A Pawn's Passage

Although the primary function of the Three Treasures Scepter was to activate the Ascension Platform, it was a genuine immortal object. As a weapon in its own right, it was extraordinarily formidable, immense in force, crushing in weight, and incomparably sturdy.

Back then, Elder Xu once wielded the Three Treasures Scepter alone against a group of Immortals without falling into disadvantage. Even Tantai Yun, who possessed an Immortal physique, would need half a day to recover after being struck by a single blow. From this, one could see just how powerful the Three Treasures Scepter truly was.

Moreover, the Three Treasures Scepter differed from Skycaller. The reason Skycaller was regarded as an immortal sword was in its ability to resonate with heaven and earth, responding directly to the wielder’s cultivation. Each incremental rise in the wielder’s cultivation allowed the sword to resonate more with heaven and earth, and hence unleashed more power.

The Three Treasures Scepter was different. It was not purely a weapon, and thus its power would not fluctuate with the user’s cultivation. Instead, its might remained constant. Although its strength fell short of Skycaller when wielded by an Immortal, prior to reaching the Longevity stage, it far surpassed that sword.

This was also why the Holy Xuan entrusted the Three Treasures Scepter to his wife rather than using it himself. At the Longevity stage, both Moral Sovereign and Skycaller far outranked the Three Treasures Scepter in power.

Qi Xuansu raised the Three Treasures Scepter and smashed it down from above. Wang Jiaohe lifted an arm to block, and the ground beneath his feet immediately sank one meter.

Wang Jiaohe flicked his fingers repeatedly, attempting to repeat his earlier tactic by using righteous qi to suppress the Three Treasures Scepter.

However, the Three Treasures Scepter was in no way comparable to the semi-immortal Pure Bodhi.

Qi Xuansu swung the Three Treasures Scepter in his hand, utterly unrestrained, and brought it down with the weight of a mountain.

Wang Jiaohe had no choice but to draw a circle in the air with his hand to block the Three Treasures Scepter.

A thunderous boom erupted between heaven and earth. Ripples spread across Wang Jiaohe’s robes, radiating outward from beneath his feet. The bluestone slabs paving the ground shattered, and waves surged across the surface of the lake.

Du Yuhua dared not stay put. She quickly retreated far away.

The Three Treasures Scepter stalled about 10 centimeters from Wang Jiaohe’s forehead. Due to the righteous qi around him, the radiance of the Three Treasures Scepter churned violently, yet it could not advance even the slightest bit.

Seeing this, Qi Xuansu did not persist and immediately withdrew.

Wang Jiaohe raised his hand in a phantom grip, as though holding a sword.

Though its form could not be seen, one could clearly sense the overwhelming sword intention and the crushing weight of its sword qi. This sword was called the Righteous Sword.

Wang Jiaohe’s sleeves billowed as he raised the sword in his hand. It seemed to weigh tens of thousands of kilograms. His steps staggered, and every step he took shook the earth and mountains.

The moment the sword rose, the roar of wind and thunder filled the air.

Qi Xuansu wielded the Three Treasures Scepter as a bludgeon. The scepter emitted a faint glow, protecting it from lightning, wind, fire, and sword qi.

When the Righteous Sword struck the Three Treasures Scepter, Qi Xuansu’s entire body jolted, while the scepter radiated brilliant light, dissolving the surging sword qi into nothingness. Then, it exuded a powerful rebound force that pushed Wang Jiaohe back.

Wang Jiaohe’s face suddenly turned pale as his body flew back.

Qi Xuansu then hurled the Three Treasures Scepter from his hand. The scepter streaked forth like a flood dragon, vanishing in a flash.

The next instant, the Three Treasures Scepter slammed viciously into Wang Jiaohe’s chest, causing his face to flush a deep red.

Qi Xuansu reached out and caught the Three Treasures Scepter as it flew back toward him, his arm trembling slightly.

Wang Jiaohe pressed a hand to his chest, his expression dark. He had never imagined that Qi Xuansu would fight in such a crude manner, using the immortal object as a massive hammer. It required no sharp edge, for its sheer weight alone was enough to grievously injure an opponent. Thus, Qi Xuansu need not infuse the Three Treasures Scepter with any innate qi or force.

As an Omniscient Sage, Wang Jiaohe still had his own trump cards. He no longer engaged Qi Xuansu in close combat and retreated to open up a gap.

This time, a great bow appeared in his hands.

Two masses of black qi swirled at both ends of the longbow. The bowstring was thick but hollow, with golden liquid flowing inside.

Suspended in midair, Wang Jiaohe drew the bow like a full moon. No arrow could be seen upon the bowstring, only righteous qi.

Wang Jiaohe released the bowstring. The arrow formed purely of righteous qi arrived almost instantaneously, leaving behind a long trail that was slow to dissipate.

Facing such a terrifying arrow, Qi Xuansu dared not take the slightest risk. He used the Three Treasures Scepter to deflect the arrow slightly, letting it streak past his throat. However, the tremendous impact still left a deep, bloody gash across his throat, and the Three Treasures Scepter in his hand vibrated incessantly.

Thankfully, Qi Xuansu had the resilient physique of a Martial Arts Practitioner and immense strength to keep hold of the Three Treasures Scepter.

