Published at 3rd of January 2021 09:10:17 AM
Chapter 371 Insights on Death
Lu Zhou stroked his beard and nodded as he looked at Yun Tianluo expressionlessly . “Are you ready?” “For what?”
“Death, of course…” Lu Zhou’s words were blunt and calm .
Yun Tianluo looked at Lu Zhou with his eyes that had seen many, many years passed . The longer he looked at Lu Zhou, the more he felt something was amiss . He finally asked, “Aren’t you, Brother Ji?”
They were both old men who had one foot in their graves . Perhaps, it was not appropriate for them to speak of death in such a facetious manner . However, as Yun Tianluo thought more about it, he felt that it was precisely because they were at this point in their lives that they could speak about death in such a way .
Lu Zhou shook his head without saying anything Yun Tianluo laughed drily . He seemed slightly melancholic . He wanted to point out again that Lu Zhou’s great limit was coming sooner compared to him . In the end, he asked, “Surely, you’re not here just to have a chat, Brother Ji?”
Lu Zhou nodded . “To tell you the truth, I’ve come so that I can ask for your insight and experience when you attempted to attain the Nine-leaf stage . ”
Yun Tianluo regarded Lu Zhou with a complicated gaze . He did not know why Lu Zhou would suddenly ask about this . After all, he could not compare to Ji Tiandao in this aspect . Everyone in the world knew about the might of the Evil Sky Pavilion’s Master . They knew he had long stood at the threshold of the Nine-leaf stage . Finally, he said with a sigh, “… If it weren’t impossible, I believe you’d be the first to attain the Nine-leaf stage, Brother
Ji . ”
“That might not be the case,” Lu Zhou said calmly .
“Why do you say that?” “There’s bound to be someone who’s more skilled than we are . Nobody can guarantee that there are no experts who decide to hide themselves from the world . ” Lu Zhou paused . Then, he added with a light tone, “Besides, who said that it’s impossible?”
Yun Tianluo was taken aback .
A warm smile appeared on Lu Zhou’s weathered face .
The truth was often still and intangible, which confuses the mind . Although it was not understandable, it does not stop one from seeking it .
“A conversation with you trumps poring over books for ten years, Brother Ji . I’m enlightened . ” Yun Tianluo waved his hand . The shield barrier that Leng Luo set up before was dispersed . He looked behind him and said, “Bring me my chess set . ” The Luo Sect’s master, Feng Yizhi, bowed and said, “At once . ”
A short while later, an exquisite chess set was brought over .
Feng Yizhi placed the chess set reverently on the stone table and stood beside Yun Tianluo .
Yun Tianluo said, “Brother Ji, since my cultivation base is limited, why don’t we have a showdown in a game of chess?”
Lu Zhou stroked his beard as he looked at the chess set . In his memories, Ji Tiandao’s chess skills were great . However, Lu Zhou merely knew about the game of Go in his past life . Moreover, he never actually played it . How was he supposed to have a match? After appraising the chess set briefly, it seemed that it was different from ordinary chess sets .
There were 19 horizontal and vertical lines . There were also shallow and thin Formation veins carved onto the chessboard .
“Looks like your cultivation base has deteriorated considerably,” Lu Zhou said .
It was inevitable for a cultivator to lose his cultivation base when his great limit was near . It was quite impossible for Yun Tianluo to best Lu Zhou in a contest of cultivation bases . Yun Tianluo nodded . “I thought that you’d suffer the same fate… I’m surprised to see you’re doing far better than I’ve expected . ”
They were not fools . Both of them had lived for nearly a millennium . Yun Tianluo could see that Lu Zhou was full of vigor . Once a person had enough experience, knowledge, they would have a keen eye for observation .
“Shall we?” Yun Tianluo picked a black stone .
“Aren’t we going to decide who picks which color, and who goes first?” Lu Zhou glanced at the stones .
“You’re older than me, Brother Ji . Surely, you won’t mind?” As Yun Tianluo spoke, he placed the stone on the upper-left corner .
Along the intersecting Formation veins, golden energy flowed and shone . The Formation veins on the chessboard were activated by the stone .
Lu Zhou understood . There was something else behind the chessboard .
The power flowed along the Formation veins .
At this moment, Lu Zhou picked a white stone and placed it on the lower-right corner .
