A Pawn's Passage

Westerners always emphasized the original sins, believing humans were born inherently sinful. Thus, they frequently required confession, redemption, and judgment. However, Easterners rejected the concept of original sin.

Confucians believed that people were inherently good at birth, so how could there be sin? If there were no sin, then there would be no need for confession and redemption, let alone judgment. Why would humans execute justice on heaven’s behalf?

Thus, methods that were highly effective in the West might not be as useful in the East due to differences in societal norms and mindset.

Spirit Guards, especially high-ranking ones, might not possess high cultivation themselves, as their personal cultivation was not emphasized. However, those capable of wearing the first-rank Spirit Guard Armor invariably possessed exceptional willpower, often surpassing many Daoist priests of equivalent cultivation.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen was no zealot, so he could not claim a perfectly clear conscience. He only knew that he had not violated his core principles. However, his willpower was sufficient to endure the remaining pain. Years as a Spirit Guard had tempered his spirit into hardened steel. Such flames would not melt him into molten iron. Instead, they would only refine him by removing the impurities.

Countless illusory flames surged from within, attaching to Spirit Guard Jia Chen’s armor and wildly roaming its surface. Spirit Guard Jia Chen remained unfazed, blade in one hand and shield in the other, steadily advancing toward Renatus.

Renatus’s face was concealed by his helmet, hiding his expression that was presumably grave. The Paladin drew his greatsword from the ground and moved forward to meet Spirit Guard Jia Chen.

Paladins differed from Martial Arts Practitioners. Instead, they bore similarities to Qi Refiners, as they were capable of using spells while being proficient in close combat. Yet, they could not be entirely equated with Qi Refiners, who primarily relied on innate qi supplemented with elemental energy, mutually convertible between internal and external forces.

Paladins operated under two distinct systems, which were the traditional battle aura and the Holy Court’s faith power, neither dominating the other. Battle aura was an internal force, akin to innate qi and blood qi, originating within the body. Faith power closely resembled divine power. Strictly speaking, Paladins did not employ regular spells or arcane arts, but divine magic, primarily self-enhancements like halo spells and weapon blessings, with only a minor portion consisting of Judgment-type spells.

Typically, once Paladins left the Holy Court and lost access to faith power, they either turned to devils or became heretics or pagans, relying on themselves, much like the numerous cult demons in the East.

In the Western system, devils differed from demons, just as in the Daoist context, Ancient Immortals were not equivalent to demons, spirits, and monsters.

Demons dwelled in a realm called the Abyss, embodying chaos, evil, irritable fury, malicious intent, and violent caprice. They lacked morality and were unpredictable, their intentions shifting from moment to moment. Unable to foresee their own actions, they could neither unite nor plan coherently. Dedicated solely to destruction and terror, they reveled in bringing ruin and fear. In short, they were powerful, evil lunatics who delighted in slaughter.

Devils resided in a realm known as Hell, distinct from chaotic, unpredictable demons. Although devils were equally evil, they were hypocritical and orderly. Hypocrisy was evil’s highest tribute to virtue.

In some ways, devils resembled humans, or rather, they represented humanity’s darker side. They were united, hierarchical, and organized. Therefore, devils had seven leaders, known as the Seven Princes of Hell or the Seven Devils.

To devils, cruel demons were merely mindless beasts. Devils looked down on crude slaughter. Instead, they much preferred manipulating human minds. In this sense, devils were similar to Ancient Immortals. They spent most of their time corrupting mortals, making contracts with them, and enticing them to sell their souls.

Although devils played word games, concealed additional clauses, held final interpretation rights, never traded equally, and fulfilled desires in twisted ways, they never forced contracts upon others nor violated agreements.

Devils respected those who dared to pay the price to change their destiny.

Demons delighted in destruction, while devils preferred to witness corruption.

Therefore, Paladins who abandoned the Holy Court may choose to trade with devils to obtain power.

The advantage of mastering Western studies was self-awareness and strategic insight, avoiding blind arrogance and the laughable claim of Eastern martial arts being invincible.

As a first-rank official, Spirit Guard Jia Chen clearly understood the foundations of Western Paladins. Since this person had already left the Holy Court, he faced two paths: corruption or heresy. If neither path was taken, he would become a common knight, which was akin to a Banished Immortal or Qi Refiner becoming a Rogue Cultivator. This meant they had reduced power.

From the power he unleashed in the Judgment, Renatus seemed to bear partial devilish strength, yet still summoned flames of light, clearly indicating he had not been fully corrupted yet.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen thought to himself, Could employment by the Emperor be the source of Renatus’s faith power? If so, the Emperor sure was truly generous.

