"It’s not over until the very end, and the final outcome remains unknown. You truly have the same temperament as your master; even when facing certain defeat, you insist on fighting to the bitter end."

From within the pool, a sneer echoed, and another white piece settled upon the board. The voice turned languid: "But what was the final result for him? Attacked and killed by the Sages of the Confucian School, along with numerous powerhouses from the Buddhist and Daoist branches. Even in death, he found no peace—his body was cleaved into dozens of pieces and suppressed across the Five Lands and Twelve Isles. It was utterly tragic. A man who was poised to reach the apex of all realms, who should have been immortal and indestructible, ended up like that. It truly leaves one speechless—"

"You speak incorrectly!"

The youth shook his head, his expression intensely serious. "My master is not like me. He fought against Heaven, against Earth, against man, precisely because he knew he would win. He knew that our Cang Sheng Dao's belief in the equality of all sentient beings would eventually spread throughout the world. Perhaps not in his generation, perhaps not in mine, nor in the next, but the day his aspirations are realized is certain—"

The female voice let out a cold, dry laugh, and in an instant, the entire pool froze over completely. "It sounds noble, and your spirit is certainly tragic. But do you think the Confucian figures are made of mud, shattering with a mere push? Those Sages of the Confucian School were all born bearing the righteous energy of Heaven and Earth, embodying the great destiny of the cosmos. Since they denounce your Cang Sheng Dao as heretical evil, they must have their reasons! I, for one, think you are now standing on shaky ground, truly seeing no chance of rising again."

"Tsk! Senior, you are mistaken again. My master was one of the Sages of the Confucian School! Even in his final moments, his magnificent, righteous qi was the crown among all Sages!"

The white-robed youth deliberately adjusted the Confucian cap on his head, as if pointedly reminding his companion of his current scholarly attire.

"My master once explained the meaning of Confucianism. The character 'Ru' () is composed of 'Ren' (, person) and 'Xu' (, need). Therefore, Confucianism, in short, is what people require. The current essence of Confucianism suits the mortal way of all realms, naturally resulting in deep karmic fortune. But if the day comes when the people of this world no longer desire their doctrines, when the mortal way shifts—then those so-called Confucians today are nothing but pseudo-Confucians, false Confucians. Why should they not be defeated?"

"But how can you know that the mortal way will ever shift?"

"That, I truly do not know."

The white-robed youth lowered his head in contemplation, seeming to have finally settled his thoughts, and played another piece on the board.

"Those fellows make it their sacred duty to keep the masses ignorant. 'The people can be made to follow, but they cannot be made to understand.' The Confucian classics have been twisted into this form by them; they have taken great pains to do so. Furthermore, they spread ritual and doctrine to shackle the human heart. If things continue this way, the trajectory of the mortal way will indeed struggle to change."

"If you don't know, then how can you be sure you have a chance to win?" The voice from the now-frozen pool grew even colder.

"I just know!" The white-robed youth also smiled slightly: "The transformation of the human heart is the most unpredictable thing, yet it generally suffers not from poverty, but from inequity. No matter how much they are shackled or deceived, what use is it? Those people act against the desires of the heart; how can they not drift farther and farther from the great trend of the mortal way? The dynasties on the Central Cloud Continent often last only a few hundred years. And the Confucian School repeatedly cycles through a few centuries of prosperity followed by a few centuries of massacre—never changing. On the Five Lands and Twelve Isles, countless common people have died because of these wars. 'Dying without repentance'—that perfectly describes these insects clinging to the Heavenly Dao—"

As he spoke, the youth’s expression grew increasingly incensed, filled with righteous anger: "The Six Arts of our true Confucian path—Rites, Music, Archery, Charioteering, Calligraphy, and Mathematics. The ancient Sages were either Martial Powerhouses or peak Spirit Masters. And what have they turned it into now? The Six Classics! Most contemporary Confucian scholars are utterly incapable of lifting a chicken, relying solely on their 'Vast Righteous Qi' to survive, their lives held in the palms of mortal kings. They have become mere running dogs for the rulers, yet they dare speak of ruling by simply letting things take their course? And that 'Doctrine of the Mean'—it’s all bullshit!"

He violently pulled open the collar of his robe: "What the ancient Sages meant by the Mean was the unity of Heaven and Man, emphasizing the alignment of inherent nature and human form, cultivating the mind and nature to achieve ultimate perfection, ultimate benevolence, ultimate sincerity, ultimate Dao, ultimate virtue, and ultimate sagehood. But they deliberately twisted it into an meaning of impartiality, compromise, and moderation. What is this nonsense about governing a great state like cooking a small fish? How can a great state be compared to a small fish? Even if you are cooking a small fish, it’s fine to apply strong heat occasionally. Like them, even when the body is rotting and festering everywhere, they dare not even cut it with a knife—what is the point? In the past, anyone who acted even slightly upright and beyond the norm was deemed a harsh official, and they would exhaust themselves trying to tear me down and slander me. And that saying, 'Water too clear breeds no fish'—there shouldn't be fish in that water in the first place! What’s wrong with the water being a bit clearer? In the Confucian governance of the world, corruption sprouts up every hundred years, and signs of chaos frequently appear. Yet the Confucian scholars are utterly helpless. And they dare to accuse my master of spreading heretical ideas? I curse their ancestors and their immortals—"

For a moment, the pool was utterly silent. It seemed the youth's final curse had utterly stunned the entity within.

