Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Setting Sixty-Eight

Setting Sixty-Eight: The Dao of Heaven is Unkind (Part 2)

The swordsman carried his newly acquired disciple and flew south at full speed on his broadsword, heading for the Ten-Thousand Sword Sect.

Hanging onto the sword hilt, this particular sufferer got a thrilling ride. The world blurred into streaks around him—a truly exhilarating experience. Fortunately, as the Heavenly Dao, nothing in this Chessboard seemed able to affect him—so he was just dizzy from the scenery, not battered by supersonic winds.

Seeing the infant safely cradled in the swordsman’s arms, he closed his eyes to organize his thoughts.

The biggest development so far: he’d inexplicably become the infant’s “Dao,” and had unlocked impressive-sounding “authorities” tied to the child’s cultivation.

He touched the red thread connecting him to the infant. Apart from when it was first tied, the thread had no physical feel—it seemed merely symbolic of his identity as the infant’s Dao.

He wasn’t sure what being someone’s Dao entailed, but since his authority grew with the infant’s cultivation, his goal was clear: help the child raise his cultivation level to unlock more impressive abilities.

—After all, being a Heavenly Dao who could only tie a few measly threads was just pathetic.

With a small goal set, he Reconnaissance’d the infant to get to know his partner—and silently choked back blood. Cultivation could wait—first, the infant had to survive!

[???
Attribute: Spade 2
Type: Pawn
MP: 8/10
SP: Spade (10%), Heart (10%), Club (10%), Diamond (10%)
Stance: Friendly
Relationship: Follower (Active)
Description: Former Heavenly Eye bearer, early Kaiwu stage.]

He read it several times to be sure—no missing zero. The infant’s MP and SP were microscopically small! And they kept dropping! If not for the swordsman’s spiritual energy wrapping him, the baby would have died in seconds.

This particular sufferer was terrified. The infant was now tied to him—he didn’t dare imagine what would happen if his partner died. Given Hard Mode’s nature, he’d probably be buried with him? No way—he didn’t want to “pay tuition” so soon!

He looked hopefully at the swordsman—his partner’s only lifeline!

[Duan Yuan
Attribute: Spade 10
Type: Bishop
MP: 10000/10000
SP: Spade (100%), Heart (100%), Club (100%), Diamond (100%)
Stance: Neutral
Description: Tianxuan Elder of Ten-Thousand Sword Sect, late Huashen stage.]

Shan Ziwei read it several times to be sure—no extra zero. He was completely stunned. He didn’t understand sect elders or cultivation stages like Kaiwu and Huashen—but he recognized a Level 10 Bishop Chess Piece. That was on par with the jellyfish monster!

He immediately felt the weight of this Chessboard: was Hard Mode’s xianxia setting simply this high-powered, with random passersby being ridiculously OP? Or had he just gotten lucky and grabbed a wild boss?

At least he was the Heavenly Dao—above mortal concerns. Since he didn’t have to fight Chess Pieces, he was relieved. He even hoped it was the latter: the stronger the swordsman, the better his partner’s chance of survival.

After about fifteen minutes, Duan Yuan’s sword slowed. The scenery finally stopped blurring and grew clear. Shan Ziwei opened his eyes wide—for a moment, he thought he’d arrived at a battlefield after a great war. But there were no bodies, no blood—just countless swords in every shape and size, standing, fallen, intact, or broken, turning a peaceful mountain-and-river landscape into a deadly killing ground.

Duan Yuan dismounted and walked into the field of swords. Shan Ziwei followed closely, afraid of being left behind. They wove through the scattered blades until they stopped before a standing bronze sword.

This bronze sword was so unremarkable it wouldn’t even be picked up on the roadside—not just ordinary, but shabby. Its blade was covered in rust and entwined with plants. The only notable feature was the three characters carved on it: “Ten-Thousand Sword Sect.”

He was shocked. This was Ten-Thousand Sword Sect? Though the surrounding swords did match the name, there was no building—not even a place to live!

