After an intense and thrilling game, Nine-Finger Divine Lord's expression turned as dark as the overcast skies.
He raised his eyes to Gu An and asked through gritted teeth, "Where exactly did I go wrong?"
Gu An shrugged nonchalantly. "I wouldn't know."
"Why is it that you always manage to predict my next move?"
"My instincts tell me where you'll place your next piece. And once I predict correctly, it seems to throw you off balance. You start changing your strategy repeatedly, and eventually, cracks appear," Gu An replied with a composed demeanor, though his explanation nearly caused Nine-Finger Divine Lord to cough up blood in frustration.
Suppressing his grin, Gu An adopted a serious tone. "However, this game has taught me something. Variables can indeed bring calamity. Thank you for the valuable lesson, Senior."
With that, Gu An stood, bowed respectfully, and prepared to leave.
Nine-Finger Divine Lord stared at Gu An's retreating figure, his mouth opening as if to speak, but ultimately, his gaze fell back to the chessboard.
Gu An returned to his pavilion with a subtle smile. There was something he hadn't told the Divine Lord.
Indeed, variables could lead to disaster. But whether that disaster was favorable or catastrophic depended entirely on the player.
Life was like a chess game, and Gu An was determined to be the player who always won, regardless of the opponent—even if that opponent was so-called destiny itself.
To challenge the heavens and emerge victorious—isn't that the ultimate joy?
With this realization, Gu An felt a newfound clarity. He wouldn't recklessly interfere with others' lives, only those he cared deeply about.
Although Xiao Chuan was content and accepting of his lot in life, his remark about wishing for a better rebirth in his next life showed his yearning for cultivation, hindered only by his lack of innate talent.
Gu An understood now: as long as he grew stronger, he could continue pushing the limits for those around him.
What couldn't be done now didn't mean it wouldn't be possible in the future.
Reincarnation might exist, but Gu An sought to triumph in this life alone.
This life's Ji Xiaoya wasn't the same person as the one from his previous cycle. And he was no longer Long Zhan, Xiao Shengtian, or Chu Lu!
In the Godly Abyss Realm, beneath the blood-red skies and above the rolling sea of clouds, Zhang Buku stood shoulder to shoulder with the Supernatural Realm Lord, overlooking the battlefield below.
Endless waves of Spectral Wraiths surged forward, relentlessly attacking Li Ya. Like a ceaseless tide, they came one after another, utterly inexhaustible.
Bereft of the protection of Mysterious Divine City, Li Ya was locked in a bitter and grueling struggle, fighting against insurmountable odds.
"Spectral Wraiths are immortal. With his abilities, he can hold out for no more than one hour," the Supernatural Realm Lord stated coldly, his expression impassive.
Zhang Buku turned to him and asked, "Why won't you let me meet him? I can explain everything."
"Explain what? That someone powerful is backing you, forcing me into restraint? That I've been compelled to take you as my disciple?" The Supernatural Realm Lord glanced at Zhang Buku with chilling disdain.
Zhang Buku frowned, perplexed by the cryptic remark.
The Supernatural Realm Lord sneered. "Do you think the floating cities in the sky were built to suppress us? If that were the case, why haven't they launched an attack?"
"They're not meant to suppress you? Then who are they targeting?" Zhang Buku asked in confusion, his eyes widening in sudden realization.
"Could it be for Sword Master of Dao? Wait… was the one who saved me Sword Master of Dao?" Zhang Buku's shock was palpable.
So, the sparrow that aided him was tied to Sword Master of Dao all along…
The Supernatural Realm Lord continued to watch Li Ya, his gaze unfaltering. "After all these years, only he has dared to enter this realm. Tell me, does this person share a karmic bond with Sword Master of Dao?"
After a brief hesitation, Zhang Buku nodded. "He received Sword Master of Dao's inheritance and learned his sword techniques."
There was one thing Zhang Buku didn't mention—Li Ya claimed Sword Master of Dao to be his ancestor.
The pieces began to fall into place in Zhang Buku's mind. His meeting with Li Ya was no coincidence; it was orchestrated by Sword Master of Dao.
What remained unclear, however, was why Sword Master of Dao had chosen him.
