The Chess Player, a Chance Encounter!

Under a dim sky.

A Dao Ancestor puppet with eight slender limbs, resembling a giant spider, roamed freely across the earth at a speed as swift as a shooting star.

The Dao Ancestor puppet had four legs supporting it on the ground, while its other four sharp legs resembled four slender swords, piercing out countless sword lights.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~~~~"

Sword light scattered across the sky, leaving streaks of light in the air.

Swish.

A towering figure in black robes appeared, looking down at the Dao Ancestor puppet below. Sensing that the sword light it emitted had almost reached the power of an ordinary True God Dao Ancestor at the peak, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Changqing," the imposing figure in black robes spoke.

"Um?"

Inside the puppet, while getting used to controlling the Dao Ancestor's puppet, Changqing True Immortal Changqing had a sudden thought. He immediately stopped attacking and came to the towering figure in black robes.

Changqing Zhenxian was a disciple of Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor, having become a disciple very early on. Originally, he belonged to Nuwa Faction.

However, Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor was not skilled at teaching disciples, which caused him to struggle to improve his strength.

His intense desire for power even gave rise to inner demons, which caught the attention of the Black-Robed God King, who then led the Changqing Immortal to the dream world.

The Black-Robed God King was, after all, the only disciple of the most powerful king of the Wujian Gate, the ' Heart Demon Lord.' When the God King demonstrated some powerful techniques and even used the methods the Heart Demon Lord had taught him to give Changqing True Immortal a few pointers, Changqing True Immortal did not hesitate to betray his sect and Nuwa Faction, choosing to become a disciple of the God King, join the Wujian Gate Sect, and become a spy left by the God King in Nuwa Faction.

"Nuwa Faction? Wujian Gate faction?"

"Who cares about factions? My strength is what matters!"

When Changqing Zhenxian thought of that arrogant young man who refused to become his disciple after the Immortal Fate Assembly, and who also refused to be accepted by his God King master, even when threatened with the young man's Daoist partner, he still refused to betray Nuwa Faction, and he couldn't help but scoff.

"That Ji Ning is a complete idiot. Just because he's good at controlling the Xing Tian Formation, does he really think he's invincible among True Immortals and Gods? It's nothing but a flashy and impractical combined attack formation. How can it compare to my Dao Ancestor puppet?"

He had been hiding under the tutelage of Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor, and was extremely displeased that Ji Ning, due to his powerful control over the Xing Tian Divine Formation, was highly regarded by Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor and had almost become the most dazzling general in this war.

Therefore, after receiving instructions from the Black-Robed God King, Changqing True Immortal suddenly betrayed his allies at the crucial moment of the last battle between the two sides. He not only ambushed and killed several fellow True Immortals, but also almost killed Ji Ning.

If it weren't for the seven celestial beings, including Red Snow, forming the ' Seven Luminaries Celestial Formation ' at the last moment and rescuing Ji Ning from the Star-Picking Immortal Mansion, the Crimson Bright side would have already lost the last battle.

"Fortunately, this is why I had the opportunity to control the Dao Ancestor Puppet."

Changqing Zhenxian emerged from the puppet body of the Dao Ancestor and respectfully knelt at the feet of the Black-Robed God King: "Master."

"Get up, Changqing," the Black-Robed God King said gently.

"Thank you, Master."

Changqing Zhenxian stood up, thinking to himself, "As expected, strength determines status. After I took charge of controlling the Dao Ancestor's puppet, my master's attitude towards me changed."

In an instant.

The Changqing, brimming with pride, looked up at the Black-Robed God King and volunteered, "Master, I have become familiar with the Dao Ancestor's puppet these past few days and am ready to go into battle at any time to completely crush the Crimson Bright Army."

"Yes, I see." The Black-Robed God King smiled. "As a sword immortal, you are naturally skilled in killing, so having you control the Dao Ancestor puppet is just right. With the power you have in controlling the Dao Ancestor puppet, even if Crimson Bright has an additional Seven Luminaries Celestial Gods, they still won't be able to stop you."