Duan Yuan bowed slightly to the bronze sword and sent a jade talisman toward a small flower on it. He only then noticed the elegant white flower blooming on the sword hilt—so out of place among the killing intent, its plump petals trembling in the wind, occasionally revealing their delicate inner core.

He gasped—the flower’s center wasn’t a stamen, but a miniature cave-dwelling!

The cave looked like a transparent, round droplet of water, flowing with endless life force. The jade talisman’s light struck it, exploding in a flash. In an instant, he found himself in a completely different world.

Several towering mountains floated in the misty sky—taller and grander than any he’d climbed. Wreathed in clouds, they were connected by iron chains, surrounding a central peak like a sovereign among emperors, a ruler of the nine heavens.

One flower, one world—a mountain in a mustard seed.

He was deeply awed. The contrast between his earlier smallness and this grandeur was overwhelming. Even though this was his first xianxia Chessboard, Ten-Thousand Sword Sect’s imposing scale couldn’t be some minor, unknown sect.

Two sword cultivators at the entrance straightened and bowed respectfully: “Elder Tianxuan.”

Duan Yuan didn’t even glance at them—the casual dismissal of one long accustomed to rank. Without slowing, he shot toward one of the floating mountains like a beam of light, too fast for a certain stowaway to react.

Don’t just take off without warning! Take me with you, driver!!!

Left behind, Shan Ziwei raised a hand in despair, watching the red thread on his wrist stretch and stretch…

“This is my first time seeing Elder Tianxuan.”

The two cultivators nearby were talking. One exclaimed: “The elder’s aura is almost completely concealed—to have returned to such simplicity, he must be close to that realm.”

“Yes—aside from the Supreme Elder in seclusion, even the Sect Leader is no match for Elder Tianxuan. If he breaks through, he’ll be the fifth Great Vehicle cultivator in the past thousand years.”

“Then our sect will have two Great Vehicle Venerables—no one can question that the Ten-Thousand Sword Sect is the foremost of the Three Holy Lands, the number one sect in the world!”

Both cultivators swelled with pride. From their talk, he gleaned two things: the Ten-Thousand Sword Sect was formidable, and the random passerby he’d grabbed was even more powerful than its Sect Leader.

His partner was saved! With such a powerful master, the infant’s future was limitless!

He cheered for a full second—then deflated like a punctured balloon as he looked at the red thread stretching into the unknown.

He looked up at the towering floating mountain. His magic broom’s flight capability was limited—it couldn’t reach that far.

At this point, he almost wished the red thread were a solid, tangible rope he could pull—even if it meant his partner would constantly kite him, at least he wouldn’t get lost.

Bemoaning his likely fake Heavenly Dao status, he gave the red thread a casual tug—expecting to grasp empty air. To his surprise, he caught a stream of cool, flowing energy. It pulled him forward with immense force—he stumbled, and found himself in an unfamiliar hall, with Duan Yuan holding the infant just ahead.

…So the thread had a teleport function! Why didn’t you say so earlier?! He wouldn’t have had to cling to the sword hilt all that way!

Across from Duan Yuan was a beautiful woman, eyeing the infant in his arms with surprise. He thought she might be Duan Yuan’s partner—but Reconnaissance revealed she was his great-grandniece, Duan Yinchen. They looked the same age—cultivation age was truly meaningless.

“Fetch Xuantian Pills,” Duan Yuan instructed.

Duan Yinchen was startled but dared not disobey. She hurried off and soon returned with an ornate wooden box, handling it with extreme care—a sign of its value.

Duan Yuan removed the box’s seals. When opened, it glowed faintly. Three lustrous cyan pills lay on silk—clearly top-grade.

Without hesitation, he fed one to the infant. The baby’s complexion improved dramatically—even when Duan Yuan stopped channeling spiritual energy, he seemed stable.

Seeing his partner at full health, Shan Ziwei wanted to give Duan Yuan a gold star—a truly conscientious master. From Duan Yinchen’s expression, the pill was priceless, yet Duan Yuan used it without a second thought on his newly acquired disciple. He re-evaluated the karmic thread—it was a fantastic tool. He had one left; he’d use it wisely.

