Chapter 428: The Path of Chess Reaches Sanctification, Yan Luo's Display
"Spear Dao, could it be Lin Sheng?"
"Is that the true essence of the Spear Dao?"
The sudden burst of powerful spear intent caused everyone meditating on their mats to open their eyes in shock.
Even with the Dao Domain's barrier isolating external interference, this profound spear intent that reached the true essence managed to pierce through, awakening many who were deeply immersed in their comprehension.
In the center of one mat, a figure hovered mid-air, holding a pitch-black divine spear with a silver tip that gleamed piercingly.
Behind him, the void faintly coalesced into an immense spear body that seemed to connect heaven and earth, exuding an aura as if the heavens themselves were molded into a weapon.
The spear, the ancestor of all weapons, unstoppable and unparalleled!
Everyone could feel the blinding sharpness emanating from his body, combined with the steady and profound energy of the ocean. It was domineeringly sharp yet devoid of arrogance or recklessness.
"He has actually condensed the true essence of the Spear Dao. I recall he hasn't been here for long, has he?"
"Lin Sheng's talent is exceptionally high. When he first arrived here, his Dao Heart was already at the Heavenly Level, and he's only been here for ten thousand years."
"To comprehend the Spear Dao of the Ten Thousand Battles Immortal Technique to such a level... According to Elder Wang, if he becomes a True Immortal, he'll rank among the elites of his realm, capable of fighting one against a hundred!"
The crowd gazed at the tall and upright Lin Sheng with complex expressions.
After Mu Sheng and Ming Sheng, a third person who could challenge the True Sovereign Tower had finally appeared, but it wasn't one of them. Their hearts inevitably filled with melancholy and bitterness.
Lin Sheng appeared as a young man clad in black, exuding an extremely cold and aloof demeanor, his face extraordinarily handsome. His eyes possessed a peculiar dual-pupil feature, one dark purple and the other black. At his birth, celestial phenomena heralded his arrival, marking him as a peerless prodigy. His accidental fall into this realm had caused his disappearance from the myriad heavens.
At this moment, he slowly opened his eyes, retracting his aura, and the sharp spear intent around him dissipated.
Sensing the gazes fixed on him, his expression remained calm and indifferent as he descended gently onto his mat, stowing away the Dao Tribulation Emperor Weapon in his hand.
He glanced briefly into the distance, locking eyes with a young man standing in front of a wooden house. Their gazes met briefly before Lin Sheng gave an almost imperceptible nod as a greeting.
This moment of epiphany had been partly stimulated by that young man, though it seemed the other had chosen a shortcut.
He could understand the reasoning. Despite the young man possessing a high Dao Heart, Dao Heart and cultivation aptitude were different matters. Coupled with arriving late, the best way to catch up with others was through shortcuts.
Unfortunately, that path was doomed to fail.
"Congratulations to Lin Sheng for reaching the second trial. You're now eligible to challenge the True Sovereign Tower."
Nearby, other Saints offered their congratulations.
Although their hearts felt the pressure, their expressions remained harmonious and cordial.
Lin Sheng nodded slightly in acknowledgment, meeting the gazes of two other Saints—Ming Sheng and Mu Sheng.
The two exchanged faint nods with Lin Sheng, their faces betraying no emotion. Their nods were a gesture of congratulation and blessing.
Afterward, they withdrew their gazes, returning to their seated positions to continue meditating.
Lin Sheng sensed the difference from before. He seemed to have entered the sights of these two now.
The corners of his lips curved upward, filling him with a surge of fiery determination.
Though he had cultivated for less time than them, he felt there was no reason he couldn't rise later and surpass them.
Turning around, he walked toward the wooden house.
In front of the house, Li Hao had already retracted his gaze and resumed his thoughts, trying to catch hold of the fleeting inspiration from earlier as he stared at the chessboard.
Elder Wang saw Li Hao still mulling over the chess game and chuckled softly, choosing not to disturb him. Instead, he smiled warmly at the approaching Lin Sheng and said:
"Not bad, not bad. Keep working hard and aim to surpass them."
Lin Sheng's icy expression melted into a faint smile, and he bowed slightly, clasping his hands. "Elder Wang, I have fully comprehended the Ten Thousand Battles Immortal Technique and wish to attempt the second trial."
"Very well, go ahead."
