Seven Strands of Dao Rhyme, This Wild Tea is Utterly Ordinary!

Jiang Ping grumbled inwardly, Only dead pigs aren't afraid of boiling water.

He picked up the teapot and refilled the cups of the Three Pure Ones, saying warmly, "If you're thirsty, have some more. Don't stand on ceremony."

The Three Pure Ones all shook their heads. What a joke—such supreme tea leaves might only be tasted once every several thousand, even tens of thousands, of years. They had yet to comprehend and absorb the Dao Rhyme from before; they could not waste any more.

Jiang Ping frowned slightly. "What do you mean by this? This brother was just praising the tea to the skies. Could it be that you were merely making sport of me?"

Tongtian was dumbfounded. This mighty expert was truly too courteous.

But we aren't at your level. You drank two or three cups in a row, practically without changing expression.

But we can't. Another cup, and our Primordial Spirits might be crushed outright by the vast Dao Rhyme. How unsightly would it be to lose our composure before you?

Afraid of angering Jiang Ping again, the Three Pure Ones raised their cups with red-rimmed eyes and forced themselves to drain another.

Jiang Ping promptly filled them again.

The Three Pure Ones' hearts were bleeding!

This was supreme spirit tea, its effects far surpassing Enlightenment Tea. Yet the Dao Rhyme contained within was simply dissipating for nothing.

Their bodies were already saturated with Dao Rhyme; they had no time at all to absorb it.

What a pity—what an unbearable pity!

If they could completely absorb this Dao Rhyme, they estimated that they could directly advance to the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm!

Even as their hearts ached, the Three Pure Ones admired Jiang Ping all the more.

This great master was truly generous. He was not stingy in the slightest with spirit tea this precious.

When it came to guiding and helping juniors, he was selfless and magnanimous!

Jiang Ping's image rose without limit in the hearts of the Three Pure Ones.

Yuanshi's thoughts raced as he decided to probe this great master's origins.

"Young Master, how long have you lived here?"

Jiang Ping took a sip of tea. "Only a few years. The surrounding area is deserted for miles around. If you three don't mind, you may stay here for a few days as well."

Yuanshi nodded. "You're too kind, Young Master."

At the same time, he swiftly transmitted his voice inwardly, "Eldest Brother, Junior Brother, what do you think?"

"Junior Brothers, in my view, we must respect this great master in our hearts. But when we interact with him, we absolutely must not reveal our identities."

"You mean we should heed Kunpeng's words and treat this great master as an ordinary living being?"

"Precisely. It must be so. Didn't you see? We merely addressed him as Senior, and we nearly angered him."

"Right. We nearly got thrown out. Otherwise, how could we have drunk such supreme spirit tea? We almost missed a heaven-sent opportunity."

"Good. From now on, we must remember this well. Under no circumstances can we expose our identities before this great master, nor can we reveal his identity."

The Three Pure Ones swiftly reached an agreement, but Tongtian hesitated again. "What if, in the course of getting along with him, we inadvertently commit some breach of etiquette or overstep our bounds?"

Yuanshi said with certainty, "Junior Brother, there's no need to worry about that. You have seen this great master's breadth of mind and bearing. Why would he fuss over it?"

Laozi wore a faint smile. "Junior Brother, in that case, we'll leave it to you. Get close to this great master and build a good relationship with him."

Yuanshi said solemnly, "Rest assured, Eldest Brother. Leave everything to me. Though the three of us are disciples under the Dao Ancestor, we must still fight for certain opportunities and fortune ourselves."

Once the voice transmission ended, Yuanshi began pondering bitterly. How could he draw closer to this great master?

Idle chatter would be of no use. Better to start with the little details of the great master's daily life.

Having made up his mind, Yuanshi began looking around.

Eh? He suddenly spotted two chess containers and a chessboard in the corner.

Yuanshi's eyes shifted, and an idea immediately came to him.

Chess is one of my strengths. In the Primordial World, almost no one is my match.