As Spirit Guard Jia Chen thought this, his actions did not falter. Empowered by immense divine power, he deflected Renatus’s greatsword with his shield and drove his blade straight into Renatus’s chest. He then stepped firmly on the Paladin’s chest and pulled his blade free with a vigorous kick.

Such an injury would be fatal for an ordinary person, but for a high-ranking Paladin, it was merely wounding, possibly not even hindering his movements.

Taking advantage of this, Spirit Guard Jia Chen struck again with his shield. This time, a faintly illusory crown appeared above Renatus’s head, seemingly woven from thorns and covered in spikes.

At the same time, a third halo emerged beneath his feet, tinged with a faint green hue.

This was the Crown of Thorns, which, when enhanced by the Sacred Halo, became the Sacred Crown of Thorns Halo.

Its effect was simple—half of the damage received would be returned to the attacker. When empowered, it returned the full damage. It defied reason, as it bent reality and the laws of nature.

Thus, as Spirit Guard Jia Chen’s shield bash sent Renatus flying with both feet off the ground, he also suffered the exact same impact. The force came from nowhere, as if summoned by fate, causing his Spirit Guard Armor to resonate with a thunderous boom. Even with his shield absorbing the blow, Spirit Guard Jia Chen staggered back repeatedly, each step leaving a deep footprint, shaking the entire cavern.

Once Renatus regained his stance, he gripped his greatsword tightly and slashed at Spirit Guard Jia Chen from a distance.

A vast torrent of white light surged forth.

In Spirit Guard Jia Chen’s vision, it was as if the galaxy had poured down or a mighty river had surged forward. All he could see was endless white from Renatus’s battle aura and faith power.

This was the Paladin’s basic martial skill, the Smiting Slash, akin to techniques like Thunder Palm. It was a move everyone knew, but its power depended on the user. When unleashed by a master like Renatus, its might was extraordinary.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen did not retreat. Instead, he advanced. This time, he did not raise his shield and decided to slash forward as well. The vast white light split like a flood striking a reef, surging past his sides.

Then, Spirit Guard Jia Chen charged forward with his shield, held flat with its surface facing upward and the edge aiming directly at Renatus. The entire shield began spinning rapidly, like a circular saw.

Many did not know that a Spirit Guard’s shield could both defend and attack. It was utterly indestructible.

Renatus thrust his hand forward.

In an instant, thousands of beams of light were drawn into Renatus’s palm. The sudden disappearance of light created patches of darkness, causing the area’s lighting to flicker and shift. A crystalline wall formed from countless beams of light emerged between him and Spirit Guard Jia Chen, slowly advancing toward the Spirit Guard.

This was the Wall of Sighs.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen’s shield slammed into the crystalline wall with a thunderous crash, scattering sparks and shards of crystal. This Wall of Sighs was the strongest defensive technique of Paladins, yet a deep gouge was carved out.

Had this shield struck a human body, the result would have been horrific. Even a Heavenly Being would have been sawed into minced meat.

Moments later, the spinning shield slowed and gradually came to a halt.

The Wall of Sighs likewise disintegrated into countless glowing specks of fine sand, scattering in the wind.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen chuckled and said, “Good thing I had reserves of divine power, or you really would’ve worn me down to death.”

Even before he finished his sentence, Spirit Guard Jia Chen had already closed in on Renatus.

But Renatus was far from finished. With one hand gripping his greatsword, he swung with immense force, momentarily pushing Spirit Guard Jia Chen back. Then, with his swordless right hand, he struck his chest heavily.

In the next moment, his entire body transformed into a giant that was nearly 30 meters tall. His greatsword burned with blazing holy fire, and brilliant wings of light spread from his back, scattering radiance everywhere. A golden ring appeared above his head, emanating invisible majesty.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen murmured, “So this is the Westerners’ Spiritual Body? Interesting.”

Even before he finished speaking, Spirit Guard Jia Chen’s armor began to change. A dark disc appeared behind him, then split into countless irregular fragments like a puzzle. As they reassembled, they expanded outward in concentric layers, ultimately forming a Bagua symbol—the mark of the Daoist Order.

This was the second form of a first-rank Spirit Guard. The disc functioned as a link to the 33 Heavens of Jade Capital, enabling remote access to vast divine power, akin to the Ancient Immortals’ divine descent.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen calmly declared, “Only follow the Dao.”

A torrent of divine power descended from the heavens, ignoring the constraints of the formations to pierce through Wuxing Mountain and envelope Spirit Guard Jia Chen entirely.