Chapter 291: The Chess Game is Set

Killing intent enveloped the land outside the city.

Looking down, the desolate plain was piled with corpses. Demon blood gathered and trickled like a thin stream toward the low ground.

Souls floated towards the sky, like starlight.

Thump,thump,thump…

The beat of war drums echoed, chilling the heart.

Lifting his gaze toward the distant mountains, Mazi saw the demon army had arrived.

Mazi frowned tightly, murmuring, “They’re here…”

Mu Cang pulled out his bloodstained spear, staring toward the dark, distant mass. Just a glance brought an indescribable pressure.

“The human race insults our Demon Realm! Today, we will breach this pass, crush the Mortal World, and wipe out humanity!”

“Wipe out humanity!!”

Roars rose from both earth and sky. Beasts flew and crawled everywhere – far surpassing low-level demons of mere second or third realms.

Leading them was even a Seventh-Realm Great Demon.

“KILL!!!”

The tribulation had begun.

Blades flashed, sword shadows flickered, demonic qi splattered.

Amidst blood soaking the desolate plain, the scene became a gruesome painting.

Chen Changsheng stood atop a distant green mountain, watching the endless slaughter.

The Azure Eagle perched on Chen Changsheng’s shoulder. Its eyes reflected bloodstained blades. It couldn’t help but ask, “Which side will win?”

Chen Changsheng asked, “What do you think?”

Qing Tianyou spoke, “The demon horde from the Thirty-Six Caves will arrive within hours. A hundred against ten thousand – it’s like using an egg to hit a rock. Jiang Shouyi is dead. Song Gudao is dead. This time, the Divine Domain will fall.”

“And you? What do you see?”

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment, then said, “This Chen is standing with the Divine Domain.”

Qing Tianyou heard this and said, “If you act, the outcome is certain.”

Chen Changsheng shook his head. “This Chen has no such intention. It is a wager. One cannot enter the board oneself.”

“A wager?” Qing Tianyou was puzzled.

Chen Changsheng nodded. “A wager between this Chen and this Heaven and Earth.”

Qing Tianyou’s pupils contracted. He opened his mouth, but no words came for a long moment.

Finally, he calmed himself and said, “If that is so… your chance of winning seems slim.”

Chen Changsheng took a sip of wine. “Let’s keep watching.”

In the blink of an eye, heaven darkened, earth grew dim.

Boundless blood qi veiled the sky. Flames erupted across the desolate plain. Death was everywhere.

Mu Cang was drenched in demon blood, wounded himself – blood mixing so its source was indistinguishable.

Yet ahead, an endless tide of demons surged forward. Too many to kill.

Suddenly, fear gripped Mu Cang. Could this black sea of crows truly be vanquished?

Could they really be killed?!

“Hyah!!”

Cold dread shot down Mu Cang’s spine as he realized escape was impossible.

But at that moment, a long saber flashed! It cleaved the demon sneaking behind him clean in half!

“Damn it! Don’t lose focus! Didn’t we say? If you’re scared, just swing your eyes shut!” Mazi yelled, too busy to waste breath, then charged back into the demon horde.

Mu Cang snapped back to reality. He tightened his grip. He remembered their words upon the city tower.

We weren’t afraid then!

“KILL!”

Blood qi roared from the hundreds of cultivators. Bloodshot eyes burned. It was as if the hopes of millions drove their desperate fight.

Who would have thought these few hundred could hold firm against the thousands of swarming demons?

Clang… clang… clang…

Chen Changsheng suddenly sensed movement.

He frowned, turning sideways.

Qing Tianyou’s gaze also shifted to Chen Changsheng’s side.

An Immortal Sword materialized.

This blade was Song Gudao’s legacy!

The Taiqing Sword reacted, sending out sword intent to suppress the newborn sword’s vibrations.

Yet Chen Changsheng raised a hand, calming the Taiqing Sword.

The Immortal Sword shot forth as a streak of golden light, breaking Chen Changsheng’s hold.

“Whose blade?” Qing Tianyou asked.

Chen Changsheng answered, “Song Gudao’s.”

Faintly, Chen Changsheng glimpsed a wisp of sword qi within the blade.

He observed, “One strand of sword qi remains within this blade.”

Qing Tianyou saw it too. He spoke, “This sword qi… feels familiar.”

“It is not his own,” Chen Changsheng mused. “If unguessed amiss, it was likely bestowed by his Master.”

“Jiang Shouyi!”

Qing Tianyou uttered the three words, staring sharply at the Immortal Sword.

Strangely, the sword didn’t plunge into the battleground below. Instead, it soared southward, as if fleeing the Divine Domain.

“Follow.”

Chen Changsheng commanded. He and Qing Tianyou pursued the sword’s trail.

The Immortal Sword streaked across the Divine Domain, exiting through its damaged bulge.

South it flew. Suddenly, it halted midair before a range of snowy mountains.

Man and beast witnessed this.

Baffled, Qing Tianyou asked, “Song Gudao is dead. Why did the sword move?”

Chen Changsheng fixed his gaze on the Immortal Sword. This point puzzled him as well. He’d seen this sword before. No anomaly was apparent then.

Why behave so deliberately now?

Chen Changsheng felt no sword spirit should awaken in this realm.

Sentient swords and Immortal Swords were fundamentally different.

As they pondered, the sword stirred again.

Golden light surged from its blade, coating its surface.

Vast sword intent erupted! The blade pointed straight toward the endless snowy peaks.

Suddenly, a phantom figure emerged from the sword! It clasped the hilt.

The figure wore plain hemp cloth, aged across the face, with a white beard framing his chin. Yet his gaze surged with indomitable will – sharp as unleashed sword qi.

An ancient voice resonated through Heaven and Earth:

“I hold one sword.”

“One that conquers mountains, makes oceans bow, and swallows vast lands!”

With the phantom’s solemn whisper, world-ignoring sword qi split the colossal snowy peaks before it.

Where the sword pointed, mountains shook.

Snowflakes seemed to freeze in the air.

Boom… Rumble… Rumble…

The Mortal World trembled.

In the far north, the vast snow plains shook violently.

From a single strike, dozens of snowy peaks blocking the view collapsed! Turned to plains! A path had been carved open!

Sword qi swept by, banishing falling snow.

Chen Changsheng looked ahead. A passage straight through the Mortal World now lay open.

Chen Changsheng murmured, ‘Was this your behind-the-scenes move…?’

Suddenly, a flow of Dao Essence manifested.

Chen Changsheng frowned. He turned to see the shattered mountains reversing in time, like a broken pot mending itself!

“Reversing Reality? Returning Origin?”

Witnessing this, Chen Changsheng stepped forward and struck his own sword!

The unseen Dao Essence shattered under Chen’s sword stroke!

Mountains that seemed ready to remake themselves disintegrated once more.

Chen Changsheng stared up at the heavens. He declared, “This game of chess has been set! Such actions break the rules!”

After Chen Changsheng’s strike, the lurking Dao Essence seemed silent for a moment, then slowly receded.

Chen Changsheng, seeing this, sheathed his sword. He turned to gaze at the old master holding the Immortal Sword.

The old man looked weary. He spoke quietly, “Thank you, young friend.”

With those words, his figure dissolved back into the blade.

And the Immortal Sword stood firm amidst wind and snow, its sword intent surging outward, holding back the blizzard.