That Xing Nian, worthy of the name, was indeed the one who could contend with Mi Zhi Ben on the chessboard for five hundred years.

Even when finally ambushed and slain at Tian He, his very demise was leveraged to its absolute limit.

In the eyes of Chan Fa Yuan, what was truly formidable about Zen Master Xing Nian’s move against Fei Guang? Was it that he knew in advance this maneuver would dismantle Fei Guang, yet he still proceeded?

He still chose that path.

Because it represented the sole remaining possibility of reclaiming Zhi Wen Zhong.

And… it was also a wager placed on Yang Yu, this heavenly demon seed willing to sacrifice himself for the sect.

Thus, in this single move, whether he was clear or not clear, everything was within the calculation.

But what was most hateful was that Ji Xing Kong, who primarily cultivated the Art of Ending Dharma and thus possessed a deeper understanding of destruction, who perhaps could even sense Fei Guang’s impending demise more acutely than himself… still relied on him, Chan Fa Yuan, to make the final decision.

What kind of shameless behavior was this?

Having finally won the race against time, before Shen Xiao completely closed, before “Tian Wai Wu Xie” arrived, Chan Fa Yuan at last retrieved his own chess piece, escaping the fate of being a mere observer, and once again became a player in this grand game.

Yet, there was no joy of victory.

From this moment onward, direct intervention in the Shen Xiao局 was difficult, and his remaining power was being dissolved by that realm.

“Take your filthy hands away!” Chan Fa Yuan gritted his teeth and snarled.

The golden light beside the black light receded like a tide. From the darkness, Ji Xing Kong chuckled gleefully: “Just now, you didn’t speak like that! You were still in the same boat as me, working together!”

Recalling the suppressed rage, the swallowed insults, the humiliation endured, Chan Fa Yuan’s teeth nearly broke. Stepping back, the more he thought, the angrier he became: “Just now, what were you whispering furtively with that thieving brat from your Black Lotus Temple? Were you plotting against the heavenly pride of my Ancient Southern Mountain?”

Ji Xing Kong tutted repeatedly: “They all say calamity doesn’t befall one’s own family of demons, much less outside demons. You, venerable one, are at least a Great Bodhisattva of over a thousand years, an ancient turtle with accumulated years. You can create karma against me, but why curse a child?”

“I don’t just want to curse you.” Chan Fa Yuan’s angry eyes bulged. He lifted a hand and flipped it, golden Buddha light gathering into a massive hand that descended like a mountain, pressing down directly. “I still want to beat you to death!”

The gathered darkness instantly dissipated, scattering throughout the heaven and earth, ethereal and elusive, seemingly there and yet not.

“Great Master, you are attached to form!”

This time, Ji Xing Kong deliberately did not resist him, refusing to let him vent his anger. From a distance, he added: “Didn’t you also impart a secret method to your illegitimate child? Don’t think I don’t know!”

This talk of an illegitimate child was a blatant fabrication.

But with a Great Bodhisattva like Ji Xing Kong saying it, no matter how groundless, it was bound to spread. After all, who would believe the world contained such a bored Great Bodhisattva?

Chan Fa Yuan, for a moment, felt anger surge through his heart. He didn’t even bother with the Tian Long at his feet, leaping directly towards that patch of darkness. “Shameless nonsense! You should be sent to the Tongue-Pulling Hell!”

The angrier he became on this side, the happier Ji Xing Kong laughed on that side: “You’re much cuter now that you’ve stopped faking smiles, but your movements are so violent, it truly distresses this poor monk.”

In any case, there was temporarily nothing else to do.

The two of them fought intensely on this side, cursing happily.

Instead, they very tacitly avoided mentioning the matter of Fei Guang.

Furthermore, they didn’t discuss that Fei Guang had already lost its divine efficacy. Several great eras had passed, and there was no sign of its possible restoration.

The crucial point was, what did the remnants of Fei Guang, destroyed by that human race monk Xing Nian, have to do with the two of them?

