Chapter 1761: The Eternal Chess Game "Mo Wen"

The white-haired elder changed to a look of deep yearning and said slowly, "Fifty million years ago, the Great Priest of our妖族's Holy Ancestor attained the Dao. To uphold the name of the妖族, he challenged the human Medicine Ancestor! Who would have thought that these two, in a novel fashion, would merge the alchemical path into the black and white stones, playing an eternal chess game called 'Mo Wen'!"

Ye Yuan was astonished and said, "Challenging the Medicine Ancestor! Was the Great Priest of the妖族's Holy Ancestor truly that powerful?"

The white-haired elder's face darkened, and he said grimly, "What kind of talk is that? Are we妖族 destined to be inferior to you humans?"

Ye Yuan gave an awkward smile and said, "Hehe, senior, please don't take offense. I have always heard that the Medicine Ancestor was only half a step away from the Dao Ancestor realm, so I instinctively thought the Medicine Ancestor was the most powerful alchemist in the Tongtian Realm."

In fact, even Wu Chen was not entirely clear on how powerful the Great Priest of the妖族's Holy Ancestor was.

After all, in the eyes of these pinnacle figures, the Celestial Forest Heavenly Lord was merely a junior.

When the Medicine Ancestor and the Great Priest of the Holy Ancestor played their game, the Celestial Forest Heavenly Lord was still in some obscure corner, and naturally the Celestial Forest World did not yet exist.

The white-haired old man bristled his beard, but his expression softened considerably. He sighed and said, "Actually, your view is not wrong. Although the Great Priest of the Holy Ancestor was powerful, he was ultimately a hair's breadth behind the Medicine Ancestor. In that game, the Great Priest of the Holy Ancestor ultimately lost."

Ye Yuan was secretly shocked. He had never imagined that the Great Priest of the妖族's Holy Ancestor was so powerful that he could compete with the Medicine Ancestor in the alchemical path.

In the concepts that Wu Chen had instilled in Ye Yuan, the Medicine Ancestor was an invincible existence, and no one could rival him in the alchemical path.

After all, he was a divine being who had half a foot in the Dao Ancestor realm.

In the alchemical path, he could be said to stand at the pinnacle of this world.

Yet the Great Priest of the Holy Ancestor could play a game with the Medicine Ancestor and lose by only a hair.

Such strength—I'm afraid there's no second like it in the entire Tongtian Realm.

"Senior, a loss is a loss, but why is this chess game called 'Ask Not'?" Ye Yuan asked.

The white-haired old man glanced at Ye Yuan and smiled. "This game is, in essence, two people's understanding of the Dao. In the final stalemate back then, the Saint Ancestor High Priest sat before the board for a hundred thousand years. At last, his hair turned white, he coughed blood from his injuries, and he finally asked the Medicine Ancestor where he had lost. The Medicine Ancestor just smiled and said four words: 'Ask not! Ask not!' Hence the name of this game."

"And then?" Ye Yuan said.

"It is said that the Saint Ancestor High Priest held a grudge over that match and was determined to take revenge. But he also knew the gap between himself and the Medicine Ancestor. So after returning to the demon race, he founded the Priest Temple and took many disciples, hoping to nurture someone who could rival the Medicine Ancestor. At the same time, the Saint Ancestor High Priest simplified the complex, made many copies of 'Ask Not,' and distributed them to every Priest Temple. Whoever could solve 'Ask Not' would be qualified to enter the Priest Temple headquarters directly," the white-haired elder said.

"I see. So the elders wanted to make me back down," Ye Yuan said with a smile.

The white-haired old man gave an ambiguous smile. "Are you afraid?"

Ye Yuan smiled at the white-haired elder and suddenly said, "That day when Hall Master Di Qiu wanted to kill me, it was you who helped me out, wasn't it, Senior?"

The white-haired elder was slightly taken aback, then pointed at Ye Yuan and laughed heartily, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you, kid!"

