A Pawn's Passage

The waves crashed against the reefs, shattering into white spray.

Wang Jiaohe and Sun Heyu walked side by side along the seawall, with the vast ocean stretching not far away.

Since the terrain along this stretch of coast was complex and strewn with reefs, there was no ship traffic, nor were there docks or harbors. Few people passed through, so only two figures stood out at this time.

Wang Jiaohe stopped, turned to face the sea, and said, “I’ve stared out at this sea for decades, yet never has it stirred my emotions like it does today.”

Sun Heyu also came to a stop. He did not speak, but his white beard fluttered faintly in the breeze.

“Elder Sun, this is the last chance...” Wang Jiaohe said softly.

Sun Heyu finally spoke. “So you sent Danqing to Lion City for this very moment.”

Wang Jiaohe fell silent for a moment, then said, “No matter how my story ends, he will be able to keep his life. The same goes for Yaozhen and Yaoping. They, too, will survive.”

Sun Heyu said, “Both of us miscalculated. We never imagined that the Earthly Preceptor and Pei Xuanzhi would be so resolute. From the very beginning, they intended to put us to death, yet we were still thinking about taking risks to scrape by. We were wrong from the start, so it’s only natural that we end up with nothing.”

Wang Jiaohe clasped his hands behind his back, feeling the salty, damp sea breeze. “There’s no point talking about that now. Only two paths lie before us. If we do nothing, Qi Xuansu will probably need another one or two months to gather evidence and push procedures forward. During that time, we can still preserve a final shred of dignity. After that, we’ll be imprisoned for life. The Daoist Order might spare our lives out of old sentiment and let us spend the rest of our days in the Demon Suppression Tower.”

Sun Heyu’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

The Demon Suppression Tower was not just a prison. It was a form of punishment because it siphoned the prisoners’ innate qi, true essence, and magical power to sustain its operation. Over all these years, it was not without reason that no one had ever successfully ascended from such a place.

Of course, the greater torment lay in the contrast of their lives. From a local tyrant who could summon wind and rain to a prisoner trampled underfoot—this was a fall from heaven into the abyss, something not everyone could endure. That was why some chose death instead. That death could be self-inflicted or a desperate struggle.

Wang Jiaohe continued, “Another path is retreat. The world is vast, so there is always somewhere to hide. Now that Great Sage Jiang is moving against Chen Shuhua, he’ll leave the Yu Kingdom and draw away most of the Daoist Mansion’s forces. That’s the last chance I spoke of.

“Of course, this carries risks. Qi Xuansu would have needed another one or two months to complete the case. But the moment we make a move, he gains a legitimate reason to strike directly, sparing himself those final one or two months. Elder Sun, have you thought about which path to take?”

Sun Heyu fell into silence.

In his view, neither of the two paths was a good choice, yet he had no choice but to choose.

Sun Heyu let out a heavy sigh and asked, “Where do we go?”

Wang Jiaohe was silent for a moment, then answered, “West.”

Sun Heyu narrowed his eyes. “The Western Ocean?”

Wang Jiaohe said, “Through the Western Ocean, then onward to the New Continent.”

Sun Heyu sighed softly. “Even ants cling to life.”

Wang Jiaohe said, “There is a legend in Western Region Buddhism of a mysterious kingdom called Shambhala. It’s a pure land of bliss in the mortal world and the final refuge when the end of the era arrives, leading all beings away from suffering. In truth, you and I both know these claims merely deceive the ignorant masses. Shambhala is nothing more than a pocket realm or divine kingdom, and this so-called salvation of all beings is merely ascension from the mortal world.

“Coincidentally, the Holy Court has a similar legend, claiming that one of the Twelve Apostles founded a mysterious kingdom east of the Western Ocean. It apparently has a Fountain of Youth. As far as I know, such a place also exists on the New Continent. A great empire once stood on the New Continent, which collapsed due to civil war and the arrival of the Westerners. Yet one city of that ancient empire was never discovered. The natives of the New Continent regarded it as a holy city, said to be resplendent with gold and jade. Westerners call it El Dorado, while the natives call it Paititi. If we can find Paititi—”

Sun Heyu raised an eyebrow. “Paititi is merely a legend. Westerners have searched for it for so many years and still haven’t found it.”

Wang Jiaohe said, “The largest temple in Poluo is Angkor Wat. Although Buddhist scriptures contain clear records of Angkor Wat, for a very long time, it existed only as a legend, hidden within a pocket realm until it was discovered just a few decades ago.”

Sun Heyu did not refute this because when Angkor Wat was discovered, he was serving as the Poluo Daoist Mansion Master.

