Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity – Chapter 311

“Holy Master, about this matter…” Lian Chengbi tentatively spoke.

Taichu Holy Master pondered for a moment.

He didn’t want to get involved in this shady affair of immortal opportunities. Besides, he wasn’t sure he could win the game, and if it was just for three measly rewards, that was beneath his dignity.

After all, he was the leader of Taichu Holy Land, revered as the Light of Righteousness by cultivators in the Central Region.

Most importantly, the celestial chess game might not be as simple as it appeared; there could be unknown traps behind it!

“As for this matter, Taichu Holy Land doesn’t need to intervene too much, but you should closely monitor the situation to see if anyone is able to crack the game and obtain the ultimate reward.”

“After all, Cangmu State will be a mixed bag of dragons and snakes. This is within our Taichu Holy Land’s jurisdiction, so to promote the righteous atmosphere, we need to keep an eye on the victor.”

Taichu Holy Master said meaningfully.

Lian Chengbi’s eyes sparkled, and he respectfully replied, “Your wisdom is unmatched, Holy Master. I will personally go to Cangmu State to oversee matters and prevent any ruffians from causing trouble! If someone truly does obtain the final reward, I will ensure their safe passage forever.”

He emphasized the last two words heavily.

“Good!”

Taichu Holy Master smiled, appearing like a kind old man.

“If there’s nothing else, you may leave.”

“Yes, Holy Master!”

After Lian Chengbi left, Taichu Holy Master gazed up at the sky, as if sensing something obscure, his brows furrowing deeply.

Lately, he had felt uneasy—was it because of this strange immortal opportunity?

Or was it that something significant was about to happen?

“In a while, I must go to distant Dao State and kill all the immortals I can, raising my cultivation level as much as possible.”

“What’s a Profound Immortal? I want to break through to Immortal Sovereign! And even Immortal King! To become the true ruler of the Central Region in the future!”

“When that time comes, I’ll completely cultivate the beings of the Central Region to continuously provide me with fresh blood.”

The elderly voice revealed immense ambition, and a cold smile crept upon Taichu Holy Master’s lips.

The magnificent waterfalls and lakes turned into a bizarre blood-red color, terrifying like Shura hell.

…

As days passed, the fame of the celestial chess game spread throughout the Central Region, and Cangmu State became bustling with activity.

Cultivators from all corners hurried over, hoping to snag some resources for cultivation for free.

After all, whether one could play chess or just had poor skills didn’t matter!

What mattered was participation!

In this day and age, who could refuse a freebie?

The Sunset Mountain Range had a mild winter and cool summer, with steep terrain, and the celestial chess game was positioned above this mountain range!

From afar, a massive golden chessboard appeared intermittently, as if containing some mysterious power, exuding a highly sacred aura.

Now and then, some people approached, drawn into the game of chess, yet whoever came out of it wore huge smiles, looking like they had hit the jackpot.

In the sky.

There were all sorts of flying carriages and cool mounts, along with various flying magical treasures, as countless cultivators flocked to Sunset Mountain Range with exhilaration.

The scene was incredibly lively!

Some quick-witted wandering cultivators seized the opportunity and hastily set up makeshift tea shops in the mountains to host guests from all over, making some money.

Voices filled Sunset Mountain Range, discussing who had gotten what good stuff from the chess game.

“Hey, friends, have you heard? A Tribulation Stage cultivator recently participated in the chess game three times, and the last time, he was actually rewarded with a Top-tier True Immortal Level Magical Artifact!”

“Holy crap! What luck!?”

“What’s that? I heard another guy hit the jackpot, winning a total of a million Spirit Crystals across three tries! He struck it rich!”

“Heh, no matter how many Spirit Crystals you have, it can’t compare to the value of a single Immortal Crystal. Do you know Feng from Lingjian Sect? The rewards from his first two tries were pretty lame, but in the last one, he surprisingly got a whopping five thousand Immortal Crystals!”

“Five thousand Immortal Crystals?! Are you kidding me?”

“The reward mechanism of this celestial chess game is simply a freebie for everyone!”

“No kidding!”

At that moment.

Inside the tea shop, a scholar in a robe just set down his teacup when he spotted a group patrolling the area. The leading man had a majestic presence but a shadowy gaze and pale complexion.

“Hey, who are they?”

The scholar, out of curiosity, asked a guest sitting nearby.

The guest turned his head, looking awed, “That’s the team from Taichu Holy Land, led by Taichu Saint Son, Lian Chengbi!”

“What? Even Taichu Saint Son has come?”

“Of course! Taichu Holy Land is just behind in Tianyuan State, and Cangmu State is so close; they’re bound to send someone to maintain order. Just didn’t expect them to take it so seriously.”

“Haha, I was wondering why the Sunset Mountain Range has been so crowded lately, yet there haven’t been many conflicts; it turns out it’s because Taichu Saint Son is overseeing it!”

Among the four great sacred grounds in the Central Region, they are Xuantian Holy Land, Taichu Holy Land, Yin-Yang Sacred Ground, and Yaoguang Sacred Land.

As the Saint Son of Taichu Holy Land, Lian Chengbi had a significant status.

At that moment, he stood with his arms behind him, eyes sharp as lightning, cruising through Sunset Mountain Range. Wherever he went, no one dared to provoke him; his aura was overwhelmingly powerful, even causing surprise in the older generations.

