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Chapter 858: Nine-Tailed Sky Fox

"Uncle, isn't this exactly what happened to you that day?" Sima Qianjun asked Sima Zongheng.

Sima Zongheng, who had been in shock, seemed to find a moment of peace, yet immediately after, his chest felt even more stifled.

"Young Prince, what do you make of this?" Mr. Li asked with a raised brow.

"The Great Saint King of Dazheng, is he a practitioner of the Way of Chess?" Sima Qing asked curiously.

"Su Afo, what's happening?" the Nine-Tailed Princess asked Su Afo.

"I'm not sure. It looks like the Chimei Chess Sage coughed up blood, and it seems like Zhong Shan won?" Su Afo said hesitantly.

"Ugh, winning by placing pieces randomly? All those previous players must have wasted their chess skills on dogs!" the Nine-Tailed Princess said disdainfully.

Su Afo nodded in agreement. If other chess players heard this, they'd probably cough up blood in anger.

On the terrace, Zhong Shan looked at the Chimei Chess Sage. After the Chimei Chess Sage spat out a mouthful of blood, instead of looking defeated like Sima Zongheng did that day, he appeared to be in better spirits.

His white hair and beard mysteriously began to change color, turning a faint green.

"Hahaha...!" The Chimei Chess Sage laughed heartily.

Everyone found this strange. Could it be that the Chimei Chess Sage had gone mad from the blow of defeat?

Earlier, people had thought that the news of Zhong Shan defeating the Chimei Chess Sage would cause a sensation in Qingqiu. Now it seemed the sensation would be even greater: Zhong Shan had driven the Chimei Chess Sage mad. This was big news.

Zhong Shan stood up and looked seriously at the Chimei Chess Sage.

As the Chimei Chess Sage laughed, endless amounts of heaven and earth energy surged towards him. Zhong Shan even sensed the presence of luck and merit.

The Chimei Chess Sage was using this to break through?

After a hearty laugh, the Chimei Chess Sage stood up and bowed deeply to Zhong Shan. "Mr. Zhong, you are incredibly talented. Thank you!"

"Congratulations to the Chimei Chess Sage on breaking through to the Ancient Immortal realm!" Zhong Shan said with envy.

Ancient Immortal! Beyond the Grand Immortal realm lies the Ancient Immortal realm. Such a level! And the Chimei Chess Sage had broken through because of a single game of chess?

It was impossible for Zhong Shan not to be envious. Reflecting on his own progress, still lingering in the Third Heaven of the Heavenly Immortal stage, and seeing the Chimei Chess Sage become an Ancient Immortal from the same game, how could he not feel envious?

In the Yang Realm, the Chimei Chess Sage had broken through to the Ancient Immortal realm. Meanwhile, in the Underworld, Nangong Sheng of the Heaven-Observing Pavilion had also just reached the Grand Immortal stage.

"Nangong Sheng, Grand Immortal!" Zhong Shan looked at Nangong Sheng with satisfaction.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your support!" Nangong Sheng bowed in gratitude.

In the Yang Realm.

"Congratulations to the Chimei Chess Sage on reaching the Ancient Immortal realm!" Mr. Li said.

"Congratulations to the Chimei Chess Sage!" echoed the onlookers, all offering their congratulations.

The Chimei Chess Sage nodded to the crowd and then turned to Zhong Shan. "Mr. Zhong, I am forever indebted to your assistance. The chessboard is broken, and I humbly admit defeat!"

Everyone looked at Zhong Shan with envy. This man was simply extraordinary.

"Chimei Chess Sage, there's no need for such praise. Now that your realm has advanced, if we were to play another game, it might be Zhong Shan who loses!" Zhong Shan quickly said.

"No, I can see that from beginning to end, Mr. Zhong's expression hasn't fluctuated at all. He's always been calm and composed, which means Mr. Zhong's chess skills far surpass mine," the Chimei Chess Sage said sincerely.

"Uh!" Zhong Shan was momentarily speechless. How should he explain this? Unmoved? Even if a hundred more moves were made, Zhong Shan's expression wouldn't change because it wasn't him playing against the Chimei Chess Sage; it was Nangong Sheng in the Underworld.

"Zhong Shan, well done! You've brought great honor to the Nine-Tailed Princess' Mansion!" the Nine-Tailed Princess said excitedly as she flew over.

"You're too formidable!" Su Afo exclaimed as he flew over as well.

The gazes of the surrounding experts were filled with complexity as they looked at Zhong Shan.

"Mr. Li, I have a question," Sima Qing said, frowning.

"Please ask, Young Prince."

"What is the Sacred King thinking? Why is he allowing Zhong Shan such freedom?" Sima Qing asked in confusion.

Mr. Li showed a bitter smile and said, "The emperor's heart is difficult to fathom. The Sacred King must have his reasons!"

Sima Qing gave Zhong Shan another deep look.

In the distance, the Nine-Tailed Princess said proudly, "Chimei Chess Sage, your chess skills aren't that impressive. You couldn't even beat a retainer from my mansion. How can you call yourself the number one Chess Sage? I think that title should go to Zhong Shan!"

"What the princess says is true. I am unworthy of the title of the number one Chess Sage. Mr. Zhong is indeed deserving of the title," the Chimei Chess Sage said with a calm smile, seemingly unconcerned with such titles.

