It was as expected.
Chen Jiuyang collected his thoughts.
With the immediate threat to his life gone, he needed to organize his thinking.
In the village of Shengcun, the village chief had told him to be buried. He woke up in the coffin, but before he entered that place, he saw his white chess piece being stained black.
The grand chessboard was the one before him, the small chessboard was the coffin, and the other "Chen Jiuyang"s were all chess pieces. The key to entering the game was to choose who would enter the coffin.
The "Chen Jiuyang" of Diedi Village told him to kill the "Chen Jiuyang" of Guiyi Village, who in turn told him to kill the village chief of Shengcun. These were all lies. No matter which instruction Chen Jiuyang followed, he would be completely consumed.
What made him suspicious was the coffin.
Diedi Village and Guiyi Village had martial power, but Shengcun had no power; its inhabitants were ordinary "Chen Jiuyang"s.
The Dao Fruit of Immortal Emperor Zhuang Wu looked at Chen Jiuyang and said, "It's your turn to make a move."
Chen Jiuyang's mind raced, and he tentatively asked, "Is the name of the Primordial Dao 'Wu' or 'Wo'?"
The Dao Fruit of Immortal Emperor Zhuang Wu nodded slightly and slowly said, "Since you have entered the game, you should know... the Dao is named... Wu."
"Rumble!!!"
Suddenly, it was as if a thunderclap exploded, causing Chen Jiuyang's body to tremble. An indescribable great terror seemed to surface in his heart.
The moment this character escaped from the mouth of the Dao Fruit of Immortal Emperor Zhuang Wu, nine types of Dao powers surged forth, bringing with them an indescribable sense of terror, sanctity, and solemnity.
"If one enters the game knowing the name is Wu, then what about observing the game?"
Chen Jiuyang's mind was in a frenzy, but there was no clue. His cultivation realm was ultimately too low. Although he had read countless imperial scriptures and could reach the Imperial Realm without worry, the Primordial Dao involved the starting point of becoming a mortal immortal in martial arts.
This was something never recorded or discussed in the imperial scriptures of the Crippled Old Village.
He needed help now, and the only one who could help him was Princess Shiraku.
Chen Jiuyang looked at the Dao Fruit of Immortal Emperor Zhuang Wu and said solemnly, "Can I not make a move for now?"
"Why?" the Dao Fruit of Immortal Emperor Zhuang Wu asked. "Once the chessboard is set, there is no turning back."
Chen Jiuyang tentatively asked, "I have some insights and need to leave here temporarily."
"Of course," the Dao Fruit of Immortal Emperor Zhuang Wu replied.
Entering the game was dangerous, but it wasn't without a chance to catch one's breath.
Chen Jiuyang could at least get a slight grasp of the rules of this Dao Fruit of Immortal Emperor Zhuang Wu's chessboard.
After all, when playing chess, there was no time limit on when you had to make your move.
With a slight understanding of the rules, Chen Jiuyang immediately got up and rushed out of the city to find Princess Shiraku.
He explained the events that had transpired and asked for her help.
Princess Shiraku said, "The methods of this Immortal Emperor's Dao Fruit are quite impressive. Although dangerous, the more perilous the Primordial Dao, the stronger you will become once you obtain it."
"Based on the information you've provided, there are other secrets within these three villages: entering the game, observing the game, living by embracing death, and breaking the game."
"You sensed nine types of Dao powers, so the most dangerous should be observing the game."
"The name of that Primordial Dao can only be spoken by you and him. You must consider the meaning of this Primordial Dao from all angles, the way its power is derived, and then compare them one by one."
"You should carefully observe within the chessboard."
"Embracing death to live, you will then be able to begin to devour these nine Dao powers. In the stage of breaking the game, that Immortal Emperor's Dao Fruit will directly enter the arena to contend with you. At that time, he will unleash the power of his second Primordial Dao. You must be careful."
Chen Jiuyang frowned, feeling increasingly troubled.
Chen Jiuyang asked, "Why is my aura lowered when I use 'All races in the mortal world fear me like heaven' and 'Past and future, there is no immortal at this moment'?"
Princess Shiraku's delicate eyebrows knitted. "This is impossible. These are divine abilities brought down from the Heavenly Realm by my father, defying the heavenly mandate."
"Even Immortal Emperors cannot reverse the karma of the Dao within them."
"There can only be one reason: the game is not yours to control. I told you before that if you want to contend for the Primordial Dao and refine the power of the Dao Fruit, you cannot rely on strength."
"Although I don't know what other Primordial Daos that Immortal Emperor's 'Dao Fruit' possesses, you must not use any divine abilities anymore, and try to use the Martial Dao Furnace as little as possible."
"The more you use them, the more your true capabilities will be exposed, which is disadvantageous to you."
Chen Jiuyang's body trembled slightly. Yes, he had forgotten about this.
"I understand."
Then, Chen Jiuyang turned and walked back into the ghost city. As for Luo Xingchen, she could only fend for herself.
Stepping back into the grand mansion, the Dao Fruit of Immortal Emperor Zhuang Wu was still sitting unchanged before the chessboard. Seeing Chen Jiuyang return, he said,
"It's your turn to make a move again."
"I need to consider both the grand chessboard and the small chessboard," Chen Jiuyang frowned. "If I want to refine the Dao Fruit, I can only enter the chessboard."
"Refining the Dao Fruit is indeed not that easy."
"If I were to overturn this chessboard, I would probably end up like Qi Wushuang."
Chen Jiuyang slowly raised his hand, reached into the chess box, picked up a white piece, and then placed it on the chessboard.
The Dao Fruit of Immortal Emperor Zhuang Wu did not hesitate, directly placing a black piece on the chessboard, forming a cross-shaped intersection.
"Boom!"
In an instant, dense black pieces once again appeared on the chessboard, staining Chen Jiuyang's white piece black.
Chen Jiuyang's vision went black.
When he opened his eyes again, he was already in Shengcun, within the Three Lives Tomb.
"Hmm?"
However, there was a difference.
He was no longer himself, but had become "Village Chief" Chen Jiuyang.
This was because the real "Village Chief" Chen Jiuyang had been thrown into the coffin by him.
"The staining of the first piece black caused me to almost be buried in the coffin."
"Now, the staining of this second piece black has made me the village chief?"
"What meaning does this hold?"
"Am I to be assimilated and completely lost here?"
Chen Jiuyang frowned.
However.
This also had its benefits.
He could use the identity of the "village chief" to investigate the situation within the village.
Why were there so many different versions of him in the village, and why did they all hate his true self?
What was the reason?
And he also knew that the name of this Primordial Dao was "Wu."
Everything before him must be related to the "Primordial" Dao.
Chen Jiuyang slowly walked out of the village chief's house, looking around the small village, feeling that this place was increasingly strange.
In his eyes now, Yin energy converged like a substance, and the once clear sky and village were covered with a layer of dimness.
Outside Shengcun, Chen Jiuyang saw crowds of people.
There were elders with human heads and snake bodies, holding bone crutches, human skin lanterns, and women and children with two heads on their shoulders...
They all stood in the shadows outside Shengcun, their hatred surging to the heavens!