As the moon hung high in the sky, the myriad stars twinkled like lights on a chessboard, with pieces as large as stone mills scattered across it.
Around the edge of the chessboard sat a circle of skeletons, the remnants of chess masters from a bygone era, their presence oddly dignified rather than eerie.
These skeletal remains had at least been of the Outer Realm in life; otherwise, they’d have long succumbed to the winds of time.
Under their ghostly gazes, a solemn silence enveloped the area.
The Huanmo Sect members held their breath, eyes fixed on Li Mo, his hands clasped behind his back.
Li Mo stood before the chessboard, seemingly waiting for something, when in fact he was pondering what flashy move he could make during the game to appear more powerful and majestic.
At the same time, he waited for the Ice Chunk to comprehend the layout of the game.
“Can my Black Earth brother break this situation?” Luo Yexian asked, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. After a glance at the board below, he felt a sensation of vertigo and soul-shaking intensity, quickly redirecting his gaze.
“Let’s hope so,” Tan Zhuyin replied, decidedly uninterested in the game.
As long as no one played occasionally, they could be expelled after a certain time; the tricky part was the highly skilled people who couldn’t crack the conundrum.
He had promised to use the power of all beings to express his gratitude to his opponent, but that was only after the fact. Either way, he stood to lose nothing.
“The Go-playing youth aspires onward, conversing on the board, his spirit attuned to the universe~~”
“Experience~ experience~”
“Who’s singing this? We’re supposed to be playing chess, can’t we be a little more serious??”
Luo Yexian frowned, scanning the hooded figures of the Huanmo Sect members.
The sect members looked at one another, their hoods obscuring all identities. Who could tell who was singing?
“Sorry, in such a moment, I couldn’t help myself…”
Li Mo cleared his throat.
Wasn’t he the one singing in his heart? He accidentally let it slip out loud.
“Ah, great singing! No wonder my Black Earth brother is so talented, a single tune captures the twists and dangers of the game!”
Luo Yexian took the lead with applause.
As soon as he clapped, other Huanmo Sect members followed suit, as if they had already won without even starting.
From the momentum, they already seemed to overwhelm their opponent!
Though he had no idea who that opponent was…
Tan Zhuyin: “…..”
Li Mo: “……”
Oh, Luo was just too eager to improve; why did he join the Huanmo Sect when he could have taken the imperial exams and entered court as an official?
“Ice Chunk, ready yet?”
“Yup, let’s go.”
With the Ice Chunk’s affirmative response, Li Mo ascended the stone platform before the massive chessboard, looking down at the scene below.
He wore a carefree expression; after all, he had no clue how to play Go.
The powerful skeletons watched him, yet Li Mo exuded confidence like a mountain.
After all!
Standing behind him was the Phoenix Sky Empress, Ice Chunk!
He gripped the Spirit Pearl of the Shēn.
Step—
A footstep echoed as an old man in Daoist robes ascended the opposite stone platform, an ethereal presence about him.
“Hmm? Could this be… a Chess Spirit?” Luo Yexian murmured.
Tan Zhuyin narrowed his eyebrows, cautiously, “The sect records mentioned nothing of any Chess Spirit existing here…”
As they eyed the unfamiliar ‘Chess Spirit Elder,’ both exchanged glances, thick with unspoken thoughts.
Could it be that the Chess Spirit had long existed, but no one’s skills were previously up to par enough to attract its attention? Did the Black Earth Immortal’s arrival force it to show itself?
Well, it was natural to be unfamiliar.
After all, they hadn’t seen “Go-playing Youth”…
If a Chess Spirit truly existed, it must be confused itself, after all, it hadn’t made its entrance; so who was this old man?
“Please.”
The old man performed a courteous bow, taking the black pieces.
“Please.”
Li Mo lightly nodded back, taking the white pieces.
As the game began, a disadvantage of ten points loomed.
Qinghe County.
Ying Bing observed the entire chessboard through the Taiyin divine intent, presenting a scene identical to that which was thousands of miles away.
“Li Mo, just play as I instructed, and don’t make any mistakes.”
This game was riddled with traps that bound tightly together. A decent player often believed they needed to rescue the piece in the lower left to turn the game around.
But the more they tried to save it, the more they would get dragged into the quagmire, losing the entire board.
That ten-point gap needed to be won back within their own territory…
“Nine rows, thirteen columns, jump.”
Li Mo spoke up simultaneously.
Pop—
A burst of starlight suddenly illuminated the chessboard, causing one square to shine brightly, a pillar of light soaring toward the heavens!
It nearly blinded the members of the Huanmo Sect.
The elderly keeper of the black pieces silently played his move, a black ribbon shooting up into the sky!
In fact, the pieces on the chessboard began moving of their own accord.
“The piece in the lower left can be treated as a vulnerability.”
“What we need to do is strike when the opponent takes the bait, threading through the mid-game.”
“Ten rows, three columns.”
A voice, clear and calm, rang out, offering the answer he needed to break the situation—a move no player would ever dare to miss.
This move discarded the seemingly promising piece in the lower left, ignoring its potential!
Creak creak—
The skeletons seated around the massive chessboard began to slowly rise, a faint ripple of emotion emanating from them.
“What does this mean for these skeletons?”
“They seem… confused?”
Tan Zhuyin couldn’t dare to delve into the game itself, relying instead on the influences of the disappeared chess masters to gauge the situation.
“So, Black Earth Immortal’s move left them unable to comprehend it?”
Luo Yexian was at a loss for words.
If the chess masters couldn’t fathom it, it clearly wasn’t just an ordinary move to them.
But looking at it from another perspective, if they could understand, they wouldn’t still be seated there…
So was it a solid move or not?
Pop—
Pop—
Starlight cascaded down, illuminating the chessboard, reflecting against the evening sky.
Ice Chunk was seriously playing, while Little Li was also quite busy!
Whoosh—
Clouds tumbled, a pure white dragon burst through the mist, embodying the clearest essence of the heavens, spinning gracefully in the air.
In contrast, a black dragon roared, swirling with swirling, gloomy energy, shooting high into the sky.
The two rampaged and entangled, sometimes separating, sometimes intertwining, sometimes dancing harmoniously, and sometimes brawling endlessly.
The black dragon danced!
“There’s no external influence showcased.”
Tan Zhuyin muttered to himself, a place of enlightenment taught to him by a sage.
This indicated that the dance and battle of the black dragon in the sky were not manifestations of any realm or externalities!
“Could it be that the ongoing battle within the chess game can already resonate with heaven and earth?”
“Never heard of anything like it; it’s simply unprecedented!”
“I heard that in the Tianshan Sword Hall, there was a sword god who, without using a single ounce of energy, could make the clouds clear and bring rain; the air grew pristine, with his skills nearing the realm of the Dao.”
“Could it be that chess skills could transcend the holy realm?”
“Yes, the predecessor from the Yin Yang Hall didn’t evoke any response from heaven and earth, no wonder they ultimately couldn’t break through the chess game.”
As Luo Yexian listened to the discussions among the sect members, he smiled subtly.
Looks like that predecessor didn’t even come close to the brilliance of my Black Earth brother.
“Never had the chance to watch an anime…”
Li Mo, still grasping the Spirit Pearl, couldn’t help but muse.
When he was young, his family forbade him from watching anime, claiming that it would lead him astray.
But didn’t he end up here anyway!
“Ice Chunk, how much longer till a win?”
Li Mo aimed for a grand conclusion by the end.
The Taiyin divine intent was silent for a while before Ice Chunk’s voice finally came through:
“At this pace of moves, about a quarter of an hour.”
