Chapter 81: Chess Fanatic
Chapter 81: Chess Fanatic
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The cultivator who was speaking earlier smiled. “Interesting, let me have a try.”
He jumped in the air and landed in front of the stone wall. He picked a spot on the board and pushed against it.
Vroom!
A chess piece appeared in its spot! No one knew how many years had passed between him and the game, but the game had somehow already started years ago!
It merely took the cultivator three moves for his once-confident face to turn into one of unease and cluelessness. His eyes were bloodshot and the Qi in him started to run out.
“Argh!”
He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and staggered five steps backward. His eyes turned dull—a sign of his Insights being attacked!
“Interrogation of Insights?”
Everyone’s faces changed as they all turned to look at the Qingyang Elder. One of them asked in an unfriendly tone, “Qingyang Elder! You didn’t tell us this is the Interrogation of Insights!”
The Qingyang Elder said with a frown, “Since this is a secret border, of course, it won’t be easy to enter! Did you need me to explain this concept, too?”
Everyone else did not speak. They did not show much on their faces but they were fuming in anger!
Anything could happen inside the secret border. Only the one who gained the final opportunity could become the ultimate winner and keep his power. Only the last man could win!
There was a saying among the cultivators, ‘A dead friend is better than a dead self!’
Following that, nobody dared to go forward. The tension in the air stiffened.
Suddenly, a hoarse voice rang in the air with a cold, mocking tone, “Chess Fanatic, if you’re still unwilling to come forward, I’m afraid nobody will ever be able to enter this secret border!”
Chess Fanatic?
Everyone jolted slightly and in unison, turned to look at an elderly man dressed who was dressed in black robes.
This elderly man had a goatee. His hair and beard were half black and half white. His face was slender and he stood in the last row without speaking.
Lin Mufeng turned and said in shock, “Chess Fanatic? The man who’s crazy about chess?”
“I can’t believe Qingyang Elder even invited him over!” Old Man Sun said in shock.
The Chess Fanatic was well known for how he treated chess as his life. It was as if he used his life to play chess!
According to the rumors, he was a gifted man. At the age of forty, he had reached the Yuan Ying realm. However, ever since then, he somehow became crazily addicted to chess. Not only did he stop cultivating, but his cultivation also regressed so much to the point of becoming a joke among his peers. Even his sect had to kick him out!
Back then, everyone was talking about this because there were just too few rumors in this Immortal Realm. So, when a weird and funny rumor of him started to spread, he became well known and everyone soon knew about him.
Now that four hundred years had passed, the Chess Fanatic title was gradually washed out of everyone’s memories. Little did they expect to hear about him today, let alone to finally meet him!
Out of curiosity, Lin Mufeng used his divine consciousness to check his stats and he let out a surprised gasp. “Huh? The early period of Out of Aperture? So, he used the Chess Dao to reach the Distraction realm?”
“It’s possible. Since every genius takes a different path.” Old Man Sun nodded. “If it’s really him, perhaps the secret border can be opened soon!”
The Chess Fanatic did not speak. He stared at the chessboard without blinking, as his body slowly made its way to the front of the stone wall.
Other than chess, there was nothing else in the world that could excite him.
Under everyone’s gaze, he raised his hand and pressed it on a spot on the chessboard.
Vroom!
The glow on the stone wall became brighter than usual as if it was excited to have met an opponent after all these years of waiting!
“Nice!” Old Man Sun’s eyes sparkled. “It appears that someone might be able to help get us in after all!”
“It’s wrong.” Lin Mufeng shook his head and sighed. “There’s only one way to play this. One wrong move would end up causing more mistakes and eventually cost you the game.”
Old Man Sun looked at Lin Mufeng with a strange look. “Lin Mufeng, I know you! Don’t pretend like you know anything about chess!”
“Of course, I don’t! But I have the expert’s support behind my back!” Lin Mufeng said calmly. “I’ve seen this chess pattern at the expert’s house and I had the privilege to learn the moves that could end this.”
Old Man Sun’s pupils dilated as he stared at him in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”
“No, I’m serious!” Lin Mufeng nodded, then shook his head with a bitter smile. “According to what I know, this is an entry-level game used for beginners at the expert’s house.”
“Entry...entry-level?” Old Man Sun’s hair stood on their ends. He was utterly shocked.
If this was merely an entry-level game, then how would an advanced-level game look like? How shocking would it be?
Swiftly after, he thought of a possibility as fear appeared on his face. He asked in a trembling voice, “Wait! Do you think it was a coincidence that you saw this game at the expert’s place? Did the expert show it to you on purpose?”
Lin Mufeng’s face was filled with solemn respect. “Very likely! Perhaps the expert knew that none of us could get into the secret border, so he intentionally gave me some pointers!”
Omniscience!
He was truly omniscient!
Old Man Sun could feel his heart throbbing and his scalp itching, as if a pair of eyes were watching him in the air with invisible hands moving him.
Lin Mufeng and Old Man Sun exchanged a look and they could each see a deep sense of awe and terror in one another’s eyes. They seemed to have something to say but they swallowed their words, too afraid to say them out loud.
Using the world as his chess game and the people as his chess pieces!
This was the realm of the expert!
The more things they knew about the expert, the more they realized how his realm was way beyond their imaginations. Limitless!
Impossible to imagine! Impossible to speculate!
Lin Mufeng could not help looking at the Chess Fanatic and said with a complicated look, “There are so many paths with the same destination. Nobody knows which path is correct and which path is wrong. The Chess Dao...the chess path...”
“Although I don’t know which path is correct, I know for sure that following the expert won’t be wrong!” Old Man Sun looked at Lin Mufeng with eyes full of admiration. “If you don’t want to become the chess piece of the expert, let me!”
“You?” Lin Mufeng glared at Old Man Sun and snorted. “Not a chance!”
Meanwhile, the face of the Chess Fanatic had turned strange. His face was pale like paper with pea-sized droplets of sweat rolling down uncontrollably. Finally, his body jolted vigorously as he, too, spat out a mouthful of blood.
“I made a wrong move. When did I make the mistake?” He narrowed his eyes, looking confused and lost. He stared at the chess game as if he was about to collapse from the interrogation!
“Sigh, let me do it.” Lin Mufeng went forward to help the Chess Fanatic up. He raised his hand and pressed on a spot. Instantly, a chess piece appeared on the spot and a sudden change happened on the chessboard. The chess game came alive!
It seemed that this move had already determined the outcome of the game. The stone wall did not continue the game, and instead, the chess game disappeared entirely. Soon after, the stone wall gradually lifted.
Vroom!