Life and Death Transcendence! A Game of Immortals Playing Chess

There is a principle in everything between heaven and earth, and this is the 'principle'. When these principles gradually develop into an unchanging principle, they become the 'Tao', which becomes the most fundamental thing in the world.

Cultivating immortality is actually a process of tracing back to the origin, hence it is also called cultivating truth.

The pursuit of Daoism and spiritual cultivation aims to attain one's true self, eliminate falsehood and preserve truth, chase the most authentic Tao of the world, and ultimately achieve the status of a true immortal—this is the essence of spiritual cultivation.

In legends and the imaginations of all cultivators, immortals are those who are closest to the origin of all things.

When one enters the stage of Nascent Spirit Transformation, the Nascent Soul merges with the Primordial Spirit, and from then on, the essence, Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and spirit become one, greatly enhancing certain abilities. One will gradually come into contact with those fundamental things, which are the most superficial aspects of the Great Dao—the Daoist Rhyme.

But nothing in this world is absolute.

Even the unchanging Dao can undergo unbelievable changes at certain special moments.

Therefore, throughout the long history, there have often been cultivators and even ordinary people who, despite their humble origins, comprehended some of the most fundamental truths of the world and even developed them into their own Dao.

When this belief in the Dao is solidified to a certain degree, it can transform the mundane into the miraculous, and even the mortal body can come into contact with the Dao's essence.

Therefore, in the eyes of Longevity Dao Lord Lu Xiucheng, it was quite incredible that Chen Dengming could comprehend the Dao so quickly.

But in the long past, even more incredible things have happened, and he has experienced them firsthand, so they are not so hard to accept.

After all, Chen Dengming is also a successor of the Immortal Celestial Lineage. Fortune Shines Brightly and favored by Heaven's Will, so it is normal for him to have some luck.

His only worry now is that Chen Dengming's sudden enlightenment will take a very long time to come.

However, the Outer Realm Devil Venerable could lead a large number of Outer Domain Evil Cultivator to invade at any time.

After destroying the Flesh and Blood Primordial Spirit of the Mochao Kingdom Lord in the Immortal King's Mansion, Qu Shenzong returned and saw Chen Dengming's current situation. He immediately understood Lu Xiucheng's concerns.

He immediately suggested, "As you said, your disciple is indeed an unparalleled Heavenly Pride, and he has also rendered meritorious service in Mochao Kingdom Lord."

"Then extract some of the Immortal Spiritual Energy contributed by these Spirit Transmutation Dao Lord after their deaths, transform it into Heavenly Timing, and provide it for his comprehension."

Lu Xiucheng shook his head and sighed, "It will take at least ten days, or at most several dozen days, for the Outer Realm Devil Venerable to make a comeback. Even with the help of favorable Heavenly Timing, if he gets too caught up in it, he may not be able to wake up in time."

This kind of sudden enlightenment sometimes happens in a fleeting moment, but if one doesn't grasp it in a short time, many years may pass.

Upon hearing this, Qu Shenzong laughed heartily, a strange glint in his eyes, and said, "It seems you are now inclined to place your last hope in him."

But you also said that we can't place too much hope on these younger generations.

Whether it succeeds or not, we've already made arrangements, and your fate is already sealed.

"Yes. It was destined."

Lu Xiucheng nodded slightly, his aged eyes filled with a mixture of hope and weariness as he looked at the crowd that had avoided him not far away.

Qu Shenzong sighed, saying with great meaning, "In ancient times, there was a legend that a woodcutter went up the mountain to chop wood and saw two children playing Go, so he sat down to watch the game."

Little did they know, those two boys were manifestations of the Daoist aura left behind by the immortals after they played chess in the past.

The game played is a grand game for the world, encompassing the past, present, and future.

The chess pieces on that chessboard represent some of the most influential figures in the world, both past and present, and for thousands of years to come.