"Master is absolutely right," Changqing Immortal Changqing said confidently. "I have absolute control over all the power of the Dao Ancestor Puppet. The puppet's body is comparable to a top-grade innate spiritual treasure, allowing me to be fearless in the face of attacks and slaughter to my heart's content. Whether it is the Seven Luminaries Celestial Gods or the Xing Tian Divine Formation and demons, I am confident that I can kill them all today."

"It's good that you have this confidence, but there's no rush. Dao Ancestor Ink Bamboo and I have already agreed to begin the final battle in seven days," the Black-Robed God King said with a smile. "With seven more days, you can familiarize yourself with the puppet more thoroughly and make sure you uncover its full power."

"Seven days later?" Changqing asked in confusion. "Seven days more or seven days less makes no difference to this disciple. Why must we wait seven days before starting the war?"

"Hmm?" The Black-Robed God King was annoyed. His eyes turned cold as he directly rebuked, "I told you to wait, so just wait. Why are you asking these questions?"

"Yes, yes." Changqing quickly knelt down, not daring to say anything more.

"Keep practicing." The Black-Robed God King flicked his sleeves and left the dim world, appearing in a spacious hall.

That dark world from before was actually a magical treasure from his cave dwelling.

Because of the example of the Northern Land Immortal Elder, the Black-Robed God King was worried that the Changqing True Immortal would also die silently, so he simply put him and the Dao Ancestor Puppet away and carried them with him in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

no way.

The Dao Ancestor Puppet and the Changqing True Immortal are extremely important.

In this decisive battle in the Crimsonbright Domain, the Wujian Gate was already at a disadvantage due to Ji Ning's sudden emergence. Now, with the addition of the Seven Luminaries Celestial Gods had disappeared for nearly half of the Chaos Era, the situation has exceeded his original expectations.

That's why the Myriad Demon Realm sent a Dao Ancestor puppet as a trump card in the final battle between realms.

As the most skilled sword immortal, Changqing Zhenxian is the most suitable person to control the Dao Ancestor puppet. He is also familiar with Crimson Bright's background and carries all the hopes for winning this interdimensional battle. He cannot afford to fail.

"What exactly is Zhou Hao discussing with Crimson Bright that will last for seven days?" The God King sat on his throne, his brows furrowed in thought.

According to the information he received, after Zhou Hao went to the palace of the Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor, only Xia Emperor and Ji Ning accompanied him for a while of drinks.

Afterwards, Xia Emperor and Ji Ning left, leaving only the two Dao Ancestors to have a private conversation.

He sent his undercover agents to gather intelligence, and they finally learned that Zhou Hao would be staying in Eight Dragon Cloud City for seven days.

Why did you stay for seven days?

"Could it be that they really intend to wait for an opportunity to secretly kill our top-tier Celestial Immortals?"

The God King felt a surge of irritation.

Because Zhou Hao stayed, he and Dao Ancestor Ink Bamboo had to strictly guard their important Heavenly Gods and True Immortals.

Even the most important Changqing and Daozu puppets, which he kept in his own cave dwelling magic treasure, were not safe with him. He took them directly back to his old lair world, only preparing to send them back to the Great Xia World after Zhou Hao left.

"I don't want to think about it anymore. At worst, I'll just wait seven days." The God King's thoughts enveloped the entire Great Xia World.

"As long as Nuwa Faction doesn't send reinforcements, with the current immortal and demonic power of the Great Xia World, no one can stop the Dao Ancestor's puppet."

"Our Wujian Gate is destined to win this war in the Crimsonbright Domain!"

Seven days is an extremely short time for mortals, and even more insignificant for immortals, demons, and powerful beings.

It was fleeting.

Eight Dragon Cloud City.

Ji Ning sat listlessly by the city wall, a wine jug beside him.

He silently gazed at the distant Wujian City, occasionally picking up his wine jug and taking a sip.

