Chapter 1913: Dark Chess

"Who are you cursing!"

On Lingyu Mountain, Jinren, who was treating Sir Sisi, felt a sword stab him from behind.

Damn Gu Dongxi...

I'll blow your dog head off later...

He was too lazy to turn around. After all, he had decided to leave first, so a few muttered curses were enough. Sir Sisi was more important.

"This injury is quite serious, isn't it?"

Jinren secretly chuckled as he watched Mei Sisi, who appeared calm and was still wildly fanning himself, but whose veins were actually throbbing with pain.

This is what's fun about ancient sword cultivators; they're all incredibly reserved.

He thought it was a characteristic of this era, but he didn't expect Hua Wan'er, whom he had just met, to be the same. It turned out to be a tradition.

"The power of the sword ghost is indeed powerful... But it's almost healed. Just extract this last wisp of sword qi, teacher, please bear with it a little longer."

"Hmm."

In reality, the power left behind by Wuliangjizi Tunjia Changdeng Sword Ghost would only take a few breaths.

No matter what kind of body ghost, spirit ghost, or intention ghost it was.

Wuliangjizi could even devour ancestral origin power and transcendent spiritual thoughts. Sword qi was also a form of energy. The higher the quality, the better; it would absorb it without error and provide more feedback.

However, Jinren didn't dare to show how powerful he was.

Everything he did now was excessive, so he tried to maintain a moderate level to avoid drawing extra attention from others.

Unfortunately, his true self's reputation was too great. It was as if the Dao Master was always holding a damned 'palm apricot' (Zhangxing) invented by someone unknown and hitting himself.

Jinren pulled out the last wisp of sword ghost qi. Blood gushed from the wound, and Sir Sisi was on his last breath.

But it was just a hole, too simple.

He could restore it with a breath, but he thought better of it and instead produced a pill to give to the old man.

Regarding passive skills like the Life Dao Plate and Endless Life, it was better to reveal them as little as possible under the gaze of the Medicine Ancestor, unless absolutely necessary.

Having saved Mei Sisi, he walked over to Xiao Kongdong, who was grinning widely at him and waiting in line for rescue.

"You're pretty messed up too, huh?"

"Ah hehe, sir..."

In no time, regardless of whether it was exhaustion, collapse, or severe injury, Jinren, who fancied himself an omnipotent savior, "slowly" fixed them all.

Xiao Wanfeng was the only one left...

Following the routine, all three of their previous combatants were brought back to their feet.

This performance made him a reliable post-battle support and healer—important, yet seemingly insignificant.

Even the Dao Master, after staring for a while, pulled the camera back to the sky. After all, when Sir did odd jobs, it was truly boring. For real combat, one had to watch Hua Ba, but why hadn't the fight started yet? Damn it!

Jinren secretly breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that his "concealment" (a truly passive skill) had finally fully taken effect.

As long as he didn't cause too much trouble next, it was highly probable that even the Ancestor Gods would hardly notice him. After all, the circuitous guidance of the Intent Dao Plate was constantly imbued on the scene—everyone, focus on the Sword Ancestor, Hua, and Ba!

"These are your people."

However, Sir Sisi finally passed over Li Fugui and Zhu Yike, which was a bit difficult to handle.

Only their remnant souls remained, and even their consciousness was vague and incomplete. They would probably be imbeciles even if revived now, completely useless.

Jinren felt sad.

It showed on his face.

He could actually step on the river of time and slightly alter their fate.

But that would be too ostentatious.

Suiyin already knew some of his true self's abilities, but not deeply.

If he were to save people like that in broad daylight, not only Suiyin, but the Three Ancestors, including Hua Changdeng, would realize that his Dao of Time also surpassed Dao transformation.

If that wasn't a thorn in the eye, what was?

"I can only wrong the two of you."

Jinren looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he brought Li and Zhu back to the Apricot Realm and handed them over to the Dragon Apricot and other ancestral trees for temporary safekeeping.

After completing these post-incident tasks, Jinren, with his laborious life, still couldn't stop to rest.

Space warped, and with a release of perception, he shifted his gaze from the Central Domain to the Time Rift in the Northern Domain.