What?

Among the young demon kings in Shen Xiao, who saw them turn the rudder of the Fei Guang ship?

Although they borrowed the power of Fei Guang, they didn’t break it. What necessary causality was there in this?

Who saw?

Step forward and speak!

The enormous treasure ship, measured in ten thousand Zhang, finally couldn’t bear the winds and waves of time and shattered into dust in the flow of time. The worldly ripples it stirred up were not visible to these young demon clan members within the Shen Xiao局.

But Yang Yu and Shu Jia Lan, emerging from the flow of time, were so clear and vivid.

They had already stepped out of time once, but that was when all participants were together, so it wasn’t abrupt.

Only this time, Chan Fa Yuan and Ji Xing Kong had separately manipulated the time of these two, bringing them forth in a lifelike state to this current point in time—to manipulate more time, with the power of Fei Guang’s remnants, was indeed impossible.

After all, there were so many peak powerhouses who had successively made their moves in the river of time. It was like a reef in the vast sea, a bank by the long river, not so easily influenced. Chan Fa Yuan had to protect himself with the Tian Long and exert his full power across the air to accomplish this feat.

Yuan Meng Ji’s jaw nearly dropped off.

Those who had just walked out were Yang Yu and Shu Jia Lan. Then who was it that had died earlier?

He looked blankly towards his loyal subordinate Chai A Si, only to find Chai A Si’s expression even more vacant. Well, he was from a small household, what could he know?

Although his heart was bursting with curiosity, he didn’t say a word. Without desires, without seeking, without desires, one is strong.

Chai A Si, who knew about the Ancient God through Great Ancient God, felt a kind of intellectual superiority towards Yuan Meng Ji. But he also said nothing, his demeanor even more subservient.

Because he had witnessed the battle at Tian He, he deeply recognized the danger of Shen Xiao. He originally thought his companions were just these few young demon kings, and the Great Ancient God could crush them with a single finger… but he hadn’t expected so many heavenly demons behind them, one by one making their moves across the air, actively participating.

If he remembered correctly, the Great Ancient God had not yet recovered to his peak state and was currently only barely managing to deal with the true demons.

In order not to make things difficult for the Ancient God, he, Chai A Si, had to be low-key!

Feeling the various gazes of the demons by the Immortal Spring, Yang Yu remained unmoved, temporarily distancing himself from Shu Jia Lan.

Had he just died?

He thought in his heart, somewhat incredulous. How had he just walked out of the forest, just been told he had already died? And died twice? He hadn’t even done anything yet!

But he quickly accepted this fact.

After all, a Great Bodhisattva had personally told him.

Yang Yu looked at Chai A Si. In his Buddha-awareness, there seemed to be some vague lingering impression, but he couldn’t recall it at all. After all, in this time segment, he had not yet used Zhi Wen Zhong to probe the demons.

Oh right, Zhi Wen Zhong was gone too…

How had everything changed in the time he was momentarily lost in thought? Hadn’t he just communicated well with Zhi Wen Zhong on the way, planning to kill Shu Jia Lan directly upon coming out, shocking this group of heavenly prides and seizing all the benefits?

Was it all for naught?

The heavenly pride ranked fifth on the Heavenly List, the new king, was working hard to digest the bad news one by one.

Shu Jia Lan, who had walked out of time with him, appeared much more relaxed.

Although dying and being reborn was rather strange, and being killed by Yang Yu with a wooden hammer in the past was truly unpleasant. But hadn’t it happened again?

Worldly affairs could truly be forgiven!

He now felt no pressure, no longer harboring such bitter deep hatred.

The arduous task of snatching Zhi Wen Zhong had been cancelled. Now the task was very simple—just stare at Yang Yu. If he discovered Zhi Wen Zhong, he just had to report it; if not, he could just do something casually.

The Great Bodhisattva had not only temporarily transmitted a set of Heart Bell methods against Yang Yu, but also specially emphasized that this time he should follow his heart a bit and have fun.

