirit Guard Ding Wei.

His figure flickered, vanishing and reappearing beside Zhang Yuelu and slashing at her with the Onikiri.

Startled, Zhang Yuelu transformed her Amorphous Paper into a paper umbrella to block the strike. But the strength disparity between them was too great. Zhang Yuelu was violently thrown back due to the impact.

Yet the Koga Jonin's goal was not to kill Zhang Yuelu but to abduct Princess Tamako.

With Nichinin and Ishida already dead, all the blame would fall on the Koga Jonin if Princess Tamako perished too.

Neither the Asahi-jingu nor the Jinsho-ji would bear responsibility.

In the face of Ise-jingu's post-mortem inquiry, the dead would ironically serve as their best protection, and out of respect for the dead, Ise-jingu wouldn't press too hard.

But with no fatalities in the Koga School, the bulk of the blame would land squarely on them.

After all, there were internal conflicts within the Sonno-joi faction. The radicals and moderates had deep-rooted differences and constant tension. They were united only due to their common enemy—the Daoist Order. Should they truly defeat the Daoist Order, internal strife between the two factions would be inevitable.

This assassination was primarily orchestrated by the radicals.

Had it succeeded, the moderates would have had no grounds for complaint.

But since it failed, the moderates would surely blame the radicals for underestimating the enemy, reckless provocation, endangering the grand strategy, and forcing the faction into a passive position.

Therefore, the Koga Jonin had to take Princess Tamako with him, at the very least, to offer some justification to the Ise-jingu and the royal court.

But Spirit Guard Ding Wei would never let the Koga Jonin succeed so easily. She stowed away her warhammer and drew a long firearm akin to a small cannon, made from the same material as the Dragon Painting Pistol.

Spirit Guard Ding Wei fired five shots of Grade-A Series Five Dragon Eye Bullets at the Koga Jonin and Princess Tamako.

Without turning back, the Koga Jonin released three senbon, which collided with only three of the Dragon Eye Bullets, exploding in bursts of light and force.

The remaining two bullets struck his body, tearing two bloody holes through him.

Still, he grabbed Princess Tamako by the shoulder, preparing to flee from the Yinglong Warship.

Spirit Guard Ding Wei snorted coldly, put away the firearm, and switched to a bow as tall as a person.

Unlike traditional bows, this one, including the string, gleamed with a chilling metallic luster.

She planted the bow's lower limb onto the floor and drew the string with both hands, placing one leg midway up the bow arm. She then drew it into a full crescent moon.

Martial Arts Practitioners shoot arrows of qi and fist intention, while Spirit Guards shoot arrows of divine power.

Surging divine power gathered upon the bowstring, forming a single arrow.

With a thunderous boom, Spirit Guard Ding Wei released the bowstring. The arrow, forged entirely of divine force, arrived in an instant.

Had the Koga Jonin been alone, he might have attempted to dodge. But with Princess Tamako in tow, it was impossible to evade.

The arrow exploded against his back. Though it did not pierce through his heart, it tore open a horrifying wound, his spine faintly visible.

Yet, using the force of the arrow's impact, the Koga Jonin managed to escape the range of the Yinglong Warship.

At that moment, a voice rang out, "Since you've come, why the rush to leave?"

Suddenly, an invisible barrier appeared before the Koga Jonin, bouncing him forcefully back.

The Koga Jonin had battled Spirit Guard Ding Wei for some time and taken two Grade-A Series Five Dragon Eye Bullets and an arrow head-on, so his strength was severely depleted and far from his peak. However, to be able to intercept him so effortlessly, the newcomer had to be at least a Pseudo-Immortal and perhaps even an Immortal.

With that realization, the Koga Jonin was deeply alarmed.

Almost simultaneously, Himiko's divine kingdom began to dissipate. The massive apparition of her divine form shattered into countless light particles and floated skyward, returning to her divine kingdom.

Madam Bai did not linger either. Enveloped in deathly qi, she withdrew into the Yin-Yang Gate, which promptly closed behind her.

Qi Xuansu finally let out a breath of relief.

The Yinglong Warship finally regained its clarity and calm.

The Koga Jonin landed once again on the deck of the Yinglong Warship, his expression grave. He shouted in Central Plains dialect, "Who are you?"

The figure revealed himself, wearing the robes of a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master with the Sword of Wisdom hanging at his side and a white jade lotus crown on his head. He was beardless, graceful, and dignified. It was none other than Sage Qingwei.

The Koga Jonin felt his heart sink when he realized this was likely a trap.

What had appeared to be the lightly guarded Yinglong Warship was actually bait meant to lure in fish like him.

Or perhaps the Daoist Order had not planned it that way from the start, but with how things had unfolded, they were happy to take advantage of the situation.

Thus, Sage Qingwei had come in person.

Even among Pseudo-Immortals, there was a hierarchy of strength.

The true strength of Sage Qingwei had already been revealed by the radical swordmaster, Katsura Yoshiyuki.

Without relying on a sneak attack, the Koga Jonin was not even a match for Yagyu Sosei in open combat, so how could he possibly hope to contend with Sage Qingwei?

