The heart of the Eastern Region.
Towering peaks rose abruptly from the ground, piercing the highest reaches of the firmament.
The sea of clouds churned day and night, while the clear cries of cranes pierced through the mist.
Yujing Heaven.
An ancient, simple hall stood majestically at the summit, cast entirely from Purple Gold Copper; it bore no trace of verdigris despite the passage of ages, instead radiating a lustrous, gem-like glow.
No plaque hung before the hall; instead, two obscure and profound Talismans were inscribed on the thick pillars on either side, suppressing the Luck of the earth veins for ten thousand miles around.
The interior of the hall was vast and lonely.
There were no prayer mats, nor were there any gods or Buddhas enshrined.
Only a red-robed elderly man sat cross-legged, suspended in the air.
The old man had a lean, refined face with white hair and a youthful complexion, his crimson robe fluttering without any wind inside the hall.
He slowly opened his eyes.
The dimness that had previously filled the hall was instantly illuminated.
The old man raised a withered finger and tapped the Void Realm twice.
The crisp sound penetrated the heavy hall doors and carried outside.
Before long.
A man dressed in a moon-white robe and straw sandals entered the hall.
The man had a handsome face and a reserved, profound aura; he walked without a hint of worldly influence.
Upon reaching ten feet from the old man, the Man in White stopped and bowed deeply.
"True Lord."
True Lord Xuan Yang did not lower his head, his gaze level with the Void Realm: "Go tell Zhuge Qing that Wang Canglan is dead."
The Man in White's figure stiffened imperceptibly.
Even though he usually cultivated his mind and character, remaining calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, his breathing still hitched upon hearing such news.
The head Disciple of Yujing Tower.
The number one person of the Eastern Region's younger generation.
Wang Canglan, whom the Chunyang Lineage had spent a thousand years and countless Heaven And Earth Treasures to cultivate, was dead.
The Man in White suppressed the violent shock in his heart and asked in a low voice, "True Lord... who did this?"
True Lord Xuan Yang withdrew his gaze and let it fall upon the Man in White.
"It does not matter who did it."
The old man's voice was dry and withered, devoid of any regret.
"Wang Canglan's fate was poor; he could not bear the high hopes of the Chunyang Lineage. Dying in the outside world was his tribulation. If he could not pass the tribulation, he could not be a Chess Player and could only be a dead piece on the board. A dead chess piece has no value. It is pointless to investigate who broke the piece."
The Man in White remained silent.
He had long realized that the Dao Lineage was heartless.
For a dazzling Prodigy like Wang Canglan to be dismissed as a mere \"dead piece\" by this The Main Seat was truly chilling.
"Yes, this Disciple shall go and deliver the message."
The Man in White was about to take his leave.
True Lord Xuan Yang suddenly spoke again: "That stupid elephant, has it still not spoken?"
The Man in White stopped and replied, "Reporting to True Lord, it has not."
"Its bones are quite hard indeed," True Lord Xuan Yang snorted coldly.
The Man in White paused briefly and reported truthfully, "It is still trapped within the Lightless Cave of Spirit Mountain, yet it still clenches its teeth, saying only that it is loyal to Ancestral Master Moyang and would rather die than reveal a single word."
"Loyalty?"
A hint of mockery flashed in True Lord Xuan Yang's eyes.
"A Beast is a Beast after all; what does it know of loyalty... Master has been dead for many years, yet it still clings to those withered bones. Utterly foolish."
The old man waved his large sleeve.
"Hurry up. It won't be long before the Star Palace True Map is needed... If it continues to be obstinate, then directly extract its soul and refine its spirit. The location of the Star Palace True Map concerns the great plan of the Chunyang Lineage and must not be lost."
"Yes."
The Man in White bowed again and retreated from the hall.
The heavy Purple Gold Copper doors slowly closed.
The hall returned to a deathly silence.
True Lord Xuan Yang closed his eyes once more.
Painting Realm...
As the The Main Seat of an Imperial Dao Lineage, holding the reins of the Eastern Region, enjoying all the world's honors, and possessing a long Lifespan.
Who could remain indifferent to that supreme Painting Realm?
