Chapter 512 - 306: Placing a Piece, the Human Race’s Kill List, Long Xuan of the Ancient Dragon Race

"So, a close friend?" Lu Mingyuan picked up on the thread of conversation, asking tentatively.

"No, a rival."

Qi Muxue denied.

"The Chess Saint achieved his status many years ago and has never met a chess player better than him. But my father was one of the few who could play against him for a very long time."

After hearing Qi Muxue’s words, Lu Mingyuan more or less understood the Chess Saint’s state of mind.

’His Chess Skill is unrivaled in this era, so he is lonely, searching everywhere for a rival.’

Qi Muxue added, "However, the Chess Saint isn’t truly invincible. On the Chessboard, there is one person who can defeat him."

"Who?"

Lu Mingyuan asked curiously.

Qi Muxue smiled sweetly. "Have you forgotten, my husband? The number one player from the Confucian Temple, the Nan Zhou National Preceptor who reached the Tenth Rank in Chess Skill."

"Oh, it’s Xun Yu..."

Lu Mingyuan finally remembered.

Xun Yu had left the Capital City, and his current whereabouts were unknown.

’Is he still an enemy of the Great Yan?’

’After the Ninth Prince left the Capital City, where did he go?’

Lu Mingyuan had thought about these things, but he had no leads.

Qi Muxue continued to add, "The Chess Saint didn’t always lose to Xun Yu. He only lost one game to him."

Lu Mingyuan nodded.

Even so, that was no small feat.

For a young Xun Yu to win a single game against the Chess Saint was enough to prove his genius.

After all, the man before them was the Chess Saint.

He had long since transcended the level of a mere chess player.

After many games, the silent Chess Saint suddenly spoke:

"You seem to have many things you are desperate to achieve. You want everything. But let this old man tell you, in the end, you’ll be left with nothing, like trying to draw water with a bamboo basket."

"It’s like the pieces in your hand. They seem indestructible, pushing forward relentlessly to take root in this corner. In reality, they have long been ambushed by a prepared trap. Until you take that step, you cannot know the danger."

Lu Mingyuan said lightly, "Sir, you are without wants or desires. Naturally, I cannot compare."

"Are you saying that a passive defense is enough to secure lasting peace?"

Surprisingly, the Chess Saint didn’t get angry, nor did he continue the game. Instead, he smiled faintly. "Speak. Why have you come looking for this old man?"

"To help the Great Yan reclaim the Ascension Platform and resurrect Elder Mr. Qi."

Hearing this, an almost imperceptible look of surprise crossed the Chess Saint’s face.

"Is it as simple as just resurrecting Qi Xingyan?"

Lu Mingyuan shook his head. "Of course not. Besides that, the Ascension Platform cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of the Demon Race. Otherwise, it will be a disaster for our Human Race."

The Chess Saint told Lu Mingyuan the truth. "This old man won’t bother with pleasantries. It wasn’t easy for you to get this far. I’m not afraid to tell you, the world is about to fall into chaos. Not just the Central Plains World, but the entire world. We need some young talents to take over from the older generation of Cultivators and hold up the sky. Otherwise, our Human Race faces the danger of extinction."

"You can barely be considered a Revival Lord. It’s just that your methods are sometimes a bit cruel. In the war of the Seven Kingdoms, you crippled the prodigies of every nation. It would be better if you could be a little more benevolent and pay more attention to virtue."

Lu Mingyuan was rather speechless when he heard this.

"I’ve heard that Elder Qisheng’s Divine Techniques are vast. I wonder if you would allow this junior to witness them."

He had already referred to himself as a junior, undoubtedly lowering his stance as much as possible.

"If you want this old man to help, just say so. Don’t beat around the bush."

"Follow me."

The Chess Saint glanced at him and walked toward the depths of the main hall.

Lu Mingyuan followed. As soon as he entered, he saw an incredibly vast, panoramic mural.

And a star-filled sky, transformed into countless chess pieces carved into the ceiling.

Each chess piece was like a star.

The entire ceiling was like the starry sky above.

The Chess Saint waved his hand.

In an instant.

The world began to expand.

The chess platform, which resembled a starry sky, grew larger and larger, extending in all directions. It evolved into a vast world of continuous mountain ranges, much like a great heaven and earth Scroll unfurling.

Numerous chess pieces appeared before Lu Mingyuan’s eyes. Some were dazzlingly bright, some were dim and lusterless, and some were shattered and gray.

He guessed that these pieces likely represented three different states.

Just then, the Chess Saint spoke. "Anyone whose Cultivation reaches Middle Fifth Grade or higher will be locked by the Celestial Secret and fall upon this Chessboard."

Lu Mingyuan pointed to a mountain range to the west and asked, "Why are there so many pieces here, and why are the ones on top generally brighter than the ones below?"

