Chapter 15 One Son Determines the Dragon Palace

Ao Guang's back had not been straight for a single moment.

This dignified Dragon King of the East Sea, an existence at the level of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal,

was currently leading Gu Ziyuan and the other three toward the Dragon Palace treasury, his posture kept extremely low, almost half-bowed as he led the way.

"Exalted Immortal, the treasury is a heavy ground where Evil Qi surges to the heavens; please be careful, everyone."

There was no longer any trace of aloofness in his voice, leaving only thick reverence and a hard-to-detect sliver of anticipation.

The Three Xiao Fairies followed behind Gu Ziyuan, their beautiful eyes flashing with brilliant light.

Bixiao had the most direct personality and quietly sent a divine transmission to her sisters.

"Eldest Sister, Third Sister, tell me... what exactly is this Junior Brother Gu's background? Suppressing Ao Bing with a single chess piece—I feel like his methods are even more mysterious than Senior Brother's?"

Yunxiao's expression was grave as she shook her head gently. "I cannot see through him. His Dao is not within our understanding. This trip might truly resolve the troubles of the East Sea."

Qiong Xiao blinked her curious large eyes and said nothing, merely staring intently at Gu Ziyuan's calm and composed back, as if trying to see right through him.

Passing through layer upon layer of Restrictions, a massive bronze gate stood across their path.

The gate was carved with ancient dragon patterns, exuding an aura of age and majesty.

Ao Guang took out a dragon-shaped jade pendant, chanted under his breath, and struck out a hand seal.

"Rumble—"

The bronze gate slowly opened, and a torrent mixed with endless treasure light and violent Evil Qi rushed toward them!

Even Taiyi Golden Immortals like the Three Xiao Fairies couldn't help but circulate their immortal power for protection to steady themselves.

Inside the treasury, a dazzling array of immortal gold, divine iron, and rare treasures were piled like mountains, with ten thousand rays of light and a thousand streaks of auspicious color.

However, the brilliance of all the treasures was suppressed by the object at the center.

It was a massive iron pillar that reached from the heavens to the earth!

It stood quietly in the center of the treasury, with two gold bands at either end and a section of black iron in the middle.

On the pillar, naturally formed Dao patterns flickered in and out of sight. A vast, heavy, and terrifying aura that seemed capable of suppressing the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths caused the entire space to freeze.

At this moment, the giant pillar was trembling slightly. Every vibration caused the entire Crystal Palace to shake along with it.

The violent Innate Evil Qi and supreme Karma golden light on the pillar's body intertwined and collided, turning into visible ripples that spread outward.

"Exalted Immortal, please look,"

Ao Guang pointed at the giant pillar, his Face full of bitterness.

"This is the object, the divine treasure iron of the heavenly river bottom. Over the last hundred years, the signs of its awakening have become increasingly obvious. I have used the power of the Four Seas to set up a great array, but I can only barely suppress it. Now, it has almost reached the limit."

At that moment, the System's notification sounded in Gu Ziyuan's mind.

[Ding! Detected an ownerless Innate Karma Spirit Treasure, triggering a temporary mission!]

[Mission Name: Subdue the Divine Treasure]

[Mission Description: This is the 'divine treasure iron of the heavenly river bottom' left behind by Great Yu during the flood control. It contains supreme Karma and Innate Evil Qi. Its spirituality is awakening and awaits its destined one. Please use the Way of Chess to subdue it and take it for your own use.]

[Mission Reward: ???]

A flash of understanding crossed Gu Ziyuan's eyes.

As expected, it was this. The future Ruyi Jingu Bang.

"The spirituality of this item has already been born, and its Evil Qi is heavy. Forcibly refining it will only result in self-immolation." Bixiao looked at the divine iron, her beautiful brows furrowed. "To suppress it, no one less than a Saint must act."

Hearing this, Ao Guang's Face became even more bitter. A Saint? He didn't have that much Face.

However, to everyone's surprise,

Gu Ziyuan did not bring out any Magic Treasure, nor did he perform any hand seals.

He simply stepped forward slowly and sat down cross-legged ten zhang away from the divine iron.

"Junior Brother Gu?" Qiong Xiao couldn't help but call out softly.

Gu Ziyuan acted as if he hadn't heard. With a flip of his wrist, that simple and ancient stone chessboard appeared on his lap.

What was he... doing?

Everyone present, including Ao Guang, was stunned.

