A Pawn's Passage

Pseudo-Immortals were not true Immortals, but the cream of the crop of Zaohua-stage Heavenly Beings, who were not only one step away from achieving immortality, but had already acquired some traits of Immortals.

The difference between regular Zaohua-stage Heavenly Beings and Pseudo-Immortals was like that between ordinary Sages and Omniscient Sages. The latter had the potential to become a Great Sage or a Grand Master, while the former would likely end their career in the second rank. The difference in their prospects was worlds apart.

In Western contexts, Heavenly Beings were referred to as Demigods, which meant half-god, half-human. Heavenly Beings at the Xiaoyao stage were called Proto-Demigods, those at the Wuliang stage were called True Demigods, and those at the Zaohua stage were referred to as Legendary Demigods. Meanwhile, Pseudo-Immortals were labeled Divine Beings, signifying they were qualified to become gods.

In the Daoist Order, attaining the status of a Heavenly Being would allow one to get promoted to a Sage. Even if they were not immediately granted the title, it was typically a matter of accruing more experience. If everything went smoothly and they did not make any major mistakes, they could at least retire with the title of Sage.

The other religions followed a similar structure. The Daoist Heavenly Beings equivalent were Confucian Masters, Buddhist Virtuous Ones, the Holy Court’s Hallows, and the Arcane Council’s Magi.

Above these titles, those corresponding to Pseudo-Immortals were Daoist Great Sages, Confucian Great Masters, Buddhist Venerable Masters, the Holy Court’s Prophets, and the Arcane Council’s Great Magi.

Shi Luosi was a True Demigod and a Hallow, which was why he was not at a clear disadvantage against Lei Xiaohuan.

According to the system recognized by both the East and the West, Pseudo-Immortals were two levels above Wuliang-stage Heavenly Beings. This gap was difficult to bridge with sheer numbers alone. Though two Yinglong Warships still hovered in the sky, their resources were heavily depleted from the previous battle with the Ancient Immortal, making it nearly impossible to repeat their earlier attacks.

It could be said that Wu Guangbi’s appearance was perfectly timed so that no one was capable of stopping him.

Just as Wu Guangbi prepared to claim the Xuan Jade, an odd voice interjected. “Hierarch Wu, do you think you can just waltz in and take the jade so easily? Aren’t you being too dismissive toward the Daoist Order? Those who don’t recognize you as the Heavenly Court’s Grand Leader might mistake you for the Daoist Grand Master since you managed to silence all these Daoists with a single sentence!”

Qi Xuansu’s expression shifted subtly.

Although that voice was androgynous, Qi Xuansu immediately recognized it to be Madam Qi’s. She had many inexplicable quirks, such as her obsession with pulling triggers and using monoculars. With her level of cultivation, mimicking a man’s voice wouldn’t be difficult, yet she preferred this high-pitched, mocking tone, especially when being sarcastic.

Qi Xuansu had been the target of her ridicule often enough to recognize her voice instantly. Anyone else would have struggled to identify it.

Soon, Qi Xuansu realized something. The fiery meteor that struck True Lord Siming’s face and the mysterious heat surging from his Auxiliary Heart were most likely connected to Madam Qi. After all, his Auxiliary Heart had never exhibited such a sensation when she was not around.

Qi Xuansu thought to himself, Was the old friend Madam Qi had mentioned going to meet Wu Guangbi? Judging by the situation, it seemed their conversation did not go well.

Wu Guangbi’s expression remained calm, but his tone turned icy. “I have neither thought nor uttered such things. Why don’t you reveal yourself so we can discuss this openly and clarify everything?”

Madam Qi chuckled coldly. “Only you know what’s going on in your head. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to show myself. How could a nobody like me be worthy of catching the Grand Leader’s eye?”

Wu Guangbi narrowed his eyes slightly. He then turned abruptly toward the Ascension Platform and shouted, “Come out!”

The shout was as loud as a thunderclap. Everyone present felt their blood quivering from the reverberation.

A tangible soundwave shot toward the Ascension Platform.

Standing atop the Ascension Platform, Madam Qi finally revealed herself, though in a completely different appearance. Her hair was styled high and held in place by a single jade hairpin. She wore a moon-white woven robe, and her face was obscured by a thin veil of mist—a more refined version of a typical face covering. Her flowing attire exuded elegance, devoid of her usual vulgarity or money-grubbing demeanor.

