Chapter 25: The Three-Month Term Ends, the Chessboard's Killer Move

The stone door of the Siguo Cliff Immortal Cave slid open silently.

Clad in a green robe, Gu Ziyuan stepped out slowly.

After three months of seclusion, the aura around him hadn't surged as expected; instead, it had become increasingly restrained, like a bottomless ancient well.

His cultivation Realm was clearly at the Early Stage of the Profound Immortal Realm, yet standing there, he seemed to merge seamlessly with the meridians of the entire Siguo Cliff, and even the whole of Jinao Island.

“Junior Brother Ziyuan!”

The Three Xiao Fairies, who had been waiting outside for a long time, immediately came forward to greet him.

A flash of astonishment crossed Yunxiao's beautiful eyes; she actually couldn't see through Gu Ziyuan's current depth at all.

Qiong Xiao, on the other hand, circled him curiously, clicking her tongue in wonder.

“Hmph, finally out?” Bixiao crossed her arms, sizing him up from head to toe with a raised eyebrow.

“Early Stage Profound Immortal? I thought you'd reach the heavens in a single bound this time! Doesn't look like much, why don't you let your Junior Sister test your mettle!”

Before she had even finished speaking, her fiery temperament could no longer be contained.

With a point of her jade finger, a blazing bolt of Shangqing Divine Thunder condensed out of thin air, carrying the power to melt gold and iron as it shot straight for Gu Ziyuan's face!

However, facing this sudden attack, Gu Ziyuan didn't even lift an eyelid.

He didn't even activate any Dharmic power, simply giving a faint smile.

Buzz—!

The moment the divine thunder rushed to within three feet of him, it was as if it had slammed into an invisible barrier.

No, it wasn't a barrier.

Bixiao's pupils suddenly constricted as she discovered to her horror that the connection between her and that divine thunder had been forcibly severed and frozen by a profound power!

The divine thunder just hung there quietly in mid-air, its lightning still flickering, yet unable to advance another inch.

Immediately after, an invisible Domain spread out from around Gu Ziyuan. Bixiao felt the space around her become as viscous as mercury, her limbs seemingly entangled by countless invisible threads; she couldn't move at all!

“Junior Sister, the game hasn't even started, why are you frozen?”

Gu Ziyuan spoke with a smile, his tone relaxed and effortless.

“You...!” Bixiao was both shocked and angry, her pretty face flushing red. She pushed her Dharmic power with all her might, but it was like a clay ox entering the sea, unable to stir the slightest ripple in that invisible Domain.

This wasn't suppression on the level of Dharmic power at all, but a... crushing weight of rules!

It was as if Gu Ziyuan was the Dominator of this space, and his every word and action were the order of this place!

Yunxiao and Qiong Xiao watched from the side, dumbfounded, their hearts churning with stormy waves.

Subduing the enemy without a fight!

Is this Junior Brother Ziyuan's current Way of Chess?

Seeing this, Gu Ziyuan smiled and waved his hand, and that invisible Domain instantly vanished into thin air.

Regaining her freedom, Bixiao stumbled back two steps. The look in her eyes as she watched Gu Ziyuan had completely changed; amidst her shock was a hint of indescribable frustration.

Just then, a gentle yet majestic aura quietly descended.

Heavens-Transcending Sect Leader's figure appeared by the cliffside at some unknown moment, standing with his hands behind his back, a hint of approval in his gaze.

“Revered Master!” The Three Xiao Fairies hurriedly bowed in greeting.

“Greetings, Revered Master.” Gu Ziyuan also restrained his smile and bowed respectfully.

With a thought, the ancient and heavy heaven-turning seal, which seemed to contain the power of the entire earth,

slowly flew out from his sleeve and floated before the Heavens-Transcending Sect Leader.

“This Disciple has fortunately not failed his mission and has finished comprehending this treasure.”

Heavens-Transcending Sect Leader reached out to take it, sweeping it with his Divine Thought.

In the next moment, even with his status as a Saint, a look of surprise couldn't help but flash through his eyes.

The heaven-turning seal not only showed no signs of damage, but its originally chaotic and violent Earth Laws

had been organized into perfect order by a strange power of order. Amidst the flowing Dao rhymes, it was even more harmonious and natural than before.

This kid hadn't just understood it; he had also conveniently “optimized” Guangchengzi's Magic Treasure!

“Good.”

Heavens-Transcending Sect Leader nodded slightly, putting away the heaven-turning seal, and looked at Gu Ziyuan with deep eyes.

“Returning this seal is the signal. The Chan Sect's side will soon make their move.”

It's coming!

Gu Ziyuan understood in his heart.

“Take care of yourself.”

Heavens-Transcending Sect Leader's tone was flat, yet it possessed a reassuring power.

“Keep this talisman safe. If you truly encounter a life-threatening crisis, you may shake this talisman.”

A jade talisman flowing with Shangqing Immortal Light slowly floated before Gu Ziyuan.

“But the road, ultimately, must be walked by yourself.”

As the words fell, Heavens-Transcending Sect Leader's figure dissipated like green smoke, as if he had never appeared.

