A Pawn's Passage

In Chinese chess, whether a pawn could cross the Chu River made a big difference. Though the pawn still would not be able to retreat even after crossing the river, it gained the freedom to move sideways.

For Qi Xuansu, the Chu River was the threshold to becoming a Heavenly Being. He would gain infinite possibilities after crossing it.

Madam Qi still had a small piece of Xuan Jade acquired from Fengtai County. However, it was too small to help Qi Xuansu become a Heavenly Being.

Qi Xuansu had no idea what Madam Qi had done, nor did he have the time to ponder becoming a Heavenly Being during this critical moment. He and Zhang Yuelu were focused on figuring out how to deal with Sikong Cuo.

Though Sikong Cuo was restrained by the Red Lotus Karmic Fire and his abilities greatly diminished, making it the perfect time to strike, he was not foolish. He had taken refuge at True Lord Siming’s feet.

Killing Sikong Cuo right under True Lord Siming’s nose was no easy task.

Just as Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu were deliberating how they could get to Sikong Cuo, a fiery meteor streaked across the sky and struck True Lord Siming directly in the face.

To some extent, the yin energy acted somewhat like a Fire-Banishing Talisman, but this posed no issue for Madam Qi.

True Lord Siming had noticed the cannon shot from the direction of the Ascension Platform. However, he could not move, so he could only summon some of his Fate Guards in an attempt to block it.

However, the power of the Grade-A Series Three Dragon Eye Bomb was immense. All the Fate Guards who stood in front of True Lord Siming were reduced to ashes upon impact.

After being struck in the face by the bombshell, True Lord Siming looked wretched. His massive body shook violently.

The Grade-A Series Three Dragon Eye Bomb was not just a strong firearm. It was also a masterpiece of Daoist talisman techniques. Thus, it was effective against both tangible and intangible targets. Even an incorporeal millennial ghost would be obliterated by a single shot.

True Lord Siming’s flat-topped crown disintegrated, and his face behind the beaded curtain was utterly mangled, leaving no chance to glimpse his true appearance.

However, his dark eyes remained intact—his left eye held a blazing white sun, while his right eye contained a serene black moon.

This scene shocked everyone, including Bai Yingqiong, who had been in utter despair.

As the Chief Deputy Jiangnan Daoist Mansion Master and a member of the Daoist Order’s upper echelon, Bai Yingqiong immediately recognized the Dragon Eye Bomb.

She could not help but feel astonished and delighted, thinking that the Black Robes had intervened. However, she immediately realized that the Black Robes in Jinling Prefecture would not be equipped with such a powerful weapon as the Grade-A Series Three Dragon Eye Bomb.

After all, Jinling was not the frontier. Any defensive measures would target maritime threats, so such weaponry should have been allocated to the Jiangnan Navy.

Even in the highly unlikely case that Jinling’s Black Robes had a Grade-A Series Three Dragon Eye Bomb, without the presence of the Chief Admiral of Jiangnan or the Garrison Chief Commander of Jiangnan, the remaining personnel lacked the authority to use such a high-grade weapon.

It was not a matter of unwillingness. It was simply beyond their power.

Madam Qi had modified the trigger structure to her own unique version. Normally, firing the Grade-A Series Three Dragon Eye Bomb required special talismans for activation, which were typically carried by high-ranking military officers.

Bai Yingqiong never would have imagined that someone would carry a cannon capable of firing a Grade-A Series Three Dragon Eye Bomb on their person.

Not only would this require a magical receptacle of immense capacity, but also extensive connections with Tianji Hall to procure the ammunition and the cannon needed to fire it.

Additionally, assembling a cannon by hand required not just high cultivation but also a thorough understanding of its mechanisms and talisman principles. Such skills would have deterred 90% of Daoist Sages. Only 10% of Sages might possess the ability, but none would actually entertain such a mad idea.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were equally clueless about the origin of the cannon shot, but they both knew this was a golden opportunity.

Without hesitation, they darted toward Sikong Cuo.

Zhang Yuelu led the frontal charge, while Qi Xuansu covertly followed behind.

In an instant, Sikong Cuo sensed a tremendous threat.

As a Wuliang-stage Diviner in the Object Creation Realm, Sikong Cuo should not have feared Zhang Yuelu, even if she were a Banished Immortal in the Xiaoyao stage.