The Chess Saint glanced at him, his gaze profound. "Because that location is the Dragon Peak Mountain battlefield. Every piece on top is a Demon King."

"And the ones below are our Human Race Cultivators."

Hearing this.

Lu Mingyuan was stunned for a moment. His gaze quickly swept over the Chessboard.

He discovered that the Demon Race’s pieces were innumerable, and all of them were dazzlingly bright.

In contrast, the Human Race’s side was sparse, with many dim pieces, and some had even turned gray.

"The dim pieces represent those whose fate is running out. The gray, crumbling pieces represent those who have just recently died," the Chess Saint explained.

At this moment, Qi Muxue couldn’t help but ask, "Can’t even Elder Qisheng do anything to turn this around?"

She believed that since the Chess Saint could see the state of the world so clearly, he should be able to find a solution.

Who would have thought, the Chess Saint let out a deep sigh.

"Do you think this old man hasn’t tried to find a way to turn things around?"

"For the past three months, this old man has been constantly simulating the variables on the Chessboard, attempting to find a path to victory."

"But no matter how I simulate it, the overall situation is unfavorable for our Human Race."

Lu Mingyuan frowned. "This is the Heaven and Earth Chessboard. If even you can’t do anything, doesn’t that mean the Human Race is doomed to lose the Human-Demon War?"

The Chess Saint snorted coldly. "Do you think that just because our Human Race has the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, the Demon Race doesn’t have similar methods?"

"Let’s not even mention the Eight Thrones of the Demon Race, who holds a Divine Pearl that can predict the future and perform Divination of the Celestial Secret. His methods are no less inferior to the Taoist Sect’s Celestial Sphere."

"Furthermore, the Wilderness World has a rule: any Human Race Cultivator with exceptional talent or great strength will be placed on the Demon Race’s kill list. We can’t even get our hands on that list. For the past hundred years, any rising talent or peerless genius has been targeted by the Demon Race. Even prodigies who have yet to mature are targeted in advance."

"In comparison, the Human Race is plagued by years of internal strife and conquest, constantly wearing itself down. How can we possibly fight against the Demon Race?"

Lu Mingyuan hadn’t expected the Demon Race to have such methods.

’They can know which future human prodigies will become great enemies of the Demon Race and eliminate them in advance.’

’The abilities of these Throne Great Demons are truly a headache.’

Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but rub the bridge of his nose.

Four of the known Throne Great Demons had already arrived. It seemed the Wilderness World truly intended to settle things once and for all this time.

They were: Two Thrones Shouliu, an Ancient Great Demon from the Middle Ages with the bloodline of a Qiongqi, who had mastered ten thousand Divine Techniques.

Eight Thrones Dragon Halberd, who possessed the ability of a prophetic Divination.

Nine Thrones Snake Consort, who commands a Snake Kingdom whose power is no less than any Human Dynasty.

And Twelve Thrones Gangzhu, who wields the Nine-toothed Divine Nail, a weapon that can destroy heaven and earth. Even the Buddhist Sect’s Divine Distinct Bodhisattva could not defeat him.

...

Far in the distance lay the vast lands of Xisha.

A fallen human city, now occupied by the Demon Race. The once-thriving Buddhist Temple, filled with the smoke of incense, was now empty, having become the Demon Race’s main camp.

A slender, long-legged woman with horns on her head and scales on her cheeks walked alone atop the city wall. At her feet were swirling dead grass, black stones, and ice. The cold wind howled like a lament.

She had a heroic and dashing, exceptionally neat appearance.

Her Dragon Scale Colored Clothing perfectly accentuated her exquisite figure, revealing straight, long legs. She held an ancient Narrow Saber with a bone-like texture. A rosy glow lingered behind her, and the dragon horns on her head were a bluish-purple, indicating she belonged to the Ancient Dragon Race.

Since the end of the Middle Ages, the True Dragon Race was no more in the world.

Only the Ancient Dragon Race remained, their bloodline far more diluted, some of them even having evolved into dragons from other creatures.

If the bloodline of the True Dragon Race was one hundred percent pure, then the Ancient Dragon Race’s was perhaps only ten percent.

"Lord Demon Monarch, ahead is Dragon Peak Mountain."

The horned woman’s voice was icy. "We set out tonight. No rest. We must intercept the Human Race Cultivators entering Dragon Peak Mountain before their reinforcements arrive."

"Yes!"

The Demon King before her was completely respectful, not daring to be the least bit careless.

This Demon Monarch before him was named Long Xuan. She was the direct daughter of the one on the throne and the future successor of the Ancient Dragon Race.

Her trip to the Central Plains World this time was for the purpose of gaining experience.

After all, within the next hundred years, it was highly likely she would become a new Throne.

Her future was limitless.

...