Dying once also had its benefits, didn’t it? His own Great Bodhisattva was so gentle!

Zhu Da Li, on the other hand, felt that the wisp of divided thought entrusted to him in the divine seal by the Dao Master seemed to be in a bad mood.

Although he still patiently answered his questions, he was clearly somewhat serious.

What was the matter?

Was it because he had seen the power of Zen Master Xing Nian and was worried about the future of the demon race?

Thinking of this, he also started to worry.

In the world of the mirror, Jiang Wang was indeed filled with difficult-to-resolve worries.

He deeply empathized with Zen Master Xing Nian’s thoughts on returning.

He also completely understood why a character like Zen Master Xing Nian was willing to scheme in the demon world for five hundred years, sacrificing his life, fighting for a future that might not even be achievable.

Around Zhi Wen Zhong, that Mi Zhi Ben had too many means to deploy. Zhi Wen Zhong, this existence possessing top value in itself, also had symbolic meaning. As long as it remained in the demon world, Mount Sumeru knew not how much more blood would flow.

The World Honored One leaving the world with three bells was revered by all monks.

If previously his obsession with home was merely his own longing for relatives and friends, his thirst for life, then after witnessing Zen Master Xing Nian’s battle at Tian He and touching Zhi Wen Zhong, he had another reason—Zen Master Xing Nian’s sacrifice could not be in vain; this bell must be sent back to the human race.

But having grown to this day, he already deeply understood that this world does not operate around anyone’s will. Having many reasons of your own does not mean you will succeed.

Who doesn’t have their own reasons?

Didn’t Yu Xin have them? Didn’t Zhu Cong have them? Didn’t the heavenly demon Zhu Yi, who was almost beaten to death on the spot, have them?

Zen Master Xing Nian left Zhi Wen Zhong, but he did not leave, nor could he leave the method of leaving this world.

Playing chess with Mi Zhi Ben surrounded by heavenly demons, but having even a single trace remaining, having even a thread of杂念, this last move would be impossible to preserve.

Jiang Wang understood that he still needed to rely on his own efforts.

Ming Zhi dies, Xing Nian emerges. Xing Nian dies, Jiang Wang succeeds.

The inheritance of the human race for ten thousand years is nothing more than these four words—the fire passes on.

At the same time, he also told himself.

Perhaps Zen Master Xing Nian did other things, things that seemed completely unrelated, but were definitely beneficial to the final path of return. He needed to feel them with his heart.

Just like now, stroking the mottled surface of Zhi Wen Zhong.

Zhu Lan Ruo looked at the beautiful reflection on the water’s surface. For a very long time, she didn’t know what she was thinking. At this moment, she suddenly said: “If we preserve the reflection on this water surface, isn’t that also a kind of immortality in another sense?”

A beautiful face before a mirror, sighing over youth, was naturally a scene.

“But as long as a stone falls, just like this—” Shu Jia Lan casually picked up a stone and threw it into the water, watching Zhu Lan Ruo’s reflection shatter. He said with great satisfaction: “The reflection just shatters.”

He drew a conclusion: “So this is not true immortality.”

“Your words are different.” Yang Yu had by now calmed his heart and came to re-face this complex situation. He casually said: “The stone causes ripples, which will eventually disappear, but the reflection will still remain there. It is a kind of eternity unaffected by the ripples of time; how is that not considered immortality?”

Shu Jia Lan smiled: “The moment the stone just fell, the reflection was already shattered. After the reflection is restored, is it still the previous reflection? You speak of waiting for the ripples of time to subside, pursuing immortality that is still the same, how can you wait for time?”

The two monks began to debate scripture like this.

Zhu Lan Ruo, who had first posed the question, stood by, becoming an outsider demon.

Lu Qi Lang glanced at them. He had to admit, these two guys, as monks, did have a point.

He thought for a moment, deciding not to disturb them.