Many of the celestial beings who had fought alongside him in the Great Xia World for five years couldn't bear to see him so dejected and came to persuade him.

All he received was Ji Ning's reply, "Let me think about it alone some more."

"Alas, I never imagined that Yu Wei's matter would be such a blow to Ji Ning. If this continues, he will never be able to get over it, and he will be ruined." A celestial being sighed.

"Didn't they say that the Changsheng Dao Ancestor even invited Ji Ning for a drink this time? Changsheng Dao Ancestor couldn't persuade him?" a celestial being wondered.

"A matter of emotions is not a matter of fighting. Even if the Changsheng Ancestor has boundless power, it will be of no use... Ji Ning can only overcome this hurdle on his own," a celestial being sighed.

Regardless of what others thought, Ji Ning remained silent.

He appeared to be in a daze, but in reality, both his main body and his Second Primordial Spirit were immersed in comprehending the <Heart Sword Technique>.

The Heart Sword Technique is not only a method for fusing sword power and mental power, but it also includes thousands of different sword techniques.

It simplifies complex concepts to guide practitioners in understanding sword power and how to integrate it with mental power.

Ji Ning was completely absorbed, feeling his understanding of swordsmanship soaring every second.

To outsiders, Ji Ning appeared even more silent.

He used to know how to drink, but these past two days the wine jug has been overturned, and I haven't seen him pick it up.

Until the morning of the seventh day.

The first rays of sunlight from the Solar Star shone down on Ji Ning.

He opened his eyes, which had been closed all night, as the sunlight streamed in.

Wow~~~

A beam of platinum light shot out from Ji Ning's eyes, its brilliance even more dazzling than the morning sun.

"I didn't even realize I'd reached the second level of sword power," Ji Ning smiled.

The first level of sword power is the ' Silver Moon Realm ', which is outwardly manifested as a layer of silvery-white light.

The dazzling platinum-gold light represents the second level of sword power, the ' Radiant Sun Realm '.

Compared to the first level of sword power, it will make the sword faster and sharper.

"I've been practicing swordsmanship since I was a child, and I received instruction from Senior Brother Zhou Hao. I've exhausted all my accumulated knowledge and skills to achieve this breakthrough." Ji Ning knew that it was impossible to achieve such a rapid rise in cultivation in seven days again; he needed to continue accumulating knowledge and skills.

"Second level of sword power is enough!" Ji Ning glanced deeply at the distant Black Wujian City.

Get up.

He left without looking back.

The main hall of Eight Dragon Cloud City.

Ji Ning walked towards the main hall.

"It's Ji Ning."

Why did Ji Ning go to the main hall?

"He's been sitting on the city wall for days, I wonder what he's thinking. Maybe he's overwhelmed by guilt because of the recent blow and the impending defeat in the interdimensional war. Let's go find the Dao Ancestor now."

"Didn't they say that the Ancestor of Changsheng was returning to the Longevity Realm today? Maybe he wants to go with him and leave this place of sorrow."

"How envious I am! The Changsheng Ancestor was a friend of his before, and he can go whenever he wants. I wish I could go to the Longevity Realm."

Some of the immortals who saw Ji Ning walk towards the main hall were talking amongst themselves.

Since Ji Ning and Zhou Hao both came from the Great Xia World, and the previous Immortal Fate Assembly was not long ago, many immortals knew about their acquaintance and relationship.

Some immortals even sat in the Heavenly Brilliance Hall to watch the Immortal Fate Assembly.

Of the two Myriad Phenomena geniuses of that time, one became a celestial general, wielding the Xing Tian Divine Formation to slay countless immortals and demons.

The other one is even more terrifying. In just a few decades, he has already stood at the pinnacle of the Three Realms, becoming a powerful leader of a faction. He has also created a great world in the chaos, which is regarded as a pure and happy land by countless immortals and demons in the Three Realms, and they all yearn for it.

... in front of the main hall.

Xia Emperor, who had been keeping a close eye on Ji Ning's movements, rushed over immediately.

