A Pawn’s Passage

Everyone inside the shrine could feel the repeated tremors caused by the fierce battle, as if the entire structure were on the verge of collapse. This filled many of the shinkan with deep fear.

They had considered rushing in to give support, but the moment they reached the stone door, they were forced back by the surging sword qi within. The space behind the door was enveloped by two currents of sword qi, revolving endlessly like the Daoist Taiji symbol, flowing in an eternal cycle.

This was none other than the Dragon-Tiger Sword Technique, wielded in unison by Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu.

As a perfected method, it was far more than simple joint attacks. The true essence lay in the sword qi it produced.

One of them was like the Yangtze River, while the other was like the Yellow River.

Both were two major rivers that nourished the entire Central Plains. The clarity of the Yangtze River and the murkiness of the Yellow River corresponded to the cosmic principle of pure qi rising to form the heavens and turbid qi sinking to form the earth. This was the origin of yin and yang, from which life and death, growth and decay all emerged. It encompassed all under heaven.

These two sword qis transformed into a black-and-white Taiji symbol, forming a talisman.

That talisman was itself a small world, with all the basic elements, so it could be considered a prototype of a paradise. If expanded infinitely, it would become a true paradise.

The sword qi born of the Dragon-Tiger Sword Technique formed two concentric circles, one large and one small.

The larger circle encompassed the space behind the stone door, keeping all the shinkan shut outside.

The smaller circle seeped into the jokai-rank shinkan's body, confined within it, filling every meridian, acupoint, and Dantian. It was like river water filling a channel, but with no source and no outlet, turning it into stagnant water.

The jokai-rank shinkan had tried to crush the two sword qi, but the Dragon-Tiger Sword Technique's yin and yang complemented one another, one fading as the other emerged. The sun hid when the moon rose, and the moon vanished as the sun appeared. If one sword qi was destroyed, it would draw upon the other to regenerate, forming an eternal cycle.

The only way to stop this endless cycle was to annihilate both sword qis at the same time or overpower both with sheer force, destroying them faster than they could regenerate.

But the jokai-rank shinkan was only one realm higher than the two, far from being able to crush them both with sheer force.

The yin-yang symbol could rotate both ways. Originally, Zhang Yuelu led while Qi Xuansu supported, which was the forward rotation. When it was in forward rotation, everything in the small world was right-side up; when it was in reverse rotation, everything would be overturned.

When the jokai-rank shinkan attempted his divine descent, the two suddenly shifted positions. Qi Xuansu was now leading, and Zhang Yuelu was supporting, thus reversing the flow.

In an instant, the jokai-rank shinkan was inverted, his head facing downward and feet upward.

Or perhaps, from his perspective, the earth was now above him, and the heavens were below.

The raging divine fire burning across his body reversed as well, flowing back into him as though time itself had turned backward, like rivers running upstream and raindrops returning back to the sky.

It was only now that the jokai-rank shinkan truly witnessed the formidable might of the Dragon-Tiger Sword Technique.

After all, it took two Banished Immortals to painstakingly cultivate half of the technique each and required them to unite in order to wield it to its full power.

Seizing the moment, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu struck together once more. This time, Zhang Yuelu led while Qi Xuansu supported her.

They once again rushed at the jokai-rank shinkan like a soaring dragon.

Having failed in his divine descent, the jokai-rank shinkan could only give his all in one final strike.

He raised the sun disc high above him and merged with it, transforming into a blazing sun himself. He wanted to perish with them.

In the blink of an eye, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu saw nothing but searing flames and endless light, surging toward them in a tidal wave.

Compared to the intricate and elaborate ritual of a divine descent, self-detonation was far cruder. Even if one's cultivation was lower than the opponent's, it could still inflict devastating harm, making it one of the few means of fighting above one's level.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu, being at the Wuliang stage, could not prevent the jokai-rank shinkan at the Zaohua stage from self-detonating.

At any other time, faced with such a situation, they could have avoided direct confrontation, choosing to withdraw instead. But now, it was impossible to avoid it. This jokai-rank shinkan was striving to take them both down in death.

It was common knowledge that Godly Immortals rarely died outright. They would have to undergo three deaths. So long as divine power remained sufficient, they could continuously be reborn within their divine kingdom. The Three Ancient Immortals of the Central Plains were precisely Godly Immortals who had perished once, only to return anew.

The shinkan of the Tenmon Sect bore close resemblance to the Godly Immortal lineage, thus possessing similar traits.

This shrine was founded by Himiko-no-Mikoto, akin to a nascent divine kingdom, brimming with abundant divine power.

The jokai-rank shinkan was essentially its temporary master since he held the sun disc, which was the key to this altar. When he transformed into the blazing sun, he had indeed perished, but this was only his first death. If Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu let him go, he would rise again from the flames like a phoenix reborn.

