Chapter 1698: Chapter 812: Qi Fortune! Qi Fortune!

Lanzhou, Xieyue Prefecture City.

This place was originally unremarkable among the various prefectures of Lanzhou, but it gained some fame due to the standoff between the Buddhist Sect and the Heavenly Demon Hall, and a battle between Pu Xian Bodhisattva and Dongfang Sheng.

Only then did this Prefecture City start to gain some notoriety.

Compared to before, there are now few people in Xieyue Prefecture City; most are huddled at home, fearing being drawn into the conflict between the Buddhists and the Demon Sect.

To the northwest of the Prefecture City, under a willow tree, an elder with white hair and beard, looking like an immortal, sat focused, intently staring at an unfinished chess game.

It seemed he was deducing something.

This elder was Lu Chengfeng.

Before Chen Yuan had even arrived at Martial Emperor City, he had already reached Lanzhou without any delay, to prevent the Buddha from taking action. After all, only an Earth Immortal could deal with another Earth Immortal.

The surroundings were desolate, with only the willow branches swaying in the wind, turning this place into a stunning picture.

At this precise moment, the great sun high above the Nine Heavens suddenly shone brightly, as a young monk, draped in a golden kasaya, with a golden wheel encircling his head, holding a purple gold bowl in his left hand, and a string of Buddha beads in his right, slowly materialized.

The Buddha gazed down at the Daoist figure below, his eyes slightly sunken. The other party did not suppress his own aura; as soon as he arrived at the Prefecture City, he let it spread freely, just to lure him out.

"Friend, it’s been months, how have you been lately?"

Lu Chengfeng lifted his head, looking at the Buddha in the void with a faint smile, as if they were indeed long-lost friends.

The young monk stepped into the void, a golden lotus flower formed under his feet, and he slowly descended, stopping in front of Lu Chengfeng.

"What brings Layman Xiaoyaozi here today?"

The Buddha’s voice was ethereal and dignified.

"The last game ended unsatisfactorily, and I quite miss the Buddha’s chess skill. I came uninvited; please, do not blame me..." Lu Chengfeng said with a faint smile.

The Buddha’s gaze was calm, staring at the other, and continued:

"Last time the layman said that you would no longer interfere in the enmity between the Buddhist Sect and Chen Yuan; this time, you seem to be breaking that promise."

"Hahaha, the Buddha is overthinking it. I came to play chess with the Buddha; how could this involve anything with Chen Yuan? Let’s not mention him, let’s not mention him..." Lu Chengfeng waved his hand.

"Is the layman teasing this poor monk?"

"Haha, how could the Buddha think so? Today’s matters have nothing to do with Chen Yuan. What, could it be that the Buddha is planning to take action against Chen Yuan today? As far as I know, he is now at Nine Dragon Mountain in the South State, quite a distance away."

"Why does the layman evade the topic?"

"I have no such intention."

The two faced each other; Lu Chengfeng smiling, the Buddha expressionless, and the atmosphere around them seemed to stall, filled with a dangerous feeling.

"Very well, then this poor monk will accompany the layman for another game." After a few moments of silence, it was the Buddha who first broke the silence, speaking slowly.

"This is great, truly great..."

Lu Chengfeng gently stroked his long beard with his hand and laughed, and the surroundings changed accordingly, as if a mirage, returning to their original scene in an instant.

Mist shrouded the area, and a chessboard appeared in the void.

The Buddha’s eyes narrowed, growing more solemn. Last time, he was unprepared and was instantly pulled into the Secret Realm by this person, but this time, his Divine Thought had been covering the surroundings.

Yet, the result was the same.

This person’s mastery of the rules has reached an astonishing level.

"Please, let the Buddha begin." Lu Chengfeng gestured with a hand.

The Buddha squinted slightly, a white piece congealing at his fingertip, which slowly fell onto the chessboard, as if time rewound, returning once more to the previous duel.

...

...

East Sea, outside Martial Emperor City.

On a long coastline, Muto Shenjing and Yagyu Toshi stood atop a mountain peak, looking towards Japan, the atmosphere somewhat tranquil.

"The Buddhist Sect has taken action, and the Northern Barbarians have already substantially encroached, showing intentions to annex Liangzhou. It truly is a blessing for us, Japan. Hahaha..." Yagyu Toshi’s face beamed with joy, feeling relieved.

He took the lead, indeed it was the right move, forcing the Northern Barbarians to be restless, for it was a rare opportunity, lest Japan be destroyed, and the Central Plains could then focus on dealing with the Northern Barbarians.

"I’ve heard that King Yan, Chen Yuan, has already arrived?"

Muto Shenjing asked casually.

"Indeed, he’s even sent a challenge invitation, wishing to duel with me, also boasting that if I dare not accept the challenge, then I should get out of the Central Plains."

Yagyu Toshi snorted coldly, filled with disdain for Chen Yuan’s contempt.

"It seems this person’s confidence is ample and urgent."

"Naturally, Chen Yuan’s son rose to fame at a young age, undefeated, so a bit of arrogance is normal, but sometimes too much arrogance can ruin a lifetime.

However, this specific arrogance seems traceable, with pressures from the Northern Barbarians, the Western Regions, and even the Southern Border mounting on the Central Plains, he simply can’t spare his hands.

He has to break through them one by one, and we, Japan, are the soft target he chose first...."

"When the time comes, leave Chen Yuan to me."

Muto Shenjing’s expression was indifferent, yet a hint of battle intent flashed in his eyes.

"Do not underestimate this boy, when the time comes, I will join you, to let him understand the price of underestimating Japan, hmph....."

"It’s up to you."

....

Japan has accepted the challenge to duel Chen Yuan above the East Sea; this news undoubtedly caused a huge stir within Martial Emperor City, only then did they realize that the renowned King Yan had now arrived at Martial Emperor City.

Directly challenging the Japanese Immortal, this could indeed be described as imposing.