Volume Three: Blossoms on Twin Branches, A Lone Tree Cannot Stand Chapter Twenty: Twin Pupils

July 15th, the moon was bright and the stars sparse. Deep within the secret realm of Southern Flame Continent, every soldier of the Spirit Helm Army wore a white leather helm, making them especially conspicuous under the moonlight. The southern jungle in July was oppressively hot, and the soldiers, encased in their helms, were drenched in sweat. Mosquitoes relentlessly attacked their bodies, yet not a single sound escaped from the thousand-strong army.

Not far ahead, a group of burly men were rustling through a patch of wild grass, digging at the earth. Huang Yu stood nearby, holding a large torch to illuminate their work.

The air was stifling, and not a breath of wind stirred in the forest. The men had stripped to the waist, sweat pouring off them regardless. They had managed to open the gate leading to the underground palace, but the entrance was too small for so many people. Yuan Ji ordered the door dismantled, to be reinstalled upon their return.

After half a day’s labor, only one door had been removed. Lang Xian looked up at the moon, estimating the time, and patted Yuan Ji, who was still hard at work. “General, it’s getting late. We should hurry inside.”

Yuan Ji set aside his tools, straightened, glanced at the sky, and brushed the dirt off his hands. “The strategist speaks wisely. Have the soldiers light their torches, and proceed into the palace.”

Huang Yu quickly interjected, “General, wait. There are no air vents in the palace passage. Bringing so many torches in will deplete the meager air. If the men faint and block the way, the consequences will be dire!”

Lang Xian pondered for a moment, agreeing with Huang Yu’s point. He said, “Then let Brother Huang lead the way. I’ll have the troops form a single-file line, each man’s hand on the shoulder of the one ahead, and we’ll advance in the dark. How does that sound?”

Huang Yu nodded, gripped his torch, shed his robe, and clad in short attire, leapt into the passage. Yuan Ji gave the order: “All troops, single-file formation, each man’s right hand on the left shoulder of the one before him, enter in succession.”

The darkness was unbroken by any echo, only the soft rustling of movement could be heard. Yuan Ji jumped into the corridor, followed by a junior officer, and behind them came Lang Xian and the rest of the army.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Huang Yu couldn’t help but ask Yuan Ji, “General, in this heat, why do the soldiers wear such heavy pelts on their heads?”

Yuan Ji replied quietly, “This is the method taught by the Fairy. We select white spirit foxes or white dogs with five hundred years of cultivation, skin them alive to preserve the spiritual nature of the fur. Then, using ordinary white fox and dog pelts, we smoke the skins for eighty-one days. Once the quality is hardened, they are fashioned into helms. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, in the Zhu Yuan Sacred Hall, we await the arrival of the Vanguard Army of the Dark Dirge Clan.”

Huang Yu asked, puzzled, “But coming from afar, through the void, their strength can’t be fully retained—at most, only half their power remains.”

Yuan Ji answered, “That’s why we wear the Spirit Helms. These helms are said to amplify divine sense; after possession, their power remains undiminished.”

Huang Yu exclaimed in awe, “In that case, Zhu Yuan will immediately possess a formidable army!”

Yuan Ji agreed. “The Fairy told my brother that this vanguard consists of the elite of the Dark Dirge Clan, most of them at sixth rank of the Immortal tier, according to the Xuanhuang scale. Against the Cloud Palace, victory is uncertain, but sweeping through the Seven Immortal Clans would be a minor feat.”

Huang Yu grew excited, turning to Yuan Ji. “Does this mean Zhu Yuan’s army will break out of Southern Flame Continent and sweep the world? May I join the northern expedition?”

Yuan Ji shook his head. “We can’t be reckless. Though we’ll soon have an Immortal-tier army, it’s only a thousand strong—far too few. The Cloud Palace Twelve Guards have over two thousand Immortal-tier cultivators. Among their top four guards, many are supreme experts of the first and second Divine ranks. Not to mention the Star Lords of the eighth and ninth Divine ranks, their formations, and divine artifacts.”

Huang Yu’s enthusiasm vanished. He sighed, “Then what’s the point of all this labor and effort?”

Yuan Ji smiled. “We’re a sharp blade. The Sun Worship cult possesses a sacred relic, the Huayang Pearl. Its unique power alters the spiritual essence within a ten-mile radius. Right now, it’s buried somewhere beneath Honglu Pass. After the Fairy failed to lure the mountain beast away from Honglu Pass last time, our task is to secure the Huayang Pearl.”

Huang Yu asked, “And what do we do once we have it?”

