Chapter 1093 - 449: Sacrificing Heaven and Earth (2)

Chapter 1093: Chapter 449: Sacrificing Heaven and Earth (2)

Clack!

A piece fell, and Wu Chang could sense the Megrez Immortal Mansion Master on the opposite side. Seeing this move, he sat up straighter, his status shifting from ease to seriousness.

No wonder he’s the Wenquxing, controlling the Literary Fortune of the realm. Just one look, and he knows this is a high-level game.

And thus, the All-Knowing Crystal and the Megrez Immortal Mansion Master went back and forth, continuously placing pieces on the chessboard.

The All-Knowing Crystal placed pieces swiftly, but the speed of the Megrez Immortal Mansion Master noticeably slowed, requiring a moment of thought before each move.

Wu Chang, as an observer, gradually began to understand the test of strategy.

Strategizing depends on humans, but success depends on heaven. If the test of fortune examines whether one has the favor of heaven, then the test of strategy assesses the human capacity for tactics.

Combining his exploration of the Kaiyang Immortal Mansion experience, it’s not difficult to see that the trials through Kaiyang and Megrez, even the Seven Celestial Mansions corresponding to all seven Immortal Mansions, require five tests to explore the mansion—tests that are not merely five independent trials.

The tests of the first four stages echo with each other, all aiming to complete the final fifth test.

For instance, in the Kaiyang Immortal Mansion, the trials of humanity, courage, determination, and strength in the first four stages all serve to enhance the tested individual’s power, with learned lessons during each trial becoming weapons to triumph over the Kaiyang Immortal Mansion Master in the final martial test.

Similar is the Megrez Immortal Mansion, where the trials of the first four stages were designed to facilitate triumph in this final chess game.

And this chess game uses the world as the board, with all beings as pieces on the great chessboard.

Wu Chang realized that his black pieces actually represent the seven Immortals, which is the human side.

The black pieces are humanity, the players are the seven Immortals, the future inheritors of the seven Immortal Mansions. Then the question arises, what do the white pieces represent, and who is controlling them?

He couldn’t think of an answer for now, just like the Megrez Immortal Mansion Master opposite him, also wrestling with the All-Knowing Crystal’s offense, caught in deep thought.

Right then, a sound of footsteps crunching on the snow echoed behind Wu Chang, and a figure arrived at his back, exclaiming with surprise:

"To make the Megrez Immortal Mansion Master fall into contemplation, that’s rare indeed."

The fifth test has always been presented by the Megrez Immortal Mansion Master, causing the tested individual to fall into prolonged thought, hesitating over moves, finally relying on half skill, half fortune for a breakthrough.

Now the tested individual has become the one laying the challenge for the Megrez Immortal Mansion Master, truly reversing the celestial order.

Wu Chang turned his head to look at the speaker, realizing it was none other than the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Rites who had hurriedly left after setting up the array.

The Junior Minister of the Ministry of Rites said, "I am Yuan Yan, Junior Minister at the Taichang Temple, from the Grand Xuan. May I know who you are?"

Seeing the Megrez Immortal Mansion Master still in thought, Wu Chang turned back and replied:

"I am Peace, from overseas, having recently arrived in Grand Xuan."

"Celestial Being?" Yuan Yan exclaimed in surprise.

Wu Chang said, "In fact, like you, I’m just an ordinary person. But as the cultivators from the Human Dao Alliance said, we overseas cultivators are called Celestial Beings in Grand Xuan."

Saying this, he briefly explained how he joined the Human Dao Alliance, received a mission from Lü Changgeng to explore the Immortal Mansion.

Yuan Yan, like the drunkard and the scholar, was immersed in exploring the Immortal Mansion and knew little of outside changes. Seeing a living Celestial Being before him shocked him profoundly.

What shocked him even more was that if Wu was truly a Celestial Being, didn’t that mean he completed the entry trial into the Demon-breaking Army in just half a day, advancing all the way to the fifth trial?

Furthermore, from Wu Chang’s game position, the situation was slightly advantageous, far better than his.

This made Yuan Yan’s heart skip a beat. After exchanging brief pleasantries with Wu Chang, he hastily returned to his own chess game to continue his match.

He felt threatened by Wu Chang. As the Grand Xuan’s number one prodigy and foremost array master, Yuan Yan rarely tasted defeat since childhood.

The Grand Xuan is vast, with a vast population, never lacking talented individuals.

Every year saw various prodigies emerge, with their fame spreading from county to town, from small town to big city, known province-wide, eventually reaching the Imperial City. There, prodigies realized — genius isn’t worth much.

Especially concerning the Earth Sacrifice Ceremony, where Taichang Temple demands the highest talent. Not only the Junior Minister and Minister, even the secretaries, scholars, and the lowest grade musical coordinators were once local prodigies.

Talent is merely the ticket into Taichang Temple.

But when they see him, they realize that talent isn’t worthless—it’s that they aren’t talented enough.

Before Wu Chang appeared, Yuan Yan was regarded as the most likely cultivator to acquire the Megrez Immortal Mansion. But Wu Chang’s emergence made him feel a crisis.

If he continued delaying, Wu Chang might complete the trial, and Yuan Yan’s only advantage now was his game progressing faster, possibly securing victory before Wu Chang.

Yuan Yan sat back at his seat, executed the clever move he had been contemplating on the journey.

Snap.

Upon hearing the drop of the game piece, the Megrez Immortal Mansion Master, who was deep in thought, loosened his expression instantly, rose from opposite Wu Chang, and walked toward Yuan Yan.

Everything has an order of precedence. Yuan Yan’s game began before Wu Chang’s; as soon as he placed a move, the Megrez Immortal Mansion Master would respond first.

Of course, more importantly was that Yuan Yan’s game was easier, and the Megrez Immortal Mansion Master was suffocating under the All-Knowing Crystal’s pressure, needing a weaker opponent to relieve his mind.

Seeing Yuan Yan’s clever move, he hesitated for three breaths before waving his hand to make a move.

This...

Yuan Yan watched as his clever move was effortlessly countered, and his mind faltered. But seeing the Megrez Immortal Mansion Master moving toward Wu Chang’s chessboard, time would not allow him prolonged thinking.