Chapter 1256 - 1255: Inviting Wansong Daoist
Lu Zheng couldn’t help but shake his head.
The last time Song Kaichuan came to ask me to help Wansong Daoist solve the chess game in a dream was just after the Lantern Festival.
This time, they came looking for me just a few days before the New Year.
It seems that after living for so long, none of them have the concept of celebrating the New Year anymore.
Of course, it might also be because they are demons and don’t celebrate the New Year at all.
However...
"By the way, why not invite Elder Wansong to Phoenix Mountain as a guest?" Lu Zheng looked at Si Lingxi.
Si Lingxi had no objections, and recently felt that after countless discussions with Lu Zheng, her chess skills had greatly improved, perhaps even surpassing Wansong Daoist.
"Although old Pine Tree rarely leaves the mountain, it’s not like he hasn’t ever." Si Lingxi nodded, "Let’s go together."
Wansong Daoist is different from others, so since Si Lingxi and Lu Zheng were free, they decided to personally invite him.
...
"Alright, it’s been a long time since I’ve gone out, it’ll be nice to enjoy some excitement."
Si Lingxi personally invited him, and Wansong Daoist readily agreed.
Then, the two... or rather, one pine tree and one phoenix, sat face to face at the mountain top under an old pine tree, beginning a game of chess.
Lu Zheng poured tea for them while chatting with Song Kaichuan, narrating the events surrounding the source of Demonic Qi in Pingdong Dao.
"Dark Sun Crossing Void True Emperor Demon Venerable?" Song Kaichuan clicked his tongue, "Another Upper Realm Celestial Demon, this time the Demon Tribulation won’t be small!"
Lu Zheng nodded, "But this Dark Sun Demon Venerable is already dead."
Song Kaichuan: ⚆_⚆?
"After the Dark Sun Demon Venerable escaped, he was pulled into the Netherworld by five Ghost Kings, who sealed the passage between the Yin and Yang Realms, engaging in fierce battle for over a month, moving tens of thousands of miles, and finally, we happened to catch up near the Netherworld in Tonglin County."
Lu Zheng said, "Lingxi used the roots of the Shen Ying Peach Tree and entered the Netherworld with Phoenix Divine Fire, blocking the Dark Sun Demon Venerable’s path, hence..."
"Dark Sun Demon Venerable died..." Si Lingxi calmly interjected, then placed a white stone on the board, a hint of pride flashing in her eyes.
Wansong Daoist raised an eyebrow, twirling a black stone between his fingers, and stroked his beard, laughing, "Good move! Palace Master, your chess skills have greatly improved recently!"
Si Lingxi smiled lightly, lifted her teacup, took a slow sip, and said calmly, "Eager to learn from your Immortal Chess Path."
"I dare not call it the Immortal Chess Path, just something gleaned from Elder Chi Songzi’s chess path, still far behind that of Upper Realm Immortals." Wansong Daoist chuckled, waved his hand, then contemplated for a moment before placing a black stone on the board.
Si Lingxi and Wansong Daoist did not seem to pay attention to the Upper Realm Celestial Demons, while Song Kaichuan couldn’t help but be amazed, "So, that Great Black Heaven Heartless True Desire Demon Ancestor and Dark Sun Crossing Void True Emperor Demon Venerable both died at your hands?"
Lu Zheng shook his head repeatedly, "The Netherworld Ghost Kings contributed significantly too."
Song Kaichuan remarked, "That sounds about right, so is this Demon Tribulation over?"
"Of course not, there are more than just these two Celestial Demons in the Lower Realm this time." Lu Zheng shook his head, "As far as I know, at least one more Primordial Fang Dog Demon Venerable is still missing, and another Supreme Profound True Profound Unextinguished Celestial Demon Lord, it’s not clear whether it’s Divine Soul entering a dream or True Spirit descending."
Song Kaichuan: 〣(ºΔº)〣
"Four?" Song Kaichuan exclaimed, "So many, really?"