However, much of his power was currently being consumed by resisting Bai Yingqiong’s Red Lotus Karmic Fire, which weakened him significantly.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yuelu reached Sikong Cuo, aiming her Azure Thunderbolt directly between his eyebrows.

Sikong Cuo was unable to soul travel at this moment, so he could only draw a simple talisman in the air.

A ghostly blue wall appeared in front of him, blocking Zhang Yuelu’s path.

Without hesitation, Zhang Yuelu thrust her sword into the wall, causing countless cracks to appear. Instead of attempting to withdraw the sword, she released her sword and threw her body against the wall, shattering it completely.

Without the Azure Thunderbolt, Zhang Yuelu transformed her Amorphous Paper into a paper sword and slashed it at Sikong Cuo’s neck.

Sikong Cuo panicked and retreated. He had not been granted divine power by True Lord Siming, so he was not undying.

If this sword decapitated him, his soul might have survived, but he would have to resort to possession. This would not only drain his cultivation but might also result in a phenomenon known as the Mystery of the Womb.

The Ghostly Immortal lineage’s possession had two scenarios.

One of them involved directly possessing another person’s body, which was highly risky because a single mistake could lead to them being killed instead.

Even if successful, there was often a mismatch between the new body and the Diviner’s soul. Finding a suitable body on short notice was nearly impossible. This could lead to a regression in cultivation and numerous complications, potentially halting cultivation progress permanently.

The other method involved possessing an unborn fetus, akin to reincarnation. This method carried minimal risk. But there was a phenomenon known as the Mystery of the Womb, where a Diviner would lose their sense of self during fetal development and forget all past experiences. Additionally, they must grow from infancy to adulthood and rebuild their cultivation from scratch.

Alternatively, Diviners could temporarily attach themselves to an object while searching for a host. They would then offer benefits and mentor their host. If the Diviner had good intentions, they hoped the host would become strong enough to help them find a suitable body. Those with bad intentions would groom the host to possess them later.

Many inexperienced young people often saw this as a miraculous opportunity and readily accepted it. However, this process took a long time and was highly inefficient. It also carried considerable risks.

Unless absolutely necessary, no Diviner would resort to possession.

Sikong Cuo was no exception. He narrowly avoided the first strike but could not distance himself from his opponent. Zhang Yuelu closed in, forcing him to face her paper sword head-on.

In close combat, Diviners ranked lowest among the Five Lineages, even below Rogue Cultivators. Thus, within a dozen moves, Sikong Cuo was already at a disadvantage.

After another strike, Sikong Cuo retreated, with a sword wound now stretching from his temple to the corner of his mouth.

Zhang Yuelu was relentless, giving him no chance to recover and continuing her attack.

Gritting his teeth, Sikong Cuo faced her head-on.

With much of his power focused on suppressing the Red Lotus Karmic Fire within him, Sikong Cuo struggled to hold his ground in this close combat. He was forced to fight and retreat for over 100 moves until they both exchanged blows.

Zhang Yuelu’s sword pierced Sikong Cuo’s forehead, injuring his Upper Dantian and causing his magical power to leak uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yuelu was punched head-on by a massive fist formed entirely of magical power. She flew back from the force of the impact and crashed over 30 meters away, skidding nearly 30 more meters on the ground before coming to a stop.

When Zhang Yuelu finally managed to sit up, her true essence was in disarray. Her face was pale, and her forehead was swollen and red.

This was a special Diviner’s spell. By manipulating magical power, they could create a massive hand that delivered blows akin to a Martial Arts Practitioner’s punches.

Even protective treasures designed to ward off spells could not defend against such physically oriented techniques.

Though Sikong Cuo had temporarily repelled Zhang Yuelu, he was now a spent force. The Red Lotus Karmic Fire inside him was about to lose control completely. Just as he prepared to flee, he suddenly found himself unable to move.

At that moment, the world fell silent, with only the howling of the yin wind.

Sikong Cuo slowly looked down and saw the tip of a blade protruding from his chest.

The blade was stained red with his blood.

Then, countless crimson flames erupted from Sikong Cuo’s orifices and wounds.

A smirking face tilted out from behind Sikong Cuo.

It was Qi Xuansu.