Seeing Ji Ning approach, the Xia Emperor looked at him expectantly.

Although he didn't ask aloud, Ji Ning understood what he meant and nodded slightly.

"Let's go see the Dao Ancestor." Xia Emperor became excited and pulled Ji Ning into the main hall.

The entire Eight Dragon Cloud City is a collection of innate spiritual treasures belonging to the Xia Emperor, so no palace can stop him.

However, because there were two Dao Ancestors in the hall, one of whom was a leader like Zhou Hao, the Xia Emperor did not dare to trespass.

He led Ji Ning to a side hall within the main hall and respectfully greeted the inhabitants, "Ancestor of Changsheng, Master, Ji Ning has arrived."

"Come in," Zhou Hao's voice came from inside the hall.

Xia Emperor and Ji Ning then entered the side hall.

Upon entering, they saw Zhou Hao and Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor sitting opposite each other, with a chessboard in front of them.

Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor held a black chess piece, staring blankly at the chessboard, while Zhou Hao smiled as he watched the two people enter the inner hall.

"Ancestor of Changsheng, Master," Xia Emperor said.

"Senior Brother Zhou Hao, Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor," Ji Ning said respectfully.

"Hmm?" Upon hearing the sound, Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor suddenly awoke. Seeing that Xia Emperor and Ji Ning had arrived, he knew that the seven-day deadline had passed. He immediately threw the black pieces in his hand back into the chess box and said to Zhou Hao, "The battle is of utmost importance. We'll find you after the decisive battle to finish this game."

Zhou Hao had no objection; no matter how the game went, he was going to win.

"Have you mastered sword power?" Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor asked, looking at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning didn't waste any words, and directly extended his finger like a sword, making a slash in the air in front of him.

He didn't use any magic or divine power; it was as if he were just a mortal waving his hand, yet a layer of platinum light naturally appeared at his fingertips.

Whoosh~~~

As the sword finger swept across, cracks appeared faintly in the space itself.

"The second level of sword power." Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor nodded slightly and turned to look at Zhou Hao.

The meaning is self-evident.

It's just the second level of sword power.

Among ordinary true immortals and gods in the Three Realms, those who wield swords are not uncommon, if not all of them.

The trump card you mentioned... is that all?

"Use the ' Heart Sword Technique ' to activate it," Zhou Hao said with a faint smile.

"Yes." Ji Ning responded, and then with a thought, a wisp of the ethereal mental power in his heart was separated and merged with the sword power at his fingertips.

With another gentle stroke from Ji Ning, they heard—

Laugh!

A sound like brocade being torn apart rang out in the hall, leaving a dark crack in the space that could not be repaired for a long time.

Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor's eyes lit up. When he looked at Ji Ning's fingers again, he saw a wisp of black sword light swirling around them, full of spirituality, as if it had become a living thing.

"Sword Heart!? The ' Sword Heart ' of the fourth level of sword power?" Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor exclaimed in surprise.

"Compared to the peak of the ' Sword Heart,' its sharpness is no less, and its spirituality is even greater," Zhou Hao commented. "Not bad, it's sufficient."

"Of course it's enough," Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor said with a smile.

Even the most powerful True Immortals and Celestials in the Three Realms are only at the fourth level of Origin Power, many not even reaching the peak. It's equivalent to the sword power of the peak ' Sword Heart,' and its attack power has already reached the threshold of a top True God Dao Ancestor. Furthermore, with the assistance of Xing Tian...

"Please grant me nine thousand Celestial Immortals and eight hundred and ten thousand Loose Immortal, to form the strongest Xing Tian," Ji Ning said respectfully.

"Are you confident you can control it? Relying solely on the mental strength of the fourth level..." Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor hesitated. He had originally intended to give Ji Ning three thousand Celestial Immortals and three hundred thousand Loose Immortal.

The Xing Tian Divine Formation consists of three levels.

Composed of one thousand celestial immortals and one hundred thousand Loose Immortal, this is the most simplified level, which is the level that Ji Ning and his group previously controlled.