"Yes." Lu Zheng nodded, "At Chixiao Temple, there’s a Master Yun Ning, affected because the Profound Profound Demon Lord went against him."
Then he recounted the encounter with Master Yun Ning in Tonglin County, and how they learned the news in Zhongjing when delivering the True Man’s remains.
"Goodness!" Song Kaichuan exclaimed in surprise.
Wansong Daoist calmly stated, "That Profound Profound Demon Lord must have already descended as True Spirit."
"What makes you think so?" Song Kaichuan asked.
"Upper Realm Celestial Demons aren’t fools. Normally, they occasionally use Dream Transmission Techniques or rarely descend one True Spirit, passing down some demonic skills to stir up trouble here but don’t threaten the overall situation.
However, since three Celestial Demons have already descended this time, they must be aiming to make a big move; surely, they come all at once to ensure success.
As for that Demon Cave in Pingdong Dao, had not Lu Xiaoyou inadvertently discovered it, once the old demon was well prepared, perhaps the entire Pingdong Dao might have turned into a Demon Realm.
Such a scenario could take hundreds of years to restore, and within those hundreds of years, who knows what trouble Demons might cause."
"Sis——" Song Kaichuan involuntarily inhaled sharply.
Si Lingxi also placed a stone, "Why are you inhaling, the trouble with Demons is their elusive nature, impossible to guard against.
Whenever they dare to appear, be it Lower Realm Celestial Demon True Spirit in the mortal world, while there are still so many masters here, there’s only one path left, death."
Wansong Daoist nodded, then added with a smile, "Besides, we also have backers."
Song Kaichuan asked, "Why don’t the Upper Realm Immortals completely eliminate those Celestial Demons?"
Si Lingxi shook her head, saying, "Yin and yang rotate in the world; there is black and there is white, there are Immortals and Demons, isolated yin does not grow, isolated yang does not produce.
Now being able to suppress Celestial Demons into ground rats is already precious; beware of a Great Demon suddenly appearing one day, fully invading, that’d be the end."
Song Kaichuan thought of the few Demons he’d seen before, unable to help grinning, "Then let’s keep it as it is now..."
Lu Zheng poured another cup of tea for Song Kaichuan and took a sip himself, "Speaking of which, being able to kill the Dark Sun Demon Venerable this time was largely thanks to Elder Song’s information."
If Song Kaichuan hadn’t initially provided the news of concentrated Demonic Qi in Pingdong Dao, Lu Zheng wouldn’t have reported it to White Cloud Temple.
Nor would it have attracted the attention of the Observatory, later visiting Tonglin County to ask Lu Zheng, deducing from Peach Blossom Celestial Maiden that Celestial Demons might be located in the Demon Cave Secret Realm.
Si Lingxi wouldn’t have drawn in the Netherworld Ghost Kings, ultimately coincidentally encircling and killing the Dark Sun Demon Venerable, sending his True Spirit away.
Song Kaichuan waved his hand and chuckled, "I was just passing by, what does it have to do with me."
Everyone laughed at his words.
Under the old pine tree, Si Lingxi and Wansong Daoist’s chess game had already entered mid-game, black and white stones entwined in mortal struggle, each displaying their abilities.
Song Kaichuan held a teacup in one hand and stroked his beard with the other, watching with a serious expression.
Wansong Daoist and Si Lingxi’s chess skills surpassed his, but his skills weren’t too shabby either, at least he could understand the game.
But the more he understood, the more he recognized the peril of the current chess game.
The black dragon coils, the white tiger reaches its claws, one side defending and attacking, hidden within silk, the other entirely seized by the board, imposing as the vast ocean.
Song Kaichuan felt that if it were him on the board, he might not have even survived until mid-game.
Meanwhile, Lu Zheng was watching carefully on the other side, yet he still shook his head.
As expected, as the game entered the late stage, the black dragon slowly pressed forward, the white tiger inevitably retreated.
Si Lingxi had improved, but still fell a bit short compared to Wansong Daoist, ultimately losing.