Chapter 1070
Life is Like a Game of Chess, Thunder Magic Technique
"Yunlong Mountain", on Xuanqing Peak.
In the stone pavilion by the pool, Huang Siyuan and Li Xuanyi sat upright in front of a stone table, above which was a square wooden chessboard, with black and white chess pieces already placed in many places.
Holding the white pieces, Huang Siyuan stared at the center of the chessboard, which was fraught with danger. After pondering for a while, she finally placed her piece in an inconspicuous corner.
"The outcome is still undecided, why would Fellow Daoist Siyuan voluntarily concede?"
Seeing the other party suddenly give up the fight and choose to retreat, Li Xuanyi, sitting opposite, looked puzzled and asked a question.
Upon hearing this, Huang Siyuan remained remarkably calm.
"It's been many years since we last met. I didn't expect that Senior Sister Li's chess skills have improved so much. I've become quite rusty over the years."
This game may seem to be evenly matched, but in reality, my momentum has been exhausted. If I continue to play, my eagerness to win will only make me sink deeper into a dead end.
It might be better to take a step back and try; perhaps that will allow you to find another way to win.
"Oh! I didn't see that. Fellow Daoist Siyuan clearly sees further than I do, yet you still praise my chess skills so highly. This makes Xuan Yi feel quite flattered."
Upon hearing this, Li Xuanyi gently shook her head. After pondering for a moment, she still did not choose to take the initiative to attack, and instead followed her opponent's example by placing her piece in a corner on the edge.
But before Li Xuanyi could even place her piece, Huang Siyuan on the opposite side immediately interrupted her.
Life is like a game of chess; once a move is made, there's no going back!
"Senior Sister Li, my move just now was merely a desperate attempt to break the deadlock due to an unfavorable situation, not an intentional one to let you win."
If you still consider me your opponent in this game, you shouldn't show any humility during the game; otherwise, even if I win, it will be an unfair victory.
"Yes! You're right. Now that we've set up the game, we should respect every opponent, regardless of the outcome."
Upon hearing this, Li Xuanyi, who was holding a chess piece, ultimately changed direction and placed it in the position that was originally supposed to be placed.
Soon, a large number of white pieces disappeared from the chessboard, and the originally evenly matched situation suddenly shifted in favor of Li Xuanyi, who held the black pieces.
Despite seeing herself in a disadvantageous situation, Huang Siyuan on the other side did not show the slightest anxiety on her face, and continued to calmly consider her next move.
Just as the two women continued their game of chess, Li Siyun, who had been watching from a distance, suddenly ran over and interrupted Huang Siyuan, who was deep in thought.
"Reporting to Master, Senior Song has returned!"
Just as Li Siyun finished speaking, a figure in a green robe was seen walking slowly towards the stone pavilion from not far away. It was Song Qingming, who had just returned.
Seeing the hint of joy on Song Qingming's face, Huang Siyuan guessed that he must have succeeded in repairing the magic weapon in his hand, and immediately stood up and said:
"Senior Sister Li, it seems that this game of chess between us will not be decided today. How about we make a note of it and continue to play when we have the opportunity in the future?"
"If Fellow Daoist Siyuan has such intentions, Xuanyi will certainly accompany you to the end!"
Faced with Huang Siyuan's suggestion to temporarily suspend the game, Li Xuanyi smiled slightly and immediately nodded in agreement. Then she got up and put away the chess game that was not yet finished on the table.
".."
Several days later, on a high mountain in the southwest of "Yunlong Mountain".
Li Xuanyi, who came to see them off, looked at Song Qingming and the other person who were about to leave. Although she was a little reluctant, she still took the initiative to step forward and bow to say goodbye.
"Junior Brother Song, the journey to Yuanzhou is long and arduous. You must take care of yourselves. If you encounter any trouble, remember to send a message to Yunlong Mountain."
Whether or not they can help, having more people always means having more options.
Oh, and Siyuan, don't forget our promise! I look forward to seeing who wins soon.
