There is something strange about this game of chess. If it were ordinary Heaven-and-Earth rules, it could not escape my eyes. But the rules within this chess game are faint and elusive. The moment Lin Moyu began setting up formations, he felt something was off.
Within the Chess of All Living Beings, there seemed to be its own set of rules, not Heaven-and-Earth rules. Its level was higher than Heaven-and-Earth rules. Even the Nine Heavens Fate Art could not manipulate it. Even if he tried to observe the rules, it was hard to truly see them clearly. This alone made Lin Moyu realize that this Chess of All Living Beings was not simple.
Inside the game, one's own strength was restricted, making it hard to personally enter the battlefield. It was not just him. Po-Cang Emperor and the True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge were the same. He had originally thought this restriction was set by those two, but only now did he understand that the restriction came from the Chess of All Living Beings itself.
This Chess of All Living Beings had arrived in a rather eerie way. Later, he would have to ask properly.
Lin Moyu did not dwell on it. Thinking more was not as useful as asking a few questions later. Right now he was inside the game, so naturally he had to play properly.
His strength was restricted, and even formations were strange. The formations he was used to could still be set up into shape, but their power was sharply reduced, not even one percent of normal. The rules were unclear, and there was no time for him to comprehend them.
Whoosh. The Wings of Heaven-and-Earth unfolded. Rosy radiance spilled in all directions, illuminating an area.
Since I cannot see the rules clearly, then I will not see them clearly. I will just command them directly.
"Submit!"
The Wings of Heaven-and-Earth trembled. Wherever the rosy radiance reached, it issued commands to the rules. But immediately after, a powerful recoil surged back. The rosy radiance of the Wings of Heaven-and-Earth was rapidly compressed, shrinking back into the wings.
The Wings of Heaven-and-Earth were suppressed.
The rules here are indeed stronger than Heaven-and-Earth. Even within a Nine-Wheel Heaven-and-Earth, the Wings of Heaven-and-Earth could still command the rules. Differences in Heaven-and-Earth level only meant differences in the range it could command. It had never been suppressed before.
Unexpectedly, the rules within this Chess of All Living Beings could actually suppress the Wings of Heaven-and-Earth.
If the rules within the game are stronger than Heaven-and-Earth, could they be rules of a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth? Or something else?
With the Wings of Heaven-and-Earth ineffective, Lin Moyu did not idle. He continued controlling his forces while observing and scrutinizing the rules in the game. The rules flickered in and out, impossible to see clearly. He could only sense them vaguely. His realm and strength were tightly suppressed, leaving no chance to resist.
Formations were likewise limited, but unlike realm and strength, formations were only weakened. This also meant that using formations within the game was permitted.
Since that was the case, then as long as the formation was strong enough, even after being weakened it could still be of great use.
So how could he lay down formations strong enough?
With Lin Moyu's current understanding of formations, formations could be divided into two types: below Heaven-and-Earth, and above Heaven-and-Earth.
Formations below Heaven-and-Earth relied on Heaven-and-Earth rules. Once such formations left Heaven-and-Earth, or entered an unfamiliar Heaven-and-Earth, they would be restricted or fail.
The other type was formations above Heaven-and-Earth. They no longer relied on Heaven-and-Earth rules. They themselves were rules.
Lin Moyu suddenly had a flash of insight.
The Chess of All Living Beings also formed its own rules. The game itself was rules. It was likewise detached from Heaven-and-Earth, self-contained.
He understood a little.
Lin Moyu began to see it. If he wanted formations to exert sufficient power, they had to be self-contained, detached from reliance on rules. In other words, formations outside Heaven-and-Earth, as he had conceived.
Try it.
He cast aside stray thoughts and began drawing runes. Vast numbers of runes were drawn, then dissipated. Lin Moyu was testing. If a rune was suppressed, then it did not meet the requirements.
If he wanted to set up formations outside Heaven-and-Earth, then the runes used for laying the formation first had to detach from Heaven-and-Earth.
In the past, he could set up formations in different Heaven-and-Earth because he could quickly discern the rules of different Heaven-and-Earth. And the runes he had created could adapt to the differing rules of each Heaven-and-Earth.
But his runes had not surpassed Heaven-and-Earth.
Now, he was going to ignore Heaven-and-Earth rules and let the formation become its own Heaven-and-Earth.
He kept trying.
His soul power was consumed in large amounts. The little tree continuously replenished Lin Moyu's soul power. What Lin Moyu feared least was soul power consumption. As long as it was not emptied in an instant, the little tree could replenish it.
He continuously made fine adjustments to the runes, letting them adapt to the rules within the Chess of All Living Beings while also letting them surpass Heaven-and-Earth. Their level rose higher and higher.
