Chapter 1185: The Chess Game of the World
Zhang Ruochen did not actually engage in anything with Demon Rakshasa Princess Consort. Instead, using the excuse of healing his injuries, he temporarily entered seclusion to cultivate.
The sun rose, and the Blood God Sect welcomed a new day.
One after another, earth-shaking news spread out, racing like lightning to the various major powers of Tiantai Prefecture, and even spreading throughout the entire Central Domain.
"One of the Blood God Sect's Four Great Dharma Kings, Diyuan Dharma King, has fallen, slain by a Ghost King."
"Tongyi Saint and Yuluo Saint were annihilated in both form and spirit by a mysterious powerful figure. The Blood God Sect has suffered a large number of assassinations among its highly esteemed Half-Saints, resulting in heavy casualties."
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A great upheaval had occurred within the Blood God Sect. Each piece of news that spread was like a massive earthquake, causing neighboring sects and clans to feel deeply anxious, with everyone fearing for their own safety.
At noon, the Blood God Sect's Elder Hall issued a decree, proclaiming to the world: "Last night, the Saints and Half-Saints who were slain were all infiltrators of the Undying Blood Clan. One of the six Great Saint Elders, Elder Yuangui, and the Palace Master of the Chaos Heavenly Palace, Yu Huacheng, who are high-ranking members of the Undying Blood Clan, have escaped."
At the same time, the Elder Hall also published a list, which was transmitted to all branches and affiliated forces of the Blood God Sect.
Not long after, the Blood God Sect issued a second decree: "Effective immediately, the Blood God Sect will seal its mountain gates for three months and activate the Ancient Blood God Formation. Any living being approaching the territory of the Blood God Sect will be killed without exception."
The turmoil within the Blood God Sect caused enormous subsequent repercussions.
On that very day, unrest broke out in various branches and affiliated forces of the Blood God Sect. The most powerful forces in Tiantai Prefecture were all affected.
This upheaval was not initiated by the Undying Blood Clan, but rather a proactive strike by the high-ranking members of the Blood God Sect. Coupled with the fact that over half of the Undying Blood Clan's Saints and Half-Saints had already been killed or wounded, the Blood God Sect's losses were not too severe, at least not enough to damage its foundation.
Central Imperial City.
After the Empress left, the world's spiritual energy in the Central Imperial City plummeted sharply, causing no small impact on this number one city under heaven.
However, the First Central Empire had a deep foundation and a well-established system. After the Empress left, no major upheaval occurred in the Imperial City. The various ministries of the court, the inner palace, and officials at all levels continued to operate in an orderly manner.
Nevertheless, the administrative center of the Imperial City shifted from the Empress's Ziwei Palace to the Lianzhu Mansion of Grand Chancellor Wang Shiqi.
Wang Shiqi was the senior disciple of Wendi.
After Wendi went into seclusion, Wang Shiqi became the foremost figure of the Confucian Path.
Even Confucian Saints, upon meeting Wang Shiqi, would respectfully address him as "Saint Teacher."
As Grand Chancellor, Wang Shiqi was the head of the civil officials.
In terms of power and influence, he was absolutely second only to the Empress, above all others. Even the Ministers of the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Divine Works, the Ministry of Heavenly Punishment, and so on, the heads of the six ministries, had to defer to him.
At present, it was Wang Shiqi who was controlling the First Central Empire, mobilizing the manpower and material resources of the world to resist foreign enemies and maintain stability among the major powers.
Wang Shiqi's Lianzhu Mansion was composed of nine mansions, arranged with nine ancient Saint formations, like a string of nine stars in a row.
At this moment, in the Ninth Mansion of Lianzhu Mansion, the most prominent figures of the Confucian Path had gathered, surrounding a chess platform on all sides.
Besides Wang Shiqi, all four sect masters of the Confucian Path were present. There were also dozens of other great Confucians and Saint Confucians, each with astonishing status, like pillars of the world.
Any one of them walking out would shake the entire world.
Shengshu Cainü was dressed in a moon-white Confucian robe, disguised as a man, with an elegant demeanor, bright eyes, and white teeth. Standing among the white-bearded, aged Confucians around her, she was particularly eye-catching.
Shengshu Cainü's starry eyes fixed on the chess platform at the center of the hall. Her spiritual power surged from her eyes, immersing itself within.
"Boom!"
The nine-foot-long chess platform grew increasingly massive, extending in all directions, evolving into a vast world with continuous mountain ranges, much like an unfolding map of heaven and earth.
The stronger a cultivator's spiritual power, the more vast and detailed the world evolved from the chess platform appeared in their eyes. Every mountain, every river, every city, every person—all were presented.
In other words, the higher a cultivator's cultivation, the different the world they saw.
This was the legendary Heavenly Earth Chess Game!
For a long time, the legend of the "Heavenly Earth Chess Game" had circulated in the Kunlun Realm, but very few cultivators had ever been able to access it.
The northern part of the chess game represented the Northern Domain of the First Central Empire, where blood energy permeated the air and killing intent soared to the heavens.
On the chess platform, billions of chess pieces were arranged together. Some pieces shone with brilliant light, like stars in the universe, releasing explosive power fluctuations.
Such pieces represented Saints.
Other pieces, the most numerous, were extremely dim, densely packed and countless, like specks of dust.
They represented ordinary humans.
Shengshu Cainü's two delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she said solemnly, "The battlefield in the Northern Domain is further deteriorating. In just six days, we have lost eighty-four passes in a row. The Undying Blood Clan's offensive pace is becoming increasingly fierce. I'm afraid the sixth line of defense will be breached soon. By then, the entire territory of Yebei Prefecture, spanning millions of miles, will become a land ravaged by the Undying Blood Clan."
