Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 126 General's Platform, Heaven's Way and Tyranny's Way

Lu Chenyuan stepped onto the stone platform.

"Click——"

With the sound of machinery, the entire valley suddenly trembled, the ground cracked, and boulders floated in the air. The earth's energy, like a dragon breaking through the soil, condensed into two majestic statues on either side of the black and white stone platform.

On the left, a white jade statue holds "Sun Tzu's Art of War." In front of it, a magnificent chessboard appears, with all 361 star points lit up simultaneously. The black pieces are like iron chains across a river, while the white pieces are like dragons trapped in shallow waters, a situation of "endless struggle." On both sides of the chessboard, seal script flows: "[Heaven's way is without contention, once a move is made, there is no regret]."

Lu Chenyuan stared at the chessboard, suddenly feeling dizzy.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already on the battlefield, as if he had become the white general. The black-armored army in front of him surged like a tide. With each move, hundreds of soldiers would bleed on the battlefield. What was even more terrifying was that there were two giant eyes that seemed to be looking down from outside the chessboard, as if the heavens were scrutinizing his every choice.

Lu Chenyuan felt his consciousness being torn into the chessboard, so he quickly held his breath and turned to the right.

On the other side, the black iron statue's battle sword was stuck in the ground, and the blood-red chessboard was filled with the murderous intent of the ghostly hand puzzle. The player's side was left with only a lone horse and a single general, while the opponent had a full complement of chariots and cannons. The seal script was written in blood: "[Domineering and ruthless, only killing can prove it]".

After staring for a moment, my mind went blank again.

Lu Chenyuan felt as if he were on a battlefield strewn with corpses, his own general ambushed from all sides, and every move required sacrificing a rook to save the king. The most horrifying thing was that the sacrificed pieces actually turned into severed limbs and rolled off the chessboard...

"Go tests comprehension and concentration, while chess tests decisiveness and resolve of doubts..."

Lu Chenyuan had already seen everything that had happened in the past through the "Iron Spirit Inquiry" technique.

I am no stranger to this General's Platform.

Because Pei Lingsu has been solving problems here for decades...

Sixty years ago, the reclusive immortal Gu Yunsheng set up the "General's Platform" in Hundred Flowers Valley to test those who could inherit his legacy, using their comprehension, composure, and ability to resolve doubts.

The "Divine Talisman Scroll" is different from ordinary secret techniques; it is divided into two types: Heavenly Talismans and Earthly Talismans.

Just like water and fire, they cannot coexist.

Very few people in the world can reach the state of "water and fire in harmony." Without sufficient talent, attempting to cultivate both simultaneously will only lead to self-destruction. Therefore, there will be two chessboards on the stage.

Go symbolizes the way of heaven, which is unpredictable, extremely gentle and simple, and emphasizes going with the flow, opening with the natural flow of the game, focusing on understanding and calculation, and taking a holistic view. If one is fixated on winning in one place or corner, defeat is inevitable!

Chess symbolizes dominance, fierce battles, and life-or-death struggles. Everything is for the sake of killing the general. To achieve the goal, one can sacrifice rooks, knights, cannons, and everything else. Even if one's own army is at the gates and in imminent danger, as long as one kills the general and captures the flag one step ahead, one can turn defeat into victory.

These are two completely different philosophies of playing chess.

There is a sequence to learning, and each profession has its own expertise. Those who follow the path of the king find it difficult to follow the path of the tyrant, and those who follow the path of the tyrant find it difficult to follow the path of the king. Moreover, the chessboard is full of illusions, and one is immersed in it. On the chessboard, with its mountains and rivers, every move makes corpses strewn and rivers of blood flow! It is an extreme test of the mental will of the player.

One wrong calculation, or one moment of reluctance, and the whole game is lost!

Hua Jianying was the first to discover this place.

She had thought it was just a secluded spot suitable for cultivating flowers and plants, but little did she know that such a test was hidden deep inside the cave!

She guessed that it was set up by the Hidden Immortal and was overjoyed. However, as a member of the Mohist school, she believed in universal love and non-aggression, which made her unable to follow the path of tyranny. Moreover, her own talent was insufficient to break the Heavenly Dao, so she was helpless in the face of this test.

She had always admired the name of the Hidden Immortal. Moreover, at that time, the Yang family of Hongnong was the only powerful family. She was worried that if General's Platform was exposed, it would become another private property of the Yang family. So she simply established a sect here. On the one hand, she used Hundred Flowers Valley to cultivate flowers and plants, make mechanisms and refine spiritual medicines, and on the other hand, she looked for talented people to solve the chess game.

