God Hides from Heaven and Earth, Mortal Bones Play Chess

Dust and smoke filled the air as shockwaves of soul power rippled outward, tearing up the turf and sending clods of earth flying in every direction.

Tang San gripped his Clear Sky Hammer, his face twisted into a terrifying, savage mask. Burning the soul power of a level 40 Soul Ancestor without reservation, he unleashed a surge of black light from the hammer. Every swing landed with a deafening roar as he fought to carve a bloody path out of the three-sided encirclement.

But the strength of Ghost Fiend was far greater than he had imagined.

With the foundation of a level 58 Soul Emperor, combined with the eerie speed and shadow claws of his Shadow Wolf martial soul, every collision left Tang San's arms numb and his blood churning. Two Soul King shadow guards circled the flanks, one attacking while the other sealed his movements; the feather blades of the Shadow Hunting Falcon locked down his escape routes, while the poisonous pincers of the Earth-Splitting Scorpion struck at his vitals, forcing Tang San into a desperate, clumsy defense with no hope of breaking through.

"Impossible... how could you know I was here?!" Tang San roared, his voice filled with resentment and panic. He had believed his movements were hidden, and he had specifically chosen this desolate, uninhabited slope for his breakthrough; no one but himself could have known.

Ghost Fiend sneered, his wolf claws tearing through the air toward Tang San's throat. "Did you think your petty tricks could escape the deductions of that lord? Clear Sky Sect remnant, surrender obediently, and you might suffer less physical pain."

The "lord" he spoke of was, naturally, the mysterious messenger.

In Ghost Fiend's mind, the image of this mysterious existence grew clearer—it had to be a hidden deity, looking down upon the mortal world, capable of shifting clouds and rain with a mere turn of the hand, far beyond the comprehension of common soul masters like them. Otherwise, it would be impossible to precisely predict the time, location, and motive of Tang San's breakthrough, let alone leave a secret message at a top-secret Martial Soul Hall relay point without leaving a single trace.

For such an existence to hide behind the scenes and use the hands of Martial Soul Hall to clean up the remnants of the Clear Sky Sect, refusing to reveal themselves, was already giving Martial Soul Hall the greatest of honors.

"A deity..." Tang San's pupils constricted, and a chill surged through his heart. Arrogant as he was, he knew the legends of deities—supreme existences who stood above Titled Douluo, whose words became law.

He had never imagined that his every move was being watched and manipulated by a deity from start to finish.

Despair gripped his heart with a reality he had never felt before.

Amidst the crowd, Lin Chen stood quietly, taking it all in.

He could clearly hear the awe and speculation in Ghost Fiend's heart regarding the "mysterious deity," could sense the psychological collapse of Tang San as he shifted from arrogance to terror, and could feel the shock and confusion of Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, and the others.

The system prompt rang out in his mind once more, calm and ripple-free:

[Ding! Detected that Martial Soul Hall shadow guard leader Ghost Fiend (Level 58 Soul Emperor) has judged the host's identity as: Non-threatening ordinary student; and the mysterious messenger as: Hidden deity.]

[Ding! Hostile target Tang San's psychological defenses are nearing collapse; battle intent has dropped by 60%, and the success rate of his breakout is below 10%.]

[Ding! Host's concealment status remains perfect; divine sense below the level of a deity cannot penetrate it. Current disguise credibility: 100%.]

The smile at the corners of Lin Chen's mouth remained gentle, yet a trace of indifference flickered in the depths of his eyes.

A deity?

He was not one.

He was merely a Soul Emperor who possessed a system, carried the medicinal power of immortal herbs, and had mastered the ultimate concealment of the Star Hidden Grass.

But so what?

In this world, apart from true deities, no one could see through his disguise; apart from himself, no one knew who the true player of this chess game was.

Ghost Fiend viewed him as an insignificant pawn, Tang San viewed him as an ant to be crushed at will, and the Shrek group viewed him as a gentle, harmless companion.

Everyone had been deceived by him.

To deceive the heavens and the earth—that was exactly what this was.

"Lin Chen..." Xiao Wu gripped his sleeve tightly, her voice trembling. "Are they... are they really from Martial Soul Hall? Tang San, he..."

"Don't be afraid." Lin Chen turned his head, his voice soft and filled with a power that calmed the heart. "Martial Soul Hall is here for Tang San, not us. We only need to watch."

His tone was flat, as if he were speaking of the most mundane matter.

Xiao Wu looked at his calm profile, and the panic in her heart inexplicably settled. She always felt that no matter what happened, as long as Lin Chen was by her side, there was no problem that couldn't be solved.

She never imagined that the gentle youth before her was the very source of all this turmoil.

On the field, the battle was nearing its end.

