Chapter 1227: Reappearance of Yun Jing

It seems this brilliant young man must also be well-versed in the Way of Chess. How interesting. For years, I've only played against myself, unable to find a worthy opponent. Could it be that fate has finally granted me a true chess companion?

Clearly, Qinglong was startled, even stunned, by Xu Yang's recent sword strike. This unexpected offensive thoroughly ignited Qinglong's deep-seated passion for the game.

Without hesitation, Qinglong waved his hand, conjuring an exquisite black and white grid in the void. Simultaneously, before Xu Yang, black specks of light materialized and scattered. These specks had no suppressive effect on Xu Yang; instead, they imparted a sensation of lightness and transparency.

A slight smile touched Xu Yang's lips. He naturally understood that the mysterious figure concealed within the clouds was inviting him to a game of chess.

Without further hesitation, Xu Yang retracted the sword gleam behind him. With a gentle wave of his hand, the first light-speck chess piece shot forth, landing precisely on the 'tengen' point, the very center of the ethereal chessboard.

"Time truly flies. It's been hundreds of years since I last played a game with anyone. To think I'd find someone so deeply devoted to the Way of Chess on this Yingzhou Continent! I'm eager to see the extent of his mastery."

Thus began the magnificent chess battle. Black and white pieces crisscrossed the board as Xu Yang and the mysterious figure in the mist continuously alternated their moves.

With the heavens and earth as their board, and the power of the Dao manifesting as black and white, yin and yang, they composed an earth-shattering chapter of the Way of Chess within the void.

"Oh my goodness! That master in the clouds must be truly formidable, to be able to contend with our boss in the Way of Chess. They say the Way of Chess best reflects a cultivator's realm, and everyone knows our boss's realm. So for this person to play over a hundred moves against the boss and remain undefeated, how could they possibly be an ordinary mortal?"

No sooner had Crow finished speaking than Old Crab, Arno, and the others beside him all nodded in agreement.

"I'm almost impatient to rush into the clouds and see what that mysterious powerful figure looks like. I bet he's an old man with white hair and a white beard. What do you all think?"

The little scout also nodded with a smile. "Exactly," he chimed in. "In my mind, chess players always look like enlightened masters."

Big Crab, who seemed accustomed to teasing the scout, approached with a mischievous grin when he heard the little one speak, lifting him by the scruff of his neck. "You little rascal, you're as cheeky as you are small!" he chuckled. "Don't you see our boss standing right there? Theoretically, he should be a chess amateur. How do you explain that?"

The little scout calmly rubbed his nose and replied, "Your standards are for measuring humans. In my eyes, our boss is a god-like being and cannot be categorized as human. When you compare him to a human, it sounds like you're the one insulting the boss, not me!" This retort from the little scout earned unanimous cheers from the Eight Gates members, leaving Big Crab, who loved to show off, utterly speechless.

"Hmph, don't get too smug, little one," Big Crab retorted. "I'll have plenty of chances to deal with you! Later, I'll kick you around like a ball and see what you can do about it."

Just as the group began their endless bickering, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from the void. Qinglong, from within the mists, placed his final white piece. What had appeared as scattered and complex arrangements on the board subtly converged, forming the shape of a giant dragon, its head and tail seamlessly connected.

"Oh my god! It's complete!" exclaimed A-wen. "The mysterious person in the clouds actually set up the legendary Great Dragon Tribulation! It's an almost unbeatable move; once formed, any opponent has no way to contend and can only surrender. It looks like our boss has been pushed into a corner this time."

Hearing the usually reticent A-wen speak with such urgency, the members of the Eight Gates team all revealed expressions of surprise and apprehension.

"How can this be? No way!" cried Blood Blade, the usually cold female assassin, who had suddenly transformed into an impassioned fangirl. Clenching her fists, she gnashed her teeth and declared with blind loyalty, "Our boss must be gathering strength! The boss is invincible!"

However, to everyone's surprise, her words proved true. Sure enough, when it was Xu Yang's turn to break the legendary Great Dragon Tribulation, the calm smile on his face never wavered.

He watched as the final black piece lingered between his fingers for a moment before suddenly flying to a position that even a novice would recognize as a 'dead move'—it was practically like walking into a trap.

However, the instant this black piece entered the grand chessboard between heaven and earth, the entire board erupted in a deafening tremor, and an incredibly terrifying surge of sound energy rapidly emerged.

Large swaths of Xu Yang's pieces surrounding the Great Dragon Tribulation began to fall! Yet, it was precisely the black piece's suicidal sacrifice that paradoxically completed the latent power Xu Yang had accumulated in the upper half of the board, causing those seemingly scattered black pieces to coalesce into a heaven-piercing, earth-shattering black sword gleam!

The black sword energy surged towards the white giant dragon. In the very next instant, heaven and earth plunged into complete darkness. All life, all light, utterly ceased and fell into oblivion the moment the grand chessboard shattered!

A profound, true silence finally descended. Everyone's five senses and consciousness were halted for a full three seconds. When they recovered, the grand game board between heaven and earth had completely vanished.

The crowd hadn't witnessed the final outcome, nor could they see to the end of the clouds. Qinglong, who had remained hidden in the mists, spat out a mouthful of blood at that moment. Yet, the smile on his lips grew even more profound.

"I've finally found that person," Qinglong murmured. "Someone who truly brings new meaning to my life."

After muttering these words to himself, Qinglong's true form gradually faded, completely departing from the top layer of the mists. Simultaneously, his dragon aura near the strait vanished completely with the conclusion of the chess match, as if it had never been there at all.

"What a move, 'Wild Goose Leaves No Trace'!" Xu Yang mused. "Even I couldn't track him. This visitor from the clouds is indeed formidable. However, the outcome of that match might have left some lingering trauma on his soul. All the better. I believe I'll be able to recognize him immediately the next time we meet."