On the Chessboard, All Living Beings Are Chess Pieces
Changsheng's Dao Field
At this moment, Ao Changsheng was sitting quietly in the Daoist temple, with the primordial chaos of heaven and earth swirling around him.
Dijun slowly placed a black chess piece down. "This Yang Jian is the one you set up for the Eight Immortals; now it's time for him to put his skills to use."
Ao Changsheng raised his right hand and gently manipulated the white pieces on the chessboard.
"Don't worry, he'll break your game."
"I hope so."
Ao Changsheng's voice carried a hint of indifference, as if he had long anticipated this day.
Yang Jian sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, sweat trickling down his face.
The scene of his confrontation with Ao Changsheng kept replaying in his mind.
"That's amazing."
Ao Changsheng's strength was so great that Yang Jian could only look up to him in awe.
Yang Jian didn't know how to describe his feelings at that moment; it was like an ant looking up at an elephant.
"Dao Ancestor Changsheng, I, Yang Jian, am willing to go through fire and water for you, even unto death. I humbly request your guidance Dao Ancestor."
Yang Jian secretly made up his mind that he had to disrupt Ao Changsheng's chess game no matter what, so that he would have a chance to escape.
"Hmm!" Ao Changsheng responded, then waved his hand, and a white chess piece flew to Yang Jian's front and landed on the chessboard.
"Yang Jian, what you need to do now is find this chess piece. Once you find it, you can break my chess game."
As soon as Ao Changsheng finished speaking, a black chess piece flew towards Yang Jian on the chessboard.
Yang Jian reached out his right hand and grabbed the chess piece, instantly sensing the terrifying power contained within it.
"If that's true, no wonder I haven't been able to crack it."
Yang Jian was shocked, but he was not afraid. Since he had chosen to fight, he would never back down, even if it meant dying in battle.
Yang Jian gritted his teeth, closed his eyes tightly, and suddenly exerted force with both arms.
A loud bang.
The chess piece in Yang Jian's hand shattered, and a look of pain flashed across Yang Jian's face.
"This chess piece is indeed extraordinary. My physical strength couldn't withstand this explosive force. Non-Self advanced cultivation, I would have been in real danger this time." Yang Jian secretly rejoiced. Although his body was tough, it was impossible for him to withstand such violent power.
"No!"
Yang Jian gritted his teeth and picked up another black chess piece.
Bang!
Another loud bang! This time, Yang Jian couldn't withstand the force and was sent flying.
"Yang Jian, you'll have to walk this path yourself from now on," Ao Changsheng's voice rang out again.
Despite the pain radiating from his body, Yang Jian got up from the ground, picked up the chess pieces, and then began to climb step by step toward the mountaintop.
"Yang Jian, remember your responsibility. I await the moment you break my chess game," Ao Changsheng said.
"I know."
Yang Jian replied as he walked towards the mountain peak.
He walked through the mountains for three days before finally reaching the summit. There he found hundreds of cultivators standing there, all dressed in white robes with the character "Dao" embroidered on their chests. At their feet knelt a group of cultivators, their heads bowed, seemingly listening to their master's instructions, each with a devout expression.
Standing atop the mountain, Yang Jian looked around and spotted a familiar figure among the crowd—the very same 'Lord of the Hall of Yama' whom he had encountered several times in the Underworld.
His status in the Underworld was that of a palace master, but here he was just a lowly henchman, which gave Yang Jian a strange sense of frustration.
Yang Jian glanced around and found a familiar face in the crowd—the very 'Demon Lord' he had met in Hell.
"Huh?"
This person was none other than the one who had almost killed him in the Ghost Realm. This person carried a cold aura, making Yang Jian feel inexplicably uncomfortable.
"This person seems strange. I don't know why he's following me, and he also carries that strange power." Yang Jian muttered to himself, a hint of doubt in his eyes. He felt that there was something wrong with this person.
Suddenly, the Demon Lord's body trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes, looking in Yang Jian's direction.
"Yang Jian!"
His pupils gleamed with a blood-red light, and his eyes were filled with a bloodthirsty killing intent.
"This person is not simple. He exudes a strong aura of hostility. It seems he's here to cause trouble." Yang Jian thought to himself, a chill running down his spine.
"Demon Lord!" Yang Jian called out calmly.
"Snort!"
The Demon Lord gave a disdainful snort, shifted his gaze, and continued walking forward as if ignoring Yang Jian, with thousands of ghosts still surrounding him.
A smile appeared on Yang Jian's lips. He could tell that the Demon Lord was an arrogant person. In his eyes, no one was worth mentioning. His eyes were devoid of any emotion; they were a gaze that disregarded everything.
Yang Jian secretly admired him; only a master whose cultivation had reached the Heavenly God Realm possessed such a gaze.
"Yang Jian, no matter what talent you have in cultivation, today, I will take your dog's life!" The Demon Lord stopped and said coldly.
Yang Jian didn't speak, but his expression told him that this Demon Lord's desire to take his life was not just empty talk.
"Snort!"
The Demon Lord took a step forward, his figure disappearing into the distance in a blur. The next second, he appeared beside Yang Jian. With a grab of his right hand, a black claw shot towards Yang Jian's shoulder at incredible speed, leaving Yang Jian no time to dodge.
"Yang Jian, today is your death day."
Upon seeing this, Yang Jian raised an eyebrow, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He flipped his right hand, and a jade tablet appeared in his palm. The jade tablet shimmered with a purple-gold light. The front of the jade tablet was inscribed with the two large characters 'Yang Jian', while the back was inscribed with 'Dragon'. The dragon's head was carved on the dragon's head, its eyes wide open, its gaze sharp and fierce, exuding unparalleled majesty and chilling menace.
"Heavenly soldiers!"
Yang Jian flicked the jade tablet in his hand, and instantly, dozens of Sword Qi burst forth from it.
"Hmph, a mere heavenly soldier dares to harm me?"
The Demon Lord scoffed at the sight, clenched his right fist, and unleashed a powerful blow at the Sword Qi.
A series of muffled thuds rang out as the jade tablet shattered, its fragments flying everywhere and transforming into countless Sword Qi that scattered in all directions.
"Pfft!"
The Demon Lord shattered the jade tablet with a single punch, and bursts of black energy erupted from his body, directly neutralizing the Sword Qi. He charged towards Yang Jian once more.
"Hmph, the Heavenly Soldiers may not be as powerful as Zhenwu, but they are more than enough to deal with you. You've brought this upon yourself!" Yang Jian's lips curled into a sneer.
"You..." Upon hearing Yang Jian's words, the Demon Lord was enraged. His eyes flashed with intense killing intent, and his entire body radiated murderous aura.
"Yang Jian, today I will cleanse the Heavenly Court of this scourge on behalf of Lord King Yama."