Tang San was drenched in cold sweat, his clothes tattered, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and the light of the Clear Sky Hammer had dimmed. His soul power was more than half-depleted, his breathing was chaotic, and his eyes were filled with despair and venom.

He knew that today, he was likely going to fall here.

But he was not reconciled!

He hated Martial Soul Hall, he hated the three shadow guards before him, and he hated even more that mysterious existence hiding behind the scenes, manipulating everything!

If he had the chance, he would make them pay for all of this, tenfold!

"Die!"

A flash of madness crossed Tang San's eyes. He violently burned his own essence blood, driving the final power of the Clear Sky Hammer. The black soul power around him surged, faintly forming a massive black phantom, and with the desperation of one seeking mutual destruction, he smashed it toward Ghost Fiend!

This was a desperate technique of the Clear Sky Sect, using essence blood as a catalyst to unleash power far beyond one's limits for a short time, at the cost of a massive drop in cultivation and damaged foundations.

Ghost Fiend's eyes narrowed; he did not show a shred of contempt. His Soul Emperor-level soul power erupted to its peak, the phantom of the Shadow Wolf martial soul solidified, and he crossed his claws in front of him!

"CLANG—!!"

A deafening roar erupted, as if the very heavens were trembling.

The violent shockwave of soul power spread crazily from the center of their clash, the ground cracking into spiderweb-like fissures, and the surrounding grass and trees were instantly ground into powder.

Tang San was struck as if by a heavy blow, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string. He slammed heavily into the ground, the Clear Sky Hammer flying from his grip, dim and lusterless. His body convulsed violently, blood spraying from his mouth, and his eyes lost their luster entirely, leaving only endless gray and despair.

The backlash of burning his essence blood, combined with Ghost Fiend's full-force strike, had completely stripped him of his ability to resist.

Ghost Fiend stood firmly in place, breathing slightly hard; it was clear that the exchange had not been easy for him either. He looked at the fallen Tang San, his eyes cold, without a shred of pity.

"Take him."

Following Ghost Fiend's command, the two Soul King shadow guards immediately stepped forward, drew out specially crafted soul-sealing chains, bound Tang San's limbs tightly, and dragged him up.

Tang San hung his head powerlessly, his messy hair obscuring his eyes, hiding the near-maniacal resentment and unwillingness deep within his gaze from everyone.

He had lost.

He had lost completely and utterly.

Not only had he failed to kill Lin Chen, but he had fallen into the hands of Martial Soul Hall, his every movement predicted with precision by a mysterious figure.

Even in his final moments, he could not fathom who that mysterious person truly was.

Amidst the crowd, Lin Chen watched the bound Tang San quietly, his eyes devoid of the slightest ripple.

In a game of chess, one does not regret a move once played.

What he wanted was never to kill Tang San with his own hands, but to use another's blade to do the deed and retreat unscathed.

Martial Soul Hall believed the mysterious figure to be a hidden deity and held them in awe, ensuring they would never suspect him, a "common student"; with Tang San captured, the clues regarding the Clear Sky Sect would be thoroughly excavated by Martial Soul Hall, leaving them no time to look elsewhere; the Shrek members remained safe and continued to trust and feel close to him.

Three birds with one stone—a perfect conclusion.

Sunlight pierced through the dust and smoke, spilling into every corner of the training grounds.

Ghost Fiend escorted Tang San, his gaze sweeping over Lin Chen once more, yet finding nothing unusual. His awe for that "mysterious deity" only deepened, never suspecting for a moment what he had missed.

"Farewell."

Ghost Fiend bowed slightly toward the depths of the empty forest, as if paying respects to that unseen, mysterious existence, before turning with his two deputies and the captured Tang San to vanish into the gloomy shadows.

On the training grounds, a deathly silence reigned.

Everyone remained immersed in the sudden upheaval, unable to recover for a long time.

Flender and Zhao Wuji exchanged glances, both seeing gravity and confusion in the other's eyes.

Martial Soul Hall, a mysterious informant, a deity, remnants of the Clear Sky Sect...

Everything that happened today was too bizarre, too strange.

And they knew nothing of the truth behind it all.

Lin Chen gently raised his hand and patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder, a gentle smile still hanging on the corners of his lips.

"It's over."

His voice was soft, yet carried a strange power that instantly dispelled the stagnant atmosphere of the field.

The sunlight was just right, falling upon his clean profile, warm and dazzling.

No one knew that beneath this sunlight, this seemingly ordinary and gentle youth was the true mastermind who had deceived the heavens and manipulated the board.

Though the clouds of suspicion had dispersed, the undercurrents had not ceased.

And the chess game belonging to Lin Chen had only just begun.