A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 1387: Preparing for the Return Journey

Looking across the entire Daoist Order, Great Sage Jiang was an exception, but only because he was entrusted with safeguarding the Grand Master’s immortal object. Strictly speaking, those four immortal objects did not belong to him.

Great Sage Zhang Qihan, who was stationed in Fenglin, possessed only one immortal object, the Eight Scenes Lantern. Great Sage Lan Hexu, stationed in Poluo, likewise had only one, the Nether Passage Lantern. When Sage Qingwei went to Fenglin, the Daoist Order gave him only one immortal object, the Qinghuo Pearl. The Mountain Whip belonged to the Great Xuan Emperor, not the Daoist Order.

Possessing multiple immortal objects was a privilege reserved for the Deputy Grand Masters. For instance, the Heavenly Preceptor held the Heavenly Preceptor Twin Swords, the Heavenly Preceptor Seal, and the Guizang Lantern. Though the Imperial Preceptor had only used Skycaller, that was not his only immortal object.

After all, immortal objects were not common. Virtuous Great Sages typically received only one, and many Omniscient Sages had none at all.

Qi Xuansu was not even an Omniscient Sage, so how could he possess two immortal objects? Strictly speaking, it was two and a half, since Green Cloud was half of the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords.

If word spread, outsiders would inevitably speculate if Qi Xuansu was the reincarnation of the Holy Xuan or the grandson of the fifth-generation Grand Master. This was a prestige beyond comparison.

Qi Xuansu felt wronged. Madam Wu was assigned by the Daoist Order. Once his mission ended, she had to be returned. Anyone replacing Great Sage Jiang as this envoy would receive the same treatment.

Green Cloud was thanks to Zhang Yuelu. The two had achieved many merits through their Twin Sword Union. The speed at which the couple rose was partly thanks to the Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords.

The Guizang Lantern was borrowed from the Heavenly Preceptor, tied to the struggle between the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor. Though the Heavenly Preceptor had agreed to lend the Guizang Lantern to Qi Xuansu for just one month, the Heavenly Preceptor showed no urgency in taking it back. Who knew what he was planning?

Those in the know understood that Zhang Yuelu was the granddaughter and Qi Xuansu the grandson-in-law. But those who didn’t might think Qi Xuansu was the Heavenly Preceptor’s grandson and Zhang Yuelu was his granddaughter-in-law.

Qi Xuansu could not possibly explain himself. Was he supposed to tell Huangfu Ji that the Guizang Lantern was meant to counter the Earthly Preceptor?

Just like Little Yin’s background, Qi Xuansu could not reveal these confidential details to Huangfu Ji. The implications were far too extensive, stretching from Lingshan Paradise and Elder Yao all the way to the Heavenly Preceptor and the Earthly Preceptor’s distant contest, even back to the Heavenly Sect’s clash with the Ancient Wuist Sect.

Furthermore, explaining in depth would expose his Longevity Stone Heart, which would shock Huangfu Ji even more, because that would amount to three immortal objects.

In the end, no matter how it was explained, one conclusion had to be chosen—he was either the reincarnation of the Holy Xuan or the predetermined eighth-generation Grand Master.

After all, judging from the ownership of the immortal objects, it meant Qi Xuansu had effectively secured the Zhengyi Sect, the Quanzhen Sect, and the Grand Master’s lineage. Even if the Taiping Sect opposed him, he would still hold the advantage.

One could imagine that wherever Qi Xuansu went, Daoists would welcome him wholeheartedly.

Since he could not explain it clearly, Qi Xuansu could only tacitly accept it.

The Golden Tower Council has decided that I will be the eighth-generation Grand Master. Li Changge and Yao Pei are just insignificant extras. Zhang Yuelu can simply become the Grand Master Consort and enjoy the Three Treasures Scepter to her heart’s content. This was exactly the mindset Qi Xuansu had when he first used the Scripture of Zuriel.

This made the Western Daoist Order inevitably reassess Qi Xuansu. After all, he was not merely a Daoist envoy and was very likely the future Grand Master, which gave him an entirely different weight.

After this small interlude, the two resumed sparring.

With the aid of the Guizang Lantern, both Future Infinity and Past Meru became far less difficult, because Qi Xuansu could clearly “see” them and slowly analyze and break them down. For others, they could only grasp them through gradual intuition.

Aside from Future Infinity and Past Meru, the most powerful move within the Sacred Fist was the Present Saha, which involved the Qi Refiner lineage. But for Qi Xuansu, this was not particularly difficult since he was a manmade Banished Immortal.

The two main difficulties of the Three Sacred Fist were the need for a Qi Refiner lineage and the time-based Temporal Arts. Qi Xuansu bypassed these obstacles with the Longevity Stone Heart and the Guizang Lantern. What remained was merely an extension of the Tantai Fist Intention, which posed little difficulty for someone like him who had thoroughly mastered and transformed it.

Unaware of Qi Xuansu’s background, Huangfu Ji began to question his entire life after several rounds of sparring.

Tantai Zhenxiao had praised Huangfu Ji as the most talented individual in the Western Daoist Order in the past 60 years, saying that he could have become a Banished immortal. When he first learned the Three Sacred Fist at the Zaohua stage, it had taken him three full years just to grasp the technique.

