The Han’shan Crane clan, once masters of Cloud Ridge in the west, traces its lineage back to the primordial chaos, carving out sixty thousand li of territory for the demon race – a glorious dominion indeed.

However, such grandeur belonged to a distant past.

By the time He Huating drew his first breath, the Han’shan Crane clan had long faded into obscurity.

It was He Huating’s meteoric rise, his relentless advance to the absolute peak, and his eventual reclaiming of the Undying Spring that rekindled the clan’s prestige.

Yet, when his meticulously crafted scheme crumbled, and he relinquished the Undying Spring to the Divine Firmament, his own life extinguished and his Dao dissolving, it signaled yet another decline for the Han’shan Crane clan.

Zhu Yi, having been nearly slain on the Southern Heaven battlefield, bore grievous injuries, her very lifespan curtailed. With the opening of the Divine Firmament bureau imminent, her gaze fell upon the Undying Spring. She sought not a withered relic, but what He Huating himself had pursued all those years ago – the revitalization of the Undying Spring, the continuation of its myth.

Should the Undying Spring revive in her hands, she could swiftly mend her injuries and reclaim her standing in this perilous world.

The Zhu clan, too, could leverage the spring’s power for a swift ascent.

Naturally, achieving this was fraught with difficulty, otherwise the Han’shan Crane clan, even at its zenith, would not have watched helplessly as the Undying Spring withered. Nor would He Huating have been trapped in the Divine Firmament bureau and perished in his attempt to revive it.

But Zhu Yi, through exhaustive research, meticulous tracing of history, and painstaking unraveling, unearthed a startling possibility – He Huating might still be alive!

The initial conjecture wasn’t Zhu Yi’s, but rather that of He Huating’s opponent from years past.

From atop Cloud Ridge, he had declared: “Should Huating return, he and I shall engage in a game of chess.”

This was interpreted as a lament between kindred spirits.

Yet Zhu Yi suspected a deeper truth lay hidden within.

Reviving the Undying Spring through one’s own power was undeniably arduous. But what if He Huating had left behind a lingering scheme? What if one could directly utilize or continue He Huating’s machinations?

Was this not a different form of grafting cause and effect?

He Huating had sown the Floss fruit early; Zhu Yi now cultivated the Orchid cause!

Heavenly Demon Zhu Yi’s layout within the Divine Firmament was only now fully revealing itself.

She had orchestrated numerous moves targeting the Undying Spring, with He Huating being a crucial element.

She had even journeyed to Cloud Ridge, venturing far into the outer domains to locate the scattered descendants of the Han’shan Crane clan, obtaining their lineage token and weaving a net of capture around them.

But in the game of chess, each player holds their secrets close, and none can predict every move.

Especially in this multi-faceted board, a single stone could send ripples a thousand layers deep.

To prevent the human race from seizing the Knowledge Bell, Zhu Yi, despite her unhealed injuries, actively abandoned her own layout and acted preemptively, confronting Zen Master Xingnian.

The result was a slight setback, and she was nearly slain by Zen Master Xingnian once more…

Fortunately, the Ape Immortal Court intervened, allowing her to escape with her remaining life. However, she was thoroughly ousted from the Divine Firmament bureau, no longer holding the qualifications to play.

Yet, even with the player’s departure, the layout remained, the pieces still in place.

Deprived of Zhu Yi’s support, the chess piece Zhu Lanruo still had to continue the game!

A chess piece was not necessarily precluded from becoming a chess player; the Divine Firmament World held infinite possibilities.

Facing the withered, ancient form of He Huating from the year Yuanxi 3922, the younger generation junior Zhu Lanruo, holding the Han’shan Crane clan’s folding fan, stood tall and graceful like a secluded orchid.

She commanded all attention, a beacon of singular beauty.

Yet, she did not rush to pose her questions, instead speaking leisurely: “He Huating lost his father at a young age and was raised by his widowed mother. At six, he understood etiquette, at nine, he grasped the classics. By thirty, he was already an absolute top demon king… His life was without a true defeat, sweeping aside the heaven’s pride of his generation. Later, he pioneered the concept of ‘enemy intent leading to Dao realization,’ shocking the ancients and illuminating the present! In his first gambit at the absolute peak, he contended with two heavenly demons, making the first move, yet employing the strategy of capturing the cicada while feigning defeat to become the oriole, ultimately reclaiming the Undying Spring that the Crane clan had lost. His name spread throughout the world!”

All the demons present listened intently as Zhu Lanruo’s words unfolded. The name He Huating was no longer merely that of a withered, skeletal old monster, but a legend of flesh and blood, a top-tier powerhouse who had once truly stood at the peak.

He Huating also listened in silence, a lonely light flickering in his eyes, as if transporting him back to those years worth remembering. Those times truly were… beautiful.

