Chapter 1321 - 1307: Playing Chess

In an instant.

What started with one person playing chess turned into everyone playing chess.

Baiyu felt somewhat awkward; he was completely clueless about chess. How could he compete with this figure formed by peach blossom petals?

If he guessed correctly,

The chess skill of the peach blossom petal figure was likely crafted based on the technique of the Sword Monarch. In other words, he was now up against the Sword Monarch.

This...

This old cultivator has lived for countless years; apart from cultivation, he has been researching these things. How could he compete?

Therefore, Baiyu had no intention of solving the chess puzzle himself.

He would wait for other experts to make their move.

For now, he would just play chess to pass the time.

However,

As soon as Baiyu sat down, he felt a certain aura locking onto him, making it impossible for him to move.

He seemed to have entered a Sword Array.

Sword Qi flickered around him like light and shadow, constantly moving.

In an instant,

The chessboard expanded, quickly turning into a vast Sword Array encompassing heaven and earth. Opposite him, a giant figure dressed in white hovered cross-legged in the air, holding a white piece and placing it down slowly.

Pa.

The piece landed on the ethereal chessboard.

Countless strands of Sword Qi surged forth from all directions, shooting towards Baiyu.

Soon,

Baiyu managed to dodge these Sword Qi attacks.

Though not particularly powerful, they were incredibly annoying, and with a small mistake, he could get injured by the Sword Qi.

Moreover,

Baiyu had a faint sense.

If he lingered here, the next attack might be more formidable. After all, those people gradually began to cough up blood and were forced to withdraw from the chessboard, not blown away from the start.

According to the rules of chess,

If one side delays placing a piece, it’s considered skipping a move, giving the turn back to the opponent.

At this moment,

Baiyu stood on the ground,

while the enormous ethereal chessboard hovered in mid-air.

A black chess box also floated in the void nearby.

Baiyu didn’t fly up; instead, he harnessed his internal power to conjure a colossal Black Moon Giant behind him, roughly the same size as the white-clad man’s phantom.

"Oh?"

At this time,

The white-clad phantom looked slightly puzzled, but soon a smile covered his face. He neither spoke nor continued to act, seemingly waiting for Baiyu to make his move.

And Baiyu,

naturally, didn’t hesitate.

He manipulated the Black Moon Giant to pick up a massive black chess piece next to it and placed it heavily on the chessboard.

Pa.

A resounding noise echoed.

Only then did Baiyu realize that picking up and placing a piece required considerable effort; it wasn’t as easy as he thought.

After Baiyu made his move,

Countless rays of light emerged, shooting towards the white chess player.

Bang bang bang.

The light struck around the white-clad chess player but was blocked by a gentle breeze.

This...

It was not a test of chess skill at all, but a test of each person’s strength. Without sufficient strength, passing this challenge was impossible.

What ensued was a tug-of-war.

The white figure and the Black Moon Giant alternately placed pieces, continuously stirring various lights on the chessboard.

In an instant,

The battle was hard and unresolved.

After a long time,

The white figure placed the final piece, then was pierced by countless black lights, collapsing with a thunderous sound. Before disappearing, he sighed softly, "Not bad..."

After so many years,

The Sword Monarch couldn’t possibly still be alive; he should have died long ago. That the phantom could speak indicated it was his consciousness from when he was alive.

As the chess game dissolved, the Illusion Realm also vanished.

Baiyu found himself once more in the Peach Blossom Grove, with people around him focused on their chess games, paying him no mind.

However,

The chess player figure formed by peach blossoms in front of him had disappeared.

The chessboard before him had also collapsed.

Baiyu took a deep breath.

It seemed,

He had passed the test.

Upon close examination,

Quite a few people, like him, sat with the chessboard before them gone. They observed others from their positions.

It appeared,

A good number had passed.

Those who made it this far were neither fools nor of mediocre talent. Passing the chess game test wasn’t particularly challenging.

At this time,

A gentle breeze stirred,

The door of the thatched hut suddenly flung open.

It was as if inviting those who had passed to enter the thatched hut, while those still playing chess on the boards disappeared instantly like before,

similar to those unable to pass through the light gates.

This was truly a test for the Inheritor.

With each filtering, those who remained were undoubtedly the cream of the crop with exceptional talent.

In this way,

It wouldn’t tarnish the name of the Sword Monarch.

A group entered the thatched hut, glancing around, discovering inside was nothing but a table, a chair, and a wooden bed, with no other things.

One could say,

It was extremely plain.

What in this thatched hut was worth arranging by the Sword Monarch while alive?

Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

They found themselves equally puzzled; nobody understood the purpose of this place.

Just then,

A sword’s hum echoed inside the thatched hut.

Baiyu frowned, instantly thinking: could this thatched hut be another place where the Sword Monarch hid his swords?

The last time,

He hid his sword within the thatched hut.

Who knew if he would pull the same trick twice?

It was very likely.

As the thought flashed through his mind, a Flying Sword suddenly shot out of the void, cleaving the thatched hut, unveiling an ethereal passage before them.

This...

It was clearly the entrance to a secret world.

Typically, one had to reach the Ascension Realm to create a secret world.

This was something the second or third-tier Immortal Cultivation Sects lacked.

Prestigious cultivation sects of today, like the Star Shining Sect, Taiyi Sword Sect, all possess their secret worlds, indicating they had strong practitioners of the Ascension Realm before!

That was, indeed, a kind of heritage.

After opening the passage to the secret world, the Flying Sword rushed in, and the group didn’t hesitate, following it inside.

After all,

It likely contained the Sword Monarch’s legacy.

Being a step behind,

Might mean missing out on the inheritance.

After passing through enchanting, dreamy light, the group looked around and realized they were still within the tomb, confirming they had not exited the tomb.

This...

Wasn’t that just the passage to the secret world?

Could the tomb itself be a secret world?

Perplexed, they had no answers.

They now stood in a moderately-sized but not cramped courtyard. It was walled on all sides. Someone attempted to fly over the walls, but was stopped by an invisible barrier.

Along the walls,

Stood row upon row of weapon racks.