Chapter 016 The Illusory Chessboard

The group traveled intermittently, spending half a month before finally arriving at the Celestial Mountain's Misty Peak.

Upon reaching Misty Peak, a voice came from the heavens.

“People of Misty Peak, no trespassing by unauthorized persons.”

Xuantian Xiedi looked up and said loudly, “Brother Su, it’s me, Dugu Xingye. I’ve come today to bring you a great gift.”

“Brother Dugu?”

A surprised voice sounded from high above. Wang Bo looked up and saw a man in his fifties descending from the sky, landing slowly. Seeing Xuantian Xiedi, he said with astonishment, “Why has Brother Dugu returned? And what do you mean by a great gift?”

Xuantian Xiedi dragged Ding Chunqiu from behind him and threw him before Su Xinghe.

“This is the great gift.”

Su Xinghe looked down, both shocked and delighted, grinding his teeth as he said, “Ding! Chun! Qiu!”

“Indeed, it is Ding Chunqiu,” said Xuantian Xiedi. “After leaving Misty Peak, I learned in the martial world that Ding Chunqiu was planning to attack the Quanzhen Sect. So I went to the Quanzhen Sect, intending to subdue it and use its power to capture Ding Chunqiu. Unexpectedly, I met Brother Wang there.”

“Brother Wang’s martial arts are superb; he is an immortal descended to earth. Ding Chunqiu’s attack on the Quanzhen Sect was nothing but a suicidal venture. Not only was he captured by Brother Wang, but the Star Sect was completely wiped out, vanishing like smoke.”

Su Xinghe said “Oh,” looked at Wang Bo, and clasped his hands in salute. “Su Xinghe thanks you for your assistance in capturing the traitor of the Celestial Mountain Sect.”

Wang Bo waved his hand and said, “No need for courtesy. I captured Ding Chunqiu and brought him to Misty Peak because I have a request.”

Su Xinghe was startled, as if understanding something. He waved his hand casually, and a surge of vigorous true qi swept out, blowing the dust off a stone table to reveal a chessboard. “If you wish to see my master, please solve this Illusory Chessboard.”

Wang Bo was about to say that he wasn’t after Xiaoyaozi’s century of internal power, but then he remembered that the Illusory Chessboard in this world seemed quite interesting.

Once you played, you would enter an illusion. If you couldn’t break through the demons in your heart, you couldn’t escape.

Thus, he couldn’t help but feel a slight interest.

“Alright, I’ll play this Illusory Chessboard.” With that, Wang Bo sat down, took a chess piece, and placed it casually.

In an instant, an invisible force tugged at Wang Bo’s mind, seemingly trying to pull him into the chessboard.

Wang Bo’s soul was strong and stable; he had a hundred ways to resist and crush this force, but he didn’t. Instead, he willingly entered the chessboard.

Amid a dizzying whirl, Wang Bo came to his senses and found himself back on the Lonely Mountain in the Central Earth Continent.

Before Wang Bo could catch his breath, a thunderous roar sounded, and the sky split open.

Two fingers reached down from beyond the sky into the Central Earth Continent.

Wang Bo immediately realized it was the creator of the Central Earth Continent, Eru Ilúvatar!

Could it be that the illusion was about to replay the scene of Ilúvatar killing the Evil Energy Giant? Was that the demon in his heart?

But the next second, Wang Bo sensed something was wrong.

Because Ilúvatar’s two fingers were slowly reaching toward the Lonely Mountain, and the target was… Wang Bo!!!

Wang Bo was shocked. Seeing the fingers growing larger and closer, he instinctively tried to flee, but the fingers grabbed him first.

A tremendous force burst from between the two fingers, nearly crushing Wang Bo to pieces.

Wang Bo roared, shaking the Lonely Mountain, and unleashed all his power: magic enhancement, ripple qigong enhancement, Nine Yang true qi enhancement, small universe enhancement, Stand·Superman. He used every power to try to break free from the two fingers.

But the next second, the fingers squeezed lightly, crushing Wang Bo to pieces.

Wang Bo’s heart felt as if it had been punched hard. He fell backward. When he opened his eyes, he found he had left the illusion and was sitting motionless before the Illusory Chessboard.

Xuantian Xiedi and Diana were watching him with concern, while Su Xinghe looked disappointed.

He was disappointed that Wang Bo still hadn’t solved the Illusory Chessboard.

But he quickly adjusted his mood. Over the years, he had been disappointed countless times, and this was no different. Besides, Ding Chunqiu was at his feet; solving the Illusory Chessboard didn’t matter much.

It was all about fate.

Wang Bo, however, was unperturbed. He stood up and said, “Diana, you try. This chessboard is quite interesting.”

The Illusory Chessboard was merely an illusion. Naturally, the illusion couldn’t replicate Ilúvatar’s power. Wang Bo had been crushed by those two fingers because deep down, he believed he was no match for Ilúvatar.

That was why the simulated Ilúvatar in the illusion had defeated him.

This was his demon.

When Wang Bo became strong enough to confront Ilúvatar head-on, the demon would naturally disappear.

Diana shook her head and said, “I don’t know how to play Go.”

Wang Bo said, “It doesn’t matter. Knowing or not doesn’t matter. This Illusory Chessboard tests not Go skills but one’s mind.”

Diana was quite surprised. She walked over and sat in the seat Wang Bo had just occupied, picking up a chess piece. Wang Bo said, “When you place the piece, a force will pull you into an illusion. Don’t resist or fight it; just enter.”

Diana nodded. The moment she placed the piece, her body stiffened slightly, and her eyes lost focus briefly.

Clearly, she had entered the illusion.

Wang Bo turned to look at Xuantian Xiedi and found him staring at him in surprise. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xuantian Xiedi said, “This Illusory Chessboard is so formidable that even you couldn’t solve it.”

Wang Bo nodded and said, “I have a demon in my heart, and the Illusory Chessboard simulated it. It’s indeed somewhat interesting. By the way, have you played it?”

Xuantian Xiedi shook his head. “No.”

Back then, Su Xinghe had invited him to play the Illusory Chessboard, saying he could inherit his master’s century of internal power. But Xuantian Xiedi was too proud to become anyone’s disciple, so he flatly refused.

More importantly, he thought Su Xinghe’s martial arts were mediocre and assumed his master couldn’t be much better.

As it turned out, the entire Celestial Mountain Sect relied on Su Xinghe alone to save face.

If he had known then that the Celestial Mountain Sect’s martial arts were so powerful—allowing flight, immortality, and resurrection—he would have definitely played the Illusory Chessboard.

Wang Bo, unaware of Xuantian Xiedi’s thoughts, said slowly, “You can try it later. This thing is quite interesting and beneficial for your mind.”

Xuantian Xiedi nodded. Since Wang Bo said so, there was no harm in giving it a try.

Su Xinghe did not refuse.

After a while, Diana suddenly opened her eyes, lightning flashing everywhere.