IS Chapter 84

“How to snatch it?” Li Yuan stared at the scene below, gradually developing a bold idea.

“You use the ‘Observing Fire Piercing Heart Technique’ to conceal your aura; they won’t be able to detect it. I’ll slightly alter my form, and then become very large, flying quickly, they might not be able to tell I’m a dragon,” Li Yuan said. “I’ll fly over and scatter them, and you can directly take the bead. Before they even know who it is, we’ll already be far away,” he told Ye Zhuo with his divine sense.

Actually, being at such a high altitude, speaking directly wouldn’t be a problem; there’s no fear of being overheard. But doing something like this, Li Yuan felt it wasn’t right to discuss it openly, and somehow switched to using divine sense transmission.

Ye Zhuo’s gaze lingered on Tai Qing’s figure: “Tai Qing will interfere and try to stop us, it might not be easy.”

After thinking for a moment, he added, “Could we kidnap Tai Qing as well?”

Li Yuan was quite disgusted: “But I don’t want to carry him in my mouth.”

“Then can you grab him?”

Li Yuan: “I don’t really want to grab him either.”

“Alright,” Ye Zhuo said, “Then let’s just openly snatch it.”

Li Yuan: “Wouldn’t that expose the Micro-Snow Palace’s identity?”

This won’t work, that won’t work either, what exactly does Dragon Li Yuan want? He doesn’t seem to have the talent for robbery.

Ye Zhuo reiterated: “I’ve already killed four of their Supreme Elders.”

Li Yuan: “.”

Come to think of it, that’s indeed a full four Supreme Elders.

Not counting the other small fries, not counting the nineteen from the Observing Fire Cave, it’s already a life-and-death feud akin to exterminating a sect, one more won’t make a difference, one less won’t matter either.

Li Yuan inexplicably imagined what would happen if someone killed four elders from the Dragon Realm.

If that happened, based on the Cloud Firmament Heavenly Palace’s Old Ancestor Gold Dragon’s temper, even if the Dragon Realm itself provoked the issue—they would go out in full force and overturn the other party’s entire realm.

Li Yuan: “But if we openly snatch it like this, won’t the other sects have opinions about the Micro-Snow Palace?”

“Then we’ll fight them all together,” Ye Zhuo said.

His voice was decisive and unwavering.

Li Yuan widened his eyes, looking at the various sects below: “What if we can’t win?”

“If we can’t win, we can still run,” Ye Zhuo said, “Back in the East Sea, didn’t you run?”

Li Yuan really wanted to turn around and bite this person to death.

“Just one Human Immortal,” Ye Zhuo looked at the situation below, “Wait for an opportunity.”

Li Yuan hovered in the sky, his dragon eyes gleaming as he looked at the chessboard, and then at Brother Wei Sheng.

–Wei Sheng Xian was still intently playing chess with Yin Ye.

For some reason, after placing a piece, an ominous premonition inexplicably arose in his heart. Looking at the situation again, it was clearly still evenly matched.

Last time, when he played chess with Yin Ye, he won by half a piece. This time, he didn’t expect any changes.

Looking at Yin Ye’s face, he discovered that this person was also in a state of contemplation.

“Brother Wei Sheng, come to think of it, it’s been a long time since we last played chess,” Yin Ye smiled. “What do you think of this game?”

“Abbot Yin Ye’s chess skills have improved somewhat,” Wei Sheng Xian leisurely placed a piece. “Presumably, you’ve been racking your brains day and night, I wonder what you’re plotting again.”

“Life is only a hundred years, one naturally can’t waste it.”

“But my lifespan is more than a hundred years. And you are plagued with illnesses, I’m afraid you won’t last a hundred years.”

“There are no new grudges or old grievances, why is Brother Wei Sheng so unforgiving?” Yin Ye said, “Is it just because I admire the Second Palace Master Ye from your palace?”

“Is there not? Then it’s because our paths are different, and we can’t conspire together.” Wei Sheng Xian placed another piece, this piece was like the finishing touch, in an instant, the situation drastically changed, the momentum overwhelming mountains and rivers.

Yin Ye was intrigued and also placed a piece.

The universe changed again, wind and thunder raged on the chessboard, and the spectators exclaimed in surprise.

Wei Sheng Xian wasn’t surprised and continued to place his pieces calmly. Yin Ye faced him head-on. Two completely different “Dao” transformed into black and white extremes, fighting fiercely on a chessboard that was its own world, rolling thunder echoing above them, a heart-stopping sight.

One was like heaven and earth, governing all things, the other was like a tear in the sky, unpredictable and strange.