Hearing that Li Xuanyi was still thinking about the chess game from a few days ago, Huang Siyuan quickly smiled and nodded, replying, "Don't worry, Senior Sister, I won't forget about it."
"Take care, Senior Sister!"
".."
As Song Qingming cast a spell to activate the flying boat beneath his feet, the "White Bone Flying Boat" quickly disappeared from its original spot and then transformed into a streak of white light, rapidly flying towards the distant horizon.
After the light disappeared, Li Xuanyi remained standing in the same spot, staring blankly ahead. It took her a while before she turned and left the mountain beneath her feet.
-
In the southwest of Donghuang Kingdom, in Yuanzhou.
As one of the thirteen states of the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom", Yuan State is only of medium size in terms of overall area, and the number of cultivators within its territory is not much different from that of the neighboring Southern State.
Although the two states seem similar, in the eyes of cultivators in the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" cultivation world, Yuan State is much more famous than the neighboring Southern State.
Because within Yuanzhou, there is another cultivation force whose reputation ranks among the top three in the entire "Eastern Phoenix Immortal Continent," namely the "Demon-Slaying Palace."
As one of the three major Nascent Soul power groups recognized across the entire continent, the "Dangmo Palace" controlled nearly half of the territory within Yuanzhou, and the remaining sects were all nominal vassals of them.
The "Dangmo Palace" has been passed down for tens of thousands of years in Yuanzhou. In addition to the first patriarch "Dangmo Zhenjun" who has ascended to the upper realm, several other Nascent Soul ancestors have appeared in the sect.
It is precisely because of its profound foundation that even though the previous generation of the Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Demon-Slaying Palace has been dead for nearly three thousand years, it can still firmly sit on the throne of the three top sects of the Eastern Phoenix Immortal Continent.
Even now, the "Dangmo Palace" still has twenty-six Nascent Soul cultivators, making its strength far superior to the ten major sects of the "Donghuang Kingdom" that participated in the Sword Tournament.
The only difference between it and the other "Tianyu Sect" and the two major Nascent Soul sects is that it lacks a Nascent Soul ancestor to preside over the sect!
The entire "Demonic Palace" gate is located among a cluster of mountains in the eastern part of Yuanzhou.
This fifth-level spiritual vein, named "Dangmo Mountain," also contains a high-level demon-slaying array set up by the first patriarch of "Dangmo Palace." This place is also a forbidden zone for demonic cultivators in the entire "Eastern Phoenix Immortal Continent."
Whether they were low-level Qi Refining demon cultivators or powerful Nascent Soul demons, they were all so frightened that they would take a detour when they came near "Dangmo Mountain".
Anyone who dared to provoke and enter it inevitably met a violent end.
In addition, because their own cultivation techniques are exceptionally effective against demonic cultivators, the disciples of the "Demon-Slaying Palace" have always been the nemesis of demonic cultivators throughout the world.
In the fight against demonic cultivators, they are one of the most proactive sects, often sending their disciples out to help other sects deal with those troublesome demonic cultivators.
It is precisely because of this merit and prestige in slaying demons and monsters for the cultivation world that the "Demon-Slaying Palace" is able to remain one of the three major Nascent Soul cultivation forces in the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom, unafraid of suppression from other Nascent Soul forces.
Outside a market town in the southeast of "Dangmo Mountain", a beam of light approached from afar and soon landed at the market town entrance.
Standing on the flying boat, Song Qingming glanced at the market in front of him and the towering "Dangmo Mountain" that soared into the sky behind him, then jumped off the flying boat with Huang Siyuan.
"We should have already entered the territory of the Demon-Slaying Palace. Let's go in first to gather some information and rest for the night."
"Yes! After traveling for so long, I am indeed a bit tired."
Hearing Song Qingming's suggestion, Huang Siyuan nodded slightly, and the two quickly walked towards the market not far away.
As they approached the territory of the "Demon-Slaying Palace," Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan did not choose to disguise their identities as before, but directly revealed their real names.
However, in order not to make too much of a fuss, Song Qingming did not easily reveal his Nascent Soul cultivation in front of others. Both of them compressed their auras to the inconspicuous Foundation Establishment realm.
