A Pawn's Passage

Prince Liao had a Zaohua-stage cultivation and wielded a semi-immortal object.

Even if Yao Pei were here with Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu, they still might not be a match for Prince Liao.

“Deputy Mansion Master Shi and Mansion Master Li are both in the palace right now, so where is Zhou Jiaoxian?” Prince Liao asked.

In his eyes, only the Chief Deputy Mansion Master could be considered a true opponent. These two fledglings were far from qualified.

He did not deny that these two had great potential, but that was a matter for the future, not the present.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Your Highness, are you the one overseeing operations at Wuxing Mountain?”

“You could say that.” Prince Liao glanced at Qi Xuansu’s Flying White Shadow and chuckled slightly. “The Emperor rules over all the people, and the Twelve Ornaments Robe cannot bear a single stain. As far as this matter goes, the Emperor only wishes to know the outcome, not the details of the process. Thus, someone must act on His Majesty’s behalf to oversee those details, ensure no mistakes occur, and coordinate all parties. I have come to Wuxing Mountain to fulfill that responsibility, under the directive of the Emperor.”

Qi Xuansu continued, “By the same logic, a prestigious Imperial Prince must also remain unblemished. So, much of the dirty work is handed off to subordinates like your Chief Administrator. Is that it?”

Prince Liao paused briefly, then laughed out loud. “You must be referring to Chief Administrator Wen. He’s been with me for many years, and I cherish that bond. But as people grow old, their minds inevitably grow muddled, and they make mistakes. I won’t deny that.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Are you speaking so frankly because you believe we’re already doomed to die?”

Prince Liao replied, “Even now, I wouldn’t dare make such a claim. After all, my opponent is the formidable Daoist Order. Sage Donghua is only one step away from becoming the Grand Master, so he’s not someone to be taken lightly. He sent you two fledglings here, but he surely has deeper intentions. I just haven’t figured out what exactly those are.”

He paused. “But in about an hour, none of that will matter.”

Qi Xuansu’s gaze moved past Prince Liao, toward the lake behind him and the figure sitting upon its surface.

That person should be the ancestor eunuch of the Xuanhui Court, a Pseudo-Immortal tasked with suppressing the earth qi.

Noticing Qi Xuansu’s line of sight, Prince Liao explained, “From the beginning, only one Pseudo-Immortal was needed to suppress the earth qi. I intentionally released false information to mislead you into thinking multiple Pseudo-Immortals were required. If you believed that and dispatched too few people, the entire plan would have failed. But as it turns out, Sage Donghua didn’t fall for it. He still arranged for several Pseudo-Immortals to take action. That’s likely because during the last time the Imperial Court invited the Daoist Order to survey the Northern Dragon, over a hundred Sages and Great Sages participated. The Daoist Order must have left behind ample records from that survey, allowing them to deduce that the Northern Dragon’s condition has since stabilized, and hence, one Pseudo-Immortal is enough to suppress it.”

Prince Liao’s clear reasoning demonstrated that he was not one of those frivolous scions who attained high positions merely through family lineage. In the face of a rigorous meritocratic system in the royal family, one who could rise to become an Imperial Prince was certainly no ordinary man.

Zhang Yuelu whispered, “He’s stalling for time.”

Prince Liao did not deny it. “I have no intention to become enemies with either of you. I am merely fulfilling my duty. If the two of you are willing to retreat here and now, I will not stand in your way. We might even share drinks if we meet again elsewhere. But if you are determined to complete your mission, be warned—I will not show mercy with my sword. We each serve our own masters, so we shall let fate decide the outcome. The choice lies in your hands.”

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu exchanged glances once again, finding themselves in a dilemma.

If they fought, they would surely be no match for Prince Liao.

But if they held back, they would be watching the Monkey emerge, and all would be lost.

Who exactly was that mysterious Thumb? Why had they yet to appear at this critical moment?

Zhang Yuelu was not one to sit and await doom. She transformed the Amorphous Paper into a paper sword and manifested her Guanyin Spiritual Statue behind her.

At the same time, she transmitted a telepathic message with her mind’s voice to Qi Xuansu. “I’ll do my best to buy you a window. You just have to throw that metal disc into the lake. Whether it works, we’ll leave it to fate.”

Qi Xuansu gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Prince Liao reached for the hilt of the Sword of Mandate and said, “It seems the two of you have made your choice.”

With that, he slowly drew the Sword of Mandate from his waist.

The sound of the sword leaving its scabbard echoed like a long, drawn-out dragon’s cry.

Legend says that the Sword of Mandate was forged from the remains of a flood dragon.

Zhang Yuelu moved. Her Spiritual Statue merged with her physical body, transforming into a Spiritual Body. Countless streaks of radiant light burst forth, which at first glance resembled a vast jade screen or a peacock spreading its tail. But upon closer inspection, they were long swords formed of condensed sword qi. This was the Guanyin Thousand Swords.

Then Zhang Yuelu and Prince Liao began an incredibly fast-paced close-quarters battle, always staying within one meter of each other, every move precise and calculated.

Zhang Yuelu moved her paper sword, which replicated until hundreds of identical paper swords layered upon one another like a majestic mountain that continued to grow and expand.