The second tier consists of three thousand celestial immortals and three hundred thousand Loose Immortal, which is considered very powerful and is generally controlled by Pure Yang True Immortal.

The nine thousand celestial immortals and eight hundred and ten thousand Loose Immortal are the truly perfect ones, and their power is incredible.

Even Pure Yang True Immortal would find it difficult to mobilize much of the power of the strongest Xing Tian if their mental cultivation was not at the fourth level.

Ji Ning's mental cultivation at the fourth level was sufficient, but even with Celestial Immortal power alone, he couldn't unleash much of the strongest Xing Tian's power.

However, the number of Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor Chiming is not infinite, so he naturally needs to consider how to maximize his combat power.

"Crimson Bright." Zhou Hao sighed helplessly, "Ji Ning is standing right in front of you, and you still can't see that he's already Pure Yang True Immortal?"

"Pure Yang True Immortal?" Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor Ming stood up abruptly, laughing loudly, "I'm really getting old. I was so focused on Ji Ning's sword power that I didn't even notice you had broken through."

"It's great that you've broken through! With your mental cultivation and pure Yang magic power, you can unleash the full potential of the strongest Xing Tian. That's far more useful than having dozens of the weakest Xing Tian!"

"Very well, I will give you nine thousand Celestial Immortals and eight hundred and ten thousand Loose Immortal as commanders!" The voice of the Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor was as loud as a bell, his eyes bursting with divine light, and his aura was overwhelming.

"Today is our final battle against the Wujian Gate!"

Crimson Bright Dao Ancestor and Xia Emperor went to gather their troops and arrange their formations in preparation for the decisive battle.

Ji Ning was originally also preparing to leave.

He still needed to familiarize himself with the strongest Xing Tian Divine Formation, after all, it was composed of nine thousand celestial immortals and eight hundred and ten thousand Loose Immortal, and its terrifying magical power was almost on par with that of a true Dao Ancestor.

But Zhou Hao called out to him.

"Senior Brother Zhou Hao," Ji Ning said respectfully.

He felt genuinely grateful to Zhou Hao.

After mastering the <Heart Sword Technique>, one can combine mental power and sword power to unleash the power of the peak of the fourth level of sword power. Ji Ning was well aware of how precious this technique was.

Moreover, Zhou Hao also passed on his own systematic "Introduction to the Heartforce System," whose mental power cultivation methods are far more complete than the number one divine power in the Three Realms, "Houyi's Archery."

"I'm going back to the Longevity Realm," Zhou Hao said with a slight smile.

"Back to the Longevity Realm?" Ji Ning was taken aback. "The decisive battle is about to begin..."

"The outcome is already decided, just like this game of chess; there's no need to look at it anymore."

Zhou Hao smiled as he placed a piece on the chessboard in front of him, then stood up and reminded Ji Ning:

"With your current strength, passing the Heavenly Tribulation is practically a certainty. After the final battle, you can either go to your master's place or mine to undergo the tribulation, lest the Wujian Gate plot against you."

"Yes." Ji Ning nodded.

"By the way, I know you have a daughter now. After you pass the Heavenly Tribulation, bring her to the Longevity Realm for me to see." Zhou Hao smiled and said, "I also have a son and a daughter. They can cultivate together in the future, which will give them more playmates."

Ji Ning felt a warmth in her heart, understanding Zhou Hao's meaning.

This was a promise that she could take Mingyue to the Longevity Realm, where he would protect her from then on.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Zhou Hao." Ji Ning bowed.

When Ji Ning got up, he found that Zhou Hao's figure had disappeared from the side hall, leaving only the chessboard in front of him.

He stared at the chessboard silently for a long time, his gaze growing increasingly resolute.

Swoosh.

A magical flying boat soared out of the Three Realms and arrived in the endless void.

