Chapter 570 - 29: All in the Game, Rewriting the Grand Momentum, Issuing the Celestial Decree

Chapter 570: Chapter 29: All in the Game, Rewriting the Grand Momentum, Issuing the Celestial Decree

Since Houtu’s fall, the Dao Fruit chessboard had been one seat short of six. Today, it was full once again.

Amid a soft, shimmering radiance, the Ancient Bodhi Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Supreme Moral Heavenly Venerate sat poised on the right side of the board.

The Shangqing Spirit Treasure Great Heavenly Venerate, Yuqing Primordial Heavenly Venerate, and the Purple Cloud Palace Master sat poised on the left.

The six majestic figures gazed down upon the board as one, as if looking down upon all of creation. Daluo were in the game, and even the Ancient Ones were in the game!

All were but pieces on the board.

Lu Xuan gazed at the shimmering radiance, his expression solemn. In that moment, he truly saw the grand trend of the future, something only an Enlightened One could perceive.

This was different from the fragments of future possibilities he himself controlled. The grand trend revealed on the board genuinely encompassed everything. As long as the state of the game remained unchanged,

then the trend—the future it heralded—was destined to happen.

’The future is unfixed, changing from moment to moment... changing according to the game on the board. The only things truly unfixed are the minor details.’

Just then, the Blind Daoist spoke softly, clearing up Lu Xuan’s confusion.

"An Enlightened One can consolidate a portion of the future. But with the aid of this chessboard, ’portion’ becomes ’all.’ Before Houtu fell, the six of us counterbalanced, interfered with, and vied with one another for the right to determine the future."

Lu Xuan gazed at the board and murmured,

"The future of all living things?"

"Yes, but not entirely."

The Blind Daoist said with a smile,

"In a sense, the players of this game are ’Heaven.’ Not the Celestial Realm of the Great Heaven and Earth, but the ’Heaven’ that determines all things across the All Realms.

"When a mortal occasionally defies Heaven, it’s not because they wish to, but because we wish them to. For instance, Emperor Xin of the Late Shang Dynasty, Chi You during the Era of the Three Emperors, or a certain monkey from the westward journey..."

He paused, then continued,

"Of course, there are always exceptions. The Ancient Ones can occasionally step outside the game, as can beings who possess the Innate Uncertain Number. In fact, their chances of stepping off the board are even greater than those of the Ancient Ones."

Lu Xuan grew pensive. He gazed at the board, at all of creation represented within, and asked another question.

"In that case, does that mean no new Enlightened One can emerge without all of your consent?"

"Yes and no."

This time, it was the Lame Daoist who answered, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"There are six players. Every possible future, aside from variables like the Innate Uncertain Number, is the result of the contest between the six of us.

"Whenever a new Dao Fruit is born, it is either because one side has won a decisive victory, or because all sides have reached a compromise. The most brilliant case in ancient times was undoubtedly Haotian."

"What do you mean?" Lu Xuan asked, his curiosity piqued.

The Lame Daoist explained with a chuckle,

"Before Haotian had even attained his Dao Fruit, he managed to glimpse this very chessboard. That brat had the audacity to maneuver between the Enlightened Ones of the time,

"and using intricate strategies of alliance and counter-alliance, he actually forced the game into a unique state where every Enlightened One stood to gain. In the end, they all chose to compromise, allowing him to claim a Dao Fruit. Later, he fully achieved Enlightenment and became one of them..."

Amitabha Buddha looked up then and said flatly,

"Of course, there were pros and cons. His actions broke a taboo. Not long after becoming an Enlightened One, he lost his seat and fell from grace... But enough of that."

The Ancient Buddha paused, his gaze fixed on Lu Xuan.

"Fellow Daoists, it is time to make a move."

As he spoke, the Ancient Bodhi Buddha also turned his gaze to Lu Xuan, watching his every move with a probing look in his eyes before declaring,

"I shall make the first move."

As he spoke,

a chess piece materialized in his hand. He placed it on the board with a soft tap and announced flatly,

"With this move, the Great Sun Buddha and his host of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas shall enter the Late Han Dynasty. The Buddha Mother will take the stage, and the world will be thrown into turmoil."

The grand trend of the future, reflected on the board, truly shifted with the Ancient Bodhi Buddha’s move.

Within it, Lu Xuan saw the world submitting to the Buddha, saw the Six Paths of Reincarnation being seized, and saw the Underworld Department and the Netherworld bowing at the feet of the Buddhas...

The Lame Daoist smiled faintly.

"My turn."