With him present, the Sunset Mountain Range remained orderly.

Some cultivators with ulterior motives, though already eyeing their targets for robbery, hesitated to make a move due to the current situation, planning to wait until their targets left the Sunset Mountain Range.

Suddenly, Lian Chengbi’s ears perked up, hearing a few cultivators discussing something under a tree:

“Hey everyone, recently, several major states have reported bizarre occurrences; no matter the sect or faction, the immortals have been mysteriously assassinated, with no remains left!”

“Rumor has it, their targets were very specific, specifically hunting down those who have ascended to immortality, killing them and then erasing all traces!”

“What a sin! What kind of crappy world is this that even immortals can’t keep themselves safe!”

“Hey, if you don’t become immortal, you might still live; but once you do, your life could end even faster!”

Hearing this, Lian Chengbi’s eyes dimmed, and a subtle smirk formed at the corner of his mouth; he already knew who the true culprit behind this was.

At that moment, shouts of surprise erupted in the crowd, “Look, it’s the Saint Son of Xuantian and the Saint Son of Yin-Yang!”

The Xuantian Saint Son, Lin Duxiu, appeared handsome, draped in an exquisite light blue robe adorned with a fierce white dragon on his shoulder, exuding an intimidating aura as he flew down on a brilliant flying sword, looking carefree and elegant.

Beside him stood the Yin-Yang Saint Son, Ji Baxiao, with a fringe of bangs falling over his forehead, his eyes sparkling, half-black and half-white hair, standing atop an ancient brown gourd glowing with treasure light, exuding an extraordinary aura.

The two Saint Sons from different sacred lands seemed to have agreed to come together.

“Heh, so this is the celestial chess game?” Lin Duxiu gazed at the golden chessboard’s phantom with interest.

Ji Baxiao observed the throng with surprise, exclaiming, “I never expected so many chess enthusiasts!”

His tone held a touch of duality, fitting for his identity as the Yin-Yang Saint Son.

The cultivators blushed, secretly grumbling, “Aren’t you also here for a freebie? Who’s acting all high and mighty here?”

“Hm? Lian Chengbi is here too.” Ji Baxiao noticed Lian Chengbi in the distance, his eyes flashing with suspicion.

For some reason, he felt something was off about him, sensing a strange aura that seemed purposely hidden.

Lin Duxiu narrowed his eyes, instinctively becoming wary of Lian Chengbi.

Lian Chengbi’s eyes flickered with a hidden bloodthirst, then his pale face revealed a smile as he cupped his hands, saying, “Gentlemen, long time no see.”

“Not that we haven’t seen each other, just that I didn’t particularly want to,” Ji Baxiao replied immediately, breaking the ice negatively.

Lian Chengbi’s smile stiffened.

Of all the four sacred grounds, he disliked this guy the most; not only did he speak too much, but he also liked to throw shade!

Lin Duxiu, however, appeared more composed, returning the greeting politely, “Lian Dao Friend, hope you’ve been well.”

With a step down, Lian Chengbi’s expression softened slightly, “Are you both here for the celestial chess game?”

“Why else? Not for sightseeing, right?” Ji Baxiao replied breezily.

Lian Chengbi’s corner of the mouth slightly twitched.

“I heard this immortal opportunity is special, related to chess. Seasoned in the way of chess, Ji and I thought we’d come and test our luck,” Lin Duxiu remarked.

From his casual address, you could tell the depth of their relationship.

“Very well. But unfortunately, I know nothing about the way of chess. I hope Dao Friend Lin can claim the top prize and unravel the celestial chess game, allowing us all to open our eyes,” Lian Chengbi said.

“Wait, are you implying I have no chance?” Ji Baxiao said somewhat displeased.

Lian Chengbi: “Hehe.”

“Thanks, Dao Friend Lian, for your kind words. I’ll do my best!” Lin Duxiu replied earnestly.

Then, he spoke cautiously, “I notice that Dao Friend Lian’s aura seems quite different from before. Could it be some misstep in your cultivation?”

Previously, Lian Chengbi gave him the impression of being quite decent, but now, his aura felt particularly cold and eerie.

Lian Chengbi maintained his composure, smiling, “Dao Friend Lin, you worry too much. I’ve merely had a breakthrough in my martial arts techniques.”

“Is that so?”

Lin Duxiu feigned understanding, but his inner doubts grew deeper.

“You look sickly; that doesn’t seem like the result of a breakthrough. More like you’re at death’s door,” Ji Baxiao remarked in a sarcastic tone.

“Ji Dao Friend, please show some respect!”

Lian Chengbi’s expression darkened, practically itching to make a move to silence him, turning him into a dry corpse.

But alas, with so many eyes in the Sunset Mountain Range, he had to resist that urge. In his heart, he silently vowed that an opportunity would arise for him to make Ji Baxiao wish he was never born!

“Ji Brother, enough,” Lin Duxiu said sternly.

“Sorry, I don’t usually have a filter. Lian Dao Friend, you can’t be really angry, right?”

Ji Baxiao feigned an apologetic look, but his tone was still obnoxious, which made Lian Chengbi’s murderous intent churn within him.

Just as he was about to speak, a faint yet powerful aura suddenly came from afar, causing many perceptive cultivators to look over in amazement, their faces revealing awe as if witnessing an unforgettable scene, causing some of the more emotionally weak to become entranced…