Chapter Sixty-Two: The Chessboard of Heaven and Earth, Chains of Rules

Above the innate realm, all were of high rank.

Heaven's will decreed the eradication of evil, and once again it pointed toward the imperial capital. Only a fool would not suspect Jiang Ming, whose power defied the heavens and had reached an unfathomable state.

A grandmaster at his peak could kill with a mere flick of his finger.

Who else could be the demon from beyond the domain but him?

Yan Feng had seized the throne illegitimately, ruling with iron force and washing the court in blood. Though the land had fallen silent, now, with such an opportunity, every member of the royal family was wild with joy.

With a single gesture, countless supporters answered the call.

In an instant, flames of war spread everywhere, smoke and chaos engulfed the land.

To encircle and destroy the great demon, fifty thousand troops quickly assembled outside the northern gates, watching hungrily.

The court was on the verge of collapse, all within a day.

Yet, strangely, the imperial government merely issued decrees instructing each region to guard their posts peacefully, forbidding any movement without orders and forbidding the disturbance of the populace; as for anything else, they paid no heed.

The gates along the way were even left wide open, allowing direct passage to the imperial capital.

The people of the land were filled with doubt—were they to resign themselves to fate?

Absolutely impossible.

The twenty-four princes and seventy-two sects soon gathered a hundred miles west of the capital, at Changping, where the Heaven Gate Fortress guarded the western entrance to the city and held back the army for now.

Beyond the perilous pass lay a vast and open plain, known as Changping.

The army claimed a million strong, three thousand innates, a hundred grandmasters, and several great grandmasters.

On the city wall stood a handful of figures.

They were Jiang Ming, Lu Yuan, Wang Invincible, Chen Yu, Commander Jin, Yan Feng, Xiao Lan, and a white-haired, white-bearded old Daoist.

All had arrived.

Staring at the endless, dark sea of military tents before them, each was greatly shaken.

“Senior Zhang, I still don’t understand—why don’t you act?” Jiang Ming smiled, addressing the old Daoist beside him.

“Heaven’s will, heaven’s will—if it truly exists, we are but pieces on the board!” Zhang the Daoist gazed skyward, hands behind his back, his demeanor lofty as the clouds. “If we simply follow fate, we shall live forever within the chessboard. As chess pieces, our duty is to break the barriers, to leap beyond the board. I have always believed that mankind can conquer heaven. I refuse to believe we are destined to be mere chess pieces.”

Turning around, he suddenly smiled: “In truth, I wish more to glimpse the scenery beyond the great grandmaster’s realm. I wish to see the world you inhabit, to witness what immortals look like.”

His eyes sharpened: “I want to ask—does the world we dwell in truly amount to nothing more than a chessboard?”

“I do not know,” Jiang Ming shook his head, yet added, “But I arrived, and I can leave as well.”

“I understand!” The old Daoist cheered, leaping for joy.

Able to come, able to go.

As for themselves?

Naturally, there is a chance to leave as well, though it will be exceedingly difficult—but a chance nonetheless.

What news could be better than this!

“How will you deal with this million-strong army? Do you need me to act?” Zhang the Daoist inquired.

“No need!” Jiang Ming replied with a confident smile. “All of you, watch as I carve out a peaceful and prosperous era!”

Clang!

His long sword left its sheath, hovering before him. Jiang Ming leapt atop it and advanced swiftly.

“Sword flight—truly the means of immortals!” Zhang the Daoist exclaimed in awe.

Yan Feng and the others watched silently.

In truth, none of them worried about Jiang Ming’s safety, for they had witnessed his terrifying might.

“Don’t overdo the slaughter,” Lu Yuan murmured.

“Is he truly capable of extermination?” Zhang the Daoist asked in doubt.

“If he wishes, he can,” Lu Yuan nodded.

Zhang the Daoist’s gaze grew grave, a hint of worry in his eyes.

Jiang Ming suddenly halted, for below stood several figures: Tang Xiaotian of the Pure Yang Sect and He Qianshan of Divine Sword Manor among them.

They were all paragons, leaders of the younger generation, and shared a decent relationship with him.