Thud!
The stones sat across each other .
The holy land shone at this moment .
The disciples of the Three Sects backed away . They looked around at the changes in their surroundings with shocked expressions on their faces .
“Good . ” Yun Tianluo offered his compliments .
Another stone was placed .
Energy surged .
With this move, countless energy blades circled above the holy land .
Lu Zhou’s expression was calm . He understood what was going on . This chessboard was the key to activating the barrier’s Formation . Open and close . Chess skills were not needed here . The important thing was for him to figure out how to break the Formation .
Lu Zhou focused on the Formation veins on the chessboard . He ignored the 19 lines completely . Energy shrouded the Formation veins . The energy seemed similar to the energy blades that appeared above the holy land . “The chessboard is the world . ” Lu Zhou placed a stone .
Tap!
Another stone was placed .
The energy blades in the skies seemed to be swept away by a huge hand .
Yun Tianluo placed another stone .
The Formation shone brightly . Several energy blades spun and shot toward Lu Zhou in a neat formation .
“Get back . ” Leng Luo, Pan Litian, and Little Yuan’er retreated to the edge of the holy land .
The Luo Sect Master, Feng Yizhi, leaped away from them and landed among the crowd .
Everyone was looking at the energy blades with shocked expressions…
Boom! Boom! Boom!
When Lu Zhou placed his stone, more energy blades burst forth in the holy land .
Their energy blades collided . After some time, the energy blades suddenly faded into thin air .
Yun Tianluo suddenly opened his cloudy eyes . He looked at Lu Zhou and make some noise out of shock . “Hm?”
Lu Zhou held a stone between two fingers . He was focused on the Formation veins on the chessboard .
Yun Tianluo felt as if the pent-up frustration in his chest had been dispersed as realization dawned on him . “I see…”
“What do you mean?” Lu Zhou did not look up .
“The lack of moves is the best move . No stones are better than having them… I’m impressed that you aren’t influenced by the lines under the circumstances, Brother Ji,” Yun Tianluo replied .
Lu Zhou was still looking at the Formation veins on the chessboard . ‘It’s not that I’m disregarding the lines . I don’t even know how to play . ’
Yun Tianluo smiled faintly . He picked a stone and placed it on the chessboard .
Tap!
Another soft sound rang in the air .
This time, Yun Tianluo placed it at the center of the board . The Formation’s veins suddenly connected with the 19 lines .
A blindingly bright light shone on the holy land, obscuring everyone’s sight .
Lu Zhou cocked an eyebrow and looked up . A slight frown could be seen on his face .
Yun Tianluo seemed to have disappeared . In his place was a peculiar sight… A young man was swiftly growing . His joy, anger, sadness, happiness, tough times, and good times played out before Lu Zhou’s eyes . The young man was cultivating painstakingly .
This was…
Yun Tianluo’s consciousness!
Lu Zhou had once guessed that his lost memories had been sealed inside the crystal through similar methods . He had confirmed this from Yu Shangrong .
Did Yun Tianluo attach his consciousness to the chessboard while he attempted the Nine-leaf stage?
The scene changed . The sun and moon crossed the skies . Night and day alternated .
Yun Tianluo sat in a world filled with energy .
Lu Zhou saw vast amounts of power gathering in Yun Tianluo’s dantian’s sea of Qi .
“The power of a peak Eight-leaf elite . ” Lu Zhou could sense how mighty this power was .
It was expanding and growing at an extreme speed .
Was this the process of attempting the Nine-leaf stage? “Hm?” Lu Zhou saw that the Golden Lotus under Yun Tianluo behaved like a vortex that secretly absorbed the power . Only a Hundred Tribulations Insight avatar could produce a Golden Lotus . The Golden Lotus was like the roots of a tree which provided power for the leaves to grow . However, at the moment, the Golden Lotus was absorbing power . Yun Tianluo did not seem to notice this . Lu Zhou had difficulty believing this . He wondered, ‘Is this the reason his cultivation base deteriorated?’
Whizz!
The power dispersed . The Golden Lotus vanished . The surroundings returned to their original state .
Yun Tianluo held a black stone between his fingers and his arm was suspended above the chessboard .
Lu Zhou was in the same posture . They looked into each other’s eyes .