Chapter 558: The Two Chess Players

Chapter 558 -520: The Two Chess Players

The moment the Feng Zhen appeared, nearly everyone despaired.

No one believed they could escape from the grasp of a Nascent Soul True Monarch—not even Chen Che, who had just turned the tide!

BOOM—

As a pair of hands materialized.

A phantom, so majestic in their eyes as to be indescribable, appeared at the same time:

This figure seemed to exist between illusion and reality, occupying the entire sky. Before it, the massive Primordial City was like an anthill beneath a tree. And its gaze upon them was like that of a child observing the ants in their hill!

CRUNCH—

This Sealing had appeared too suddenly.

Even Chen Che couldn’t react in time. The high-speed Spiritual Boat, carried by its own momentum, slammed violently into it. With a sound of catastrophic splintering, the entire Spiritual Boat shattered from its prow and broke in two.

In mid-air, the disintegrating hull rained down like water.

Chen Che and the crowd of Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators descended slowly.

Countless others looked up, only to discover with despair that all the cultivators who had fled earlier—Duobao, Chen Jiyuan, Qiu Tianshui, Ping Miaohan, and the rest—had been sealed within the city without exception.

“We respectfully welcome the Sect Leader!”

A stunned Jiang Shaotian snapped back to his senses and knelt on one knee before the phantom.

“Greetings, True Monarch.”

The cultivators from Mist Rain Tower and Celestial Spirit Palace hesitated for a moment, but ultimately bowed in reverence.

When a Nascent Soul True Monarch appeared, cultivators from any sect had no choice but to show sufficient respect.

“It is, it is…”

“A Nascent Soul True Monarch…”

“He really broke through!”

A wave of gasps arose from within the city.

But just as quickly, the clamor died down. In the presence of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, even Golden Core cultivators had to suppress their emotions to the absolute limit.

Chen Che looked up as well.

Unlike the other cultivators, he dealt with Nascent Soul experts frequently. But for that very reason, he understood the power of a Nascent Soul True Monarch better than anyone. Before such a being, a Golden Core True Master was utterly insignificant.

“Right Protector, you have handled this poorly.”

This suddenly appearing figure was none other than the Sect Leader of the Star-Picking Sect, Du Zhongyi. Although his true body was not present, the terrifying pressure from this phantom alone weighed on everyone’s heart like the great Taihang Mountain.

“Do you have any idea what consequences your moment of petty strife will bring upon the Sect?”

“Please forgive me, Sect Leader…”

Jiang Shaotian, terrified, dropped to both knees. “I will act now.”

Of course he knew the consequences.

If so many Golden Core cultivators hostile to the Star-Picking Sect were allowed to escape, the territories under their control would know no peace. And if one of them managed to achieve Nascent Soul Formation, it would spell utter disaster.

Hearing this, the hearts of the Primordial Sect Disciples plunged into an abyss—

‘His words mean he’s dead set on eradicating us, root and stem!’

‘It’s over…’

Yu Yunko closed her eyes.

She knew that with the Sect Leader’s appearance, everything was finished. There was no longer any room for a reversal.

“There’s no need.”

Du Zhongyi said flatly, “Since I am here, I will act personally.”

With that said, he slowly raised his right hand. With just this simple motion, countless hurricanes surged above Primordial City and converged.

If a Golden Core cultivator were to do this, it would take at least several breaths’ time. But a Nascent Soul True Monarch could accomplish it in a flash. As the hurricanes gathered, they formed a giant palm that covered the whole of Primordial City and crushed down.

Clean and decisive, like a child crushing an ant, it was done with casual ease.

“Sigh—”

Just then, a sigh suddenly echoed from Primordial Mountain.

Before anyone could react:

WHOOSH!

From within the mountain, an equally majestic figure appeared, sitting in opposition. As this figure materialized, it flipped its right hand, instantly forming a palm of the same size, and then thrust it forward.

In everyone’s eyes, this was bound to be a world-shattering blow, but when the two palms collided, there was only silence.

The bizarre scene made everyone present feel so uncomfortable they wanted to vomit blood.

At the same time, an even more astonishing scene occurred:

CRACK—

A crisp sound spread out.

The giant palm shattered at the sound, and Du Zhongyi’s majestic phantom trembled. Then, like an ice sheet shattered by a child, his body split apart from the middle under the residual power of that palm strike.

Like a bubble popped by a finger, it dissolved into countless motes of fluorescent light and vanished into the void.

“It’s not so easy to destroy my Primordial Sect.”

The second phantom leisurely withdrew its hand and spoke coolly.