After leaving the Great Xia World, Zhou Hao was not in a hurry to travel. Instead, he sat at the bow of the flying boat and headed towards the Longevity Realm.

suddenly--

Just as Zhou Hao was about to enter the Longevity Realm, he saw the chaotic energy at the edge of the endless void dissipate not far away, and an ancient wooden boat flew out from it.

The wooden boat was small and narrow, with a low canopy, looking like an ordinary awning boat used on rivers.

A straw mat was laid on the deck, and an old man with a red nose lay on his back, swaying as he flew towards the Three Realms.

"Friend Yuan Dao, you seem quite comfortable here," Zhou Hao greeted first.

"Young friend Zhou Hao?" The red-nosed old man sat up abruptly. "Haha, this old man has been wandering around in the chaos for a while now, and I feel like I've had pretty good luck and gained quite a lot. I was just wondering if I was having a lucky streak, and look, I've run into you."

"You're a leader-level powerhouse now, someone you wouldn't normally meet. For this old man to run into you here is truly a stroke of good luck!"

This red-nosed old man was none other than the ' Elder Yuan,' the head of the Four Ancestors of Source River.

"I may not see others, but how could I not see you, Fellow Daoist Yuan?" Zhou Hao laughed. "It's better to meet by chance than to invite someone. Since you've come to my Longevity Realm, I, as the host, must treat you well."

Although the lineage of Elder Yuan and his followers never explicitly stated their stance in the factional war, this greatly displeased the powerful figures in Nuwa Faction.

But Elder Yuan had done Zhou Hao a favor.

The cultivation insights of "Wuji Begets Taiji" given to him by Elder Yuan saved him from many detours, and his mastery of the two fundamental forces also made rapid progress.

This is why, three years later, Zhou Hao was able to capture the Darklight Sword Lord in a great battle against the Wujian Gate in the Fifth World.

Years ago, because of the slight discord between Zhou Hao and the disciples of Dao Ancestors Styx Kunpeng, he was somewhat wary of Elder Yuan, worried that he might have other schemes.

In recent years, the Source River Lineage has kept a low profile and has almost disappeared from the Three Realms. The Elder Yuan has never looked for him again, as if the cause and effect had been resolved and they were no longer connected.

Furthermore, for Zhou Hao, whose strength had already reached the level of a half-step Chaos Immortal, the entire Source River Lineage was nothing, so he naturally no longer had any concerns.

On the contrary, because of the karma of teaching him the skills in the past, Zhou Hao wanted to help Elder Yuan.

"With my current strength, and my master's potential breakthrough at any time, the chaos of the Wujian Gate Sect is about to be annihilated. Whether the Source River Lineage submits or not is of little consequence. Why force them further? After all, Elder Yuan has not joined the Wujian Gate's camp," Zhou Hao thought to himself.

To put it bluntly...

The difference lies in their abilities and their perspectives.

When you're destitute, if someone refuses to lend you three hundred yuan, you'll be furious.

When you become a billionaire and reach the pinnacle of success, you'll take all those past grievances very lightly.

Instead, she thought of the person who hadn't lent her money... at least they didn't unleash their dogs on her like the others.

"Since you've invited me, young friend, then this old man will go and trouble you," said the Elder Yuan with a smile. "I've traveled all over the Three Realms, and the Longevity Realm."

"Please." Zhou Hao smiled and steered the magical flying boat to lead the way.

The two boats entered the Longevity Realm one after the other.

That's the second update. I'll continue tomorrow. That's all for tonight. Let me catch my breath.

Requesting more monthly votes.

I feel like I've gotten a lot of votes in the last four or five days... how come I'm still more than 500 monthly votes short? Tears.

However, my friends, please act within your means.

Cast your vote if you have one, and tip if you have the means.

Don't impulsively give rewards just because Suifeng asks for monthly tickets in every chapter and seems pitiful.

I know that some readers are quite young, still in school, or have only recently started working. It's already quite commendable that they can support the official subscription.

Do not let it affect your living expenses.

Of course, if it's just about drinking one less cup of milk tea, then that's a different story.