Chapter 22 The Rewards from Biyou Palace Shake the Primordial World

The towering figure of Sect Leader Tongtian stood at the front, like an immemorial divine mountain shielding against all wind and rain.

He didn't say much, merely waving his wide sleeve.

The Law of Space swirled like gentle flowing water, sweeping up Gu Ziyuan, the Three Xiao Fairies, and the dumbfounded Dragon King of the East Sea, Ao Guang.

With one step, they were already hundreds of millions of miles away.

As light and shadow shifted, they opened their eyes to find themselves standing atop Jinao Island, before the ancient and majestic gates of Biyou Palace.

Ao Guang's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground, his dragon robes long since soaked in cold sweat.

He gasped for breath, a mix of relief from surviving a disaster and lingering fear; only one thought remained in his mind: "I bet right! Fortunately, this old dragon stood on the right side!"

Meanwhile, inside Biyou Palace, the atmosphere had already reached a boiling point.

Ten thousand immortals gathered, dense figures pouring out from their respective Immortal Caves, their burning gazes converging on the slightly thin, green-robed figure who had just returned.

Awe, shock, fanaticism... all sorts of emotions intertwined into a silent ocean.

Everything that had happened on the East Sea had already spread throughout Jinao Island via various divine abilities and secret methods.

With a Heavenly Immortal cultivation, he had directly confronted the head Disciple of the Chan Sect, Guangchengzi!

Relying on his own strength, he had set up the East Sea chess match, crippled the other's Physical Body, and seized his supreme treasure!

Even... under the descent of a Saint's will, he had still boldly made his move, destroying Guangchengzi's golden body right in front of Yuanshi Tianzun!

Finally, he drew out his Revered Master to descend in person, confronting the Saint of the Chan Sect from across the void without yielding an inch!

Such a record—was it merely earth-shattering?

This was simply an unprecedented madman since the founding of the Jie Sect!

"Welcome back, Revered Master! Welcome back, Junior Brother Ziyuan!"

No one knew who shouted first, but immediately after, a wave of sound like a mountain collapse or a tsunami erupted, making all of Jinao Island hum.

Those Outer Sect Disciples who once held Gu Ziyuan in contempt or doubt now all wore fanatical expressions, feeling a sense of shared glory.

And the Inner Sect Disciples, including Daoist Duobao and the Golden Spirit Holy Mother, looked at Gu Ziyuan with eyes full of heartfelt recognition and praise.

The Jie Sect championed this very sharpness that dared to contend with the heavens!

Gu Ziyuan perfectly interpreted the meaning of the word 'Jie'!

Sect Leader Tongtian led the group into the main hall and sat high upon the cloud bed.

His gaze swept over the thousands of excited Disciples below, finally landing on Gu Ziyuan, his eyes filled with undisguised appreciation and satisfaction.

"Gu Ziyuan."

The voice of the Saint was grand and clear, echoing in the ears of every Disciple.

"You have displayed the Divine Might of my Jie Sect and protected its dignity. You deserve a reward!"

As his voice fell, he flicked his finger, and three rays of profound light containing supreme Daoist charm flew from his fingertip, hovering before Gu Ziyuan.

"First, this is the Sea-Fixing Divine Needle Iron. I have already wiped away all the miscellaneous Evil Qi within it and refined it anew with the power of a Saint. Today, I grant it to you completely!"

The iron staff's brilliance was restrained, yet it emitted a heavy aura that suppressed the four seas and eight directions.

It landed obediently in Gu Ziyuan's hand, as if connected to his Bloodline.

The gathered Disciples immediately let out a collective gasp.

An Acquired Karma Supreme Treasure! Granted just like that!

"Second, this is a gourd of six-revolution golden cores. Your cultivation is still shallow, but your Foundation is incredibly solid. This pill can help you save ten thousand years of bitter cultivation and achieve the Golden Immortal Dao sooner!"

A purple-gold gourd flew over. Gu Ziyuan took it, and just by smelling a hint of the pill's fragrance, he felt his Divine Soul clear up and his magic power slightly improve.

"Third,"

Sect Leader Tongtian's voice carried a hint of a smile.

"From this day forward, the highest floor of the Biyou Palace Scripture Pavilion is open to you. All the various divine abilities and supreme sword Daos within are available for you to browse at will!"

"Boom!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire place completely erupted.

The highest floor of the Biyou Palace Scripture Pavilion! That was where the general outline of the Shangqing Immortal Arts personally written by the Revered Master and many trump card divine abilities were kept!

Normally, only the most trusted personal Disciples like Daoist Duobao were qualified to occasionally enter and comprehend a thing or two.

Now, it was completely open to a newly promoted personal Disciple like Gu Ziyuan?!

This favor was simply unique!

Daoist Duobao and the Golden Spirit Holy Mother glanced at each other, both seeing smiles in each other's eyes.

They stepped forward quickly, cupping their hands to Gu Ziyuan in congratulation: "Congratulations, Junior Brother Ziyuan, for receiving Revered Master's great favor!"

Their attitude was incredibly sincere.

Gu Ziyuan's actions today had showcased the prestige of the entire Jie Sect. As his Senior Brother and sister, they felt only gratification.

"Thank you, Revered Master, for the generous rewards!" Gu Ziyuan bowed, then with a thought, he took out the heaven-turning seal that had suppressed Guangchengzi and presented it with both hands.

