A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu did not know how long he had been unconscious before he finally began to awaken.

The earlier sensation was like encountering a storm at sea. All he could do was cling desperately to a piece of driftwood and drift with the currents. He was in no position to resist, nor did he know where he was heading. This was the terrifying might of Immortals.

At some point, he could no longer endure it and lost consciousness.

While Qi Xuansu was still hovering between sleep and wakefulness, he heard a multitude of sounds—the howling of the wind, the beating of war drums, the roar of battle cries, the clash of weapons, the murmured chants, the thunderous footsteps of colossal beasts, and the rumbling thunder that shook heaven and earth.

In his dazed state, Qi Xuansu saw a battlefield where countless humans and ancient beasts were locked in brutal combat. Immortals swept across the sky, unleashing heavenly punishment. Bolts of lightning fell like rain, turning everything into charred ruins.

It was an incomparably brutal battlefield. From the direction of the black mountains came four gigantic figures that seemed to connect heaven and earth. Though they had humanoid forms, they bore many beastly traits—some with wings, and some with three heads and six arms. These figures wore simple, ancient robes, and their exposed skin was covered with various totemic patterns.

Surrounding their feet were countless figures painted in various pigments, making all kinds of sounds. Some prayed to these four godlike beings, some brandished their weapons, and others chased the strange beasts they had domesticated.

Daoist priests stood opposite these figures.

These Daoists were vastly different from those of today. Their clothing was simple, with no hechangs or Daoist crowns. Instead, they casually wrapped headscarves around their heads. They held tall banners and stood in formation according to the commands.

If viewed from above, they appeared as various enormous talismans, ultimately forming a grand formation that stretched beyond the horizon.

Then, a star crashed down from the sky, smashing into the ground and causing the earth to shake and mountains to tremble.

A massive crater that resembled a lake appeared in the ground. From it, a Yellow Turban Warrior clad in armor emerged, bearing sharp weapons.