When the game of chess is finished, seven days have passed on the mountain, while a thousand years have passed in the world.

The woodcutter then realized that the handle of his axe had rotted away. After descending the mountain, he discovered that the world below had undergone a cataclysmic change, and the woodcutter had ultimately embarked on the Venerable Immortal, gradually growing into a figure of immense power and influence. Brother Lu, with your vast experience and knowledge of countless people, have you ever heard of this person?

Lu Xiucheng withdrew his gaze, a nostalgic smile appearing on his face, and looked at the Red Cloud above the Immortal King's Mansion, speaking softly.

"A thousand-year-old tortoise, a ten-thousand-year-old turtle, I will never live past ten thousand years."

But as long as the Four Seas Four Regions do not fall into the hands of the Demon Lord, this legend of the woodcutter encountering the immortal may well be passed down for ten thousand years.

"Yes, that woodcutter from back then was me."

Qu Shenzong's body trembled. Even though he had long suspected and even doubted the authenticity of this legend over the years.

Hearing the old tortoise confirm it himself still stirred up a storm of emotions within him, and he immediately wanted to ask more questions.

Lu Xiucheng spoke first, "If you want to ask me about the Immortal Chess Game, I can only tell you that I cannot see through it. It is a chess game that spans the past and the future."

It was a game of chess played by celestial beings, but I do not know who the celestial beings were.

In retrospect, I suspect that it was more like the workings of Heavenly Dao, a game that has unfolded to this day.

Perhaps the game of chess has already ended, and we are all merely pieces on the board, continuing a game that was already finished, heading towards the final outcome, just as my fate is already sealed."

Qu Shenzong frowned, not quite agreeing, "You've decided on your fate, but I haven't decided on mine yet."

What about your disciple? Can you really decide his fate?

A bitter smile, a hint of weakness in the face of a powerful figure, appeared on Lu Xiucheng's weary face. After a moment of contemplation, he resolutely said, "No!"

But it is precisely because I cannot that I can calmly face the end.

But you can't. You are all variables on this chessboard; perhaps you can ultimately change the outcome.

Qu Shenzong was speechless and couldn't help but look at Chen Dengming, who had already sat down cross-legged to the side with a peaceful expression.

Suddenly I feel that this silly boy is lucky in his foolishness. Perhaps ignorance is bliss. Knowing too much would only put him under a lot of pressure.

At this moment, he truly felt unprecedented pressure and suffocation, even greater than facing the return of the Outer Realm Devil Venerable.

If there were really two immortals playing chess in ancient times, that game of immortal chess would interpret the pattern of heaven and earth for thousands of years to come.

Now that the immortals are either dead, insane, or in deep sleep, who can break this deadlock?

Lu Xiucheng knew more than him, and even in ancient times he had mistakenly entered a fairy mountain and witnessed immortals projecting themselves into a game of chess, but he couldn't see the final outcome of the game. It was like a dream, and perhaps he felt even more pressure than him.

Because external crises still exist.

Qu Shenzong did not intend to stay long.

Lu Xiucheng summoned the Heavenly Longevity Hall, which was suspended above Chen Dengming's head. He mobilized the Immortal Spiritual Energy to create a Heavenly Timing environment for Chen Dengming 'Chen Dengming cultivation.

He himself began absorbing Immortal Spiritual Energy to heal his injuries, striving to return to his peak condition before the Outer Realm Devil Venerable returned.

The others followed instructions, each holding a map personally drawn by Lu Xiucheng, and dispersed to explore this desolate and uninhabited High Antiquity immortal realm, familiarizing themselves with the terrain and understanding the resources of the Shattered Heavenly Immortal Realm that needed to be protected.

Qu Shenzong then left to investigate the current situation outside.

Even if people wanted to follow such an investigation, they were actually powerless to do so and would only waste their energy.

If Buddha Guai were to truly attack Spirit Transmutation Dao Lord, the Spirit Transmutation Dao Lord himself would be in great danger, let alone cultivators below the Nascent Spirit Transformation.

