"You want to visit the place where our ancestor contemplated his enlightenment?" Sect Leader Qiu Jin’an paused after hearing the words of the Elder of Passing Skills.

A hundred thousand years ago when our ancestor first achieved enlightenment, the Immortal Realm was a forbidden zone, inaccessible to all but those who had passed the Transcendance Tribulation stage.

Over time, a hundred thousand years have passed, countless young geniuses and great powers of the Five Elements Sect have entered the Immortal Realm in search of their opportunity for enlightenment, trying to recreate the feats of our ancestor, but not a single one has succeeded.

As for the chess game played by the immortals, such historical scene has never happened again. Even now, there is no consensus on who those three ancient immortals were.

Qiu Jin’an looked up and saw an ancient painting hanging on the wall. The painting was filled with an aura of immortality and contained endless mysteries that were both incomprehensible and unfathomable.

Despite being an antique, it appeared as though it was protected by an unknown force that made it look nothing like a painting from a hundred thousand years ago.

In the painting, two immortals are sitting in stone chairs, both engrossed in thought. While their faces are obscured, it’s easy to imagine two immortals deep in contemplation, their brows furrowed in thought. The third immortal, carrying firewood, can be seen observing the chess game with unwavering attention. His face, too, is indiscernible.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The black and white stones on the chess board are entangled in a deadlock, unable to form a connected chain. The battle is fierce and the outcome seemingly impossible to discern.

Mister Tiankui, a Confucian Cultivator with an extraordinary talent in painting, created this artwork upon his return from the Immortal Realm, depicting the scene he witnessed.

Next to the ancient painting, there’s another one, also created by Mister Tiankui.

In the other painting, Mister Tiankui is elegantly depicted in a white Confucian robe, full of energy, clearly showcasing his power. He is seen standing, his foot atop two renowned great powers - the ancestors of the Meng and Jiang families.

Both of these great powers appear wounded, a clear result of a violent struggle. Yet, they still couldn’t defeat Mister Tiankui.

Mister Tiankui, a Confucian Cultivator with an extraordinary talent in painting, created this scene from his imagination.

After Qiu Jin’an’s gaze moved away from the two paintings and he pondered for a short while, he readily agreed.

"Perhaps, the children haven’t been exposed to the relics of the immortals, and want to broaden their horizons. It’s understandable."

"So be it, let me guide them."

This place, after all, is where our ancestor contemplated his path to enlightenment. Although it’s now nothing more than a memorial, it deserves the requisite respect.

...

When Lu Yang and the others learned that they were allowed to enter the Immortal Realm and that Sect Leader Qiu Jin’an would personally lead them, the smiles on their faces could not be concealed.

This was the legendary Immortal Realm.

Among all publicly known secret realms, none have been classified as Immortal Realm, reflecting its rare and cherished status.

Of course, for someone like Lu Yang, whose body is an Immortal World, the Immortal Realm isn’t anything extraordinary.

Under the guidance of Qiu Jin’an, the group swiftly reached their destination.

The Immortal Realm is located at the boundary of the Fire Vein and Water Vein.

"What high mountains," Man Gu exclaimed. The mountain stood tall, its peak shrouded by clouds, masking its true height.

One thing was certain - the height of this mountain was no less than that of Sky Gate Mountain.

Qiu Jin’an casually explained, "The Immortal Realm is located inside a cave on the mountain. Our ancestor was concerned that merely moving the cave would disrupt the layout of the immortals and the integrity of the Immortal Realm, so he decided to move the entire mountain."

For cultivators like Mister Tiankui, moving mountains or filling lakes is just a minor matter.

Lu Yang noticed that there was a barrier surrounding the base of the mountain, forming a faintly visible screen that was likely put up to protect the Immortal Realm. It prevented the disciples from sneaking in and disrupting the chess layout of the immortals.

Lu Yang noticed that not far from the entrance of the barrier, there was a half piece of a yellow talisman, stubbornly an affixed to the barrier, fluttering in the wind.

"This is a high-level seal drawn on this yellow talisman," Fairy Eternity casually commented. She glanced at the talisman and immediately deduced its entire shape and content.

Lu Yang was surprised. Could it be that there is not only an immortal’s chess arrangement in the Immortal Realm, but also a formidable ancient demon?

Lu Yang conjured a possible scenario: Mister Tiankui encountered an ancient demon by chance, and after a fierce battle, the match ended in a stalemate. Unable to defeat the demon, he had no choice but to seal it in the Immortal Realm, using the immortal’s chess arrangement to suppress it.

As time went by, the members of the Five Elements Sect had forgotten about this history. The ancient demon had broken through the seal, escaping from the Immortal Realm!

Or could it be that the ancient demon also possessed something similar to the DaoFruit of Causality, causing people to forget its existence?

Looking at Sect Leader Qiu’s reaction, it seemed that he was unaware of the existence of the yellow talisman.

Lu Yang lifted his hand and pointed towards the inconspicuous yellow talisman in the distance, asking, "Sect Leader Qiu, what is that?"

"Is it a seal?"

"It’s a seal strip."

Lu Yang was taken aback. "A Seal Strip?"

"Our ancestor rushed to move the mountain without getting permission from the court. Naturally, the court wouldn’t stand for it, so they sealed the Immortal Realm and posted a seal strip."

"After paying the fine and bailing out our ancestor, the court agreed to let the Five Elements Sect take ownership of both the mountain and the Immortal Realm. As such, the seal strip is no longer necessary."

"At the time, the seal strip was not completely removed and because the people believed it to be a cultural relic, it was preserved."

A seal strip capable of sealing off the Immortal Realm was no ordinary object.

When there were no more questions, Qiu Jin’an led them over the protective barrier to the base of the mountain.

The closer they got to the mountain, the stronger the oppressive aura they felt. Without stopping, they walked into a damp cave.

As they stepped into the cave, their restless hearts suddenly calmed down, as though reflecting the state of mind of the immortals who were playing chess a hundred thousand years ago.

The cave was quiet, dark, and deep, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing in the void.

The deeper into the cave they went, the dryer the environment became, as if the cave was a completely separate world from the outside.

"This is the place," said Qiu Jin’an.

What laid before them was a stone table with a chessboard filled with black and white pieces, leaving no empty spots. Upon closer inspection, neither side had managed to connect five pieces together.

The final outcome of the Immortal’s chess game was a draw.

The stone table, stones chairs, and the chess pieces seemed ordinary, but due to being utilized by immortals a hundred years ago, they gained a hint of immortality. This allowed these otherwise mundane objects to withstand the ravages of time without being eroded.

Qiu Jin’an shook his head in disappointment. As expected, no matter how many times he came here, the scene could never be recreated.

The luck of our ancestor was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity bestowed by the Immortals and it couldn’t be repeated.

What Qiu Jin’an didn’t realize was that Lu Yang appeared listless, as though he had lost his will.

Lu Yang’s head drooped, as if he were dozing off. Suddenly, he jerked his head up to see an empty chess board in front of him, with the hands of two unfamiliar figures reaching into the chess box to retrieve chess pieces.

Meng Jingzhou, Tao Yaoye, and the others were gone - only Lu Yang remained as the observer.

Lu Yang was shocked. This scene seemed like a replay of Mister Tiankui’s story.

Before he could react, he heard the two chess players conversing.

Their voices carried a special power that could calm emotions and stabilize the mind.

"Yingtian Immortal, will you go first?"

"Alright."

A white stone fell onto the center of the board.

It was Yingtian Immortal’s move.