A Pawn's Passage

There were always internal and external causes in bringing change. But what truly determined change was the internal cause. The external was merely the trigger, while the internal was the fundamental driving force. Without the will to change from within, one might very well ignore the external circumstances.

The same logic applied to the Daoist Order. The apparent external causes of upheaval seemed to be the extinction of the Northern Dragon and the arrival of the end of the era. However, in essence, it was the irreconcilable conflict between the three major sects that had reached a breaking point. The end of the era only served to ignite this conflict. So, it was the trigger, not the root cause.

Such contradictions were rarely dissolved easily. Either one side was utterly defeated, or both sides were grievously wounded and forced to reconcile. In any case, the price was steep. The struggle would only end once pain was felt. Or it would shift into a new cycle, just as dynasties have risen and fallen throughout history. Throughout this process, bloodshed was inevitable.

At this moment, they were within Izanagi’s divine kingdom, which felt as if they were in a desolate region far removed from the civilized world.

If Sage Qingwei sought to silence Qi Xuansu here, it would not be without risks. But the possibility was high. Much like the Holy Court’s borderline maneuvers, there would always be space afterward for disputes and denials.

Speaking of the Holy Court, they were the ones who brought about the current situation.

When Sage Qingwei first entered the divine kingdom, Izanagi had not yet reforged his golden body and thus could not command the realm. The portal stood wide open, so Sage Qingwei could advance or retreat at will. He could press forward and win, fall back and let allies in, or, if nothing else worked, withdraw from the divine kingdom entirely.

This was why Sage Qingwei was not afraid even if the Apostles of the Holy Court personally entered the fray. Should they step into Izanagi’s divine kingdom, Daoist forces from outside could enter as well, maintaining the advantage. The key, at that moment, was that Izanagi had not yet mastered his divine kingdom.

But once the Holy Court delivered the Scripture of Zuriel, Izanagi immediately reforged his golden body, seized control of his divine kingdom, and rose to the level of a quasi-First-Tribulation Immortal.

Izanagi sealed the divine kingdom at once, shutting out external reinforcements. Sage Qingwei was left alone deep within enemy territory. Since the two conflicting powers within Izanagi had united against Sage Qingwei, the latter bitterly admitted defeat in that first clash.

With no hope of victory, Sage Qingwei refrained from fully unleashing the Mountain Whip, as it was better to keep it as a hidden trump card for what lay ahead.

Had the Holy Court not interfered, Sage Qingwei was confident he could have slain Izanagi before his golden body was restored. The divine kingdom would never have been sealed, and none of these troubles would have followed.

Thus, Sage Qingwei’s calculations were both accurate and flawed. He was right that the Holy Court would not dare intervene directly. They did not step onto the battlefield themselves. However, Sage Qingwei had not foreseen that they would employ the Scripture of Zuriel. Were it not for the svastika mark that Vairocana left behind, which forced Izanagi into internal strife, the situation would have spiraled completely out of control.

Fortunately, by a twist of fate, the tide turned once again. Sage Qingwei went from being the defeated party to the one lying in wait to reap the benefits, swapping roles with Qi Xuansu.

For Qi Xuansu, embarrassment was secondary. The key was survival.

If Sage Qingwei truly wanted to kill him, it would become a muddled account. Explaining Qi Xuansu’s appearance in Izanagi’s divine kingdom would be difficult. The Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor would never implicate themselves since they were the figureheads of the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect, so their reputation had to remain spotless. In such cases, the subordinates would have to bear responsibility, whether willingly or not.

Otherwise, how could the term “sacrificial pawn” have come about?

In truth, it was not the Heavenly Preceptor who had sent Qi Xuansu into the divine kingdom. The Heavenly Preceptor had merely broken the seal. It was Izanagi’s own power that dragged Qi Xuansu inside.

Moreover, with the demonic fire within Qi Xuansu, he might well be accused of colluding with the foreign demons.

There was no need to nitpick over legal codes. At this level, a plausible excuse was enough. Once the deed was done and the fact established, the dead could not speak for themselves. They could simply take advantage of the silence of the dead.

Given Qi Xuansu’s awkward status, neither as a core member nor bound by any blood ties, no one would stir up great strife for a dead man. Even if they did, it would be to seek advantage or compensation, not vengeance.

Since ancient times, it was common to kill first and assign guilt later.

It seemed that Qi Xuansu’s life and death hung solely on Sage Qingwei’s whim.

Qi Xuansu racked his brains for a way out, but in the end, he was merely a pawn on the chessboard, not the player. He had no right to bargain.

At that moment, the voices of the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor rang out in turn.

“Since the Imperial Court has intervened, we no longer need to conceal ourselves.”

“I have already granted you Class-A access.”

Qi Xuansu was startled.

Class-B access allowed him to summon all Three Yin Beings at once. But what was Class-A access?

Neither the Heavenly Preceptor nor the Earthly Preceptor offered an explanation.

The voices of the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor vanished at once, replaced by a flat female voice. “The portal of Jianxiu Mountain is now opening. Please stand by.”

Naturally, Qi Xuansu had heard of Jianxiu Mountain. He remembered it vividly, as he had embarrassed himself in front of Yao Pei during their heist to obtain the Staff of Merit.

