Chapter 327: Chen Qianqian: Can I?
The sea region where the Azure Flood Dragon King's palace was located transformed into a vast chessboard under the watchful eyes of countless sea clans.
Upon that chessboard now stood a single azure piece, and when the sea clans looked closely, they realized it was none other than Ancestor Qinglin.
Falling into the chessboard, Ancestor Qinglin's eyes flashed with astonishment at the sudden change.
He was a contemporary powerhouse only one step away from the Saint Realm, yet before him, this Chu Feng had silently trapped him inside a chessboard. This was truly remarkable.
Ancestor Qinglin sneered. "Young man, do you think conjuring a chessboard can imprison me? Today, I will show you that even among Half-Saints, there is still a difference in strength!"
"Please."
Chu Feng smiled as he uttered just two words.
"Roar!!!"
Ancestor Qinglin bellowed, his body erupting in azure light as he slammed into the chessboard.
Boom—!!
The impact shook the Eastern Sea, raising colossal tsunamis that spread for thousands of li.
Nearby experts sensed the tremendous shock and rushed toward the source.
Within a few breaths, over a hundred Nirvana cultivators and several Half-Saints appeared above the Azure Flood Dragon King's palace.
The moment they saw the chessboard, they all stopped abruptly.
Every cultivator shared the same thought—if they took another step, they too would be drawn into the chessboard, reduced to nothing more than a chess piece.
"Which two great sages are dueling here? Such momentum, such strength—only one near the Saint Realm could achieve this."
"Look! Isn't that Great Sage Qinglin trapped inside?"
"It really is him. But who could possibly trap even Great Sage Qinglin?"
Among the onlookers, sharp-eyed cultivators quickly spotted Chu Feng fanning himself.
"It's him, the Half-Saint of Wendao Academy, Chu Feng!"
"How could he appear here, and even be fighting Great Sage Qinglin?"
"Wasn't Half-Saint Chu famous across the world for his sword? Why is he using such methods today?"
This very question surfaced in Great Sage Jiaoyang's mind as well. She instinctively looked toward Great Sage Yishan.
Great Sage Yishan shook his head. "Don't ask me. I don't know either."
"My elder brother is skilled in a hundred arts. Zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting are his specialties. I've heard of this technique."
The sudden voice of Great Sage Jinchi startled the two, nearly making them jump.
Great Sage Yishan scowled. "Senior Brother Jinchi, scaring people to death is no joke."
Great Sage Jinchi grinned. "Didn't I arrive just in time to answer your doubts?"
Great Sage Jiaoyang asked curiously, "Junior Brother Jinchi, do you think Fellow Daoist Chu can win?"
Great Sage Jinchi huffed. "What kind of question is that? You should be asking how many moves it'll take Brother Feng to finish off that old relic!"
Great Sage Jiaoyang: "…"
She finally understood now where Cao Youqian's arrogance came from—apparently, it was inherited straight from the lineage of the Miscellaneous Dao Institute.
But she could not be bothered to argue further, turning her gaze instead toward the chessboard.
Inside, Ancestor Qinglin's expression had grown grave. Since becoming a Half-Saint, he had never encountered such an opponent.
At first, he thought his enemy had merely prepared an ambush. Yet even after striking, he could not break free from the chessboard.
Could this really be a youth not yet a hundred years old?
Seeing Ancestor Qinglin unmoving, Chu Feng smiled. "Fellow Daoist, can we now play a proper game of chess?"
"You!!!"
Ancestor Qinglin was so enraged he could not speak. This youth was deliberately humiliating him.
"Do not be arrogant. I am no ordinary Half-Saint. Such petty tricks cannot bind me. When I break free, it will be your descent into hell."
"Is that so? Then please."
Chu Feng dismissed his words and instead turned toward Chen Qianqian in the carriage, smiling. "Qianqian, what kind of chess match would you like to see today?"
Chen Qianqian had not expected her master to let her take part in a Half-Saint battle.
She leapt from the carriage, tilting her head. "Master, this disciple wishes to see Heaven and Earth in Harmony."
"You little girl, fond of these flashy plays… very well."
Chu Feng casually manifested a chess piece and handed it to Chen Qianqian. "Then you place this move."
Chen Qianqian was stunned. "Master, can I?"
"Of course you can."
Chu Feng's face was filled with indulgence.
This exchange left all the surrounding cultivators dumbfounded.
Cao Youqian, standing atop the head of a one-horned flood dragon, turned to Xiao Chen. "Senior Brother, Master's flair is endless. We still have much to learn."
Xiao Chen said nothing, only nodding silently, eyes full of expectation as he fixed on the piece in Chen Qianqian's hand, waiting to see what would happen once it was placed.
The onlookers were all stunned. It was not as if they had never seen a battle between Half-Saints.
In the Endless Sea, countless clashes occurred daily, and every decade or so, old ancestors of great clans would be roused into action.
But never had they seen a Half-Saint battle fought in this manner.
"Half-Saint Chu is being far too arrogant."
"I think Half-Saint Chu just wants to deliberately provoke Great Sage Qinglin, to make him expose a flaw."
"That makes sense."
"..."
Humiliation—this was naked humiliation.
Great Sage Qinglin's eyes bulged like copper bells, dragon scales standing on end.
"Nine Heavens Dragon Roar!"
He spat out a dragon pearl, unleashing a dragon breath toward Chu Feng.
Yet before the breath even left the chessboard, it vanished without a trace. At this moment, Great Sage Qinglin was nothing more than a chess piece, forced to be at the mercy of another. But he refused to accept it. His mind held only one thought: break this chessboard, then tear that brat apart alive.
Chu Feng ignored the glaring dragon breath within the chessboard and instead looked at the tense little face of Chen Qianqian. "Place your move."
"Y-yes, Master."
Her small hands trembling, Chen Qianqian placed the white piece toward the center of the board. In that instant, though the chessboard was dozens of li away, she felt as if it were within arm's reach.
Clack!
As the piece fell, the chessboard erupted in dazzling light.
That piece transformed into a sword flying straight at Great Sage Qinglin. At the sight of it, his heart surged with dread, instinctively wanting to flee.
But in the next moment, despair seized him. The single sword split into countless blades, filling the entire chessboard.
Boom—!!
The board resounded with an earth-shaking roar.
Yet the seawater around the Azure Flood Dragon Palace did not stir, as though the clash between dragon and man occurred in another world altogether.
Inside that world, only Ancestor Qinglin suffered. The once-overbearing elder now lay motionless upon the chessboard, his colossal dragon body riddled with wounds, blood dyeing the board crimson.
Chu Feng looked upon the scene, rubbing Chen Qianqian's small head. "Your state of mind is still lacking. That was a winning move, yet because your opponent was a Half-Saint, you hesitated. This is a grave taboo in chess."
Chen Qianqian lowered her head in shame. "Master, this disciple understands her mistake."
"Remember it well. Now let me show you the correct demonstration of Heaven and Earth in Harmony."
With that, a black piece appeared in Chu Feng's hand. He was just about to place it when—
"Wait, Fellow Daoist!" Ancestor Qinglin cried out quickly.
"Do you wish to leave final words?" Chu Feng asked instinctively.
"N-no, this old one admits defeat in this match. I beg Fellow Daoist Chu to spare me."
The ancestor spoke hastily, terrified that if he delayed, Chu Feng's piece would fall.
Chu Feng smiled. "Then what do you intend to do about today's matter?"
Ancestor Qinglin replied, "Let the young settle the affairs of the young."
"Very well."
With that, Chu Feng casually withdrew the piece in his hand. With a wave of his feather fan, the chessboard dissolved into nothingness…
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