But the white-robed youth then smiled again: "Why are we talking about this while playing chess? It's rare that I get to accompany you. These matters have nothing to do with you—"

After a long pause, the voice from the pool finally emitted a soft hum and played a piece in return.

Seeing this, the white-robed youth was first startled. A moment later, a smile appeared in his eyes: "Indeed. If you don't keep fighting to the end, how can you know whether you ultimately lose or win? If I had admitted defeat just now, how could I have ever expected you to be so careless and reveal such a massive flaw? Even a clumsy player like me can see a chance to turn defeat into victory—"

The pool fell silent again. However, just as the youth picked up a black piece, his heart suddenly stirred, and he casually made a move outward.

Hundreds of miles away, a talismatic shadow instantly flashed over. The white-robed youth paused, caught the shadow, and held it. Moments later, his brow furrowed slightly. He felt both surprise and worry.

"The one who sent this talisman, is it that junior of yours who obtained the Martial Saint Golden Elixir?"

The voice in the pool seemed certain of the identity. Without waiting for the youth's reply, it turned curious: "What matter could cause your spiritual state to fluctuate so violently?"

The youth did not answer. He pondered for a long time before suddenly clenching his hand; the talisman instantly dissolved into dust. His face fell as he said, "It is indeed Lingbo. She recently found a promising candidate. Fourteen years old, enlightened in the Way of the Sword, with an Innate Initial Meridian, a Night Roaming Spirit Master."

"Is that all?" The female voice sounded clearly puzzled, as if achievements of that level at that age were still insignificant in her eyes.

"Dual cultivation in Spirit and Martial arts; achieving this at fourteen can only be considered decent. However, being enlightened in the Way of the Sword—this child is truly the first since the creation of the world. But it shouldn't be enough to alarm the Sovereign of your Cang Sheng Dao. It should suffice for the current Sect Master of the Tai Yuan Sect to take him as a direct disciple, especially since you are no longer in the Cloud Realm."

The white-robed youth sighed slightly, full of helplessness. "But what if this person was born with a Dual Meridian Body, possessing the Heavenly-Human barrier, and has a damaged soul?"

A startled sound of disbelief indeed rose from the pool. A snow-white dragon head surfaced above the water. Though enormous, its appearance was inexplicably somewhat cute. It opened its large eyes and stared blankly at the ground where the chessboard lay.

"Such an extraordinary person exists in this world? To reach this level of cultivation and still not be dead is truly strange. If he were a candidate for the Divine Emperor, his karmic fortune should not be this poor, with so many cultivation obstacles piled together. But if he isn't, such innate talent is unprecedented, enough to inherit the mantle of your Cang Sheng Dao. Aren't you always vexed by the continuation of your lineage? This should be good news; why are you so troubled? Oh, right, I remember I still owe you a favor. We’ve known each other for many years; as long as it is within my power, I will help you this time."

The white-robed youth showed no joy, shaking his head slightly. "With such a disciple, my happiness would be boundless. However, the Sword Sect has already learned of this person. Lingbo has been arguing fruitlessly with Yan Fan of the Five Absolutes Manor for several months, only then reporting it to me. Do you think I’m not troubled? But if you are truly willing to help me, resolving this matter will be simple."

"The Sword Sect? Having to deal with that Sword Sect Master? Then forget it, I want to sleep."

The jade dragon's eyes spun once, then it decisively sank back into the water, causing bubbles to gurgle.

The white-robed youth let out a dry laugh, not caring, merely shaking his head slightly. "You woman, as expected, cannot be relied upon. It seems I must indeed make a trip back to the Cloud Realm. It has been over four thousand years since I left there; I genuinely miss it."

He then looked at the chessboard before him with infinite regret: "But this game cannot continue. It’s so rare to have a chance to defeat you!"

"With your chess skill, even if I make one misstep, you are still no match for me. When this game reaches the end, I should win by six eyes!"

The female voice gave a slight sneer, tinged with disdain. Then, she sent a ball of white light toward the white-robed youth.

"Take this. It's useless to me here anyway. Although your martial and spiritual arts have all reached the Saint level, once you enter the Cloud Realm, they will certainly be suppressed. This object might help you a little. In any case, be careful, and don't end up being besieged and killed by the masses like your master—"

The white-robed youth smiled, not looking to see what the white light was, and casually tucked the item into his sleeve. Gratitude appeared in his eyes as he inclined his head slightly toward the pool. Then, without lingering, he stepped into the void.

And just as the youth's figure vanished, the jade-white dragon head emerged again. Its entire body broke free from the water, only to reveal countless red chains piercing and binding its dense form.

At this moment, the dragon's eyes were staring somewhat bewilderedly at the chessboard.

"Strange, how did I place this piece here?" (To be continued)