Duan Yuan lifted the infant’s eye cloth. Though the baby looked healthier, his eyes were still ruined—deep in the empty sockets, golden light seemed to fade.

Duan Yinchen gasped: “This is…?”

“A Heavenly Eye bearer.” Duan Yuan’s expression darkened.

“A Heavenly Eye bearer!” She was even more shocked. “He—he’s the legendary Heavenly Eye bearer? But—but his eye was taken. Without it, he can’t survive—”

Shan Ziwei’s heart, which had just settled, rose again. He checked the infant’s info—his MP was dropping, but being instantly replenished. Probably due to the Xuantian Pill. Still, not a good prognosis.

“Not necessarily.” The ever-reliable Duan Yuan reassured him. “With enough spiritual energy, he can live.”

She understood: “But Grandfather, to replenish his Heavenly Eye’s loss, he needs far too much energy. There aren’t that many Xuantian Pills in the world.”

“He can cultivate to Qi Refinement before the pills run out, and absorb energy on his own.” Duan Yuan said. “I’ll ask the Sect Leader to open the Golden Scale Pool. Bring Lingling—we’ll go together.”

She blurted out: “Grandfather, why are you doing so much for him?”

She’d pleaded for her daughter for ages, yet he’d never agreed to open the pool. Now he was doing it for an outsider…

Duan Yuan paused—just long enough for her to regret speaking. Then he answered:

“Legend says the Heavenly Eye bearer is born with knowledge, with great supernatural powers. A single Heavenly Eye can deduce all things, pierce illusions, even glimpse the Dao itself—the ultimate candidate for this path.”

“Since the great war ten thousand years ago, the world’s spiritual energy has been depleted. Ancient Dao scriptures have been lost; cultivation methods are failing. Now, with Heavenly Tribulation and Thunder Tribulation, in this Dharma-Ending Age, even Great Vehicle cultivators are rare—and achieving immortality seems impossible.”

“Yinchen, I am about to step into that realm. This journey was to seek an opportunity.”

He lifted the infant, his eyes burning bright.

“This is my ‘opportunity.'”

She said no more, obediently fetching Lingling.

Shan Ziwei, who’d watched the whole thing, curled his lip: If not for my pimping, you deaf-and-blind swordsman would have just flown right over!

Still, in a sense, it really was a “heaven-sent opportunity.” He looked at his “Weaving Fates” authority. With only a vague understanding of xianxia, he’d pieced together some context: this was a Dharma-Ending Age, cultivation was difficult; a complete Heavenly Eye bearer was a classic protagonist template, while his partner—whose eye had been removed—was like a bucket with a hole, constantly leaking. To keep him alive, they had to keep pouring in water to balance the loss.

Fortunately, the master seemed resourceful. He didn’t have to worry too much. The Golden Scale Pool sounded like a prime leveling spot—maybe soaking there would boost his partner several levels and cure him entirely.

Soon, Duan Yinchen returned carrying a female infant. She and Duan Yuan flew off on their swords.

Having learned his lesson, Shan Ziwei didn’t rush to follow. He stepped out of the hall and watched two beams of light—one green, one white—shoot toward the central peak. He admired the misty sea of trees below for a moment, estimating they’d reached their destination, then reached for the red thread.

Just then, the immense spiral-winged pattern of light covered the sky again, shedding ribbons of light like a meteor shower. Even seeing it a second time, he felt its ineffable beauty.

Two ribbons seemed to fall nearby. He instinctively gave chase. Having seen the karmic thread’s power, he wouldn’t let them go—he’d thought they were a non-renewable resource, but they were renewable!

—After all, a Heavenly Dao who could only play matchmaker twice was just too petty.

Happily evolving into a cosmic matchmaker, he caught up with the ribbons and bent to pick them up—when Little Gaia yanked his hair hard.

Hiss—

His head jerked aside; a blade of sword-light whistled past his ear, severing a few white strands.

Startled, he leaped forward. This was the first time he’d been hurt in this xianxia Chessboard. He couldn’t believe it—someone could actually harm him, the Heavenly Dao?

He spun around, facing the attacker—and cried out.

“It’s you!?”