Gu Ziyuan gripped the jade talisman tightly and bowed once more to the void: “This Disciple respectfully sees Revered Master off.”

He knew that Revered Master returning the heaven-turning seal to Kunlun Mountain was to preserve the face of the Saints. But once the Chan Sect received it, the anger they had suppressed for three months would erupt like a volcano.

The time left for him was short.

Watching his Revered Master depart, Gu Ziyuan began to examine the massive gains from this seclusion.

His cultivation had broken through to the Profound Immortal Realm, and his Dharmic power was more than ten times more robust; that was only one part of it.

The greatest transformation came from his foundation—the heaven and earth chessboard!

[Ding! The heaven and earth chessboard has finished upgrading!]

[Current Form: Mountains and Rivers Society Chessboard (Pseudo)!]

[Unlocked New Ability: Society as Pieces, All Living Beings as Soldiers!]

Gu Ziyuan's mind sank into the chessboard, and he instantly understood.

The so-called “Society as Pieces” meant that within his chess game, mountains, rivers, wind, thunder, water, and fire could all be condensed into chess pieces for him to command, each piece containing the great power of a region's ley lines and mountains!

And “All Living Beings as Soldiers” was even more terrifying. Within the coverage of the chess game, he could simulate the phantoms of all living beings, turning them into infinite soldiers to charge and break enemy lines for him, fighting until death!

This had already surpassed a simple Formation and had begun to possess... the power of creation!

What reassured him even more was that by analyzing the heaven-turning seal, he had comprehended a hidden trump card.

[Comprehended One-time Divine Ability: Tianyuan · heaven-turning seal!]

This move could use the Mountains and Rivers Society Chessboard as a base, instantly draining ninety percent of the mountain and river ley line power within the game to simulate seventy percent of the true heaven-turning seal's might, launching a world-destroying crushing blow!

Although the consumption was massive and the chess game would fall into a brief state of weakness afterward, this heaven-shaking strike was enough to pose a fatal threat to an unprepared Grand Unity Golden Immortal!

This was his greatest confidence in daring to face the Chan Sect's wrath head-on!

“Junior Brother Ziyuan, Revered Master said the Chan Sect is going to make a big move, what should we do?” Yunxiao stepped forward, her elegant brows slightly furrowed, her face filled with worry.

Gu Ziyuan snapped back from his thoughts and looked up at the distant horizon. Within his eyes, it was as if countless chess pieces were calculating life and death.

He activated the heaven and earth chessboard to peek at a corner of the future.

In an instant, a blurred but incredibly dangerous image flashed through his mind.

Above Jinao Island, twelve dazzling golden lights tore through the sky, descending with a crashing, overwhelming killing intent!

Below, the Jie Sect's Ten Thousand Immortals Array was in chaos, and countless Disciples wailed under the golden light, their blood staining the blue waves!

Gu Ziyuan's heart sank.

The Twelve Golden Immortals!

They really are coming together!

“It's no matter.”

He withdrew his gaze, but a calm smile appeared on his face as he spoke to the worried Three Xiao Fairies.

“Soldiers will be blocked by generals, and water will be covered by earth. The chess game has only just begun.”

Having said that, he didn't choose to continue his seclusion. Instead, under the puzzled gazes of the three women, he stepped down from Siguo Cliff.

He began to wander all over Jinao Island.

From the white jade plaza in front of Biyou Palace to the Dao Discussion Platform where ten thousand immortals gathered; from the Immortal Plant Garden filled with spiritual mist to the surging shores of the East Sea.

He didn't walk fast, appearing to be strolling leisurely and enjoying the scenery.

But with every step he took, his footprints produced a subtle resonance with the ley lines of Jinao Island.

Whenever he reached a key Spiritual Qi node, he would inconspicuously flick his finger, quietly imbuing a trace of imperceptible Way of Chess Law into the depths of the earth.

Three days later, he reached the cliff at the easternmost tip of Jinao Island.

This was the place where the entire island greeted the first ray of purple Qi from the east, and it was also the hub for Spiritual Qi respiration.

The sea breeze howled, blowing his green robe and making it flutter loudly.

He looked at the magnificent East Sea before him and slowly took a most ordinary black chess piece from his sleeve.

He had no chessboard.

Or rather, the entire Jinao Island, along with the thousands of miles of the East Sea, was now his chessboard!

He reached out and gently pressed that black piece onto the edge of the cliff.

“Pa.”

A soft sound, barely audible.

In an instant, a ripple of Law invisible to the Mortal eye spread from where he placed the piece, instantly covering the entire Jinao Island!

Deep underground, the thousands of Way of Chess nodes he had quietly arranged were activated simultaneously at this moment.

They linked together, forming an invisible net that shrouded the heavens and earth!

An unprecedented mountain-protecting Formation, using a Saint's Daoist Rite as its foundation and thousands of miles of mountains and rivers as its array, had been quietly laid out.

Gu Ziyuan stood at the edge of the cliff with his hands behind his back, calmly gazing in the direction of Kunlun Mountain, a cold arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

He knew the Chan Sect's retaliation was coming soon.

And he had already set up a new “chess game,” just waiting for them to...

Enter the trap.