This was his first time seeing it, yet it wasn't.

After all, in the Ancient and Modern Forget-Worry Tower, before entering the world beyond the three doors, he had once mentally traveled to this vast square platform battlefield.

"Time Rift..."

"Kui Leihan..."

This was another dangerous place.

The Time Rift, one of the Seven Severed Forbidden Zones, had been heard of before but never truly considered.

It wasn't until Kong Yuhen came looking for two of the ancient six doors and proposed the concept of "reconstructing the time rift" that "Time Rift" could be linked to the "Time Rift Fissure."

Indeed, the Time Rift once existed.

After all, the Time Ancestor Kong Yuhen truly existed.

And now, the Time Rift Fissure in the Sacred God Continent was like the Divine Ruins constructed by the Heavenly Realm's triangular structure—a part of the ancient Time Rift.

However, its rules were on par with the Five Domains and far from reaching the level of transcending Dao transformation.

If Kong Yuhen succeeded, the upper limit of the Time Rift would be immeasurable.

"True self, true self, I'm still alive, and I've checked, I'm not infected. Can I finally ask for an Ancestor God's life destiny this time?" Jinren sent a mental message.

In the Qian Shi Emperor Realm, Xu Xiaoshou, who was playing beast chess with Dao Peipei, looked up at the bald little boy in front of him.

Dao Peipei smiled, pointing at the chessboard: "Why are you looking at me? It's your turn."

Two fishing rods were placed beside them.

The two chess boards, crisscrossed with light, were also glowing nearby.

Both waited for their opportunity, neither knowing what the other would do. The boring beast chess was just to pass the time.

"I always feel like you're spying on me..."

Xu Xiaoshou mumbled, then secretly transferred an Ancestor God's life destiny, completely unnoticed.

Of course, he used spatial-temporal means.

His Spatial Dao Plate had already been aggressively cultivated to 89, stuck just before transcending Dao transformation, solely to preserve one opportunity to meet the Time Ancestor.

Later, when his Time Dao Plate transcended Dao transformation, he met the Time Ancestor.

Then, returning to the Ancient and Modern Forget-Worry Tower, using that high-level rule-bound treasure land, and bargaining with Kong Yuhen for the True Stele of Origin... Xu Xiaoshou effortlessly transcended his Spatial Dao Plate in one go.

As expected, he couldn't enter the world behind the three doors again, which basically meant nothing happened.

"Spatial Dao Plate (90)."

"Time Dao Plate (90)."

With both Spatial and Temporal Dao transcending Dao transformation, Xu Xiaoshou could now travel freely between realms, though he wasn't sure of Kong Yuhen's current level.

Of course, it wasn't remnant souls or remnant intentions, but his true body descending, capable of bringing all his power.

To him, the incident where the Three Ancestors from outside the realm were blocked by the Ghost Buddha was a joke.

Admittedly, they were just manifestations of consciousness, some not even that, and some of their physical bodies were even destroyed.

But no matter what, they were Ancestor Gods.

Even I, mere Xu Xiaoshou, can travel unimpeded between realms.

For majestic Ancestor Gods, born and raised in the Five Domains, to be blocked outside the Five Domains, they can only blame their lack of skill.

"Of course, not transcending the necessary Daos might also be out of fear of becoming the Time Ancestor's pawn..."

Miscellaneous cultivators didn't have this kind of worry.

Everything cultivated is beneficial to me.

Moreover, unlike the Three Ancestors, who were only half-aware of Time, Name, and Nuo, Xu Xiaoshou had confirmed that the Name Ancestor and Time Ancestor were old friends.

No matter what, he was half a successor of the Name Ancestor. Even if the Time Ancestor succeeded again, he wouldn't stoop to body snatching.

He transcended with a clear conscience.

Jinren had recently updated and similarly transcended both Spatial and Temporal Dao.

In this regard, he was significantly stronger than the Three Ancestors and could easily receive the Ancestor God's life destiny that his true self secretly tossed over.

As soon as he got his hands on the item, he immediately chose to conceal himself, transferring most of his consciousness to the Time Rift.

This Ancestor God's life destiny was naturally intended as a backup for Kui Leihan.