He placed his piece on the board and said with a laugh,

"With this move, an incarnation of myself shall personally enter the Nine Nether. Wielding the Qing Ping Sword, I will take my seat above the Six Paths and slay any foe who dares to approach."

The future shifted once more. A great battle erupted in the Nine Nether, where a Daoist named ’Yu Yu’ wielded the Qing Ping Sword in a fierce struggle against an Ancient One!

"Now it’s my turn."

The Blind Daoist smiled and placed his piece.

"With this move, I will not interfere with the All Realms. I will personally enter the God-Sealing Years, merely to observe, and will change nothing."

"I’ll make a move as well." The Supreme, who had been staring at the Blind Daoist, spoke flatly as he calmly placed a piece on the board.

"With this move, I will personally enter the game. I will return to the era of Divine Enthronement and help Spirit Treasure fight Primordial."

The Blind Daoist’s expression froze, and he glared.

"Supreme! What is the meaning of this?!"

The two Buddha Lords glanced over in surprise, but the Supreme merely spoke in a placid tone.

"This is but one part of my design. Do not inquire further. Do not inquire further."

The Ancient Bodhi Buddha and Amitabha Buddha both narrowed their eyes, internally speculating on the Supreme’s scheme. ’What is he planning?’

This was not without precedent. The Three Pristine Ones had once let a conflict play out for real, truly waging war during the God-Sealing Years.

Afterward, some of their disciples seemingly compromised and joined the Buddhist Sect, but it was all a ploy. The move directly caused the Buddhist Sect’s fortune to be siphoned back into the Daoist Sect, leading to the former’s decline for many long years!

Only the Blind Daoist, trembling with fury, understood that this was no damned secret ploy or contingency plan, nor was it some feint to misdirect them.

’He just wants to beat the hell out of me!’

’Fine, fine, fine! You petty old man, Supreme!’

The Blind Daoist seemed to foresee his impending miserable fate. He shivered, and a vicious thought took root.

He glanced sideways, patted Lu Xuan’s shoulder gently, and said with a grin,

"My good disciple, do you have a move you wish to make? If not, your master can make one for you. We’ll have you perform the discipleship ceremony once more, under the watchful eyes of the All Realms, to formally inherit my mantle. How does that sound?"

Lu Xuan’s expression was strange. The Lame Daoist secretly gave the Blind Daoist a thumbs-up. A certain Supreme felt his jaw tighten, and his fists began to itch uncontrollably.

But then Amitabha Buddha cleared his throat, his gaze profound.

"Fellow Daoist, since this is your first time playing on the Dao Fruit chessboard, it is best you make the move yourself."

"Indeed..." the Ancient Bodhi Buddha added. "We ask that you make your move personally, Fellow Daoist!"

The two Enlightened Ones stared intently at Lu Xuan, preparing to probe his true abilities. Without power comparable to an Enlightened One, it was absolutely impossible to make a move on this board!

There had been instances in the past when two or three pure white pieces appeared abruptly, with no discernible player, but those were extremely rare exceptions!

Moreover, Primordial’s offer to make a move on behalf of the Purple Cloud Palace Master had sparked a suspicion in the minds of Amitabha Buddha and the Ancient Bodhi Buddha.

’Does this Purple Cloud Palace Master truly possess the power of an Enlightened One?’

The Blind Daoist frowned, displeased. His clever plan to spite the Supreme had been shot down by these two. He slammed a hand on the board.

"What’s this? I am speaking with my disciple. What right do you two have to interrupt? Since when did my disciple need you to make his decisions for him?"

Amitabha Buddha retorted just as sharply,

"Fellow Daoist Primordial, why must you be this way? Are you trying to make a move on the Purple Cloud Palace Master’s behalf, or... is it that the Purple Cloud Palace Master *cannot* make a move?"

With that, the pretense was dropped. He became aggressive.

"Purple Cloud Palace Master, I ask you to make your move!"

Lu Xuan let out a laugh, suddenly understanding. He gazed at the board, feigning contemplation.

After a moment,

he spoke coolly.

"Very well. I shall make a move, lest certain bald-headed fools get any more paranoid."

Amitabha Buddha’s expression remained unchanged, but the Ancient Bodhi Buddha’s face cooled slightly.

The next instant.

A large, pure white piece of dazzling brilliance materialized in Lu Xuan’s hand. He placed it on the board at a deliberate, unhurried pace.

CLACK!

Along with the crisp echo, a ripple spread through the Great Chaos. The grand trend within the game shifted abruptly, and Lu Xuan slowly began to speak.