She will conduct the initial evaluation, and then select the best candidates to enter.

Over the next decade or so, her chess skills became increasingly advanced, yet she was still unable to crack the code. During this time, more and more talented young people were kept out, including her own apprentices.

Just as she was growing old and becoming powerless, two young men arrived at the Hundred Flowers Valley Wood Armor Sect.

One was a young master from a prominent family.

One was royalty.

The two men defeated her in Go and Chinese chess respectively.

Hua Jianying was overjoyed and, without any hesitation, led them into the depths of Hundred Flowers Valley to begin the test.

The two did not disappoint.

That young master from a prominent family eventually solved the Go puzzle and obtained the "Heavenly Talisman," becoming the future Lord Yin Fu.

That royal nobleman eventually solved the chess puzzle and obtained the "Earth Symbol," who later became Prince Lu, Li Lingkui.

But there was actually a third person involved.

It was Pei Lingsu, the second disciple of Huajianying who had brought the two of them there, and who was known as the "Sword of Startling Swan" at the time.

At that time, Pei Lingsu was already a famous female knight-errant in the Xiaohan region.

In just a few short years since his debut, he has made a name for himself.

Dressed in plain clothes and carrying a sword, he always pointed his sword at injustices. His swordsmanship was as swift as a swan skimming across water, leaving only a fleeting shadow after his chivalrous deeds. Bai Xiaolou commented that "his elegance was already unparalleled before his sword was even drawn."

She was once the object of admiration for countless young people.

Pei Lingsu was quite talented and had a good temperament. She even won against her master when they played chess.

Hua Jianying then took her to General's Platform to try as well, but unfortunately, she got the same result as her master—nothing came of it…

Hua Jianying had anticipated this, which is a great pity.

Pei Lingsu was greatly shocked. That was a secret technique of the hidden immortals! A peerless treasure was right in front of her, yet she couldn't obtain it, especially with two successful examples right before her eyes, which was hard for the proud and arrogant Pei Lingsu to accept.

At that time, Hua Jianying did not have much time left, and seeing that the two young people had hope of breaking the deadlock, she simply kept the two of them in the sect to jointly study the solution. The two of them had met Pei Lingsu in the martial arts world and had always admired her, so they went along with it and stayed.

The three grew closer and closer, and even became sworn brothers because of their shared interests.

Li Lingkui even gave her the mechanical puppet [Di Sha] he had obtained for self-defense.

But the good times didn't last long.

Months later, with no hope of solving the game, Huajianying grew old.

Pei Lingsu, however, unknowingly transformed into a different person.

— Alluring and seductive, with an air of wickedness.

No matter how well Pei Lingsu concealed their identities, Yin Fujun and Li Lingkui were still discovered immediately.

Neither of them expected that Pei Lingsu, the former heroine known as "Jinghong Sword," would cultivate the "Hehuan Baigu Zen" in order to improve her talent and pass the test, hoping to enhance her own talent by absorbing the three treasures of others!
They even set their sights on them!

Li Lingkui felt utterly disgusted, sneered three times, and turned and left.

Yin Fujun couldn't bear it, so he placed a [Purifying Heart Mantra] between her eyebrows, and then severed ties with her.

Upon learning of this, Hua Jianying, already frail, fell seriously ill and soon died in despair. Before her death, she passed on her mantle to her third disciple, Su Quan, instead of Pei Lingsu, whom she had previously placed high hopes on. Pei Lingsu, however, took advantage of Su Quan's affection for her, seizing a large area including General's Platform, and continued to practice herbal remedies to obtain the Hidden Immortal Divine Technique.

Li Lingkui and Yin Fujun never set foot in Hundred Flowers Valley again.

Su Quan, because of his past admiration, tolerated Pei Lingsu again and again.

Pei Lingsu occupied the General's Platform with a clear conscience. For decades, she had been trying to break through the Hidden Immortal's test, but unfortunately, her chess skills had regressed instead of improved. The "Joyful White Bone Zen" could indeed devour others to replenish itself and enhance its talent, but at the same time, it would also cause people to have endless desires and a decline in willpower!

Therefore, the more she cultivated and improved, the less she could break the curse.

By the time she realized all this, it was too late.

There's no going back.

"idiot!"

Lu Chenyuan only had these two words to describe it.

If the test of the Hidden Immortals allows a technique like the "White Bone Union Zen" to slip through, that would be truly bizarre. It's likely she no longer wants to play a female knight-errant and is using this as an excuse to fall into depravity...

