At this moment, the gaze of the people ascending the mountain landed squarely on Tang Zhong in the distance.
At the same time, they saw the chess puzzle ahead of Tang Zhong.
The bespectacled, scholarly Ji Luowen observed the scene and remarked, "They say that to meet the ancient Master, one must solve an ancient chess puzzle first. That chess puzzle is probably it!"
The elderly man’s eyes lit up upon seeing the sight. The place he had been seeking was likely right here.
But someone was already at the chess puzzle!
"Dad, this must be the place you’ve been looking for!" exclaimed Ji Luowu, dressed in sportswear, standing nearby.
"Quiet! Someone is working on the puzzle ahead!" the elderly man quickly stopped him. His name was Ji Chunlian.
"Dad, should I go over and drive that guy away for you?" Ji Luowu shouted, immediately getting ready to move forward.
"Stop... This is the ancient Master’s place. Don’t do anything reckless!" Ji Chunlian warned. His face appeared unusually aged—indeed, he was already over ninety.
"But Dad, now that you’re here, shouldn’t everyone yield to you?" Ji Luowu countered.
"No. Wait. Whoever solves the ancient Master’s puzzle may receive a divination from him. Such a gift is given only to the fated. The first to attempt the puzzle gets priority; that is the rule!" Ji Chunlian responded.
"But Dad, if that guy solves the puzzle, wouldn’t our trip here be in vain?" Ji Luowu asked ignorantly, continuing his barrage of questions.
"The ancient Master’s chess puzzle isn’t so simple to solve! Countless people have tried over the years but failed. Now, it’s been thirty years since anyone managed to solve it. Do you really think it’ll be solved so easily?" Ji Chunlian explained.
"Thirty years..." Ji Luowu relaxed, no longer worried.
Ji Luowen, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
At this moment, Tang Zhong paid no heed to the people behind him; instead, his focus was entirely on the chess puzzle. Indeed, this was a deadlock—a puzzle impossible to solve, no matter how much effort the solver exerted.
What was the point of setting up such a puzzle here?
Seated before it, Tang Zhong did not move a single piece.
Meanwhile, seeing that Tang Zhong wasn’t making any moves, Ji Luowu grew impatient and shouted, "Hey, kid! If you can’t solve it, then move aside! Stop wasting time there!"
Ji Chunlian quickly stopped him, chastising, "Do not yell! The ancient Master once said that no one may disturb the person solving the puzzle!"
Upon being reprimanded, Ji Luowu clamped his mouth shut.
But Tang Zhong paid no attention to Ji Luowu’s words, his gaze fixed on the chess puzzle. It was a deadlock—yet, inviting someone here to solve it was intriguingly audacious of the ancient Master. Tang Zhong chuckled to himself, extended his hand, and slammed his palm onto the stone chessboard.
If a puzzle is truly a deadlock, then the only way to solve it is : destroy the stone chessboard entirely—that would be the ultimate resolution.
The onlookers waiting nearby for the puzzle to be solved turned pale.
"What is he doing? Unable to solve it, so he wants to destroy the board out of anger?" Ji Luowu shouted.
Ji Chunlian’s face also changed slightly.
At seventy years old, Ji Chunlian had encountered a perplexing issue he hoped the ancient Master could resolve. Consequently, he had spent twenty years studying this chess puzzle, devising a partial method of breaking its deadlock, leading him here for a trial.
He had never expected that someone would now attempt to destroy the board!
Just as Tang Zhong’s palm was about to descend upon the stone chessboard—
A thunderous voice echoed through the forest.
"Do you dare destroy the puzzle?"
The voice was ancient and resonant—it was, without doubt, the voice of the ancient Master.
Tang Zhong halted his palm mid-air. Hearing the voice, he smiled and responded, "Did I destroy the puzzle? I’ve been solving it all along!"
The Ji family father and son burst into laughter upon hearing this, turning their gazes toward Tang Zhong. What a ridiculous notion! To solve the puzzle meant to overcome the challenge left behind—not to shatter the board itself. Where did this guy come from? How could he be so absurd?
At this moment, the ancient Master’s voice resounded again. "Solving the puzzle? What does it mean to solve the puzzle?"
"It’s simple—solving the puzzle means solving the puzzle! Break it, and the puzzle is dealt with!" Tang Zhong replied.
"Are you certain this is your method of solving?" the voice asked once more, sternly.
"I am!" Tang Zhong declared confidently. Without hesitation, his palm descended upon the chessboard.
With a loud explosion, the stone chessboard shattered into countless pieces.
Ji Chunlian’s expression turned grim. Twenty years of study wasted—the chessboard had been destroyed beyond recognition, something he had never anticipated.
"Dad, now that the chessboard is smashed, doesn’t that mean you can’t solve it anymore?" Ji Luowu asked.
"Don’t rush—let’s wait and hear what the ancient Master has to say!" Ji Chunlian instructed.
Tang Zhong, having shattered the chessboard, stood there with an air of leisure.
At this moment, the ancient Master’s voice echoed again. "Congratulations... you’ve solved the puzzle!"
These words caused the Ji family father and son to freeze in shock. What... what did this mean? Was this considered solving the puzzle?
Impossible! So many over the years had come here trying to solve this puzzle without success. This puzzle confounded everyone who approached it—until today, when it was shattered, and suddenly deemed ’solved’!
"What is your name?" the ancient Master’s voice inquired.
"Tang Zhong!" he answered promptly.
"Come in!" the ancient Master called.
Moments later, a path opened up ahead. Where before there had been only dense trees, a road now emerged—it must have been concealed by the art of Qimen Dunjia!
In this world, formations truly exist, and among them, Qimen Dunjia is the most renowned.
Tang Zhong stepped forward onto the path.
The Ji family father and son observed intently.
"Dad... what about us?" Ji Luowu asked.
"The ancient Master hasn’t summoned us. We wait!" Ji Chunlian replied.
Thus, they watched helplessly as Tang Zhong proceeded inside.
Still, Ji Chunlian could not suppress his astonishment. The ancient Master was regarded as the true Master of the Southern Border, renowned for his uncanny accuracy in divination. Many people sought his predictions yet were unable even to meet him, blocked by this very puzzle. They had racked their brains trying to solve it, never expecting the so-called solution to be . But one thing was certain—that young man who had just entered was truly extraordinary.
Tang Zhong walked along the narrow path, surrounded by towering trees, twisting and turning, until he reached a small hall.
Inside the hall, a figure sat cross-legged—a venerable elder clad in black robes. His hair had turned silvery white, his eyebrows and beard so long they nearly touched the floor. Before him lay a tortoiseshell, the tool of his divinations.
This elder was none other than the ancient Master.
It seemed the sound of Tang Zhong entering had drawn his attention, for he slowly opened his eyes. Surprisingly, his eyes were one black and one white—the legendary Yin Yang Eyes, capable of perceiving the ancient and the ethereal.
Fixing his gaze upon Tang Zhong, the elder spoke, "Are you the one who solved the puzzle?"
"Yes," Tang Zhong answered, maintaining his distance yet speaking firmly.
"Sit," the elder gestured calmly.
"Understood," Tang Zhong nodded.
The elder did not immediately begin the divination. Instead, he studied Tang Zhong closely, scrutinizing him. Then, he broke into a smile, remarking, "As I thought... a young man indeed..."