The Immortal among Immortals, Sword Master Fang Shan, held the black pieces, placing a piece almost between breaths, finding time to savor tea during the intervals. The aromatic tea, like a beautiful woman, must be savored to appreciate its charm.
He the Sixth, dressed in black, held the white pieces. Whenever Fang Shan placed a piece, He the Sixth followed closely, demonstrating a strong offensive strategy.
When it comes to chess, He the Sixth is sharper than Fang Shan, the Sword Cultivator, often playing with lethal intent. Fang Shan, however, when not wielding a sword, resembles a Daoist, a scholar, anything but a Sword Cultivator.
Half a pot of old wine had already gone down He the Sixth's belly, and within a quarter-hour, a hundred pieces had been placed by both. Quite a brisk pace.
"Time, like frost, has brought down a head full of white hair. He the Sixth, it's been 150 years since we met, hasn't it? It passed so quickly. At the time, we had just emerged into the martial world, believing the world before us to be the entire world." Fang Shan gazed at the drifting white clouds, contemplating how they had followed time's flow, uncertain of where they may eventually arrive.
He the Sixth, having captured over thirty of Fang Shan's pieces, chuckled, "One hundred and fifty-three years and six months. Back then, you came out without any money, watching me devour beef while obviously starving, pretending to make small talk with me.
If I didn't offer you food, you probably wouldn't have said anything at all. Too proud to admit it, yet cautious. Your master knew mine, and I knew you, having quite a good relationship at that. But now, we have become enemies. How regretful! We'll never again share those carefree drinks together."
Zhao Hao and Chen Qingniu had no idea their masters had known each other for so long and had once appeared to be on good terms.
Indeed, the Hua District, although large, only has a few hundred outstanding young individuals in each generation. Who knows how many are still alive today?
Beside them stood a gateway inscribed with countless mysterious patterns, exuding an inexplicable power. No matter the strength, even if a True Immortal intervened, they could not destroy this gateway.
Occasionally, fallen leaves floated through the air, skewing through the gateway without any resistance, as if passing through a light projection without substance.
This gateway had yet to take its final shape. Once it solidified, it would become a Realm Gate, connecting two worlds, allowing one to traverse through it.
What lay on the other side of this world, no one knew—perhaps a world where cultivation was impossible, a barren wilderness, an advanced technological realm, or one teeming with cultivators.
Everything was unknown.
According to Earth's scientists, the cosmos contains many worlds, each undergoing cycles from birth to flourishing, to decay and collapse, with countless worlds at every stage.
Earth possesses unimaginable capabilities to capture and draw in worlds on the brink of collapse, creating a Gate of the World, eventually devouring them amid their collapse.
A Realm Gate represents the resources of a world; the scale of wealth need not be imagined—absolutely enormous.
However, for higher-level Immortals, the value of an unknown world is far beyond mere wealth. They desire other things—a key to ascending to a higher Realm.
"Life always has its share of disappointments. Even if one is unwilling, responsibility unavoidable compels action.
He the Sixth, I do envy you. In our generation, you've advanced ahead in cultivation, and your disciples are all filial.
I lack this fortune. My disciples don't listen to me, doing reckless things that worry me, getting punched by you in vain."
Fang Shan genuinely felt that his disciples weren't growing as he had hoped; the deviation was growing more pronounced, especially with Zhao Hao, whose excessive rigidity risked an untimely end, even under his care.
He the Sixth shook his head, "Fang Shan, you always love studying scrolls, immersed in Scriptures, leaving you no time to discipline. A young sapling must be corrected at the early stage of its growth; waiting too long makes correction difficult."
Their words reached deep into the spirit, beyond what others could grasp—topics no one around them was qualified to hear about.
Speaking of their disciples, it was like talking about their own children, an endless source of anecdotes, yet even these tales eventually reach their end.
"Fang Shan, let's discuss the ownership of this Realm Gate. You and I both know it was my Immortal Martial Combat Hall that first discovered this Realm Gate, but we kept it hidden to avoid our current predicament.
Then Zhao Hao emerged, revealing it to your Celestial Sword Mountain, seeking to stake a claim.
However, you should know this is our Immortal Martial Combat Hall's territory, and as the first discoverers, we have rightful ownership—not to mention, your Celestial Sword Mountain acted unjustly, attempting murder to cover your tracks, unaware we had long been aware before you."
These matters must be clarified—a constant tug-of-war benefits neither side.
"Regardless, our Celestial Sword Mountain will claim a stake—finders, keepers." A Realm Gate's value was immense, worth sacrificing a Third Realm True Immortal or two for.
However, they couldn't resort to fighting. Engaging in battle wasn't feasible; life on the Mother Star wasn't as stable as imagined. Besides, clashes below the Immortal realm could destroy an ordinary planet—too much collateral damage.
Gifted like deities, the era's strong become myth itself, capable of moving mountains and swallowing seas, capturing stars and moons.
"There's no way you'll get fifty percent, not without any grounds. Initially, it should be a 40-60 split, yet we suffered casualties without justification. You must concede."
Who discovered the Gate first could no longer be clarified, but Meiling was undoubtedly Immortal Martial Combat Hall's territory, and Zhao Hao murdering Hall Master Chen was a grave mistake.
The evidence was sufficient as long as Wang Xuan testified against it.
Both parties continued dialogue. Hours later, after consulting their elders, those closest to the Immortal, they reached a tentative result.
"Do you want Zhao Hao and the young man to face off?" He the Sixth asked.
"It's clear to us both—what need is there for witnesses? Let's settle it here." Fang Shan was not so shameless.
However, if Wang Xuan were to die, that would indeed stir up more disputes, securing additional interest for Celestial Sword Mountain.
Meiling had become a restricted zone for both parties. The eventual division of the world entry wouldn't allow other powers to intervene.
After pondering, He the Sixth remarked, "Right, the young man mustn't die."
"An inconsequential person—I have no intent to kill him," Fang Shan responded.
"You might not, but many in Celestial Sword Mountain wish for his death. It's because of his survival that your Celestial Sword Mountain lost ten percent of this world's revenue, prompting desires of violent reprisal."
The powers above Earth Immortal cannot escape his sight, with Celestial Immortals fleeing from any attempts, while Earth Immortals are intercepted by his disciple, Zhao Wu.
This is why Wang Xuan hadn't been slain outright—he was quite fortunate.
"Why?"
He the Sixth shook his head. "Do you really think your discovery of Meiling's secret was coincidental? Why did Zhao Hao come here? Could it truly have been by chance?"
"Do you mean the old man selling Sword-Sharpening Stones is suspicious?" Fang Shan's interest was piqued.
"Quite likely. There's no way such an event was mere coincidence. I have a premonition: Wang Xuan might encounter him again." He the Sixth stated.
To Immortal Martial Mountain, Wang Xuan was indeed trifling, insignificant as a speck of dust. But this speck rendered them great service—a ten percent gain of a world's revenue not even He the Sixth's wealth could surpass.
He wasn't the type to burn bridges; rather, when exploring the new Doomsday World, they might share a portion of benefits with Wang Xuan, as long as he could handle it.
Tit for tat, Immortal Martial Mountain upheld this way of conducting themselves, resisting the urge to act inhumanely even after ascending to an Immortal.
These facts were all unknown to Wang Xuan at the moment.