But when he thought this, inevitably, Jinren had another thought:

"Once Kui Leihan is no longer fighting with his back against the wall, but has an additional path to choose from, will his resolve waver?"

"So much so that when truly facing danger, he won't selflessly seal himself and become an Ancestor with transcendent spiritual thought, but instead become hesitant?"

"If so, it might be better not to hand over this Ancestor God's life destiny to him so quickly..."

As he thought this, Jinren didn't even want to go to the Time Rift immediately.

He immediately became alert!

Not just him, Xu Xiaoshou in the Qian Shi Emperor Realm also stiffened!

Such a familiar feeling...

The last time he missed out like this was the Sword Tower, which he hadn't visited for half a year, and it was too late to make amends!

"Who's messing with me?"

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at Dao Peipei.

Dao Peipei was deep in thought; he really enjoyed this new game.

It was clear that his favorite piece was the mouse, and even while thinking, he would hold the mouse and blow on it by his cheek.

The mouse was always in his hand.

What a dark fellow.

"Let me eat your elephant, Xu Xiaoshou, take a step back and let me have a bite of meat, okay?" Dao Peipei's best skill while playing chess was actually pleading.

Xu Xiaoshou rolled his eyes and completely ignored him:

"Get lost!"

"Ah ah ah uh ah"

In the Time Rift, Jiang Nahyi, who was secretly peeking at Kui Leihan's perfect body and secretly salivating, suddenly started making strange noises as if having a seizure.

Yan Sheng, the Alliance Master of the Heavenly Alliance, who had been cut in half by Suiyin and then rescued by Jiang Nahyi, was now mostly recovered, and his lower body had also been reattached.

He immediately stood up, strangely glanced at Jiang Nahyi, then his pupils trembled, and he left without a word.

"Big big big... big..."

The twitching sounds behind him intensified, and Yan Sheng's steps quickened.

But in his hurried steps, he didn't make a sound, not using a single bit of Saint Power, purely running on his bare feet, as if fearing to disturb something.

It was still too late.

"Great God Descent Technique!"

Behind him, Jiang Nahyi suddenly knelt on both knees, raised his hands high, his eyes bloodshot.

After the shout, his face and chest didn't split open, and no one walked out.

Instead, Jiang Nahyi's ferocious expression quickly receded. After calmly standing up, he brushed the dust from the clothes on his knees.

He changed his expressions several times—joy, anger, sorrow, fear, surprise—and after pulling at the corners of his mouth with a forced smile, he chuckled twice, skin and all, before shivering all over as if he had just finished urinating, and then returned to normal.

Jiang Nahyi turned around and looked at Alliance Master Yan Sheng, who had seen and heard everything from around the corner of a nearby ruin and was now forced to stand frozen:

"Hello."

Yan Sheng did not turn back.

Even as powerful as a Half-Saint, his back seemed somewhat desolate under Jiang Nahyi's gaze?

"Hello, Alliance Master Yan Sheng of the Northern Domain Heavenly Alliance."

Jiang Nahyi ambled over and spoke again, "No matter how you look at it, I saved your life, didn't I? Why are you avoiding me?"

He stopped three steps behind Yan Sheng, a subtle distance where both sides felt safe, allowing for both attack and retreat.

Then he clasped his arms behind his back, his chin slightly raised.

His every gesture exuded composure, not like a mere Grand Void, but rather like the Half-Saint expert, Jiang Nahyi.

The true Half-Saint Yan Sheng, under Jiang Nahyi's sudden intimidating display, actually yielded, only managing to turn around awkwardly, his eyes somewhat evasive:

"Great God Descent Technique... How should I address you now, Brother Jiang, or Brother Dao?"

Jiang Nahyi let out a loud "Ha," as if he had thought of something, and immediately dissolved into silent laughter.

He tilted his head slightly, glanced out of the corner of his eye at the Three Ancestors outside the realm, and only after realizing that his tiny form hadn't attracted the Ancestor Gods' attention did he look back at Yan Sheng, amused:

"I am Brother Dao, so what brother are you?"

Yan Sheng took a deep breath and proactively extended his hand, "Brother Jiang, just call me Yan Sheng."

