192: The master's guidance, the three ancient chess

On the chessboard, an ancient arena rose, and on either side of the arena, Qin Jin and Qiu Xiyu each stood at one end.

Behind them, beyond the chessboard, were the two Grandmasters, immensely broad in stature, sitting cross-legged and gazing at the central chessboard.

By this second game, the rules were already clear.

After Qin Jin and Qiu Xiyu announced their names, a deep, resonant sound spontaneously rang out from the ancient arena beneath them.

“The Chess Battle begins!”

As the words fell, on the opposite side of the arena, Qiu Xiyu’s expression turned solemn, her aura erupted, and spiritual power surged. Behind her, a True Dragon Cave Heaven illusion appeared, indicating she was indeed a cultivator of the Cave Heaven Realm.

Since Qin Jin first encountered the Heavenly Azure Method, this was his first time truly engaging a cultivator.

His eyes slightly darkened, showing no hint of underestimation. The True Dragon Cave Heaven appeared behind him, and the True Dragon Precious Technique was immediately activated. Amidst the sound of dragon roars, he took a step, activating the ‘Travel’ Secret of the Nine Secrets of Star Seeking, and his entire body vanished in an instant.

He was about to make a move.

But just as he activated the ‘Travel’ Secret to shift, in that instant, time seemed to stand still. Qin Jin did not turn back, yet he clearly perceived that behind him, the White-Eyebrow Ancestor extended a hand and flicked his sleeve, pointing in the void.

With that single point.

Information swirled into his mind, obscure and profoundly complex, yet the moment it entered his mind, Qin Jin swiftly understood it.

That information.

It was precisely a more thorough analysis and higher-level guidance, based on the techniques Qin Jin had just displayed!

True Dragon Cave Heaven, True Dragon Precious Technique, Nine Secrets of Star Seeking!

As the relevant information swirled into his mind, the white dragon’s body within Qin Jin’s Cave Heaven danced, and his own aura surged once more!

At this moment.

Qin Jin fully realized the purpose of the second game.

Although it was a martial arts competition for prodigies, this was ultimately a Grandmaster’s Game. In the first round, the two Grandmasters imparted knowledge, and in the second round, they provided guidance based on each ‘chess piece’s’ own techniques, thereby determining superiority!

Everything happened in an instant. With the ‘Travel’ Secret activated, when Qin Jin reappeared, he had already completed a leap across the arena, nearing the other end. He punched like a dragon, empowered by the strength of his Cave Heaven. The white dragon within that Cave Heaven surged forth at this moment, soaring through the sky and striking directly towards his opponent!

Cave Heaven Realm, establishing a Cave Heaven!

In a sense, a Cave Heaven, as a cultivator continuously grows, can fully rival a blessed land within a realm. The methods that can be unearthed from it are unimaginable.

At the other end, Qiu Xiyu, at this moment, had evidently also received guidance from the Axe-Wielding Ancestor. The instant the white dragon struck forward, the Cave Heaven that had appeared behind her now manifested before her. Her revealed Cave Heaven was ethereal with mist, exuding an immortal aura, dreamlike and illusory. Amidst a clear cry, a azure luan soared out, blocking the white dragon!

Dragon strikes azure luan!

At the same time, Qin Jin took a step, activating the ‘Travel’ Secret again. When he reappeared, he was already behind her.

Raising his arm and clenching his fist, since he understood the key to this Grandmaster’s second game, he naturally wouldn’t miss the opportunity. Simultaneously, his full power was mobilized. His primordial strength combined with spiritual power, and on Qin Jin’s fist, as the powers merged, the color began to change, becoming increasingly deep. As he punched out, Qin Jin clearly heard a soft gasp.

The next instant.

Just as he had made his initial move, the White-Eyebrow Ancestor gave further guidance. Complex information swirled into his mind, which he swiftly comprehended.

This time.

The guidance contained within was no longer limited to the Heavenly Azure Method; it also included information regarding primordial strength.

Ancient lands are all extraordinary.

The two Grandmasters within this ancient land, their realm unknown, but to have survived until now and manifest in this era, they must be extraordinarily profound.

Although he was encountering primordial strength cultivated through martial arts for the first time, he had already gained understanding and provided guidance based on everything he had discerned!

Ahead.

Qiu Xiyu turned back, blocking with a flick of her sleeve.

The next instant, fist met arm!

At the initial clash, illusions of Cave Heavens appeared behind both Qin Jin and Qiu Xiyu.

For a Cave Heaven Realm Martial Artist, as long as their Cave Heaven remains, they are undefeated.

Now, amidst the clash, an incredibly astonishing power erupted. Behind Qiu Xiyu, four Cave Heavens stood, all trembling violently at this moment.

Everything happened in an instant.

Behind Qiu Xiyu, the white dragon at this moment broke through the azure luan’s interception. With front and back clashing, the white dragon charged forward relentlessly, striking towards Qiu Xiyu.

Just as it was about to hit.

Qiu Xiyu’s figure suddenly vanished.

This Grandmaster’s Game, after all, was not some bloody arena. When a winner was determined, the loser would be enveloped by power and removed from the arena.

