Chapter 194: "See, it's that easy to win."

Chapter 194: "See, it's that easy to win."

In a flash of white light, the three Middle-grade Heavenly Wheels slowly merged into one.

It transformed into a single Celestial Wheel.

A High-grade Celestial Wheel.

"Tri-merge?"

Chen Qiu's eyebrows arched slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He had never before possessed four Middle-grade Heavenly Wheels at once, and this was the first time he learned that three Middle-grade Wheels could merge into a High-grade one.

However...

This Celestial Wheel was different from the Celestial Prodigy Fortune. It didn't merge automatically but required his conscious control.

He weighed the High-grade Celestial Wheel in his hand, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

The Middle-grade Wheels could grant him Nascent Soul Cultivation Pills, so it made sense that the High-grade Wheel might offer Divine Transformation Cultivation Pills or even a 'Seven-Color Entry Jade Slip for a Day.'

But first, he decided to hedge his bets.

Without hesitation, he crushed the remaining Middle-grade Wheel in his hand.

"Please make your selection within a hundred breaths. Choose two out of five."

1. One Transformation Token.

2. One hundred Golden Core Dao Cultivation Pills.

3. One hundred Golden Core Dao Cultivation Pills.

4. One Transformation Token.

5. Four thousand Foundation Establishment Dao Cultivation Pills.

".

Chen Qiu calmly chose the two Transformation Tokens. The other options were of no use to him, so he opted for these two tokens, which had a simple effect: they allowed him to transform into another person, perfectly mimicking their aura and essence.

Regardless of their race.

He had obtained one such token before but hadn't used it yet. Now, with two more, he had a total of three.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he retrieved the first token from his Heavenly Path Ring, placing all three tokens together.

After a few breaths...

Well, then.

Chen Qiu sighed softly and tucked the three Transformation Tokens into his robe, with no changes occurring. Upon reflection, he realized there was no reason to expect three Transformation Tokens to merge into something else.

Although the items granted by the Middle-grade Wheel were somewhat disappointing, he accepted this with equanimity, maintaining a positive outlook. After all, the Middle-grade Wheel was a sacrificial offering, and the lower the quality of the sacrificial item, the better the main reward would be.

"Hmm..."

Chen Qiu took a deep breath, paused for a few breaths, and then crushed the High-grade Celestial Wheel in his hand.

"Please make your selection within a hundred breaths. Choose two out of five."

1. One Celestial Prodigy Fortune Scroll.

2. One Celestial Fortune Scroll.

3. One Clan Fortune Scroll.

4. One Heavenly Thunder Might Scroll.

5. One Purple Random Entry Jade Slip.

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu's gaze swept over the five options, and he couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. It was worth using a Middle-grade Wheel as a sacrificial offering, for if he kept it, he could merge it with two more Middle-grade Wheels in the future.

But this was his first High-grade Celestial Wheel.

He decided to test the waters with a sacrificial offering.

He believed in these mystical odds.

As he considered the five options before him, he didn't make an immediate choice but fell into deep thought. He had a hundred breaths to decide, which was ample time.

The fifth option was immediately ruled out.

Obtaining a purple entry was clearly far more challenging than the first four options.

Unlike his Celestial Prodigy Fortune, which couldn't be shared with others, the Celestial Fortune and Clan Fortune here were in the form of jade slips, meaning they could be used by others as well.

Chen Qiu looked at his Dantian, where his Nascent Soul resided. The Heavenly Path Edict, a reward for his Twelfth Rank Divine Transformation Realm, granted him a Celestial Prodigy Fortune. The green entry 'Court Summoned' doubled the fortune, and he had one remaining from before, plus another he had purchased from the Virtue Value Shop.

As a result—

He now had one each of the Human's Pride Fortune, Earth's Pride Fortune, Celestial Prodigy Fortune, and Supreme Celestial Fortune.

A harmonious set.

He also had two unused Celestial Fortunes.

He had used one Clan Fortune to craft the Twelfth Rank Divine Transformation Realm and still had one left with no immediate use. The Heavenly Thunder Might, which enhances the power of lightning spells, was also unused, as he only possessed the Lightning Summoning Art, which he had already utilized.

