Chapter Seventy-Eight: Commanding the Chessboard (Part Three)

As the Yin Corpse Sect began its assault on the Protective Grand Array of the Form Manifest Sect, time slipped by in the sect’s halls amid the despairing wait of its people. Every passing moment was torment; there was no escape. The cultivators of the Yin Corpse Sect would not allow anyone else to leave Form Manifest Sect alive—the only thing awaiting them was the final battle of their lives.

Within the core of the Small World, Zhou Xuanhong had already walked a long path through the tides of restriction that surged here. His mastery of restrictions had grown explosively, and his understanding of the world’s laws had deepened profoundly.

He became aware of another presence—a young man about his own age. The youth’s features were unremarkable, yet his eyes brimmed with the mysteries of restriction and carried a weighty, ancient sorrow.

When the two met, neither spoke. Each began to unravel the restrictions before them, for in this final region, the restrictions had reached a perilous extreme; a single distraction could spell disaster.

His name was Wang Hu, a collateral descendant of the Wang Clan of Luoshui City. He was also the chief accomplice who had helped Zhou Xuanhong eradicate the main Wang bloodline. Ten years had passed, and Wang Hu had barely attained the rank of a fourth-grade array master—a man of exceptional intuition and insight, unmatched in temperament and shrewdness.

He had spent what felt like a lifetime in this place, uncertain even of how much time had passed. Wang Hu was shocked by Zhou Xuanhong’s sudden appearance, but quickly steadied himself and focused on unraveling the restrictions. At this final juncture, it was a race to see who could reach the core first.

Of course, this was only Wang Hu’s perspective. Zhou Xuanhong never regarded him as a true adversary, merely as a chess piece to be used.

Unlike Wang Hu, each time Zhou Xuanhong unraveled a restriction, he would lay down one of his own, merging it seamlessly into the whole.

In the ancestral hall of the Xu family, Xu Yuqi felt a heaviness in his heart and hastened to summon the Great Derivation Master, transferring the control of the Small World.

He sent his vast divine sense into the world’s core, but could not penetrate the tides of restriction. To force his way in would trigger a destructive surge, annihilating any probing consciousness.

This was why Wang Hu had been able to hide within for so long, undetected.

Xu Yuqi dared not try. If the destructive tide were triggered, Zhou Xuanhong’s body would be obliterated with it, and all his years of waiting and preparation would be for naught.

“So you wish to refine the Small World through arrays? But what of it? Even if your power grows, without reaching the Nascent Soul, you’ll still be mine for the taking. I can afford to give you more time!”

But suddenly, the tides of restriction erupted into chaos. Every restriction unleashed a terrifying aura of annihilation, as if the entire world was about to be destroyed. Countless world laws shattered, the secrets of the origin were ruined, and all within would be baptized by this destructive upheaval.

Xu Yuqi was alarmed and ordered the Great Derivation Master, “Quick, get him out!”

On the martial stage, the Great Derivation Master, hovering above the Small World, opened his eyes, lifted his left hand, and clawed downward. In the world’s core, a great hand formed, searching for any aura other than destruction.

He quickly sensed the presence of a cultivator. With no time to distinguish, the Great Derivation Master yanked his left hand back, pulling a figure out of the Small World.

Yet Xu Yuqi could not rejoice, for the figure was not Zhou Xuanhong but a dazed Wang Hu. He had been unraveling the final restriction when Zhou Xuanhong triggered the entire tide, causing the catastrophic destruction. Believing death inevitable, Wang Hu had been unexpectedly snatched to safety at the last moment.

A portion of the Great Derivation Master’s divine sense was wiped out by the destructive surge, his spirit waning instantly. Seeing that he had rescued Wang Hu instead of Zhou Xuanhong, he felt, for reasons unknown, a sense of relief.

Wang Hu regained his senses, extending his divine sense for the first time in ten years. Realizing the situation, he hurriedly shouted toward the Form Manifest Sect’s main gate, “Ancestor, save me! I am Wang Hu—I have advanced to a fourth-grade array master!”

Before he could finish, he was seized by Xuanqizi’s hand of spiritual power. The situation was too volatile to kill him outright.

On the Xu family’s sacrificial altar atop the Supreme Peak, Xu Yuqi’s soul burst forth from the scroll, streaked out of the peak, and howled at the sky, “Why! Why do you seek death?!”

All eyes turned, stunned, gazing at the man who only existed in legends. Hearts trembled.

“That… That’s Ancestor Xu Yuqi!”

“It’s Ancestor Xu Yuqi! We’re saved!”

The disciples of Form Manifest Sect cheered, but as Xu Yuqi’s madness grew, a heavy silence fell once more.

Outside the sect, the Yin Corpse cultivators ceased their assault on the protective array, staring in awe at the legendary figure in the sky, unsure how to proceed.

The Corpse Immortal snorted coldly, raised his hand, and struck the mountain-protecting array with a fist. “Continue the attack! His strength is no match for mine now—just keep attacking!”

