The Final Battle

The stream murmured as it flowed, and the bamboo grove stretched deep and secluded.

A gentle breeze stirred, and several bamboo leaves slowly drifted down.

Above the brook, two men sat cross-legged in midair, playing a game of Go. Black and white stones were scattered across the board like stars.

"You seem cautious, yet you've suffered defeat time and again. You failed to keep the secret of Myriad Forms Island under wraps, and your true identity has long since been exposed to the world."

The white-haired middle-aged man studied the board for a long while before finally placing a black stone.

Across from him, Lord Chen's expression turned slightly grave.

"I guarded Myriad Forms Island for a thousand years. That was long enough to prove my ability. What happened this time was merely an accident."

Across from him, the white-haired Chi Lord shook his head slightly.

"The more critical the moment, the more careful you must be. You wanted to kill Chen Yan. Why did you send only Chen He?"

"Was Chen He not enough?" Lord Chen asked, his eyes fixed on the board as he placed a stone.

"Chen He..." Chi Lord pressed his lips together.

"He would have been enough under ordinary circumstances."

He lifted a stone and pondered the board. His supposedly sure-win path had been broken by a single casual move from Lord Chen, and he sank into thought.

"Xia Hanzhou watches us like a rabid dog. He'll notice anything we do. One Chen He is more than enough," Lord Chen said quietly.

"A hundred years ago, I had already passed the Heavenly Bone on to him."

Click.

The stone slipped from Chi Lord's hand and fell onto the board. He frowned at Lord Chen.

"You actually had the Heavenly Bone?"

Lord Chen smiled.

"What, did