"Reporting to Revered Master, this is a trophy of war. I do not dare to keep it for myself and specially offer it to Revered Master for disposal."

At this move, many Disciples nodded secretly.

The heaven-turning seal, a top-grade Innate Spirit Treasure, was one of the premier killing weapons in the Great Desolation. That Gu Ziyuan could resist the temptation and take the initiative to hand it over showed his Heart-Nature.

Sect Leader Tongtian looked at the ancient great seal but waved his hand, saying indifferently, "This treasure is a companion item of Guangchengzi, deeply entangled with his Karma. Since you seized it by your own skill, you are qualified to comprehend it."

"Let it be so; you may comprehend this treasure for three months. After three months, I will naturally return it to the Yuxu Palace of Kunlun."

Sect Leader Tongtian's voice was calm and steady. "He has been beaten and punished. We Three Purities, after all, come from the same source. Some face must still be given."

Gu Ziyuan's heart shuddered, his admiration for his Revered Master deepening further.

He had originally thought his Revered Master was purely domineering and protective, but he didn't expect him to have such depth. Though his actions were wild, he did not lose his bottom line or sense of the big picture. This was the true demeanor of a Saint.

"I shall obey Revered Master's command."

After accepting the three rewards, Gu Ziyuan did not step down. Facing the gazes of thousands of his fellow Disciples, he spoke loudly.

"Today, I was fortunate to win, all thanks to my usual insights into the Way of Chess. I am willing to discuss the Way of Chess here with all my Senior Brothers and sisters."

At these words, everyone perked up.

Right! The most mysterious and unpredictable thing about Junior Brother Ziyuan was his god-like Way of Chess!

Sect Leader Tongtian's eyes also lit up, and he nodded with a smile: "Good."

Gu Ziyuan smiled slightly and flicked his finger, causing a black stone and a white stone to hover before him.

"My Dao is the Way of Chess."

"The Way of Chess is no minor Dao. On a small scale, it is a duel between two people; on a medium scale, it is a clash between two armies; on a large scale... one can use the world as the chessboard, all living beings as the pieces, and the rules of the Great Dao as the logic of the game, to fight for a sliver of life and determine the pattern of eternity!"

"Long-eared Dingguang Immortal entered my chess match using his magic power as a piece, so his magic power was drained dry."

"Senior Brother Guangchengzi entered my chess match using the East Sea as the board, so the Origin of the East Sea was entirely for my use!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a great bell, striking the minds of everyone present.

"Within the chessboard, I am the rules! Where the piece falls, my word is Law!"

"The so-called killing and destruction are merely the outward appearance of the Way of Chess. Its true core is the word 'Order'! To establish absolute order with absolute rules. Within my order, those who follow me prosper, and those who oppose me perish!"

This speech left the ten thousand immortals present mesmerized. Many Disciples proficient in Formations had their eyes shining, feeling as if a brand new door was slowly opening before them.

So Formations could be used like this!

Several Disciples even had fluctuating auras and actually broke through their realms on the spot, drawing in waves of Spiritual Qi.

Through this battle and this discussion.

The name of Gu Ziyuan, the "chess dao killing god," was completely solidified within the Jie Sect! His prestige was unparalleled for a time!

...

Meanwhile.

In stark contrast to the scene of ten thousand immortals paying homage and the flourishing Luck on Jinao Island.

Inside Yuxu Palace on Kunlun Mountain, the atmosphere was as cold as ten-thousand-year-old ice.

The Twelve Golden Immortals, Nanji Xianweng, and other Core Disciples of the Chan Sect were all kneeling on the ground, not even daring to breathe loudly.

In the center of the hall, Guangchengzi's extremely dim Primordial Spirit was kneeling on the ground, letting out suppressed and humiliated sobs.

Yuanshi Tianzun, sitting high on the cloud bed, had a face as dark as water, and his Saintly pressure permeated the air, making the space of the entire Yuxu Palace nearly solidify.

His gaze slowly swept over the Disciples below.

What did he see?

Fear, wavering, and even a hint of... confusion.

An obscure Disciple from the Jie Sect had actually managed to force their head Disciple to such a state, and even when he, a Saint, intervened, he was blocked by Tongtian.

To the Disciples of the Chan Sect, who had always had smooth sailing and considered themselves the orthodox lineage, this was an unprecedented shock to their Dao Hearts!

The fire of anger in Yuanshi Tianzun's heart grew even stronger.

He knew that today's defeat at the East Sea had lost more than just Guangchengzi's Physical Body and the heaven-turning seal; it had lost the "momentum" of his Chan Sect being invincible under heaven!

If they didn't reclaim their dignity soon, the Dao Hearts of the Chan Sect would become unstable, and their Luck would surely decline!

His gaze finally landed on Nanji Xianweng, who was kneeling at the very front.

"Nanji."

The cold voice contained not a hint of emotion.

"Disciple is here."

Nanji Xianweng's body trembled as he bowed respectfully. "Take my Talismanic Decree and make a trip to the Huoyun Cave."

Yuanshi Tianzun's voice rang out eerily, carrying a hint of deep calculation.

"It is time for the Three Sovereigns of the Human Race to contribute some effort to my Chan Sect."