But how difficult it was to achieve the Painting Realm.
In True Lord Xuan Yang's mind, the tragic scene from tens of thousands of years ago involuntarily surfaced.
His Master, Moyang True Lord, was exceptionally talented and unsurpassed throughout the ages.
What an incomparable figure he was.
Yet even such a person, when attempting to peer into the Painting Realm... still ended up in that tragic state, neither human nor ghost.
Since then, among the The Main Seats of the Twenty-Five Lineages, no one dared to touch that threshold again.
They finally understood a cruel truth.
The Painting Realm of this world was a dead end.
It was a cage with only an entrance and no exit.
The Heavenly Dao does not allow anyone to transcend.
To survive, to continue moving upward, there was only one way.
Find a scapegoat.
Forcibly push open the gates of the Painting Realm.
Once the scroll is born, the connection with the outside world can be re-established.
At that time.
These old monsters who had been trapped in the Chess Player Realm for tens of thousands of years could abandon this world and escape the cage.
Go to the outside world and find the true method to achieve the Painting Realm.
Wang Canglan was originally the best candidate for this.
He had talent and strength, and most importantly, he was obedient enough, believing firmly in the \"Heavenly Mandate to Save the World\" instilled by the Dao Lineage.
Unfortunately... he was broken.
Killed by a Wild Girl who appeared out of nowhere.
But it does not matter.
True Lord Xuan Yang's face was hidden in the darkness.
That black-robed young girl, that arrogance to make the heavens bow, that overbearing and peerless foundation.
She was truly a more perfect piece of unpolished jade.
The \"Great Derivation Pure Yang Supreme Chess Condensation Record\" has already been sent out.
No matter how vigilant or wary she is.
As long as she still wants to take another step upward.
She cannot bypass the hurdle of the scroll.
"Grow faster... grow faster... This Seat can hardly wait..."
...
The back mountain of Wangchuan Valley.
The precipice was like it had been carved by knives and axes, spanning between heaven and earth.
A wide Immortal Cave was carved at the base of the cliff, with a heavy stone door that fit perfectly, shutting out all the blood and noise of the outside world.
This place was the area Heavenly Bamboo used for closed-door cultivation during his life.
Now, it was naturally occupied by Jiang Yuechu.
She sat cross-legged on the ground.
Outside the Immortal Cave, the Demon Emperor Jue Chen was very sensible, personally leading a group of trusted great demons to stand guard a hundred paces away.
This Deer Demon was now completely devoted, wishing he could tear out his heart to show his loyalty, not allowing even a flying insect to approach the Immortal Cave.
Previously, in front of thousands of eyes, it was inconvenient to be too direct.
Now that there was no one around, there was naturally no need for restraint.
She flipped her wrist, and the dark red Storage Pouch stripped from Wang Canglan's body fell into her palm.
As the head Disciple of Yujing Tower and the number one of the Eastern Region's younger generation, his wealth should be substantial.
She turned it upside down.
With a clattering sound.
A dazzling array of items piled up into a small mountain.
Medicinal Pill porcelain bottles, Talisman Jade Slips, Magical Artifacts, and spirit Ores—everything was there.
Jiang Yuechu rummaged through them casually, not caring whether she recognized them or not, simply categorizing them by appearance.
After a long time.
Her gaze finally landed on an item placed separately.
It was a Black Ice Jade Box.
The material of this jade box alone was worth a fortune.
Jiang Yuechu applied pressure with her fingertips and crushed the box.
Inside the frigid jade box lay a fist-sized piece of Ore.
The Ore was entirely crimson, its surface covered in cracked patterns, with thick golden liquid flowing within the fissures.
As soon as it appeared, the temperature in the Immortal Cave rose sharply. Even the Black Ice Jade Box showed signs of melting.
This is...
A top-grade heart material?!
Jiang Yuechu was slightly stunned, then she forcibly suppressed the corners of her mouth.
She secretly marveled in her heart.
Wang Canglan was quite a qualified wealth-delivering boy...
He knew exactly what she lacked.
Look at this.
He traveled thousands of miles just to deliver it.
What a good person...