The two of them placed their pieces faster and faster, for a time it was like a sudden rain falling on the eaves, the sound of jade clashing was continuous.

The two players remained composed, but some of the spectators were already struggling to keep up. The outcome of the chess game was like a battle of the Great Dao, even the Transcending Tribulation True Men and the Great Ascension Human Immortals present held their breath and stared unblinkingly at the patterns of heaven and earth.

Only Su Yizhen frowned slightly, pressing his fingers to his heart.

“What’s wrong? Are you unable to receive the knowledge from the chess game? Your teacher will explain it to you,” the Second Elder of the Sword Sect asked with concern.

“…Nothing,” Su Yizhen said. “Master, you don’t need to worry.”

After his master continued to watch the chess game, Su Yizhen looked thoughtfully at the sky.

The sky was pitch black, and for a moment, he couldn’t figure out anything.

The chess game was at its most intense, and everyone present had their minds focused on where the next piece would fall.

Wei Sheng Xian’s ominous premonition grew even stronger.

Holding a chess piece and looking at the chessboard, he suddenly thought: If such a game of chess were overturned, the sound of the chess pieces hitting the ground should be very pleasant, right?

I wonder where that person is now, and if he can hear it?

“Brother Wei Sheng,” Yin Ye’s voice echoed faintly, “You’re distracted.”

“Forgive me,” Wei Sheng Xian said with a smile, “I was thinking of a fair lady.”

“Oh? Which fair lady?”

Wei Sheng Xian smiled without answering, holding the chess piece, about to place it, but paused between two squares, seemingly undecided. With such a movement, everyone’s minds were focused on this one piece. The arena was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, only the faint sound of heartbeats could be heard.

*Pa.*

A light and crisp sound, the chess piece landed on the board.

–Right at this moment.

The power of ancient and primordial times surged like the creation of the world. In the ink-like darkness of the void, an extremely majestic black beastly shadow appeared. Its shape couldn’t be seen clearly, only two pairs of golden eyes shone eerily, like the Candle Dragon in ancient legends—rushing towards this place with the force of wind and thunder!

A heavy pressure erupted, as if they had been firmly nailed to the spot by the heavenly gang winds, everyone was shocked and unable to move.

Tai Qing, however, was not affected. He snorted coldly and soared up, his magical artifact instantly summoned, to meet the giant black shadow!

His magical artifact was a bronze bell containing endless mysteries, as if it came from ancient times.

With a resonant *dong*, a deafening sound like a great bell echoed, and heaven and earth trembled.

“Who is this madman, daring to invade!”

The black shadow instantly changed direction, attacking the other side!

Tai Qing reacted extremely quickly and immediately changed direction to intercept it. But from the side, a cold sword light suddenly appeared—a figure in red robes appeared like a ghost directly in front of him, the sword flashing like lightning, slashing towards him!

Tai Qing launched a full-force strike to resist it.

They were evenly matched!

As the aftershocks dissipated, Tai Qing clearly saw the exceptionally gorgeous and flamboyant red robes, as well as the dazzlingly radiant face.

Ye Zhuo?

Wasn’t their Palace Master Wei Sheng Xian playing chess? Why was he interfering!

Tai Qing was furious, his voice like thunder, he shouted: “Ye Zhuo! What are you trying to do!”

Ye Zhuo didn’t come to talk to him, immediately another sword ruthlessly slashed out.

Tai Qing’s words were still echoing when another majestic roar resounded between heaven and earth.

It was that huge and heavy black shadow crashing to the ground, the incredibly strong heavenly gang winds sweeping outwards with it as the center, sending everyone flying dozens of feet away!

A group of people were knocked over, unable to react in time and scattered, only able to see in the middle of the night sky, the red-robed figure and the Tai Qing Elder fighting evenly.

The only ones still standing in place were Su Yizhen, who seemed to have been prepared, and the Second Elder of the Sword Sect who he was protecting.

The Second Elder of the Sword Sect was being protected behind Su Yizhen. Watching this scene, he was filled with shock and anger, but also felt proud that his disciple’s reaction was so quick and nimble: “Yizhen! Come with me to assist Elder Tai Qing!”

Su Yizhen frowned and stopped his master’s actions: “The situation is unclear, Master, let’s observe first and act when the opportunity arises.”

That also made sense, his disciple was truly intelligent and brave. The Second Elder wasn’t an ordinary person either and immediately realized: “Go seize the inheritance bead!”

With the situation so chaotic, even if Yizhen accidentally absorbed it completely while protecting the inheritance bead, what could others say?

–But the reality wasn’t as the Second Elder wished.