Elder Wang nodded in approval without requiring any further demonstration.
The aura Lin Sheng had just exuded made it clear to him that the young man had perfected the Spear Dao within the Ten Thousand Battles Immortal Technique.
Upon receiving permission, Lin Sheng glanced at the young man sitting on a small wooden stool, his head bowed over the chessboard, seemingly oblivious to Lin Sheng's presence.
Lin Sheng's gaze turned indifferent. Without saying anything, he turned and left.
Once he exited the vicinity of the wooden house, he headed directly for the True Sovereign Tower.
His actions naturally drew the attention of other Saints. Someone immediately took out an incense stick to mark the time.
Before long, Lin Sheng emerged from the black tower, and only one-tenth of the incense stick had burned.
Even so, it caused many to narrow their eyes slightly.
"He lasted slightly longer than Mu Sheng and Ming Sheng on their first attempts."
"It seems Lin Sheng has an exceptionally strong combat sense. Perhaps, in this second trial, he might catch up to Mu Sheng and Ming Sheng."
"His master was the Spear Saint, but here, Lin Sheng has long surpassed him."
The crowd exchanged glances with complicated emotions. Lin Sheng's progress was so rapid that it filled them with an intense sense of urgency.
Many of them stopped discussing and lowered their heads, focusing on their own meditations once more.
Hua Sheng and You Sheng exchanged glances, both feeling some pressure. They turned their gazes toward the wooden house, only to see Li Hao's back facing them as usual, still deeply engrossed in his battle with the chessboard.
The two sighed softly, closed their eyes, and resumed their own meditations.
Elder Wang noticed that the people seated on the mats had quieted down and smiled faintly. He could sense the quiet urgency brewing in the hearts of these young ones.
His gaze returned to the chessboard before him, where Li Hao, lost in thought, suddenly lifted a piece and placed it down.
"You're surprisingly patient."
Elder Wang chuckled lightly, casually picking up a piece with the intent to seal the board. But then, he paused, letting out a soft "hmm," as he fixed his gaze on Li Hao's move.
A glimmer flickered in his eyes as he stared at the position of the piece. It seemed as though Li Hao had deliberately stepped into his formation, practically gifting him the piece. To an untrained eye, it might not seem obvious, but to someone with Elder Wang's skill, it was blatant.
Yet… while it looked like a simple sacrifice, there was a faint hint that this move was intentional.
If he took the bait and captured the piece, it would create a slight delay, giving Li Hao a small window to exploit on the other side of the board. If Li Hao could grasp that opportunity, it might create a hole in his otherwise flawless game.
But could this young one truly foresee such a move?
Elder Wang pondered briefly before deciding to capture the piece. With a faint smile, he glanced at Li Hao and remarked:
"You've just handed me that piece for free."
"Hmm."
Without even lifting his head, Li Hao responded with a casual hum, swiftly placing another piece.
The position of this new piece landed precisely in the spot Elder Wang had gambled on. At the sound of Li Hao's response, Elder Wang's heart sank, and when he saw the placement, he immediately realized that the earlier piece was indeed deliberate. However, this calculated move was a stark departure from Li Hao's usually steady and cautious playstyle.
He had changed his strategy!
"You sly little fox, you're setting traps for me now!" Elder Wang exclaimed.
Li Hao looked up slightly, flashing a toothy grin. "It's only a trap if you cooperate. Otherwise, it's just a wasted move."
Hearing this, Elder Wang rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. That smug expression was irksome.
"This move of yours won't change the tides. The outcome is still uncertain. While you've managed to open a small gap, this side is now heading toward a deadlock!"
As he spoke, Elder Wang placed a black piece decisively at the edge of the board, sealing off one of Li Hao's smaller dragon formations with an air of finality.
Li Hao smiled faintly, as if he had anticipated this. He continued placing pieces to tear open the gap Elder Wang had left.
Over the next several moves, Li Hao's small dragon formation was thoroughly eliminated. However, the formidable structure of Elder Wang's board also began to show a crack.
This shift in strategy was a complete departure from Li Hao's earlier defensive and cautious approach. Elder Wang raised an eyebrow as he observed Li Hao's newfound aggressive and sharp playstyle. It was as if a sword had been drawn from its scabbard—unyielding, willing to shatter itself rather than surrender!
