A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu officially completed his advanced training at the Upper Palace after the farewell banquet on September 15th. Thus, he departed from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace on September 16th, the 42nd year of the Jiushi Era.

The Li Gate, which had been sealed for three months, was opened once more. Just as Qi Xuansu had entered the Upper Palace through this gate, he exited through it.

Beyond the Wanxiang Daoist Palace, there was a port for flying ships in Xingye Lake. However, Qi Xuansu did not take a flying ship to Jade Capital. Instead, he chose to leave Longmen Prefecture on foot before taking off to the skies toward Qinzhou.

Since the Chongyang Palace of Immortality was also located in Qinzhou, atop Difei Mountain, Qi Xuansu unexpectedly found himself traveling alongside Yao Pei once again, as she too had not taken a flying ship. This gave him a strange sense that their earlier farewell had been in vain.

This was not Qi Xuansu’s first time riding with the wind, but it was his first time doing so over a long distance.

Looking down, he could clearly see the contours of mountains, the courses of rivers, and the layouts of towns and cities, all laid bare before his eyes.

Qi Xuansu could not help but feel a constant awe. In a way, this was far more spectacular than simply standing atop a high peak and looking down.

Qinzhou and Zhongzhou were neighboring regions, separated by the Beimang Mountain that spanned 400 kilometers. Thus, the fastest route through these mountains was via the Ghost Pass.

As a heavily fortified Daoist stronghold, flying over the Ghost Pass was forbidden. Qi Xuansu and Yao Pei had no choice but to descend to the ground and enter the pass on foot.

The Ghost Pass remained unchanged for decades. A pitch-black fortress stood between two towering peaks, blocking the passage completely, its ramparts reaching halfway up the mountainside. The walls and surrounding slopes were lined with defensive weaponry—a visibly impregnable defense even against an army of ten thousand. There were also Spirit Guards clad in dark armor patrolling the area.

In addition to the already formidable security, a colossal mechanical puppet was stationed atop the cliffs flanking the Ghost Pass.

True Lord Siming had long coveted this place, having attempted multiple incursions, only to be repeatedly repelled. This proved just how heavily fortified the Ghost Pass was, even more so than Jinling Prefecture.

Most people had no idea what truly lurked here, but Qi Xuansu knew the secrets of the Ghost Pass. It was not merely guarded by a first-rank Spirit Guard. It was also protected by Three Yin Beings.

With just a single punch from across a great distance, Master Wan had reduced Feng Bo into a pile of mince—a feat impossible even for a Wuliang-stage Heavenly Being. Such power required at least a Zaohua-stage Heavenly Being, if not a Pseudo-Immortal.

At this moment, the gates of Ghost Pass stood wide open. There was no lockdown, and only a handful of travelers were passing through, which meant they did not have to queue to enter.

Ordinary people were not allowed to enter Ghost Pass. But Yao Pei was clearly not ordinary, and she had no qualms about using her status to pass freely. On the other hand, Qi Xuansu had a token given to him by Pei Xiaolou, but it was linked to Wei Wugui, so he thought it best not to use it again.

Thus, Qi Xuansu tagged along with Yao Pei and followed her into the Ghost Pass for the second time.

Inside, an everlasting thin mist cloaked everything, reducing their visibility. It was like a city doused in perpetual fog. Aside from the heavily armored Spirit Guards patrolling the area, there were also many civilians in casual attire who worked in the manufacturing plants and resided within the Ghost Pass.

Qi Xuansu and Yao Pei had no intention of lingering in the Ghost Pass. They were merely passing through. However, after only a few steps, their path was blocked by an elderly man and his grandchild.

Almost instantly, Qi Xuansu sensed an intense shift in Yao Pei’s emotions—akin to a common folk encountering a tiger in the woods while unarmed and alone.

Regardless of how far Yao Pei would progress in the future, at this moment, she was merely a Heavenly Being in the Xiaoyao stage. Thus, when she was standing before this elder, she felt a pressure akin to facing off with Zhang Wuhen. No—it was even greater than Zhang Wuhen.

Though Zhang Wuhen had been a Pseudo-Immortal, she had just been resurrected, so she was far from her peak strength. Moreover, she had been preoccupied with facing the Seven Star Net Formation led by Sun Hewu, so she did not pay attention to Yao Pei or Qi Xuansu who were watching the battle on the sidelines. As such, the pressure back then was not as overwhelming.

However, this situation was different. The elderly man in front of them was at his peak condition, and his very existence seemed to meld seamlessly with the overwhelming yin energy in the Ghost Pass, giving him a tremendous advantage in this terrain.

Yao Pei’s Staff of Merit appeared in her hands as she stood on high alert, prepared for a life-and-death confrontation.

However, Yao Pei knew that if this elderly man held hostility toward them, they would not be able to escape even with the Staff of Merit in hand.

Fortunately, the elderly man showed no animosity. In fact, he even expressed goodwill.

“Young one, you carry the aura of the Great Witch, so you must be her descendant. That must make you a Yao. It’s no wonder you were able to subdue the Staff of Eternal Heaven, an ancient relic of Ancient Wuism that is naturally attuned to your Ancient Witch ancestor. Even the Holy Xuan had to reach the Zaohua stage before he could wield this staff freely. Yet here you are, already capable of controlling it at the Xiaoyao stage. That is the power of your bloodline.”