Yuan Ji explained, “The Dark Dirge Clan is close to us, descendants of divine beasts. After years of merging with the Immortal Clans, our bloodlines are suited to cultivate the Xuanhuang foundational techniques; in future, we may use the Qi Fixing Pearl and master advanced Xuanhuang methods. Their meridians cannot cultivate qi-based techniques; the Dark Dirge Clan relies solely on their formidable bodies and martial skills.”

Huang Yu suddenly understood. “I see! Once we obtain the Huayang Pearl, we can prevent the Xuanhuang practitioners from gathering the essence of the golden sun and converting it to qi power, forcing them to fight our Spirit Helm Army up close. That way, we can achieve victory with smaller numbers. Brilliant strategy!”

As they spoke, the group had already assembled in the grand hall. Huang Yu approached the brazier, lit it, and the entire sacred hall slowly brightened. Even the rigorously trained Spirit Helm soldiers couldn’t help but marvel at its grandeur and beauty.

Huang Yu leaped down from the high platform to join Yuan Ji and Lang Xian. “What do we do next?”

Lang Xian lowered his head in thought. “Wait.”

Huang Yu was surprised. “Just wait? Nothing else? No ceremony?”

Lang Xian shook his head. “The Fairy of Lanling said that once we arrive at the sacred hall, we need only wait quietly. At midnight on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, an extraordinary phenomenon will occur.”

The hall was eerily silent, the only sound was the drip of water from the bronze clepsydra. The scale on the time marker drew ever closer to midnight; everyone held their breath, eyes glued to the descending mark, as if afraid it might slip away.

“Midnight!” Huang Yu exclaimed.

Everyone glanced about, then at themselves, but nothing seemed amiss. Yuan Ji, unable to contain himself, shouted, “What’s going on? Is the clepsydra broken?”

He’d barely taken a step forward when, directly in front of their formation, a silvery-white sphere appeared. It grew larger and more transparent. All present stared, dumbstruck, forgetting even to gasp in wonder.

At the moment the sphere ceased expanding, stones began to spill out, soon forming a mound half as tall as a man.

Huang Yu looked at the now still circular opening, then at Yuan Ji and the others. “General, have you changed?”

Yuan Ji checked himself, removed his helm and examined it, puzzled. “No, I feel nothing different. Is something wrong with the helm?” He handed the helm to Huang Yu.

The instant Huang Yu reached for the white fur helm, divine light descended from the heavens. A colossal, dazzling pillar of light shot down from the Ninth Heaven, striking deep into the forested expanse of Southern Flame Continent. The radiance illuminated half the continent as if it were day; the Cloud Palace contingent, arriving from the north, witnessed the entire spectacle.

Lan Sheng quickly closed his eyes and asked, “Palace Master Lin, could this be the work of the Spirit Helm Army? Such intense light! I sense countless powerful spiritual sources. Is it…”

Lin Bai raised a hand to shield himself from the brilliance, his face troubled. “Your guess is correct! The Dark Dirge Clan has arrived.”

Qin Ying held her breath, sensing carefully, then said, “No, I feel this isn’t an arrival, but a fold-jump. The spiritual sources are different from what we’ve sensed before. When possession occurs through a rift, the spiritual sources are always faint and elusive. This time, the sources are steady, continuously emitting a powerful spiritual field.”

“So you think it’s a fold-jump?” Lin Bai asked.

“Yes, I’m certain it’s a fold-jump,” Qin Ying nodded.

The light had faded considerably. Lan Sheng lowered his single arm, puzzled. “Is there a difference between arrival and fold-jump?”

Qin Ying replied gravely, “If it’s possession by arrival, closing the rift cuts off the link between the descending soul and its body. We wouldn’t even need to fight them.”

“But,” Lin Bai continued, “if it’s a fold-jump, then we’ll be facing an actual Dark Dirge army. Unless we shatter their physical forms, we cannot defeat them.”

Deep beneath the primeval jungle, in the Zhu Yuan Sacred Hall, Yuan Ji and Huang Yu stared in shock at the Spirit Helm soldiers bathed in the white light. Black mist began to rise from their bodies, which were slowly swelling. Pain contorted every face, as if something inside was devouring them.

Yuan Ji rushed to Lang Xian, supporting him as he was about to collapse. “Strategist! Strategist! What’s happening?”

Lang Xian’s expression twisted, alternating between grimaces and manic laughter. He forced out a sentence, “Not… possession… it’s… arrival. Run… seal… seal this place…” With a final shout, his pupils suddenly expanded, his eyes snapped shut and then opened, revealing two pupils in each eye.