In the northern part of the chess platform, a large area was covered by blood energy, which continued to encroach and advance towards the Central Domain.
The Undying Blood Clan's momentum was overwhelming. Just looking at the chess platform, one could feel the surging evil aura. The armies of the First Central Empire, along with the allied forces organized by various human sects and clans, were unable to resist and were retreating in defeat.
One could imagine that the Northern Domain must already be in chaos, with heaven and earth turned upside down. Every time a city was breached, thousands of humans would become food for the Undying Blood Clan.
If the entire Northern Domain fell, then the billions of humans in the Northern Domain would become two-legged sheep, livestock raised by the Undying Blood Clan, to be killed and eaten at will.
The top figures of the Confucian Path present all had tense faces, not even daring to breathe heavily, feeling deep worry.
"If the Empress hadn't left, the Undying Blood Clan wouldn't have such audacity. Those few Blood Emperors would surely be scared out of their wits," said a Saint Confucian.
Painting Sect Master Chu Siyuan bristled with anger, appearing quite radical. He said, "What's the use of talking about that now? What's the point of just watching? I, the Sect Master, believe we should all go and fight a decisive battle with the Undying Blood Clan. With the current foundation of the Confucian Path, plus the imperial army, why should we fear them?"
Shengshu Cainü said, "There are likely many infiltrators of the Undying Blood Clan within the Confucian Path as well. Once they launch assassination operations, I'm afraid the Confucian Path would be more than half dead before the war even begins."
Chu Siyuan calmed down, knowing that what Shengshu Cainü said was the truth.
The Undying Blood Clan had been plotting behind the scenes for eight hundred years, planting infiltrators in all major forces, capable of creating turmoil at any time, making even the powerful Confucian Path feel constrained.
One must know that most Confucian cultivators were spiritual power cultivators with fragile bodies, incomparable to martial arts experts. Once assassinated, they would have little chance of survival.
Qin Sect Master Mr. Mei said, "One move affects the whole body. If we all rush to the Northern Domain, who can guarantee the stability of the Central Domain? If the Central Domain falls into chaos, humanity will lose its foundation, and the entire world will be in a precarious state. This matter requires caution and long-term deliberation."
An aged Great Confucian said, "How about activating the Confucian Ancestor Sacred Book?"
Standing among a group of Confucians hundreds of years old, Shengshu Cainü felt no pressure and remained exceptionally calm. She said, "The Confucian Ancestor Sacred Book is indeed infinitely powerful. Used well, it can counter the few Blood Emperors of the Undying Blood Clan. However, if an infiltrator of the Undying Blood Clan were to gain control of the Confucian Ancestor Sacred Book, it would undoubtedly be a disaster for humanity."
Then, her bright eyes swept over the Confucian Saints present, and she said with a smile, "Among our group here, there might also be infiltrators of the Undying Blood Clan."
Everyone looked at each other, feeling quite troubled. If the infiltrators of the Undying Blood Clan were not rooted out and eliminated in advance, then any action would be hampered.
The top figures of the Confucian Path all walked out of the Ninth Mansion, continuing to discuss strategies to deal with the current crisis.
Chu Siyuan had a stubborn temper and insisted on leading all the students of the Confucian Path to the Northern Domain to wage war against the Undying Blood Clan, to the death.
"So what if we die in battle? At least we have integrity, enough to be remembered for a hundred generations. If everyone is as hesitant as you all, what great deeds can be accomplished?" Chu Siyuan said.
The Saint Confucians present all understood Chu Siyuan's temper, so no one argued with him.
Because no matter how much they argued, it was useless.
Grand Chancellor Wang Shiqi said, "It's not that we don't want to fight, but we need to find a way to minimize losses. We must consider all aspects carefully and must not, out of impulse, ruin the entire chess game. We represent not just ourselves, but the entire First Central Empire, the entire Kunlun Realm. Any wrong decision we make will lead to the deaths of tens of millions of humans."
"Thinking about all that is useless. It's more direct to just go kill a few Undying Blood Clan Saints," Chu Siyuan wanted to say this, but in the end, he held back, lest he be criticized again by these old fellows.
The great figures of the Confucian Path all fell silent, continuing to ponder countermeasures.
Just then, a soldier in white armor walked in, knelt on one knee, and said, "Lady Cainü, two monks have come outside Lianzhu Mansion, claiming to be friends of yours and saying they have brought you an extraordinary gift."
Chu Siyuan sneered coldly, bristling with anger, and said, "An extraordinary gift? How extraordinary could it be? I think it's some spoiled brat from some family trying to get close to little Nalan, bringing some trinket to curry favor."
"Now that the empire is in crisis, these juniors don't go to the battlefield to kill enemies, but instead spend their energy on such things. It's truly decadent and extravagant."
"We are discussing matters of the world right now. There's no need to pay them any attention."
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Shengshu Cainü's beautiful reputation spread across the world. With her brilliant talent and status as one of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maidens, she naturally had countless suitors.
The Confucian Saints present all regarded Shengshu Cainü as the leading figure of the younger generation of the Confucian Path, having watched her grow up. Therefore, in their eyes, only the few figures from the "Heroes' Ode" were worthy of Shengshu Cainü.
The other suitors were no different from a swarm of flies, not worth bothering with. They should just be driven away directly.
Shengshu Cainü's jade fingers moved slightly, quickly deducing the result. A faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she made a decision that shocked the dozens of old antiques present.
"Apologies, esteemed seniors. Danqing must go and meet those two friends first."
Shengshu Cainü gracefully bowed to the Confucian Saints present, then withdrew under their astonished gazes.
"What's going on? Could it be that some young prodigy has won the favor of our proud and aloof little Nalan?" Chu Siyuan was stunned, finding it hard to believe.