A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu did not refuse, nor did he glance at Zhang Yuelu’s expression. Instead, he slowly rolled up his sleeve, revealing his wrist and part of his forearm.

He grasped the other end of the chopstick.

Being a man, Qi Xuansu had a much thicker arm than Xie Qiuniang, so it formed a stark visual contrast as they held either end of the chopstick.

If this were an arm-wrestling match, Qi Xuansu’s hand could almost completely envelop Xie Qiuniang’s. This was the natural strength disparity between men and women.

In general, adult men had an absolute strength advantage over adult women. However, the existence of cultivation significantly leveled this difference. As such, natural physical strength mattered far less. Instead, the outcome ultimately depended on one’s cultivation level.

Xie Qiuniang said, “I’m ready. Daoist Qi, you may begin.”

Qi Xuansu did not immediately exert force. Instead, he suddenly asked, “By the way, may I know your full name, Miss Xie?”

“Xie Jin,” Xie Qiuniang replied.

Qi Xuansu nodded. “Let’s begin.”

After fusing with the Xuan Jade of Divinity, Qi Xuansu’s Martial Arts Practitioner’s lineage had been elevated to the ninth level of the Guizhen stage. Although it was incomplete, his strength was nearly on par with that of a true Martial Arts Practitioner.

With the addition of his innate qi, it was not an exaggeration to say that even if this chopstick were made of solid steel, he could break it if he bent and straightened it repeatedly with his full force.

However, Xie Jin would not dare to let Qi Xuansu try to break the chopstick without a trick up her sleeves. In Xie Jin’s hands, this ebony chopstick was perhaps even tougher than solid steel.

As soon as she finished speaking, Qi Xuansu suddenly exerted his strength without holding back. Determined to catch Xie Jin off guard, the veins on the back of his hand and forearm bulged like tiny green dragons. In an instant, two clear footprints appeared on the floor beneath his feet.

To Qi Xuansu’s surprise, the chopstick did not budge in the slightest—not even a slight bend.

When he turned to look at Xie Jin, her expression remained calm, and there was not even the slightest sign of exertion in her hand holding the chopstick.

Everyone in the room had their eyes fixed on the two of them.

Zhao Xuanting, Qin Wubing, and Zhang Yuelu were all on par with the two contenders, so their expressions remained calm. Only Qin Xiang, who was unable to gauge the situation, looked puzzled.

Qin Wubing explained softly, “Brother Qi is using the brute force of a Martial Arts Practitioner, but Miss Xie is not relying solely on physical strength.”

This was something Qi Xuansu had realized without Qin Wubing’s explanation. He was surprised because someone who could effortlessly trump him like this would require the strength of a Heavenly-Being Martial Arts Practitioner.

Clearly, Xie Jin was neither a Martial Arts Practitioner nor a Heavenly Being. Thus, there was only one explanation—Xie Jin was not confronting Qi Xuansu with brute strength but was employing some other method.

Xie Jin’s gaze turned icy as she scoffed. “Is this the extent of your skill, Daoist Qi?”

Qi Xuansu did not respond but began channeling his innate qi.

This was not the correct method to counter her, but rather a brute-force approach. It was akin to breaking a formation—one could find and destroy the core points of the formation, or simply overwhelm it with raw power.

Back then, the Holy Xuan had shattered the protective formation around the Yunjin Mountain using sheer force.

The combined strength of a Guizhen-stage Martial Arts Practitioner and the innate qi of a Guizhen-stage Rogue Cultivator was not to be underestimated.

Xie Jin’s expression finally grew serious, and the chopstick in her hand began to bend ever so slightly.

If Qi Xuansu were a Heavenly Being, he might have truly succeeded in using force to overcome skill.

Unfortunately, Qi Xuansu was not a Heavenly Being. With both of them at comparable levels of cultivation, this was as far as he could go.

“Impressive!” Xie Jin exclaimed. “But now, it’s my turn.”