Ye Yuan cupped his hands and said, "I thank Senior for the life-saving grace. However, we've known each other for over half a year now, and I still don't know your esteemed name."

The white-haired elder said indifferently, "My given name is Xiu. Just call me Senior Xiu."

Ye Yuan said meaningfully, "Senior Xiu provoked me, hoping I would give it a try?"

Xiu smiled and said, "In the past fifty million years, only eleven people have managed to decipher the simplified 'Mo Wen'! These eleven are now disciples under the Grand Priest Shengzu and form the backbone of our妖族 alchemists. Unfortunately, even after pondering for tens of millions of years, they cannot decipher the true 'Mo Wen'."

"Fifty million years, and only eleven people. How do you know I can decipher it, Senior?" Ye Yuan smiled.

Xiu shook his head and said, "Even the simplified 'Mo Wen' is profound and unfathomable, its principles reaching the mysterious Dao. Ordinary people simply cannot pass it. One wrong move, and they might even lose their lives on the spot. You are intelligent and have unique insights. I thought... perhaps you might be able to pass it. So, do you have the guts to give it a try?"

Over the past half year or so, Xiu and Ye Yuan had sat together discussing the Way, and the more they talked, the more congenial they found each other.

And as time passed, his confidence in Ye Yuan's talent grew ever stronger.

That was why he supported Ye Yuan in giving it a try.

Ye Yuan laughed upon hearing this and said, "Such a matter, why would it need the elder to provoke me? If I had known of this chess game earlier, I would have long been unable to resist trying it out."

Hearing Ye Yuan say this, Xiu's expression turned grave instead. "Young man, I know your talent is extraordinary, but do not underestimate this 'Ask Not'! Over the past five thousand years, the geniuses who have died under this 'Ask Not' could probably fill an imperial capital if gathered together!"

This chess game was a contest between two supreme sovereigns, and the dangers contained within it were naturally everywhere.

In such a chess game, those of dull wit would be safe.

But once those of exceptional talent became immersed, blending into the contest between the two, they would be in extreme peril, with hidden dangers lurking everywhere.

Thus, the higher one's talent, the more miserable one's death.

Ni Kun's move in bringing this up was actually to use 'Ask Not' to kill Ye Yuan.

After all, everyone had seen the talent Ye Yuan displayed.

Ni Kun did not like Ye Yuan, but that did not mean he did not recognize Ye Yuan's talent in the Dao of alchemy.

Ye Yuan smiled and said, "Though thousands stand against me, I shall go! If I lack even this boldness, how can I speak of achieving the Great Way?"

Xiu slapped his thigh upon hearing this and laughed heartily, "Good! I did not misjudge you!"

...

When Ye Yuan found Ni Kun and said he wanted to challenge 'Ask Not', Ni Kun was stunned.

He had been scheming how to force Ye Yuan into challenging 'Ask Not', but unexpectedly, Ye Yuan came to him on his own.

This move left him somewhat bewildered.

"You really want to challenge 'Ask Not'?" Ni Kun asked in astonishment.

Ye Yuan smiled and said, "Isn't this what you hoped for?"

Ni Kun was taken aback and blurted out, "So you even knew that... uh..."

Ni Kun, in his haste, realized he had let the cat out of the bag.

Wasn't this tantamount to admitting that he was the one behind this matter?

This kid was so cunning, truly hard to guard against.

In fact, Ye Yuan did not care whether he admitted it or not.

Xiu had already told Ye Yuan about this matter; otherwise, he would not have known the dangers involved, nor Ni Kun's intentions.

Ye Yuan said with a faint smile, "Elder Ni, how about we make a pact?"

Ni Kun's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and he said in a deep voice, "What pact do you want to make?"

Ye Yuan said, "If I fail, I will never speak again at the elder's lectures; if I succeed by luck, everyone can speak freely at all elders' lectures. What do you think?"