A Pawn's Passage

Chapter 87: Revealed Motives (III)

Although the Small 36 Heavenly Generals Transformation Technique was mysterious, it had a very big flaw. Against an opponent of the same cultivation level, this technique could only limit the opponent temporarily. There was also a chance of failure. Moreover, it greatly exhausted one’s energy, so it was usually not worth the gain. This technique would only be effective when facing someone at a lower cultivation level.

Bai Yongguan and Qi Xuansu were two cultivation levels apart, so Qi Xuansu should not be able to withstand this technique without using any treasures or mystical abilities. However, this technique was ineffective on him. Thus, there was only one explanation—Qi Xuansu had a special physique, born with natural resistance to this type of transformation magic.

This was similar to how a strong Martial Arts Practitioner could withstand a Diviner’s spells. Since blood qi and the body were physical existences, a Martial Arts Practitioner who constantly trained his body and strengthened his blood qi could resist a Diviner’s spells. At the same time, a Martial Arts Practitioner could not perform these spells either.

There were indeed many people in this world with special physiques who were born with naturally strong blood qi and had great strength. It was just that most of these people became top Martial Arts Practitioners, while those with other flaws settled for second best and became Spirit Guards.

Such people were not difficult to find. This world was so big that there were even a number of the rare Banished Immortals. However, the Daoist Order and the Black Robes were most interested in people of such physique. Thus, most of them were recruited by the Daoist Order and the Imperial Court.

Very few of them fell into the hands of secret societies. Moreover, secret societies would not be willing to use such natural-born talents as vessels. So, the best option for secret societies was to capture a similar person from the Daoist Order. Even so, the secret societies could not just walk into a local Daoist mansion or the Black Robes' military camp to kidnap people.

Bai Yongguan lamented that it took no effort for him to find their vessel. It was fate that a person with a special physique knocked on his door just as he was looking for one.

Only Qi Xuansu knew that he was not born with a special physique. If he was, he would have been discovered when he was in the Wanxiang Daoist Palace. In that case, he would have been able to enjoy Zhang Yuelu’s treatment. He would be able to skip the basic courses of the Wanxiang Daoist Palace and be taught by Sages and Great Sages.

The only explanation for his special physique was the Qingping Society’s body transformation. His body became extremely tough after going through the body transformation, so much so that he could fight head-on against Yuxu-stage Martial Arts Practitioners with all his strength without dying.

However, Qi Xuansu did not know that his body could resist a Shaman’s spells. Madam Qi also never mentioned it, so he grew more curious about what kind of transformation the Qingping Society did on his body. Could it be the legendary Marrow-Cleansing Golden Sutra?

Bai Yongguan thought that Qi Xuansu would never be able to escape from his grasp, so he said calmly, “A vessel can’t be damaged, so it seems that I can’t kill you. I’ll let you live for now.”

Qi Xuansu’s heart pounded. When he asked Zhang Yuelu about the Ancient Immortals, Zhang Yuelu mentioned that secret societies used human beings as vessels to absorb the divine power bestowed by the Ancient Immortals.

With his sharp mind, Qi Xuansu immediately connected the dots. He recalled the scene of Zhang Yuelu’s divination using the Purple Star Astrology and figured that Bai Yongguan was the Daoist priest among the seven Ancient Immortal Believers.

It was not completely surprising for this fourth-rank abbot to join a secret society because he had been banished to a deserted and remote Daoist temple. Bai Yongguan must have felt suppressed and excluded with no other way out. That was probably why he chose to join a secret society.

Excluding the Shaman and the man in the black cloak, there were five other Ancient Immortal believers in Zhang Yuelu’s divination. If the Daoist priest was Bai Yongguan, who were the court officials, the scholar, the gentry, and the monk? Did they also have hidden identities?

But before Qi Xuansu could delve into it, Bai Yongguan had already made a move. Bai Yongguan’s Spiritual Statue held two whips and rushed straight at Qi Xuansu. With every step the Spiritual Statue took, Qi Xuansu grew increasingly nervous.

Qi Xuansu suddenly jumped up and pulled the trigger of the Divine Dragon Pistol, aiming at the head of the Spiritual Statue.

With a loud bang, the Spiritual Statue’s head exploded in a ball of flames. Countless sparks fell like rain, and the impact forced the statue to lean back, momentarily stagnating it.

Qi Xuansu fell back to the ground and put the last Dragon Eye Bullet into his pistol without hesitation.

Bai Yongguan chuckled, looking calm. “You have another Dragon Eye Bullet? These are expensive and hard to get. It seems that you’re from a good background.”

After that, the Spiritual Statue strode forward again, slamming down the metal whip in his hand.

Qi Xuansu barely managed to avoid it by jumping and rolling away.

A three-meter-long ravine appeared when the whip touched the ground, shaking the earth violently.

At this moment, someone forced their way between Bai Yongguan’s Spiritual Statue and Qi Xuansu. The person's fist, with bulging veins and muscles, had a golden glow.

This new arrival punched the Spiritual Statue, which fought back. However, the punch was so powerful that it could destroy everything, including the Spiritual Statue.

This person continued attacking Bai Yongguan, successfully punching the latter in the chest when he was caught off guard.