The market town in front of us is just one of dozens of markets on the outskirts of "Dangmo Mountain", and the cultivators stationed inside are only at the Golden Core stage.
Unless they are face to face, the other party's cultivation level and divine sense would make it impossible to detect anything unusual about the two of them.
After successfully entering the market, Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan strolled along the street, intending to find a place to stay.
Just as the two were looking around, a black-robed cultivator wearing a bamboo hat walked towards them from a distance.
Seeing the person suddenly blocking his way, Song Qingming was about to ask a question when he saw the person take off his straw hat, revealing a bald head. He was a Buddhist monk.
"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk's Dharma name is Mingyuan. Greetings to the two seniors!"
The monk with the big head in front of him was only at the second level of the Golden Core stage, yet he could see through Song Qingming's cultivation level at a glance. A look of solemnity flashed across Song Qingming's face.
"Master, do you recognize me?"
"Senior Song once visited your temple. It was only because I served my master that I had the honor of meeting you. Today, I am fortunate to meet you again and have come forward to pay my respects."
"Could your esteemed teacher be Master Bukong of Kongyun Temple?"
"Of course!"
Seeing that Song Qingming finally recognized him, the big-headed monk Mingyuan nodded repeatedly, a smile on his face.
Meanwhile, Song Qingming also recalled some events from his time in Xihua Prefecture, confirming that the person in front of him was indeed someone he had met once before.
Back when Song Qingming was still at the "Heavenly Sword Pavilion", he was invited by Liang Jianxuan to participate in the cultivator "exchange meeting", where he met the great Buddhist cultivator "Master Bukong".
Later, before Song Qingming left, in order to exchange more "golden relics" from Master Bukong, he made a special trip to visit the "Kongyun Temple" where Master Bukong was located.
It was there that I met the big-headed monk with the Buddhist name Mingyuan.
However, at that time, Mingyuan's cultivation level was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Standing among the many novice monks, Song Qingming did not pay any attention to him and therefore did not think of him for a moment.
After being reminded by the other party, he immediately realized who it was, and smiled as he raised his hand in return. "Master, you have come all this way. Could it be that your esteemed master, Master Bukong, has also come to the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom?"
“What you say is true, senior. This humble monk came here with my master to spread the teachings. My master lives in Xuankong Temple, which is not far from here.”
"Oh! That's quite a coincidence. Please inform Master Bukong that I, Song, will definitely pay him a visit another day."
Upon hearing that his old friend, "Master Bukong," lived nearby, Song Qingming nodded with delight, planning to pay him a visit after finishing his current tasks.
Although Song Qingming was not a Buddhist cultivator, he was quite interested in some of the secret methods of Buddhism. Back in Xihua Continent, he had exchanged cultivation experiences with Master Bukong several times.
Moreover, Master Bukong was also quite honest and open-minded when discussing philosophy with him. He had a very good impression of his friend Song Qingming.
After bidding farewell to Monk Mingyuan, Song Qingming quickly found a suitable restaurant on the street and checked in with Huang Siyuan.
Although Nanzhou and Yuanzhou are adjacent to each other, it still took Song Qingming more than a month to travel from Yunlong Mountain to the vicinity of Dangmo Mountain.
Having finally arrived at their destination, they were indeed quite exhausted and quickly began to meditate to recover.
".."
As the moon sets and the sun rises, the streets gradually come alive with people as the first rays of sunlight enter the market.
Many shops along the street also opened their doors to welcome passersby, and shouts began to rise and fall throughout the street.
In a guest room on the second floor of the restaurant, Song Qingming, having freshened up, looked at Huang Siyuan, who was tidying his clothes, and smiled and nodded at her.
"Siyuan, stay here and wait for me. I will send you a message as soon as I have any news."
"My husband, please remember not to be anxious. No matter what happens, I only wish for your safe return."
Watching Song Qingming about to leave, Huang Siyuan gave him a word of advice as usual, and then watched him leave the restaurant.