In this process, Lin Moyu's understanding and insight into formations rose again. His talent for formation runes seemed endless. As long as he had a goal, he could continuously grow stronger.
Meanwhile, the chess game continued evolving. Po-Cang Emperor and the True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge's forces rapidly grew, capturing cities and territories, seizing resources, and strengthening themselves.
Lin Moyu's forces also passed the opening stage. Lin Moyu did not control them much, letting them mostly develop on their own. Their growth was not fast, far inferior to those two.
Soon, he encountered nearby forces. Battles erupted one after another. Lin Moyu's forces retreated step by step, defending more than attacking. They could not obtain resources, and development was blocked.
But Lin Moyu did not care at all. He continued remaking runes.
In the end, this was only a chess game. Winning or losing had no real benefit. But if he could comprehend the mysteries of runes from it, that would be the true great gain.
His forces were suppressed, his territory was invaded, resources became severely scarce, and he fell into a situation of only defending and never attacking. Lin Moyu still acted as if he did not notice, continuing to create runes.
After countless attempts, progress finally appeared.
At some point, a wisp of purple light appeared within his runes.
The purple light was like rules. The runes carried rules with them, and the game's suppression sharply decreased.
It worked.
Lin Moyu rejoiced inwardly. The runes he had adjusted countless times had finally found the direction and had begun to surpass Heaven-and-Earth.
Although this was only the beginning, once the path was correct, the rest was not difficult.
When he came back to his senses, Lin Moyu finally noticed that his forces had already been reduced to less than one third. His territory, also reduced to one third, was being besieged by several forces. Resources were about to be completely exhausted. He was about to be eliminated.
Although elimination did not matter, Lin Moyu did not want it to end like this.
With a thought, a large number of runes carrying purple light flew out and formed a formation.
The runes used to lay the formation suffered reduced suppression. Once arranged into a formation, the restrictions also greatly diminished. Within the formation, it became self-contained rules. It could entirely follow Lin Moyu's intent, changing its purpose at will. Killing or trapping was all within a single thought.
The suppression of the Chess of All Living Beings on formations also greatly weakened. The formation's power could be exerted to more than half.
Once the formation took shape, it blocked attacks for Lin Moyu's forces, buying them breathing room.
But that alone was far from enough.
From the moment Lin Moyu started, he had no intention of stopping.
One formation after another took shape. Killing formations, trapping formations, illusion formations, all kinds without end.
He used formations to replace his forces, expanding territory and conquering opponents.
Within the Chess of All Living Beings, Lin Moyu should originally have been a commander, directing his forces to develop. But now, Lin Moyu had become a true dominator. He used formations as his pieces and held the entire game in his grasp.
Under the bombardment of formations, the enemy forces quickly collapsed. Lin Moyu's territory continuously expanded. The resources he gained increased more and more. His earlier losses were rapidly made up, soon surpassing his previous state.
Then he expanded outward to the surrounding areas.
Lin Moyu used formations to open the way. Formations became blades, carving out territory for him.
He did not need resources and did not need to train soldiers. As long as his soul power was not exhausted, these formations would never stop.
His territory grew larger and larger. In the blink of an eye, he occupied a corner of the board, then continued spreading outward.
Finally, he collided with the territory of the True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge.
In the chess game, there were no relatives or friends. Lin Moyu was not polite. He continued laying formations.
Grand formations pressed forward like mountains.
Before the True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge even knew who the opponent was, his forces had already been trapped and killed by formations.
In his perception, formations appeared out of nowhere, directly covering his forces and occupying his territory. Yet he could do nothing.
He could only watch helplessly as his territory was seized and his forces were crushed and slaughtered by formation after formation.
From start to finish, he never even saw the shadow of his opponent, and just like that, for no apparent reason, he was eliminated from the game.
After being eliminated, the True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge stood outside the board, still unable to figure it out. He had played the Chess of All Living Beings many times. This had never happened before.
A moment later, Po-Cang Emperor also left the board. His expression was strange, clearly puzzled, and his mood did not seem good.
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge's gaze narrowed. "You were eliminated too?"
Po-Cang Emperor silently nodded. "I do not know what happened. Countless formations suddenly appeared. My territory was occupied in an instant. My forces suffered near total casualties."
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge said, "Same for me. Is there something wrong with your board?"
Po-Cang Emperor pondered. "This board is the ancestral version of the Chess of All Living Beings. I have not played it that many times. Perhaps there are some peculiarities. But it is also possible it was done by young friend Lin. As far as I know, young friend Lin is extremely skilled in formations."
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge said, "Even though formations can be used in the game, their power is reduced to almost nothing. They cannot be this strong. Since both of us were eliminated, at this pace the game will end soon. When it ends, ask fellow Daoist Lin and we will know."
Po-Cang Emperor slightly nodded. "Indeed. Ask and we will know."
