Chapter 379

Chongyue was not surprised by the result, and smiled slightly, sincerely congratulating him:

"Your chess skills are superb; I have lost."

He's like a martial arts fanatic, with an unusually regular schedule. Every day he's either practicing martial arts or on his way to practice. Aside from eating, sleeping, and working, he spends most of his time practicing and reflecting on his experiences. He's done this for decades without interruption, regardless of the sweltering heat of summer or the freezing cold of winter.

With his second brother's flesh and blood transformed into chess pieces, Chongyue hadn't played a game for hundreds of years. Losing to his opponent in the middle game was entirely within his expectations.

Shi Lei slightly raised his eyebrows, his golden dragon eyes seeming to see through people's hearts:

"You're too modest. The Grandmaster's mind wasn't on this. Otherwise, the outcome of this game would have been uncertain."

Chongyue smiled and offered a way out:

"Sir, you flatter me. My chess skills are rusty, and I have only managed to play to this level. If I have unfortunately lost by half a point, it is only because you were being modest."

Shi Lei's gaze continued downwards, fixed on the chessboard on the table that hadn't been tidied up yet, and he began to get to the point.

From the Chongyue visited until the end of the game, Ya did not appear. He will most likely only show up when Catastrophe strikes Jade Gate.

"Grandmaster, I want to know, is blocking this Sandstorm Catastrophe my final test?"

"Uncertain, but roughly like that."

Having received a vague answer from Chongyue, he did not delve deeper, but instead posed the next question:

"There are no outsiders here. What exactly is hidden inside this sword? Would you mind telling me?"

Shi Lei had already guessed that there was something wrong with the sword.

Otherwise, Ya wouldn't have gone to so much trouble to steal this exquisitely crafted longsword.

Only by questioning the sword's original owner can the hidden truth be revealed without destroying the sword.

Chongyue for a moment, and finally spoke:

"You can think of it as Other Self within the sword, the version of myself as Great Beast."

Shi Lei nodded thoughtfully, though it was unclear whether he understood the meaning behind it.

The existence of Other Self within the sword can be interpreted as a separation of consciousness or as a split personality.

He didn't press for details; he only needed to know roughly what was inside the sword.

"Understood. If I pass your test, when will the seal be placed?"

This matter concerns the Yan, Chongyue is not at liberty to provide too much information; he can only say what he can:

"Jade Gate was originally a fortress built a thousand years ago for that hunt. If you have visited the city gate tower, you can even find the claw marks left by the Great Beast back then."

I can't disclose the exact time. But I can tell you that the next stop after Jade Gate is the Capital City. Once we get there, it will be about time to officially begin.

Even if you fail to seal it, the Great Yan will have sufficient countermeasures. We are willing to sacrifice Jade Gate and the Sui Beast together, because this is the price that the Great Yan must pay to destroy the Great Beast.

The recent resurgence of the Mountain Sea Cult is not unique to Jade Gate. Numerous illegal organizations within the Great Yan territory operate under the guise of supporting the Great Beast. We hope Mister Zhongli will be vigilant and not let his guard down.

Suddenly, Shi Lei's pupils dilated slightly. As if sensing something, he stood up and offered his leave:

"I have to go out for a bit, I'll be back soon."

After saying that, Shi Lei left the guest room without even tidying up the chessboard, and quickly disappeared.

After he left, Ling appeared out of nowhere, sitting on the eaves with a gourd in his hand, sipping his drink.

"The game is over, the players are gone, only the spring breeze remains..."

Chongyue heard his younger sister recite poetry, he grinned and said:

"I've read through your recent poems, about warm breezes, spring breezes, fragrant breezes, and willow breezes. The wind comes from the bridge and then goes to the bottom of the fan. Don't you want to write a poem without wind?"

"Big brother..."

Ling's drunkenness had lessened considerably. She looked up at the swirling yellow sand, seemingly lost in thought:

"But the wind is really strong."

April 4th, 9:25 AM

Jade Gate, near a certain sandy canal.

Entrusted by his master, Qiu Bai followed Mudrock Yan after he left. The two went to check the sand channel by the city wall and found members of the Mountain Sea Cult below.

Before Mudrock could make a move, Qiu Bai drew his sword with a swift motion:

"What are you guys up to, sneaking around like that, plotting something behind my back?"

The minor leaders of the Mountain Sea Cult present wielded crescent-shaped scimitars and covered most of their faces with masks.

"It's just a city with the wrong destination. If the destination is wrong, you shouldn't go any further."

Mudrock didn't understand what it meant, but Qiu Bai understood its meaning, and his expression became extremely serious:

"Do you know the destination of Jade Gate?"

"It's not hard to guess."

"What exactly do you want?!"

"Heh, you want to know?"

As the minor leaders of the Mountain Sea Cult took their stances, a group of thugs slowly emerged from the shadowy corners.

"That depends on whether you have the ability."

In the martial frontier, all the members of the Mountain Sea Cult who carry weapons are quite skilled. Those who are not good at martial arts can only be relegated to logistics members or ordinary believers.

Mudrock wasn't going to let them get away with it. He protected his master's sword at his waist with his left hand and held a hammer in his right. Without waiting to coordinate with Qiu Bai, he charged into the enemy ranks alone.