That left these four jade slips.

After a moment's thought, he chose the first and third options: one Celestial Prodigy Fortune Scroll and one Clan Fortune Scroll.

He chose the Celestial Prodigy Fortune Scroll because, although he didn't currently need it, one of the requirements for the Eighth Rank Divine Transformation Realm was a Celestial Prodigy Fortune.

With this jade slip,

he could help one of the Mock Heaven Sect disciples craft an Eighth Rank Divine Transformation Realm.

The Celestial Prodigy Fortune was a necessary condition for the Eighth Rank Divine Transformation Realm.

Each rank from First to Twelfth required different materials.

For example, if you were at the First Rank and gathered the materials for the Eighth Rank, you could ascend directly without needing the foundational materials for the intermediate ranks.

The Eighth Rank Divine Transformation Domain, aside from the Celestial Prodigy Fortune, only offered spirit stones and heavenly treasures, which he had in abundance.

As for who should possess this Eighth Rank Divine Transformation Domain, he hadn't decided yet.

For now, he was leaning towards Fatty Dragon, as his potential was skyrocketing. If there was a Beast Taming-related Entry, the power of this Eighth Rank Divine Transformation Domain could be fully unleashed.

As for the Clan Fortune, it was of no use to him.

But the difficulty of obtaining it was immense.

Only by annihilating an entire clan could one acquire a strand of Clan Fortune. He had obtained two strands due to the 'Court Summoned' Entry, but the acquisition was so challenging that he felt it was more worthwhile than the other fortunes he currently had no use for.

"Not bad."

Chen Qiu was quite satisfied as he put the two jade slips into his pocket, planning to visit Fatty Dragon later that night to discuss which Divine Transformation Domain he wanted. He would also select a new one for himself.

He browsed through the Virtue Value Shop.

After successfully creating the Twelfth Rank Divine Transformation Realm, the Heavenly Path Edict rewarded him with two Divine Transformation Domain Tokens, which would allow him to possess two additional Divine Transformation Realms. This would be useful when he formed two more Nascent Souls in the future.

That meant simultaneously activating two Divine Transformation Realms!

Moreover, he also had an Ascension Token of Divine Transformation, which he had been saving for this moment upon his return to Dragon Island.

Now was the perfect time.

He took out the token from his pocket and crushed it gently.

Immediately, he felt a surge of heavenly power enveloping him.

Then, an ancient and ethereal voice, audible only to him, resonated in his ears.

-

"Heavenly Path Edict: Heavenly Awareness, in the northwest of Quzhou on the Xuantian Continent, a human cultivator named Chen Qiu, with a force that defies the heavens, has broken through the limits of the universe!"

"For completing one of the Xuantian Continent's Milestone Tasks, a statue has been erected in the 'Heavenly Palace'."

"And he is granted a Middle-grade Heavenly Wheel."

"Huh?"

Chen Qiu was momentarily stunned, listening to the Heavenly Path Edict, which only he could hear. He was taken aback, having completed another Milestone Task?

He had seen this Milestone Task in the Heavenly Palace.

But he didn't understand its meaning.

The Milestone Task only mentioned breaking through the limits of the universe, providing no further useful information. He had thought it meant something like breaking through the firmament, but now it seemed to refer to the Supreme Grade.

For instance, the Thirteenth Rank Golden Core, Thirteenth Rank Nascent Soul, or Thirteenth Rank Divine Transformation Realm.

That was breaking through the limits of the universe.

Good enough.

Another Milestone Task completed, making it six in total.

He was also rewarded with two Middle-grade Heavenly Wheels, which was an unexpected delight. He hadn't expected to accidentally complete this Milestone Task, but it was a pity that he had just used one Middle-grade Heavenly Wheel to boost his chances, or he could have had a High-grade Celestial Wheel.

However, he shook his head and didn't dwell on it.

The Heavenly Path Edict was quite intriguing.

What did it mean by "breaking through the limits of the universe with a force that defies the heavens"? Wasn't he, himself, the Heavenly Path?

Chen Qiu took a deep breath and prepared to examine his Dantian, anticipating the first Entry selection upon breaking through to the Divine Transformation stage.