After venting his rage, Xu Yuqi’s gaze turned frosty as he looked at the Great Derivation Master. Seeing his resolute demeanor, Xu Yuqi’s eyes shifted greedily toward Xu Yuan.

“You are my direct descendant, pure-blooded Xu, and have cultivated both the Form Manifest Art and the Great Derivation Technique. Judging by your expression, it seems you know what is about to happen?”

Xu Yuan saluted him. “Greetings, Ancestor. I am Xu Yuan. I have always admired you, but if you intend to seize my body, I will not allow it.”

Luo Tuan stepped forward, standing protectively before Xu Yuan. “Don’t think that just because you once reached the Void God stage you are invincible. My Luo family now has more than one Void God cultivator. If you dare to take my partner’s body, be ready to face our wrath.”

Xuanqizi’s face hardened as he barked, “The two of you are out of line! At this hour of crisis, every Xu must be willing to sacrifice. Once the Ancestor returns, our clan will rise again!”

Xu Yuan met her grandfather’s eyes, shook her head with a bitter smile. Even her own grandfather was willing to sacrifice her. Clearly, what the True Immortal Tenguo had said was accurate—the Form Manifest Sect was rotten to the core, and the Xu family was the greatest parasite.

Luo Tuan snarled, “Old fool! You think I’m afraid of you? If you’re so loyal, why not sacrifice yourself for your damned ancestor instead of demanding it from others?”

Xuanqizi’s face flushed with rage. Never before had he been so insulted, let alone by a junior, and he was rendered speechless.

A golden light flashed in Xu Yuqi’s eyes. The Manifestation Mark in Xu Yuan’s sea of consciousness radiated brilliant gold, actively forging a direct path to Xu Yuqi. Soul force flowed from her to him, strengthening his spirit.

This was a trap Xu Yuqi had laid: any cultivator bearing the Manifestation Mark in their sea of consciousness became a living conduit, feeding his soul and placing their life and death in his hands.

Yet he could not alter their will or control their actions; otherwise, his first choice would have been the Great Derivation Master, not Xu Yuan.

He was confident he could seize Xu Yuan’s body, but the Great Derivation Master, at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, would never yield to such a usurper—even if he was the ancestor, he was still a shameless schemer willing to plot against his own descendants.

“Old wretch, dare you?!”

Luo Tuan’s eyes blazed with fury. From his sea of consciousness flew a golden pearl and eight silver needles. The pearl rushed into Xu Yuan’s mind, casting a gentle golden glow, and for a moment all present seemed to hear the chanting of Buddhas. The golden light shielded Xu Yuan’s mind, slowing the drain of her soul force.

At the same time, the eight needles shot toward Xu Yuqi’s soul, each radiating a chill that seemed to freeze the marrow—a classic soul-attacking artifact.

“Insolence!”

Xuanqizi waved his hand, blasting the eight needles back with a spell. After all, Luo Tuan did not practice the Great Derivation Technique; otherwise, he could have ignored the spell and established his own path.

Luo Tuan and Xu Yuan were not unprepared. Zhou Xuanhong had warned them in advance, so Xu Yuan’s soul was also fortified by a soul-protecting treasure. Xu Yuqi would not claim her body without paying a price.

Xu Yuqi paid them no mind. That Luo Tuan was so well-endowed with treasures was not surprising; the sect leadership knew his identity as a disciple sent by a major power for tempering. Possessing several soul artifacts was only to be expected.

But this did not mean Xu Yuqi would be deterred. He came from an even greater world and set his sights high, caring nothing for Luo Tuan’s threats, nor for any future retribution. No great power would risk a feud with a potential Void God for the sake of a mere junior in the Golden Core stage.

His only reservation was that Xu Yuan was a woman—seizing her body would be somewhat unpleasant.

Just as Xu Yuqi charged at Xu Yuan’s sea of consciousness, a sudden change erupted. A terrifying tremor rippled from the Small World. Xu Yuqi felt his control over the world’s core vanish entirely, forcing him to halt his invasion and plunge his divine sense into the Small World.

Within the core, the tides of restriction had broken through the protective barrier. The world’s core had three layers: the outermost shield, the tidal restrictions, and a second shield. The two barriers separated the restrictions from the world’s core and the outside.

Now, the innermost shield had inexplicably ruptured. The tides of restriction surged through the breach, triggering a second wave of destruction!

The world-core was being destroyed. With the core annihilated, the world began its countdown to collapse, its spiritual energy draining away, and all life within facing extinction.

Fortunately, the two waves of destruction occurred in quick succession, so only a small portion of the restrictions were unleashed, and the devastation was not absolute.

Xu Yuqi extended his divine sense and discovered a figure standing outside the first protective barrier. He was stunned, then elated, immediately severing his link to Xu Yuan and abandoning his attempt to possess her, rushing instead toward the Small World.