"So that's how it is. It seems their reach extends deeper than I imagined," the Supernatural Realm Lord muttered, his tone carrying a trace of somber introspection.
Zhang Buku couldn't help but ask, "Master, isn't the Sacred Court a good entity? You've mentioned before that the Sacred King doesn't represent the entire Sacred Court."
The Supernatural Realm Lord took a deep breath and replied, "Perhaps it didn't represent them before, but now? Who knows? The Sacred Court sought to recruit Sword Master of Dao, yet he refused to accept their Destiny Fruit position. That alone is enough to make the Sacred Court wary."
"In truth, there exists a force in this world that the Sacred Court fears, a force we are derivatives of. Because of this, the Sacred King keeps me alive, hoping to use me to identify this power."
Zhang Buku immediately asked, "What kind of power?"
The Supernatural Realm Lord spat out two words: "Heavenly Demons."
Zhang Buku frowned. It was his first time hearing about Heavenly Demons.
"Then can't you let him go?" Zhang Buku asked through gritted teeth.
Whatever these Heavenly Demons were, he didn't care. He only wanted his brother to live.
The Supernatural Realm Lord said in a low voice, "I've already been stalling for time. If Sword Master of Dao does not appear, and I let him go, it won't just be him who dies—it'll be both of us."
Hearing this, Zhang Buku instinctively looked around.
The unsettling sensation of being watched grew stronger, as though a pair of eyes were hidden in the shadows, staring directly at him.
He noticed the Supernatural Realm Lord discreetly casting a spell behind his back.
Zhang Buku turned his gaze downward again, his eyes hardening with resolve. He prepared to leap into the fray, but just as he leaned forward, a hand pressed firmly on his shoulder.
Turning his head, Zhang Buku saw that the one holding him back was none other than the Supernatural Realm Lord.
His master's expression was indifferent, his calm demeanor strangely foreign and chilling, sending shivers down Zhang Buku's spine.
Zhang Buku's greatest fear was seeing Li Ya fall in battle.
He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
Within the surging tide of wraiths, Li Ya wielded his heavy sword, sweeping it in wide arcs that obliterated everything in its path. Yet, no matter how many Spectral Wraiths he felled, even more rushed to take their place.
"Damn it! Do you even recognize me as your master? Why won't you obey?"
Li Ya roared in frustration within his mind. He couldn't activate the powers of the Mysterious Divine City, a situation that made him feel utterly powerless.
"I can't! It will devour me!" came the trembling voice of the Celestial Spirit.
Li Ya was furious. Since when had this spirit turned so cowardly?
Damn it!
Was he really going to die here before he even had the chance to see Zhang Buku again?
If Gu An found out about his death, would he mourn?
No, Gu An probably wouldn't. After all, he had been wandering the ends of the world for so long that Gu An might live his entire life assuming Li Ya was off chasing adventures somewhere far away.
Perhaps that wasn't so bad…
Li Ya's movements slowed as memories of his younger days flashed before his eyes.
Back then, he and Meng Lang had joined Xuan Valley alongside Gu An. Meng Lang had mysteriously disappeared, and now he too was facing his end here. Who would have thought that Gu An, the one with the worst aptitude among them, would be the last one standing?
Fate was truly cruel.
Suddenly, a Spectral Wraith lunged at Li Ya, a soul sword in its hand. The blade's icy glint cut through the memories playing in his mind, reflecting in his dilated pupils.
Is this the end?
Li Ya's pupils widened.
At that moment, his body erupted with a golden light that surged outward like an unstoppable tidal wave, obliterating every wraith around him.
His vision shifted abruptly. A massive golden phantom of a city emerged from within him, expanding rapidly and enveloping him in its protective glow.
Mysterious Divine City!
Li Ya was ecstatic. Just as he was about to ask the Celestial Spirit why it had suddenly decided to act, an overwhelming aura descended upon him, shaking the heavens and earth.
"Finally willing to come out, Sword Master of Dao? To think you would entrust such a supreme treasure of the Immortal Dao to a mere mortal boy. Truly a grand gesture!"
A voice, ancient and majestic, reverberated across the battlefield, leaving Li Ya stunned.
Ancestor?
Was the Mysterious Divine City actually the possession of his ancestor?