Beyond the floating continent, numerous small islands drifted in the void. These so-called floating islands were, in fact, mostly large rocks, incapable of forming their own protective layers and could only withstand the various dangers that eroded them.
Such floating islands were common between landmasses. Only those large enough with a protective layer held value, allowing ordinary people to live on them. However, such islands were few and far between, with most being worthless chunks of rock.
The movement of these floating islands was unpredictable, and the environment was extremely harsh. Even divine generals could not survive there for long. Their erratic movements also posed a significant threat to airships, like hidden reefs in the void. Therefore, when the Evernight and the Empire engaged in fleet battles in the void, they would always steer clear of areas dense with floating islands.
Above the floating continent, one such island drifted slowly. It was only a few hundred meters in diameter, naturally without the ability to form a protective layer. But if one stood on this island, they could have a panoramic view of the entire floating continent.
At this very moment, on this life-prohibited floating island, two men sat facing each other, engrossed in a game of chess.
Between them was a small table and a desk. On the table was a red clay teapot, with a fire burning beneath it, heating the water. On the desk was a chessboard, with black and white pieces clashing fiercely, a silent battle at its peak.
At the ends of the table, one was a man with a stern and resolute demeanor, none other than Zhang Boqian, the King of Qingyang. Opposite him sat an elder with a kind face, whose every move seemed to resonate with the grand principles of the universe—the current nominal strongest of the Empire, the King of Zhiji.
The King of Zhiji wore a calm expression, waiting for Zhang Boqian to make his move. Meanwhile, the King of Qingyang frowned deeply, not hiding his disadvantage, his emotions clearly visible.
The King of Zhiji sipped his tea, finishing the cup in one go, and sighed, “What a fine tea!”
Having finished his cup, the King of Zhiji, still unsatisfied, reached for the cup in front of Zhang Boqian. As he stretched out his hand, he said, “Boqian, you are skilled in traversing the void; you still have a chance to get more of this tea. I, however, am old and cannot match you. How about giving me this cup?”
Zhang Boqian’s gaze remained fixed on the chessboard. A black piece shot towards the King of Zhiji’s hand, forcing him to retract it. The black piece missed, and just as it was about to hit the teacup, it swerved and returned to Zhang Boqian’s hand. The precision of the force used was truly indescribable.
This was no ordinary sparring between strong practitioners. To be able to hold back against the King of Zhiji, even if not at full strength, was a feat only a few in the world could achieve.
The King of Zhiji lost a half-move but did not show any anger. He simply said, “Stingy,” and began to enjoy the scenery of the floating continent, smiling, “When this game ends, you will still owe me this cup of tea.”
“That can wait until after the game,” Zhang Boqian replied flatly.
At that moment, an airship appeared in the distance, moving swiftly and heading straight for the floating island.
Zhang Boqian sat still, as if he had not seen the airship. The King of Zhiji, however, suddenly focused on controlling the heat of the teapot, also not looking away.
The airship hovered beside the floating island, and several figures emerged from it. Leading them was a tall, middle-aged man, who bore a slight resemblance to the King of Zhiji. He waved for the others to stop and approached the chessboard, bowing respectfully, “Grandfather.”
The King of Zhiji raised his eyes slightly and said mildly, “How many times must I tell you? Call me by my title or my name. Your family is prestigious, and I do not deserve to be called ‘grandfather.'”
The middle-aged man looked embarrassed, wanting to say something but hesitated, ultimately glossing over the matter, “Tianqing sent a message back. This is a significant matter, and I dare not decide on my own. I need your opinion.”
Upon hearing Tianqing’s name, the shadow on the King of Zhiji’s face vanished, and he said, “Let me see it.”
The middle-aged man quickly handed over a letter and then stepped back to his original position.
The King of Zhiji opened the envelope, glanced at the contents, and passed it to Zhang Boqian, saying, “This is indeed unexpected. What do you think?”
Zhang Boqian finally broke his concentration from the chess game, took the letter, and read it. His brows furrowed, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, “If what the letter says is true, the vortex passage in the neutral zone this year will be milder, no longer a deadly journey. If we can open this passage, the Empire won’t be constrained by the limited quota. This is a legacy for the ages.”
The King of Zhiji sighed lightly and shook his head, “I once ventured into the neutral zone in my youth and know how dangerous it is. This passage, though always there, is far more perilous than merely life-threatening. You and I might still be able to traverse it. Now, even if it has become milder, it is not a place for these children, unless…”
He paused, letting out another sigh.
Everyone knew the King of Zhiji had his reasons for not speaking further, so no one pressed him.
After a long silence, the King of Zhiji asked, “Boqian, as the supreme commander of the army, how should we decide on this matter?”
