Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity – Chapter 320

Ye Junlin chuckled.

So what if it’s the Chess Sage?

I’ve still got him firmly in my grasp!

Sure, the Chess Sage represents the pinnacle of the Way of Chess, but even among them, there’s a hierarchy.

Just like how cultivators at the same level still have differences in strength!

Because the stronger you face, the stronger you become—this principle holds true in the world of chess as well. Ye Junlin seemed to know in advance each move his opponent would make, positioning himself for the win.

Just as Ye Junlin thought it was over and was about to get up, an elderly voice echoed through the space, seemingly coming from nowhere,

“First round is over. Let’s start the second round!”

Then, the old man’s image sitting opposite him became more solid, and his blank face gained subtle expressions.

“Hmm?”

Ye Junlin was a bit surprised. “Is this a best-of-three? Or do we have to keep going until someone wins the last round?”

“Hey, how many rounds are there in total? You can’t just leave us in the dark!”

As soon as he finished speaking.

The ancient voice began to resonate in the space,

“There are a total of three rounds. The Tester must win the last round to achieve ultimate victory!”

“Oh, I see.”

Ye Junlin nodded.

For him, it just meant spending a bit more time.

Anyway, he always got stronger when faced with a challenge, so the outcome was bound to be a win for him!

Outside.

The cultivators waited for good news.

What they didn’t know was that five hundred miles away in a secret place at the Sunset Mountain Range, peach blossom trees flourished as far as the eye could see, their fragrance filling the air, refreshing the senses.

On a stone table, two cups of tea sat.

Each cup had peach petals gently floating inside.

“Situ Dao You, please.”

“Thank you.”

Situ Yan picked up a cup and took a gentle sip, enjoying the aromatic flavor that lingered on his taste buds, subtly infused with peach blossoms—a delightful experience.

Sitting across from him was an old man with white hair.

The old man wore dark blue clothing, his hair pinned neatly with wooden hairpins, appearing youthful despite his age, exuding an ethereal aura.

If any cultivators involved in the chess games were present, they would surely be shocked to find that this old man in blue looked incredibly like the one playing chess!

In fact, they were virtually identical!

Situ Yan set down his cup, gazing intently at the old man before him.

This was the second reviver he sought, a member of the Human Race whose Dao title was the Chess Sage.

Like last time, when he approached to collaborate, the other party was initially reluctant, but once he laid out generous conditions and analyzed the future landscape, he was finally convinced.

Now, with the Kunlun Realm on the brink of collapse, aligning with a powerful force during this time would be beneficial for future developments.

After all, those who had chosen to remain dormant since ancient times only awoke in the present would be doing so with the intent to defy fate; otherwise, they would have long since made their way to the Immortal Realm instead of lingering in the Kunlun Realm.

So, when faced with Situ Yan’s proposal, the Chess Sage found it hard not to feel tempted.

He wanted to ascend higher and also wished to keep his life intact.

With the Bright Clan’s immense power, if they were to take control of the Kunlun Realm in the future, wouldn’t that serve as a protective talisman for him?

Furthermore, the Chess Sage understood how vulnerable the Kunlun Realm was in the universe, with countless cosmic factions eyeing it, even the Immortal Realm barely managing to protect itself.

To safeguard himself, the Chess Sage agreed to collaborate with Situ Yan.

He was not a set-in-his-ways kind of person; in fact, he was quite opportunistic, adept at finding loopholes—even if it meant sacrificing lives to ensure his own survival, he’d consider it inconsequential!

For instance, this current heavenly chess game was merely bait he released to trap cultivators looking for a free ride!

Such a meticulous trap even left Situ Yan in admiration.

I have to say, this guy is a real talent!

“Situ Dao You, once I finish laying out the chess game and completely harvest their luck, we can proceed with the next plan.”

“Please be patient.”

The Chess Sage took a sip of tea, a gentle smile gracing his aged face.

This chance at immortality was something he had purposefully fabricated, to create an illusion where even if he lost, he’d still provide rewards to attract all kinds of cultivators to come and take from him, with the real goal being to harvest their luck.

The reason there were three chances was that each time, he would siphon off a percentage of their luck, and three opportunities were more than enough to leave the cultivators with nothing!

