Star Gate-Chapter 1511: A Chessboard of Dao (II)
Drouth found Li Hao to possess a keen eye and a good appetite for knowledge. The man knew a bit about the domain concept that Li Hao spoke of, but it seemed to be a subject matter that only a few masters of the world would be involved with.
Of course, masters of minor worlds might know a thing or two. Regardless, bringing up this topic was insufficient to determine Li Hao’s identity or strength.
“If you pass the second test, then I can give the two gentlemen a chance,” said the shadow. “You can study the core nature of the dao foundation left by the dark envoy!”
Drouth stirred with excitement!
“If you pass the second trial, I can give you a similarly valuable chance.” The shadow looked at Li Hao. “Since you are aware of the layout of this place, then you should know that there is a core to this structure. I will grant you a chance to study that treasure.
“It will be up to the two of you if you gain anything for your troubles. Such is the dao. I cannot outright give it to you. You may not understand it even if I do! Dao springs from the heart. However much enlightenment there is within your heart is however much you will understand.”
The two were first highly excited, then calmed down as they remembered there was a caveat to their rewards—the second test.
“What might the second test be?” Li Hao asked first.
“It’s simple!” the shadow responded easily. “This is where the dark envoy cultivated and comprehended dao, so everything here is related to dao! I will not have you two fight each other to determine a victor. That would be too childish.
“What you need to do is very straightforward!” It waved a chessboard into existence in front of them.
It was a chessboard, but also not a typical chessboard. There was only one chess piece across all of the rows and columns on the board.
“Do you see that?” chuckled the shadow. “There is one piece on the board. It represents the two of you. There are 9,999 squares from the start to finish. You pass if you can move your piece past one thousand squares!
“You can make another request if you can make it past two thousand. I will satisfy it if I can!” it said casually. “The same goes for three thousand squares, and so on and so forth.
“Skyward powerhouses loved to pit themselves against each other in this manner back in the day. This is dao chess!”
Li Hao and Drouth looked at the chessboard at the same time. 9,999 squares on the chessboard. Traveling one thousand counted as passing the test?
Li Hao briefly extended his senses toward the board, his expression changing as he did so. Drouth did the same as well. Both of them were exalted emperors, not inexperienced youngsters wet behind the ears. They could tell that each square seemed to be the manifestation of a great dao.
How was this a game of chess! This was a contest of daos!
Indeed, it was combat via great dao.
Drouth’s expression continued to flicker. He was skilled at the dao of darkness and only the dao of darkness. “Senior, knowledge of many daos seems to be required if we wish to complete this game...”
“No!” refuted the shadow. “If your dao is strong, then one strong dao is all strong daos! You can proceed just as smoothly through utilizing one dao against all of them. The dark envoy only knew the dao of darkness as well, but he still made it very far!”
He made it very far? He didn’t pass the test?
“Is the dark envoy also unable to pass the test?” Li Hao asked with surprise.
“No,” laughed the shadow. “As strong as the envoy was, even he could not make it past everything. Before he left Skyward, the envoy attempted the chessboard once more. He made it to eight thousand squares!
“Based on the Skyward master’s words, eight thousand squares means that one possesses the strength of an eighth rank emperor. At the very least, the dark envoy’s perception of dao had not fallen behind the others. That was the level he reached!
“If he’d passed, he’d be on par with the master of Skyward!”
“So the senior means that third rank exalted emperors can make it past three thousand squares at most?” Li Hao blinked.
“Not necessarily!” the shadow continued laughing. “A fifth rank might only make it past three thousand squares or even less. The key lies in one’s comprehension of dao. Third ranks might pass five thousand squares if their comprehension runs deep enough. It all depends on one’s level of enlightenment.
“One thousand squares is a pass, which means that it isn’t necessarily achievable by first ranks. Otherwise, what kind of meaning would there be in such a test? If a first rank can pass it, is there a need for dao chess?
“Dao chess is full of wisdom—it isn’t a matter of one being able to walk far enough just because one possesses sufficient strength,” the shadow said with emotion. “I remember one person came here many years ago to pit themselves against the dark envoy. They were only sixth rank, but they passed nine thousand squares and even drew the attention of the Skyward master...”
Li Hao was reminded of a particular person by these words—the War Sovereign!
But it was just a thought. Those two lived in completely different eras.
The War Sovereign was considered the greatest genius of Yin and Yang. His influence spanned more than one era, affecting Yin and Yang as well as Silver Moon. However, he existed in a completely different time compared to the Skyward master.
The War Sovereign lived roughly one hundred thousand years ago. The Skyward powerhouses had disappeared several hundreds of thousand or even a million years ago.
Did a sixth rank who’d passed nine thousand squares count as having reached a ninth rank’s level of comprehension? Did the Skyward master count as peak ninth rank with his success?
This was just in terms of dao comprehension, not pure strength. A sixth rank who’d made it past nine thousand squares might not measure up to one seventh rank.