“Brother Jiang, I tried to persuade my sect after returning, but it was useless,” Tang Xiaotian cupped his hands, his smile bitter. “Heaven’s mandate—they wish to contend for it, especially the sect master, who longs to see the scenery beyond the great grandmaster’s realm. Uniting with many sects and a million troops, he does not believe you can withstand them.”

“And you?” Jiang Ming’s expression remained unmoved.

“I wish to leave a seed of hope for my sect,” Tang Xiaotian bowed deeply, refusing to rise.

He Qianshan and the others smiled wryly and bowed as well.

“Afterwards, hand over your sect’s records, give up ninety percent of your wealth, and register all disciples,” Jiang Ming said, then moved on.

Within the army, the princes gathered, discussing strategies—whether to let the great grandmasters lead the charge, or to await Jiang Ming’s arrival.

Surrounded by innate experts and great grandmasters, their defenses were airtight.

But at this moment, Jiang Ming arrived on his sword, astonishing all as if he were a celestial.

“Jiang Ming!” Pure Yangzi leapt onto a great banner, shouting loudly, “For the sake of the people, to end the strife, for national peace and prosperity—why not take your own life? We grandmasters can guarantee to support Emperor Feng Wu, to unify the world. Whether this million-strong army or the northern barbarians, all may be pacified and serve the Emperor.”

Below, the princes’ expressions changed one after another, faces contorted as if they had swallowed dung, fury surging in their hearts yet hidden behind calm.

For they were too close to these grandmasters.

“Chivalry flouts the law—such men deserve death, all deserve death. When supreme power is seized, we’ll trample the martial world and eradicate every sect,”

This was the inner voice of every prince.

Jiang Ming said nothing. The sword beneath him turned and fell into his hand, yet he hovered in midair.

He raised his sword high, pointing obliquely at the heavens.

The aura of slaughter erupted, piercing the vast sky, splitting the clouds above. The dreadful killing intent surged like a tide, throwing the million-strong army into panic—horses neighed, men screamed, the ranks nearly broke.

Vital energy trembled, sword force gathered.

In a blink, billions of sword energies appeared overhead, dense as rainfall.

“Fire! Kill him!”

A prince at grandmaster level roared furiously.

Bows strained, arrows shot upward like rain.

Within the army, countless ballistae launched bolts at Jiang Ming.

At that instant, Jiang Ming’s sword descended, releasing a blade aura at least a hundred yards long that drove all into despair. Endless sword energies swept down, shattering the arrows and bolts.

“Jiang Ming, do you truly think yourself invincible?” Pure Yangzi howled. “Pure Yang Sword, cut the nine heavens—block him!”

Grandmasters, masters, innate experts below all struck, but were instantly overwhelmed by the vast, endless sword energies.

In a flash, cries of agony echoed through the sky, clouds of blood erupted.

Jiang Ming stared ahead in a daze—for with that sword strike, space itself warped, and he glimpsed countless intersecting lines, like the pattern of a chessboard.

“A barrier of the world? Chains of rules?”

He was puzzled.

At the same time, facing a million troops and endless murderous intent, the sword strike had gathered a higher level of slaughter aura, a power he could faintly sense.

Yet it was too profound, too mysterious.

Impossible to fathom.

“The aura of slaughter—I have already reached perfection!”

Jiang Ming was perplexed.

Yet with this strike, he glimpsed something deeper.

Suppressing his thoughts, he looked down—below, a pit of blood had formed. Only a few grandmasters stood, barely, their bodies stained and slashed.

All others within the area had perished.

Swish—

Jiang Ming swung his sword, finishing off Pure Yangzi and the others.

The million-strong army was terrified, beginning to stir.

“Surrender and live; move and die!”

Three flying daggers shot from Jiang Ming, spinning into the ranks. Three waves of grandmaster aura erupted, then fell silent.

“There are truly many grandmasters in this world!”

He could not help but sigh.

Clearly, many were wild grandmasters, hoping to seize opportunity in secret.

As for the daggers—

He had specially ordered Yan Feng to forge them for targeted strikes within the army, and their effect was excellent.

The three daggers spun again, slaying several masters before finally halting.