In the earliest days, when the Chongyang Palace of Immortality on Difei Mountain still served as the Daoist Order’s auxiliary capital, the core of the creation projects had been established nearby at Jianxiu Mountain. Even after the project moved into Kunlun Paradise, Jianxiu Mountain remained of great importance. From small creations like the Dragon Painting Pistol to grand constructs like mechanical puppets, countless products of the project were intimately tied to Jianxiu Mountain.

Later, Qi Xuansu came to understand that the Lord of Jianxiu Mountain was essentially a seal belonging to the Holy Xuan. One could also say that the Holy Xuan had been the very first Lord of Jianxiu Mountain after the Daoist Order was rebuilt. After that, every successive Lord of Jianxiu Mountain held another identity as the Earthly Preceptor.

This was why Yao Pei had the Lord of Jianxiu Mountain’s seal.

Back in the Wanxiang Daoist Upper Palace, Yao Pei had wielded the Lord of Jianxiu Mountain’s seal and issued commands in that name to shut down the many mechanical puppets stationed at crucial areas.

Without a doubt, that too was a form of authority.

Now, the Earthly Preceptor has granted Qi Xuansu Class-A access to open the portal of Jianxiu Mountain.

After the Three Yin Beings became separate entities, Master Yin arranged a three-point formation together with Master Wan and Lady Bai. Even while speaking, he maintained this three-point stance.

A phantom portal slowly began to open at the center of this formation.

Sage Qingwei’s expression turned grim. He raised the Mountain Whip to halt the process but quickly stopped, for it was too late.

The portal had not just begun opening now. It had already started opening back when Sage Qingwei received the Northern Dragon’s help, at the same moment the Earthly Preceptor’s voice had vanished.

By the time Sage Qingwei had gained enough strength to interrupt the process, it was past the point of no return.

This was not Qi Xuansu’s power, nor that of the Three Yin Beings. It was the might of Jianxiu Mountain itself.

The Earthly Preceptor was hailed as the best in divination within the Daoist Order. Such a title was no empty boast.

By the time the Earthly Preceptor informed Qi Xuansu, everything had already been prepared. It was not a last-minute decision but rather the announcement of a plan already set in motion.

Sage Qingwei lowered the Mountain Whip he had raised, watching as the illusory portal of Jianxiu Mountain fully opened.

The reason the Earthly Preceptor granted Qi Xuansu Class-A access was that, without a concrete medium, a prerequisite or foundation was needed. Only Qi Xuansu could open the portal of the Ghost Kingdom within Izanagi’s divine kingdom, linking to that yin-yang rift. That was the foundation.

The creation project was a complete system and a tightly woven network. Jianxiu Mountain was only its core. Thus, when the portal of Jianxiu Mountain opened, it still had to pass through the yin-yang rift of the Ghost Kingdom.

Beyond that, linking Jianxiu Mountain to Izanagi’s divine kingdom required an exact coordinate, which was served by Qi Xuansu. It also needed a pulling force. Since Qi Xuansu was too weak to fill that role himself, the Three Yin Beings acted as the tether.

Class-B access was not unique. The Earthly Preceptor, who could grant Class-B access to others, naturally held authority surpassing all levels. Thus, the Earthly Preceptor could also command the Three Yin Beings to act in advance.

However, as the Earthly Preceptor was not physically present, he still had to rely on Qi Xuansu. Therefore, the granting of authority had to proceed step by step. Qi Xuansu first needed Class-B access to summon the Three Yin Beings, which then laid the groundwork for unlocking Class-A access.

After all, a chess player faced an inherent disadvantage of not being able to personally enter the field. Instead, they had to realize their goals through their chess pieces.

As soon as the portal solidified. A thick, muscular arm with bulging veins reached through and gripped the doorframe.

Then came another arm, each arm grasping one side of the doorframe.

As a true high-ranking leader of the Daoist Order, Sage Qingwei was not surprised by this scene. He could more or less guess what was about to happen.

Thus, his expression grew all the more grim.

Beyond that portal lay the very heart of the former creation project and the forbidden grounds of the Quanzhen Sect—Jianxiu Mountain, where the Daoist Order’s greatest creation slumbered.

Strictly speaking, only the Grand Master held the authority to unlock this pinnacle of creation. However, authority could not exist in a vacuum. When power falls vacant, another force would inevitably rise to fill the void.

For centuries, imperial power never extended into the countryside. This left a vacuum of grassroots authority, quickly filled by gentry, local scholars, and clans, substituting clan rule for official governance and family law for imperial law.

In the bigger cities and counties, whenever the authorities neglected their duties and abandoned obligations, such as collecting corpses, night patrols, gatekeeping, clearing waterways, or ensuring smooth canal transport, the Beggar Gangs and other local powers would quickly move in to occupy that space.

When an emperor lacked ability and could not fully wield imperial authority, the eunuchs at his side quickly filled that vacuum, becoming a supplement to imperial power.

It was the same within the Daoist Order. When the Grand Master’s seat was vacant, the powers belonging to him inevitably eroded, and others would step in to fill that void.

Now, without a doubt, the three Deputy Grand Masters had divided the Grand Master’s authority, filling that vacancy.

Not to mention, the creation project was originally the prerogative of the Quanzhen Sect. When the Grand Master ordered its activation, it was the Quanzhen Sect who carried it out. The Earthly Preceptor was the current leader of the Quanzhen Sect and the current Great Sage Lunzhi, wielding the Grand Master’s authority for this term.