Jiang Nahyi looked at the hand before him, sneering, and reached out, seemingly wanting to shake it.

Just as he was about to touch it, he suddenly raised a finger and pointed it at the center of the damn Yan Sheng's forehead.

Yan Sheng's whole body tensed, he shuddered violently, his pupils instinctively widening. As his upper body leaned back, his lower body also retreated a step.

Jiang Nahyi, however, had already clasped his hand, shaking it twice, very friendly.

The finger point earlier seemed to have never happened.

Yan Sheng felt as if a crab had clamped his hand, unable to relax, his expression a bit stiff:

"Brother Jiang, what is this about?"

"What are you saying, Brother Yan Sheng? We've been through life and death together, we're practically sworn brothers, it's just a handshake, why so nervous?"

"Easy to say, easy to say."

"Easy to say, so why don't you say something? Like, how you'll repay me..."

With a thought of the Mind-Link Technique, the superficial act continued, and an encrypted channel was simultaneously opened:

"Xu Xiaoshou! What are you doing at the Time Rift? You wouldn't be trying to give Cao Yihan an Ancestor God's life destiny, would you? You're crazy! This is disrupting his Dao heart! You've been guided!"

"Dao Qiongcang, don't change the subject... I wonder why I've never wanted to come to the Time Rift before. So there's this layer of guidance? If I truly hadn't come, how would I have known that the esteemed Alliance Master of the Northern Domain Heavenly Alliance is actually a bionic Heavenly Machine Puppet? Which number is this? Three? Four?"

"You came, but why did you use my Great God Descent Technique? Don't you have your own 'Descent Technique of the Receiver'? Didn't I teach you?"

"Dao Qiongcang, stop messing around... Half-Saint Yan Sheng, I remember he became famous before the Dao Palace Master, right? When did you possess him? Do you need me to use Jiang Nahyi's identity, under the gaze of the Three Ancestors, to loudly repeat this question to you?"

"Don't! My Xu, please don't! If you ask now, my waist-severing just now will have been in vain. Don't mess around!"

"Then speak!"

"After becoming the previous Holy God Temple Master..."

"Tsk, so that means all these years, the Northern Domain has been under your surveillance, including everything that happened at the Time Rift in the past and present?"

"Yes..."

"So that means, when your sister Dao Xuanji took office, if I hadn't gone to Yujing and knocked her off her horse, she would have allied with the various Half-Saint families of the Northern Domain, marched south, aimed her sword at the Heavenly Machine Divine Sect, effectively allying with you, wanting to kill you?"

"Yes..."

"Wow! Dao Qiongcang, wow! You son of a bitch, wow! What a good brother you are—Beihuai isn't as inhumane as you are. They truly imprisoned the wrong person; it should be you who's exiled!"

"...Xu Xiaoshou, spare me, don't say anymore, don't think any further."

"Mad dog! You're truly a mad dog! No, let me think of anything else. Oh, right, Half-Saint Yan Sheng, a proper refining Half-Saint, so your Heavenly Machine Puppet research has reached this stage in secret?"

"Hmm..."

"Number Two was already an exception. You, a mere Heavenly Machine Puppet, possess a Half-Saint life pattern that can deceive the Medicine Ancestor, and can also deceive the Demon Ancestor's Half-Saint status that aligns with the Dao of Refining. Dao Niantian, you truly want to defy the heavens, to usurp their Daos?"

"Don't say it, Xu Xiaoshou, don't say any more. You're almost stripping me bare... Also, have you forgotten 'Thirteen Unspeakables'? Just in case, don't directly call the Ancestor Gods' true names, I beg you, I can't cover the sky anymore..."

"Dao Niantian!"

"Here! I'm here!"

"We're friends, right?"

"Of course, my Xu, I've paid my friend's fee."

"Good, I'll cover for you on this matter, and you don't need to thank me. Just tell me directly, among the Three Ancestors, who are you suppressing?"

"...Uh."

"Three, two..."

"Suiyin! I'm suppressing Suiyin! I'm in cahoots with Suiyin, Sir, spare me, I've told you everything!"

"One..."

"Shennong! Xu Xiaoshou, I'm suppressing Shennong-shi!"