Why not play a few games with this great master, then deliberately go easy on him and let him win a few rounds, taking the chance to earn some goodwill?

Perhaps the great master will be delighted and casually reward me with a few spirit treasures. That would be a huge profit.

Having settled on the plan, Yuanshi immediately smiled and said, "Young Master, could it be that you are also interested in the Dao of chess?"

Jiang Ping froze for a moment, glanced at the chessboard, and nodded. "Not really. I just play against myself when I'm bored."

Yuanshi nodded inwardly. Chess has nothing to do with the depth of one's realm. It seems this great master isn't much of a chess expert either. Besides, even against the famed Chess Demon of the Primordial World, I am evenly matched.

"Why don't I play a few games with you, Young Master?" Yuanshi asked eagerly.

Jiang Ping eyed him suspiciously. "You know how to play chess too?"

Yuanshi piled on the smiles. "Don't worry, Young Master. My Chess Skill is passable. I'm certainly not one of those hopeless players who doesn't know how bad he is."

Jiang Ping pondered for a moment, then asked tentatively, "My Chess Skill is quite formidable. Look, I know these Three Thousand Endgame Puzzles of the Dao of Chess and One Hundred and Eight Winning Chess Moves by heart, forwards and backwards."

When Yuanshi saw the several books Jiang Ping had taken out, he nearly burst out laughing.

This great master truly knew how to joke. Those two books were obviously gimmicks. Chess games changed in a thousand ways and ten thousand forms; even Saints could not predict every variation.

What chess tested was the player's talent and comprehension. Even if those two books were genuine, what they recorded would be no more than a firefly's glow amid the countless transformations of the Dao of chess.

Seeing that Yuanshi gave no reply, Jiang Ping asked, "Could it be that you're afraid?"

Yuanshi had always been most proud of his Chess Skill. Sensing Jiang Ping's doubts about it, he felt deeply displeased.

So what if he was an exalted being? On the chessboard, only the Dao of chess mattered!

In an instant, Yuanshi's entire bearing changed. With an airy demeanor, he said, "Young Master, let's spare the nonsense. You take black and move first; I'll take white."

Jiang Ping hurriedly waved his hands. "How could that do? The guest should be given precedence. You should move first."

Yuanshi's expression darkened. "Young Master, do you think my Chess Skill is unworthy of playing against you? How about this—if I lose, this treasure... this jade pendant will be yours!"

Jiang Ping looked closely. Dragons and phoenixes were carved upon the jade pendant; at a glance, it was clearly a fine treasure. If he won it, he could trade it for somewhere else to live in the future. This place was a desolate wilderness where not even birds would shit—he had truly had enough of it.

Jiang Ping rubbed his hands shyly. "How could I accept that? Such a valuable jade pendant... I don't have anything else of equal value. Uh, wait, I've got it. Hold on."

With that, an idea flashed through Jiang Ping's mind. He swiftly ran to a corner, brought over an exquisite little pagoda, and gently set it on the stone table.

"If you don't mind, how about I use this to play chess with you?"

The moment Yuanshi saw it, he sucked in a sharp breath.

Laozi and Tongtian also fixed their eyes tightly on the little pagoda.

"This is the Companion Spirit Treasure of the Chaos Demon God, Five Elements Daoist—the Five Elements Pagoda!"

Yuanshi was ecstatic within. This truly was a heaven-sent opportunity; he absolutely had to seize it.

Afraid that Jiang Ping might regret it, he quickly agreed. "Yes, yes. We'll do as we said before—you take black and move first."

"Alright." Jiang Ping was delighted. For the past few years, he had been playing chess by himself, like a fool.

Now, at last, he had a living person to play happily with.

Friendship first, competition second. Later, he would definitely go easy on him; he couldn't scare him away.

Around the square stone table, the four of them each took a side. After setting up the chessboard, Jiang Ping handed Yuanshi a jar of white pieces.