A Pawn's Passage

Immortal objects each served different functions.

Some were auxiliary, meant to enhance the wielder’s strength. Some were for direct combat, such as the Skycaller and Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords.

Others that fall outside these two categories had special properties depending entirely on how they were employed. Their use was not limited to combat alone. Strictly speaking, the Three Treasures Scepter was classified under this category. Its primary function was to activate the Ascension Platform and the Immortal Retaining Platform, similar to how the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords were linked to the Punishment Pillars.

However, the Three Treasures Scepter could also be used as a weapon. It was forged from an unknown material and contained the powers of earth, water, fire, and wind. Thus, it had boundless might and was capable of shattering anything. Its defining trait was its overwhelming force and tremendous weight.

Previously, when Qi Xuansu received the Three Treasures Scepter from Great Sage Jiang, he could barely lift it. Now, however, he could hold it with ease, which meant that he was now in the Zaohua stage.

This was Qi Xuansu’s fourth time entering the Zaohua stage using the Scripture of Zuriel. It was unprecedented, as no one had ever used the Scripture as frequently as Qi Xuansu did. That was because the Scripture existed as a complete whole in the past, not a consumable meant for single use. If a Wuliang-stage Heavenly Being were to read the complete version of the Scripture, it would undoubtedly be a death sentence. This was only possible because the Earthly Preceptor dismantled the Scripture of Zuriel, minimizing its negative effects.

After experiencing it so many times, Qi Xuansu had become somewhat numb to the inflated arrogance that he was the axis of heaven and earth and the sole protagonist, leaving him increasingly clear-headed.

If Qi Xuansu continued using the Scripture of Zuriel, he would certainly become completely immune to the side effects.

The first three times, Qi Xuansu’s Martial Arts Practitioner lineage, Shaman lineage, and Diviner lineage were enhanced. This time, it was the Rogue Cultivator lineage.

He was now in the Liberation Realm of Rogue Cultivators. After this stage, a Rogue Cultivator would ascend to become a Corpse Liberation Immortal, considered the lowest level among all Five Immortal Lineages.

Ordered from lowest to highest level, Rogue Cultivators, Qi Refiners, and Banished Immortals belonged to the same lineage. In the Zaohua stage, the Rogue Cultivator’s Liberation Realm was similar to the Banished Immortal’s Three Corpses Severance Realm, except that the latter could sever up to three incarnations, while the former could only produce one and must rely on external objects to do so.

Put simply, among the many methods of ascension, Corpse Liberation Immortals ranked at the very bottom. All other Immortals ascended with their physical bodies, while Corpse Liberation Immortals could only allow their spirit to ascend, leaving their corpse behind in the mortal world, hence the term “corpse liberation.”

However, they could also use a weapon of choice to replace their corpse, allowing Corpse Liberation Immortals to ascend with their physical bodies like the other Five Immortals. For example, if one left behind a sword in place of one’s corpse, it would be known as Sword Liberation. Later, all such methods came to be collectively called Weapon Liberation.

Aside from laying the groundwork for ascension and departure from the mortal world, the Liberation Realm allowed a Rogue Cultivator to use an external object as an anchor to sever an incarnation. The higher the grade of the external object, the more powerful the incarnation would become.

Though both involved severing incarnations, there were many similarities and differences between a Rogue Cultivator’s Liberation Realm and a Banished Immortal’s Three Corpses Severance Realm.

A Three Corpse Incarnation was a semi-independent individual, nearly indistinguishable from a living person. However, it lacked a true physical body and must consume the original body’s true essence to remain in the mortal world.

On the other hand, a Weapon-Release Incarnation was anchored to an external object and had a physical body, so it could exist in the mortal world for a long time. However, it was more like a puppet because it lacked independent consciousness.

In theory, the Three Corpses Severance Realm and the Liberation Realm complemented each other. If one could combine the two, it would be possible to sever an incarnation completely, turning it into a fully independent individual.

Unfortunately, the Three Treasures Scepter did not belong to Qi Xuansu, so he could not use it as the anchor to sever an incarnation. Instead, he had no choice but to settle for the next best option and use his own semi-immortal object—Pure Bodhi.

In an instant, two Qi Xuansus appeared.

Wang Jiaohe was astonished once again.

There had been rumors that Qi Xuansu was a Rogue Cultivator, but Wang Jiaohe had never believed them.

That was because each time Qi Xuansu made a move—whether using a Martial Arts Practitioner’s, Diviner’s or Shaman’s techniques—he wielded them effortlessly, so he appeared to be a Banished Immortal.

Yet now, it seemed that Qi Xuansu truly was a Rogue Cultivator.

Being a knowledgeable Pseudo Immortal and Omniscient Sage, Wang Jiaohe could easily distinguish between a Banished Immortal’s incarnation and a Rogue Cultivator’s incarnation. Thus, he would not mistake the Liberation Realm for the Three Corpses Severance Realm.

Wang Jiaohe was unaware of manmade Banished Immortals because he was not part of the true upper echelons of the Daoist Order. Though he was an Omniscient Sage, he was a regional powerhouse rather than part of the Jade Capital’s central authority. Thus, he could not be compared with the Three Heirs.

Moreover, the Wang family was a parvenu. In terms of heritage, they were far inferior to the many prestigious families that had directly participated in the rebuilding of the Daoist Order. Coupled with the wariness those old-established families held toward the Wang family, many secrets were simply kept from Wang Jiaohe.

Qi Xuansu’s incarnation was called Wei Wugui, just as Zhang Yuelu’s incarnation was called Tantai Chu. Unlike Qi Xuansu’s true body, which wore a lotus crown and a hechang, Wei Wugui was dressed like a Jianghu swordsman. He wore a bamboo hat, no different from Qi Xuansu’s attire back when he roamed the world.