Wu Guangbi frowned slightly. “It’s you, Mogul Yao.”

A misty white cloud materialized under Madam Qi’s feet, carrying her gracefully toward Wu Guangbi.

As the second-in-command of the Heavenly Court, Wu Guangbi held himself with pride. Instead of seizing the Xuan Jade and fleeing while he still had the chance, he waited calmly for Madam Qi to approach.

Just as Qi Xuansu suspected, Madam Qi’s old friend was indeed Wu Guangbi. As for why Wu Guangbi addressed her as “Mogul Yao,” that was another story altogether.

Upon hearing “Mogul Yao” and observing Wu Guangbi’s demeanor, some others immediately recognized who this extraordinary woman was. She was none other than the first individual listed on the Silver Taiping Leaderboard, one of the seven Moguls of the Seven Treasure Pavilion. Few knew her true name; they only knew her last name was Yao, hence the title Mogul Yao.

Similarly, few knew the true name of the Heavenly Court’s Golden Patriarch.

Wu Guangbi was ranked last on the Gold Leaderboard, while Mogul Yao topped the Silver Leaderboard. The gap between them was not significant, and they were quite evenly matched in strength.

Qi Xuansu also heard the title “Mogul Yao,” though he did not immediately associate it with the Seven Treasure Pavilion. Still, he could not help but wonder, Madam Qi’s last name is Yao? And she’s some sort of mogul?

At that moment, Zhang Yuelu broke off her fight with Li Mingcheng and retreated to Qi Xuansu’s side. She remarked, intrigued, “Who would’ve thought that the leaders of two major secret societies would both show up in Jinling?”

“Secret societies? Leaders?” Qi Xuansu froze for a moment, confused.

Zhang Yuelu glanced at him and explained, “That bald man with the high crown is Wu Guangbi, the Grand Leader of the Heavenly Court. He’s ranked 10th on the Wuyou Leaderboard. The term ‘Grand Leader’ is clearly an attempt to mimic our Daoist Grand Master, so we usually call him the Hierarch.

“The woman in white is Mogul Yao, one of the seven Moguls of the Seven Treasure Pavilion. She’s ranked first on the Taiping Leaderboard.”

Qi Xuansu finally understood who Madam Qi was, but he was not too surprised. After all, Madam Qi had long mentioned that members of the Qingping Society often had dual identities.

For instance, Qi Xuansu himself was both a Daoist Superintendent of Ziwei Hall and a C-rank member of the Qingping Society. Naturally, Madam Qi’s identity would not be so simple. Qi Xuansu had also speculated about her other identity many times before.

However, being unsurprised was one thing. Qi Xuansu felt a complex stir of emotions upon learning this.

It was like enduring 18 years of hardship, with a nagging mother constantly reminding him of how hard life was—stretching every single Taiping Coin, being thrifty, and saving money. Otherwise, he would never be able to marry.

Every day was a tug-of-war over those few coins. Then one day, he discovered that his mother was actually a powerful figure—not just immensely wealthy but also influential.

Yet she schemed over his small allowance, withholding even his meager salary. It felt utterly unfair!

Was she trying to raise him poor to build his character?

Of course, Qi Xuansu was merely lamenting all the Taiping coins that Madam Qi had confiscated from him. He did not think Madam Qi’s alternate identity would elevate his status because she owed him nothing. On the contrary, he owed her a great deal.

The notion of their mother-son relationship could only be taken seriously in terms of emotions. But when it came to matters of interest, there were no familial ties to speak of.

While Qi Xuansu’s thoughts wandered, Madam Qi had already approached Wu Guangbi.

Wu Guangbi’s lips curved slightly. “Mogul Yao, must you insist on making this difficult for me?”

Madam Qi replied in her peculiar voice, “Why not?”

Wu Guangbi waved the wooden staff in his hand. Thunder rumbled and rain clouds gathered, as if a heavy downpour was imminent.

With another wave of his staff, the rain clouds dispersed, revealing a clear sky.

Wu Guangbi used this display to demonstrate his unparalleled cultivation. Though it could not compare to True Lord Siming’s Divine Descent, it was not far off. If they were to fight head-on, it was hard to predict who would emerge victorious, especially considering True Lord Siming’s yin energy was inherently suppressed in the mortal realm.

Madam Qi showed no fear. She merely smiled faintly. “Since we can’t reach an agreement, let’s resolve this with our skills.”