Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

"Ling Chen, give your seat to this young man." The old man glanced indifferently at the middle-aged man beside him.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man frowned slightly, but after giving Xia Jin a deep look, he stood up and offered his seat.

Xia Jin didn't stand on ceremony and walked straight to the stone bench, plopping down on it.

At this moment, a slightly overweight middle-aged man in the crowd spoke up with a smile, his tone somewhat teasing.

"Young man, you actually dare to challenge Master Chan to a game of chess? Do you even know who Master Chan is?"

Xia Jin glanced at the fat man, smiled, and didn't answer.

His gaze returned to the chessboard, and he reached out to pick up a black piece, gently twirling it between his fingers.

"To falter before even making a move—how can that be befit the status of us sword cultivators?"

"The way of swordsmanship emphasizes unwavering determination. If one lacks even the courage to sit down and play a game of chess, then it's better not to cultivate swordsmanship at all."

The fat man was slightly taken aback. Although he didn't recognize the young man in front of him, the young man's words made him give him a thumbs up in agreement.

"Good! Well said! Young man, your words have certainly impressed me."

The "Zen Master" mentioned by the fat man showed a hint of approval in his eyes after hearing Xia Jin's words.

"Well said. Sword cultivators should indeed not be afraid before the battle even begins. Since you have such spirit, please make your move. There's no need to be polite."

"Okay!!" Xia Jin nodded, her expression becoming extremely serious.

With a flick of his finger, a black piece flew from between his fingers and landed precisely in the center of the chessboard.

Tian Yuan.

Placing a piece directly at the center of the board is tantamount to telling your opponent, "I'm not going to take things slowly with you; I want to confront you head-on from the very beginning."

A few low gasps came from among the onlookers.

"Tianyuan? This kid is way too arrogant!"

"To dare to act like this in front of the Zen Master, I don't know if it's because he's highly skilled and daring, or because he's ignorant of his own limitations."

"Keep your voice down, just watch."

Zen Master frowned as he looked at the black stone that had landed steadily on the center point.

He didn't speak, but simply reached out and picked up a white piece, gently placing it in a corner of the chessboard.

The moment the white piece was placed, a long and profound sword intent emanated from it.

Xia Jin narrowed her eyes slightly.

He sensed it.

The Zen Master's sword intent was as weighty as the earth and as boundless as a river. Although the white piece only landed in one corner of the chessboard, it seemed to have merged with the entire board, affecting everything with a single move.

This is a true master.

Xia Jin took a deep breath and placed another black piece.

His sword intent then poured into it.

Soon, the black and white pieces began a fierce battle on the chessboard.

Xia Jin moved his pieces very quickly, responding almost the instant the Zen Master placed his piece. His black pieces launched a fierce and aggressive attack.

But the Zen Master remained unhurried throughout.

Each of his white pieces fell very slowly, but each time a white piece landed, it would perfectly block Xia Jin's attack.

Time passed little by little.

As more and more black and white pieces appear on the chessboard, the situation becomes increasingly complex.

Xia Jin's brows gradually furrowed.

He discovered a problem.

In terms of swordsmanship, he was indeed inferior to Zen Master.

This isn't a matter of cultivation level, but rather a matter of accumulation. The Zen Master has cultivated for countless years, honing his sword intent to a level of consummate skill. While his sword intent is sharp, it lacks some of the smoothness and has more of a ruthless, overt edge.

In a game of chess where the contest is purely about sword intent, this gap is magnified infinitely.

Sure enough, after another thirty or so moves, the black pieces on the board began to be surrounded by layers of white pieces.

Xia Jin's black spots are being eaten away piece by piece.

A few low sighs came from the crowd watching outside the pavilion.

"They're just too young."

"It is commendable that you dared to play chess with the Zen Master, but your strength is still lacking."

"Look at the black pieces on the chessboard, they've been almost completely captured, haven't they?"

Xia Jin ignored him, her eyes fixed on the chessboard.

He roughly counted and found that he now only had about twenty black pieces left on his chessboard.

However, Zen Master's white stones have already occupied most of the territory.

Did we lose?

Xia Jin's lips suddenly curled up slightly.

Perhaps, but I also want to try and see if I can turn the tide in this kind of situation!

He gave the old monk a deep look, then reached out and picked up a black piece, slowly placing it on a seemingly inconspicuous spot on the chessboard.

The moment the black piece fell...

A completely different sword intent erupted from the chess piece.

The Sword Sutra of No Life - The Sword Intent of Nirvana.

The sword intent surged from the black pieces, spreading outwards like a tide. Any white piece touched by this sword intent began to tremble violently, and fine cracks appeared on its surface.

then,

"Snap! Snap! Snap!"

With three crisp sounds, the three white stones shattered simultaneously.

The sword intent contained in those three white pieces was actually devoured by Xia Jin's Annihilation Sword Intent.

The pavilion fell silent instantly, both inside and out.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, incredulously at the three shattered white pieces on the chessboard.

That was the Zen Master's sword intent, and this young man actually broke it.