Elder Wang was forced to redirect his efforts to defend his position. If he didn't, his seemingly advantageous position could collapse entirely.
Li Hao, on the other hand, pressed forward relentlessly. He abandoned all his previous formations and launched an all-out attack.
Elder Wang's expression grew serious. He countered move after move, retreating step by step. However, as the game progressed, he began to sense that something was amiss. The formations Li Hao had abandoned earlier began to connect with his relentless advance.
In an instant, Elder Wang's position turned into one of vulnerability—what was once a single gap had now expanded into multiple weak points, like a net riddled with holes.
Elder Wang fell into deep contemplation.
Li Hao, meanwhile, seemed to have plenty of time to spare. Seeing Elder Wang lost in thought, he strolled to the side to make tea and enjoy a few cups.
After finishing three cups, and Elder Wang still hadn't made a move, Li Hao wandered into the fields nearby. He inspected a few of the immortal herbs he had been cultivating and was pleased to see they were thriving.
By the time the sun set and the horizon was bathed in the golden hues of dusk, Li Hao returned to the chessboard. Elder Wang snapped out of his thoughts, gave Li Hao a glare of mock frustration, and placed a piece on the board. "You little rascal, I'm done arguing over this game. Let's just say you've won!"
With that, he placed a piece, and Li Hao quickly returned to his small stool to continue playing.
After a few more moves, Li Hao played flawlessly, forcing Elder Wang to sigh helplessly and concede the game.
"You win," Elder Wang admitted, relinquishing the board.
Li Hao counted the points and found that while he had won, it was only by half a point.
Elder Wang had seen this coming long before the game ended. Despite his loss, his chess skills were still far superior to Li Hao's.
Li Hao had only managed to find a small opening through his momentary insight and had relied on Elder Wang's gamble to exploit it.
As the game concluded, a sudden buzzing sensation filled Li Hao's mind, and a prompt appeared before his eyes:
[You have comprehended the Chess Dao Heart: Transcendent Sanctification.]
After three years of playing chess, his Chess Dao experience had already reached the pinnacle of the ninth stage.
Now, an overwhelming surge of information flooded his mind. His Chess Dao had broken through the ninth stage, ascending to the tenth!
The ninth stage signifies entering the Dao. The tenth stage signifies offering to the Dao, touching upon the essence of the Great Dao.
Previously, Li Hao had regarded a single piece as merely a single piece.
But as the game progressed, his perspective shifted. He began to see clusters of pieces as singular entities.
The chessboard itself, he realized, was one single entity—all the pieces were merely extensions of it. This understanding came after witnessing countless transformations in strategy, a return to simplicity after experiencing the complexity.
As one sees the mountain, it is just a mountain. When one no longer sees the mountain, it ceases to be a mountain. And finally, one sees the mountain again as it truly is.
Thus, every piece on the board could be "abandoned"—or rather, it wasn't truly abandoned. Each piece served as a step, and abandoning it was also part of the strategy.
To use each piece to its fullest extent—that was the essence of the game.
If it had no purpose at all, it would truly be a wasted move.
With the breakthrough in the Chess Dao and the attainment of the Transcendent Sanctification state of mind, it meant that Li Hao could elevate one of his combat techniques to the tenth stage.
The states of mind for the Cooking Dao, Painting Dao, and Carving Dao, each at the tenth stage of Transcendent Sanctification, had been integrated into his Path of the Flesh, the Path of Control, and the Path of the Sword, respectively.
Now, with the fourth state of mind—the Chess Dao—reaching Sanctification, Li Hao planned to integrate it into his movement techniques.
This would allow his ninth-stage movement technique to advance to the tenth stage: the Sacrificial Path.
In the myriad heavens, very few used the movement technique as their Sacrificial Path. Among those Li Hao knew, only Elder Feng had done so.
Although Li Hao had first mastered boxing before movement techniques, the latter now held greater significance compared to the former.
In his previous battle against the Hun Tian Saint, Li Hao had suffered greatly due to the inadequacy of his movement technique. He had barely managed to survive by relying on his extreme state.
If his movement technique reached the tenth stage, it alone would make him among the top-tier Saints in the myriad heavens.
If he further combined it with his extreme state, his speed would place him at the pinnacle of his realm.
