Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 224 Supernatural Relics

In a dark room.

Yuanzhen kept his eyes tightly closed, rolled the Buddhist beads in his hand, and muttered incantations.

His peaceful face was shrouded in shadow, making him appear somewhat sinister.

At one point, the prayer beads stopped spinning, he slowly opened his eyes, the candlelight went out, and the room was plunged into complete darkness.

A hoarse voice rang out: "Who is that person who came during the day?"

“Ordinary native cultivators of Chu are only at the Qi Refining stage; there’s no need to worry about them.” Yuanzhen’s voice was indifferent, devoid of the gentle demeanor he displayed during the day.

"But he seemed to be traveling with Wang Ke."

"According to them, you're only at the Qi Refining stage right now," the hoarse voice reminded him. "Do you need any help?"

Yuanzhen shook his head.

"The most important thing this time is the divine relic on Wu Huaguo's body. If we want to capture the Wu family head alive in Beiya Mountain City, which has Foundation Establishment cultivators, we can only send you."

"Apart from you, all the participants in the Chess Tournament are ordinary Qi Refining cultivators. Wang Ke is now just a mortal. I only need to kill Wang Ke instantly and then reunite with you."

The voice in the shadows remained silent, seemingly in agreement.

"Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may be a misfortune in disguise." In the darkness, Yuanzhen revealed a strange smile.

"Although your cultivation was destroyed by the sect leader, your sacred skills are profound, and your demonic body was not greatly affected. You even found clues to the divine relic after wandering here."

"That Ghost Valley disciple, whose cultivation was sealed, delivered himself to our doorstep."

"This place, Chu... is truly a treasure land."

Yuanzhen's hands trembled slightly as he slowly clasped them together: "This time, this humble monk will surely be able to rebuild the foundation of Buddhism and return to the realm of desire."

"Once we obtain this relic, there will be nowhere in this great world we cannot go."

"Hmm..." The hoarse voice responded woodenly at this moment.

……

As evening fell, Song Yan declined Wu's request to stay overnight and left with Xiao Ju and Xiao He.

Shanyang Villa.

This is a cluster of white-walled and blue-tiled buildings surrounded by flowering trees. Each courtyard is very spacious, enough for three or four people to move around in their own area.

However, Song Yan couldn't bring herself to bring her family to live with Liang Feng and his wife, and she wasn't familiar with Wang Ke yet, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and pay for the move out of her own pocket.

After choosing a place to stay, he told Xiao Ju and Xiao He to go ahead, but he didn't go in himself.

Instead, he went to Wang Ke's residence alone.

Wang Ke held a scroll in his left hand and a musical instrument in his right, quietly studying the score by himself.

"What, could it be that Fellow Daoist Song is also a master of chess, and wishes to play a game with me?"

Song Yan sat opposite him and watched the situation on the chessboard for a while.

Upon hearing Wang Ke's question, he shook his head: "I'm just a terrible chess player, I wouldn't dare to play against a master like you."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ke chuckled and said, "Fellow Daoist Song, do you perhaps think that I was born knowing how to play chess?"

He gently placed the chess piece back into the jar and looked at Song Yan: "There is no difference between learning the way of chess and cultivating immortality. Both are about accumulating knowledge day by day, and once a move is made, there is no going back."

"There are no shortcuts; we must proceed step by step."

He suddenly snapped out of his dazed state, and his tone relaxed.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Song. The path to immortality is long and boundless. Occasionally taking a break to play a couple of games of chess is a wonderful thing."

Song Yan nodded.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist Wang, is Yunmeng Mountain... in the Central Region?"

Wang Ke paused for a moment, then nodded calmly.

"good."

Song Yan raised an eyebrow and asked a question that interested him more: "Is everyone in the Central Region as wealthy as you?"

Wang Ke was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "I didn't know that, after all, I rarely open other people's Qiankun bags."

Song Yan pondered for a moment, then asked, "Do you know a Buddhist cultivator from the Central Region named Yuanzhen?"

“Yuanzhen? Hmm… I’ve only heard of him. He’s one of the eight masters of Yi Dao in the finals of this Yi Dao Tournament, but I’ve never met him.”

"What about Jingye Temple?"

“Never heard of it.” Wang Ke shook his head, looking bewildered. “Among the Buddhist sects in the Central Region, Fuxin Temple and Guanfu Temple are the most famous.”

“If Jingye Temple were located in the central region, it would be a small temple and a hidden sect.”

He paused, then said thoughtfully, "However... Buddhist practitioners have always been low-key, perhaps I am just ignorant."

"Why does Fellow Daoist Song ask this?"

"Nothing, just ask."

According to Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng, Yuanzhen came to Beiya Mountain for a certain purpose, and he was also a visitor from the Central Region.

Could it be that they came for Wang Ke...?

This possibility is low, but it does exist.

Song Yan didn't know where this feeling came from; it was vague but very strong.

Now that this extremely wealthy chess master is his employer, he can't afford to make any mistakes.