Before she could finish her sentence, an immense force surged from the chopstick, straightening the slight bend to revert the chopstick back to its original state.

Zhang Yuelu raised an eyebrow and remarked, “The Taiyin Sword Heart Series, leveraging the opponent’s strength against them.”

Qin Wubing frowned and explained to Qin Xiang, “This is the unique skill of the Quanzhen Sect, known as one of the Four Great Swordsmanship of the Daoist Order. It’s on par with the Cihang Sword Sequence of the Cihang lineage. The Taiyin Sword Heart Series is one of the techniques within the Taiyin 13 Swords. Even if Miss Xie has only mastered 30% of the swordsmanship, it is still a remarkable feat. I’d say this chopstick won’t be breaking today.”

Qi Xuansu heard this clearly and invoked some divine power from his Shaman lineage. His entire arm emitted a faint golden light, looking as if it was plated in gold. Upon closer inspection, his skin appeared almost translucent, with visible golden veins and bones radiating light from within.

Zhao Xuanting’s expression subtly shifted. “That’s not the Martial Arts Practitioner’s Body Spirit. It’s the Golden Body Realm of a Guizhen-stage Shaman.”

So far, Qi Xuansu had displayed three distinct realms—the Heavenly Connection Realm of Martial Arts Practitioners, the Holy Embryo Realm of Rogue Cultivators, and the Golden Body Realm of Shamans.

The residual divine power from the Xuan Jade of Divinity was enough for Qi Xuansu to form an incomplete Golden Body.

Had Xie Jin not been a Guizhen-stage Hermit with a robust foundation, she would not have been able to overcome Qi Xuansu even with the Taiyin Sword Heart Series. After all, leveraging the opponent’s strength required a solid foundation. Otherwise, a greater force would overwhelm her entirely, rendering the technique useless.

Xie Jin’s expression turned increasingly stern. While her right hand continued grappling with Qi Xuansu, she picked up another chopstick with her left hand.

Chopsticks came in pairs, so it was perfectly reasonable for the two to grapple with one chopstick while leaving the other idle.

Then, Xie Jin gripped the idle chopstick with her left hand, using it as a sword replacement and thrusting it toward Qi Xuansu’s eye.

Qi Xuansu’s heart jolted as he raised his fingers to block the strike.

In terms of swordsmanship, Qi Xuansu could not compare to Zhang Yuelu, but Xie Jin was no less skilled than the famous Banished Immortal.

When Xie Jin’s chopstick advanced, Qi Xuansu attempted to sever the tip with his fingers. However, Xie Jin suddenly changed her move, drawing a circle in midair. Not only did this render Qi Xuansu’s strike ineffective, but it also allowed her to press down on Qi Xuansu’s fingers.

This was The Dual Yin-Yang Forces, which was another technique of the Taiyin 13 Swords.

The seemingly casual press caused the chair beneath Qi Xuansu to shatter with a loud crash.

Qi Xuansu maintained his seated posture and continued to exchange moves with Xie Jin.

Their peculiar battle unfolded within the small space. The seemingly ordinary chopstick in Xie Jin’s hand became elusive, like a fish darting through water—unpredictable and ever-changing.

After more than ten exchanges, Qi Xuansu ultimately lost a round. Xie Jin struck him at the corner of his eye with the chopstick, leaving a small wound.

Since Qi Xuansu had the body-regenerative abilities of a Martial Arts Practitioner, such a minor injury was inconsequential and instantly healed.

Xie Jin still held the chopstick stained with Qi Xuansu’s blood. She used her thumb to press against the stick and slowly applied force, causing it to bend.

At the same time, Qi Xuansu’s arm, which was locked in the grapple, began trembling as the chopstick bent. He struggled to exert force and nearly lost his grip on the stick.

If he let go of the chopstick, it would count as his loss.

The experienced and knowledgeable Zhang Yuelu recognized this move immediately. She remarked in awe, “What a move—the Immortal Blood Sword!”