However, the rewards were genuinely substantial, but for an old monster like the Chess Sage, he had long since amassed countless treasures. So what if he spread a little wealth around?

Moreover, to ancient Immortal Kings, those treasures were mere trifles, but for cultivators in the present day, they were immensely helpful!

That’s why so many cultivators from the Central Region wasted no time rushing in to seize the opportunity.

What the Chess Sage capitalized on was that mindset of wanting to exploit any advantage!

Put simply, he was banking on their inclination to score a free ride!

After all, even in the mundane world, the richest people would stop at nothing for petty gains, let alone in the intensely competitive cultivation community where they’d brawl over resources.

And every cultivator participating in the chess game, each time they lost, their luck was already earmarked by the heavenly chess game.

Once the heavenly chess game borrowed their luck, it would officially be harvested and transferred to the Chess Sage through what was akin to a contract!

For a long time, the Chess Sage firmly believed that in order to soar high and far, luck was key.

Those with heavenly luck sailed smoothly, favored by the heavens.

While those with bad luck frequently fell into perilous situations and ultimately perished.

Thus, what the Chess Sage wanted was to become one of those with heavenly luck!

But luck is something one is born with, and to elevate one’s fortunes, one must exploit some special means.

Throughout his life, the Chess Sage had been well-versed in the Way of Chess, to the point where even in ancient times, he was unparalleled in chess prowess!

Simultaneously, he was a bona fide genius who merged his path with chess techniques, innovating a personal form of immortal law!

Especially the heavenly chess game; although it lacked direct lethality, its ability to secretly siphon luck was already frightening enough.

The Chess Sage began to anticipate just how immense the luck he would gain once the game ended would be?

He was uninterested in the luck of ordinary cultivators; what he wanted most was the luck of prodigies or even monsters.

That kind of luck held immense value.

A drop of water compared to an entire sea—the difference was painfully clear.

At that time.

He would finally be able to take flight!

In this era, achieving the title of Immortal Emperor or even higher status was within reach!

The lean man standing behind Situ Yan, upon seeing the eager expression of the Chess Sage, couldn’t help but say,

“By the way, if someone manages to win the chess game, wouldn’t that leave you empty-handed?”

Exactly, the critical point of breaking the game would be allowing someone to clear all three rounds; this way, the heavenly chess game would be unraveled, and all the cultivators who had participated would no longer have their luck harvested.

But for the generous Chess Sage, that would feel like pouring water into a basket, and he would face severe backlash—truly not worth the effort.

“Dabu, show some respect!” Situ Yan rebuked coldly.

“Understood…” Dabu lowered his head.

Oddly enough, the Chess Sage didn’t seem bothered; instead, he threw his head back and burst out laughing, as if he had heard the greatest joke ever.

The laughter shook the entire peach blossom grove, petals swirling like a dream.

Situ Yan raised an eyebrow. “May I ask why you’re laughing?”

“I slipped for a moment; my apologies.” The Chess Sage wiped the laughter tears from his eyes, waving his hand with utmost sincerity, “In the Kunlun Realm, if my chess skills are deemed the first, no one would dare claim second!”

“Let alone in today’s world!”

“Don’t even mention clearing three rounds; I bet no one can even get past the first!”

The Chess Sage spoke with utmost conviction, radiating immense confidence. “I’m not afraid to tell you that the doppelganger I left for the first round is already at the Chess Sage level—my level when I first entered that tier!”

“And for the second round’s doppelganger, I’ve infused seventy percent of my strength in the Way of Chess!”

The Chess Sage stroked his beard, a meaningful look on his face. “As for the third round, heh…”

Hearing this, Situ Yan and Dabu understood completely.

In a nutshell:

This old fox is here to play with kids!

Forget about the third round; nobody has a chance even in the first two!

Suddenly.

The Chess Sage seemed to sense something, and his smile instantly froze, followed by his pupils twitching, horrified as he exclaimed:

“This… this is impossible!!!”

Situ Yan and the others were startled; what on earth was this old man losing his mind about?

“Chess Dao You, what’s going on with you…”

At that moment.

The Chess Sage was enveloped in anxiety, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his complexion growing extremely grim as he spoke:

“Someone has broken through the first two rounds I set up and is now preparing to tackle the third round!”