A Pawn's Passage

No blood flowed from Qi Xuansu’s wound, nor was there any trace of flesh or organs. Instead, it contained only true essence, so dense that it was nearly liquid. There were also no internal organs, not even the Longevity Stone Heart. In their place were five organs simulated entirely from true essence. This was the manifestation of the Lesser Five Qi Convergence.

This was not Qi Xuansu’s true body.

Although he had suffered a slash that split open his torso, such an injury was far from fatal for a Corpse Liberation Incarnation. With nothing more than a single thought, the wound could be restored completely. There was not even a visible process of healing. It was as though someone had simply turned back a page, instantly reverting from being disemboweled to a state of perfect health.

Of course, the recovery consumed a tremendous amount of true essence. It could not continue indefinitely. Nevertheless, it was enough to completely ruin Zhou Mengyao’s carefully laid plans.

After all, Zhou Mengyao could hardly parasitize an incarnation. Whether or not it was even possible, it would have been utterly meaningless.

Zhou Mengyao had believed every possibility had been accounted for. She had even anticipated the Moon Mirror and Great Sage Jiang’s intervention. How could she possibly have overlooked a Corpse Liberation Incarnation, a technique that was practically her own specialty?

That was why, back in the southern rainforest, she had deliberately wounded Qi Xuansu with a dagger, permanently marking him. The mark not only allowed her to sense his location but also enabled her to distinguish his true body from any substitutes.

In other words, it should have been impossible for Qi Xuansu to deceive Zhou Mengyao with a Corpse Liberation Incarnation.

Zhou Mengyao was absolutely certain that the Qi Xuansu she had forcibly dragged here bore her mark. Even if she tore away all the flesh from the center of his forehead, the mark would still remain. It was an extremely mystical technique, far more profound than simply leaving a scar on the skin.

How had Qi Xuansu managed this?

By his own abilities alone, there was no way for him to erase or transfer the mark. Only an Immortal could have accomplished such a feat. Yet Qi Xuansu had never returned to New Xijing or New Paititi, nor had he come into contact with any Immortals.

As Qi Xuansu’s former master, Zhou Mengyao understood his character well. She correctly guessed that he intended to lure her into a trap and then rely on Great Sage Jiang. Thus, she played along, pretending not to know that Qi Xuansu possessed the Moon Mirror. She deliberately stepped into the trap he had prepared, intending to turn the tables and kill him instead.

Throughout this process, Qi Xuansu avoided retreating to New Xijing or seeking help from the Western Daoist Order or the Ancient Gods, lest he arouse Zhou Mengyao’s suspicion. This was exactly what Zhou Mengyao had anticipated. In many ways, she had deliberately maneuvered him into behaving this way.

Qi Xuansu feared Zhou Mengyao might flee, while Zhou Mengyao feared Qi Xuansu might withdraw into the safety of his allies. Both sides were carefully trying to convince the other that they were genuinely vulnerable.

Zhou Mengyao was completely convinced that Qi Xuansu had remained under her surveillance the entire time. There had been no opportunity for him to secretly activate the Moon Mirror and summon Jiang Hedao in advance. Moreover, Qi Xuansu had only temporarily reached the Pseudo-Immortal stage by using a page from the Scripture of Zuriel. If this had been a Corpse Liberation Incarnation, such an elevation in cultivation level would have been impossible. An incarnation did not have the Longevity Stone Heart, nor could it gather three Zaohua-stage lineages to elevate the Banished Immortal lineage and thereby advance his fundamental Rogue Cultivator lineage, as Qi Xuansu had done.

This showed that Qi Xuansu was still in his true body when he used the page from the Scripture of Zuriel.

Then, right beneath Zhou Mengyao’s nose, Qi Xuansu switched himself out, replacing his true body with a Corpse Liberation Incarnation. He had successfully deceived an Immortal.

Realizing this, Zhou Mengyao rapidly replayed the entire sequence of events in her mind.

She immediately understood when Qi Xuansu had slipped past her perception.

It happened the moment Qi Xuansu charged into the old flood dragon’s body.