In contrast, Qi Xuansu covered his three-year journey in a single night. Who was the true genius here?

This was talent beyond comprehension! Would the Daoist Order welcome another First-Tribulation Immortal soon?

No wonder they would preselect a Grand Master. A First-Tribulation Immortal could indeed serve as the greatest common denominator to reconcile the Daoist factions.

Naturally, Qi Xuansu had no idea what Huangfu Ji was thinking. If he had known, he would likely have comforted him, saying that anyone with the help of two immortal objects could certainly achieve three years’ progress in one night. It was nothing extraordinary.

Yet the sheer extravagance implied in such reassurance might cause Huangfu Ji to overthink even more.

In any case, there was no way Qi Xuansu could explain it clearly.

These facts spoke louder than any words he could possibly say.

Since Qi Xuansu had already grasped the Three Sacred Fist, he could refine it gradually in the future. There was no need to rush.

Qi Xuansu could not fully master it in a single night.

Next, Qi Xuansu would have to return to Jade Capital to report on his duties, presenting a comprehensive briefing to Sage Qingwei on the firsthand developments in the New Continent. He might even attend a Golden Tower Council assembly. After all, ordinary Sages had the right to observe such meetings but not vote.

In addition, matters concerning Sage Donghua, the Heavenly Preceptor, Little Yin, and the Kunlun Daoist Mansion all needed to be handled properly.

Thus, this trip to Jade Capital would not be a period of rest for Qi Xuansu. He would be even busier.

Qi Xuansu had stored the toy soldiers, red wine, cigars, and steam armor in his magical receptacle.

He then contacted Chen Jianchou in Jade Capital, instructing him to prepare gifts for Sage Cihang and Tantai Qiong, emphasizing that there must be no preferential treatment. Everything should be equal, lest his mother-in-law become jealous of Sage Cihang and put Zhang Yuelu in an awkward position.

The expenses would be taken from Madam Qi’s account and recorded.

Chen Jianchou agreed immediately. Handling such matters was basic secretary work. Qi Xuansu had virtually no free time to do it himself.

Moreover, Qi Xuansu would not be returning alone. The Western Daoist Order would also send a representative as their envoy to report the situation to the Daoist Order. This person would most likely be Huangfu Ji. As a core figure of the next generation, it was necessary for him to establish connections in Jade Capital and inherit the relationships of the older generation.

Audrey would also follow him because Qi Xuansu had promised to help remove the Steam Power Core within her body. Neither the Western Daoist Order nor the Tawantin Empire had the capability to do so, so they would have to go to the headquarters of Huasheng Hall and Tianji Hall in Jade Capital. Moreover, Audrey herself did not wish to remain in the Tawantin Empire. She longed for the more civilized Eastern Continent.

Although Jade Capital was a city of Daoists, the many Daoist establishments built over the years in the Kunlun Daoist Mansion were not in vain. At the foot of Kunlun Mountain lay numerous satellite cities affiliated with Jade Capital that were equally prosperous.

The traitor from the Western Daoist Order, Du Juanzhi, was exiled to the Kunlun Daoist Mansion to work on temple construction.

The Western Daoist Order was short on manpower, so unless someone was particularly important, there were generally only three options—atone through merit, be executed outright, or be suppressed and sealed. In contrast, the Daoist Order had an abundance of manpower, so much so that if one person refused, countless others would take their place. The Kunlun Daoist Mansion specialized in exactly this kind of work.

Huangfu Ji could not travel alone. He would naturally have many attendants. Lu Yujue and many members of the Beichen Hall would accompany him. Together with those escorting Du Juanzhi, this formed a full diplomatic delegation.

They would depart from the port of Lima in the Southern Continent, cross the ocean, and arrive at Sahul.

Sahul was an enormous island, far larger than Fenglin and even larger than Poluo, almost qualifying as a continent itself. However, its environment was harsh, filled with deserts and swamps. Despite its size, habitable areas were scarce, earning it the name Barren Island. The Daoist Order had established a Daoist Mansion there, known as the Sahul Daoist Mansion. But without a stationed Great Sage, it was not particularly valued.

This was because the region was truly isolated overseas. To the north of Sahul was Nanyang; to the south was a frozen landmass of ice and snow; to the west, across vast oceans, were the slave-hunting lands of the Westerners; and to the east was the Southern Continent. Since the Daoist Order already held the Southern Continent, this place was not considered strategically vital.

Aside from mining, this place served only one purpose—exile.

In the past, exile meant Lingnan. But now, within the Daoist domain, Lingnan has become a core region due to its proximity to Nanyang. Thus, it could no longer serve as a place of exile and would instead be a reward. Nanyang was also a key financial pillar of the Daoist Order, making it unsuitable for exile. As such, the harsh and sparsely populated Sahul became the ideal place of exile. The Omniscient Sage stationed there were often those who had fallen out of favor in the Golden Tower Council.

On the map, Sahul lay close to the Jawa Kingdom, separated only by a strait, and northwest from there was Nanyang, making it possible to stop at Lion City along the way.

Qi Xuansu’s group would pass through Sahul en route to Poluo. He would make a brief stop at his old base before continuing onward to Jade Capital.