A Pawn's Passage

Izanagi’s consciousness was not whole, but that did not mean he lacked awareness. Though filled with rage and other negative emotions, he saw the situation clearly. He knew that he could not win with a direct confrontation. Even though he had an undying body, he would only end up being sealed yet again. Worse still, if things dragged on too long, he risked provoking a heavenly tribulation.

Thus, Izanagi chose first to enter his divine kingdom, both to escape his passive predicament and to avoid the danger of a tribulation.

So, he opened his divine kingdom.

Beyond the curtain lay a world of blazing flames and surging magma, thick with black smoke and the stench of sulfur. It was utterly unlike the divine kingdom that Qi Xuansu once glimpsed in Izanagi’s memory of emerald seas, vast forests, and endless cities.

However, this was only natural, as the original divine kingdom had long since shattered. The remaining half could not preserve its former form. Moreover, its inner landscape was tied to Izanagi himself. The god who stood here now was no longer the same being he once was.

Sage Qingwei also took note of the ruined appearance of Izanagi’s divine realm. It bore more than a little resemblance to what Westerners called Hell.

But Sage Qingwei had no intention of letting Izanagi retreat so easily. What he wanted was only for the god to open his divine kingdom.

At that moment, a blade appeared in Zhang Qihan’s hand—the Heavenly Demon Immortal Slaying Sword. He unleashed the full force of the Taiyin 13 Swords. Streams of sword qi, formed of yin fire, weaved through the air. These arcs of flame moved like living creatures, twisting and vanishing unpredictably, impossible to guard against. Together with Sage Qingwei, they tightened the noose around Izanagi.

The sword intention of the Taiyin 13 Swords was eerie and strange, wielding yin fire, thunder, and blood qi—an ultimate demonic sword. By contrast, Sage Qingwei’s Heavenly Heart Sword Technique was righteous and resplendent, with few variations.

Together, the two embodied the Daoist balance of yin and yang.

By reason, such sword techniques should have been almost impossible to harmonize. Yet both Zhang Qihan and Sage Qingwei were masters of the art, their comprehension at its peak; hence, they could see through all illusions. Thus, they were not bound by form but had instead fused their respective techniques into a harmony of yin and yang, faintly evolving mysteries akin to the legendary Dragon-Tiger Sword Technique.

Two of Izanagi’s fire dragons were shredded within the sword formation. As he forced open his divine kingdom, sword wounds multiplied across his body at a terrifying pace. However, they healed just as quickly, his flesh knitting back with inhuman speed. This regeneration was nearly equal to that of the Manly Immortals, who could regrow even severed heads. However, each cycle of such recovery left them weaker. The blood mist that spurted from his wounds ignited like oil, cascading down as a rain of fire upon the sea.