Chapter 1267: Wedding Dress

This match would inevitably stretch on for a long time.

At first, the Demon Sovereign needed only a moment to place his stones, but as the match progressed, each move required deeper deliberation. Slowly, he realized the board's entire layout had shifted. With a single move, the black stones' position suddenly transformed, pivoting from dominance to decline. The white stones bit relentlessly into their flank. The very first piece played in the match had now revealed itself as a hidden trap.

"Slaying the dragon..."

The Demon Sovereign suddenly realized how incredibly similar this game was to the grander scheme playing out beyond the board. The trap had been set from the very beginning, advancing so gradually it remained entirely unnoticed.

The hook only revealed itself on the seventy-ninth move.

The Demon Sovereign shifted his gaze to that wisp of Chen Changsheng's divine sense. Its expression mirrored his own—fraught with deep anxiety. Both sides still had a chance; the final moment had not yet arrived.

The Demon Sovereign said, "You want to slay the dragon? Then I will gladly hand you a stone."

Sometimes, Yu Xuan wondered if she had genuinely mistaken him for someone else.

Chen Changsheng's expression flickered. Pinching another stone between his fingers, he sank into deep contemplation.

"Sigh..."

As he thought ahead to the next twenty moves, the board dissolved into a treacherous web.

The Demon Sovereign's expression shifted drastically. Taking his seat again, he no longer dared to underestimate his opponent. Much like Chen Changsheng, he sank into a prolonged contemplation.

"You possess extraordinary Divine Abilities."

Just as Manyue had said, her feelings were merely lingering affection extending to a familiar face, not a matter of who was real or fake.

Sha Tang offered a genial smile. "There is no need for agitation. I sought you out merely to discuss a few matters."

The world was a chessboard, and between the two of them sat a game of their own.

"Is this the immortal path..."

He sat to the side, steadying his divine sense while waiting out the Demon Sovereign's prolonged deliberation.

The Listening Rain Sword had been knocked from her grasp, and she lay crumpled on the ground nearby.

There was a sense of surprise, a hint of astonishment.

Even this wisp of his divine soul showed signs of dissipating.

...

Yu Youyu raised the Listening Rain Sword. "Cut the nonsense. Face my sword!"

With that, he placed a stone on the board.

Yet he was also afraid. Afraid that one day, the person before him would realize the truth—that all of this was nothing more than a calculated scheme, that everything happening now was simply a grand dream.

It seemed the white stones had been aiming to slay the dragon from the very beginning.

But in a mere three exchanges, Yu Youyu was utterly defeated.

The path ahead remained veiled in uncertainty; further effort was required.

What was nature?

For a time, his expression shifted unpredictably.

When he raised his hand, all things in the world served his will. The Daoist resonance of heaven and earth gathered in his palm, answering his call and dispersing at his command.

Yu Youyu furrowed her brows. "What kind of demon are you? What is your purpose in dressing up as gods and playing with ghosts?!"

What was the Heavenly Dao?

None of this could be clearly explained or defined.

"The Dao models itself on nature..."

Though the two were inextricably linked, they were undeniably two different people.

Subtle thoughts drifted through his mind. He seemed to grasp that the path before him was the key to merging with the Dao.

Suddenly, Chen Changsheng placed his stone.

She had assumed her life would continue this way—fighting alongside cultivators and martial artists from all sides to slaughter the demons of the Southern Domain and restore peace to the world.

The cultivator whose heart was fully set on merging with the Dao comprehended a wondrous method deep within the mountain wilderness.

Perhaps sometimes, it was truly better to draw a clear line between them.

His gaze fixed on the Demon Sovereign. "What does it matter even if you saw through this move? I still have backup plans. Demon Sovereign, it is your turn to deliberate."

Sha Tang picked up the Listening Rain Sword. "A fine Immortal Sword. What a pity it goes to waste in your hands."

