Chapter 391: The Mountain and River Chessboard

Heaven Arbiter Mou¹ was right. Even though Mr. Gu had forgotten the past, he still harbored extreme loathing toward us.

Even when faced with the temptation of becoming a true transcendent immortal, he remained unmoved.

Realizing that he had been played by Gu Ning’an, Heaven Arbiter Ashen did not show any signs of anger. Instead, he reached out and lightly tapped the jade table before him twice.

“Clang~ Clang~”

With the crisp sound of tapping, streams of radiant light emerged from the table, coalescing into a dazzling spectacle. Within these lights, the elements of heaven and earth—thunder, wind, water, fire, mountains, and lakes—intertwined endlessly, merging together until they formed a chessboard.

This chessboard was neither silk nor bamboo, neither stone nor gold. It was framed by the heavens and pulsed with the mountains and rivers as its veins.

At a glance, it resembled a three-dimensional landscape painting. But upon closer inspection, one would realize that this chessboard was a miniature version of Great Wu. Within it were mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, birds, beasts, flowers, trees—everything was present.

It was as if the entirety of Great Wu had been encapsulated within this single chessboard!

“This is one of the aspects of the Heavenly Dao—Chess.”

“The heavens and earth form the board, with Great Wu as the foundation. The living beings within serve as the pieces. Why don’t you and I have a game?”

As he spoke, Heaven Arbiter Ashen casually extracted a strand of true spirit from his forehead and embedded it into the chessboard.

“The Heavenly Dao Chessboard requires players to wager their true spirits. Each contender must set a stake, and once the game concludes, the loser must fulfill the wager… Should anyone attempt to defy it, they will be forcibly suppressed by the chessboard’s Heavenly Dao and become a mere piece within it.”

“Of course, this chessboard’s Dao is far from being a true Great Dao and cannot suppress us forever.”

“Based on my estimation of your cultivation, you would need just over a hundred years to break free… As for me, it would take around two hundred years.”

“If I win, all I ask is for you to remain within this chessboard for a hundred years… Do you have any other stakes in mind? Or would you, like me, wager a hundred years of suppression?”

Looking at the vast mountain-and-river chessboard before him, Gu Ning’an chuckled. “You jest, Heaven Arbiter Ashen. If I win, I will take your life.”

Heaven Arbiter Ashen did not hesitate. “So be it. Enter the game, and the wager stands.”

Seeing how readily the other party accepted—and how certain he was that Gu Ning’an would enter the game—Gu Ning’an immediately realized that this was a carefully laid trap, an open conspiracy set long in advance.

It was as if they had known all along that he would return, that he would inevitably make a move. So, they had made meticulous preparations.

They had even clearly stated the rules upfront: the loser wouldn’t die but would be suppressed by the chessboard’s Heavenly Dao, losing time instead.

Perhaps time was exactly what they wanted. But if he were to be suppressed for over a hundred years, what did they intend to do in his absence?

The information disparity was too great. Gu Ning’an could sense that he had been completely calculated into their plans. Yet, at the same time, he was certain that this was not purely a result of the other party’s foresight. If that were the case, how had they managed to set up such a precise scheme?

Those who possess the Heavenly Dao are truly formidable.

At present, all the living beings of Great Wu were shrouded in ashen mist. If he refused to enter the game, Gu Ning’an had no doubt that the other party would immediately act and let the mist descend.

Perhaps in the end, he would still manage to slay them, but by then, it would be a pyrrhic victory.

Gu Ning’an did not consider himself a savior. But this time, if he refused to enter the game, the people of the world would be unable to save themselves, and that would become a sin of inaction.

Fine. Even if they had prepared in advance and knew him well—so what?

Before the game began, no one could say for certain who would emerge victorious.

With this thought, Gu Ning’an casually plucked a strand of true spirit and sent it into the chessboard.

The moment he did, Heaven Arbiter Ashen broke into rare, unrestrained laughter.

“As expected of Mr. Gu! You are as straightforward as ever!”

Buzz~ Buzz~ Buzz!

Mysterious ripples of Dao energy spread out from the chessboard.

With both true spirits placed within, the game had begun.

Across the mountain-and-river chessboard, pieces started appearing—black and white stones forming a vast board. At first glance, the number of black stones far exceeded the white ones, almost covering the entire board, while the white stones were pitifully few.

Upon closer inspection, each black and white stone bore faint, illusory figures.

These figures were all humanoid, and among the black stones, Gu Ning’an recognized many familiar faces.

The two princes of Great Wu, the Royal Prince, the Void Emperor, the Flood Dragon Emperor… even Daoist Ling Xi were among the black pieces.

As for the white pieces, they included Temple Keeper Huang, Qiao Min, Yan Wuyong, and others… The strongest among them was Daoist Ling Xuan, who had reached the True Immortal realm.

The moment Gu Ning’an’s true spirit entered the chessboard, he sensed it—those pitifully few white pieces were his own.

“Mr. Gu, I had not mentioned before, but the rules of victory and defeat in this Mountain and River Chessboard are extremely complex, incorporating fate, geomancy, karma, fortune… and many other factors. The pieces that emerged were determined by the Chessboard’s Heavenly Dao itself.

“So it wasn’t due to any manipulation on my part that so many black pieces belong to me…”

“As for the rules of victory and defeat, they are simple: when only one color remains on the board, the game is decided.”

Hearing this, Gu Ning’an merely nodded slightly. “No need for explanations. The moment my true spirit entered the game, I already understood the rules.”

Before entering, he might have suspected that the overwhelming disparity in numbers was due to Heaven Arbiter Ashen tampering with the board.

But once inside, his true spirit connected with the Chessboard’s Heavenly Dao, and with just a thought, he could confirm that these black and white pieces had been set long before the game even began.

Simply put, the number and identity of the pieces had already been determined before the match started. Once the game commenced, the two players could no longer interfere directly.

They were merely spectators, watching as their respective “pieces” battled against each other.

The vast disparity between the two sides was entirely because Gu Ning’an had never considered setting up pieces in advance—he had only incidentally gathered a few “white pieces” along the way.

Meanwhile, Heaven Arbiter Ashen had painstakingly shaped the grand situation, meticulously orchestrating events to ensure the dominance of his “black pieces.”

Thus, the current overwhelming imbalance emerged.

Fortunately, while the situation was unfair, it was not yet unwinnable.

At the very least, Heaven Arbiter Ashen could no longer intervene, and by entering the game, Gu Ning’an had bought the world a chance to “resist.”

Mr. Gu truly lives up to his name—his composure is remarkable!

Even when faced with such a dire starting position, he remained completely unshaken.

With a brief moment of admiration, Heaven Arbiter Ashen gestured invitingly. “Please, sir.”

In the next instant, both men closed their eyes in unison.

A dazzling radiance erupted from the Mountain and River Chessboard.