Jade Pot Realm.
A white cloud drifted aimlessly through the sky.
Within White Cloud Courtyard.
The Slender Old Man sat alone before a stone table, holding a white stone between his fingers as he quietly studied the black and white stones at the intersections of the board before him.
Across the board, the black stones were numerous, yet they were all surrounded by white stones.
His gaze, however, seemed to have pierced through the board on the table and reached farther, much farther.
He murmured softly:
"Once we take down that group from the Great Sea Market, dealing with Huntian Palace, Ritian Palace, and the rest will be a simple matter. After that, it will be the Sacred Defilement Realm's turn... then there will truly be hope of unifying the Sea of Boundary Turmoil."
At this, his eyes grew faintly unfocused and distant.
But he soon collected himself and studied the board intently. Then, suddenly remembering something, he shifted his gaze slightly to a lone black stone in the farthest corner.
"Taiyi Dao Lord..."
His brows unconsciously creased.
After a moment's hesitation, he raised his hand to place the white stone beside that black one.
He murmured under his breath:
"The divine corpse..."
Yet just as the white stone was about to land, he abruptly stopped.
Holding the white stone between his fingers, he turned his gaze to another black stone.
This black stone was unusual, a full size larger than all the others, sitting alone on an empty stretch of the board.
Usually decisive, he now found himself in the rare position of wavering between these two black stones.
"Taiyi Dao Lord... or that person?"
His eyes flickered, at times revealing a glimmer of icy killing intent, at others faintly filling with wariness.
The white stone in his fingers