Lu Chenyuan shook his head, too lazy to waste his energy on this kind of person.

His gaze swept over the two chessboards.

The Heavenly Talisman and the Earthly Talisman each have different focuses. The former borrows the pure energy of heaven and earth, and its main talismans include the Clear Breeze Talisman, Bright Light Talisman, Tortoise Breath Talisman, Gathering Spirit Talisman, and Purple Qi Coming from the East Talisman. The latter controls the evil energy of living beings, such as the Blood Explosion Talisman, Corroding Bone Talisman, Five Ghosts Talisman, and Asura Blood Shadow Talisman.

Lu Chenyuan doesn't mince words; he studied martial arts solely for the purpose of killing.

If you can only repair one thing, you should definitely choose the more lethal "Earth Talisman".

Without hesitation, Lu Chenyuan focused his mind on the chessboard, and in an instant, a blood-red battlefield unfolded before his eyes!

His side was left with only a lone horse and a single general, while the enemy had a full complement of chariots and cannons, and was besieging the city.

We are outnumbered and outgunned; the only way to break this deadlock is through slaughter!

"General!"

The one-eyed veteran knelt down and pleaded, his voice ringing out, "Please let me die!"

With each piece captured, a soldier perished. As he moved from "Pawn Seven to One," the veteran charged into the enemy ranks, his body trampled to pieces by the black horse. Even in his dying moments, he cried out, "Open the way for the lord!" "...Can you please stop adding so much drama to your story?"

Lu Chenyuan wanted to complain, but seeing the old soldier bravely charge into the enemy ranks, seeing his ribs crushed by the horse's hooves, and seeing him spitting blood but still clinging to the horse's leg, he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.

This illusion is so realistic!
Moreover, this time it fundamentally blurs the lines between reality and illusion, directly affecting the consciousness and weaving it in the mind. Without external influence, it cannot be distinguished by the discerning eye, making it feel as if one has truly traveled to that world and experienced real chaos and war.

Lu Chenyuan made another move, moving the cannon to the fifth and sixth positions.

The red-clad cannonman laughed loudly. He stood beside the catapult, the torch in his hand illuminating his resolute eyes: "This subordinate is off!"

The black elephant devoured the artilleryman, and a row of catapults and trebuchets exploded. Flames engulfed his figure, but this move loosened the enemy's defensive line, forcing the black general to reposition and revealing a fatal flaw.

Car 7, level 6.

With the roar of cannons, the soldiers of the Red Chariot were reduced to ashes by slingshots, rockets, and thunderbolts, and the wreckage of the chariot was scattered everywhere.

But this step also put Black in a desperate situation.

Killer move, Ma Er retreats three steps.

The lone horse retreated, lurking like a ghost, concealing deadly intent.

The black general had nowhere to retreat, and the red horse had locked down the nine palaces. The black general was filled with shock and anger, but there was no way to escape...

"General!"

The chessboard exploded with a deafening roar, and the black general vanished into a bloody mist.

The illusion before Lu Chenyuan shattered, and a stream of light flew out from the black iron sculpture, striking his brow.

It was the cultivation method of the Earth Talisman—he also understood the cultivation essence of the Divine Talisman Scroll, which was similar to the third level of the Forging Gold Chapter, "Forging Gold Armor." It involved drawing talismans with one's divine sense in the Niwan Palace of the upper dantian, imitating and contemplating them, and when the time came to use them, transforming the illusory into the real, directly mobilizing the primordial energy of heaven and earth to condense them into talismans.

"That son of a bitch Gu Yunsheng..."

Lu Chenyuan's head was throbbing with pain, and he couldn't help but curse. In his hallucination, all the fallen soldiers were wailing in his ears. Their faces, their roars, their flesh and blood kept echoing in his mind.

"A stupid test has caused such a life-or-death situation..."

Lu Chenyuan was shocked by the strength of the illusion and the depth of its influence on his mind. He made up his mind and, without saying a word, turned to look at the Go board. He had already suffered once, so he might as well try again!
What if it happens?
Lu Chenyuan flashed and arrived on the Go board. His vision went black for a moment, and when he opened his eyes again, he was standing in front of a burning city.

"Report! The north gate has been breached!"

The messenger, covered in blood, knelt on the ground: "The Black Armor Army is massacring the city!"

In the distance came the heart-wrenching cries of children, and through the thick smoke, one could vaguely see people being trampled by iron cavalry.

Lu Chenyuan looked down and realized that what he was holding in his hand was not a chess piece, but a blood-stained command flag.