After passing through the streets of the market, Song Qingming quickly arrived at the tall building that displayed the insignia of the "Demonic Palace" sect and presented the visiting card he had prepared.
An hour later, Song Qingming followed the Golden Core cultivator who came to greet him to the main hall on a high mountain hundreds of miles away. There, he met a middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in a purple robe.
Upon seeing Song Qingming, who had traveled from afar, the purple-robed Taoist merely glanced at him before picking out one of the many invitations on the table and asking:
"Is this a visiting card sent by Your Excellency?"
"My name is Song Qingming. I have come to see your sect leader on some business."
Upon hearing Song Qingming's reply, the purple-robed Taoist nodded slightly and then immediately responded, "I am Yu Zifang, the General Affairs Elder of this sect."
"Our sect leader is currently in seclusion and has no time to meet with guests. Fellow Daoist Song, please just speak directly to me."
Seeing that the other party had a mid-Nascent Soul cultivation level and was also a general affairs elder of the "Demon Suppression Palace", Song Qingming did not think much and directly stated the purpose of his trip.
When Yu Zifang, who was sitting to the side, heard that Song Qingming wanted to borrow the sect's "Heart Refining Tower," his previously normal expression suddenly changed, and he interrupted the other party with some displeasure.
"Fellow Daoist Song, I don't know where you heard about the Heart Refining Tower?"
However, I can tell you that this matter is merely a rumor circulating in the cultivation world. Fellow Daoist, you have misunderstood and come to the wrong place. Please return now.
Before arriving at the "Demon-Slaying Palace," Song Qingming had already inquired about the "Heart-Refining Tower," and indeed, very few people in the surrounding area had heard of it.
Seeing that the other party did not want to acknowledge the existence of the "Heart Refining Tower" and was about to send him away, Song Qingming did not seem too surprised. Instead, he stared intently at Yu Zifang in front of him.
“Fellow Daoist Yu, since I am here, I am naturally aware of this matter. To be honest, I entered your sect’s Heart Refining Tower two hundred years ago and passed the trial.”
"What did you say?"
The "Heart Refining Tower" is a very secretive place within the Demon-Slaying Palace. It is precisely because of the existence of this special secret realm that they are able to produce Nascent Soul cultivators more easily than other sects.
To protect the existence of this secret realm, the "Demon-Slaying Palace" has kept it a secret for thousands of years and rarely allows outsiders to enter, so that very few people in the cultivation world know about it.
Upon suddenly hearing Song Qingming say that he had entered the "Heart Refining Tower," Yu Zifang's face immediately showed an expression of disbelief, and he frowned.
"Fellow Daoist Yu, to be honest, I once visited your sect's Refining Heart Tower under the guidance of my master. If you do not believe me, you can have your sect leader, Headmaster He, witness this."
When Song Qingming came to the Demon-Slaying Palace with his master, "Lingxu Daoist," it was the sect leader, He Yunfeng, who led a group to receive the two of them and personally escorted them into the "Heart-Refining Tower."
Originally, Song Qingming's letter of invitation to visit the mountain also stated that he wanted to see the sect leader He Yunfeng, but since he didn't know anyone here, he could only meet Yu Zifang first.
Seeing Song Qingming's serious expression, Yu Zifang remained unmoved, replying coldly:
“Fellow Daoist Song, our sect does not have any Heart Refining Tower as you mentioned, and I have never heard that our sect leader knows a cultivator from the Floating Cloud Mountains like you.”
"Seeing that you are also a Nascent Soul cultivator, I kindly advised you to leave. Please don't be so ungrateful."
Having said that, Yu Zifang's aura suddenly intensified several times, and he looked at Song Qingming, who was standing in the distance, with a very unfriendly expression.
Faced with the sudden pressure from the other party, Song Qingming did not back down at all. He directly released his aura and instantly pushed back the pressure.
In the past, most cultivators who came to visit the "Demon-Slaying Palace" dared not act recklessly here because of the sect's status as a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Song Qingming's reaction was so sudden that Yu Zifang almost didn't react in time and took two steps back, his face showing disbelief.