Before long, the continuously evolving Chess of All Living Beings stopped. Then a beam of rosy radiance shot out from the board. Lin Moyu appeared within the rosy radiance, indicating he had won.
There was no reward. The rosy radiance's only purpose was to proclaim the winner.
So it really was fellow Daoist Lin's doing.
The two exchanged a glance, both shocked.
Po-Cang Emperor spoke bluntly. "Fellow Daoist Lin, how did you do it?"
Lin Moyu landed before them and gave a slight salute. "Greetings to the two seniors. Lin noticed that this game has its own rules, so I comprehended its rules and laid formations in accordance with them."
Po-Cang Emperor shook his head. "No. The rules in the Chess of All Living Beings are completely different from Heaven-and-Earth rules, and those rules are hard to use to lay formations."
Lin Moyu said, "What senior Po-Cang said is correct. The rules in the game mainly serve to suppress. When this junior said I adapted to its rules, I meant breaking through the restrictions of its rules."
"This junior has studied formations and divided them into two levels: below Heaven-and-Earth and above Heaven-and-Earth. In the past, my formations were always below Heaven-and-Earth. After this, I have gained further insight into the formation Dao, and my formations can now surpass Heaven-and-Earth."
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge interjected, "So the rules in the Chess of All Living Beings can no longer suppress your formations."
Lin Moyu said, "There is still suppression, but it is not as strong."
Po-Cang Emperor said, "Fellow Daoist Lin is indeed a genius. I have possessed this Chess of All Living Beings board for countless years and never researched anything from it. I did not expect fellow Daoist Lin to gain something on your first entry."
Lin Moyu said, "I feel this Chess of All Living Beings board is not simple. The game seems to be evolving thousands upon thousands of Heaven-and-Earth and contains some kind of ultimate principle."
Po-Cang Emperor said, "Fellow Daoist Lin is right. What this Chess of All Living Beings game evolves is precisely the myriad Heaven-and-Earth."
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge said strangely, "How did I not know?"
Po-Cang Emperor chuckled. "You have only used copies. How would you know? Back then, I obtained this board by accident and saw its mysteries. If one could fully comprehend it, perhaps one could realize a method to step into the Life-Forbidden Zone."
"I studied it painstakingly for countless years and gained a little, but not much. So I used this board as the original and refined many copies, scattering them everywhere and letting others play. Every game everyone plays, I can see."
"Unfortunately, the original and copies are ultimately different. My idea did not succeed."
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge said, "One person's wisdom is short, two people's wisdom is long. Then why did you not find someone to research it with you?"
Po-Cang Emperor snorted. "How do you know I did not? Of course I did. But those wastes were useless. Once I raised the difficulty to the highest, those guys could not endure even for a short while. Before the game even ended, they had already perished."
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge's eyes moved slightly. "Then just now...?"
Po-Cang Emperor said, "I lowered the difficulty to the lowest. With how you are now, the lowest difficulty is enough for a bit of amusement. Do not think too much."
After hearing the whole process, Lin Moyu already realized that this Chess of All Living Beings was indeed not simple.
It was absolutely not something produced within Heaven-and-Earth, and it was not even something produced in this era. Perhaps it came from a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth of some era.
A Nine-Wheel Heaven-and-Earth could not possibly give birth to such a thing.
Lin Moyu said, "This junior wants to try."
Po-Cang Emperor waved a hand. The Chess of All Living Beings board floating in the void rapidly shrank, turning into a board the size of a palm.
"Forget trying or not trying. Take it and play. This thing is useless to me now. Keeping it is only for remembrance. If I want amusement, a copy is enough. If fellow Daoist Lin can gain something from it, that would be best. I am still counting on fellow Daoist Lin."
Po-Cang Emperor was generous, directly gifting the Chess of All Living Beings board to Lin Moyu.
When Lin Moyu took it in hand, he immediately discovered the board's abnormality. The aura hidden in the board was completely different from Heaven-and-Earth, indeed stronger than a Nine-Wheel Heaven-and-Earth. Perhaps, as he had thought, it came from a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth of some era.
At the same time, this further confirmed that a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth must have existed. Those things from a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth were incomparably sturdy, enduring the great annihilation and remaining to the present era.
"Then this junior will not refuse."
Lin Moyu was not polite. This board was truly of great use to him.
Just now was only the lowest difficulty. If he raised the difficulty, perhaps he could comprehend even more.
Pressure was motivation.
Lin Moyu wanted to see what secrets were hidden within this Chess of All Living Beings.
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge said, "Fellow Daoist Lin came this time, you must have something to do, right?"