The black behemoth had disappeared in an instant. When the dust settled, a tall figure in luxurious black robes was standing closer to the inheritance bead than the two of them.

Li Yuan smiled as he looked at Wei Sheng Xian and Yin Ye.

Wei Sheng Xian hadn’t been blown away because he had somehow become a Dao cultivator in the late stage of Transcending Tribulation. Perhaps he had conveniently cut off the bottleneck in his cultivation while severing the Three Corpses, Li Yuan thought.

Yin Ye hadn’t been blown away either because his life was too fragile.

The holes that Ye Zhuo had stabbed in this person might not have fully healed, and even if they did recover, Li Yuan estimated that the internal injuries caused by the dragon aura’s impact wouldn’t recover for a while, so being blown over like this might be fatal.

If he died, it would be a happy event, but this person’s behavior was becoming increasingly eccentric and strange, and Wei Sheng Xian always suspected that there would be a trick up his sleeve, so he had to protect him slightly.

Palace Master Wei Sheng didn’t spare any extra thought to protect the chessboard.

Therefore, the chessboard had been overturned.

Nearly a thousand chess pieces were flung into the air in all directions, it didn’t seem like collateral damage, it was as if someone had deliberately scattered them like this.

–Then, they rained down.

Finally, they shattered into pieces on the ground, jade fragments flying everywhere.

In that instant, a surging and fluctuating urgent melody played, and the sound of ice and jade clashing echoed endlessly.

In the gap between the sword’s edge and the bronze ancient bell clashing loudly, Ye Zhuo heard that sound.

Tai Qing didn’t understand why this person, drifting beautifully in the night sky, making fatal moves with every strike, suddenly smiled.

Like the stars and moon shining brightly.

“Abbot Yin Ye,” Wei Sheng Xian quietly looked at the shattered chess pieces all over the ground, “Is this sound pleasing to the ear? Is it melodious?”

Light changed, Yin Ye answered bluntly, “This Abbot can’t hear.”

“I’m really sorry, I’m really sorry.” Wei Sheng Xian seemed to suddenly remember, apologizing repeatedly.

Li Yuan chuckled.

After that, he looked at the inheritance bead: “You two, excuse me.”

–Then, he acted in an instant.

Tai Qing coldly watched that Wei Sheng Xian put on an act to block him, Abbot Yin Ye seemed to really want to turn around and seize the inheritance bead, but how could his mortal body succeed? The two of them were easily defeated like thin paper, and that so-called Cold Pool Flood Dragon was about to take the inheritance bead and the Three Corpse Insects for himself!

Blocking Ye Zhuo’s attack, Tai Qing flicked his sleeve, and the Great Dao magic attacked Li Yuan.

But it was easily resolved by Li Yuan waving his sword.

Tai Qing became serious, it seemed that this person’s strength was comparable to that demon star Ye Zhuo!

He wanted to seize the inheritance bead, but he was blocked by Ye Zhuo and couldn’t go, and even influenced by something like a Buddhist spell, he couldn’t even use the art of separating the soul!

His mind raced, and Tai Qing instantly triggered the restriction placed on the inheritance bead.

He would rather destroy such a rare treasure than let it fall into the hands of a sect with the ambitions of a wolf, like the Micro-Snow Palace.

But the restriction wasn’t triggered.

Instead, that Wei Sheng Xian even dropped his sword, and screamed as he fell to the ground: “Brother Li Yuan, why do you want to kill your fellow disciples!”

As for Yin Ye, he had no sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, or thought, everyone in the Immortal Dao knew what kind of behavior that was, and he was always one step behind everyone else, so at this time he stood in place without moving, only the flowing light behind him changing rapidly, almost creating afterimages.

Li Yuan was truly impressed with Wei Sheng Xian, and was also somewhat worried about Abbot Yin Ye’s current state.

But that didn’t stop him from stepping forward calmly and taking the Three Corpse Insects and the inheritance bead all together.

He had a lot of storage treasures, storage rings inside storage rings, endless.

But after all, storage rings were external items. The ink dragon was born with a small personal realm that others couldn’t take away unless he died, which could then be opened by outsiders, making it the safest.

Before coming, he had put the Hidden Sleeve Sword inside. At this time, he also put the inheritance bead into it, entering the realm for safety.

“Got it,” Li Yuan transmitted to Ye Zhuo, “Shall we go?”

Ye Zhuo didn’t reply to him at all.

Li Yuan knew from looking at the battle in the sky that this person wouldn’t stop once he started fighting.

Sighing softly, looking at Brother Wei Sheng, who was barely clinging to life, and Abbot Yin Ye, who was leaning weakly against the collapsed chessboard, Li Yuan was amazed at the depth of human scheming.