After chatting for a few minutes, he returned to his residence.

Sitting alone in the courtyard, Song Yan summoned four flying swords.

Unmoored Boat, Lianli, Jilinjun, and Tiyue slowly swirled around him.

With the nourishing effect of the Tai Xu Sword Nourishing Chapter, the power of the four flying swords has been significantly enhanced.

In addition, while in Lanxi Cave, Song Yan used all the cloud iron to refine the flying swords and improve their grade. Now, all four flying swords have reached the level of high-grade magic weapons.

Among them, the natal flying sword, Unbound Boat, has reached the pinnacle of a superior-grade magic weapon, and it already faintly possesses the power of a top-grade magic weapon.

"If we randomly pick an ordinary flying sword to refine, and gather five of them, we can barely unleash a new sword formation called 'Roaring Sun'."

He frowned slightly, as if he was struggling with something.

But after thinking for a moment, he finally shook his head: "There's no need."

The Howling Sun Sword Formation is not known for its killing power, and it would be too much of a stretch to use it now.

Song Yan recalled that although Yuan Zhen was also at the Qi Refining stage, he had never fought against any cultivators from the Central Region.

What if this master really starts fighting me...?

For some reason, the emotion that rose in his heart was not fear, but excitement, like a fighting spirit.

Song Yan played with the Sword Sect Jade Seal in his hand, on which nine fine sword marks, as thin as hair, had accumulated.

What is there about the poor and remote Chu Kingdom that would attract Buddhist monks from the Central Regions to come here?
"..."

Who cares, it's not coming for me anyway.

If Yuanzhen were to make a move against Wang Ke before he obtained the third section of the Fallen Vine, he would inevitably have to spar with him.

……

Two days later.

The Go Tournament was held as scheduled at Shinomiya Go Valley.

Even before the game officially started, a large number of chess enthusiasts had already gathered in the valley.

As the chief steward, Rong Xiaofeng stood on the high platform and announced loudly: "The final of the Yidao Tournament has officially begun!"

"..."

"Fellow Daoist Chen Qing of the Sheyang Sect is facing off against Fellow Daoist Wang Ke, a rogue cultivator."

"Master Yuanzhen of Jingye Chan Temple versus fellow practitioner Yuan Yi."

"..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Ming, a cultivator from Beiya Mountain, quickly stepped forward and whispered a few words in Rong Xiaofeng's ear.

He frowned slightly, then nodded and added loudly, "Senior Yuan Yi, a rogue cultivator, has not yet arrived. According to the rules of the conference, he is considered to have abstained. Master Yuanzhen will advance directly." A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd.

Some people whispered among themselves, "Why is Haraichi-senpai absent?"

This senior rogue cultivator named Yuan Yi is the only Foundation Establishment cultivator among the eight players who advanced to the finals.

This person is extremely mysterious; it is even unknown whether they are male or female, because no one has ever seen their true face or heard their voice.

"Could it be that you're wary of the other players' chess skills, afraid of losing to a junior Qi Refining cultivator and losing face?"

Song Yan gazed thoughtfully at Yuanzhen, who was resting with his eyes closed in the distance.

In the first game, Wang Ke faced Chen Qing of the Sheyang School. Chen Qing played black and made the first move, opening with a small star point, seemingly a style that favored attacking and killing.

This was the first time Song Yan had ever watched Wang Ke play a proper game.

His understanding of the game of chess was not deep; he could only see that Wang Ke, who was originally calm and composed and defending steadily, suddenly made a risky move.

The third and sixth stones invaded, directly threatening Black's strong position.

But as I looked at it, something felt off.

"The number of all things begins with one, and the path of the universe is three hundred and sixty-one..."

The Five Star Pulse-Grasping Technique began to operate naturally without any warning.

"Three hundred and sixty pieces of Go, half white and half black, according to the principles of Yin and Yang..."

In Song Yan's eyes, the chessboard in front of him began to change constantly, just like when he first experienced the Five Star Pulse-Grasping Technique.

Mountains and rivers, grass and trees, battlefields and killings, winds and clouds rising and falling.

Song Yan blinked in disbelief, shook his head, and then looked intently at the chessboard, only to find it was just an ordinary game of chess.

In the middle game, White cut off the large group of stones' return path with a clamp, leaving the Black stones on the left side of the board with more than 20 points of territory as rootless duckweed.

Chen Qing resigned.

"Wang Daoyou's moves are truly like a hidden weapon in the fog; I am completely convinced."

In the second round, Wang Ke faced off against a young cultivator from the local Beiya Mountain.

However, this person focuses on "momentum" but pays little attention to "territory," so there is no suspense in facing a master of chess like Wang Ke.

After 97 moves, Wang Ke, playing black, won swiftly by capturing the dragon.

This time, Song Yan didn't feel anything, but Hu Qing, who was standing next to her, kept praising how wonderful these steps were, and she and Xiao Ju discussed what was so wonderful about them.