A flood dragon’s physique and blood qi were immense, so much so that it could interfere with all manner of divine arts and mystical techniques, including divine senses.

Not to mention, the lingering energy from the Grade-A Series Two Dragon Eye Bomb, the Dragon Pearl, and the sword qi unleashed by Qi Xuansu himself created a chaotic environment in the dragon’s body that effectively blocked Zhou Mengyao’s perception.

From that point onward, the Qi Xuansu blasted out of the dragon’s body by the Dragon Pearl was already the Corpse Liberation Incarnation.

At the same time, Zhou Mengyao realized she had overlooked one small but crucial detail. Qi Xuansu had entered the dragon’s body carrying Green Cloud, yet when he later faced her, he had drawn Pure Bodhi instead.

Clearly, Qi Xuansu had used Green Cloud as the anchor of his Corpse Liberation Incarnation.

Had she noticed that detail sooner, Qi Xuansu would never have found an opening to deceive her.

Although she possessed Heavenly Calculation, no matter how powerful its calculation was, it remained merely a tool. It could produce data, but drawing conclusions from that data still depended upon the user’s own judgment.

Furthermore, Zhou Mengyao had never truly cultivated the Taishang Emotionless Sutra. Instead, she merely imitated it through the Taiping Qingling Sutra, which had its flaws.

After all, the Zhou family originally belonged to the Taiping Sect. Even the Holy Xuan’s wife had simulated the Taishang Emotionless Sutra through the Taiping Qingling Sutra rather than truly cultivating absolute emotional detachment.

“What an exquisite scheme! You truly are worthy of being my disciple,” Zhou Mengyao said, enunciating each word deliberately.

Qi Xuansu’s incarnation had not perished. He only chuckled and said, “It seems you’ve figured out quite a few things, Master.”

Zhou Mengyao stared intently at Qi Xuansu’s Corpse Liberation Incarnation. When she noticed the faint trace of purple light flowing through its eyes, realization dawned upon her. “So, this was the work of True Lord Ziguang.”

Naturally, Qi Xuansu himself had no means of erasing or transferring the mark Zhou Mengyao had left behind. However, True Lord Ziguang could accomplish such a feat. Moreover, True Lord Ziguang was the only Immortal with whom Qi Xuansu could communicate directly without relying on any external artifact or even the slightest ritual. In that respect, Qi Xuansu was almost like True Lord Ziguang’s chosen servant, like Unulatu to Ixchel.

In a sense, that arrangement was perfectly reasonable. Qi Xuansu could already be considered half a member of the Zhang family. Follow the family connections through enough branches, and they would be considered relatives.

Unless Zhou Mengyao could peer directly into Qi Xuansu’s innermost thoughts, she had no way of knowing whether each time he closed his eyes in meditation, he was cultivating or communicating with True Lord Ziguang.

The mark Zhou Mengyao had left was far more than a simple brand on the body. It was an exceedingly mystical imprint. Coincidentally, True Lord Ziguang excelled precisely in such mystical arts.

Since Zhou Mengyao had been able to place the mark remotely, True Lord Ziguang was equally capable of transferring that same mark from Qi Xuansu’s true body onto his Corpse Liberation Incarnation.

Using the old flood dragon’s body as the perfect cover, the transfer had been completed without anyone noticing.

Zhou Mengyao had sensed neither True Lord Ziguang’s brief intervention nor the transfer of the mark onto the incarnation.

That was how Qi Xuansu had successfully deceived an Immortal. It was through this incarnation that he confirmed Zhou Mengyao’s location.

Zhou Mengyao herself had once explained that a pocket realm was like a 5-kilometer-long city wall, whereas the barrier she had established was like a short 10-meter-long wall. Since its area was so much smaller, it could be defended with far less power while still perfectly blocking immortal objects. However, this protected area was so small that Qi Xuansu could simply remain outside its range.

Beyond the barrier, a divine domain was unfolding.

A majestic underworld city materialized out of thin air. The earth around it was barren and desolate. The black city walls enclosing the ancient city were still not tall enough to conceal the towering Emperor Willow rising within, while dense yin energy permeated the entire realm.

