A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu had no desire to engage. The Water Palace had its own Spirit Guards, and they would never dare harm an Old Sage. But if that elder ignored protocol and forced his way in by brute strength, that would be another matter entirely.

These Old Sages were certainly not of the Longevity stage. Those who had reached immortality would have been a Virtuous Great Sage. In essence, Old Sages were equivalent to second-rank Taiyi Daoists, but they were granted the honorary title of Great Sage as recognition for retiring voluntarily at their peak. Thus, their cultivation could only fall within two levels—Pseudo-Immortal or Zaohua stage.

The Daoist Order’s retirement scheme was not created because its elders grew weak or feeble, but because mundane affairs hindered their cultivation. Even in old age, they still strove forward. Pseudo-Immortals sought true immortality, while others simply wished to live a few years longer. A Heavenly Tribulation every century did not necessarily mean one’s life ended at a hundred years. With proper methods to suppress the Three Corpses, one’s lifespan could be extended by ten or twenty years, sometimes even more.

Severing the Three Corpses merely prevented them from attacking the original body. The Three Corpses still existed but were just suppressed. Even Longevity-stage Immortals could suffer internal rebellion from their Three Corpses after a backlash, causing them to perish if they were not careful. One careless moment, and even an immortal could perish. Those who refined their Three Corpses into incarnations were in effect recruiting rebels into their own service because betrayals were common, and the risk remained high.

Before attaining true immortality, one could not fully suppress the Three Corpses. But there were ways to delay or resist them, such as through elixirs. Still, only those at the Zaohua stage could even attempt it. Anyone below that realm should not dream of it.

Even then, the side effects were severe. Cultivation would halt permanently, so all one could achieve was the prolongation of life, not real advancement. Yet from another perspective, their time among the living often surpassed that of the Longevity-stage Immortals.

The elders sought longevity and peace, while the younger generation sought advancement and promotion. Since both interests aligned, the Daoist Order created an optional retirement scheme. Those who volunteered were rewarded, typically with a rank promotion.

If Qi Xuansu applied for retirement now, he would probably be elevated to the second rank, but the Golden Tower Council would never approve it.

There was one special case. An ordinary Sage who retired voluntarily would receive the privileges of an Omniscient Sage. Only Omniscient Sages who retired would be promoted to the first rank and granted the title of Great Sage.

Virtuous Great Sages and Deputy Grand Masters were exempt from the retirement scheme because they had no higher ranks to attain.

This Old Sage’s name was Sun Heyu. He had once been among the 36 Omniscient Sages. Though not a high-ranking one, he was still formidable, with numerous disciples and old allies. Even in retirement, his influence lingered, and his residual power was undiminished.

Qi Xuansu had already reviewed the records and learned much about Elder Sun’s past. He had been Wang Jiaohe’s predecessor, formerly the Poluo Daoist Mansion Master. At that time, Wang Jiaohe served as the Chief Deputy, while Sun Heyu had been transferred over from elsewhere. With a Great Sage above him and a local powerhouse like Wang Jiaohe as Chief Deputy, Sun Heyu’s position was not exactly ideal.