A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu flew toward the mountain range, steadily increasing his altitude. His low-altitude flight gradually became a high-altitude flight as he prepared to cross the towering peaks and enter the valley hidden beyond the mountains.

At first glance, the mountaintops appeared to be capped with snow, but the white layer was merely clouds shrouding the peaks, which were likewise blanketed in lush green vegetation.

The moment Qi Xuansu passed through the white clouds, he suddenly lost all sense of direction, unable to distinguish east from west, south from north, or even front from back. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but an endless expanse of white.

It was highly unusual for a Zaohua-stage Heavenly Being to become trapped in what was essentially a ghost maze. Clearly, these clouds concealed something extraordinary. They were most likely some form of defensive barrier, much like the Grand Illusory Realm surrounding Jade Capital. Of course, the Grand Illusory Realm was currently inactive and would not be activated lightly, so people traveling to Jade Capital encountered no such obstacle.

This was only to be expected. As the Forgotten Kingdom, Paititi’s last emperor had clearly intended to keep outsiders from entering. Although the place was already exceedingly well hidden, there was always the possibility that someone might stumble upon it by accident. This line of defense existed precisely to prevent such accidental intrusions.

Faced with this situation, Qi Xuansu remained perfectly calm. Although he regretted that his Diviner lineage had not yet reached the level required to use the Supreme Sight, he still possessed the Martial Arts Practitioner’s Dragon Eyes that were capable of piercing illusion and seeing through deception.

In an instant, the blood qi throughout Qi Xuansu’s body surged toward his eyes. The body spirits governing that region blazed with radiant light, preparing to see through the sea of white clouds.

However, at that very moment, the weather changed abruptly. The previously tranquil white clouds rapidly darkened into black storm clouds, while distant rumbles of thunder echoed through the sky. It seemed the white clouds had transformed into rain clouds, heralding either a violent storm or a hailstorm, and Qi Xuansu happened to be right in the middle of them.

The next moment, countless bolts of purple lightning shot toward Qi Xuansu from every direction. Not daring to show the slightest carelessness, he continuously threw punches, shattering every bolt. Only countless tiny arcs of electricity remained, scattering throughout heaven and earth.

The storm clouds grew ever darker, thunder roared incessantly, and purple lightning danced unpredictably through the sky.

Amid the peals of thunder, a massive vortex slowly emerged at the center of the dark clouds.

Qi Xuansu had seen similar vortices many times before, though almost always from below, looking upward. This was the first time he had viewed one at eye level. It resembled an enormous whirlpool at sea that seemed to drag him into its depths.

Countless tiny bolts of lightning gathered at the center of the vortex, merging into a single massive bolt. It began spiraling along the vortex’s path, expanding from the center toward the outer edge. Its speed increased continuously until it broke free from the vortex and shot straight toward Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu had already drawn Pure Bodhi. With an almost casual motion, he slashed once. There was nothing earth-shattering about the strike. The blade’s momentum resembled a faint wisp, so subtle that it appeared to leave no trace amidst this thunderstorm.

Compared to the lightning, that single slash was unimaginably small and weak. Yet the bolt of lightning exploded into countless glowing sparks that filled the sky like swarms of fireflies.

At that moment, a figure burst through the layers of clouds and appeared before Qi Xuansu.

The figure wore a helmet resembling the head of an eagle, with a mask concealing its face. Its armor was adorned with feathers that resembled an eagle’s wings. Brilliant lightning coursed over every feather, as though it were enveloped in a larger suit of lightning armor.

Qi Xuansu’s only response was a single punch with an overwhelming fist intention that could destroy all matter.

The lightning shrouding the Eagle Warrior’s body was pierced through by that single punch.

The Eagle Warrior barely managed to evade, yet Qi Xuansu’s fist still struck it squarely in the chest, sending it flying 100 meters back.

Seizing the advantage, Qi Xuansu pressed forward and threw another punch, his fist intention as immovable and imposing as a mountain.

Enveloped by the crushing fist intention, the Eagle Warrior had no room to dodge and could only receive the blow head-on. The impact shattered its armor, causing golden divine power to leak from the cracks.

It was a puppet rather than a living person. Its operating principles were somewhat similar to the Daoist Order’s Spirit Guard Armor, except that Daoist Spirit Guards were living humans wearing armor rather than puppets, giving them far greater initiative and adaptability.

Seeing this, Qi Xuansu unleashed a strong kick that split the puppet cleanly into two halves. The broken remains plunged into the sea of clouds below, disappearing without a trace.

Qi Xuansu continued scanning his surroundings with his Dragon Eyes, eventually discovering that the only way out lay at the center of the vortex. Left with no alternative, he flew straight toward it.

By then, the vortex no longer contained any lightning. Qi Xuansu flew directly into its center, where it connected to a downward passage resembling the mouth of a vast drain. Without stopping to think, he plunged straight inside.

As Qi Xuansu entered the downward tunnel formed entirely from thick clouds, all manner of lightning began crawling across the tunnel walls. The moment he intruded, the lightning reacted like startled snakes, shooting toward him from every direction.

Thanks to his indestructible body, the lightning merely slithered harmlessly across his skin without inflicting the slightest injury beneath the surface.

In truth, Manly Immortals feared the Earthly Immortals’ Taiyi Supreme Technique and the fist intention of another Manly Immortal. If one used fist intention to destroy another’s body spirits, those body spirits could be utterly destroyed. That would break the Manly Immortal’s indestructible body.