Wang Jiaohe glanced at Sun Heyu’s expression and continued, “I obtained some interesting intelligence through the Goddess Society.”

“No wonder you suddenly brought up Paititi,” Sun Heyu said in realization.

Wang Jiaohe drew a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Sun Heyu. “Although the legend of Paititi has existed since ancient times, it fell silent for a long period and was only brought up again in recent years. This is because the Holy Court discovered a report by the Goddess Society missionary Andres in the City of Seven Hills’ vast archives. This report was written during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Wei Dynasty. Andres formally mentioned the existence of Paititi, and this is a copy of that report.”

Sun Heyu took the scroll and skimmed through it rapidly. “Andres claims in the report that a group of New Continent natives who had converted to the Holy Court brought a goddess idol into the court of Paititi, triggering a divine descent. That seems unreliable. As far as I know, the New Continent natives worship an ancient god known as Quetzalcoatl. Their faith has never been extinguished, and their gods never die. I suspect these ancient gods are still alive in this world. Why would they allow the Holy Court to extend its reach into their final sanctuary? In fact, I even suspect that the Quetzalcoatl is in fact part of the dragon race, or some variant of it. You know this as well, that dragons are favored by the heavens and are not bound by the hundred-year limit, so they can remain in the mortal world for centuries.”

Wang Jiaohe said, “That’s exactly my point. Even setting aside Andres’s report, there are records left behind by the Juan family and others that indicate the likelihood of Paititi’s existence is indeed quite high. Andres’s report merely confirmed its reality once again. Moreover, the Goddess Society suspects Andres Peloz had already betrayed the Society and secretly reached certain undisclosed agreements with Paititi’s last emperor.”

Sun Heyu was taken aback.

Wang Jiaohe continued, “This New Continent empire has already collapsed, and its last emperor fled to Paititi with the empire’s divine artifacts.”

Sun Heyu asked, “What divine artifacts?”

Wang Jiaohe said, “It’s said that these artifacts are connected to the ancient gods Kukulkan and Ixchel. As long as one obtains them and performs a sacrifice atop the Kukulkan Pyramid in Paititi, one can wield divine power. The sun will be destroyed, and the entire world will fall into darkness. Of course, that is merely rhetoric meant to frighten ordinary people. The so-called destruction of the sun and the descent of darkness is likely nothing more than a solar eclipse. The key is that by performing a sacrifice at a specific location, one can obtain divine power. Doesn’t that sound familiar to you?”

Sun Heyu’s expression turned solemn. “The Ascension Platform.”

Wang Jiaohe nodded, “Exactly. The Ascension Platform in front of the Zixiao Palace can allow one to ascend and become an Immortal, but it can only be activated by the Three Treasures Scepter. From another perspective, the Kukulkan Pyramid is an Ascension Platform, and the divine artifacts of Kukulkan and Ixchel are the Three Treasures Scepter. In essence, there is no difference between them. They are both extraordinarily special ascension rituals.

“The Three Treasures Scepter is the Grand Master’s token. With the Daoist Order at the height of its power, no one dares to covet the Three Treasures Scepter or the Ascension Platform. Even approaching the Zixiao Palace is unimaginably difficult. But Paititi has already declined. Its former empire has collapsed, and the ancient gods fell due to internal wars. The Holy Court’s invasion and destruction further weakened it. Since it’s far inferior to the Daoist Order, this gives us a chance to obtain the divine artifacts...”

Sun Heyu interjected, “If we do that, we will be able to ascend in glory. But...there are two of us.”

Wang Jiaohe chuckled. “Elder Sun, who said the Ascension Platform only allows one person to ascend? Have you forgotten that back then, Elder Zhang and Elder Xu ascended together with Wu Yang on the Ascension Platform?”

Sun Heyu’s expression brightened into a smile. “That sounds good. With the end of the era approaching, there is little left to linger over in this mortal world. It would be better to ascend and roam freely in the heavens.”

The two of them fell silent at the same time.

As the sun set in the west, the entire surface of the sea turned blood-red and dazzling, tinting both men crimson as their shadows stretched long behind them.

Wang Jiaohe said slowly, “Then it’s settled. We will go from the Western Ocean and head to the New Continent in search of the legendary Paititi. Then, we’ll find the ancient gods’ divine artifacts and finally carry out the ritual atop the Kukulkan Pyramid.”

Sun Heyu took a deep breath. “Our children and grandchildren have their own fortunes, so we shall not toil like beasts for their sake. Let’s ascend and attain ultimate freedom.”

Wang Jiaohe added, “Provided that we can leave Poluo safely.”