"Speaking of which, I did hear something interesting recently," Lin Qingyu said, playing with the Phoenix Cup in his hand, a faint smile on his lips. "I heard our Shenqi world has a new Mountain Lord."
The Mountain Lord of Hualing Mountain nodded, "It's Dean Qin of Shenqi Academy."
"Then will this Dean Qin lead the team to this year's Shenqi Grand Gathering?" the Mountain Lord of Huyu, who had been mostly silent, suddenly asked softly. "Isn't he less than a hundred years old? Such talent is truly terrifying."
Li Tingyun let out a cold snort, "Just a mere youngster, not worth fearing!"
The Shenqi Continent had countless young talents, especially the favored sons of heaven from the two academies, two pavilions, three mountains, and first-rate sects. Each and every one of them was exceptionally gifted.
Li Tingyun did not believe that a mere abandoned slave from the Shenqi Continent had any talent!
Were the young master of the Jing family, Jing Lan, who reached the late stage of Huashen before the age of one hundred, or the son of the Mountain Lord of Yueqing Mountain, Yue Yuan Gui, any less talented than Qin Si?
"Mountain Lord Li, your words are a bit… uninteresting," Lin Qingyu scoffed. "He has already broken through to the early stage of Huashen at such a young age. If you ask me, this talent is indeed terrifying. At least, no one in my Thousand Demon Pavilion has been able to match him in recent years."
The Thousand Demon Pavilion and the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, as the two pavilions, also had many geniuses under their command. Lin Qingyu was rumored to be only a step away from ascension in his true form. Furthermore, if the Thousand Demon Pavilion had not been without a divine artifact for so many years, its prestige would have long surpassed that of the Buddhist Sect.
It could be said that if his words were to spread, Qin Si's reputation would immediately resound throughout the entire Shenqi world, and all sorts of overtures would be extended to him.
"The Demon King is merely praising these young ones," Li Tingyun said with disdain, rolling his eyes.
Lin Qingyu retorted without restraint, "It's not exactly praise. After all, not everyone can escape unscathed from a Mahayana avatar."
He was practically saying that Li Tingyun's avatar had sought trouble with Qin Si and ended up severely injured, proving to be utterly useless!
Li Tingyun's face immediately darkened, and he struck out at Lin Qingyu with his palm!
Lin Qingyu let out a "ch," his tall figure remaining steadfastly seated. With a gentle flick of his finger, he instantly repelled Li Tingyun's palm strike!
This confrontation happened in the blink of an eye. The teacup in the Mountain Lord of Huyu's hand had not yet reached his lips when the exchange between the two had already concluded.
Li Tingyun's heart sank slightly. He had not expected that even just an avatar of Lin Qingyu would be so powerful.
The move he had just made, if not using ten-tenths of his power, then at least eight-tenths, yet Lin Qingyu had effortlessly deflected it.
It seemed that the information about the Thousand Demon Pavilion within the sect was not comprehensive enough. With Lin Qingyu's cultivation, he might very well be ranked among the top five in the entire Shenqi world.
The more he thought about it, the uglier his expression became.
However, of the other four present, none paid any attention to Li Tingyun. Their status and cultivation were all top-tier, and they had no need to tolerate or flatter Li Tingyun, thus appearing very indifferent. Moreover, Li Tingyun had not attended the Qunyu Mountain Banquet at the beginning of the year, but had forcibly joined later.
However, the Mountain Lord of Huyu, being the host, chuckled softly, "In another seven days will be the Shenqi Grand Gathering. I presume the team from Shenqi Academy will also pass by Qunyu Mountain? Then I might have the honor of seeing that new Mountain Lord."
This year's Shenqi Grand Gathering would be held in Nügui City, on Yueqing Mountain.
Yueqing Mountain, Hualing Mountain, and Qunyu Mountain were collectively known as the Three Mountains. Yueqing Mountain had closed its gates for seventy years for some unknown reason. Except for ten years ago, when Yueqing Mountain sent out the Mountain Lord's son, Yue Yuan Gui, to take over the hosting rights of this Shenqi Grand Gathering, Yueqing Mountain had kept its gates tightly shut and remained very low-key in the intervening years.
This meant that the Shenqi Grand Gathering was the first appearance of Yueqing Mountain after seventy years of closure, and many were secretly observing.
The Mountain Lord of Huyu was a female cultivator, and her voice was soft and gentle, like a spring breeze. Both the Mountain Lord of Hualing Mountain and Li Tingyun were willing to show her courtesy.