If the Buddha Guai out on the entire Four Seas Four Regions, then apart from the Living Buddha Venerable and a few Spirit Transmutation Dao Lord, no one would be spared.

However, both Qu Shenzong and Lu Xiucheng had already guessed about the origins and purpose of the Buddha Guai.

This person may be considered ruthless, but he would not commit the act of annihilating the world, because if the world were destroyed, then his goal would be extremely difficult to achieve.

At this moment, beneath the Heavenly Longevity Hall, the marks of time are even more pronounced.

Chen Dengming was engrossed in comprehending the Life and Death Dao Rhyme. Since the seed of the Life and Death Dao Rhyme that he had once encountered deep within his heart was touched, his feelings were particularly strong at this moment.

Gradually, he also connected this path of life and death with the fifth Dao Intent the Human Immortal he had seen in the past, and even with the other Shore Flower in his Storage Bag.

The fifth Dao Intent of the Human Immortal is the Unity of All Hearts.

Since ancient times, when Ancient Immortal die, their Essence Blood transform into the Mountains and Earth, rivers, lakes, and lakes of the Human World, while their vital energy transforms into countless tiny figures.

Among these little figures, many not only inherited the bloodline of the Ancient Immortal, but also his heart and will. With Unity of All Hearts, they were essentially continuing and regenerating the life will of the Ancient Immortal, much like a cycle of life and death.

The greatest sound is silent, the greatest sorrow is tearless.

After the worst comes the best; death at its extreme is life, and life at its extreme is death.

"When a person gets so old that all their hair and teeth have fallen out, they are at the end of their lifespan, reaching the extreme of old age, which means the end of their life, which is death."

"After his death, his body dissolved into the earth, bestowing abundant nutrients upon the barren land, causing small grasses and flowers to grow in the desolate wilderness. This is what it means to die to the extreme, and then to live."

Sitting amidst the marks of time, Chen Dengming felt his lifespan rapidly slipping away with each passing year.

He gained a new understanding of the true meaning of life and death.

Death and life, life and death.

In a daze, he listened to his own heartbeat, to the subtle sound of blood flowing in his veins, and as if at this moment he felt that connection deep in his blood, a connection with the ancient immortals.

The Human Immortal Way Power surged within his Sea of Consciousness. He seemed to hear the Ancient Immortal's cry, and a series of sounds like thunderclaps. It was the Ancient Immortal's heartbeat, an incomparably strong and powerful heartbeat.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the Human Heart Hall, which had previously existed between illusion and reality, had vanished completely.

The next moment, the Human Heart Hall appeared directly in the depths of his mind.

In the depths of his heart, it was as if lamps had appeared one by one.

Those are the flames of many hearts.

Countless people he had once been connected with surfaced in his mind, but only three appeared rather blurry and indistinct.

At this moment, he could directly observe the minds of all living beings without entering the Human Heart Hall, and even felt that he could draw upon their spiritual power with just a thought.

With Unity of All Hearts, at this moment, amidst the Daoist Life and Death Dao Rhyme, he unexpectedly gained a deeper understanding of the profound meaning of the fifth Dao Intent of the Human Immortal.

After the death of the Ancient Immortal, all living beings in the Human World are Ancient Immortal descendants, and each of them has the potential to become a human immortal again.

Because within everyone's blood and deepest soul lies the bloodline and heartfelt voice of the ancient immortals, which is the alternation of life and death.

At this moment, Chen Dengming exuded a unique aura—the aura of Daoist principles.

At this moment, although he had clearly come into contact with and comprehended the Life and Death Dao Rhyme, it was as if he were looking at a lamp through a thin sheet of paper. He could see the lamp, but it was very blurry, and he could not touch it.

"It seems I haven't yet reached the Spirit Transformation stage. Therefore, even though I understand life and death, I still find it difficult to control the power within them."