“But in the gambit to revive the Undying Spring, the generation’s heavenly demon He Huating finally tasted the only, and indeed, the last failure of his life.” Zhu Lanruo continued in a gentle voice: “The Undying Spring eventually returned to dead silence, and He Huating’s demon body was shattered, his Dao principles extinguished. According to rumor, his body and soul were both annihilated.” He Huating remained silent.

“My clan’s ancestor exhaustively searched ancient texts, deducing your possible continued existence in the world. It was believed you were hidden within the spring water, yet unknown to us, you were hidden within time itself.” Zhu Lanruo said: “Perhaps not until now, until your malice towards us juniors became so blatant, until your game had been played for several rounds… did I even dare to believe you were indeed He Huating. Even now, I dare not fully believe it.”

“Once, you shone with such brilliant light, illuminating the entire Cloud Ridge. Later generations discussing historical heaven’s pride never failed to list your name. As a child, I read your biography, read of the three venerables contending for the spring, and clapped my hands in admiration. I read of your defeat and demise, and sighed three times, wringing my wrists!”

Her slightly melancholic, beautiful eyes gazed at He Huating: “He Huating, though deceased, did not lose his status as a legend. But this skeletal figure standing at the edge of the Undying Spring now, who is he? If you use this appearance to continue He Huating’s history, what a regrettable thing it is for the name He Huating.”

“Little girl,”

He Huating curled his lip: “What you say only brings laughter to this old ancestor. Since ancient times, the victor is king, the vanquished is bandit! If I die here, no one will remember. If I kill all of you, who will ever know? If I successfully revive, return to your era, and continue the myth, I *am* the myth!”

“The victor is king, the vanquished is bandit?” Zhu Lanruo said: “There were such a pair of great enemies. The victor was Emperor Yuanxi, known as the strongest demon emperor since the New Realm, who achieved the most glorious war results after the demon race fell to the heavenly prison. The vanquished was Great Ancestor Yuzhen, who remains a legend among our demon race to this day, revered by countless. We are all currently within the world he left behind!”

“You should hasten your questions. Do not, because of your youth, fail to cherish time.” He Huating said coldly: “I will answer you truthfully.” Zhu Lanruo said: “The He Huating of that year would absolutely not be so nervous.”

“Little girl, speaking such words!” He Huating said: “Actually, you haven’t considered, if I were still in that year, would you even have the opportunity to converse with me? Even your ancestor, what does she count for? Where would she have the qualifications to play a game of chess with me?”

These words were bordering on arrogant. Zhu Lanruo perhaps would not have had the opportunity to converse with him. But an absolute peak expert in any era is an absolute peak expert, regardless of He Huating’s achievements, Zhu Yi would not have lacked the qualifications to play a game of chess with him. Arrogant words must arise from an arrogant heart. To think that this protagonist, who had been active in the era of Emperor Yuanxi, likely had waves rising within his heart!

“That peerless Young Master Crane, it seems, can indeed not return.”

Zhu Lanruo sighed: “Here might still be Yuanxi 3922, but Yuanxi 3922, after all, has already passed!”

He Huating looked at her: “Little girl, you speak without getting to the point, do you perhaps think you can disturb my heart?” This ancient figure, seated on the green stone, said painfully, on the verge of death: “This old ancestor’s heart has long been withered by time, more wrinkled than my current face, without a drop of blood within!”

“Old mister misunderstands!” Zhu Lanruo said: “I say this merely to revisit a point of regret from my childhood, how could it possibly move your heart, and how could it help resolve this bureau?”

She held the folding fan in one hand, the broken string tied in the middle.

And with her other hand, she carelessly wound the broken string around her finger.

Her beautiful eyes lifted slightly, suddenly holding a three-point arrogance unlike her usual demeanor, making it difficult for the other demons to even look directly at her: “Why would I need to do so?”

Before He Huating could say anything more, she spoke directly: “The He Huating of that year achieved Dao realization through ‘enemy intent.’ You set this bureau, and it is necessarily not without involvement of ‘enemy intent.’ If I am not mistaken, the unspoken rule you designed is simply to see whether the respondent’s answer will trigger enemy intent. And this enemy intent needs to be born between us.”

“You need fresh enemy intent to touch your Dao principles, to allow you, who has withered to this extent, to grasp onto something tightly.”

“And once the enemy intent reaches your requirements, triggering the key, it will necessarily be related to this Undying Spring. After all, with your current state, your choices are truly limited.”

“Zhu Lanruo’s features are not particularly sharp, but at this moment, she speaks freely, a divine radiance on her beautiful face, possessing a kind of inner fortitude! Let me guess, Xiong Sansi’s previous question must have scared you greatly! What a price you paid just to flatten the rule’s influence, only then could you speak of your malice as if it were nothing!”