Lin Moyu said, "Yes. I am thinking of ways to find Nine-Wheel Heaven-and-Earth wreckage. By a fortuitous chance, I found one before. Now I want to find a second, but I have no way in. So I came to consult the two seniors. Are there any methods? Finding Nine-Wheel Heaven-and-Earth is extremely important to me, and time is limited. I only have seven hundred years left."
He did not explain why, and Po-Cang Emperor and the True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge did not ask. They both could see Lin Moyu's path was different from theirs. Different paths meant different plans, so they naturally did not ask.
Po-Cang Emperor glanced at the True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge. "My combat power is unmatched, but on this matter, I am indeed not as good as this old fellow."
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge said irritably, "I did not expect you, this old fellow, would admit you have something you are not as skilled at."
Po-Cang Emperor snorted. "I am only admitting I am inferior to you in this one aspect. Do not get too pleased with yourself, or I will beat you to death."
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge clicked his tongue. "A dead remnant soul, still talking big."
Po-Cang Emperor also refused to back down. "Whether it is big talk, we will know after trying in a moment."
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge said angrily, "You old fellow, can you speak properly?"
Po-Cang Emperor said, "I like speaking like this. You have an opinion? If you dare have an opinion, I will still beat you."
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge said, "Try it, then."
Lin Moyu quickly withdrew from the Po-Cang Crystal to avoid being affected. He found it both funny and helpless. These two old fellows, the moment they disagreed they would start fighting. They were clearly dead, only remnant souls, yet still so troublesome.
The True Lord Seeker-of-Knowledge said he had a forty percent chance. It should indeed be more than that. But saying sixty to seventy percent also sounded like exaggeration. Normally, he should have a fifty percent chance.
A fifty percent chance was already worth trying. In any case, Lin Moyu had no better method right now.
He handed the light point recording the deduction result to the little tree and instructed it to search in the direction indicated by the light point, and the little tree agreed.
The Life-Forbidden Zone was enormous. Before, there was no direction at all, truly just relying on luck. Now there was a direction. Lin Moyu believed it would not take long to get a result. He trusted the little tree as he trusted himself. As long as there was a Nine-Wheel Heaven-and-Earth in that direction, the little tree would definitely find it.
Next, he took out the Chess of All Living Beings board.
From the board, Lin Moyu sensed a special Heaven-and-Earth power. It formed its own Heaven-and-Earth, relying on no other Heaven-and-Earth. Its level seemed somewhat like the Calamity Scepter.
Lin Moyu had a thought: he wanted to smash it a few times with the Calamity Scepter and see if he could break it. But after thinking, he decided against it. Such a crazy idea was something only he could come up with.
Soul flame poured into the board and began refining it. The board glimmered. The refinement process went smoothly. This was not a combat treasure. Although its level was high, refining it was not difficult. Any true supreme powerhouse could refine it in a short time.
Lin Moyu was not yet a true supreme powerhouse, but he had a soul comparable to one. Refining it was likewise effortless. In only a few days, the Chess of All Living Beings board had been refined and became Lin Moyu's possession.
It had three difficulty levels: entry, intermediate, and supreme.
What Po-Cang Emperor had used earlier was entry difficulty.
Entry had one hundred and eight thousand lines in each of length, width, and height.
Intermediate had one million and eighty thousand lines in each direction.
Supreme was even higher, reaching ten million eight hundred thousand lines in each direction.
Each difficulty level exceeded the previous by ten times.
No wonder even true supreme powerhouses could not withstand such an increase.
Then let me see just how terrifying the highest supreme difficulty can be.
He found a stretch of void. With a thought, he unfolded the Chess of All Living Beings board and directly raised the difficulty to the highest, supreme.
Soul power was consumed sharply. Merely unfolding the game was enough to exhaust the soul power of an ordinary true supreme powerhouse. Fortunately, the little tree continuously replenished him, so Lin Moyu had no worries.
Countless lines interwove before his eyes. In each of length, width, and height there were ten million eight hundred thousand lines, plus diagonal crossings in chaotic disorder. This entire game, even a Supreme could not enter.
When the board fully unfolded, light points lit up one after another within it, dense and countless without end. These light points gathered or dispersed, more or fewer, in different colors, and distributed differently.
"Enter the game!"
With a low shout, Lin Moyu rushed into the game and became one of the light points.
A large amount of information flooded in. At the highest difficulty, the rules were still simple, no different from entry difficulty: develop oneself, plunder resources, and reach the strongest.
The difference was that the internal situation of the game was far more complex.
The light points he had seen earlier might represent a faction, or they might represent some world-shaking powerhouse, or they might represent certain special resources.
At the same time, there were many light points that had not yet appeared, likewise hiding forces, powerhouses, resources, and also dangers. Their quantity and scale far exceeded entry difficulty.
Most importantly, under this difficulty, soul power was being consumed at every moment. Even true supreme powerhouses could not endure for too long.