Qi Xuansu held the Three Treasures Scepter, while Wei Wugui held the Pure Bodhi.

In a sense, a Weapon-Release Incarnation was similar to the Seven Feather Five Fires Fan that had given birth to a spirit. Both were rooted in an external object, yet they were also capable of controlling that external object.

Wang Jiaohe did not dwell further on Qi Xuansu’s lineage. He clapped his hands lightly and said, “Tian Yuan, you truly came well prepared. I would like to see what else you’ve got.”

Before Wang Jiaohe finished his sentence, he made his move.

Wang Jiaohe did not belong to any of the Daoist Six Immortal lineages. Instead, he cultivated the Confucian Hermit lineage.

In the past, when the Three Religions were unified under Confucian leadership, the Confucian School stood at the forefront. Now, the Daoist Order was the main power. Thus, it became necessary to weaken Confucian presence and place it as a vassal of the Daoist Order rather than its former dominant role.

Thus, it was acceptable for Daoist disciples to cultivate Confucian lineages. However, Buddhist lineages were still not accepted.

Hermits were originally a type of social identity. But after the reform of the Three Religions, Hermits became one of the Confucian lineages. Hermits were extremely rare, roughly comparable in number to Banished Immortals.

However, there were still differences between Hermits and Banished Immortals. Banished Immortals studied the strengths of many schools, moving from complexity to simplicity. Meanwhile, Hermits went in the opposite direction, moving from simplicity to complexity.

The two paths ultimately converged, but before reaching the end of their respective lineages, they were almost entirely opposite.

Banished Immortals must continuously cultivate various perfected methods, whereas Hermits focused solely on the fundamental art of righteous qi or mind force, striving for ever greater refinement.

Righteous qi was said to repel all techniques, possessing no flaws whatsoever. It was the most upright and orthodox of all cultivation methods. Unless one relied on a vastly superior cultivation to overwhelm it by brute force, not even the Six Void Tribulations or Izanagi’s demonic fire could affect the righteous qi in the slightest.

Its only drawback was the slow process in cultivating righteous qi. There were no shortcuts or methods for rapid advancement, so it must be honed gradually through long-term, steady effort.

Due to this, Confucian Great Masters were reputed to be the hardest to defeat. If one’s own cultivation fell short of a Confucian practitioner’s, then it would be extremely difficult to overpower the righteous qi, regardless of what tricks were used.

Thus, relying on his Pseudo-Immortal level righteous qi, Wang Jiaohe believed that Qi Xuansu would be powerless against him, unless the boy used an immortal object.

Great Sage Jiang understood Wang Jiaohe’s true capabilities, which was why he lent the Three Treasures Scepter to Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu’s various methods could not injure Wang Jiaohe, but immortal objects could.

Wang Jiaohe never expected Great Sage Jiang to lend an immortal object to Qi Xuansu, so he was shocked upon seeing the Three Treasures Scepter.

Was Great Sage Jiang not afraid that Qi Xuansu might fail? If Qi Xuansu were defeated, and the Three Treasures Scepter were to fall into someone else’s hands, then Great Sage Jiang would be in big trouble. Even as a Virtuous Great Sage, he would face severe punishment for letting the Grand Master’s token fall into enemy hands.

But with the arrow already nocked, it had to be released. Wang Jiaohe had no choice but to make his move.

Wang Jiaohe advanced with his righteous qi. Wei Wugui stood in front of Qi Xuansu to shield him. A surge of qi crashed toward Wei Wugui, choking him and making circulation difficult, forcing him to freeze.

At this moment, Wei Wugui could see everything clearly, yet his movements could not keep up.

Wei Wugui could only watch helplessly as Wang Jiaohe extended a finger and tapped the spine of Pure Bodhi, forcibly suppressing it with righteous qi and rendering the semi-immortal blade immobile.

Wang Jiaohe followed with a kick aimed at Wei Wugui’s left temple, but Wei Wugui seized the ankle in one motion, twisting his body in an attempt to slam his opponent violently into the ground.

Knowing that his movements were sluggish and that he could not match Wang Jiaohe’s speed, Wei Wugui deliberately allowed Wang Jiaohe to attack his vital points, seizing the opportunity to grab hold of him so as to trade injury for injury.

Wang Jiaohe had no choice but to brace himself with one hand against the ground to avoid an awkward tumble. In that instant, the entire artificial rock was pressed into the water, turning the waterside pavilion into a true water pavilion as surging lake water overflowed the shore.

After rising to his feet, Wang Jiaohe brought down a knifehand strike aimed at Wei Wugui’s head.

Wei Wugui neither dodged nor evaded, taking the blow head-on.

At this moment, Wang Jiaohe could clearly see Wei Wugui’s face, which was identical to Qi Xuansu’s but with an added hint of ferocity.

This side of Qi Xuansu was deeply unfamiliar to him.

In the next instant, Wei Wugui caught Wang Jiaohe’s hand. Nearly half his palm was split open, but he still drove a vicious punch into Wang Jiaohe’s lower abdomen. The blow rang like a giant bell.

Wang Jiaohe drifted more than 30 meters backward, flying out of the pavilion.

Wei Wugui was a Jianghu fighter, tempered by countless life-and-death battles, so he was completely fearless of death. The closer he came to death, the more he could unleash his strength, often unleashing 120% of his power.

On the contrary, flowerbed Daoists were most prone to panic at such moments, unable to bring even 80% of their abilities to the fight.

Unfortunately, the gap in cultivation between the two was far too great.

No matter how fierce Wei Wugui was, human strength had its limits. That single punch injured Wang Jiaohe, but that was all it could achieve.

At that very moment, Qi Xuansu appeared directly along Wang Jiaohe’s line of retreat.