The only regret he had was the Ascension Token of Divine Transformation, which could only be used once per person. Otherwise, he fantasized about the possibility of obtaining more Ascension Tokens in the future, which might allow him to directly upgrade his Divine Transformation Realm to the Ninety-Ninth Rank!

A Ninety-Ninth Rank Divine Transformation Realm would be unstoppable!

But it held little significance.

The rank of a Divine Transformation Realm didn't affect its power; it only determined its ability to suppress other Divine Transformation Realms. His Thirteenth Rank Divine Transformation Realm could already crush almost any other Divine Transformation Realm, even a Tenth Rank Realm would be instantly pulverized.

From this perspective, there wasn't much difference between a Ninety-Ninth Rank and a Thirteenth Rank Divine Transformation Realm.

At that moment, in the Central Province, the sun had risen.

Describing the Central Province as filled with anxious hearts might not be entirely accurate, but many had received shocking news early that morning, leaving them in silence.

In fact, last night at midnight, Chen Qiu's creation of the Twelfth Rank Divine Transformation Realm had already startled numerous cultivators who were in secluded cultivation.

But the news that arrived this morning was even more astonishing.

The Peak Divine Transformation Elder from Green Mountain Palace had perished in Three Springs Palace at Chen Qiu's hands. This elder was the leader of the human race's delegation, yet he met his end swiftly and decisively.

Especially for the Divine Transformation cultivators who had witnessed the spectacle last night, they now wore expressions of fear, grateful that they had fled early. Otherwise, they might have shared the same fate as the Green Mountain Palace's Peak Divine Transformation Elder.

None of the Divine Transformation cultivators who stayed at Three Spring Tower last night survived.

Meanwhile, in the Buddhist Sect, two elderly cultivators were playing chess by the mountain stream.

"I thought you intended to remain in seclusion indefinitely."

A skinny elder in a Buddhist robe picked up a black chess piece and placed it on the board, saying softly, "Why the sudden decision to leave seclusion?"

"Hmm."

The old man in a monk's robe sitting opposite the old monk calmly said, "The master of the Green Mountain Palace has been killed, and I can't stay in seclusion forever. Even if breaking through to the Essence Refinement Stage is unlikely, Half-step Essence Refinement is good enough."

"You're also at Half-step Essence Refinement, and as far as I know, there's quite a conflict between your Buddhist Sect and that Chen Qiu."

"A true disciple cultivated for so long, finally reaching the Tenth Rank Nascent Soul, and with great hopes of achieving a Tenth Rank Divine Transformation Realm, only to have his Nascent Soul and sarira taken away by Chen Qiu. Now, even though he's alive, he's no different from being dead, completely reduced to a useless cripple."

"You and I haven't used our bodies in a long time. Let's join forces and get rid of that Chen Qiu."

"Heh."

The old monk in a monk's robe, his body thin and bony, suddenly looked at the Green Mountain Palace Patriarch and laughed, "The Three Springs Palace Patriarch also just broke through to Half-step Essence Refinement, and he still perished. Are you that confident that you and I can take down Chen Qiu?"

"Don't underestimate yourself." The Green Mountain Palace Patriarch's face was calm. "The reason the Three Springs Palace's Half-step Essence Refinement cultivator perished was twofold. First, he had just broken through, so his foundation was still shallow. Second, he didn't die in a direct battle but was struck down by the Thunder Tribulation."

"It's normal to not withstand a Thunder Tribulation triggered by 2.9 billion Sin Points and a Twelfth Rank Nascent Soul."

"The Three Springs Palace's Half-step Essence Refinement cultivator was basically cheated to his death."

"But I'm different."

"The Green Mountain Palace is a top power on the Xuantian Continent, and as the Green Mountain Palace Patriarch, I'm the only one on the continent with a Tenth Rank Realm. Chen Qiu's Twelfth Rank Divine Transformation Realm can suppress everyone, but it can't suppress my realm."

"Your Buddhist Sect is also a top power on the Xuantian Continent."

"With our combined strength and fully unleashing our foundations, even if Chen Qiu has joined forces with the Dragon Clan, they won't be a match for us."

"Moreover, this is actually a good opportunity for us."

