Aoki no Uesugi led Ruoruo and the others all the way to the very center of the academy.
On the way, Ruoruo looked at him longingly: "Master, now that there is no war in the Six Realms, can we leave the academy? Ruoruo misses you so much."
"It's just the calm before the storm." God Qingmu slowly shook his head. "The Palace Master said that unless Kunlun is rebuilt and Jianmu is reborn, the academy will never be born again."
Ruoruo was stunned. Remembering her purpose, she stammered, "So we'll just have to float in the void forever? But there's nothing here..."
If the chessboard of heaven and earth does not leave the void, how can she use ten divine artifacts to set up an array and become a supreme god?
"Who said there's nothing here?" God Aoki said calmly. "Don't forget, this is the chessboard of heaven and earth."
Ruoruo looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Mo Jinyan explained, "The first of the Ten Divine Artifacts is the Heaven and Earth Chessboard. The reason it dares to be named after Heaven and Earth is largely because its interior contains a miniature world."
If the Tongtian Wood can transform into a world, how much more so a chessboard of heaven and earth?
“You are still young and have been studying in the children’s class. You only occasionally go to the residence of the God of Green Wood to cultivate, so you naturally do not know how big the chessboard of heaven and earth is.”
Just by looking at the chessboard of heaven and earth, and even its ability to control the Primordial Chaos Secret Realm, one can tell that it is no less than any other realm.
Ruoruo was somewhat shocked and even more uncertain about whether she could persuade the Heaven and Earth Chessboard to help her.
"Speaking of which, I haven't asked you yet, how is Asakusa doing now?" Aoki suddenly remembered the boy he had entrusted to Ruoruo.
Although he believed that Ruoruo would take good care of Qiancao, he still had some worries in his heart, as she was a child he had watched grow up.
Ruoruo's expression froze, and her eyes involuntarily drifted away.
How should she explain this to her master about the Asakusa incident?
The God of Aoki saw Ruoruo's expression clearly, and his eyes showed a hint of vicissitude: "Speak plainly, what happened?"
Ruoruo lowered her head and said in a soft voice, "I'm sorry, Master. I didn't take good care of Qiancao. I... refined him into a pill embryo."
She took out a bottle of pills, which glowed with a pale golden light. The pills, stained with blood patterns, tinkled and swirled inside the bottle.
At a glance, the God of Green Wood knew that this pill embryo could not have been refined by a mere Asakusa: "The raw materials clearly possess the heart of a god and the realm of an immortal. Just who is Asakusa?"
Ruoruo recounted the whole story from beginning to end, even producing the Jade Full Scimitar as evidence. She looked at Qingmu nervously, "Master, I..."
"You did a good job." Qingmu shoved the pill bottle back to Ruoruo with a sour face. "It's too good for him to be a traitorous spy in the sect and be made into a pill embryo."
The thought that he had been deceived by that demon lord for so many years filled Aoki with resentment.
Seeing that her master had not blamed her, Ruoruo's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly relaxed.
"We've arrived," said Aoki. "Please wait a moment, Goddess Yuhua. My children and I can go in."
The High Goddess Yuhua was still uneasy: "I will not be disrespectful to the Palace Master..."
“This is the Palace Master’s instruction,” Aoki said.
Mo Yunlan chuckled softly, a thoughtful look appearing in his lazy eyes: "It seems that the Heavenly Chessboard has been paying attention to Ruoruo all along. Not only does it know when we are coming, but it also knows exactly who is coming."
He had some doubts from the very beginning when Aoki greeted them outside the barrier.
Now it seems that he has other plans for this chessboard of heaven and earth.
"Please wait for us outside, Your Majesty." It was something they absolutely needed to see the Heavenly Chessboard.
The goddess Yu Hua said helplessly, "Your Highnesses, safety should be the top priority."
"I will keep an eye on them." Mo Yunlan simply picked Ruoruo up and carried her away.
To show respect, Mo Jinyan also transformed into human form and followed behind Mo Yunlan.
This house was utterly ordinary; Ruoruo hadn't sensed even a trace of spiritual energy along the way.
The god Aoki led them through the corridors and into the central garden.
An ancient and weathered crabapple tree was in full bloom with its crabapple blossoms. Under the tree, a game of chess was set up, and a man in white with white hair and clear eyes held a black chess piece, watching the game on the table.
Besides him, there were exactly three seats around him, no more and no less.
"Palace Master, I have brought the person you requested," said the God of Green Wood.
The academy master… who shouldn’t be called the spirit of the chessboard of heaven and earth, slowly raised his head: “My name is Lianyi, Your Highness may simply call me by my name.”
For some reason, Ruoruo felt a sense of familiarity when she looked at him, and the initial nervousness in her heart quietly subsided: "Isn't your name Heaven and Earth Chessboard?"
“My lord…” he paused and continued, “My lord thought that four words were too troublesome to pronounce, so he gave me the courtesy name, Lianyi.”
"Huh? Has the chessboard of heaven and earth ever had an owner?" Ruoruo turned her head blankly to look at Mo Jinyan.
Mo Jinyan shook his head: "There is no record of this in any books."
"It happened in ancient times, so it has long been lost to history. My master has also long since returned to chaos. Now I am indeed an unclaimed divine artifact." Lianyi's words became even softer.
His gaze remained fixed on Ruoruo, not glancing at anyone else. Mo Yunlan frowned and subtly shielded Ruoruo from view.
"Since the Palace Master knew we were coming, he must also know why we've come."
"I know." Lianyi waved her sleeve, put away the chessboard, and set out the tea set. "Please sit down and try my crabapple blossom honey tea."
Ruoruo twitched her nose slightly, and her eyes brightened instantly: "Thank you for your hospitality, Lianyi."
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