Chapter 546: Blending In

Chapter 546: Blending In

Chen Huaian told Young Master Yinyu to go meet with Old Demon Xiao first; he himself would follow shortly.

It wasn’t that he was scared, but he needed to set up the large formation that Rice Bucket had left behind.

Otherwise, if the demonic energy within him erupted and leaked out, it would cause a commotion throughout the sect.

Ordinary disciples wouldn’t mind, of course.

But Zhang Mengchu and Li Ziping, both Void Stage cultivators, were extremely familiar with his aura.

He still hadn’t figured out how to tell the Moon Shadow Sect disciples about the Heavenly Demon Art. He planned to find a chance to bring Old Zhang back once. With Old Zhang taking the lead, his words would be more credible. Even those formerly from the True Martial Holy Land would believe it no matter how absurd.

Never underestimate Old Zhang’s influence over those True Martial disciples. It was the ultimate personal worship. Even though Old Zhang was now a Great Ascension Stage first tribulation cultivator who had saved many True Martial disciples, he was irreplaceable in their hearts.

“Master is going out to fight?”

While Chen Huaian was researching at the formation core, Li Qingran appeared behind him without him noticing.

She leaned against a stone statue with her back to the moonlight, her black hair and simple dress swaying gently in the breeze like a blooming narcissus in the night.

“Yes, it should be the five Demon Saints from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and also an old friend visiting. Qingran, you don’t need to worry.”

Chen Huaian didn’t tell the whole truth, but it wasn’t far from reality.

He certainly couldn’t tell Li Qingran about Tu Shan Yue and Burning Heaven the monk; she would worry.

“Master’s old friend is also at the Great Ascension Stage?”

“Yes! And a Great Ascension Three Tribulations realm cultivator! Just came out from the Void Abyss.”

“Oh.” Li Qingran obediently nodded.

She had already figured out that Master was lying.

Master was from Earth Star, only in his early twenties, and had been in the Cangyun Realm less than half a year. Where would he have met a ‘Great Ascension Stage Three Tribulations Great Perfection’ old friend? But since Master was hiding it, he must have his reasons. As his disciple, she shouldn’t ask too much.

She just wanted to make sure Master would come back safely.

“Master…” she called softly.

Chen Huaian slightly tilted his head, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear as he looked at the girl under the moonlight, his face faintly flushed.

“What is it?”

“Master, can you come back early? I just learned to play the flute and want to show you.”

“Ah?!”

…

Chen Huaian arrived at the meeting spot with Young Master Yinyu as agreed.

“Ancestor, you finally came. There’s a big commotion over at Cangbo Mountain. Could it be that the Ancestor got into a fight with someone?”

Young Master Yinyu glanced back at Chen Huaian, surprised by his distracted expression.

“Ancestor, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Your complexion looks strange.”

“Ahem, I’m fine.” Chen Huaian’s denial was far from convincing.

He was actually interacting with the game customer service, which made his eyes look somewhat vacant.

“Customer service brother, I’m about to explode tonight. Can you unlock my body permissions for me? Just for one night!”

[Checking... Check complete. Player’s affection with Electronic Girlfriend is insufficient. Unable to unlock full body permissions.]

“Can you at least unlock...”

[No.]

“That’s no fun!”

[This game is green and healthy, suitable for all ages. Please use the interactive features correctly and embrace a healthy lifestyle.]

Chen Huaian: "..."

Tonight Li Qingran wanted to play the flute for him. If this kept up, he wasn’t just going to live a healthy life—he’d probably burst a blood vessel!

Besides, if body permissions weren’t activated, how would Li Qingran see him?!

Since she had already mastered it and returned, she definitely understood what was ‘allowed’ and what wasn’t!

Lost in thought, he still followed Young Master Yinyu, and soon they arrived near Cangbo Mountain.

The terrifying aura of eight Great Ascension Stage cultivators forced Chen Huaian out of his reverie.

“Bang!”

The entire Cangbo Mountain Range trembled.

“How will you respond to this move of mine, monk?!”

The latitude and longitude lines of heaven and earth appeared above Cangbo Mountain, and a phantom chess piece dropped from a giant white hand shadow, smashing onto the lines of the world.

The moment the chess piece fell, the void shook and the entire heaven and earth trembled.

“Hmph, petty trick!”

With a hoarse snort, a black giant hand wreathed in demonic energy placed down a black piece.

The world shook again.

Young Master Yinyu had never seen such a spectacle and stood dumbfounded, trembling in place.

Chen Huaian stared and was speechless.

At the center of the heaven and earth’s latitude and longitude, an old monk and an old demon in black were playing Go.

Five Demon Saints and Tu Shan Yue stood around, all focused intently on the board, watching with great interest.

“With this piece, monk, I’ve already won half!”

Burning Heaven the monk curled his lips and placed another piece.

Tu Shan Yue covered her mouth and giggled secretly, “It’s over, Master Burning Heaven, you’ve fallen for it~”

Upon hearing this, Burning Heaven the monk also saw the trap Old Demon Xiao had set.

But once placed, a Go stone cannot be taken back, so he could only watch as Old Demon Xiao grinned fiercely, swallowing a large area of white stones.

As the board changed,

Boom!

A giant mountain suddenly rose from a lake in the Cangbo Mountain Range.

The mountain pushed away all the lake water, replacing the entire lake with land.

“Silence when watching the game!” Burning Heaven the monk glared fiercely at Tu Shan Yue, his face darkening.

With no place to vent, he could only pick on someone randomly.

Chen Huaian roughly understood the situation.

Old Demon Xiao, Tu Shan Yue, and Burning Heaven the monk were all Great Ascension Stage Three Tribulations cultivators who feared triggering the heaven and earth’s rules lock.

They couldn’t fight with real weapons, but they couldn’t swallow their anger either. So they used heaven and earth as the game, and the latitude and longitude as the board, placing pieces here.

Who won or lost didn’t really matter.

They would never truly fight unless their lifespan was nearly exhausted and they had to risk everything in a final battle.

Or if one party’s death would bring huge benefits to the other—benefits so tempting that they were willing to risk the risk of being locked by heavenly tribulations.

How to say it?

Sometimes Chen Huaian felt these Great Ascension Three Tribulations cultivators were quite pitiful.

They had to be cautious about everything all day long, surely it was suffocating.

“Senior Xiao Feng.”

Chen Huaian addressed Old Demon Xiao directly, neither humble nor arrogant.

Since he was going to blend in, he had to do it seriously and with skill, to pass as genuine.

He stepped toward the two playing at the center of the heaven and earth’s latitude and longitude.

At the same time, he fully activated the Heavenly Demon Art, and a terrifying wave of demonic energy crashed like a storm toward Burning Heaven the monk and the others.

Burning Heaven the monk was about to place a piece when his finger suddenly paused, horror flashing in his sharp, eagle-like eyes as he stared at Chen Huaian.

At the same time, his figure leapt up, leaving the board and transforming into a golden Buddha shadow that lunged toward Chen Huaian a hundred feet away.

Old Demon Xiao, the Heavenly Demon Patriarch, also reacted swiftly.

His shadow playing Go still placed a piece on the board.

His true body intercepted in front of Burning Heaven the monk, stepping on the monk’s foot lightly, and said calmly:

“Old bald donkey, the game isn’t over yet... Do you think I’ll let you leave?”

…

…