"The Dragon Clan has already appeared."

"As long as we take away all the foundations from Chen Qiu and the Dragon Clan, we might find the opportunity to break through to Essence Refinement within it."

". . ."

The Buddhist Sect Patriarch, this old monk in a monk's robe, didn't speak but instead placed a white chess piece on the chessboard. After a long while, he raised his head and looked at the Green Mountain Palace Patriarch, his voice hoarse.

"It's not safe enough. Let's add more stakes."

"This person is indeed difficult to kill. If we're going to make a move, we should use thunderous force to eliminate him."

"Virtue should not be given all at once, but in portions."

"Evil, however, should be given all at once, cutting off all his escape routes in one strike."

The old monk then picked up a black chess piece and placed it on the chessboard, "Do you know why I like playing chess against myself?"

The Green Mountain Palace Patriarch frowned, looking at the black chess piece on the board. Since he sat down, the Buddhist Sect Patriarch had been playing against himself, and he didn't know why the other suddenly mentioned this.

"Because this way, I always win."

"Alright."

The old monk in a monk's robe, his body thin and bony, sat up and stretched lazily before casually saying, "Ever since Kongming and Chen Qiu had a little conflict, I've been investigating Chen Qiu."

"Starting from Quzhou, I searched every inch of the way."

"And what did you find out?"

"Chen Qiu actually has a karmic connection with one of my External Bodies."

"Oh?"

The Green Mountain Palace Patriarch's eyes narrowed slightly. He knew what the Buddhist Sect's External Bodies were—a special method for Buddhist disciples to harvest Virtue Points. They would have their External Bodies do good deeds day and night, accumulating virtue, and the accumulated Virtue Points would be transmitted to the Buddhist disciples.

Of course, 'External Body' was just a euphemism.

In reality, it was no different from the evil methods of the demonic path.

Each of these External Bodies of the Buddhist disciples was actually a living person, but their minds had been altered by the Buddhist secret arts, compelling them to do good deeds and accumulate Virtue Points regardless of the cost. Then, through another Buddhist secret art, these people's Virtue Points would be plundered and stored within the disciples.

The number of External Bodies a Buddhist cultivator could control varied with their cultivation level.

Generally speaking, a Buddhist cultivator at the Divine Transformation stage could control over a thousand External Bodies, and a Half-step Essence Refinement Buddhist Patriarch could probably control even more.

Perhaps close to ten thousand.

The best targets for these Buddhist secret arts were people with low cultivation levels, like Foundation Establishment cultivators. Those with higher cultivation levels might regain their senses and couldn't be controlled for long.

However, these people rarely had a good ending.

After all, doing good deeds at all costs often meant causing great harm to themselves and those around them.

"Hmm."

The Buddhist Patriarch, wearing a monk's robe, picked up a black chess piece and placed it on the chessboard, "Quite an interesting karmic connection. Chen Qiu's first appearance was in the Endless Snow Mountains north of Quzhou, where he was found unconscious in the snow."

"My External Body carried him from the mountains to Death's End Town, saving Chen Qiu's life. At the time, Chen Qiu seemed heavily injured, and after displaying his early Golden Core cultivation, he asked my External Body some basic questions."

"For example, the map of the Xuantian Continent and so on."

"So, at that time, Chen Qiu should have just entered the Xuantian Continent for the first time, and everything about the continent was unknown to him."

"Afterward, Chen Qiu left behind some Spirit Stones and then departed. The next time he passed through Death's End Town, my External Body was being bullied by a group of thugs, and it was Chen Qiu who appeared and saved my External Body."

"It can be seen that Chen Qiu is grateful to his benefactor."

"I understand." The Azure Mountain Palace elder narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the black chess piece that the Buddhist Ancestor had placed: "You mean to use this External Body as a ploy, designing a trap to lure Chen Qiu into it?"

"That's just one aspect."

A faint smile flashed in the Buddhist Ancestor's cloudy eyes as he picked up another black chess piece and placed it on the board, speaking with profound meaning, "As long as we find a way to let Chen Qiu know that his savior from the past is in danger, I believe that when Chen Qiu goes to help a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he will definitely not be overly cautious."