Facing this Innate divine object that even a Grand Unity Golden Immortal was helpless against, he actually... wanted to play chess?

Under everyone's suspicious and uncertain gazes, Gu Ziyuan's eyes closed slightly, and his Divine Thought spread out slowly like liquid silver.

His Divine Thought did not rush directly toward the divine iron, but instead merged into the heaven and earth chessboard before him.

Buzz—

On the chessboard, three hundred and sixty-one star points lit up slightly, like a miniature Universe.

An invisible and intangible Law of 'Order,' which seemed to contain the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, spread out silently with the chessboard as its center.

This power of Law was not as overbearing as immortal power, nor as all-saving as Buddha's light. It was more like a rule, a logic, a 'Principle' that had existed since the dawn of heaven and earth.

It gently but firmly covered that massive divine iron.

It was as if it were saying: All things have their place, and all matters have their order. Your chaos should return to order.

"Roar—!"

A silent roar erupted violently from within the divine iron!

It felt the intrusion of this 'Order'!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The divine iron, which had only been trembling slightly, instantly began to shake violently. The entire treasury groaned under its vibration as if it couldn't bear the load, and massive cracks opened up on the walls.

The sky-soaring Evil Qi transformed into black dragons with bared fangs and brandished claws, frantically crashing against the invisible 'Chess Domain' Gu Ziyuan had laid out.

"Not good!" Ao Guang paled in shock. "The Exalted Immortal has enraged the divine iron!"

The Three Xiao Fairies' Faces also changed drastically. They all brought out their Magic Treasures, ready to strike and rescue him at any moment.

This erupting power had already far exceeded the scope of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, infinitely approaching the Grand Unity level!

However, Gu Ziyuan, at the center of the storm, remained as steady as a mountain.

His handsome Face was as calm as a still pond, as if everything outside had nothing to do with him.

He just silently felt and deduced.

"So that's how it is... Karma as the substance, Evil Qi as the function. The rigid cannot last, the soft cannot hold... Yin and Yang are out of balance, hence the restlessness."

In just a few breaths, he had seen through the essence of this sea-fixing divine needle through the heaven and earth chessboard.

Seeing that the violent black dragons of Evil Qi were about to tear apart his Chess Domain and rush before him,

Gu Ziyuan finally opened his eyes.

Those eyes were as deep as the starry sky, reflecting the crisscrossing patterns on the chessboard.

He reached out his slender fingers and picked up a pitch-black chess piece from the box.

Without the slightest hesitation, he flicked his finger.

Swoosh!

That small black piece pierced through the violent air currents, ignoring the raging Evil Qi.

Carrying an unquestionable absolute Law, it landed with incomparable precision on the very top of the massive divine iron.

The movement was casual, as if he were just casually placing a piece on a chessboard.

Next, a single word was softly uttered from his lips.

"Settle!"

As the word fell, his speech became Law!

Buzz—!!!

The black piece that landed on the top of the divine iron instantly radiated endless profound light.

It seemed as if it were no longer a chess piece, but an independent Universe, a chess world with strict Laws!

That chess world expanded suddenly, instantly enveloping the entire restless divine iron within!

All the violent Evil Qi, all the sky-soaring divine light, all the intense vibrations... the moment they touched this chess world, it was as if a pause button had been pressed.

Everything came to a screeching halt.

The treasury, which a second ago had looked like the apocalypse was arriving, fell into a deathly silence at this moment.

The divine treasure iron of the heavenly river bottom, which had disturbed the Four Seas and made the Dragon King's brows furrow in worry,

now stood there as docile as a tamed pet, completely motionless.

The small black piece on top was like a supreme monarch, suppressing all of its defiance.

The entire place was silent.

Ao Guang's dragon mouth was open wide enough to fit a fist, and his eyes almost popped out.

The three sisters, Bixiao, Yunxiao, and Qiong Xiao, were completely petrified on the spot.

They looked at the white-clothed figure sitting cross-legged, their hearts filled with nothing but endless shock and subversion.

This was... his Dao?

One piece to settle the Dragon Palace!

Gu Ziyuan slowly stood up, walked to the now-quiet divine iron, and reached out to gently pat the cold pillar.

"From now on, you enter my chess game."

As soon as he finished speaking, the System's notification sounded in his mind again.

[Ding! Mission complete. Congratulations to the host for successfully subduing the 'divine treasure iron of the heavenly river bottom'!]

[Calculating rewards...]