"Chimei Chess Sage, you are too modest. It was just a stroke of luck for me. However, I am curious about the true purpose of this Soul Game. Is it related to the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm mentioned by the Zixiao Master?" Zhong Shan asked curiously.

The Chimei Chess Sage gave Zhong Shan a deep look and nodded. "Yes, it is for that Ancient Immortal Secret Realm. Since you are from the Taichu Sacred Court, I will be straightforward. Moreover, this matter will likely fall upon you."

"Oh?"

The Chimei Chess Sage looked around at the other chess players and said, "Since everyone has come here, it is fate. Let us watch one more game together."

"Yes!" The chess players responded in unison.

"Mr. Zhong, please come with me," the Chimei Chess Sage said.

With that, he led Zhong Shan upwards. As for the others, being allowed to stay was already an honor, so they waited on the surrounding peaks.

At the peak of the highest mountain on the island, where the Chimei Chess Sage had been standing earlier, the four of them landed.

Surrounded by clouds and mist, visibility was limited to ten meters.

The Chimei Chess Sage waved his hand, and a spell shot out, pushing the fog away in all directions. In an instant, the fog in the Sea of Mist receded, revealing a vast ocean dotted with numerous islands. Some islands had black soil, others had white soil.

With another wave of his hand, an island in the depths of the sea surfaced, pitch-black in color.

"What is this?" Zhong Shan asked, frowning.

"This is the true 'Heavenly Calamity Chessboard.' The one I set up earlier was just a part of it that I comprehended. Since the time of my master's master, we've been trying to decipher it here, but it remains unsolved to this day. It is the most formidable layout. I hope Mr. Zhong can break it," the Chimei Chess Sage said.

"The true Heavenly Calamity Chessboard?" Zhong Shan was shocked.

"Really? The Chimei Chess Sage made such a spectacle out of just a part of the Heavenly Calamity Chessboard. What kind of monstrous complexity does the full version have?" Zhong Shan thought, his mind racing.

"What's the point of breaking the board?" the Nine-Tailed Princess asked.

"Breaking the board will open the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm!" the Chimei Chess Sage said solemnly.

"The Ancient Immortal Secret Realm? Which Ancient Immortal are we talking about?" the Nine-Tailed Princess asked, puzzled.

"The first fox of our Qingqiu Fox Clan, a peerless powerhouse who once followed a Saint. After his fall, this place became his tomb," the Chimei Chess Sage said, taking a deep breath.

"You mean we're grave robbing?" Su Afo asked, astonished.

Grave robbing? The Chimei Chess Sage's expression darkened slightly at Su Afo's words.

"That Ancient Immortal tasked our fox clan with opening this secret realm. He wanted us to keep trying to break the board. His wish was for the fox clan to enter the secret realm," the Chimei Chess Sage explained seriously.

"Why would anyone ask their descendants to dig up their grave?" the Nine-Tailed Princess looked skeptical.

The Chimei Chess Sage felt a pang of frustration. As an Ancient Immortal, did he really need to deceive these juniors? A single letter to the Taichu Sacred King would have them working tirelessly to break the board.

Zhong Shan's thoughts, however, went deeper than others.

First, the Ziyang family's Destiny Manipulator had told the Nine-Tailed Princess that she would receive great fortune after the Soul Game. This great fortune had yet to appear. Could it be related to the opening of the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm?

Second, why had the Zixiao Master suddenly appeared after tens of thousands of years? Could it be that the Zixiao Master had some ability to predict the future, or had someone hinted to him? Otherwise, why would he show up at this exact time?

Third, Zhong Shan and Nangong Sheng seemed to have a significant chance of breaking the board.

Was it fate that this Ancient Immortal Secret Realm would be opened?

"Mr. Zhong, what do you think?" the Chimei Chess Sage asked Zhong Shan.

"I will do my best," Zhong Shan nodded.

"Great, you suggest the moves, and I will place them!" The Chimei Chess Sage was visibly excited.

His master's master had started studying this board. Now, in his generation, he had reached the pinnacle of the Way of Chess, yet he still couldn't break it. As his lifespan neared its end, not only had he broken through the barrier to the Ancient Immortal realm, but he had also found someone who could break the board. Heaven had indeed favored him.

Zhong Shan looked at the layout in front of him. It was identical to the one the Chimei Chess Sage had set up earlier, but the subsequent moves would certainly be different.

In the underworld, Nangong Sheng had reached the Grand Immortal stage. His realm had advanced, but a new chessboard now lay before him.

Breaking the Heavenly Calamity Chessboard again.

High above the Mist Sea, a black dot stood in the sky, observing everything below.

It was the Zixiao Master who had retreated earlier.

Standing on the void, the Zixiao Master watched coldly, observing every move below. The vast Mist Sea might obscure others' vision, but it couldn't hide anything from him.

The Zixiao Master remained motionless, seemingly waiting for the final move, for the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm to be opened.

"The Nine-Tailed Sky Fox's tomb? The first sage of the Feng Tomb Domain, even in death, you are restless. You laid out this board for tens of thousands of years? What kind of monster are you? What exactly did you plan?" the Zixiao Master muttered to himself.