However, Li Hao didn't rush to integrate the Chess Dao into his movement technique just yet.
"Elder Wang, in the True Sovereign Tower challenge, if one achieves enlightenment during the challenge, would the reflected shadow also receive the corresponding improvement?"
Li Hao asked.
Elder Wang, who was meticulously picking pieces off the chessboard to start another game, responded casually, "Of course not. The reflection in the True Sovereign Tower is generated before the challenge begins. Achieving enlightenment during the challenge is a form of quick thinking in battle and is itself part of the True Sovereign Tower's test."
He looked up at Li Hao and added, "But don't think you can comprehend something halfway and then challenge the Tower at a critical juncture. Once the True Sovereign Tower challenge begins, it hardly gives you any breathing room. The shadow it reflects has a strong will to attack and won't waste a single word with you."
Li Hao nodded in understanding. Achieving enlightenment during battle was an exceedingly rare occurrence. In the lower realms, it happened more frequently due to the accumulation of potential. However, as one's cultivation realm grew higher, amassing enough for such breakthroughs became extraordinarily difficult, making such occurrences nearly unheard of.
"I could give it a try," Li Hao remarked.
For others, it might be nearly impossible to deliberately time a breakthrough with a challenge, but for him, it was an achievable feat.
Besides, this might be a loophole in the True Sovereign Tower challenge itself.
"You want to try?" Elder Wang raised an eyebrow at Li Hao's words, then scoffed in mock irritation. "You brat, even if you beat me in chess, I won't make any exceptions for you. You must first master either the Yan Luo Immortal Technique or the Ten Thousand Battles Immortal Technique to perfection."
"I've already gained some insight into the Yan Luo Immortal Technique," Li Hao replied calmly.
"Nonsense," Elder Wang retorted, rolling his eyes. "Although your soul is indeed stronger than other Saints, making it easier for you to cultivate, you haven't even begun to practice it."
"…" Li Hao fell silent but then began activating the three combat techniques of the Yan Luo Immortal Technique.
This was indeed his first time performing them. Although he had comprehended their essence and possessed the experience of countless years of practice in his mind, he had yet to personally put them to use.
Even so, he executed them without any hesitation.
As his soul activated, black flames seemed to ignite on Li Hao's body. His soul emerged from the flesh forged of Ninth-Rank Mixed-Origin Divine Blood, shrouded in dark flames that radiated a murderous aura of destruction. Behind his soul, the flames faintly outlined a ferocious and menacing shadow, as if a demonic figure loomed over him.
This was the "Yan Luo External Form" combat technique.
"Hm?" Elder Wang was momentarily stunned by the sight.
The Yan Luo External Form, like the descent of an asura, exuded a terrifying killing intent. It was undoubtedly the Yan Luo External Form combat technique, and it had reached the level of true mastery!
Meanwhile, Li Hao carefully felt the power this technique brought him. In previous battles with ancient demons, he had relied solely on his soul and rudimentary self-created soul techniques, which were exceedingly crude. The Yan Luo External Form, however, was a celestial-grade technique of profound depth.
Although Li Hao had currently mastered only the first stage, "Desolation," of the Yan Luo Immortal Technique, the External Form was one of the three techniques contained within Desolation. Li Hao could already tell that if he were to face the True Immortal Realm ancient demon again, he wouldn't even need to burn his divine veins to eliminate it!
As the black flames coalesced, Li Hao's soul slowly formed a black Yan Blade in his palm.
This blade, condensed from Yan power, could inflict devastating damage on souls.
In the next moment, Li Hao's soul raised its hand, and the black flames contracted to form six Earthly Luo Shields around his body, moving fluidly as if alive.
These Earthly Luo Shields could block lethal strikes from the soul of a True Immortal.
As Li Hao executed these techniques, he carefully analyzed and experienced them. This hands-on application gave him a clearer understanding of the strength of these techniques compared to the theoretical knowledge he had held in his mind.
If he encountered another True Immortal Realm ancient demon, he could likely kill it within moments.
After all, the Sword Dao of the Ten Thousand Battles Immortal Technique had also reached the level of true mastery. Even with a broken celestial weapon in his hands, the Sword Dao's sharpness would enhance its power severalfold. This would allow him to quickly destroy the body of a True Immortal ancient demon before using the Yan Blade to swiftly obliterate its soul.