For that reason, the most common way for a Manly Immortal to die was not at the hands of Heavenly or Earthly Immortals, but in a life-and-death battle against another Manly Immortal.

At this time, Qi Xuansu was fully activating his body spirits and Manly Immortal indestructible body. It would take a fist intention at least on the level of Huangfu Ji or Hun Ahau to break through his defenses. Compared to that, these bolts of lightning were nowhere near enough.

Qi Xuansu pressed onward, enduring the relentless pressure of the lightning as he continued descending through the sea of clouds.

The entire vortex was shaped like a funnel. Its upper section formed an inverted cone, resembling an upside-down triangle, while a tubular passage extended downward from its narrow end. Qi Xuansu was currently descending through this tunnel.

Before long, a point of light appeared ahead, marking the exit from the vast sea of clouds. However, another Eagle Warrior puppet identical to the one he had encountered earlier stood guarding the exit.

Descending from above, Qi Xuansu naturally seized the momentum and stomped downward with his Manly Immortal Kui Hoof.

Faced with such a strong kick, the puppet’s entire body creaked and groaned like an overburdened steam puppet, while divine power continuously leaked from its joints.

Qi Xuansu seemed to weigh a thousand tons, exerting more pressure on the puppet and forcing it to hunch lower and lower.

After the stomp, Qi Xuansu rotated his body, ending up head-down and feet-up before throwing another punch.

When one first cultivated fist intention, it had little effect on inanimate objects, and the physical fist itself dealt the real damage. However, upon reaching the Shattered Void Realm, fist intention became tangible, allowing it to strike inanimate objects as effectively as sword qi.

With Qi Xuansu’s punch, this puppet was likewise destroyed and plummeted from the sky.

Qi Xuansu left the cloud tunnel. Looking back, he saw the sky above him blanketed in dark clouds. A massive vortex revolved slowly overhead, with lightning churning within it. Extending downward from the vortex was the same tunnel of black clouds, resembling a colossal tornado. That was where he had just emerged.

From the outside, the sea of clouds appeared completely ordinary. There seemed to be no need to use that tunnel. It looked entirely possible to emerge elsewhere, perhaps even more quickly.

In reality, that was not the case. That was because all directions were reversed and distorted within the sea of clouds. What felt like downward might actually be forward, what seemed forward could in truth be backward, and the orientations shifted constantly. It was remarkably similar to the Star Sword Formation of the Nandou 28 Swords Technique. By contrast, the tunnel beneath the vortex never changed. Though it appeared to be the longest route, it was in fact the only opening and the sole flaw in the formation.

Qi Xuansu withdrew his gaze and looked downward. Towering mountains surrounded him on all sides, enclosing a vast valley. The valley itself was densely covered in lush and boundless rainforest. Scattered throughout it were deep ravines, narrow gorges, winding streams, and perilous pools.

Viewed from above, the valley seemed bottomless. Rainforests like this frequently gave rise to miasma and thick mist, shrouding the landscape in drifting clouds and fog, making it appear hazy and mysterious.

This was the valley where Paititi had once stood. Judging by the current state of the terrain, the ruins of the ancient city had long since been completely swallowed by the rainforest. To find the entrance into the pocket realm, he would have to conduct a painstaking search on foot.

With that in mind, Qi Xuansu descended into the valley and entered the dense rainforest below.

As one of the Daoist Order’s finest talents, Qi Xuansu had studied fengshui and qi observation to some extent. Yet he could not tell whether the fengshui of the Southern Continent differed fundamentally from that of the Central Plains or whether this place itself was simply unique. In any case, all of his qi-observation techniques proved utterly useless. The principles of terrain and qi simply did not correspond, leaving him with no basis for interpretation. The valley was also shrouded in dense mist. When he took out the compass Madam Qi had given him, its needle spun wildly without stopping, rendering it equally useless.

With no other choice, Qi Xuansu could only forcefully carve out a path himself. He certainly did not dare let Madam Qi set the mountain ablaze. Anyone experienced with fire knew that starting one was easy, but putting it out was another matter entirely. Once a wildfire spreads in the mountains, even Immortals might struggle to stop it, let alone Qi Xuansu. By then, the entire valley would become a giant furnace, and any ruins hidden within would be reduced to ashes. Moreover, the smoke and ash from such a blaze could easily blanket all of Cusco, inevitably drawing the attention of the Western Daoist Order.

Fortunately, his Martial Arts Practitioner’s physique was perfectly suited to this sort of dirty, labor-intensive work. Unlike the more delicate lineages, he could cut through mountains and cross rivers without complaint. With his bare hands, Qi Xuansu tore apart and uprooted every plant in his way, opening a trail through the dense jungle. The path he left behind also served as a useful marker, preventing him from accidentally searching the same area twice.

Of course, the other lineages had good reason to be so delicate. Shamans excelled in divination, allowing them to simply plant a stick into the ground, observe the direction in which it fell, and head that way. They might well stumble upon the destination through such means.

Although Qi Xuansu had already reached the Fruition Realm of the Shaman lineage, he was not skilled in such arts. He had never learned these divination techniques, nor could he seek guidance from True Lord Ziguang over such a trivial matter. The cost would be far too great. Considering that he might encounter all sorts of unexpected dangers after entering the pocket realm, he needed to budget his divine power carefully rather than waste it here. Besides, there was no guarantee that True Lord Ziguang’s influence even extended to this place.

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