Yu Xuan's thoughts were tangled. Just like Chen Changsheng, she was unable to see through the trivial matters of the mortal world. That was why she felt so disoriented, and why she inexplicably harbored such lingering affection.

"There is no need."

...

The Demon Sovereign chuckled upon hearing this. "Are you truly so certain?"

...

Meanwhile, this single wisp of Chen Changsheng's divine sense was entirely exhausted. This game of Go consumed an immense amount of mental energy, and a mere remnant soul was nowhere near enough to sustain it.

"Ridiculous."

This was inherently a profoundly esoteric path. The deeper one ventured into it, the harder it became to distinguish truth from illusion.

Watching the Daoist gain enlightenment, Chen Changsheng felt a surge of joy. This meant the day of successfully merging with the Dao was not far off.

Sha Tang recovered his wits and looked at Yu Youyu. "I can see you are a person of great talent. The Human Dao and the immortal path are fraught with complex agendas and endless infighting. You would do well to join my Hongyuan Tianxia and embrace the coming glory of our era."

The Demon Sovereign laughed. "On the chessboard, slaying a dragon is an impossibly difficult feat. What good are all your hidden traps? A flawed strategy is still a flawed strategy. I can only say your skill falls short."

"Is that so?"

The Demon Sovereign's expression flickered. He stepped forward, staring intently at the chessboard.

The demon from a moment ago had vanished without a trace. Immediately after, a neatly dressed person emerged from the woods.

"Naturally..."

Having served on the defense lines of the Southern Domain, Yu Youyu had encountered countless demons and clearly understood the difference between demons and monsters.

Chen Changsheng felt quite helpless, but he had no other choice.

"I believe in myself."

During this time, Yu Xuan had come by to take a look.

That was until one day, she was lured deep into the mountains by a demon.

The Demon Sovereign stood up. "Take your time to think. I will leave this board as it is; you may ponder it for a while longer."

The Daoist had seized a sliver of opportunity, yet he still could not fully unravel the mystery within.

Yu Youyu marveled at her own abilities—a level of skill she would never have dared to imagine in the past.

Within that Dream Method.

Sha Tang's gaze settled on Yu Youyu, showing a particular curiosity toward the sword in her hand.

Seeing Chen Changsheng sitting cross-legged here, sunk into a grand dream and as lifeless as rotting wood, she had initially intended to go inside for a closer look. Yet, upon arriving, she abruptly halted her steps.

Chen Changsheng was Chen Changsheng, and Chen Fan was Chen Fan.

Gritting her teeth, Yu Youyu forced herself to stand. She had underestimated the demon before her; it was completely on a different level from the ones that usually harassed their defense lines.

"Your Divine Abilities are extraordinary, definitely not born of some common lineage. May I ask who your master is?"

This profound and mystical sensation left the Daoist deeply moved.

Chen Changsheng looked up at him. "I am merely a single wisp of his divine sense. If his true self were here, he wouldn't struggle so much. It is only because my mental stamina falls short. You are complete; I am not. Yet you will still lose, and you will lose utterly."

She returned to Mengpo Hall and resumed stirring the cauldron. Watching the Meng Po Soup—the brew capable of making souls forget their past and present lives—there were times she felt tempted to drink a bowl herself.

Ever since she stepped onto the immortal path, her momentum had steadily skyrocketed. The demons she once feared to face were now easily crushed beneath her heel. This sudden and dramatic transformation left even Yu Youyu slightly bewildered.

Leaving behind a soft sigh, Yu Xuan departed.

Somehow, the white stones had formed a perfect chain, connecting from beginning to end, intent on slaying the massive dragon.

One yin and one yang, standing in perfect opposition.

Yu Youyu scoffed. "What a joke. I am a proud member of the Human Race. Why would I ever walk your demon path?"

Sha Tang paused, then let out a soft chuckle. "Human Race?"

He shook his head. "How pathetic that people like you are kept completely in the dark. You think you know who you are bleeding for, yet you understand nothing. In the end, you are merely toiling to make a wedding dress for someone else."