In a vast valley, watchtowers dozens of yards high stood along either side. A cluster of buildings occupied the valley below, with colorful banners fluttering above them, each bearing the character for Ma!
Clearly!
This was the Ma Family, one of the three Lineages of the Azure Spirit Mountain Range!
Behind this stretch of valley...
Deeper within lay a separate little valley, secluded and peaceful, with wisps of astonishing spiritual energy rippling out of it...
A veil of mist obscured everything inside. There was surely some kind of restriction array at work.
Inside, the valley was even quieter, planted with rare flowers and herbs. The surroundings were beautiful and tranquil... At the rear of this peaceful little valley stood a sizable, rustic stone building.
In front of this building, at a stone table...
Elder Du of the Wicked Poison Sect was seated there. Opposite him sat a dignified, square-faced middle-aged cultivator dressed in sumptuous robes and wearing a golden crown. Every movement exuded an air of nobility, which actually seemed rather out of place amid these lovely surroundings...
The two were playing a game called Fairy Chess. Unlike mundane games such as Go and shogi, Fairy Chess used pieces of five colors, corresponding to the five elements of heaven and earth: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. It revolved around their cycles of generation and suppression and was the favorite board game of high-level cultivators. Not only could it improve their divine sense cultivation, it also tested their understanding of the five elements. Playing against an expert could teach them plenty of useful things...
Judging by the intricate board, the two were evenly matched, locked in a fierce struggle with neither gaining the upper hand...
Both were deep in concentration, and neither spoke.
An unknown stretch of time passed.
"Hmm!"