At least after hearing her words, Li Tingyun stopped his taunts.
The Mountain Lord of Hualing Mountain said, "We'll know in two more days."
As they spoke, or rather, as Li Tingyun and Lin Qingyu exchanged barbs, the Mountain Lord of Hualing Mountain and the Mountain Lord of Huyu chatted, while Qing Lan sat alone, rarely participating in the conversation of the other four unless mentioned.
Before long, the sky began to dim. A line of red clouds drifted across the horizon, and the stars arranged themselves into a mysterious pattern. A white light suddenly emanated from the peak of Qunyu Mountain, piercing directly through the clouds and seemingly echoing the mysterious stellar pattern, revealing a profound rhythm.
The sounds of music and wind in the forest ceased, and even the conversing Dao Monarchs and Immortal Venerables could not help but look up towards the mountain peak.
"Is that white light the power of the Heavenly Star Chessboard?"
"It must be. Look, the Mountain Lord of Huyu is heading to the highest peak!"
The Mountain Lord of Huyu glanced at Qing Lan, then tapped her toes and leaped upwards, landing on the slender peak stone.
Before her, the colossal Heavenly Star Chessboard occupied half of the mountain rock, like a chess piece embedded in Qunyu Mountain. The outside was a sheer cliff, while the inside was connected to Qunyu Mountain.
Only half of the chessboard was visible, but one could still discern its ancient and profound nature. It was made of some unknown material, its surface shimmering with diffused ink blue and black, vast and deep like the starry sky.
Countless chess pieces adorned it, sparkling with white starlight, scattered like stars, each with its own trajectory, as if the stars in the heavens were reflected on the chessboard, or as if the chessboard itself possessed a brilliant radiance.
"Rise!"
The Mountain Lord of Huyu gave a soft cry, forming a hand seal. A stream of spiritual light landed on the chessboard, and a giant phantom of the chessboard rose into the sky from the mountain peak. The moonlight receded, and the star river blazed, magnificent and unparalleled.
"Daoist Qing Lan, you may begin."
Qing Lan nodded, raising his hand. Clouds and mist swirled up from the mountain streams, and as he moved his feet, he instantly appeared in front of the Heavenly Star Chessboard.
His fingers brushed over the chess pieces on the board, he picked one up, and placed it down—
"Zheng!"
A distant and lingering sound seemed to emanate from the ancient past. The moment the sound fell, countless starlight enveloped Qing Lan. Misty clouds swirled, and a strong wind arose, blowing off Qing Lan's hair crown, yet Qing Lan remained standing steadily.
"The heavens are vast, and karma is universal. I, Qing Lan, a spiritual being of the Heavenly Dao Mountain Stream, inquire of the chessboard. I wish to find one person and one soul. Where should I go?"
As his voice faded, the stars suddenly extinguished.
"Pfft!" Qing Lan's face turned deathly pale. He stumbled back several steps, unable to stand steadily.
The people of Qunyu Mountain did not hear what Qing Lan had said, only that the most mysterious Daoist Qing Lan had spoken a few words on the Heavenly Star Chessboard and was suddenly severely injured.
Could this Heavenly Star Chessboard be so overbearing as to cause a Daoist of at least middle stage Mahayana to be so disheveled?
No one knew.
The Mountain Lord of Huyu hurriedly stepped forward to support Qing Lan and said softly, "Daoist, please take care and focus on healing."
The backlash indicated that even if the Heavenly Star Chessboard were to intervene, the matter Qing Lan had spoken of could not be accounted for!
This situation was not entirely unprecedented. In the past two thousand years, every hundred years when the chessboard opened, Daoist Qing Lan would visit Qunyu Mountain once, even if the Qunyu Mountain Banquet had not commenced, he would quietly come alone.
The Mountain Lord of Huyu did not know what Daoist Qing Lan was calculating, but she knew very well that Daoist Qing Lan had always been calculating one thing.
An unsolvable problem.
"Oh dear, see? Daoist Qing Lan, you should have listened to me and calculated it yourself. Why waste this opportunity for nothing?" Li Tingyun sarcastically remarked.
Each time the chessboard opened, it could only be used for four calculations. Generally, these four individuals were either the four highest-ranking individuals at the Qunyu Mountain Banquet or were privately invited by the Mountain Lord of Huyu.
Li Tingyun had also wished to use the power of the chessboard this year, but it happened to be the fifth person. It was only because the Mountain Lord of Huyu had given up her own spot that Li Tingyun had the opportunity.