They were now denying each other’s path; this was also the beginning of another kind of battle.

“So this really is the Immortal Spring?” Standing by the edge of the spring water, Xiong San Si asked: “Why don’t I feel any vitality?”

This hoarse voice interrupted the discussion between the two monks.

Zhu Lan Ruo said softly: “That sage who moved the Immortal Spring to the demon world that year has long since died.

The Immortal Spring, which has been continuously pursued throughout history, had already dried up and ceased to exist very early on.

His bloodline moved the Immortal Spring to Shen Xiao, wanting to borrow this opening of the world for his layout, to continue the myth… obviously, he failed.

Now, the Immortal Spring only has its form. Of course, you feel no vitality, because it only contains the intent of death.”

As the chess player who had set up the Immortal Spring from the beginning, the Zhu family obviously had a deeper understanding of the Immortal Spring and explained it more authoritatively. They even knew that the current Immortal Spring was a product of a failed layout.

But compared to the numerous demon kings involved in that layout many years ago, Jiang Wang in the world of the mirror was inspired by five other words.

Open world!

Before the Immortal Spring, there was the phantom of a karmic bubble.

On the forest path, spanned by a Mirage Dragon.

Furthermore, there was a treasure ship of time, named “Fei Guang”.

Mi Zhi Ben, Chan Fa Yuan, Ji Xing Kong, Zhu Yi, Hu Tai Sui, Lu Xi Ming, and even Zen Master Xing Nian, successively involved in this layout…

He suddenly understood what the connection between the six paths in the forest was, understood what the fundamental rule of Shen Xiao was.

It was reincarnation, it was opening, it was infinite possibility!

Zen Master Xing Nian had previously said to the heavenly demon Zhu Yi— “It relies on this place’s special nature… if this world were not so, how would this poor monk have come?”

The Zen Master was a guest from beyond heaven, and was also playing chess with Mi Zhi Ben, hence he could not speak clearly. But there had been hints early on.

This place’s “special” nature, where was it special?

Different from the Mountain Sea Border being Huang Wei Zhen’s backyard, it was, as Wang Chang Ji said, that the owner was temporarily not at home.

Many years ago, the demon race legend Yu Zhen, with absolute magnanimity, completely abandoned all rights to Shen Xiao, opening this world to all beings in all heavens and ten thousand worlds.

This place was once considered Yu Zhen’s home, but he pushed open the door, threw away the key, tore up the deed, and invited all visitors to come home.

This was a completely open, ownerless world, capable of tolerating any existence playing chess within it… regardless of whether Yu Zhen was alive or dead, he could not interfere in anything.

Hence, so many heavenly demons would rest assuredly come here to lay their pieces.

Hence, the human race’s Zen Master Xing Nian would also consider this bureau his only hope.

Looking through the entire game between Zen Master Xing Nian and Mi Zhi Ben. Shen Xiao itself indeed had no bias; it even supported Zen Master Xing Nian in the end, called “Tian Wai Wu Xie”. It was just that Zen Master Xing Nian, in his own game, faced the pressure of the entire demon world alone.

Hence, where was the vitality in this journey?

It lay precisely in this “open world,” in this “infinite possibility”!

Ants can move mountains and seas, aphids can pull up giant trees. A mantis trying to stop a chariot—the chariot should overturn, drawing a knife to cut water—the water does not flow!

Cause does not necessarily lead to result, getting something does not necessarily mean it was sought.

A chess piece is not necessarily unable to become a chess player.

Rumble!

The divine mountain shook.

The demons looked up at the sky.

They saw faint golden feather-like glows floating down all over the sky, falling on the mountain, on the trees, on the water… falling on the heads and clothes of the young demon clan members in the field, actually melting away like snowflakes.

Related to the principles of this world.

What Zhu Lan Ruo mentioned, Jiang Wang thought of.

For a time, heaven and earth shook.

The Dao of Shen Xiao Heavenly Venerable Yu Zhen… had been touched!

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