Chapter 4082: Trapped by Chess for Seven Days
The Second Confucian Ancestor made no pretense of modesty or refusal, sitting there with a clear conscience as he accepted Zhang Ruochen's bow.
His right arm traced a circle, his long sleeve flowing elegantly.
"Whoosh!"
Dense characters materialized in the space around him, radiating multicolored light, seeming even more profound than the laws governing the stars' movement in the universe.
He said, "How does Imperial Dust view this realm of the Ancestor?"
Zhang Ruochen sat back in his seat, restoring his imperial bearing, observing the chaotic spatial structure around the Second Confucian Ancestor caused by those Ancestor characters, and said, "Unfathomably deep! The world believes my battle prowess is no less than an Ancestor's. Only I myself know that facing an Ancestor, I have no chance of victory."
The Second Confucian Ancestor showed surprise, saying, "Why is Imperial Dust so self-deprecating? Is this intentional weakness?"
"Is the Confucian Ancestor trying to test my strength?"
Zhang Ruochen was elegant and composed, unhurried, saying, "Although I know I have no chance of victory against an Ancestor, I am confident I can exchange life for life with an Ancestor."
Everyone could feel the atmosphere turning tense, the air pressure increasing tenfold.
Beneath Chi Yao's feet, burial gold patterns spread outward, ready to withstand the aftermath of an Ancestor-level clash at any moment.
The Second Confucian Ancestor stared intently into Zhang Ruochen's eyes, confirming his sincerity, then let out a long laugh: "I understand now—you have not yet finished refining the Seventy-Two Layer Tower."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze sharpened, saying, "Does the Confucian Ancestor have such confidence in the Seventy-Two Layer Tower?"
The Second Confucian Ancestor spoke slowly: "A heavy treasure forged through the Dao methods of five Ancestors—the Human Ancestor, Sword Ancestor, Nether Ancestor, Great Venerable, and Heavenly Demon—tempered through countless refinements, unparalleled in the universe, its power unimaginable."
"Imperial Dust, using the Victory Crown, could withstand Corpse Nightmare's Ancestor Grand Talisman. Then using the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, you can surely contend with an Ancestor, look down upon the heavens, and point your sword at all enemies."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Since the Confucian Ancestor knows that even the Human Ancestor, Sword Ancestor, Nether Ancestor, Great Venerable, and Heavenly Demon could only each complete one step of forging the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, you should understand the difficulty of fully forging it. This is absolutely impossible for a cultivator who has not yet stepped into the Ancestor Realm."
On this point, Zhang Ruochen was not lying.
Nor was there any need to lie before a Spiritual Power Ancestor; the other party had too many means to discern, deduce, and verify truth from falsehood.
Merging the Sword Pavilion, Nether Prison, Nether Refining Hell, and Ghost Gate was far too difficult, equivalent to merging the Dao of five Ancestors—something impossible for cultivators below the Ancestor Realm.
The original Fifty-Four Layer Tower was merely a simple assembly by Yunshen Daozhu, not fully integrated.
The Second Confucian Ancestor said solemnly, "The Entropy Epoch has already begun, and time is running out! Can Imperial Dust trust me this once, and let me help you complete the forging of the Seventy-Two Layer Tower?"
Zhang Ruochen neither immediately agreed nor refused, instead asking, "With the Confucian Ancestor's cultivation, if you mastered the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, would you be confident in being invincible under heaven?"
"An Ancestor in another era could command all gods, decide the rise and fall of the universe with a single word, and be the absolute sovereign. But in this era... the karmic entanglements of countless ages past, the schemes of the Immortals, the obsessions of Ancestor remnant souls—all of it converges here. Who dares claim invincibility?"
The Second Confucian Ancestor smiled gently, already understanding Zhang Ruochen's concerns, and no longer mentioned the Seventy-Two Layer Tower.
He suddenly asked, "What does Imperial Dust think of this chess game?"
Zhang Ruochen looked down at the chessboard.
On the three-foot-square board, black and white stones interlocked, seeming to represent light and darkness, locked in mutual slaughter.
The white stones were dazzling, full of divine radiance.
The black stones were like black holes in the universe, devouring all matter and souls.
"Oh?"
Zhang Ruochen noticed a straight chasm appearing beneath his feet, extending to the horizon. On either side of the chasm stood mountains, one black and one white, crystal clear.
Only then did Zhang Ruochen realize that his spiritual consciousness had been drawn into the chess game, trapped in the formation the Second Confucian Ancestor had long prepared.
Chi Yao discovered that the light of the crescent moon and stars in the night sky all converged on the chessboard, then spread out, shrouding the entire Zhenlu Island in a mist of starlight.
Zhang Ruochen seemed to fall into a trance, motionless like a stone statue.
The Second Confucian Ancestor stood up, hands hidden in his sleeves, placed before his chest, and walked toward them.
"Swish!"
The war sword was drawn.