Even though Chen Dengming had only recently come to understand, he still possessed a very clear understanding at this moment.

Although he was still unable to use Daoist techniques, Chen Dengming clearly sensed that his cultivation level seemed to have improved considerably.

This means that comprehending the Daoist Heavenly Immortal Art Technique.

The timing wasn't right, so Chen Dengming didn't check the panel. He could feel the increase in his Law Power, which meant that his cultivation had improved a lot and he had taken another step closer to the Nascent Soul Perfection.

Before the flash of enlightenment had completely faded, he continued to concentrate, diligently studying his previous insights into the Shore Flower.

The Shore Flower blooms and withers every thousand years, its flowers and leaves never meeting. Love is not bound by cause and effect; fate determines life and death.

This also represents the cyclical alternation of life and death. The living cannot see the dead, and the dead can hardly see the living, unless they transcend to the other shore, in which case the living and the dead can meet.

But in the world of the dead Below the Yin Spring, the Shore Flower happens to bloom.

Legend has it that the Shore Flower contains a trace of power that allows one to transcend the other shore and transcend life and death.

Whether he truly possessed that power, Chen Dengming did not know, but he had personally experienced and witnessed how Starfall Old Ghost, with the help of the power of the Shore Flower, physically entered his mental world and accomplished this incredible feat.

"So... between life and death, there is great terror, but also great power. Is transcending life and death perhaps the same as transcending the other shore?"

"Is it the Great Liberation Realm that even Dao-merging and Ancient Immortal cannot reach?"

By this point, Chen Dengming had completely failed to comprehend the idea and was even filled with doubt about this suddenly emerging viewpoint.

Ultimately, transcendence is something beyond his comprehension.

He has only just come into contact with the Life and Death Dao Rhyme, and has not yet fully comprehended life and death, so how can he talk about transcending life and death?

Perhaps, transcending life and death is immortality!

The last glimmer of inspiration in Chen Dengming's heart vanished completely at this moment.

He opened his eyes, a deep blue light surging within them. He could see the rich marks of time etched on his body and realized that he had been in a state of enlightenment for a full six days.

Six days in the Heavenly Timing represent six years having passed.

"After six years of enlightenment, you have actually succeeded in comprehending a kind of Daoist essence. That's good, that's good."

At this moment, the ancient and majestic voice of the First Ancestor Lu Xiucheng, like heavenly music, descended from above.

As the sound faded, the azure sky light descended along with the Dao power, and the surrounding Heavenly Timing conditions quickly disappeared.

After Chen Dengming got up, he noticed that the sand within three zhang of him was significantly different from the sand beyond three zhang; it had lost its luster and appeared drier.

These grains of sand have all been affected by the ravages of time and the Heavenly Timing environment.

Time is indeed a silent but deadly weapon.

He was also harmed, losing six years of his lifespan in just six days.

Fortunately, he was still relatively young and had a long enough lifespan to live, so this loss of lifespan was nothing compared to the enormous gains.

His figure soared into the air, soaring towards the magnificent Heavenly Longevity Hall. Seeing that the First Ancestor, who stood with his hands behind his back in the square in front of the palace, seemed to be in much better condition, he felt relieved and smiled as he bowed.

"This disciple thanks the First Ancestor for once again expending Heavenly Timing resources to assist me."

Lu Xiucheng waved his sleeve and said calmly, "Helping you is helping me, helping the Four Seas Four Regions. With this great calamity approaching, we must help each other to overcome this difficulty. You don't need to have too much of a mental burden."

Chen Dengming nodded slightly, looked around, saw no one else, and, remembering the threats that still existed outside, felt a pang of anxiety and immediately asked what was going on.

"They've already gone to familiarize themselves with the terrain of this vast and ancient land, so you don't need to worry about the outside world."