“But so so,” he snorted coldly, turning around mercilessly.

–Then he met Su Yizhen’s eyes.

Little Su’s sword had already been drawn, the Tai Xuan Sword was clear and bright, and the sword body had a subtle crack like a silk thread, pointing directly at Li Yuan.

“Brother Li Yuan,” Su Yizhen pursed his lips, “If you want to leave, ask my sword first.”

The Second Elder of the Sword Sect’s eyes burned with excitement.

This Flood Dragon had just dissolved a Human Immortal’s attack with a flick of his sleeve, it could be seen that his cultivation was as deep as the sea, and even he didn’t know whether he should take the risk.

At such a critical moment, Yizhen could stand up without regard for the difference in realms, he was truly a good disciple that he had raised with his own hands.

However, if he injured such a good disciple, just for the inheritance bead which in the end, would probably end up in Micro-Snow Palace or Dao Sect, instead of Sword Sect, it would be terrible.

Also, he didn’t even know the name of this Flood Dragon, how could Yizhen call it out?

“Yizhen, his realm is too high, don’t get entangled in battle, retreat!” The Second Elder said.

Li Yuan chuckled: “Your sect is truly a scattered mess, it’s opened my eyes.”

Su Yizhen said firmly: “Brother Li Yuan, please enlighten me.”

“Come,” Li Yuan said, “Let me see how much you’ve improved.”

The battle in the sky was intense, that Tai Qing had some strength. Since there was nothing else to do, Little Su was now at the Great Perfection of the Fusion realm, only a step away from Transcending Tribulation, even if he spent time guiding Little Su, Ye Zhuo might not be finished over there.

“Brother Li Yuan, take my sword.” Su Yizhen shouted clearly, and the sword light fell suddenly like heavenly light.

“Good sword.” Li Yuan didn’t underestimate him, and focused all his attention on discussing swords with him.

Seeing this scene, Tai Qing’s heart was filled with anger.

A bunch of useless things had been swept out of the arena, the Vast Origin Sect had no leader, the Great Mountain Sect was mediating, and the Red Dust Sword Sect was even observing with their swords sheathed. Only Su Yizhen was standing up to fight.

That black-clothed man, like Ye Zhuo, could fight a Human Immortal with the strength of a Transcending Tribulation cultivator, but how could he be fighting evenly with Su Yizhen, who was in the Fusion realm? What was he supposed to think?

Seeing Tai Qing’s expression, Ye Zhuo sneered, the people of the Dao Sect always looked at this and guarded against that, and were always easily distracted.

At the Human Immortal realm, divine sense was like the sea, and it was said that separating out a wisp or two didn’t matter.

But for him, even a wisp or two made a difference.

So his sword’s edge became even sharper, bringing forth life and death, silence and extinction, forcing Tai Qing to the limit.

Beneath the sky, in the midst of battle, countless interconnected and intricate illusory threads had appeared at some point.

As the former Sect Leader of the Dao Sect, the Dao that Tai Qing cultivated was more profound than his fellow disciples.

Those of the Tai generation all followed the Dao of Yin and Yang. Once, Tai Qing had a fellow disciple who advanced and retreated together, cultivated the Great Dao together, and cherished like a treasure. Her Daoist name was Tai Yi.

He cultivated “cause”, and his fellow disciple cultivated “effect”.

From the moment he entered the Dao, Tai Qing was looking forward to ascending to the Immortal Realm with his fellow disciple, when the sky was high and the sea was vast.

Until later, his fellow disciple had a confusion in her heart that she couldn’t answer. After being possessed by a demon, she destroyed her Dao heart and fell.

From then on, Tai Qing cultivated cause and effect alone.

At this moment, these illusory threads that filled the sky were the causal connections of the world.

It was by relying on this causal power that he could fight a desperate battle with this Ye slayer.

But that person’s sword seemed to be able to sever even cause and effect.

Tai Qing suddenly looked in front of him.

He saw a dark red, winding thread emerge from his body, with countless thin lines intertwined in the middle, finally connecting to Ye Zhuo’s heart.

He and this person had causal connections since long ago.

The thread was thin, but also strong. There was a cause, and there was an effect, it was a grudge.

Not a life-and-death feud, but there was also accumulated resentment.

Ye Zhuo naturally also saw that thread, saw the threads all over the sky.

His brows remained stern and silent, as if all of this wasn’t in his eyes.

–Only the raging flames of red lotus suddenly unfurled from behind him.

Burning all these intertwined, world’s causes and consequences, life and death, into a towering sea of fire.

And then, it turned into fluttering ashes.