Chi Kongle stood proudly with her sword, resisting the oncoming Ancestor aura, her gaze as sharp as a sword, showing no fear, saying, "What have you done to my father?"
"A Star-Moon Spiritual Chess Formation, to temper the soul, train the spirit, and test the will. No need to be nervous; have faith in Imperial Dust."
The Second Confucian Ancestor examined her closely for a moment, then laughed, "A tiger father has no dog daughter. Girl, daring to draw a sword against an Ancestor, your future achievements will surely be extraordinary. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"
To become a disciple of an Ancestor—what honor was this?
Even the Twenty Heavens would envy it.
Not far away, above Chi Yao's head, layers of celestial worlds manifested, covering the starry sky. Nine-colored chaotic divine radiance erupted, converging on the Blood-Drop Sword.
The sword body blazed with blood light, slashing toward the chessboard ten steps away.
"Boom!"
But that place was like an endless abyss; any power that approached was completely absorbed by the formation, stirring no ripples.
Seeing this, Chi Kongle immediately rushed over with her sword, determined to rescue her father no matter what.
As for becoming the Second Confucian Ancestor's disciple, that thought never crossed her mind.
The Second Confucian Ancestor smiled, unconcerned, no longer mentioning the apprenticeship. He hummed an unknown song, walked straight down the Cliff of Severed Heads, and disappeared into the brilliant star mist.
...
Seven days later.
The sun shone brightly, the heat unbearable.
More and more gods gathered on the Cliff of Severed Heads.
They included Wen Tianjun, the Dragon Lord, Qiangu Nüdi, the Void Kun War God, the Five Dragon Divine Emperor... Almost all the top experts of the Sword Realm were present, except those in closed death-seclusion.
With a sea breeze blowing, Zhang Ruochen, who had been sitting motionless by the chessboard, let out a faint sigh: "The Ancestor is truly formidable. A casually arranged formation trapped me for seven days."
Zhang Ruochen looked up at the blazing sun like a furnace in the sky, saying, "And I only managed to break free when the sun was at its peak, the stars and moon hidden, and the formation's power at its weakest."
He showed no sign of discouragement. Being able to contend with an Ancestor was already a symbol of absolute strength.
Once upon a time, Ancestors were transcendent beings like myths and legends.
The more one contended with an Ancestor, the more one understood them, making it easier to deal with them in the future.
It was a good thing.
"Whoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen waved his sleeve, and divine power rippled outward.
Instantly, within ten steps of the chessboard, the order and formation inscriptions left by the Second Confucian Ancestor completely dissipated.
The gods present could finally approach.
Wen Tianjun strode like a dragon or tiger, reaching the chessboard first, observing the game, still seeming incredulous, saying, "Is he really so strong that a single chess game could trap you for seven days?"
"His true strength is likely even higher than we imagine. An Ancestor—who knows how much of his cultivation he actually used?"
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Did he take the Seventy-Two Layer Tower?"
Seven days had passed, and many things must have happened.
Wen Tianjun shook his head, saying, "He entered the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, but came out after half an hour. He said that even with his Spiritual Power cultivation, it would take at least sixty thousand years to fully refine and merge the Seventy-Two Layer Tower."
"As expected," Zhang Ruochen said.
The Five Dragon Divine Emperor stood on five-colored clouds, golden dragon shadows flickering behind him, saying, "I still haven't figured it out. Even if it takes sixty thousand years, it's only sixty thousand years. Why didn't he just take the Seventy-Two Layer Tower? Wouldn't he be invincible under heaven after sixty thousand years?"
Chi Yao stood at the cliff's edge, facing the wind, saying, "Because no one wants the Seventy-Two Layer Tower to be forged—more precisely, no one wants it to be forged in another cultivator's hands."
"Once the Second Confucian Ancestor takes the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, he will immediately become a target for everyone."
"Corpse Nightmare, the Hongmeng Black Dragon, the Dark Sovereign—and of course, us—will all see him as the number one enemy. We will all try to destroy the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom and besiege him before the Seventy-Two Layer Tower is successfully forged."
"Sixty thousand years is too long; he cannot hold out that long."
"If it were only sixty years, he might have already taken it."
Zhang Ruochen looked around, his heart stirring, and spoke in an irresistible commanding tone: "I am fine now. All of you, withdraw!"
With a sweep of his gaze, Zhang Ruochen saw figures like Mu Lingxi, Ling Feiyu, Bai Qinger, and others, but only glanced over them without pausing.
When he looked again, they had already left.
Zhang Ruochen's heart was bitter. He knew he had failed their concern for him. Coldness truly hurt people, and hurt hearts.
Only Chi Yao remained on the Cliff of Severed Heads.
Chi Yao said, "The Second Confucian Ancestor took away the Grand Minister of Works, the Second Minister of Works, and Luo Shuihan. He was very forceful, and no one could stop him."