This was another technique from the Taiyin 13 Swords. It could utilize either the practitioner’s own blood or the opponent’s. When using the opponent’s blood, one could covertly attack the opponent.

It was derived from the infamous Nightmare Bringer Method of Ancient Wuism. Historical palace witchcraft cases that often implicated thousands of people referred to such techniques, which used the victim’s hair, fingernails, blood, or birth dates to harm others covertly.

It used a special medium to connect an inanimate object to a living person. As such, harming the object was equivalent to harming the victim.

When Xie Jin jabbed Qi Xuansu with the chopstick earlier, she certainly had not expected that jab to do any damage to him. Instead, she aimed to collect a bit of his blood. Then, she linked the chopstick to Qi Xuansu himself. Thus, by bending the chopstick, Xie Jin could have a direct influence on Qi Xuansu’s body.

Qi Xuansu had no choice but to place his free hand on his knee for support, his entire body surging with blood qi. His face flushed red, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Xie Jin was no longer as composed as before. Wisps of white vapor rose from her head, and sweat beaded on the tip of her nose. Yet, the chopstick in her left hand remained unbroken.

This chopstick, imbued with the Nightmare Bringer Method, functioned like a lever. It was able to move heavy objects with relatively little effort. However, conserving effort did not mean it required no effort.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu’s body combined the resilience of a Martial Arts Practitioner and the Golden Body of a Shaman. While Xie Jin grappled with Qi Xuansu, she simultaneously exerted strength to leverage the chopstick, finding herself just as strained as Qi Xuansu, who attempted to counter this with brute force.

This highlighted the limitations of the Nightmare Bringer Method. While it was nearly impossible for ordinary people to guard against it, it was much less effective against practitioners with cultivation.

Without the aid of special treasures or immortal objects, this method often led to a stalemate in such cases. This was especially true when facing the Golden Body of a Shaman or the Body Spirit of a Martial Arts Practitioner, which were both particularly resistant to such methods.

At this moment, Qin Wubing finally spoke. “Since this is a sparring match and not a life-or-death fight, let’s call it a day.”

Qi Xuansu and Xie Jin exchanged glances. Neither insisted on continuing and both withdrew their hands.

As the two released the chopstick, it did not fall to the ground but instead disintegrated into ash and scattered with the wind.

Meanwhile, the chopstick stained with Qi Xuansu’s blood snapped into two. However, Qi Xuansu’s arm remained unscathed, indicating that the Nightmare Bringer Method applied to it had completely dissipated.

Xie Jin gave Qi Xuansu a deep look but said nothing.

Qi Xuansu chuckled. “Miss Xie, were you testing to see if the Xuan Jade from Yulan Temple in Yishan City has fallen into my hands?”

Xie Jin replied coldly, “As I said earlier, I don’t know anything about Yishan City or Yulan Temple. Mage Zhang and Daoist Qi must have mistaken me for someone else.”

Qi Xuansu ignored her denial and continued, “The Xuan Jade from the Yulan Temple corresponds to the Manly Immortal lineage. Miss Xie, you didn’t expect me to acquire another Xuan Jade corresponding to the Godly Immortal lineage, did you?”

Without waiting for Xie Jin to respond, Qi Xuansu added, “I suggest you abandon the thought, Miss Xie. You can’t take it away. Even if you could, it wouldn’t be your turn. Li Changge from the Taiping Sect has long been waiting in line for it.”

Xie Jin said no more.

In the earlier contest, Xie Jin had not gained much of an advantage. If it had been a fight to the death, the outcome would have been uncertain. After all, Qi Xuansu was a wild Daoist who excelled at such battles. Fair sparring was his weakness.

A victory also seemed unlikely if Zhao Xuanting were to fight Zhang Yuelu.

Qi Xuansu’s confidence in speaking so boldly clearly stemmed from having solid backing.