Chapter 412: The Sky as a Chessboard, the Stars as Pieces!

Wang Ping waited patiently for a moment, but nothing changed.

No Spiritual Treasure descended from the heavens, nor did any sudden epiphany strike him. Everything remained perfectly calm, as if the Water and Fire qi truly had no intention of doing anything.

'Dao Monarch Taishang Xuangong is clearly probing the stance of the Water and Fire qi, but they refuse to give him a clear answer.'

Yet, doing nothing was a stance in itself.

'This means that out of the two paths—Water and Fire in Equilibrium and Earth and Fire in Darkness—at least one is a massive trap, one the True Monarchs are unwilling to expose!'

'After all, if both paths resulted in everyone walking away happy, why the hesitation? The Water and Fire qi could easily and openly state their position. The fact that they are deliberately hiding it now means there is at least one option they want the Dao Monarch to choose, while simultaneously fearing he will reject it if they reveal their hand.'

Such an option was undeniably a trap.

'It is even possible... that both are traps!'

At this thought, Wang Ping furrowed his brows. This was the response of the True Monarchs of Water and Fire qi to True Monarch Taishang Xuangong. But what about him, a mere chess piece?

What did the True Monarchs of Water and Fire qi want him to do?

With this thought, a suspicion arose in his mind. Perhaps they were leaning toward Earth and Fire in Darkness—meaning, allowing the dao field to be destroyed.

The reason was simple.

'The First Seat has not arrived yet.'

First Seat Lian Ruzhao had agreed to travel with him to the Star Grave Sand Sea, but because he had been snatched away by a True Monarch's giant hand, she had failed to keep up.

But a significant amount of time had already passed.

Given her speed, she should have had more than enough time to reach the Star Grave Sand Sea by now. Yet, she was still nowhere to be seen.

'Delayed on the road, lost, lacking the exact coordinates of the dao field... while any of those could explain it, without the First Seat's support, I alone cannot possibly turn the tide and repel the siege of the three great dao fields. Are the True Monarchs of Water and Fire qi truly not interfering from the shadows?'

Wang Ping found that hard to believe!

Or rather, if the True Monarchs of Water and Fire qi favored Water and Fire in Equilibrium—the revival of the dao field—they should understand just how crucial the First Seat's combat prowess would be.

If so, why didn't they just grab her with a giant hand and instantly transport her here, just as they had thrown him into the Star Grave Sand Sea?

This was the foundation of his deduction.

'If the First Seat isn't coming, are the True Monarchs hinting that I should abandon the dao field?'

'But if I abandon it outright, Dao Monarch Taishang Xuangong will certainly notice... So even if I fight to the bitter end, there is a high chance I will be unable to salvage the situation?'

Wang Ping couldn't help but massage his forehead.

'No, I am focusing too much on the schemes of the True Monarchs. A lower cultivator can see nothing clearly from their vantage point. This is my life tribulation. I need to focus on myself.'

But that brought him back to the original problem.

If this grand scheme was his life tribulation, then among all the higher cultivators drawn into this tribulation—True Person Hanguang Danyang, the True Monarch of Fire qi, his own faction's Master of Secret Traces, and Dao Monarch Taishang Xuangong—which one wanted him dead? Which one wanted him alive? Where did the key to his survival lie?

So far, Wang Ping hadn't detected any immediate threat to his life.

But that was to be expected. After all, before the Wood qi had stolen his lifespan, Kunyun hadn't perceived the true danger lurking in the shadows either. It was perfectly reasonable that his vision was clouded.

The crux of the matter lay in his choice.

In a daze, Wang Ping realized he was standing at the crossroads of destiny. Should he risk everything to save the dao field, or sit back and watch it fall into ruin?

The choice he made here was critical.

"Huu..."

Reaching this conclusion, Wang Ping let out a long breath. Right on its heels, Yi Xuangong's voice drifted over from beside him. "Daoist friend, I have changed my mind."

Wang Ping lifted his eyes.

Yi Xuangong's expression had already returned to a state of calm. "I intend to protect the dao field," he said flatly. "I was wrong earlier. Earth and Fire in Darkness is absolutely out of the question!"

Wang Ping entirely understood Yi Xuangong's reasoning. After all, from his perspective, Water and Fire in Equilibrium was the path presented in the light, but the Fire qi had secretly offered Earth and Fire in Darkness in the shadows. A hidden arrow was far harder to defend against than an open spear, so it was only natural for him to reverse his decision.

Right at that moment.

"Rumble!"

A sudden, earth-shattering boom resounded. Yi Xuangong instantly lifted the lockdown on the great hall, and with Wang Ping closely trailing him, the two of them strode outside.

Looking up at the sky, they saw three streaks of brilliance howling beyond the heavens.

"The three great dao fields..."

Yi Xuangong's gaze sharpened. "It seems your capture of Xia Qinghou startled them. They are moving ahead of schedule to test our strength."

Was it really such a coincidence?

Wang Ping lowered his eyelids, a chill creeping into his heart. That familiar sensation had returned—the inexplicable feeling of being surrounded and scrutinized by True Monarchs and True Persons.

'Xia Qinghou was True Person Hanguang Danyang's chess piece. By capturing him, I triggered the three great dao fields to launch their assault early. And it just so happens to coincide with the exact moment I finished my conversation with Dao Monarch Taishang Xuangong and started guessing the stance of the True Monarchs of Water and Fire qi. Are they forcing my hand, making me choose on the spot?'