Wang Jiaohe let out a cold snort as he continued to hover midair with the large bow. He then shot more arrows repeatedly.

Qi Xuansu had seen similar techniques within the Martial Arts Practitioner lineage when blood qi was transformed into arrows. However, each draw of the bow damaged one’s muscles and consumed enormous amounts of blood qi. It could even shorten one’s lifespan. By contrast, Wang Jiaohe appeared calm and composed, clearly suffering no such depletion.

This was yet another defining trait of righteous qi. It was inexhaustible. Even if one tried to drain it using the Eclipse Method, it would be nearly impossible to drain completely.

Qi Xuansu was forced to grip the Three Treasures Scepter with both hands. Even so, his arms shook violently, and he barely managed to hold his ground.

The formless arrow that Qi Xuansu managed to deflect detonated within the estate with a thunderous blast. Its power was comparable to a Grade-A Series Three Dragon Eye Bullet. In the blink of an eye, the extravagant and expansive residence was reduced to rubble.

At that very moment, Wei Wugui appeared behind Wang Jiaohe and thrust a blade downward.

Wang Jiaohe was forced to halt his offensive. He lifted the bow to block slightly, while his left hand thrust forward and clenched, sending five sharp surges of qi crashing toward Wei Wugui from all directions.

This was the Confucian Five Peaks Sealing Hand driven by righteous qi. The five fingers corresponded to the Five Sacred Peaks. It was as if five mountains were crashing down on the opponent, capable of crushing someone into dust or sealing them in place.

Wang Jiaohe specialized in righteous qi, so besides having a lower cultivation compared to Sage Qingwei, who merely dabbled in righteous qi, he surpassed Sage Qingwei in every other aspect of this technique.

From Wei Wugui’s perspective, Wang Jiaohe’s left hand grew larger until it obscured everything, leaving only the five fingers pressing down on him.

Wei Wugui had no choice but to cleave at the palm with a single slash. However, the closer he drew to the palm, the smaller his body became, until he was no larger than a mayfly.

He would be overestimating himself if he thought a mayfly could shake a great tree.

Wang Jiaohe closed his hand around Wei Wugui and laughed loudly. “Qi Xuansu, so this is all you amount to!”

Seizing the opportunity, Qi Xuansu closed in once more, lifting the Three Treasures Scepter and striking without the slightest flourish.

Wang Jiaohe stowed away the great bow and retrieved a jade ruler, moving to meet the Three Treasures Scepter head-on.

When the jade ruler collided with the Three Treasures Scepter, Wang Jiaohe suffered for it. But Qi Xuansu also took a hit and could no longer rely solely on brutal smashing.

At this moment, the Taiyin Spiritual Statue manifested behind Qi Xuansu, who could employ the Taiyin 13 Swords.

Wang Jiaohe adapted as well, wielding the jade ruler as a sword. Though his moves were simple, they were incomparably swift and hard to guard against.

Qi Xuansu unleashed every method at his disposal with the Three Treasures Scepter, but he could barely keep up.

That was because Wang Jiaohe was using the Confucian Heavenly Heart Sword Technique, which shared some similarities with the Heavenly Calculation Technique.

Qi Xuansu constantly shifted his techniques, wielding the Three Treasures Scepter like a sword and a hammer. But Wang Jiaohe responded to all these changes with constancy, bringing the ruler down in a straight, overhead cleave that could shake the heavens.

Confucian swordsmanship was renowned for its overwhelming momentum and strict adherence to form. Though this move appeared plain and unadorned, it did not have the slightest flaw.

It cleaved down from the air at great speed, as if carrying such unstoppable force that it was capable of splitting the mountains, fully displaying the strengths of Confucian swordsmanship.

Qi Xuansu did not meet it head-on. He sidestepped and struck at an angle, equally flawless in form. This was a strategy suited for a drawn-out combat.

The Confucian sword qi was orderly, forming its own complete world, while the Taiyin 13 Swords was eerie, unpredictable, and elusive.

Qi Xuansu did his utmost to avoid a direct contest of cultivation, relying instead on evasion and skirmishing. However, skill alone was not enough to defeat Wang Jiaohe’s righteous qi. Though Wang Jiaohe gradually shifted from defense to offense, Qi Xuansu showed no immediate signs of defeat.

After battling for over 100 more exchanges, Wang Jiaohe suddenly raised the jade ruler in his right hand to block the Three Treasures Scepter. He then pushed Wei Wugui back with his left palm and then struck fiercely toward Qi Xuansu. This palm strike enveloped Qi Xuansu’s entire body. If he dodged, he would immediately be struck by the jade ruler.

With no way to evade, Qi Xuansu extended his left palm to meet the incoming strike.

The moment their palms collided, Qi Xuansu’s body shook violently. A hazy green aura spread across his face like a slab of bluestone. Meanwhile, Wang Jiaohe stood firm and unmoving, not a hair out of place.

At this point, it was clear who was the superior among them.

On the other side, Little Yin was hiding amid the ruins, continuously drawing in breath without releasing any. Her small body kept swelling, and in the blink of an eye, she resembled a round, bloated balloon.