The shinkan's body turned to ashes, which in turn purged the Dragon-Tiger sword qi lodged within him. With such defenses prepared, it would be far harder for Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu to repeat their earlier tactic.

Thus, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu could not retreat. Instead, they had to seize this moment to kill him thoroughly.

The two did not exchange any words, yet both activated their swords at the same time.

Under normal circumstances, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu alone could never withstand the self-detonation of a Zaohua-stage Heavenly Being, but with Green Cloud and Purple Afterglow in their hands, it was different.

When the twin swords united, they were called the Heavenly Preceptor's Twin Swords, equivalent to an immortal object. This time, they were unleashing their full might.

Zhang Yuelu lifted Purple Afterglow, pointing skyward. Overhead, rolling purple clouds surged forth. Soon the entire ceiling was stained a deep violet. Waves of visible ripples spread outward, expanding with violent force.

Qi Xuansu raised Green Cloud, pointing to the earth. The ground shook with a thunderous tremor as a vast current of green qi welled up, like a boundless green lake shrouded in mist.

The purple clouds swirled like a vortex, funneling downward, while the green qi surged upward, rising higher and higher.

The two forces threatened to unite heaven and earth. Then the twin swords surged forth—one purple, one green, like two mighty dragons entwined and coiling as they shot skyward.

Endless streams of purple and green qi spread out, becoming a vast and boundless sea in an instant.

One sword descended from the heavens, while the other rose from the earth.

When the two met, they joined heaven and earth, transforming into a massive column of green and purple light.

This pillar of light pierced straight through the shrine itself.

As the column of light manifested, all the purple and green qi drew inward, converging into a single sword light that was as radiant as the rising sun.

The sword light rippled outward in countless waves, spreading in all directions. Everywhere it passed, flames were instantly extinguished, leaving only the blazing sun that the jokai-rank shinkan had transformed into.

The sword light descended upon the blazing sun, suppressing it so that it could not explode.

This power did not come from Qi Xuansu or Zhang Yuelu, since all of their strength was already consumed in wielding their swords. The sword light was, in truth, the inherent power of the Heavenly Preceptor's Twin Swords themselves—the power of an immortal object.

Spirit Guard Jia Shen, who had originally prepared to intervene, halted in surprise as he saw the purple-green pillar of light piercing through the shrine. "It's the Heavenly Preceptor's Twin Swords!"

Li Zhuyu said calmly, "The Heavenly Preceptor entrusted these swords to Deputy Hall Master Zhang and Deputy Hall Master Qi."

Spirit Guard Jia Shen sighed. "It has been many years since the Heavenly Preceptor's Twin Swords last appeared. If I recall correctly, it was when the Heavenly Preceptor personally slew the traitor Zhang Wuhen. But I've heard Zhang Wuhen has been reborn once again."

Li Zhuyu made no comment.

The relationship between the Zhangs and the Lis was far too sensitive. At such a time, it was better to remain silent lest she provoke the Zhang family.

Moreover, this matter itself was taboo even within the Zhang family. Very few dared mention it. The Heavenly Preceptor had been forced by circumstance to personally execute Zhang Wuhen in an act of great righteousness that demanded severing family bonds. However, it was not something to be proud of since the act of siblings turning upon one another was still frowned upon.

Spirit Guard Jia Shen only sighed this once, then said, "Since the Heavenly Preceptor's Twin Swords are present, I have no need to intervene. I've underestimated those two youngsters."

Li Zhuyu replied, "There must be a reason the Sage Commander personally dispatched the two Deputy Hall Masters here."

Spirit Guard Jia Shen fell silent.

Moments later, the purple-green pillar that had pierced the shrine gradually faded, vanishing from sight at last.

Within the shrine, the sword light slowly dissipated.

The golden sun disc fell to the ground with a clang and dimmed swiftly, becoming dull and tarnished, losing all brilliance.

The sun disc remained, but the jokai-rank shinkan was nowhere to be seen.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu stood leaning on their swords, unable to conceal their exhaustion.

Those at the Wuliang stage were said to be "without limit." At this realm, Heavenly and Earthly Immortals already possessed the ability to absorb the surrounding elemental energy, so their recovery rate was astonishingly swift. Normally, one would never see their true essence or innate qi run dry. Yet now, both of them were clearly heavily drained, nearly collapsing from fatigue. This was a testament to the great burden of uniting the Twin Swords.

Yet such immense consumption was exchanged for equally tremendous power.

By now, the blazing sun was gone, and the divine fire extinguished. Not even the faintest ember remained.

Instead, countless wisps of purple and green sword qi still lingered, like mist and smoke, drifting faintly through the surroundings.

With the death of the jokai-rank shinkan, the raging flames outside the shrine were extinguished as well, and the entire shrine collapsed with a thunderous crash, plummeting down toward Hisai Castle below.

At that very moment, Spirit Guard Jia Shen gave the order for a full-scale assault.