Zhu Lanruo continued: “But no matter what price you paid, you cannot bear a second time, otherwise you wouldn’t be so urgent, so nervous.” She finally gazed at He Huating, her eyes calm, her voice declaring the end: “A question similar to this, as long as I ask you once more, you will be gone.”

Facing those exquisitely beautiful eyes, He Huating naturally knew he had already failed! This game of question and answer was merely a helpless choice from the outset, fundamentally not wonderful enough. With the rules already fully deciphered and his own privileges lost, there was no target left to take the bait. Just as that Chai A Si said, these young demons present each possessed considerable ability, they were pillars of talent. They would absolutely not give him another opportunity…

But he merely smiled faintly: “Then do not hesitate to ask.”

“You are still trying to bluff me, but it is already meaningless, Senior Crane.”

Zhu Lanruo said: “After Xiong Sansi and Chai A Si have successively passed, your opportunity no longer exists. Perhaps having lingered here for too long, you have not only ground away your heart and spirit, but your eyes are no longer sharp enough!” She sighed lightly: “Even if you were given ten thousand more opportunities, you would not capture any source of life. To have us do other things might not be easy, but controlling our own enemy intent is truly too simple.”

She revealed the game’s rules, declared the method of countering the game, and utterly dismantled He Huating’s chess game. He Huating finally ceased his twisted smile. He sat alone at the spring’s edge, letting his reflection ripple on the surface, and said lonely: “So what are you still waiting for?” I actually have many questions I could ask you.” Zhu Lanruo said: “But I do not wish for you to leave so shamefully.”

“At this moment, I do not wish to ask other questions. I wish to ask, for that youthful self of mine, a question of that high-spirited He Huating—” She asked: “What were your ideals once?”

What a dangerous question this was! He Huating tugged at the corners of his dry, wrinkled mouth and said indifferently: “My ideals once were—” Perhaps he was choked by the wind. Or perhaps his meager strength had been consumed, leaving little remaining. He suddenly found himself unable to continue. The words he thought he could easily utter, for some reason, were heavy and unwilling to leap from his lips and teeth.

His lips opened and closed, opened and closed, and finally pursed tightly.

Without teeth, when his mouth pursed forcefully, it also collapsed.

Once, I too was a youth.

My soul burned hot, my blood boiled.

Now, my body and mind are withered, my face hideous.

Regarding ideals, I dare not speak its name.

He Huating displayed a bizarre expression, like crying, like laughing, like sad, like joyful. He used his dry, thin hands, like chicken claws, to cover his deeply wrinkled face. He no longer gazed at any young soul, nor allowed anyone to see him again.

The gathered demons could only see his collapsed shoulders, his hunched back, sitting there in embarrassment. His skin-and-bone chest, like pulling a bellows, forcefully swelled, then collapsed again. Within his withered body, he gathered his last remaining strength, then with extreme difficulty… tilted his head to the side, his entire body tilting as well— Plop!

Just like that, he fell into the Undying Spring!

The ripples that normally divided the Undying Spring’s surface dissipated this time.

The ripples that distinguished truth from falsehood were overwhelmed by even greater waves. And then, together, they returned to calm, returned to dead silence.

The clear water’s surface swallowed He Huating, like a cup of water containing a drop of water.

He Huating disappeared just like that.

Just like that, he drowned.

Above the Undying Spring, a white spiderweb appeared, condensing from the ethereal into reality, as if wanting to capture something, yet it caught nothing. Finally, it slowly faded, becoming hidden.

The gathered demons were all silent.

Did He Huating ultimately see this web and not wish to become Zhu Yi’s collection?

Or had he already recognized his defeat, his strength exhausted, no longer struggling?

Or perhaps he simply could not face the ideals of his youth?

There was no answer.

Not until the divine mountain trembled once more and light flew past from outside.

Lu Qilang suddenly asked: “Did you truly read his biography? Truly admire him?”

Zhu Lanruo casually threw the folding fan into the spring water as well, watching it be swallowed by the ripples, and said softly—

“What did you say?”

Mother Crane asked: “Does my child desire to wield a long sword, lead a thousand armies, hold the enemy’s head, and be crowned for ten thousand generations?” Huating practiced swordsmanship and did not answer.

Another ten years passed: “Does my child desire to annotate the classics of a hundred schools, become a school of one, leave learning for a thousand autumns, establish a sect and school?”

Huating read classics and did not answer. Another hundred years passed: “My child has toiled tirelessly, endured a hundred years of cold and heat, finally achieving what he has today. Yet he does not pursue fame, does not accumulate wealth and beauty, for what does he seek?” Huating answered: “My child seeks name, seeks a name for all eternity. My child seeks profit, seeks profit for the world. My child seeks wealth and beauty, may my demon race have no humble doors. In life, I seek greatness, in death, I seek the wisdom of the ancients.” — 《Biography of He Huating, Taigu Classics》