A Pawn's Passage

Cultivation was like climbing a mountain.

At first, every climber ascended by their own skill and strength.

When the Holy Xuan unified the Five Immortal Lineages, it was as though he had built a paved road up the mountain, complete with chains and railings, permitting only one prescribed path for future generations to climb. The benefit was that even those who once had no hope of ascending could now follow the path and slowly reach the summit by gripping the iron chains. The drawback was that those of exceptional agility and talent lost the freedom to take shortcuts or perilous roads. Thus, the chance to climb higher was forever closed to them.

Those hidden, dangerous trails were preserved only within the ancient texts. They were not necessarily superior to the Holy Xuan’s prescribed path but were merely another choice, a different route up the same mountain.

Once Qi Xuansu obtained The Taiping Essential Arts, he immediately sensed a repelling force emanating from the entire Dragon Palace. His body began to blur and fade, just as it had when leaving the Qingping Society’s dream meeting.

In the next instant, Qi Xuansu’s eyes snapped open. He was back in his cabin aboard the flying ship. In his hands was The Taiping Essential Arts that he had taken from the Dragon Palace.

The Heavenly Empress’s gift had followed him out of the divine kingdom and manifested in the mortal world alongside him.

Qi Xuansu was not surprised. The Five Ghosts Transport Method used in the dream meeting had a similar mechanism. He even remembered Madam Qi’s warning that the method would not work beyond the Central Plains.

By the same logic, the Dragon Palace must also have had geographical limits, restricted largely to Nanyang.

This led Qi Xuansu to another thought. Perhaps the reason Ancient Immortals such as Wu Luo had never expanded into Fenglin was not only due to the Three Great Kami guarding the land but also because of the divine kingdoms’ limited reach.

After all, there was a large distance between Nanyang and Fenglin, so Wu Luo had to choose only one location. Since the Lingshan Witch Cult decided to take root in Nanyang, she had naturally abandoned Fenglin.

But that was not what concerned Qi Xuansu now. He quickly refocused his attention on the book in his hands.

According to the records, The Taiping Essential Arts comprised of over 200 volumes, yet Qi Xuansu held only one volume. If this were merely one among 200, it would be disappointing. But as he flipped through the pages, he relaxed slightly. Just as he had guessed, this was no ordinary book. It was a pocket realm, like a magical receptacle, holding more than enough space to contain all 227 volumes.

Even without considering its contents, the book itself could be considered a treasure.

It was a formidable task to memorize the contents in these 227 volumes. However, having undergone two transformations, Qi Xuansu’s aptitude had become extraordinary. He now had a photographic memory.

As a complete lineage, The Taiping Essential Arts contained foundational techniques that Qi Xuansu could skim or skip altogether. Thus, this allowed him to compress the vast text and master its essence with remarkable efficiency.

Qi Xuansu skimmed through the opening passage.

“The Daoist Ancestor who has attained the Dao is the teacher of both the living and the unseen. When called upon, he transforms according to circumstance. When his work is done, he hides and abides eternally. He is everywhere, yet nowhere, traversing the Six Voids and enlightening the Three Realms. He governs both worldly and transcendent laws with action and inaction. Nothing can escape him... The Azure Heaven has perished; the Yellow Heaven shall rise. In the Jiazi year, the world will be blessed with great fortune.”

The general message was the same as the Taiping Qingling Sutra. Yet its difficulty rivaled even that of the Taishang Emotionless Sutra. Thus, few in the Daoist Order dared to practice it.

The complete Taiping Qingling Sutra was a perfected orthodox method, safe from hidden dangers. But its progress was agonizingly slow, requiring years and even decades of steady effort to master. Thus, it was practically impossible for Qi Xuansu to master it in a short time.

Qi Xuansu closed The Taiping Essential Arts for now and rose to gaze out the window.

At some point, the storm had ceased, or perhaps the flying ship had simply sailed beyond its reach. The dark clouds, howling winds, and torrential rain were behind them. In their place was a colorful sky. The golden sunlight rimmed with red, casting a shimmering brilliance over the endless sea.

At the far edge of Qi Xuansu’s sight lay a sprawling palace complex. Due to the blinding sunlight in the background, all he could see were deep silhouettes. Even though their intricate details were hidden, their grandeur and grace still shone through.

He wondered how Li Tianzhen and Wu Guangbi were faring, if they were still inside the Dragon Palace in search of the Heavenly Empress’s legacy. Or perhaps they had already returned with their spoils. Either way, he silently hoped they would come back empty-handed.

Having met the greatest pirate of Nanyang and glimpsed the legendary Dragon Palace, Qi Xuansu felt that his first sea voyage was well worth it. He decided there was no need to drift on the rough seas any longer. After confirming that everyone aboard had exited the Dragon Palace, he ordered the flying ship to ascend and accelerate full speed toward its next destination—the Lion City of Jawa Kingdom.

The Lion City served as the gateway of the entire straits, as it lay at the easternmost tip of the northern shore. Its strategic position made it invaluable. As such, the Great Xuan Court established the Nanting Protectorate here.

Given the relationship between the Daoist Order and the Great Xuan Court, Qi Xuansu’s visit was obligatory. Moreover, both the Nanting Protectorate and the Nanhai Navy maintained close ties with the Zhengyi Sect.

Though the Great Xuan royal family stood with the Taiping Sect, the entirety of the Great Xuan Court did not. After all, if an emperor could truly control every minister, there would be no need for politics. In such an enormous empire, power had to be shared among many parties.

The Nanting Protectorate and the Nanhai Navy were deeply intertwined. Due to geographical reasons, the Nanhai Navy forced them to have frequent dealings with the Zhengyi Sect. Thus, their connections became complex over time. Many Daoist families had descendants serving the Imperial Court. The Court could hardly refuse them, nor would it wish to, as men of such lineage and backing were destined for high office. Thus, even if the Imperial Court and the Daoist Order were to tear away their facade of unity, the Court would never be a monolithic entity.

The last time Qi Xuansu had visited the Imperial Capital, he had felt the stifling weight of royal power everywhere. Even so, Prince Jin had quietly stood by his side.

The current Nanting Protector was from the Lin family, which was a great clan in Lingnan and Nanyang. The Heavenly Empress and Lin Lingsu shared this lineage.

He had long commanded Lion City and anchored his influence there.

A Port Pacification Commission Office of the previous Wei Dynasty was located in a chain of small islands to the southeast of Lion City. This was where Spirit Guard Jia Yin, the right hand of Great Sage Lan, was stationed under the Poluo Daoist Mansion.

Protector Lin and Spirit Guard Jia Yin maintained an amicable partnership, often coordinating their forces. Together with the Nanhai Navy, they formed a military force that dominated Nanyang.

The Nanting Protectorate specialized in land campaigns, using naval warfare as support. The Nanhai Navy ruled the seas, while the Spirit Guards commanded the skies above.

The reason Spirit Guard Jia Yin did not reside in the more significant Lion City was that he belonged to the offensive division. Thus, he was not suited for long-term defense. He was usually the one who initiated attacks, much like Spirit Guard Jia Shen and Spirit Guard Jia Chen.

If Qi Xuansu intended to accomplish anything in Poluo, he first needed to understand their positions. More importantly, he had to build a relationship with them.