Xiao He couldn't understand at all. She was already dozing off on Song Yan's shoulder, drooling.

On the other side, Master Yuanzhen also won the match.

Ultimately, the two will play this decisive game on the central jade chessboard.

Based on the previous games, Wang Ke's chess skills should be superior to those of Grandmaster Yuanzhen.

Furthermore, Song Yan vaguely sensed that this was not Wang Ke's true level.

Many times, even he knows how to end the game quickly, but Wang Ke will still let his opponent make a few more moves so that he doesn't lose too badly.

The monks watching the game were also discussing with those around them who they thought would win.

In the center of the Chess Valley, Wang Ke and Yuan Zhen sat facing each other in front of the Spirit Jade Chessboard.

“Benefactor Wang, your chess skills are exceptional. This humble monk has made a fool of himself.”

Wang Ke jokingly said, "Master Yuanzhen, Buddhism emphasizes compassion, so you can't kill my pieces."

Yuanzhen clasped his hands together and lowered his head, his kasaya fluttering even without wind: "Benefactor Wang, the battles on the board are nothing but vain struggles. True compassion is not in the game of chess, but outside the game."

Snapped.

The crisp sound of a piece being placed indicates the start of the game.

Every time the two players placed a piece on the board, the situation would be simultaneously displayed on the huge stone wall, which was clearly visible to onlookers.

As the game progressed, everyone was either pondering the principles of the game or applauding in admiration, but Song Yan's expression looked rather strange.

appeared again.

The chessboard shifted before his eyes. Wang Ke's black pieces resembled a great dragon, while Yuan Zhen's white pieces were like a vast swamp, choking the black dragon's throat and locking its life force.

"Black has many weaknesses, but the most crucial one is here."

If White gains the upper hand here, Black will have no chance to recover, the large group of stones will be captured, and White will win decisively. However, if Black gains the upper hand, it is likely that Black will emerge from hiding and suffer a crushing defeat.

Song Yan shook his head, feeling somewhat dazed, but this was only a moment of distraction.

The dragon came back to life.

The black dragon before them stirred up clouds and rain, collapsing the sacred mountain and turning the place upside down.

On the other side of the chessboard, Yuanzhen's expression was somewhat gloomy.

Whether it's Buddhism or the art of chess, losing to someone is never a pleasant feeling, especially when that person is much younger than you.

He slowly closed his eyes.

That's it, that's it.

He was just a dead man.

Yuanzhen suddenly opened his eyes. At this moment, he no longer resembled a virtuous monk at all; his face and eyes were filled with a fierce expression.

His appearance startled Wang Ke slightly.

At one point, a thick fog suddenly rose in the Chess Valley.

The fog was chilling, obscuring vision and even swallowing up the brilliance of the spirit jade chessboard.

"What's going on here?"

"What happened...?"

The surrounding cultivators watching the game were discussing it animatedly, but soon everyone became alert because a certain spiritual energy fluctuation belonging to an array was clearly visible to the cultivators in the valley.

Wang Ke, however, remained calm. He simply looked up and said, "Master Yuanzhen has neither made a move nor observed the game to think. Could it be that he intends to concede defeat?"

Yuanzhen slowly stood up, and a golden Buddhist bead appeared in his palm.

The prayer beads shattered, transforming into a golden light that shot straight towards Wang Ke's brow.

This power is comparable to the full-force attack of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
boom!
The restrictions on Wang Ke quickly appeared, and a misty blue water curtain emerged, forcefully blocking the golden light from him.

The shockwave suddenly exploded, shattering the chessboard, sending shards of stone flying, and scattering countless chess pieces.

Strangely, the thick fog in the valley did not dissipate.

Wang Ke was pale, but not injured.

He was relieved.

Yuanzhen, however, did not show much surprise. He formed a strange hand seal, and instantly black energy surged around him.

The black energy, like tiny snakes, coiled around Wang Ke's protective barrier, beginning to corrode it, causing the barrier to crumble and erode inwards.

“Benefactor Wang, why are the seniors of Guigu so indifferent to you…”

"How do you know my identity as a disciple of Guiguzi?" Wang Ke frowned, but showed no sign of panic. "Who exactly are you?"

Yuanzhen remained silent, his demonic power circulating even faster, and a hideous ghost face faintly emerged from the black mist, roaring and lunging at the restriction.

Looking at Wang Ke's calm demeanor, Yuanzhen felt a surge of disgust welling up inside her.

With a fierce determination, his entire body gleamed, and his large hands reached out to grab Wang Ke.

Beneath Wang Ke's wide sleeve, a white chess piece quickly condensed.

hum-

Just then, a beam of black and white light shot out from the thick fog, as fast as lightning.

Yuanzhen quickly withdrew his hand and glared at him.

Song Yan slowly walked out and stood behind Wang Ke.

Wang Ke secretly scattered the chess pieces from his sleeve, then suddenly burst into carefree laughter.

"Song Daoyou is very perceptive; this person is indeed suspicious."

(End of this chapter)