Chapter 412 - 170: Perishing into the Chess Game, Sacrificing the Toad Wrath

The chessboard shrank, transforming into a speck of spiritual light.

With a flick of his finger, Su Bai sent the speck of spiritual light into Cui Yanliang’s palm.

Cui Yanliang held the speck of spiritual light, his Heart Spirit growing heavy.

The Celestial Secret Sect Master had been on the path of the Dao for ten thousand years. Cui Yanliang had no way of knowing what he had truly experienced on his journey.

The injuries from their previous exchange were not the cause of his death.

The real reason was that his vital essence, his Divine Intent, and even his entire Divine Spirit had been infused into the chessboard with the fall of each and every piece.

Cui Yanliang knew full well that this wasn’t because the Sect Master’s time was up.

Rather, it was because after seeing Su Bai, he understood that he had truly run out of road.

Even if he exhausted every Inference Method at his disposal, he would not live to see the future.

This time, his death was certain!

He was better off ending it himself.

"Keep it."

Su Bai glanced at Cui Yanliang.

This chessboard was formed from the culmination of all the Celestial Secret Sect Master’s Dao Essence and Divine Intent.

If he can one day return through Reincarnation, this chessboard might be his opportunity to walk the path of cultivation once more.

If he cannot, it’s still an exceptionally rare treasure.

Cui Yanliang nodded, though he wasn’t very optimistic.

Throughout history, very few have ever truly been involved with life, death, and Reincarnation.

In other words, the only person people truly believed could return through Reincarnation was the Netherworld Venerable Master.

Legend has it that the Netherworld Venerable Master possesses a wondrous book that governs life, death, and Reincarnation, its power capable of guiding souls through the cycle.

But this was only a legend; no one in the world today knew if it was true.

BUZZ!

Just then, a powerful hum emanated from the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

The Eight Trigrams Furnace then shot into the air, transforming into a streak of golden light that vanished into Su Bai’s body.

THUD!

His body glowing crimson like a red-hot branding iron, Wang E collapsed onto the Cloud Ship with a heavy thud.

Wisps of smoke drifted up from his body.

One could even catch the faint scent of cooked meat.

Chen Shaoyou’s lip twitched. He could hardly believe that this miserably battered giant before him was the same person from the legends of later generations.

The powerhouse who would one day traverse the heavens and earth, his might oppressing an entire era.

In the future, Wang E would have many titles, such as Innate Saint General, Red Heart Daoist, and Fire King Celestial Monarch...

But his most famous title would be Divine Eye Great Spirit Heaven!

Unlike Elder Celestial Master Cui Yanliang, who was so elusive that almost no one had ever truly seen him—like a Divine Dragon showing its head but not its tail.

This Wang E—the powerhouse who would later be known as Wang Lingtian—was a truly dazzling and peerless figure of the Twenty-First Epoch.

Innate Saint General.

Fire King Celestial Monarch.

Divine Eye Great Spirit Heaven!

The legends about him were as numerous as the stars.

Of course, after this incident, he no longer believed in so-called legends.

Who could have imagined that a seemingly trivial matter, recorded in the legends with just a few words, would attract so many powerful figures?

’It’s a good thing my luck is heaven-defying...’

’Otherwise, I’d probably be nothing but ash by now!’

"His Physique is incredibly robust, but it bears the influence of that old toad."

"After this tempering, he may experience a period of weakness, but it has also eliminated any hidden dangers, allowing him to cultivate without worry."

"Later, you can teach him the subsequent Chapters of the *Fist Scripture*."

Su Bai glanced at Wang E, who lay face-up, breathing out smoke. The Vertical Eye on his forehead was crimson, yet it pulsed with a golden light.

"His Dharma Eye Divine Technique has taken its initial form. When you teach him cultivation methods, don’t forget to have him practice some Pupil Technique Divine Techniques as well."

"I will follow your arrangements, Teacher."

Cui Yanliang nodded in acceptance.

Su Bai had already perfected many of the subsequent Chapters of the *Fist Scripture*. While still a notch below the complete version, it was already the limit of what Wang E could practice.

The complete *Fist Scripture* was of an extremely high grade, comparable to a common Immortal Grade Technique. It was far beyond Wang E’s reach.

Even a legendary Child of Heaven and Earth, born to face a great worldly calamity and blessed with peerless talent, could not possibly practice Immortal Grade Cultivation Techniques and Divine Techniques at the very beginning of their cultivation journey.

In truth, any Divine Technique or Cultivation Technique that reached the Super Grade required a certain level of Cultivation and insight to even attempt, let alone successfully practice.

At that moment, Wang E lay on his back, the baleful aura around him having dissipated by more than half, with less than a third remaining.

The rage in his heart had been burned to ashes by the flames within the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

Gazing at the blue sky and white clouds on the horizon, feeling the gentle breeze blowing all around him, he felt as if he had been reborn.

After a long while, he finally came to his senses. Feeling the scorching Dharma Eye on his forehead, he looked at Su Bai with a complicated expression.

"You... what kind of fire was that?"

Wang E sat up, making a grabbing motion in the air. He pulled a wisp of cloud-mist over to cover his body.

A shiver ran through him as he recalled the flames of the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

In all his years, he had never truly known what pain felt like.

He recalled how nothing—not landslides, not mountains of blades or seas of fire, not even his battle against the Black Dragon King in the river—had ever been able to harm him.

But the flames in the Eight Trigrams Furnace had ignored his formidable Physique, seeming to burn his body and soul simultaneously.

The experience had terrified him to his very core, making his heart race with lingering fear.

"Within the Eight Trigrams Furnace is the Samadhi True Flame."

"The ’three components’ of the Samadhi True Flame are refined from Essence, Qi, and Spirit. There is nothing in the world it cannot burn."

Su Bai explained slowly.

The flame in the Eight Trigrams Furnace was not an illusion. It was the Fire of the Three Flowers of Divine Soul that he had personally condensed. Under the control of his Divine Spirit, it took the form of the legendary Samadhi True Flame.

Of course, the Three Flowers atop his head had not yet reached Perfection, so this flame naturally lacked the true might of the Samadhi True Flame.

But even so, it was not something an ordinary person could possibly withstand.