The white dragon charged forward, Qin Jin retracted his fist, and as the white dragon neared Qin Jin’s body, it vanished into the void, directly entering the Spirit Ruins and returning to the Cave Heaven.

Qin Jin did not rejoice at his victory.

Below, the arena lowered, returning to its original state. He stood on the boundary line, his eyes slightly closed, savoring the guidance from the White-Eyebrow Ancestor.

And outside the chessboard.

Qiu Xiyu’s figure appeared, her complexion somewhat pale. Above her, sweet dew descended, not wetting her clothes but merging with her body, and her complexion gradually became rosy.

Looking towards Qin Jin, who was still on the chessboard, she performed a cultivator’s salute again and said, “A Immortal Dynasty prodigy is indeed extraordinary.”

“Xiyu is ashamed of her inferiority.”

On the chessboard.

Qin Jin opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on her, and he said, “Thank you for the match.”

At the two ends of the chessboard.

The White-Eyebrow Ancestor stroked his long beard, smiling, and said, “This first move, I have won.”

“Senior Brother, you shameless old man, you clearly cheated. This Qin Jin of Tiancang has quite an extraordinary foundation.”

“The Immortal Dynasty indeed has a continuous stream of talents.”

The Axe-Wielding Ancestor chided with a laugh.

Hearing this, the White-Eyebrow Ancestor’s expression remained unchanged, and he said calmly.

“Junior Brother, I won’t take advantage of you either.”

“Since I went first in the last move, this move, you go first.”

As the words fell, he closed his eyes slightly, seemingly not intending to disturb the other party.

Seeing this.

The Axe-Wielding Ancestor’s brows furrowed slightly. His gaze swept over the young figures on the peak, finally focusing on a male figure, whom he brought onto the arena.

This man had a heroic face and wore battle armor, appearing to be of noble birth. After stepping onto the chessboard, he stood still, quietly waiting.

At the same time.

The White-Eyebrow Ancestor opened his eyes.

He seemed to have made his choice long ago. He raised his palm, and a figure, surrounded by a flash of light, entered the chessboard, appearing on another boundary line of the chessboard.

That was... Su Changqing!

This young Daoist priest, who had guided Qin Jin, usually seemed jovial, but his expression became serious after stepping onto the arena.

The ancient arena reappeared.

This battle was quite an eye-opener for Qin Jin.

The armored man’s offense was wide and fierce, very aggressive.

Comparatively.

Su Changqing’s situation was rather passive, always on the defensive, yet impenetrable.

The two fought with increasing intensity, and in their continuous exchanges, Su Changqing even displayed new techniques.

His Spirit Ruins appeared, revealing a verdant, thriving divine tree with extremely vigorous life force, manifesting as an illusion. Su Changqing had also opened three Cave Heavens, but unlike Qin Jin’s Cave Heavens which were separated around the four directions of the Spirit Ruins, his Cave Heavens clustered around that unknown divine tree, seemingly assisting it and forming some kind of connection with it.

In the continuous exchanges, the armored man’s subsequent attacks weakened, unable to be sustained, and eventually, a winner was determined.

Su Changqing won.

Observing this battle, Qin Jin gained some insights.

That verdant divine tree should be an extraordinary method, similar to his Thunder Marsh Law and Fire God Law, creating a unique landscape within the Spirit Ruins. However, the opponent’s method of using Cave Heavens to assist it was worth studying and understanding.

Qin Jin became increasingly interested in this Grandmaster’s Game.

Previously, he had cultivated the Heavenly Azure Method alone, which in a sense, was undoubtedly like working in isolation.

Now.

In this ancient land, seeing one prodigy after another who cultivated the Heavenly Azure Method battle, Qin Jin witnessed so much, filling in the gaps in his understanding of this aspect.

To observe a prodigy’s battle, this in itself was a stroke of luck.

This was an invaluable gain.

On the chessboard, battles were taking place one after another.

The two Grandmasters went back and forth, choosing prodigies, giving them guidance, and sending them to battle in the arena.

In the early and mid-stages of cultivation in Star Sea Martial Arts, the methods available to a Martial Artist were relatively scarce and limited. Only as the realm continuously increased would this aspect be supplemented.

And the cultivation of the Heavenly Azure Method, after entering the Cave Heaven Realm, began to differ from before. A truly extraordinary Cave Heaven, even without considering Cave Heaven Treasure Techniques, could still yield many methods and techniques. Seeing these battles today truly broadened Qin Jin’s perspective.

The battles continued.

Within this Green Wood Temple, there seemed to be no day and night cycle; it remained in a perpetual state of daylight.

The battles continued until they were completely over.

Before the two Grandmasters, the victors of the battles remained on the chessboard.

At a glance, the number of ‘chess pieces’ before the White-Eyebrow Ancestor was noticeably more than those before the Axe-Wielding Ancestor.

“Junior Brother.”

The White-Eyebrow Ancestor seemed to be in excellent spirits: “This second game, it seems I have won.”

“You have won.”

The Axe-Wielding Ancestor leaned back: “However, for now, it’s merely one victory each.”

