Reunion

Shen Yi and Wu Liujian stepped through the stone gate, one after the other.

The sight before them immediately left both men stunned. Beneath their feet lay an enormous chessboard, black and white grids interwoven. Above their heads, black and white pieces formed a crisscrossing river of stars, radiating waves of starlight.

Cultivators sat cross-legged upon the chessboard, surrounded by black or white light. Shen Yi immediately spotted the man who had provoked the Longevity Sect disciples outside the stone gate. He was now glowing white, playing against a cultivator shrouded in black light across from him.

"White is Yang, black is Yin. So the Yin Yang here refers to a contest between chess pieces."

Seeing this, Shen Yi finally understood.

"These rules are simple, yet rather interesting."

Wu Liujian looked at the glowing white words beside him with great interest.

"This game was once found by me beyond the heavens by chance. The board has fifteen rows and columns. Both sides hold pieces of one color. Black moves first, and black and white alternate. Black must place its first piece at the center. The first to form a line of five pieces wins. Let all players remember: once a piece is placed, there is no regret!"

After reading it, Shen Yi nearly cried out. Wasn't this Gomoku, the game he had often played to pass the time and relieve boredom in his previous life? Could this world be connected to the Earth where he had once lived? Did he still have a chance to return to Earth?

For a time, countless thoughts churned through Shen Yi's mind. His emotions were tangled, and he could not calm down for a long while.

Only when he saw Wu Liujian sit within a white pillar of light and begin playing did Shen Yi hurriedly find a spot for himself. The moment he sat down, a white pillar of light enveloped him. A person also appeared opposite him, shrouded in a black pillar of light, though Shen Yi could not make out that person's features.

The match began.

The two placed piece after piece, exchanging more than a dozen moves in the blink of an eye. Shen Yi soon discovered the danger within it. Every time he placed a piece, a thread of life force was drawn from his body. Drop by drop, it accumulated. By now, he could clearly feel that much of his vitality had been drained away, and the hair on his forehead had already turned gray-white.

Looking at the person opposite him, Shen Yi saw obvious panic in their movements. Clearly, they had discovered the same thing.

"This is a life-stealing game!"

Shen Yi cursed. Sure enough, not a single word within these Grotto-Heaven Ruins could be trusted easily.

They both thought of the same solution: end this swiftly. Neither wished to drag things out for even another moment. Unfortunately, Shen Yi was ultimately the superior player. With a single move, he secured a double kill and won decisively. The person opposite him collapsed to the ground in despair. Then the white light grew brighter and brighter, swallowing the black. Shen Yi felt his lost vitality surge back into his body in an instant, seemingly even stronger than before. As for the person opposite him, after being swallowed by the white light, they vanished without a trace.

The scene before him changed, and Shen Yi appeared before the gates of a palace. His heart jolted. This was the final core of the ruins.

"Senior Shen!"

The moment Jiang Miaoyi saw Shen Yi appear, she hurried to his side, delight shining in her eyes.

"Junior Sister Jiang, did everything go smoothly?"

Seeing that Jiang Miaoyi was unharmed, Shen Yi also breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiang Miaoyi told Shen Yi of her own experiences, further confirming his suspicions. As more and more cultivators appeared around them, the look in Shen Yi's eyes grew increasingly solemn. This place was destined not to remain peaceful.

"Shen Yi, this time I won't let you survive through luck again. You humiliated my Qingxuan Sect. Die!"

Sure enough, the moment Wang Mingxuan appeared and saw Jiang Miaoyi standing beside Shen Yi with such a happy expression, a sour feeling welled up in his heart. He had noticed this woman outside the ruins long ago and had fallen for her at first sight. In his heart, he had already regarded her as his private possession. Yet now she was chatting and laughing with Shen Yi. A nameless fury surged within him, and he launched an attack at Shen Yi.

Shen Yi shielded Jiang Miaoyi behind him and circulated his spiritual power. His iron fists shot out mercilessly, carrying the sound of a giant elephant's bellow as they collided with Wang Mingxuan's attack. Fist met palm, kicking up clouds of dust. Violent spiritual power swept in all directions, and the surrounding crowd hurriedly dodged, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

"Without your helpers, you're nothing special!"

Shen Yi's tone was bold and heroic. Earlier, he had suffered at Wang Mingxuan's hands only because Wang Mingxuan's companions had tied his hands and feet. Now that it was one-on-one, he feared no one.

Wang Mingxuan was secretly alarmed as well. Shen Yi was only at the Qi Refining Third Layer, yet his strength was so formidable. Still, Wang Mingxuan himself was no creature meant to remain trapped in a pond.

Just as he was about to use his full strength, three figures suddenly appeared behind him. They were his fellow junior brothers, and upon seeing that it was Wang Mingxuan, they joined the battle without hesitation.

"Brother Shen, we're here to help as well!"

Wu Liujian let out a long howl and leaped to Shen Yi's side. Yuwen Yue and Wang Teng followed close behind, weapons in hand, staring fiercely at the people opposite them.

"Senior Brother Wang, the youngest junior brother... he's gone."

Someone from the Qingxuan Sect whispered into Wang Mingxuan's ear. His expression changed, and he immediately took a step back. "Consider yourselves lucky today. I'll spare your lives for now!" With that, he led his three fellow disciples away.

Wang Teng wanted to give chase, but Shen Yi stopped him. "A tall tree catches the wind. If we reveal our strength too early, we will surely become targets for all." The four understood and stopped there, following Shen Yi toward another side.

Seeing the battle here settle down, the people nearby finally relaxed. They quietly withdrew their spiritual power and dispersed.

"Judging by the layout here, it is very similar to the area outside the stone gate. I fear the palace contains many unknown dangers as well." Shen Yi's gaze swept over everyone before he continued, "With the threat of Wang Mingxuan and the others from the Qingxuan Sect, I suggest that once the palace opens, we explore it together. What do you think?"

Wu Liujian naturally had no objections. Jiang Miaoyi and Yuwen Yue exchanged a glance and both agreed as well. Only Wang Teng remained silent. He pondered for a long time before finally nodding, then added, "There is something inside that I need."

Everyone looked at Wang Teng in surprise and began to speculate about his background. Even Feng Yang and the others did not know exactly what lay within ruins like these, so how could Wang Teng know that something he needed was inside? Though they had their doubts, none of them asked further. Since Wang Teng was unwilling to reveal it, they could not press him.

Seeing that no one questioned him and merely expressed their willingness to help, Wang Teng's eyes filled with gratitude. He turned, found a place to sit, and began cultivating in earnest.

Shen Yi searched the area once more, making sure there were no hidden mechanisms. Only then did he return to the others and quietly wait for the palace gates to open.

That wait lasted more than a month. Fortunately, everyone had brought sufficient supplies, so they did not have to suffer hunger.

"The spiritual energy here is growing denser and denser. I imagine that in a little while, the palace will open."

Shen Yi stretched out his hand to feel the dense spiritual energy in the air. With a thought, he once again sank into cultivation.

"Ha ha ha! I broke through! I broke through!"

An occasional wild laugh suddenly rang out from the crowd, causing everyone else to look over and cultivate even more frantically.

"Huu—"

Shen Yi slowly exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and opened his eyes in delight. "Finally, I've broken through to the Qi Refining fourth layer!"