If someone had said this before, everyone would have thought them mad. ‘How dare you act so presumptuously before a Nascent Soul True Monarch?’ But after witnessing that palm strike, everyone was stunned.

“Sect Leader!”

Duobao was stunned for a moment, then cried out loud.

Qiu Tianshui and Chen Jiyuan also stared in disbelief, then shouted with ecstatic joy, “Sect Leader!”

Chen Che looked up.

He saw a figure that seemed to have merged with Primordial Mountain, occupying the space between heaven and earth. Its moon-white robes seemed corporeal, fluttering slightly in the wind. The figure was powerfully built with a solemn face—who else could it be but the Primordial Sect Leader?

However, having succeeded in Nascent Soul Formation, he no longer looked as old as before, but appeared to be middle-aged.

The cultivators from Celestial Spirit Palace and Mist Rain Tower were numb with shock. Another Nascent Soul True Monarch had appeared.

“Ancestor!”

“Sect Leader…”

For a moment, cries rang out endlessly within the city.

Coming to his senses, Chen Che also quickly paid his respects. At the same time, doubts bubbled up in his mind like boiling water. ‘Judging by the way he acted, he must have achieved Nascent Soul Formation a long time ago.’

‘But why did he never show himself…’

However, there was no time for him to ponder, as Du Zhongyi’s figure had already re-formed in the raging wind.

“Fellow Daoist Du, I never expected you to be so cautious. After advancing to the Nascent Soul realm, you don’t even dare to set foot on my Primordial Mountain, only sending a projection through the void.” The Primordial Sect Leader, Wei Yanzhou, watched the re-forming figure, his expression ice-cold.

Meanwhile, within the ruined Celestial Ghost City, a middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, gazing toward Primordial Mountain.

His face had been full of shock and suspicion, but upon hearing this, he suddenly started to laugh:

“Fellow Daoist Wei, no matter how cautious I am, I can’t compare to your treachery…”

Wei Yanzhou’s expression faltered for a moment. After staring at Du Zhongyi for a second, he too burst into loud laughter.

The two of them seemed as warm as old friends reuniting after many years, completely ignoring the disciples in the city below who had been locked in a life-or-death struggle just a moment ago.

However, once the two had laughed their fill, Wei Yanzhou’s expression turned serious. “Fellow Daoist, my Primordial City has been ruined to this extent. What do you propose we do about it?”

“The six prefectures under the Celestial Spirit Palace are yours.”

Du Zhongyi replied instantly, without a second thought.

Everyone was still completely bewildered by the two Sect Leaders’ conversation, and hearing this left them stunned. As for the Golden Core True Masters of the Celestial Spirit Palace, they were simply dumbfounded on the spot.

‘Our territory is going to the Primordial Sect? What does that mean?’

“Sect Leader Du…”

One of the Golden Core cultivators, stunned, couldn’t help but speak up.

But Du Zhongyi merely flicked a finger.

SWOOSH—

A blast of wind shot out, passing straight through him. The head of the Golden Core cultivator who had spoken instantly exploded, splattering yellow and white matter all over the ground. His fellow Golden Core cultivators were all frozen in terror, their faces pale, not daring to move an inch.

“Acceptable!”

After a moment of silence, Wei Yanzhou nodded slightly. “But… the Star-Picking Sect has been sweeping through the Primordial Sect’s territories for nearly a year, causing so much carnage. The Celestial Spirit Palace alone is not enough to offset it.”

“Mist Rain Tower’s territory: you get sixty percent, I get forty!”

Du Zhongyi said after a brief moment of contemplation.

BOOM—

The moment these words were spoken, all the cultivators from Mist Rain Tower were stunned.

A moment ago, they were on a united front with the Star-Picking Sect, preparing to join forces to annihilate the Primordial Sect. But in the blink of an eye, the Star-Picking Sect had turned on them? First, it had taken the liberty of giving the Celestial Spirit Palace to the Primordial Sect.

And now it was their turn?

The two Nascent Soul True Monarchs were dividing up the spoils right in front of them?

But having witnessed the death of the Celestial Spirit Palace cultivator, how could they dare to interrupt?

“Good.”

Wei Yanzhou nodded, his gaze sweeping over the city. “Clean up these people for me…”

As his figure slowly faded, he left behind a final sentence:

“Everyone, follow me into the mountain.”

At that same moment, Du Zhongyi’s voice boomed, “All cultivators of the Star-Picking Sect, hear my command! Eradicate the cultivators of Mist Rain Tower and the Celestial Spirit Palace.”