"Dragon Lord, she and I are siblings—when one prospers, both prosper; when one suffers loss, both suffer loss. Though I am not a chess player, if she loses, I am willing to die alongside her. Will you permit me to join her in studying the chess game?" Seeing this, Su Ziji made a prompt decision, bowed to the Dragon Lord, and spoke.
This request violated the rules of the chess match, yet on closer consideration, it was reasonable enough.
For this was not a true contest, but to solve the endgame—or rather, to undo the Sealing Recess. Surely the Dragon Lord would allow it. As expected, after hearing him, the Dragon Lord glanced over and nodded again. "Granted."
"Thank you, Dragon Lord!" Su Ziji said. He then went to Ye Buhui's side. Without even looking at the board, he unfolded the chess manual and began reciting it aloud on the spot.
Just now, he had only silently recited a small portion before Ye Buhui's move interrupted him. This time, he truly recited it from beginning to end.
Ye Buhui was already at a critical juncture, with no way forward. Hearing Su Ziji's recitation, she gradually focused all her attention on the contents he spoke.
Wherever Su Ziji's gaze reached, golden light continuously emerged. His voice rang clear and bright, beginning as merely a mortal's voice, but later, faint thunder accompanied every sentence.
This was not the teaching of chess—it was a cultivator performing a secret art. A faint halo accordingly enveloped Su Ziji's body.
Ordinary people could not see that halo, but the Dragon Lord, the Great Demons, and even Hu Xiyan could see it. Their expressions truly changed at once.
"How many years has it been? Finally..." one Great Demon muttered, drawing a wave of sharp breaths.
Hu Xiyan clenched her fists even tighter.
Yet even so, not a single Great Demon left their seat, which gave her food for thought.
Nearby, Zheng Yingci and Zhang Modong also shuddered, concentrating as they listened. Seeing everyone absorbed in listening, several chess players suddenly gathered their courage and fled outside.
Strangely enough, not to mention the Great Demons—even the watching soldiers did not stop them, allowing them to leave as they pleased.
The Shell Maiden likewise did not move. Her eyes remained fixed on Su Ziji, her body trembling faintly. Clearly, she too was listening with rapt attention.
Only after Su Ziji finished reciting everything did the faint thunder gradually cease.
"Dragon Lord!" the Shell Maiden cried out in delight. The Dragon Lord, who had been seated, was already standing. Her little mouth was slightly open as she looked at Su Ziji in surprise and barely concealed joy, but as if recalling something, she sat back down.
"So that was it!" Before the board, Ye Buhui felt her somewhat muddled mind become crystal-clear, as though enlightenment had been poured over her head. All manner of insights surged into her heart.
The endgame before her had originally been a dead end, with no path to take. But now, the fog blocking her way had been swept aside, revealing an endless open road. In an instant, heaven and earth had changed.
"Break the deadlock!" Ye Buhui hesitated no longer. With a snap, the black stone in her hand finally landed steadily on the crucial point.
Boom!
Boom, boom, boom!
In an instant, the earth shook and mountains swayed, and the entire palace trembled.
"Ah, run! Run!" Those near the palace entrance saw that the Great Demons and soldiers were not stopping anyone, and that others had already escaped. They shouted and rushed out one after another.
Su Ziji saw this scene. After pondering briefly and looking at the Great Demons who made no move to stop them, he grabbed Ye Buhui and let the others flee while remaining where he was.
In the blink of an eye, the hall was empty, with only Monsters remaining. As for humans, aside from Su Ziji and Ye Buhui, only Zheng Yingci and Zhang Modong remained. Zheng Yingci sat calmly without moving, while Zhang Modong hesitated for a long while, circling around the chessboard before ultimately choosing to stay.
"Why have you not left?" The Dragon Lord's gaze was deep and shadowed as she lightly tapped the jade table with her hand and asked.
Zheng Yingci sat upright and answered solemnly, "Leaving without the Dragon Lord's permission would not only be discourteous, but might also incur punishment. How could this student depart so casually?"
"Well said. Your Chess Path is no small thing either!"
As everyone looked over, a chessboard appeared before Zheng Yingci. Aside from the final move, it was actually identical to Ye Buhui's.
"Still, there can only be one victor." With a wave of her hand, the Dragon Lord said, "Zhang Modong, though you possess talent, your fate is exceedingly thin. No matter how many times you take the examinations, you will ultimately have no fate with becoming a Provincial Graduate."
"I can make up for that, but your blessings are meager. You will ultimately be unable to rise to prominence and can only go as far as the Provincial Examination."
Zhang Modong had calmed down by then. He prostrated himself and bowed. "Even if I can only attain a place on the provincial list, my heart will be satisfied."
"Very good!" With a snap, the Dragon Lord raised her hand. A small, round little bird flew out and plunged into Zhang Modong's body.
Zhang Modong had only just offered his thanks when his figure suddenly vanished.
"That is a quail, of the Ninth Rank." Su Ziji's eyes shone as he immediately recognized it. Seeing Zhang Modong disappear, he fell into thought.
"As for you, you originally possessed Fortune, but you did not solve this game and thus have no affinity with me. Very well, I shall reward you with a jade ruyi, to thank you for the affinity of this game." The Dragon Lord arched her dark brows and gave the order lazily. The Shell Maiden seemed somewhat reluctant, but still handed a jade ruyi to Zheng Yingci.
Zheng Yingci pondered for a moment, seeming somewhat disappointed, yet he still gave his thanks. As soon as he bowed in gratitude, his figure vanished as well.
Once Zheng Yingci was gone, the Great Demons rose and respectfully bowed. "Congratulations, Dragon Lord. We have waited for so many years; being able to witness this brings us comfort."
As they spoke, light invisible to the naked eye appeared beneath their feet, layer upon layer. Looking closely, it consisted of seal-script characters as large as dippers, forming a circular ring. In the next instant, the wind outside could be heard again.
That wind blew onto the ring, and the palace immediately dimmed, as though dust had settled over it.
"Just as I expected, this palace is far from ordinary."
"The Coiling Dragon Secret Art was created several hundred years ago... If this truly is the Coiling Dragon Water Palace, everything before us may be half real and half false. It may even be events that happened in the past."
"Perhaps some chance coincidence caused us to fall upon a point in the past, accidentally entering this palace. If so, once this matter ends, it may be time for us to return."
"I just do not know whether those who died here truly died, or whether it was all a nightmare."
Su Ziji came to some understanding. He grabbed Ye Buhui's hand and tried to pull her up, but the moment he exerted force, a power directly flung him away. Looking again, the seemingly ordinary stone chessboard had transformed into a beam of light, wrapping Ye Buhui within it.
"This girl carries my bloodline. Though it is very thin, this is her opportunity." At some unknown point, the Dragon Lord had come to his side and even took the initiative to explain. "She is awakening her spiritual spark."
Though Su Ziji did not understand what a spiritual spark meant, he knew that an opportunity should bring benefits.
Of course, even if he believed this was not a good thing, he did not dare interfere rashly in these circumstances. If he harmed Ye Buhui, regret would come too late.
A moment later, the radiance faded, the chessboard disappeared, and she fell backward.
Alarmed, Su Ziji caught her in his arms. He reached out to test her and found that her breathing was normal and her life was not in danger. Only then did he look toward the Dragon Lord.
"Dragon Lord, the game has been solved. Can you send us back?"
The Dragon Lord smiled, but said, "No."
Wait, no?
Su Ziji froze, thinking he had heard wrong. He carefully looked at the Dragon Lord, restrained himself, and only then asked again, "Dragon Lord, do you perhaps... have another command for us?"
Before you continue