Chapter 603: Failure?

"It's just a game of chess; I shouldn't break the board..." Zhang Xuan began, knowing what the other party was worried about.

Those times before were... accidental. This time, I understand the rules in advance, so I'll be very careful. I won't play too many moves, just six... I'll be discreet, reserved, steady, and humble; there definitely won't be any problems.

"Alright, then we'll also go by age. The oldest one goes first!"

Ignoring his words, Master Hong waved his hand and set the rule.

In the previous trial, I also thought it would be fine, just reading a book. Who could have known that the Book of Flowing Rivers borrowed from headquarters would be ruined!

I've nearly lost my life because of your antics since these assessments began, and you still want to go first? Not a chance!

"Alright!"

Seeing a dignified five-star master so terrified and unwilling to give him a chance to explain, Zhang Xuan wore a helpless expression.

It seemed there was no way to rest first; he could only wait here.

"Thankfully, Master Hong has great composure! Otherwise, this trial would be unwatchable again..." Hall Master Kang and the others also wiped cold sweat from their brows.

When Zhang Xuan just said he wanted to go first, several people were startled.

Although the chess game itself seemed harmless, no one could be sure what would happen when facing Zhang Xuan, who always played outside the norm!

In any case, having him take the assessment last was the safest approach.

As the rules were set, Liu Quan from Mingxia Empire in the crowd rolled his eyes.

He was the oldest person in the crowd. As a result... what had he done to deserve this? He was first last time, and now again...

Just because I'm a bit older, do I have to go every time...?

However, there really wasn't much difference between going first and last; it was just a slight psychological distinction.

Taking a deep breath, he cleared his mind, entering a state of tranquil peace. He cupped his fist at Master Hong, then walked towards the small pavilion.

Seeing him enter, everyone simultaneously looked towards the hall.

Standing inside, Liu Quan examined each of the four stone pillars, then fell into deep thought. Soon, the time equivalent to an incense stick burning out had passed. He frowned, approached the chess-playing puppet, reached out, took a chess piece, and gently placed it on an empty spot.

*Whoosh!*

The chess piece hovered in the air, then slowly descended.

"It's placed..."

"It seems this move is correct!"

Seeing the piece land on the board, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Master Hong had just said that if a piece was placed incorrectly, it wouldn't settle.

The old man opposite him also placed a piece.

Seeing the piece's position, Liu Quan frowned, seemingly facing a difficult problem. However, he didn't ponder for too long before making another move.

They went back and forth, quickly exceeding six moves and reaching nine pieces.

At the tenth piece, he couldn't place it.

"Liu Quan of Mingxia Empire, nine pieces, passed! Next, Han Zhaoji of Fenglie Empire..."

Master Hong presided.

Han Zhaoji walked up.

It wasn't long before he came down, looking excited, having placed seven pieces and passed the assessment.

Then came the next person.

Five consecutive people passed, boosting the confidence of many. However, by the sixth person, luck began to turn sour; they couldn't place the fourth piece. From that point on, four consecutive people failed.

In the end, Luo Xuan broke the stalemate.

The crowd also realized then that for the second person onwards, the chess board would change, becoming completely different from before. Each person faced a unique board, ensuring fairness and impartiality. Even memorizing the previous player's moves was useless.

Time flowed on, and just as Zhang Xuan had guessed, the sky gradually darkened. Finally, as the full moon rose in the east and hung in the sky, the previous thirty-five master teachers completed their assessments.

Although all who came for the Grand Competition were geniuses, many were eliminated in this trial. While not as exaggerated as the thirteen in the previous trial, a full nine were disqualified!

Young Master Ruohuan and Song Chao did not disappoint this time; both passed the assessment.

Surprisingly, the person who made the most moves wasn't from the powerful Flowing Cloud Sect, nor the second-ranked White Sun Sect, but from an empire with strength comparable to the Myriad Kingdoms Alliance. This master teacher wasn't particularly strong, ranking among the last. However, his comprehension was excellent. He played sixteen moves against the puppet, which even caused the old puppet to speak and praise him with "Great goodness."

"Master Zhang, it's your turn!"

With everyone finished, Master Hong looked again at Zhang Xuan, whose face was filled with boredom, and spoke apologetically.

The other party had wanted to go first, but due to his own fear, he had been forcibly placed last. It was indeed a bit embarrassing.

"Hmm!" Zhang Xuan stretched his somewhat weary body and walked towards the small pavilion.

The pavilion wasn't large, just a bit taller than a person. Upon entering, he saw four large characters inscribed on the first stone pillar: "East, South, West, North."

These four characters were meticulously written, but they did not contain any artistic intent of calligraphy or painting; they were just ordinary script.

Looking at the second stone pillar, there were also four characters: "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter."

The third stone pillar only had two characters: "Coming, Going!"

The fourth stone pillar also had two characters: "Principles!"

"East, South, West, North; Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter; Coming, Going; Principles? These... they don't seem to relate at all!"

Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had expected some kind of hint, but instead, these were the words.

Four stone pillars, twelve characters, with no connection to each other, and even less so to chess skills. How was he supposed to comprehend them?

After examining the stone pillars, he turned to look at the chessboard.

This time, the board was even more chaotic than before. A single glance left him bewildered, completely at a loss.

"The Celestial Star Chess, with the heavens and earth as the board, and stars as the pieces..."

Frowning, he recalled Master Hong's earlier words: "On the stone pillars, East, South, West, North signify space; Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter signify time; Coming and Going signifies direction; and Principles signify the human heart!"

"Space, time, direction, human heart..."

Knowledge he had previously acquired flowed through his mind, and Zhang Xuan's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

No wonder even Master Hong was full of admiration. This Celestial Star Chess wasn't just named for using heaven and earth as the board; it truly did.

To build a magnificent world based on the human heart and use it as a chess game was indeed formidable.

"Now that I understand it, I don't need the Eye of Insight. Let's see how many moves I can make with just my knowledge and comprehension!"

Understanding the rules of the Celestial Star Chess, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly.

In previous trials, he had relied on the Library, the Eye of Insight, and even the Path of Heaven True Qi. Since this trial was so simple, he decided to see how many moves he could make using only his own ability, and also test how high his comprehension truly was.

He turned, walked to the stone table, identified the correct spot, picked up a chess piece casually, and placed it down directly.

"What do you guys think, will Master Zhang break the Celestial Star Chess in this trial?"

"No way, it's just a chess game. We just saw that if you make a wrong move, the piece won't settle."

"True, it seems the Celestial Star Chess is safe... But I still think it's not that simple. How about we make a bet?"

"Bet what?"

"I bet Master Zhang will break the Celestial Star Chess. If I win, you give me your silk fan. If I lose, I'll give you that jade bead you like!"

"Deal..."

Seeing Zhang Xuan enter the pavilion, discussions immediately broke out below, with some even placing bets.

"Cough, cough!"

Hearing the excited betting around them, Zhao Feiwu, Hall Master Kang, and the others all covered their foreheads, afraid that others would find out they knew Master Zhang.

They were clearly here for the Master Teacher Tournament, but he was being treated as the King of Destruction...

"Once the preliminary selection passes, we'll enter the duels. Although I don't know the rules, having Master Zhang and Young Master Ruohuan both advance is already the best result our Myriad Kingdoms City has ever achieved!"

Master Ling said, as if realizing something.

"Indeed!" Hall Master Kang nodded.

Now, only 27 people remained in the preliminary selection.

According to his observation, all two contestants from seven different factions had already been eliminated.

This meant that even if Master Zhang and Young Master Ruohuan achieved nothing in the duels, they would still rank at least eighth from the bottom, surpassing all previous records.

In the past, it would have been very difficult for Young Master Ruohuan to pass these assessments. But now, with Master Zhang's help, his cultivation had broken through repeatedly, reaching the peak of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan. His courage and all other aspects had greatly improved, which was why he passed smoothly.

One could say... Master Zhang was indispensable for their current achievements.

"Look quickly, Master Zhang is playing chess!"

As they were lamenting, Master Su's voice rang out. Looking up, they indeed saw Zhang Xuan already sitting opposite the puppet, a chess piece falling into place.

Everyone held their breath.

The old man opposite saw the piece fall, then picked up a piece himself. He held it in his hand for a long time without making a move, as if frozen.

"What's going on?"

"Could it be... the Celestial Star Chess isn't broken, but the puppet is?"

Seeing the old man's body rigid and motionless, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.

Just moments ago, they were wondering if Master Zhang would break the Celestial Star Chess. Who knew that after only one move, it would stop? Could it be... it was really broken?

It couldn't be this tragic, could it?

Turning to look at Master Hong, they saw his brows also furrowed, a look of confusion on his face.

After watching for a while longer, Master Hong finally couldn't resist. He approached the small pavilion and looked at the puppet before him.

A moment later, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Like everyone else, he had thought the contraption was broken. Only upon closer inspection did he find it perfectly intact, with no malfunction.

"Please make your move!"

Standing before the puppet, he bowed.

Although it was a puppet, it possessed sentience and could understand human language. The two of them had played chess often, and he had always treated it with respect.

"Hmm!"

The puppet hesitated, then nodded, placing the chess piece in a spot.

Zhang Xuan was startled for a moment, then picked up a second chess piece, aimed it at a spot, and placed it down.

However, once the piece left his hand, it hovered motionless in the air, refusing to settle.

"It won't settle? Could it be... he only made one move?"

"Did he fail?"

Everyone was stunned, even Master Hong couldn't believe it.

The rules stated that more than six pieces had to be placed to pass. Master Zhang had only placed one piece and couldn't place any more. Didn't that mean... he failed?

"Oh no... could my understanding be wrong?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

His heart lurched.

He hadn't used the Library or the Eye of Insight in this trial. Could it be... he had failed just like that?