[Showing your hand?]
[Was this a direct showdown with Past Li Ping?!]
[But before you could think any further, [Purple Talent: I Am the Chess Player] in your Sea of Consciousness suddenly erupted with brilliant purple light.]
[The Great Dao's Voice belonging to True You rang out from your heart:]
["I won't appear. I'll remain inside [I Am the Chess Player]."]
["Because Past Li Ping can read my thoughts. At this point, although you've been deeply influenced, I imagine you can figure certain things out..."]
[This was True You giving instructions to you, the one serving as "Bait."]
[You nodded noncommittally. That was indeed the case...]
[Meanwhile, Past Li Ping's Great Dao's Voice drifted out from the memory scene:]
["How interesting..."]
[Rather than respond, he changed the subject:]
["You hid True You away... was it that time I urged you to leave this genuine [Supreme True Realm]?"]
["That time, [Purple Talent: I Am the Chess Player] shattered. I thought that meant I'd achieved my goal of 'using up your trump card.'"]
["Now it seems... that wasn't the case."]
[Hearing this, you couldn't help recalling that occasion. Naturally, you remembered it perfectly.]
[That was the first time [Purple Talent: I Am the Chess Player] had shattered.]
[Back then, for some reason, Past Li Ping had kept urging you to flee this genuine [Supreme True Realm], saying it was far too dangerous.]
[At the time, [I Am the Chess Player] had activated and told you:]
[—"Do not turn back, do not turn back, do not turn back..."]
(This was mentioned in chapter 397.)
[But [I Am the Chess Player] had shattered then.]
[Judging by what Past Li Ping meant... [I Am the Chess Player] hadn't shattered that time because it was reminding you to break free of his influence.]
[Or rather, it