Even without summoning the Redstone White Stone Golem, Mudrock's physical attributes are unmatched by ordinary humans. Its shield, which refreshes every four seconds, is comparable in effectiveness to the Jade Shield.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Oh no!"

None of the members of the Mountain Sea Cult present were her match. Regardless of size or weapon, a single blow would leave them severely injured, even if they didn't die. As the saying goes, "The golden hammer blazes as it dances on the heavenly steps; one strike and the gates of hell open."

Nearly a hundred members of the Mountain Sea Cult were chased and hammered by Mudrock alone, and the scene was completely out of control.

When Qiu Bai realized he couldn't help, he took up his sword and guarded the retreat route from Shaqu to the city wall to prevent the thieves from escaping.

Just as the Mountain Sea Cult were about to be routed, a fragrant scent of peach blossoms appeared out of nowhere. In no time, Ya, with a cold expression, stood between the two sides in battle.

The minor leaders of the Mountain Sea Cult no longer acted arrogantly; they treated Ya with great humility.

"God, you've finally come to save us!"

This fawning, groveling posture is practically a recipe for disaster; he's practically begging to beg for mercy.

Ya was unwilling to show himself, but these people were still useful and couldn't all be lost here.

"Walk."

The leaders of the Mountain Sea Cult were taken aback, their expressions surprised and somewhat bewildered. The strongest fighters from the Jade Gate branch had all arrived, so why were they running away?

"Ah?"

"If you don't leave, you'll die."

With just a glance at the god's angry face, the minor leaders of the Mountain Sea Cult trembled and quickly ordered everyone to evacuate.

Qiu Bai tried to stop him, but Ya Yi knocked him back dozens of meters with a single slash, clearing a path for him to climb and escape.

"Let me."

Mudrock wielded a powerful Rock Hammer. Unfortunately, its poor mobility allowed its opponent to easily dodge it. The opponent then countered with a backhand slash, aiming directly for Mudrock's face.

"Clang!"

Mudrock's prized shield shattered with a deafening roar, and he quickly retreated to create distance.

Ya was quite surprised to see that the white-haired Sarkaz was unharmed:

"I never expected that in this small Jade Gate, several people could withstand even one of my attacks. So, will you dodge or parry this strike?"

If the Mudrock delay exceeds four seconds, the shield will reset.

Shi Lei's assigned task was to delay, not kill, the enemy. She only needed to ensure her own safety, a requirement repeatedly emphasized by her master.

However, the Mudrock was not content with just that.

If you don't even have the courage to sacrifice for your master, what right do you have to be his servant?

Just as she was preparing to take the blow head-on, Qiu Bai stood in front of Mudrock, holding his sword and assuming a fighting stance.

Because the master asked her to protect the Mudrock, how could she back down at a time like this?

"Miss, please move aside."

"No, let me do it!"

Ya didn't care who the opponent was; the final result would be the same no matter who took the hit. In an instant, the blade flashed.

Qiu Bai parried with all her might, but the moment their weapons clashed, she realized the difference in their strength. If she was a pebble, then what lay before her was a towering mountain.

In a flash, Qiu Bai retreated swiftly. It was as if a dying person had been given a stimulant, turning back just before stepping into the gates of hell, managing to retreat to a safe distance.

"Whoosh..."

Qiu Bai's chest heaved, and he almost crashed.

"Miss, let me do it."

Mudrock didn't want outsiders to help her, because delaying was her own task. She wasn't sure if she could handle their move, but she would do her best.

Suddenly, Mudrock felt full of energy.

The stamina depleted during the battle was quickly restored to its peak condition, just like taking a drug.

You don't need to look back to know.

Her master has arrived.

"Call."

With just a gentle spring breeze, Qiu Bai noticed a figure approaching him at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

"You and I will eventually have a battle."

Ya stared intently at the unidentified man, the Scythe Blade in her hand gleaming with golden light in the sunlight.

Shi Lei clapped his hands, instantly creating giant rock palms more than ten meters long on either side of Ya. In sync with his movement, both palms squeezed towards the central target.

A golden light flashed, and pebbles shattered.

As thick smoke billowed, Shi Lei closed in with incredible speed. His right hand pressed down on Ya's face, dragging him across the ground for hundreds of meters. In an instant, a horrifying drag mark was left behind!

Ya Hua's clothes were torn to shreds, Scythe Blade lashed upwards. Shi Lei seemed to be faster, effortlessly withdrawing his hand to avoid the opponent's counterattack.

"Hoo... Ha..."

Ya's face was grave, and she looked somewhat disheveled. Losing her composure in front of humans instantly enraged her.

This anger transformed into tangible wind and snow, instantly chilling everyone present to the bone.

Snow fell in April.

The sun was shining brightly, but dark clouds were rolling in, swirling up endless yellow sand and making a howling sound.

Catastrophe are like spectators who love to watch the excitement, landing at Jade Gate at an inopportune time.

Just as Shi Lei was about to make another move, a loud bang that could not be ignored suddenly came from behind.

"BOOM!"

It seems there's somewhere in Jade Gate City that's been blown up.

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451 Pot of Heaven and Earth 3K

The explosion in Jade Gate City, while somewhat unexpected by Shi Lei, was not far from what he anticipated.