Unexpectedly, Song Qingming not only didn't take him seriously at all, but his magical power was even stronger than his.
“Fellow Daoist Yu, I have come here today with no ill intentions. Why do you need to use your power to intimidate me? Since you do not believe what I say, I will leave and visit you another day.”
He had previously prepared a speech, hoping to make a deal with the "Demon-Slaying Palace" to help Huang Siyuan enter the "Heart-Refining Tower" for trial.
Unexpectedly, upon arriving at the mountain, he encountered Yu Zifang, a man who was completely unyielding and gave him no chance to communicate. Song Qingming was also quite angry.
Feeling helpless, Song Qingming could only politely raise his hand to the other party before getting up to take his leave.
Unexpectedly, just as he took a step, Yu Zifang suddenly blocked his path with a flash of light behind him.
"Fellow Daoist Yu, what is the meaning of your words?"
"Hmph! Fellow Daoist, you really have quite a background, daring to disregard our sect so much. How could my Demon-Slaying Palace be a place you can come and go as you please?"
"If you wish to leave this place, you must swear an oath in person that you will never again mention the words 'Heart Refining Tower' in front of outsiders."
Seeing the other person staring at him with displeasure, Song Qingming remained unmoved and gently shook his head.
"Oh! If I don't agree, do you intend to kill me to silence me?"
Faced with Yu Zifang's repeated pressure, Song Qingming looked at him with disdain and showed no intention of backing down.
"Then don't blame me for being impolite, fellow Daoist!"
Having said that, a burst of spiritual light suddenly appeared in Yu Zifang's hand, and then three flying swords flew straight toward Song Qingming's location.
Seeing that the other party made a move directly, Song Qingming's expression did not waver at all. He raised his hand and released a golden bronze mirror to block in front of him.
With a series of loud clanging sounds, Song Qingming easily blocked the opponent's sword lights.
Then the "Five Elements Divine Light Mirror" split into five, transforming into several beams of spiritual light that rushed towards Yu Zifang in mid-air, quickly surrounding him.
Just as Song Qingming was still wondering why his opponent was so easily defeated, a surge of spiritual energy suddenly came from behind him.
Suddenly, a figure wielding a short sword appeared in the void not far behind Song Qingming. The sword light instantly rushed towards Song Qingming's location. It was Yu Zifang, whom Song Qingming had just trapped.
Yu Zifang's sword light was like a thunderbolt, and in an instant it had arrived behind Song Qingming.
Just when he thought he was about to succeed in his attack, a green light shield suddenly appeared in front of him. Inside the shield, a giant blue tortoise blocked Song Qingming's path, preventing Yu Zifang's short sword from advancing an inch.
"How is this possible!"
The short sword in Yu Zifang's hand was a mid-grade level four magic weapon with extremely sharp attack capabilities. Over the years, very few cultivators of the same level could withstand his attack head-on, but unexpectedly, it was blocked so easily by Song Qingming.
Seeing that Song Qingming was manipulating the "Five Elements Divine Light Mirror" to surround him again, Yu Zifang could only cast a spell to release a white lightning bolt, and then disappear from the spot with the help of the lightning.
"Lightning Release Technique, no wonder it was able to silently evade my magic weapon."
Seeing Yu Zifang unleash lightning, Song Qingming's initially surprised expression gradually calmed down. Then, a white light flashed across his body as he chased after Yu Zifang, who was not far away.
The next moment, a giant hand of lightning swiftly lifted off Song Qingming's body and dragged out a figure hidden in the void.
Seeing Song Qingming, who was also skilled in using lightning magic, Yu Zifang, who was being held by the white giant hand, was extremely shocked and looked at the other party with disbelief in his eyes.
"You...you actually know thunder magic!"
The most powerful way to defeat an opponent is to use their most proficient spells.
Faced with Song Qingming, who was using lightning magic to trap him, Yu Zifang had already lost all fighting spirit and his face was full of panic.
Just as he was wondering how to deal with the upcoming attack, a figure flew in from outside the hall and stood between him and Song Qingming. (End of Chapter)