For Drouth and Li Hao, it would be easier if they were tested on the basis of martial might. Trials like these that appeared easy were anything but.
Drouth was conflicted, while Li Hao asked, “Will there be any danger?”
“A little, but it won’t be great so long as you don’t brashly move your piece around. The great dao will easily recoil onto you if you make the wrong move!” the shadow answered bluntly. “If you can’t take a square, but insist on doing so, you’ll be easily hit by the backlash resulting from lack of strength and dao marks.
“You might be able to endure it once or twice, but your great dao will be damaged after multiple instances! Therefore, do not try to force the issue if you cannot move onto a square.”
The two had new thoughts in mind after these words. Drouth was still considering the fact that the speaker was a weapon soul, not the dark envoy. I am a fifth rank, what about that one? Must I proceed according to his instructions and play this game of chess?
What if I seize it by force...
The thought merely flashed through his mind before he suppressed it. He could attempt the test first. If he really couldn’t pass it, then he naturally wouldn’t be happy about walking away empty-handed.
It’d be best if he could try. Everything could wait until after he studied the remnants of dao. After all, it was difficult to determine what level of strength this weapon soul was at.
“It’s not as simple as moving pieces across the board, is it?” Li Hao asked after looking at the chessboard again.
“Of course not.” The shadow smiled. “The two of you will need to coalesce your dao marks and move the piece with your dao mark! Both of you should understand the dao mark as a summation of your perception of dao and dao heart...”
Li Hao nodded. This was something similar to his star of life and death—it represented one’s comprehension of dao. This would make the chessboard a battle of pure dao, which also meant that injuries were more likely to happen. And ones of the great dao!
Physical wounds didn’t matter to Li Hao and the rest, but once their great dao was injured—such as Li Hao’s star of life and death—the most minor repercussions were a decline in cultivation level and the most major was death.
It was a similar case when it came to killing exalted emperors. Destroying their physical body was only one aspect of the equation. The second was to annihilate all traces of dao.
That was dealing a true death to an exalted emperor!
Forming a dao mark through which they shifted a chess piece was a somewhat dangerous proposition.
Li Hao didn’t say a word. Whoever objected first would become a target for the weapon soul’s wrath. Drouth was stronger than him, Li Hao was also wondering if the man would consider using force to resolve this problem.
Playing chess was so boring. He should just outright kill the weapon soul! And then Li Hao might be able to benefit from his efforts, how nice!
The shadow might be a weapon soul of the mid rank level. It shouldn’t be high rank. If it was a high rank, then Demon Summit wouldn’t require the outside world to supply it with energy. High rank exalted emperors, even weapon souls, could absolutely craft some sort of dao universe on their own.
That kind of existence was wholly self-sufficient. Since Demon Summit was not in this kind of state, the weapon soul was likely only a mid rank.
As for it being weaker than mid rank... that shouldn’t be the case either. The weapon soul of a premier treasure, one that belonged to an eighth rank, wouldn’t be that weak. Since it had a complete intelligence and sentience to it, it should be at least mid rank.
The same thoughts had blossomed in Drouth’s mind as well. The shadow seemed blithely unaware of them and asked, “Do the two of you wish to challenge the second trial? If not, you can leave now. Simply exit the Hall of Darkness to leave Demon Summit.”
Li Hao was waiting.
So was Drouth.
After a long period of time, Drouth decided to respond. He was resigned by Li Hao’s lack of reaction and didn’t know what level of strength the young man possessed. What if the rewards went to another after he attacked the weapon soul?
“Alright, I’ll take the challenge!”
Li Hao sighed, an exhale heard by humans and shadow. Both of them understood him and Drouth cursed inaudibly. That damned brat was hoping I’d make a move, wasn’t he? He’s such an asshole!
This weapon soul is at least fourth rank, possibly even sixth. I’ll be in for it if he’s a sixth rank! Why should I do anything? I’m a fifth rank! Can I not make it past one thousand squares?
I’m going to study the dao remnants as soon as I pass!
Li Hao didn’t say anything else other than, “This junior is willing as well!”
If a fifth rank isn’t willing to take the risk, then I should keep a lower profile since I’m a third rank. Let’s play a game of chess first and see how far I can go.
Li Hao coalesced a dao mark similar to a star. The shadow glanced at it before saying meaningfully, “It’s best to invest everything that is a part of you to make the strongest dao mark possible. You’ll be easily defeated otherwise. For those playing the game, breaking part of the dao mark will also leave behind some injuries on your great dao. Those are the most difficult to recover from.”
Li Hao did not respond. He would wait and see first. If he poured in everything that was him, wouldn’t he be done for if this turned out to be a trap?
Drouth didn’t make a sound. Clearly, his thoughts were similar to Li Hao’s—he would only call upon part of his resources.
Their dao marks integrated into the chessboard in front of them; the chess piece seemed to transform into a person and appeared in vivid detail upon the chessboard.
The test was underway.
