The Cycle of Reincarnation in the Four-Courtyard House: A Journey Through the Heavens

After Su Xinghe left, Zhong Ling couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Brother Li, do you think Senior Wu Yazi would be willing to see us?"

Li Xiao stared at the tightly closed stone door, his eyes resolute: "In any case, now that we're here, let's do our best and leave the rest to fate! These two scrolls of secret manuals were left behind by the senior Wu Yazi. Surely he saw them with his own eyes and will give us an explanation."

He knew in his heart that since he was able to find these two secret manuals in the blessed land of Langhuan at the foot of Wuliang Mountain, he must be a person with a special destiny. Wuyazi would never be indifferent to this, and this was his greatest confidence in knocking on the door of Leigu Mountain!

Inside the stone house, Su Xinghe respectfully placed two scrolls on the table.

Behind the case, a figure was found suspended above the bed, its face hidden in the shadows, except for a pair of eyes that were like cold stars that had witnessed thousands of years of vicissitudes, deep and sharp.

The moment his gaze swept across the scroll, a complex and enigmatic light flashed in his eyes.

There is surprise, reminiscence, and a hint of barely perceptible expectation in this.

"The relics of Langhuan Paradise have finally reappeared in the world."

Wu Yazi spoke slowly, his voice hoarse yet carrying an invisible pressure.

"How is the young man's aptitude?"

Su Xinghe bowed and replied, "Reporting to Master, that young man had clear eyes and a steady demeanor. Judging from his words and actions, he was definitely not a wicked person."

"According to my observation, the other party has not cultivated any internal energy, but his physique is exceptionally good, and he has the aura of a dragon lurking in the abyss."

"The little girl who came with him was also innocent, lively, and full of intelligence; she was a rare gem."

Wu Yazi remained silent for a moment, then gently tapped the table with his fingertips, making a "tap-tap" sound that mingled with the sounds of the wind and chess pieces outside.

"The Ingenious Chess Game can trap ordinary people, but it cannot trap those with destiny. Since he has come with the secret manual, he must have a predestined connection with my Free and Unfettered Sect."

"Go and tell them that the chess game will begin tomorrow at dawn. If he can solve the puzzle, I will take him as my disciple; if not, let them leave with the secret manual and have nothing to do with Leigu Mountain from now on."

"Yes, Master!"

After receiving the order, Su Xinghe turned around and left the stone house.

After listening to Su Xinghe's words, Li Xiao looked up at the sky.

It was only around 2 PM, and the game of chess would have to wait until tomorrow morning. The ancients had such a strong sense of ritual.

However, he couldn't say much about it. After thanking Su Xinghe, he left with Zhong Ling.

Early the next morning, Li Xiao and Zhong Ling arrived at the stone house again.

The stone house still stands quietly deep in the bamboo forest, its wooden door ajar. Unlike yesterday, a celadon lamp has appeared beside the stone table in front of the house, its wick flickering with a faint flame that casts a warm yellow glow in the morning mist.

The chessboard on the stone table was already set up, with black and white pieces arranged in a neat and orderly fashion. Although seemingly chaotic, it exuded a sense of vastness and desolation, just like the ancient and primordial world. It was the very chessboard that had caused countless heroes to fall and perish.

Su Xinghe smiled calmly at Li Xiao, waved his sleeve, and said, "Please sit down, young friend!"

Li Xiao clasped his hands in thanks and then sat down.

Zhong Ling walked to Li Xiao's side, bent down and whispered in his ear, "Brother Li, look at this chessboard... it seems to be set up differently than yesterday."

Li Xiao stared intently, his brows furrowing slightly.

Indeed, the game before him had a few more seemingly insignificant moves than he remembered, or even more than the game record he had deduced the night before.

These extra pieces added even more uncertainty to the already complex situation, like a calm lake suddenly being stirred up by undercurrents, where a slight misstep could lead to total defeat.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and turned to Zhong Ling, saying, "Ling'er, watch again, and no matter what happens, do not make a sound."

Zhong Ling nodded, clenched her fists, and said with a determined look in her eyes, "Brother Li, I believe you can definitely win!"

Li Xiao held a smooth white piece between his fingers, his gaze sweeping across the seemingly impregnable but actually treacherous white territory on the chessboard.

Memories of his past life reading "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" flooded back like a tidal wave.

Xu Zhu's unintentional act of creating his own death path seemed absurd at the time.

Now that I've entered the game myself and am staring at this identical, exquisite chessboard, I'm astonished to realize that it contains the great path to breaking through obsessions.

Su Xinghe, dressed in pristine white, lightly tapped the edge of the table with his fingers, his gaze calmly falling on Li Xiao's face: "Young friend, you are a hero. Whoever can resolve this situation today may be able to glimpse the true essence of the Xiaoyao Sect's martial arts."

Everyone knows that this intricate chess game has remained unsolved for thirty years. Countless martial arts masters have perished here, all because they were trapped in the illusion of "being greedy for life and afraid of death" and were unwilling to give up the large number of living pieces on the board.

A faint smile appeared on Li Xiao's lips. With the prophecy of his past life, he had already seen through the core of this game, which was not "unintentional" but "willingness to give up".

Those seemingly vital pieces that are crucial to win are actually shackles that bind the entire game. Only by actively severing these ties can one find a way out of a desperate situation.

Li Xiao did not choose the position where Xu Zhu placed his piece in the original work. Instead, he gently placed the white piece in the vital spot of another group of white stones—a group of stones that seemed to be able to support half of the game. Once he placed this piece, it would be equivalent to personally cutting off all the paths to survival for this group of stones, which was more decisive than Xu Zhu's abandonment.

"Whoosh—"

A look of shock flashed in Su Xinghe's eyes.

He originally thought that Li Xiao, this young man, would still follow the ideas of his predecessors to solve the problem, but he did not expect him to take such a desperate and reckless approach.

With the pieces settled, the white pieces on the board instantly fell into a deathly silence. The previously interconnected pieces, like a giant dragon with its spine broken, collapsed in the encirclement of the black pieces.

After Su Xinghe placed a piece, Li Xiao remained calm and picked up another white piece with his fingertips, placing it next to the white piece he had just abandoned.

This seemingly mundane move was like igniting a spark in the ashes. The scattered white pieces, which had been tightly surrounded by black pieces, suddenly responded and formed a completely new defensive line.

It turns out that after abandoning a large number of white stones, the black stones' encirclement actually developed a fatal flaw. Those spaces that were considered "dead stones" have now become blind spots that black cannot cover.

Su Xinghe's pupils contracted slightly, his fingers traced the edge of the chessboard, and his expression changed from surprise to seriousness.

He slowly placed a black piece, attempting to fill the gap in his defense, but it was firmly suppressed by a white piece that followed closely behind by Li Xiao.

Li Xiao's moves may seem random, but each move is precisely aimed at the heart of the game.

His memories of the original work from his past life now transformed into his most acute intuition. His brain, enhanced by the system, was working at lightning speed, analyzing the layout after each of Su Xinghe's black pieces was placed.

He understood that "putting oneself in a desperate situation to survive" was not simply about abandoning something, but rather about making a precise strategic plan after abandoning it.