“In my opinion, it’s still early. Why don’t we proceed directly to the third game?”

“What do you think?”

“Then we must ask if these juniors are willing.”

After the words fell, the White-Eyebrow Ancestor bowed his head, looking at the remaining people on the chessboard.

Evidently, these individuals had all won their battles and successfully qualified to participate in the third game.

As the question fell, on the chessboard, the disciples of Green Wood Temple were the first to respond, and then... the other prodigies who had entered the third game also agreed.

Qin Jin, being among them, naturally had no intention of refusing and also assented.

“If that’s the case...”

“Then the third game shall now begin.”

As the White-Eyebrow Ancestor’s voice resounded, he raised his hand, pointing his fingers like a sword, and suddenly pressed them against his own glabella.

On the opposite side of the chessboard.

The Axe-Wielding Ancestor also put away his relaxed demeanor and made a similar gesture to the White-Eyebrow Ancestor.

As they pointed to their glabella, light rose from their brows. At this moment, on the chessboard, the prodigies who had been standing on the boundary lines shifted their positions, leaving the central area of the chessboard and, like in the first game, moving into the intersecting empty squares.

In the empty area at the very center of the chessboard, points of light emerged, growing in an instant, sprouting roots, and forming branches and leaves. In a blink of an eye, it had transformed into a towering, golden divine tree, standing on the chessboard and reaching straight to the sky.

Qin Jin’s gaze lingered on this golden divine tree.

A moment later.

The divine tree trembled slightly, and above, golden leaves drifted down, falling onto each empty square where a person stood on the chessboard.

The golden leaves floated down, scattering, and then stopped motionless after settling in front of them.

Qin Jin stared at the golden leaf.

Then, his vision suddenly went black, and his senses were restricted.

It seemed like an instant, and yet it seemed like a long time, before Qin Jin’s vision returned.

He heard crying.

Immediately after, he realized that this crying seemed to be coming from himself.

A feeling of extreme weakness and frailty came from his physical body, but on a spiritual level, Qin Jin sensed that he was still strong.

“Am I...”

His perception spread out, observing his surroundings.

“I, it seems, have become a newborn.”

“Is this the third game of the Grandmaster’s Game? What mode is this game?”

Thoughts flowed through his mind, and more sensory information flooded in. He was in a simple stone house, with a weak woman lying beside him. Outside the stone house, happy voices of communication could be heard.

Observing the attire of these people, it was remarkably similar to the primitive Tribes of the Great Wilderness.

“Is this some kind of simulation?”

Qin Jin had already experienced the marvels of the ancient land. His spiritual level was still normal, which meant he should have entered some kind of simulation mentally. In this respect, it was somewhat similar to the Wu Sheng Stele.

However... everything around him was so lifelike, and he even appeared as a newborn, which made Qin Jin realize that this place was clearly more complete than the Wu Sheng Stele. After all, within the Wu Sheng Stele, apart from some important events, most of the time was directly transitioned through ‘cutscenes.’

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Everything in the outside world was lifelike, and Qin Jin did not reveal his peculiarities. Like a truly newborn baby, he silently observed everything.

The tender body of a newborn was not yet capable of cultivation.

Qin Jin had gained many insights in the second game. Now, he simply took this opportunity to perform martial arts mentally, starting with his own insights and conducting deductions.

Days passed one by one.

The cultivation of a Martial Artist emphasizes the parallel of spirit and body.

Now, his strong spirit was also constantly nourishing Qin Jin’s tender newborn body. His growth rate was faster than his peers. As time went on, he walked out of the stone house and witnessed everything outside.

Spiritual power.

Extremely rich spiritual power.

This was Qin Jin’s first perception. The spiritual power in this simulated place was far, far superior to that of the Great Wilderness.

Under his continuous observation, he discovered more information.

He was born into a human Tribe, but this Tribe had no Sacrificial Spirit.

Within the Tribe, there were no priests, and no information about power of vows.

Immediately after, he discovered even more astonishing information.

This human Tribe was not even self-governing; they relied on an extremely powerful Ancient Remnant Species. This entity seemed to possess Qilin bloodline, and the entire Tribe was its ‘property.’ While young newborns were fine, the adult men within the Tribe all needed to work for this ancient beast with Qilin bloodline.

The Tribe was weak, subordinate to another clan.

Subsequently, time passed. This simulation gradually confirmed what Qin Jin had in mind: it was indeed an extremely long span of time.

Because he grew from a newborn, year after year, into a youth, and everything had not yet ended.

And during the past time, through constantly verifying his conjectures, Qin Jin realized what this world simulated in the third game truly was.

In the past.

When he first ascended to the heavens, from the fragments of the divine cauldron, he met the Immortal Dynasty Princess, Ji Lianxing.

She had briefly mentioned the ancient human race.

In ancient times, the human race was weak, far inferior to those naturally extraordinary races. It was not until the human ancestors gradually researched and established the path of cultivation, that the human race became reliant on heaven and earth, gradually rose, and thus achieved the magnificent prosperity of the Tiancang Immortal Dynasty.

Now.

This simulated world was clearly in that ancient, vast era when the human race had not yet risen.