Chapter 97

Following Cang Bo and Xiao Jie, Ye Wuque continued forward into the depths of Red Dust Valley.

The deeper they went, the more the surrounding scenery returned to simplicity and authenticity.

There were no dazzling divine lights or rosy clouds of astonishing phenomena, nor any grand, imposing ancient palaces that suppressed the Zhutian.

In view were a tranquil bamboo grove, winding stone paths, murmuring streams, and occasional exquisite pavilions and towers dotted among the mountains and waters.

The air was filled with a faint fragrance of herbs and earth, and the ears heard crisp bird songs and the rustle of wind-blown leaves; everything seemed tranquil and refined, like a secluded paradise, not the dojo of a supreme being who had participated in creation.

However, Ye Wuque's mind grew ever more tranquil and solemn.

He keenly sensed that the seemingly ordinary grasses, trees, mountains, and waters, in their arrangement, secretly conformed to a supreme natural Dao rhythm; with each breath, he inhaled purest Life Essence and fragments of Tiandao, almost substantive—cultivating here for a day could match years of bitter practice elsewhere!

This was an ultimate luxury surpassing outward magnificence and inward endless profundity.

Passing through a lush, verdant purple bamboo grove, the view suddenly opened up.

A crystal-clear, misty lake came into view; the lake water sparkled with ripples in the breeze, and a few lively strange fish could be seen swimming within, their scales flashing seven-colored light.

By the lake, a simple yet elegant pavilion stood quietly, built against the mountain and water.

In the pavilion, a figure sat with his back to them, leaning on the railing.

Cang Bo and Xiao Jie's expressions instantly became extremely reverent, even carrying a reverence that sprang from the depths of their souls.

The two stepped forward, stopped outside the pavilion, bowed, and said in unison, "Greetings, Lord of Red Dust."

Ye Wuque's heartbeat involuntarily quickened a little, and his gaze turned toward that figure.

Was that…… the Lord of Red Dust?

Only then did that person slowly turn around.

To Ye Wuque's surprise, he was not the imagined white-haired, youthful-faced, immortal-style old man, but a handsome young man in his twenties.

His features were handsome, his lines distinct, a pair of eyes deep as if containing an entire star sea; in his glance, there was an indescribable nonchalance and freedom.

His head of black hair hung loosely over his shoulders, adding a touch of leisure and grace.

He emitted no terrifying energy waves, nor any suffocating majesty; he simply sat there casually, blending naturally with the surrounding mountains, waters, pavilions, and towers.

Yet Ye Wuque sensed from him something deeper.

A sense of having long been invincible under heaven, having traversed myriad ages, yet having washed away worldly ornamentation and returned to simplicity, clear and tranquil.

It was an absolute confidence stemming from absolute power and endless experience, needing no outward aura to prove itself.

At this moment, before the Lord of Red Dust's stone table lay a chessboard.

On the board, black and white pieces were interlocked, as if it were an unfinished game.

What was surprising was that he was not playing against another, but rather…… playing against himself.

His slender fingers picked up a white jade piece, lightly placed it on a corner of the board, then switched sides, took up a black jade piece, pondered briefly, and placed another piece.

His gaze remained fixed on the board, as if completely immersed; he merely gave a faint smile to Cang Bo and Xiao Jie's salutations, his voice warm and gentle: "Xiao Cang, Xiao Jie, no need for excessive courtesy."

His gaze still left the board, his fingers again pinched a black piece, as if encountering a problem; after pondering long, he slowly placed it down.

At the very moment this piece landed!

Hum—

Ye Wuque's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the chess situation.

In his perception, it was no longer a simple chessboard; the intersecting lines seemed to become the warp and weft of spacetime, and the black and white pieces seemed to become terrifying supreme beings standing in the Zhutian, or immense ultimate forces inheriting from myriad ages.

They waged war, schemed, allied, opposed…… each move shifted the whole situation, pulling one thread moved the whole body, evolving endless possibilities.

The schemes, layouts, and the cruel and profound struggle of the Tiandao contained within shocked Ye Wuque's mind and spirit!

He subconsciously condensed his soul power, wanting to see more clearly, trying to comprehend the ultimate principle contained in the chess situation.

However, merely scratching the surface caused his soul to feel a sharp pain, as if about to be crushed by the boundless deduction information and the supreme will contained within.

Before his eyes even appeared hallucinations, as if countless great stars were collapsing in the chess game, and new worlds were being born as pieces fell.

Ye Wuque's heart jolted; he instantly gathered his spirit, forcibly tearing his gaze from the chessboard, and a fine sheen of cold sweat broke out on his back.

He instantly realized the game's level was far beyond him—so high he barely qualified to even glance at it as a spectator.

What the Lord of the Red Dust is calculating could be the future course and contest of the entire Zhutian Huanyu, and even of a vaster world.

How could he possibly hope to glimpse a game of this level?

At this moment, the Lord of the Red Dust seemed unaware of Ye Wuque's anomaly, merely watching the chessboard shift again because of his last move, and murmured meaningfully, his voice soft yet carrying the weight of ages.

"This game… is getting more chaotic… and also more interesting…"

Only then did Ye Wuque quell his racing heart, step forward, bow deeply in respect, his voice filled with utmost reverence.

"Junior Ye Wuque greets Senior Lord of the Red Dust!"

He then offered the ancient Red Dust Supreme Token with both hands.

Only then did the Lord of the Red Dust slightly divert his gaze from the game, his eyes landing on the token; he smiled faintly, flicked his hand, and the token floated lightly into his palm.

He turned the token over in his hand and asked casually, "Heh, Shenzun… how is he now?"

Ye Wuque replied respectfully.

"Senior, in the Tomb of the Ancient Gods I was fortunate to witness Senior Shenzun's fading consciousness revive. I happened to obtain a Nine Revolutions Yin-Yang Reincarnation Pill and gave it to him to help stabilize his consciousness."

"Afterward, Senior Shenzun intervened, helping me overthrow the Fate Divine Mountain, then said he would head to the deepest reaches of the Space-Time River to seek a higher Dao Realm and pursue the Dao."

"Nine Revolutions Yin-Yang Reincarnation Pill?" The Lord of the Red Dust's eyes flashed with realization; he nodded slightly. "It's a pill refined by Dan Tian Di—no wonder it could stabilize his condition, which was near the collapse of his True Spirit. This pill reverses the chaos of Yin and Yang, consolidates the true meaning of reincarnation; with his foundation, it's indeed not so easy for him to be utterly annihilated."

His tone held a hint of wistful reminiscence, his gaze seeming to pierce endless spacetime, back to the era before the ancient ages.

"Looking back, that battle… shattered too much, buried too many old comrades… I knew his fate was tough, not so easy for him to die."

His words were light, yet they seemed to contain endless stories and vicissitudes; that battle, mentioned offhandedly, was so tragic and terrifying that Ye Wuque could hardly imagine it.