Above stretched a purple star-filled sky, where both a sun and a moon hung side by side, shining together in equal brilliance.

This was Qi Xuansu’s Divine Domain.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu’s true body stood atop the Emperor Willow. Beside him stood another familiar figure—Master Yin.

As Qi Xuansu’s status continued to rise, he had gained the authority to command Pseudo-Immortals such as Utu and Hun Ahau. His own strength was also rapidly approaching the Pseudo-Immortal stage. There was no longer any need to constantly rely on the Three Yin Beings as he had before. However, that did not mean he could not call upon them whenever the situation truly demanded it.

By now, Qi Xuansu no longer relied on yin energy to open the Yin-Yang Gate. Instead, through his connection to the Emperor Willow, he used divine power to build a bridge within his divine domain. It was much like how the divine power of the Thirty-Three Heavens could ignore distance altogether and reach the Paititi pocket realm directly.

If Pseudo-Immortals were divided into three tiers, Master Yin belonged to the highest one. His strength was no less than when True Lord Ziguang possessed Qi Xuansu in Wuxing Mountain.

Qi Xuansu appeared perfectly at ease, his left hand resting behind his back, while his right hand held a mirror as he calmly gazed toward Zhou Mengyao from afar.

Zhou Mengyao turned her head to meet Qi Xuansu’s gaze, clenching her pearly teeth in frustration.

Qi Xuansu said nothing. The preparations had already been completed. His half of the Moon Mirror—Moon in Water—slowly rose into the air.

Overcome with fury, Zhou Mengyao unleashed the full power of the Six Void Tribulations. With a single crushing motion, she shattered Qi Xuansu’s Corpse Liberation Incarnation, reducing it to countless glowing motes of light that drifted away like fireflies.

Only a single longsword remained where the incarnation had stood—Green Cloud.

Yet Zhou Mengyao could not just take Green Cloud with her. The Heavenly Preceptor’s Twin Swords were inextricably linked to the two Punishment Pillars atop the Demon-Vanquishing Platform. The moment she took Green Cloud, the Heavenly Preceptor himself would come looking for her.

Even so, Zhou Mengyao refused to give up. Such an opportunity was exceedingly rare. After all, they were far from the Central Plains, where there were plenty of convenient scapegoats. She could easily pin everything on the humanoid insects or the old flood dragon.

Once Qi Xuansu returned to Tawantin, striking him again would become extraordinarily difficult. New Xijing had Gong Fu, New Paititi had Ixchel, and Danxiu Mountain had Tantai Zhenxiao.

There was no need to even mention the Immortals in Jade Capital.

Thus, Zhou Mengyao made one final gamble, attempting to interrupt the Moon Mirror.

This was exactly what Qi Xuansu had hoped she would do.

Master Yin let out a quiet sigh before joining forces with Qi Xuansu, moving to intercept Zhou Mengyao.

Though Three Yin Beings belonged to the Quanzhen Sect, the Quanzhen Sect did not belong solely to the Earthly Preceptor. Sage Donghua and Qi Xuansu were also part of the Quanzhen Sect. Once again, everything came back to the same old question. Who truly ruled the Quanzhen Sect? Who would one day rule the Daoist Order itself?

Long ago, the Three Yin Beings had already placed their bet on Qi Xuansu, so there was no turning back now. Little Yin had even become the adopted daughter of Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu. Whether through shared interests or genuine affection, their fates had become intertwined.

At a moment like this, retreat was no longer an option for the Three Yin Beings. They could only continue down the path they had chosen, whatever the cost.

In an instant, Master Yin revealed his true form, transforming into a colossal shadow. His entire body was covered with densely packed malevolent eyes. Anyone who met the gaze of a single one of those eyes would be overcome with dizziness and might even lose control of their mind altogether, becoming nothing more than a puppet.

A vast shroud of black mist, condensed from yin energy and deathly aura, swirled around the immense shadow. If that yin energy were allowed to spread unchecked, every ordinary living creature in its path would have its life force extinguished instantly, its soul torn away and transformed directly into a vengeful spirit.