Wang Ping felt a crushing sense of urgency.

'They have no intention of giving me time to think, nor do they plan to offer any more clues. They're just forcing me to the edge, making me render a hasty verdict.'

It was a trap! Absolutely a trap!

Clenching his teeth, Wang Ping reached up and gently brushed the Profound One Calamity-Crossing Ring resting at the back of his head, his eyes shifting with uncertainty.

It offered no reaction.

Could it be... that Mother was trying to harm him too!?

"Daoist friend?"

Yi Xuangong's call snapped Wang Ping back to reality. The sect master raised a hand, gesturing upward. "A great battle is imminent. I intend to venture beyond the heavens. Are you willing to accompany me?"

By now, Yi Xuangong regarded Wang Ping with the utmost importance. This was not only due to his sharp mind and deep scheming, but also his cultivation and combat prowess, not to mention that box of Nine-Nine Xuangong Immortal-Felling Sand. If used well, it could completely reverse the tide and help the dao field survive this apocalyptic tribulation.

After a moment of silence, Wang Ping nodded.

No matter the outcome, taking a look was the right move. Besides, his intuition told him that he was only a paper-thin veil away from uncovering the truth behind this choice.

Once he pierced it, everything would naturally become clear.

...

Outside the Wuwei Buyi Dao Field.

At this moment, no fewer than thirty streaks of profound, overbearing light had gathered around the perimeter. Every single streak represented a qi nurturing practitioner.

This was the combined force of three dao fields. In terms of numbers, they held a completely overwhelming advantage over the current Wuwei Buyi Dao Field. As for quality, the three leaders were all at the Qi Nurturing Second Layer—meaning Yi Xuangong, at the Qi-Ingesting Third Layer, held the upper hand in raw power.

But a closer calculation revealed the grim truth.

'Yi Xuangong's Qi-Ingesting Third Layer is actually somewhat hollow. After all, there's no telling how much power the Yingdi Willow still retains.'

Wang Ping silently calculated in his heart.

'Furthermore, since these three dao fields dare to launch a siege with just three Qi Nurturing Second Layer cultivators leading them, they have almost certainly prepared a countermeasure for Yi Xuangong.'

'Yet, Yi Xuangong clearly has no idea what that countermeasure is.'

'The enemy is in the shadows, and we are in the light.'

Reaching this thought, Wang Ping drew his conclusion: Far from a guaranteed victory, the Wuwei Buyi Dao Field was almost certain to face a crushing defeat.

Suddenly, a sharp ring pierced the air.

A beam of fleeing light cut through the billions of grains of astral sand, streaking forward before abruptly splitting apart. Three figures stepped out, each dressed in distinctly different attire.

The man at the front wore green robes. His features were solemn, his brows and eyes sharp. A Sword Pellet danced above his head, wreathed in sword light; the earth-shattering boom from earlier had clearly been its sword cry. It was undoubtedly a Spiritual Treasure, and his cultivation base was exceptionally profound. Among the three, his aura was the closest to Yi Xuangong's Qi-Ingesting Third Layer.

"His name is Wuchenzi."

Yi Xuangong transmitted a message directly into Wang Ping's ear. "The three dao fields laying siege this time are Qingxiao, Nine Disasters, and Origin Transformation."

"Wuchenzi is the sect master of the Qingxiao Dao Field."

"The two flanking him are the sect masters of the Origin Transformation Dao Field and the Nine Disasters Dao Field. One calls himself Old Man Guangji, and the other goes by the Daoist name Mijian."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ping narrowed his eyes for a closer look.

Beside the green-robed sword cultivator stood two men. One was dressed plainly—a withered, gaunt elder cradling a bronze candle lamp in his hand.

The other was the exact opposite: a handsome young man wearing a dharma robe that rippled with the light of crashing waves, carrying an air of absolute, unrestrained ease.

"These three dao fields belong to different dao veins," Yi Xuangong's voice continued. "The Qingxiao Dao Field belongs to the Destruction vein. The Nine Disasters Dao Field is under the Disaster vein, and the Origin Transformation Dao Field is governed by the Transformation vein. However, all of them are qi nurturing practitioners."

At that last remark, Yi Xuangong suddenly let out a scoff.

Although all of them were failures now, the qi-ingesting practitioners had overthrown the qi nurturing practitioners to rise to power in the past. Thus, buried deep in his bones was a lingering sense of disdain.

After all, they might not be able to defeat Qi Refining practitioners, but did that mean they couldn't beat these people?

However, he quickly suppressed that trace of contempt. It was fine to despise the enemy strategically, but circumstances were stronger than people. Tactically, he still had to take them seriously.

"Daoist Friend Yi!"

The very next second, the green-robed sword cultivator, Wuchenzi, spoke out loudly. Every word echoed like the clash of metal and the whistling of blades, rolling across the sand sea:

"Things have already reached this point. There is no need for further words between us."

Wuchenzi pointed down at the sea of astral sand beneath them and said, "Let us take this Cosmos as our chessboard and align the great dao stars. Victory or defeat will be plain to see."

"How about it?"

Hearing this, Yi Xuangong's expression turned solemn as he replied frankly, "We will do as you say!"