"With this move, the Purple Cloud Palace shall once again proclaim the Great Dao, expounding upon the middle and final volumes of the Celestial Book. Let it be that in the Human World, from antiquity to the present day, every person shall be like a dragon, with no end to their life, no limit to their fate, and Immortals and Buddhas shall rank below humanity!"

As his voice faded, the grand trend on the board settled, and the new state of the game became terrifyingly clear.

The Human Race, from its very beginning, experienced explosive growth. The total power of the Human Dao Trend surged severalfold. The Human Kings of every era reached the Celestial Realms, and the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were all peak Daluo.

Even the Celestial Court could not compare!

The future trend also transformed. In the Late Han Dynasty, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas guided into the world by the White Lotus Sect...

...found themselves locked in a stalemate with the generals of the Human Race. The world no longer submitted to the Buddha. A Human Dao Dynasty was established by humanity, for humanity, independent of any Immortal Gods!

The faces of the Ancient Bodhi Buddha and Amitabha Buddha changed drastically. Amitabha’s expression was as dark as still water, while the Ancient Bodhi Buddha spoke, his words clipped and sharp.

"So, it was you, Fellow Daoist... you were the one who made those abrupt moves in years past!"

The two Buddha Lords stared fixedly at the new pure white piece on the board and understood with a jolt.

The few pure white pieces that had appeared so abruptly in the past had been placed by him. This Purple Cloud Palace Master had truly been lying dormant for countless eons!

Lu Xuan’s expression remained unchanged. He simply sensed the Heaven and Earth Chessboard within the sea of his consciousness and smiled faintly.

"Amitabha, why not make your move? Also... I trust that your promise concerning the God-Sealing Years will be kept."

Amitabha Buddha’s expression was grim. After a long moment, he nodded slightly.

"Since I have given you my word, Fellow Daoist, I will naturally see it through. You may rest assured on that point."

As he spoke, he and the Ancient Bodhi Buddha each removed a piece from the board—the very ones they had played long ago to prevent any of the Jade Void Twelve Immortals from reaching Daluo.

Then,

a heavy-looking piece materialized in Amitabha Buddha’s hand. He slowly placed it on the board and began to speak.

"With this move, I shall personally enter the game. I will descend myself and seize the Six Paths of Reincarnation."

The board’s state changed in an instant. In the new future, the Yu Yu Daoist, who had been invincible in his suppression of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, was driven back.

The Human Dao Dynasty of the Late Han also collapsed with a thunderous roar. Amitabha Buddha walked the Human World and the Nine Nether, and everywhere he went became a Buddha Land!

The faces of The Three Pristine Ones paled slightly. Even the Ancient Bodhi Buddha, who knew this was coming, showed a look of astonishment!

Amitabha Buddha smiled.

"If you Fellow Daoists do not make another move, then this round, I believe, is my victory."

What the board displayed was the grand trend of the future. In other words, it was almost guaranteed to become reality.

But only *almost*.

Lu Xuan slowly looked up, a faint, unreadable smile on his face.

"Why so confident, Fellow Daoist? The future this game depicts is one where the Innate Uncertain Number does not exist. It’s not yet certain who will emerge victorious... the outcome is still unknown."

Amitabha Buddha narrowed his eyes.

"Supreme Profound Clarity is Fellow Daoist Supreme’s direct lineage disciple. A fine young man, but ultimately a bit weak... What, do you know him as well, Fellow Daoist?"

"Of course I do."

Lu Xuan gave a calm smile.

"This game set in the Late Han Dynasty... your victory is far from certain, Fellow Daoist."

As he spoke, he calmly looked aside, borrowing the immense power of the chessboard to tear open the River of Time and send down a Supreme Decree imbued with the board’s own transcendent nature!

"Supreme Profound Clarity, go forth! Aid Guangcheng Zi in attaining Daluo, gather the Jade Void Immortals, and pacify the North."

The Great Decree drifted down, its every word transforming into a massive, brilliant golden character that resounded throughout the entire era of the Late Han Dynasty.

And within that era, everyone from the lowliest merchants and soldiers to the Ancient Immortals and Ancient Buddhas, even the newly arrived Taiyi and Buddha Mother, subconsciously looked up.

Through that Great Decree, they glimpsed an illusory, ethereal scene.

High above the river of Years, at the very edge of Chaos, sat six majestic figures, their forms so immense they seemed to connect heaven and earth.

"How... is this possible?"

The Buddha Mother stared, transfixed, at one of the figures, letting out a murmur that was almost a dream-like whisper.