Night had fallen deeply upon the lands of Xiliang.In the great encampment, Xiang Shaoyun's eyes suddenly snapped open.A terrifying surge of blood and energy once again roared through the tent.His eyes burned crimson, and veins bulged violently across his neck.He lifted his head—his hair, like steel needles, bristled in all directions.From within his massive frame, an eerie resonance echoed, causing the very air to quiver in ripples of dread.
"Immortals..."Xiang Shaoyun's gaze blazed like torches, brimming with barely suppressed fury and humiliation.So what if they were immortals?What right had they to demand his submission?
He, Xiang Shaoyun, bowed to neither heaven nor earth—There existed no one in this world worthy of his kneeling.
A low growl—more beast than man—boomed like thunder, deafening and unrelenting, as if those who heard it would feel their very lifeblood explode within them.Two streams of volatile spiritual energy coiled around his thick arms.
"Shaoyun…"A gentle voice called from afar.Bathed in moonlight, the young maiden was a vision of ethereal beauty, her eyes filled with worry as they gazed upon Xiang Shaoyun with a softness that could melt iron.
He covered his face with one hand and shook his head.Only upon hearing Luo Mingsang's voice did his tempestuous heart finally begin to calm.Yet the humiliation within his soul still lingered.
He was the Warlord of the Western Commandery, the Sovereign of Xiliang.Even immortals had no right to bring him to his knees.
Luo Mingsang, delicate as water and soft as silk, stepped gently to his side and embraced his broad chest.
"You must learn to temper your temperament.""You are now the supreme commander. Such recklessness no longer befits your station. Think carefully before you act. Passion cannot solve all things. Some matters require thought, not brute strength."
Her tender voice slowly dissolved the anger on Xiang Shaoyun's face.He stroked her hair, inhaling its fragrance with shameless delight, and let out a small chuckle.
"Mingsang, you are wrong.""There is no problem in this world that force cannot resolve. And if there is… then it only means I'm not strong enough yet."His tone brimmed with indomitable arrogance.
"I once thought myself to have reached the pinnacle of martial might in Da Zhou.But I was mistaken.Only after touching upon celestial fate did I realize—the summit of martial cultivation is merely the beginning of a vaster world beyond."
He raised his hand.Two gentle streams of spiritual energy flowed obediently within his palm.
"You are now the commander of thirteen lords. Do not be distracted by such matters.When you one day ascend the ultimate peak and found your dynasty, I will not stop you from pursuing the immortal path.But until then, you must tread with care.After all… collaborating with the Hundred Schools is akin to skinning a tiger for its pelt."
Luo Mingsang's soft hands traced gentle circles on his chest as she murmured her warning.
Xiang Shaoyun smiled, twisting her silky strands between his fingers, his gaze fixed beyond the tent, burning with resolve.
"I once told you—I would make you the consort of a king.This empire, I conquer for you.This dynasty, I shall raise in your name."
"As for the Hundred Schools…Heh—The day I reach the summit… is the day I cast them all down."
"Mingsang, rest easy."
Great Zhou Dynasty, Imperial CapitalBook Pavilion
Yu Wenxiu opened his eyes from his reclining chair, shame and anger flashing within their depths before eventually settling into calm.
"Your Majesty, tell me—did you receive the celestial fate?"A gentle voice echoed in the quiet room.
In the flickering candlelight, a white-haired elder, clad in plain robes and straw sandals, watched Yu Wenxiu with a kind and ruddy face.He held a letter in his hand, passed to him by his carriage driver.Though he had read its contents, his expression revealed nothing.
"National Preceptor… I suppose I did."Yu Wenxiu rubbed his brow with uncertainty.
"Suppose?"The elder frowned in confusion.
After a moment's hesitation, Yu Wenxiu recounted what had happened upon the Dao-Preaching Platform.
"Celestial fate… at Wolong Ridge?"The National Preceptor stroked his white beard, his weathered face deep in thought.He then rose, walked to a shelf, and retrieved an old, yellowing map.Crude markings of mountains and rivers sprawled across the parchment.
"Coiled like a dragon… stretched across Northern Luo.""So Wolong Ridge lies a hundred miles outside Beiluo City?"