"Stop an Ancestor?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, saying, "Never have such thoughts in the future. Even a single hair of an Ancestor might be more than you can withstand now. Besides, them going with the Second Confucian Ancestor might not be a bad thing."
Chi Yao's eyes were like water, saying, "You seem to have changed your view of the Second Confucian Ancestor quite a bit. Do you believe what he said earlier?"
"I just thought of another possibility. Perhaps there really are no Immortals in the God Realm, and everything is just the Human Ancestor's figure spanning the River of Time," Zhang Ruochen said.
Chi Yao said, "Since the Human Ancestor can span the River of Time, the best way to eliminate the Nether Ancestor and the Dark Sovereign would be to kill them at their origin. So I still think there are many flaws in the Second Confucian Ancestor's words, and they are not trustworthy."
Zhang Ruochen said, "To span time and go to the past or future must be fraught with difficulties. Finding a single person in the vast universe is like looking for a needle in the ocean. And time on the River of Time is even more complex than the vast universe—how easy is it to find the crucial origin?"
"More importantly, if the Human Ancestor can span the River of Time, so can the Nether Ancestor and the Dark Sovereign. This is like a battle at the level of cause and effect—what is the cause, and what is the effect?"
"Besides, under the deliberate arrangements of the Immortals, history is actually distorted and chaotic. Was the Nether Ancestor's first life really Xuanyuan Xuandi Hei Qi? Not necessarily."
Chi Yao frowned, saying, "When it truly rises to the level of cause-and-effect combat, it indeed becomes hard to deduce."
Zhang Ruochen smiled, saying, "I said I only think there is another possibility, not that I truly believe the Second Confucian Ancestor's words. Perhaps the Second Confucian Ancestor himself hasn't seen through the truth and is just a pawn of the Human Ancestor."
Zhang Ruochen always remained skeptical of the Space-Time Human Ancestor.
Chi Yao said, "Do you think the Second Confucian Ancestor came to the Wuding Divine Sea this time just to borrow the Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror? What is his real purpose in borrowing it?"
"Besides borrowing the Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror, he did at least three things."
Zhang Ruochen listed them one by one: "First, every time he mentioned the Great Venerable, he observed my expression. His purpose was to test whether the Great Venerable is still alive."
"Second, he left the chess formation to trap me, testing my strength."
"Third, perhaps this was his true purpose—to investigate the situation of the Seventy-Two Layer Tower. Although he believes that with my cultivation, I cannot successfully forge the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, he is still uneasy. Uneasy about the wonder of the First-Rank Divine Path, uneasy about the Nether Ancestor who might be truly hidden. What if the Nether Ancestor is secretly refining the Seventy-Two Layer Tower?"
Chi Yao's expression was grave, full of worry, saying, "Could the Nether Ancestor really be in the Sword Realm? If He is in the Sword Realm, why hasn't He taken the Seventy-Two Layer Tower? What exactly does He intend?"
"The Nether Ancestor!"
Zhang Ruochen uttered these two words, his gaze distant, then deepening.
...
Zhang Ruochen did not leave Zhenlu Island immediately. The first person he received was Xu Wenzhi.
Xu Wenzhi had declined the Second Confucian Ancestor's invitation, choosing to stay in the Wuding Divine Sea.
Before this, Chi Yao had already spoken with him in detail, promising to protect the cultivators of Starry Sky Cliff and Xinghuantian, and they had reached an agreement. Zhang Ruochen's reception was just a formality.
The second person he received was Yinghuo.
Yinghuo had also refused the Second Confucian Ancestor, not going to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, but received an Ancestor formation pattern as compensation.
It must be said that the Second Confucian Ancestor's style was unpredictable and unconstrained.
Zhang Ruochen held Yinghuo's hand, examining a green formation pattern on her palm, saying, "With this formation pattern, below Indestructible Infinite, you need fear no cultivator. Even those above Indestructible Infinite will have to be wary of you. Of course, each use weakens the pattern's power, so use it sparingly."
Releasing her hand, Zhang Ruochen asked, "Next, will you return to the Undying Blood Clan, or stay in the Sword Realm?"
Yinghuo was both awed and respectful toward Zhang Ruochen, bowing deeply, saying, "Yinghuo wishes to return to the Undying Blood Clan and continue assisting the Clan Leader."
"Go, then," Zhang Ruochen said, not keeping her.
As Yinghuo walked out, Ming Jianshen strode in, his bearing heroic. Only upon seeing Zhang Ruochen did he bow, saying, "Imperial Dust, the envoys from Gai Mie and the Abyss of Darkness—which side should we see first?"
"Since the Supreme Pillar has returned, of course we see him first."
Upon seeing Gai Mie, Zhang Ruochen laughed heartily: "Eight thousand years! I have waited for you, Brother Gai Mie, for eight thousand years, and finally you have returned. Eh, Brother Gai Mie, why haven't you broken through to Half-Ancestor yet? You've fallen far behind many!"