"Your sister..."

……

Valley of Flowers.

Mujiazong Memorial Hall.

The cold wind howled, swirling with ashes of paper money inside the mourning hall.

Dozens of disciples of the Wood Armor Sect, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt on the ground, their sobs mingling with the crackling of burning incense and candles, echoing in the cold hall.

The cypress coffin in the very center was half-open, and Su Quan's ashen face looked even more withered against the backdrop of the plain silk.

This master craftsman, who had been painstakingly maintaining the Wood Armor Sect, now had a strange mandala pattern forming on his chest—the mark of the Heaven-Mending Pavilion's deadly poison, "Gentle Paradise."

“Master——!”

A young disciple suddenly rushed to the coffin, and the mechanical bird in his hand clicked and fell to the ground.

That was a birthday gift that Su Quan carved for him by hand last year, with a half-finished gear still in the bird's beak.

"Master, wake up..."

"Didn't you say you were going to teach us how to be Qing Teng Hu..."

The disciples wept bitterly; some pounded the ground and sobbed, some stared blankly at the coffin, and others gripped the carving knife that Su Quan used to frequently use, their knuckles turning white.

"despair."

A soft sound.

Pei Lingsu stood like a ghost at the entrance of the mourning hall, ignoring the hostility of the disciples, and looked at the familiar face in the coffin.

For a moment, I was in a daze.

—Is her third junior brother, who had silently supported her for decades, really dead?

She remembered his clumsy movements when he first practiced swordsmanship, the undisguised joy in his eyes every time he saw her, and his pale face when he learned the truth...

But she never took it to heart.

She took advantage of his affection to seize control of Hundred Flowers Valley, and directed her disdain and contempt for Li Lingkui and the other man at him when they left. She hated his submissiveness and even made love to others in front of him...

Now, he lies there quietly, never again looking at her with that pained expression.

"How did he die?"

Pei Lingsu spoke, her voice chillingly cold.

The third disciple, kneeling at the front, raised his head, his eyes bloodshot: "It's Qin Wuyue... She was blackmailed by the Lord of the Heaven-Mending Pavilion and had [Gentle Enchanting] put in Master's food..."

He pointed to the offering table, where a human head lay—Qin Wuyue's wide eyes were still frozen in astonishment, and the severed neck was an unnatural bluish-purple.

"After being poisoned, Master fought back desperately and personally beheaded her..."

The third disciple choked up, "And then...and then..."

Pei Lingsu slowly stepped forward, reached out and stroked Su Quan's cold cheek, and said softly, "You were deceived by your senior sister for decades, and then by your disciple before you died. You really are a... fool!"

Her fingernails suddenly dug deeply into her palms, and blood dripped onto the coffin, blooming into bewitching blood flowers.

At this moment——

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

At the valley entrance, the war drums of Xuanbing Valley thundered like lightning, accompanied by shouts of battle as they drew near.

The armies of Butian Pavilion and Xuanbing Valley have stormed in!
The trace of sadness in Pei Lingsu's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling killing intent.

She swung her longsword sharply, the blade flashing coldly, and placed it directly against the third disciple's neck—

"Where's the core of the formation? Take it out!"

The third disciple's face was deathly pale, but he gritted his teeth and said, each word distinct, "Don't even think about it! Master protected the Wooden Armor Sect until his death, I will never let you—"

"Pfft!"

The sword tip veered off course, and the third disciple's shoulder was instantly covered in blood.

Pei Lingsu's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "You're courting death!"

Just as she was about to deliver the killing blow, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye that Su Quan's right hand was clenched into a fist, with a faint glint of jade light shining through his fingers.

The key to the formation is the jade pendant!

A glint of wild joy flashed in Pei Lingsu's eyes. She immediately abandoned her three disciples and reached out to snatch them.

However, just as her fingertips were about to touch Su Quan's palm...

"Ugh……"

A sigh, so soft it was almost inaudible, made Pei Lingsu freeze.

Su Quan... opened his eyes.

Those eyes, which once held sorrow and understanding, are now filled only with utter despair.

Hearing the shouts of battle outside, Su Quan slowly sat up from the coffin. His pale fingers brushed over the mandala poison pattern on his chest, and the eerie pattern faded away as if it were alive, revealing the intact skin underneath.

He looked at Pei Lingsu, his tone soft, yet each word was like a knife: "Hopeless..."

Pei Lingsu's hand hovered in mid-air, for the first time... she didn't know how to respond.

(End of this chapter)