Bai Yongguan’s chest had already been hit by Qi Xuansu’s bullet earlier. With this punch, a terrifying dent appeared in his chest, and his whole body flew backward like a kite with a broken string. He hit a load-bearing pillar in the side hall, breaking it in half upon impact.

Without the support of the pillar, the side hall collapsed, burying Bai Yongguan underneath the rubble.

......

The person who intervened was none other than Wang Zicheng, the Pacification Commander of the Green Phoenix Guard. Like Xu Kou, Wang Zicheng was also a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Guizhen stage. However, Xu Kou had just reached the Guizhen stage, while Wang Zicheng had been in the Guizhen stage for a long time.

Just as Zhang Yuelu started condensing part of her qi into essence, Wang Zicheng condensed his body and spirit within his acupoints. His combat power was far superior to that of Xu Kou.

A Martial Arts Practitioner would only be put in a passive situation when the Diviner kept their distance in a fight. This was the reason Wang Zicheng did not have much power to fight back when his boat capsized on the Tongtian River.

However, in close combat, Martial Arts Practitioners would have the advantage over Diviners, Shamans, and Rogue Cultivators. Only Qi Refiners, who had no obvious weaknesses, and Banished Immortals, who were proficient in everything, stood a fighting chance against Martial Arts Practitioners in close combat. This was how Wang Zicheng could severely injure Bai Yongguan with a punch.

Wang Zicheng’s appearance was also a coincidence. After he escaped from the Shamans who ambushed him at Tongtian River, Wang Zicheng was suspicious of the local Major’s Office and Lieutenant Colonel’s Office. That was because only they knew of his approximate itinerary. Thus, Wang Zicheng thought of seeking help from the local Daoist temple.

If the Green Phoenix Guard was corrupt, the local Daoist temple should be able to help him. That was why he decided to visit Qingbai Temple.

As a result, just as Wang Zicheng arrived at the gates of the Daoist temple, he saw Li Zhen’er, who was trying to escape, being chased by Bai Yue. Li Zhen’er immediately asked Wang Zicheng for help. When Bai Yue saw that the situation was awry, she fled back to the Daoist temple and slammed the doors shut. That was the loud noise that provided Qi Xuansu the first opportunity to attack Bai Yongguan.

......

Wang Zicheng wanted to speak to Qi Xuansu, but he sensed something and abruptly turned around.

The collapsed side hall suddenly burst into flames, propelling rubble into the air and stirring up dust. Bai Yongguan, who still had the Spiritual Statue around him, slowly stood up.

Bai Yongguan looked at the person who had seriously injured him with one punch and slowly said, “A Martial Arts Practitioner in the Heavenly Connection Realm truly is powerful.”

The Heavenly Connection Realm was the stage when a Martial Arts Practitioner’s acupoints made mysterious connections with the stars. They could draw power from the stars and combine it with their own blood qi while condensing their body and spirit in their acupoints. This was a method from the Manly Immortal lineage called the Immortal Refining Technique.

If a Martial Arts Practitioner could condense all 365 major acupoints in the body, they would be in the Divinity Realm.

Bai Yongguan closed his eyes and whispered, “Supreme Witch God.”

As soon as he spoke, the statue of the Primordial Daoist Ancestor in the main hall of Qingbai Temple exploded.

The golden Spiritual Statue that Wang Zicheng destroyed earlier changed its appearance. It no longer had a Daoist disguise. Instead, it turned into a form of Wu Luo, with two wings and four arms. Each arm had a green snake coiled around it.

Wang Zicheng clenched his fist, making his veins bulge as if several dragons had coiled around his arm. Then his acupoints lit up one after another on his arm. Nearly fifty acupoints connected in a line, making his entire arm glow. Each acupoint had a miniature Wang Zicheng in it, resembling his soul. He had condensed more than 50 body spirits.

When he threw a punch, his chest, abdomen, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fist made a series of thunderous popping sounds. It seemed like a simple punch, but there was something mysterious about it. Under the majestic and bright energy was a hidden, dark energy that surged.

This punch landed on Bai Yongguan’s Spiritual Statue, shaking it to its core. Countless cracks appeared on the Spiritual Statue, and a golden light burst out from the cracks, completely engulfing Bai Yongguan and Wang Zicheng.

When the golden light dissipated, the two of them reappeared.

Bai Yongguan’s Spiritual Statue was covered in cracks, like a room that had air leakage from all sides. The Spiritual Statue could not cover Bai Yongguan completely. At this moment, the four green snakes wrapped themselves tightly around Wang Zicheng’s limbs to prevent him from moving.

The two were at a stalemate in a wrestling position.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu did not choose to escape but quickly stepped forward, raising the Divine Dragon Pistol in his hand without hesitation. He pressed down the hammer and pulled the trigger.

The last Dragon Eye Bullet slipped through the cracks of the Spiritual Statue and struck Bai Yongguan in the chest again.

Bai Yongguan had already been shot once and was previously punched in the same spot. Although he was a Shaman in the Golden Body Realm, his Spiritual Statue completely shattered at this moment.

Shamans had many mystical abilities, but they had weak bodies. Thus, they summoned divinity, manifested Spiritual Statues, and cultivated an indestructible golden body to protect the body. But these were all based on spells. Without spells, the physique of Shamans in the Guizhen stage was only equivalent to that of a Martial Arts Practitioner in the Kunlun stage.