The First Ancestor Lu Xiucheng shook his head and said calmly, "The Qu Shenzong went out to investigate the situation six days ago. That Buddha Guai was indeed taking his anger out on someone else and attacked the Spirit Transformation."

However, whether it was Mingguang, Shengui, Xingyun, or the others, they were all seasoned and experienced individuals who had weathered many storms, and they all kept their distance.

Only Dongfang and Yongxin Sword Lord suffered a slight loss, but it wasn't a major problem.

Chen Dengming relaxed upon hearing this.

It seems that the Buddha Guai made a lot of noise but accomplished little, and hasn't caused any major disturbance yet.

Lu Xiucheng glanced at Chen Dengming, saw through his thoughts, and said, "The reason the situation was brought under control is mainly due to the Living Buddha Venerable."

This Buddha's old saying was, "If you, benefactor, do not understand Mahayana Buddhism, I, this Buddha, am somewhat skilled in martial arts and Divine Ability. If I were to truly unleash my fury, that Buddha Guai might not be a match for me."

Chen Dengming asked in surprise, "Then why?"

Lu Xiucheng smiled faintly, his expression unreadable, whether it was sneer or something else entirely. "Buddhist Sect emphasizes compassion, but this so-called compassion is really just a matter of being unable to truly overcome the Buddha Guai."

He paused, his gaze deep, and said, "Both Fellow Daoist Qu and I suspect that the Buddha Guai might have some connection with this Living Buddha Venerable."

However, this Buddha Guai can also be linked to the Outer Realm Devil Venerable. If he wants to contend with the Living Buddha Venerable, he must help the Outer Realm Devil Venerable invade the Four Seas Four Regions.

Chen Dengming frowned.

He thought of the issue of checks and balances between the Living Buddha Venerable and the Buddha Guai, which had been discussed before.

It seems that the Living Buddha Venerable can only restrain the Buddha Guai from causing evil in the Human World, but has no power left to stop the invasion of the Outer Realm Devil Venerable.

Therefore, this heavy responsibility was placed on the shoulders of the First Ancestor and the Qu Shenzong Spirit Transmutation Dao Lord Sect, etc.

If the Outer Realm Devil Venerable were to truly invade and seize control of the Shattered Heavenly Immortal Realm, the Living Buddha Venerable might still be able to escape, but the rest of the mortal beings would find it difficult to escape.

At this moment, the First Ancestor Lu Xiucheng raised his hand, and a scroll of map flew out from his sleeve. "This is a map of the Shattered Heavenly Immortal Realm that I drew myself. It contains some important resources within the Heavenly Immortal Realm that need to be protected."

If the Outer Realm Devil Venerable leads a large number of Evil Cultivator in, many of them will inevitably set their sights on the precious resources within the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

"Take the map and familiarize yourself with it. There's no danger outside now, so you can go outside and bring the others you invited in."

Chen Dengming nodded and immediately took the map.

Outside, there are indeed some friends who were promised to be brought into the Shattered Heavenly Immortal Realm, waiting.

Those people were all carefully selected by him from among the many cultivators who had volunteered.

When the Outer Domain Evil Cultivator invade the Shattered Heavenly Immortal Realm, those people will become powerful allies.

Lu Xiucheng waved his hand and turned around. "Go. I have sensed unusual activity in the Heavenly Fortune Hall. The lucky star is wavering. Perhaps something will happen within the next seven days."

Within seven days.

Chen Dengming felt a chill run down his spine.

The time is drawing ever closer.

He looked up at the back of the First Ancestor Lu Xiucheng, but the other had already turned away, seemingly not wanting him to see the expression on his face.

Chen Dengming felt heavy-hearted and turned to leave.

In any case, the road is under our feet.

They are all already on their way.

The battle is about to begin once the enemy arrives.

Despite the formidable strength of the enemy, the ultimate victor remains uncertain. All we can do now is seize the Heavenly Timing and the advantageous terrain, and fight with all our might to secure a permanent victory.

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