Instead of retreating, Prince Liao advanced, crashing into the mountain of swords with a thunderous force, cleaving the mountain with a single strike.

In the next moment, Prince Liao’s figure passed straight through the mountain of paper swords.

Zhang Yuelu suddenly retreated, while countless paper swords scattered and shot outward.

With a sudden whoosh, Prince Liao had already appeared one meter behind Zhang Yuelu.

In haste, Zhang Yuelu could only turn and raise her sword horizontally, barely blocking Prince Liao’s full-powered strike. Her feet crashed into the ground, and her Spiritual Body was riddled with cracks.

Even though Zhang Yuelu was already very close to the Wuliang stage, the difference in cultivation between the two was simply too great. This was with Prince Liao intentionally holding back, too. After all, he wanted to leave room for reconciliation for future encounters.

Prince Liao’s goal was to ensure the emergence of the Monkey, not to kill Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu. Unless absolutely necessary, he did not want to make an enemy of the Heavenly Preceptor, who was an Immortal at the height of power. That would be too worrisome.

At the same time Zhang Yuelu struck, Qi Xuansu also moved, darting toward the lake formed from earth qi.

Prince Liao was about to cleave Qi Xuansu at the waist with a single strike, but Zhang Yuelu could not allow that. In desperation, she gathered all her true essence into the sword in her hand.

This strike was also a powerful technique from the Cihang Sword Sequence, called Tribulation Glow Technique. It was a killing move that was rarely used, but it was deadly or crippling when unleashed. Though the move was simple, unchanged regardless of whether it targeted the enemy’s chest or face, its power stemmed from channeling 120% of one’s strength, making it unblockable and inescapable.

As Zhang Yuelu thrust her sword, countless golden Buddha lights appeared out of thin air, illuminating the entire cavern. Even Prince Liao was coated in a golden glow. Then, all the Buddha lights converged into a single point at the tip of the paper sword in Zhang Yuelu’s hand.

When the sword was unleashed, the golden light blanketed the sky. It instantly became a strike of life and death.

The immense gap in cultivation was not something that could be bridged by a single move. Even if Zhang Yuelu pushed her power to 120%, she could at most reach the strength of a Wuliang stage cultivator, while Prince Liao was at the Zaohua stage.

To make up for a single stage of difference, one would need at least three times the number of fighters. But even if there were three Zhang Yuelus, that might barely suffice.

Prince Liao merely struck down with a single, straightforward slash, and it shattered layer upon layer of golden light.

When the Sword of Mandate clashed head-on with the Amorphous Paper, the paper sword was beaten back into its original form.

Zhang Yuelu’s Spiritual Body shattered, and her true essence was in chaos. Blood flowed from her orifices as she staggered backward uncontrollably.

“This strike might have worked if Shi Bingyun were the one using it.” Prince Liao scoffed and no longer concerned himself with Zhang Yuelu.

He immediately turned toward Qi Xuansu and made his move.

Once again, Qi Xuansu felt the same helplessness he had when he first faced Feng Bo.

A streak of sword qi slashed across his lower leg. So much for the indestructible body, Golden Body, and the Green Netherworld Armor—against this level of sword qi, all of them were as flimsy as paper.

His lower leg was severed cleanly, and his entire body collapsed forward onto the ground.

However, Qi Xuansu did not panic. He continued dragging his body forward using his forearms, moving as swiftly as possible.

The lake was right in front of him. He was so close.

In critical moments, Qi Xuansu never lacked the courage to struggle desperately in the face of death.

Unfortunately, willpower alone could not make up for the difference in their cultivation.

The next moment, Qi Xuansu felt an unbearable tearing pain from the back of his neck.

Prince Liao had appeared behind him. He drove five fingers deep into the back of Qi Xuansu’s neck and seized his spine.

The reason Prince Liao did not kill Zhang Yuelu was out of fear of the Heavenly Preceptor’s retaliation.

But to him, Qi Xuansu was just a nobody without any backing. As such, there was no need for restraint.

With one hand, Prince Liao lifted Qi Xuansu into the air. He did not rush to snap the latter’s neck. Though Qi Xuansu’s mind remained clear, he could no longer move a single part of his body.

“I gave you both a chance. Did you really think I was some kind-hearted man who doesn’t dare kill?” Prince Liao sneered.

Prince Liao flung Qi Xuansu high into the air as if he were a ragdoll, then raised the Sword of Mandate in his right hand, aiming it at the center of Qi Xuansu’s back.

Once Qi Xuansu reached the peak of the arc, he began to fall freely, descending directly on the tip of the sword.

However, to Prince Liao’s surprise, the sword did not pierce straight through Qi Xuansu’s back. It only sank a few centimeters before halting, as though the tip had struck an unbreakable stone. Even the Sword of Mandate’s sharpness could not pierce through it.

Thus, Qi Xuansu was now hanging from Prince Liao’s raised sword tip like a meat skewer, completely immobilized, his limbs dangling weakly by his side.

Prince Liao mused, “Perhaps I should cut off your head and string it on my sword as an ornament.”

At that moment, Zhang Yuelu was still bleeding from her orifices, so she could neither see, hear, nor speak. Yet a sudden, overwhelming dread surged through her, compelling her to weep uncontrollably.