"After all, he has already reached the Divine Transformation stage."

"And when a person loses their caution, that's when they fall into our trap!"

"There's also another reason."

"The first time Chen Qiu appeared on the Xuantian Continent was on the Endless Snow Mountain, which means that for these tens of thousands of years, the remnants of the Heaven-defying Sect have likely been hiding in a small universe within the Endless Snow Mountain near Death's End Town."

"I've already sent people to investigate."

"As long as we can find these remnants from tens of thousands of years ago, we can threaten Chen Qiu with their lives. Even if he doesn't surrender immediately, he will definitely be cautious, fearing for their lives. With this two-pronged approach, how can Chen Qiu possibly escape?"

". . ."

After a long silence, the Azure Mountain Palace elder rasped, "Do we, two Half-step Essence Refinement cultivators, really need to go to such lengths to deal with a First Rank Divine Transformation and a Peak Divine Transformation Dragon Clan member? I think we can just go and kill them directly."

"The Central Province seems to be overestimating Chen Qiu's strength."

"The fall of the Half-step Essence Refinement cultivator from Three Springs Palace last night was entirely due to the Thunder Tribulation. Chen Qiu's actual strength should be around the Peak Divine Transformation stage. In a one-on-one situation, he's still not a match for a Peak Divine Transformation cultivator."

"And also—"

"You've already placed three black chess pieces in a row. Isn't that a bit excessive?"

Below the mountain stream, by the spring.

The Buddhist Ancestor in his monk's robe suddenly laughed, picking up another black chess piece and placing it on the board. This time, he directly captured an entire section of white chess pieces, "This is why I like playing against myself."

"Not only can I always win, but I can also break the rules."

"Since Chen Qiu became famous, everyone who has died at his hands has been due to their own carelessness. Even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it still exerts its full strength."

"Evil should be delivered in one go, to satisfy it in one feeding."

"Not in batches, that's called tempering, not evil."

"Once we take action, we should use all available resources to ensure that Chen Qiu is completely crushed on the Xuantian Continent. Let's wait a few months. Once we find the small universe where the remnants of the Heaven-defying Sect are hiding in the Endless Snow Mountain, we'll lure Chen Qiu into the trap. When he's cautious about harming them, we'll strike with thunderous force and severely injure him. Then, we can easily find someone to finish him off."

"Bright Void is a good choice."

"A Tenth Rank Nascent Soul who can't even protect himself, what a useless waste."

"He's an eyesore while he's alive."

". . ."

At this moment, the Azure Mountain Palace elder felt a chill down his spine. Fortunately, he and the Buddhist Sect were not adversaries. Even though they were currently on the same side, hearing the Buddhist Ancestor's plan still made him feel a bit apprehensive.

If this plan succeeds!

Even if he were in Chen Qiu's position, he might fall for it too, not knowing how to break free from this scheme.

Chen Qiu would never have imagined that his savior from the past was actually the External Body of his enemy.

Although he preferred using brute force and disliked strategizing, according to the Buddhist Ancestor's plan, the success rate was indeed slightly higher.

However,

He suddenly furrowed his brows in hesitation, "Are you sure that Chen Qiu, upon learning that his savior from the past is in danger, will come to the rescue? Logically speaking, your External Body saved him once, and then he saved your External Body in return. Shouldn't the cause and effect be settled, and the debt of gratitude repaid?"

"Yes."

The Buddhist Ancestor took out a handful of black chess pieces and carefully placed them in the gaps on the board, "I retrieved all the memories of the External Body, including every scene of his interaction with Chen Qiu."

"Although Chen Qiu is indeed ruthless."

"He is extremely sentimental."

"And through the information I gathered in Quzhou, this conclusion can be easily drawn."

After the black chess pieces filled all the gaps on the board,

The Buddhist Ancestor finally breathed a sigh of relief, satisfied. He carefully removed the white chess pieces that had been surrounded and captured, and smiled,

"You see, it's very easy to win."

"The chessboard is like this."

"Killing Chen Qiu will be just as easy."

PS: I'll correct any typos later. Also, cough, it's the 15th, and I know you all have a guaranteed monthly ticket. If possible, could you give it to me...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end