Sage Qingwei hovered midair, looking down as he calmly said, "Stay."

At some point, hundreds of flying swords had appeared, suspended in the air, starkly black and white. Each sword was like a Go piece. Once placed, it took root.

A total of 361 swords floated midair, forming the outline of a vast Go board, with 19 lines across both vertically and horizontally. There were 181 black pieces and 180 white ones. Sage Qingwei stood precisely at the final, central spot.

It was this very sword formation that had blocked the Koga Jonin just moments ago.

The Koga Jonin slashed forth, unleashing a bolt of blood-red lightning that pierced the sky.

The slash swept across the entire board, colliding with hundreds of hovering swords, their combined ringing forming a shrill, unbroken screech.

Yet despite its ferocity, the slash failed to break through the formation. No matter how violent the blood lightning was, it dissipated 10 meters before reaching Sage Qingwei.

Now, Sage Qingwei's pupils had vanished, replaced by an endless starry field. Within them, stars flickered into and out of existence, and constellations shifted. He raised his hand and gently tapped forward, like a player placing a piece on the Go board.

Stars shifted constantly, seemingly at random, yet wherever they passed, light faded and everything fell silent. Under broad daylight, they outlined a majestic starry sky fit only for the darkest night.

This was the Holy Xuan's Nandou 28 Swords.

The Koga Jonin glanced around, seeing only black and white, as if countless pieces were laid across a board. Beyond them, only pure darkness remained, like the true night sky.

He released his grip on Princess Tamako, lunging forward with Onikiri in hand, striking straight toward Sage Qingwei.

He firmly believed in the creed of finding life in death.

This slash held the Koga Jonin's entire lifetime of cultivation, unleashing a blood-red bolt of lightning from Onikiri at 120% of its power. The stars across the sky trembled as it shot toward Sage Qingwei.

Yet after being worn down layer by layer by the formation, the blood lightning was but a spent arrow by the time it reached Sage Qingwei, easily dispersed with a wave of his hand.

Then, Sage Qingwei used the Star Shift Technique to appear right before the Koga Jonin. He then pointed a single finger.

The Koga Jonin had no choice but to raise Onikiri in a horizontal block.

Countless scarlet lightning bolts, like tiny red serpents, burst forth wildly and scattered in every direction.

The Koga Jonin's body trembled violently. His face flushed an intense red, and his entire body erupted with bursting wounds, spraying blood in all directions.

Sage Qingwei vanished once more.

Simultaneously, countless twinkling stars revealed their true forms, which were flying swords that emitted waves of sword qi. Like a meteor shower, they rained down chaotically from all directions, converging upon the Koga Jonin.

The Koga Jonin immediately summoned the Koga Ninja Scroll, which was a treasured heirloom containing generations' worth of ninjutsu. The scroll, which was a semi-immortal object itself, unfurled on its own and circled around him. Countless characters in the script of Fenglin detached from the scroll, swirling in motion to resist the incoming sword qi.

The sword qi, though not razor-sharp, failed to pierce the scroll's protective barrier.

But strangely, the sword qi did not dissipate. Instead, it lingered and accumulated in layers. In the blink of an eye, over a thousand swords had struck, nearly all of them landing on the scroll. The flowing characters slowed to a crawl and eventually froze entirely.

Though the Koga Jonin remained unscathed, his scroll had been completely suppressed and could no longer shield him.

At that moment, Sage Qingwei's voice rang out again, softly reciting a verse by Patriarch Lu.

"The Lotus Peak Immortal, pure and high,

In lotus halls let years drift by.

He bows to stars in midnight's grace,

Jade hairpin gleams in a frosted place.

At dawn the dragon, tiger rise,

And kindle flame in gold that lies.

By East Mountain, chance did lend—

A meeting marked, like fate to send.

Your sword is honed, the path is clear.

Where dragons lurk, bring judgment near.

By morning's sail, at dusk I roam,

In hidden realms, the sun calls home."

By the end of the recitation, the sword formation began to slow. Compared to this, Yao Pei's Staff of Merit and Li Changge's Bright Crown were nothing.

Without the protection of the Koga Ninja Scroll, the Koga Jonin was immediately affected. His movements stalled, and even his thoughts began to lag.

Sage Qingwei continued reciting.

"The master's face was fierce and grim,

He drew his sword, and the clouds grew dim.

Thrice he urged with voice austere,

Till sudden death fell swift and near.

His blade rose high, the stars took flight,

Chased across the sky in streaks of light.

Wind and thunder roared in chase,

As rain struck hard in heaven's face."

As he finished reciting the verse, a sword struck from the heavens. Though it was invisible, one could feel its sharp edge, strong momentum, immense weight of sword qi, and purity of sword intention. It was unstoppable and overwhelming.

It surpassed even the typical Daozi Sword in every regard.

Sage Qingwei reappeared, reached out, and seized the formless sword. Yet the blade seemed to weigh 5 tonnes because even he could not hold it steady. He stumbled forward like a drunken man, crashing toward the Koga Jonin.

When the sword rose, wind and thunder roared.

When the sword fell, wind and thunder subsided, and the Koga Jonin's head soared skyward.