Xia Qiuer returned to Dao Mountain and found the White-haired Old Man.
The White-haired Old Man sat before a chessboard, his back to Xia Qiuer. He was playing chess, but strangely, there wasn't a single piece on the board.
"Teacher."
Xia Qiuer came up behind the White-haired Old Man and gently knelt down, pressing her forehead to the ground. "Your disciple has a favor to ask."
The White-haired Old Man gently shook his head. "I cannot interfere. The karma is too great. Once I enter the game, even I will be in danger."
Xia Qiuer said, "Your disciple knows she's being willful, and that she's guilt-tripping you. But, Teacher, as our elders and as great figures in the eyes of others, shouldn't we answer the hopes people place in us? Otherwise, how can we live up to the reverence of all living beings?"
"Teacher, can you truly bear to watch the world wither?"
The White-haired Old Man sighed. "There is nothing I can do."
"The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root isn't especially powerful. This isn't our strength, and even if it were, it would be hard to shake the High-Level Heavenly Vault. You'll learn how powerful they are in time."
Xia Qiuer hurriedly said, "Your disciple isn't asking you to clash head-on with the High-Level Heavenly Vault. I only hope you can use the power of the Enlightenment Ancestor Tree to let all living beings bask in your shade. With you giving them a push, their cultivation and strength will surely improve by leaps and bounds. Then, when they enter the battlefield, their chances of survival will be greater."
The White-haired Old Man still shook his head. "No. That would still be interference. I cannot do it."
Xia Qiuer kept kowtowing. "Your disciple begs you, Teacher. If you agree to