The Preceptor tapped the map with a thoughtful finger.
"Your Majesty, celestial-borne heirs now arise in growing numbers across the land.The world's tides grow ever more treacherous and unclear."
He rolled up the map, coughed lightly, and continued,"Your Majesty is one of these heaven-blessed souls. By your account, two others remain unknown."
"As for Beiluo's Lu Ping'an…""I suspect he, too, is blessed. One of his retainers can control blades at a distance—another probable candidate."
"How many such chosen ones exist in this world is impossible to tell.Chaos breeds anomalies—Yet amidst the madness… lies hope for Da Zhou's revival."
Though coughing weakly, the old man's eyes gleamed with the brilliance of stars.
Hope for revival?Yu Wenxiu's own eyes lit up.
As Emperor, he had long since seen through the dire state of Da Zhou.
A fractured age of warlords, massive armies amassed by nobles, sweeping through cities like wildfire.With conflict rampant, bandits roamed unchecked.Da Zhou had all but lost control of its territories—its power now confined to the capital alone.
"National Preceptor…Can the heaven-blessed truly turn the tide for Da Zhou?"Yu Wenxiu asked with a trace of fervor.
"You are the Son of Heaven.With their aid, peace may yet be restored…And the dream of casting down the Hundred Schools may no longer remain empty words."
The Preceptor glanced out the window, where a thousand stars shimmered in the midnight sky.
"Rest, Your Majesty.Tomorrow, I must journey to Beiluo…"
Yu Wenxiu bowed and withdrew.
The elder, his face filled with serene benevolence, watched as eunuchs flanked the departing emperor.His gaze softened.
He reclined once more on the rocking chair, letting out a gentle cough.
"The older I get… the more useless I become.I wonder how many more burdens I can still shoulder for His Majesty…"
The candle's flame swayed—Deepening the shadows.A long sigh echoed through the silence.
"A… chess manual?"In the darkness, Lu Fan blinked in astonishment.Of all things, the reward turned out to be a chess manual?
Was even the system beginning to despise him?
He pursed his lips and summoned the reward with a single thought.
Chess Manual: "The Heavenly Game"Profound Grade, Lower Tier Soul-Tempering Method (Upgradeable)Placing stones according to the manual while visualizing the game strengthens and refines the soul.Tip: When used alongside "Primordial Qi Refinement Codex," self-cultivation speed increases.
Buzz...
Images of black and white stones forming intricate positions filled his mind.
Lu Fan's consciousness blurred for a moment.He seemed to see a scene unfolding:Beneath an ancient pine, two shadowed figures sat across a board.Wind rustled the leaves, tea steamed gently.With every move they made, seas surged and stars swirled, as if the entire cosmos were their chessboard.
When he opened his eyes again, Lu Fan felt inspired.He placed the board on his lap, lifted a stone from the box, and began mimicking the openings of "The Heavenly Game."
The manual contained nine games, each more profound than the last.The first—The Mountains and Rivers Board—required 32 black stones, 29 white.
In the dead of night,the steady, rhythmic clicks of falling stones echoed softly.
The more he played, the more invigorated he felt.His exhausted soul gradually rejuvenated.
He played all through the night.
The Next Day
Lu Fan gathered the stones from the board and stretched lazily.Though sleepless, he felt refreshed, his soul's strength fully restored.
Rustling.A knock came from the vermillion-carved wooden door.
He answered.
Ning Zhao, Yi Yue, and Ni Yu entered.Ni Yu, face flushed from steam, carried warm water.Yi Yue brought the morning meal.
"Morning."Lu Fan smiled.
A beautiful day began with a decadent morning.After enjoying their careful service and breakfast, the door swung open again.
Ning Zhao wheeled his chair gently.Yi Yue held a parasol above his head.Ni Yu followed closely behind, carrying the chessboard.
In the courtyard—Jing Yue was already awake, rubbing his hands together eagerly.Upon seeing the young master in white, he broke into a grin.
"Good morning, Young Master."Jing Yue called out cheerfully.
Lu Fan cast him a glance and nodded.Then his gaze turned—Toward the figure buried in the courtyard,with only their head above ground...