This was Yao Pei’s greatest secret, yet this elder had hit the nail on the head.

The Daoist Order did not place emphasis on one’s bloodline. Though the Li family claimed to be the descendants of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, they exhibited no innate mystical traits. The Zhang family descended from the founding Heavenly Preceptor Zhang Daoling likewise lacked inherited gifts. Beyond the passage of time, the fundamental reason was that both the Primordial Daoist Ancestor and the founding Heavenly Preceptor had not been born extraordinary. They were merely humans who achieved greatness through cultivation.

The Yao family was different. First, their ancestor had been a reincarnated Ancient Witch who rose to power during the reformation of the Daoist Order under the Holy Xuan, making their lineage relatively recent. Second, the Ancient Witches were not considered humans. Legends described them as towering giants, different from the modern definition of humans. Their bloodline also carried undeniable supernatural power because they were the descendants of the Ancient Witches.

However, not all members of the Yao family inherited these ancient powers. Only a rare few could awaken their bloodline’s dormant strength, such as the Earthly Preceptor and Yao Pei.

This was also why Yao Pei had been chosen as the future leader of the Quanzhen Sect at such a young age, and why she could wield the Staff of Merit even though she was only in the Xiaoyao stage. After all, the Shamanistic Sect had branched out from Ancient Wuism, which originated from one of the Ancient Witches.

Qi Xuansu pondered for a while, gradually grasping the implications of these words.

He had once seen 11 Great Witches in his dreams. Each time he fused with the Xuan Jade, one of them would step forward. He had even consulted Zhang Yuelu about this. According to her, the two most renowned Great Witches today were Wu Yang and Wu Luo. The latter was the leader of the Lingshan Witch Cult and the last known leader of Ancient Wuism. She had once conspired with three other Great Witches to betray and assassinate the previous leader, Wu Xian. The former, Wu Yang, was the opposite of Wu Luo. She was regarded as the closest ally of the Daoist Order, having aided the Holy Xuan and the founding emperor of the Great Xuan Dynasty multiple times. As such, Wu Gorge and Wu Mountain were named in her honor.

Qi Xuansu also came to a realization. Li Changge had relied on external forces, absorbing a large amount of Xuan Jade, to complete himself. Yao Pei was born gifted, inheriting her extraordinary bloodline. Zhang Yuelu, however, had none of the above. She relied purely on herself. It finally made sense why Zhang Yuelu was slightly overshadowed by the other two.

Yao Pei remained silent, but her emotions fluctuated even more intensely.

Noticing Yao Pei’s uneasiness, the elderly man waved his hand dismissively. “No need to be nervous, young one. I, too, am a member of the Daoist Order. I’m just way older than most, having lived through all six generations of Grand Masters, so I’m more knowledgeable. I have met the Holy Xuan and his wife. I have seen Donghuang and the old ancestor of the Qingqiu Mountain lineage. I have also interacted with your Great Witch ancestor.”

Yao Pei immediately understood the old man’s identity and regained her composure. “Sir, are you one of the legendary Three Yin Beings of the Ghost Kingdom?”

She had always known about the existence of the Three Yin Beings but had never expected one of them to appear here in the Ghost Pass, outside of the Ghost Kingdom.

The elder smiled faintly. “Well, yes. Calling me one of the Three Yin Beings isn’t incorrect. In the past, people referred to me as the Nine-Yin Lord of the Netherworld. But now, I prefer to be called Master Yin.”

Yao Pei stowed away the Staff of Merit and adapted to the situation with ease. “Master Yin, please forgive me for being impolite earlier.”

Master Yin nodded in acknowledgment before he turned to Qi Xuansu and remarked, “My friend, in just half a year, you’ve become a Heavenly Being and have even acquired divine power. Your future is truly limitless! It seems I was right about you.”

Qi Xuansu replied humbly, “Master Yin, you flatter me.”

Just then, a little girl bounced over to Qi Xuansu and asked, “You left your big horse at our house and never came back for it. Did you forget about poor horsey?”

Embarrassed, Qi Xuansu coughed lightly and came up with an excuse. “I didn’t forget! It’s just that none of the places I’ve been to allow horses.”

“Liar, you totally forgot!” The little girl refused to believe him.

Qi Xuansu quickly changed the subject. “Master Yin, since you were known as the Nine-Yin Lord of the Netherworld[1], what were Master Wan’s and Madam Bai’s titles?”

Master Yin simply smirked.

Yao Pei answered in his stead. “They are the Mighty Lord of Ten Thousand Corpses[2] and the Mystical Lord of White Bones[3], respectively.”

Qi Xuansu finally understood why they were named as such. These titles suited them perfectly.

1. Master Yin previously introduced himself to Qi Xuansu with the name, 九阴 (Jiǔyīn), which directly translates to Nine Yin. ☜

2. Master Wan’s name, 万(Wàn), directly translates to ten thousand. ☜

3. Madam Bai’s name, 白(Bái), directly translates to white. ☜