Zhang Boqian replied calmly, “Supreme commander is a thing of the past. Since this matter is difficult to resolve, let us wait until the situation becomes clearer before making a decision. It won’t be too late.”
With that, he placed a black piece on the board. The move seemed isolated yet subtly connected to the overall strategy.
The King of Zhiji stroked his beard and praised, “Good move!”
He waved to the middle-aged man, “I am aware of the matter. You may return now.”
The middle-aged man hesitated, then turned and left.
Once the airship flew away, the King of Zhiji said, “Speaking of the neutral zone, there is an interesting piece of information that seems related to you. You might want to take a look.”
As he spoke, he produced a sealed scroll, one of the three scrolls Song Zining had sent back to the Empire.
That day, Song Zining had spent a fortune to send the messages, and only one of the three scrolls had arrived. The recipient did not suspect anything, as such transmissions were often unstable. Sending three at once was a precautionary measure. It was fortunate that one had arrived. No one had imagined that one of the missing scrolls had been intercepted by the King of Zhiji using some divine means.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Boqian, with a blank expression, flipped his left hand, and an identical sealed scroll appeared in his hand.
The King of Zhiji clapped and laughed, “Truly worthy of Qingyang! You are now almost on par with the ancestors of the Zhang family.”
Zhang Boqian shook his head, “The ancestors’ martial skills were unparalleled. How could I compare to them?”
The King of Zhiji did not argue, pointing to the two scrolls, “How do you intend to handle this?”
Zhang Boqian waved his hand, and both unopened scrolls, along with their contents, disintegrated into ashes. He hadn’t even glanced at the contents.
The King of Zhiji said, “This is for the best. No one can scheme against you.”
“It’s not time to turn against them yet, so I won’t give them the opportunity,” Zhang Boqian’s eyes flashed coldly, “Otherwise, if someone tries to scheme against me, I must show them that Zhang Boqian does not fear them.”
The King of Zhiji nodded, “Indeed. In my opinion, Xitan is the most suitable to handle the vortex passage. What do you think?”
“Can he manage it?” Zhang Boqian’s tone carried a hint of mockery, as if he meant something else.
The King of Zhiji pondered, “Aside from him, there is no one else. Zhao Jiandu is still young and cannot bear this responsibility. As for Song Zining, he is even less suitable. Hmm, but this little fellow Song Zining has become increasingly bold and reckless, and needs to be punished.”
Zhang Boqian said indifferently, “From the day he left my camp, he is no longer my subordinate.”
“Then it is settled.” The King of Zhiji picked up three white pieces, rubbed them in his palm, and threw them into the void, causing ripples to spread, vanishing into the distance.
At that moment, in the southern city, Song Zining, well-rested and refreshed, was ready to perform his divination.
He did not rush to eat, instead standing in front of the table, arranging several jade slips in a line, and placing a folding fan at the corner of the table, locking the southwest direction. The Empire was in the southwest.
After preparing, he picked up the jade slips, ready to deduce the celestial patterns. Over the past few days, Song Zining had made several significant arrangements, and it was time for the reactions to come. These matters were of great importance, so despite the difficulty and risk of backlash, Song Zining wanted to glimpse the celestial secrets.
Using jade slips was deliberate; the Li family’s method of divination was most adept with jade, and their heirloom, the Jade Stealer, was known as the “Eye of Heaven.” This time, Song Zining used jade, though not his specialty, to increase the probability of uncovering Li’s setup.
After completing his silent prayer, the heart method flowed smoothly, and inspiration came as expected.
Many sessions of divination had made him familiar with this feeling. Although today’s process was unusually smooth, almost inexplicably so, Song Zining instinctively scattered the jade slips.
As the jade slips left his hand, each one sensed a mysterious force in the void, connecting them with invisible threads.
Just as the result was about to form, a ripple suddenly appeared in the void. The force within the ripple was overwhelming, and the fan Song Zining used to suppress the southwest snapped into four pieces!
In this divination, the fan served to anchor the void and was the foundation, keeping the jade slips from being pulled away by the mysterious forces. With the fan shattered, the jade slips lost their anchor, scattering and breaking under the immense force.
Song Zining was stunned, falling backward, his face pale as a sheet.
Moments later, he slowly regained consciousness, feeling weak and exhausted, unable to muster any strength.
Suddenly, Song Zining recalled something and leaped up, grabbing the fan. Unfortunately, it was utterly destroyed, its spirit gone, and could not be repaired.
Song Zining stared at the fan, his mind blank. This fan was extremely important to him, almost as crucial as the Jade Stealer to the Li family. Now, it was destroyed by the strange ripple.
He tried to circulate his heart method, only to be shocked again. What was once clear and pure was now shrouded, making his connection to the void’s principles extremely sluggish. Until he could polish away this veil, he could forget about divining the celestial patterns.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage