Your "handsome" was trampled to death by the old man's "horse."

You widened your eyes, your right hand sneaking about, trying to take back a move.

But the opponent's terrifying pressure intimidated you into not daring to move.

"Old sir, your chess skills are also formidable."

The old man smiled and waved his hand.

"My memory is just good. I've laid out all possible positions of all the pieces on the board before and memorized them. I've seen every move you make, so naturally, it's easy to deal with."

"The number of permutations and combinations is too terrifying. Have you been playing chess your whole life?"

The old man smiled without answering, pointing at the chessboard.

"Another game?"

"Good! I'll definitely win this one!"

The warm breeze was gentle all around, the sunlight bright and beautiful.

The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the scent of earth. From time to time, a butterfly would fly between the two of you, briefly alighting on the chessboard before fluttering its wings and flying away.

This harmonious atmosphere made you doubt for a moment whether you had misjudged the Shen Family.

It's very safe here, what danger could there possibly be?

"I need your body."

Damn it!

The old man's shocking statement came out of nowhere. You were just about to use your cannon to take his horse. Hearing this, you almost switched to using verbal cannon fire to curse his mother.

"Indeed, there's no such thing as a free lunch. The Shen Family had ulterior motives."

The old man continued playing chess.

"You should know you have no choice."

You let out a bitter laugh.

"Of course. I imagine you, old thing, are definitely not an easy lamp to fuel. I'm afraid I can't beat you..."

The key point was that this old man still looked human. Although what he wanted to do was quite inhumane, the trait system couldn't judge him as a non-human.

He wasn't a ghost, but a living person.

The two major combat traits couldn't take effect. The only chance to fight was the "Trait Slingshot."

But with such a large gap in cultivation realm and at such close range, it was highly likely that the moment you showed any abnormality, you'd be subdued by him directly.

So you needed to stay calm, bide your time, and look for the right opportunity to gamble.

"Why hasn't this old immortal made his move yet?"

Since things were laid bare, you stopped being polite, calling him "old thing" one moment and "old immortal" the next.

The old man wasn't angry either. His emotions seemed never to change, his face always wearing a composed smile.

"No hurry. I want to talk to you. I hope you can die with clarity, lest I accumulate too much resentment on myself. Cleaning that up is quite troublesome."

Great!

In the simulations, you loved doing two things the most.

First, improving cultivation, learning techniques, enduring life to draw traits, etc., because these could be inherited!

Second, gathering intelligence, obtaining information, so you could know in advance!

Over the past ten years, the Shen Family had already done the first thing for you. Now, let this old man before you do the second.

"Who are you?"

"I am the Shen Family's Founding Ancestor. Everyone you met in the Shen Family of the Starry Domains is my descendant. The foundation of the Shen Family exclusively occupying the Starry Domains was also laid by me." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

You gasped sharply.

"I heard the Shen Family has a history of tens of thousands of years. You are the Founding Ancestor, so how old are you?"

"Over thirty thousand years old... It's been too long, I can't quite remember clearly."

"How are you so long-lived? Have you become an immortal?"

"Become an immortal? I wish, but unfortunately, no. That is precisely why I need your body."

"You want to possess me?"

"To be precise, it's soul compatibility.

In our world, there is no method for possession.

I can achieve a similar effect and maintain my soul's vitality for tens of thousands of years because, based on the characteristics of my own bloodline, I created a set of techniques and secret arts.

My descendants, as long as they can cultivate the set of techniques I created, it means their bloodline shows signs of ancestral reversion. The faster they comprehend it, the more their bloodline has reverted.

In other words, the more compatible this body is with me.

In fact, the Shen Family perfected this secret art.

During your 'Mirror Wielder' selection, did they make you take many pills to boost your cultivation and medicinal baths to improve your physique?"

"Correct."

"Boosting cultivation and improving physique are just the surface. The essence of those medicines is to modify your constitution, making your physical characteristics closer to my original body."

Cold sweat broke out on your back.

You didn't feel anything from the pills.

But you did notice something off about those medicinal baths.

They were said to improve physique, but with a small soak every three days and a big soak every seven days, you didn't feel any changes in your physique.

You thought improving physique was something that had to be gradual, couldn't be rushed, so it wasn't obvious.

The Shen Family Founding Ancestor continued.

"The improved 'Soul Compatibility Secret Art' no longer requires selecting successors from my direct bloodline descendants.

So they had clan members leave some 'seeds' while training in the Five Regions and the Great Wastes.

Namely, the so-called Dust Lineage.

When my body is nearing its end, I go to the Dust Lineage to select a batch of people, bring them up, and then meticulously choose one from among them to serve as my next vessel.

For you, it's unfortunate. You are the next one."

The calmer the Shen Family Founding Ancestor spoke, the more you felt your death was certain today.

Gritting your teeth, you said,

"Relying on killing your descendants to achieve longevity, your long life is truly despicable!"

The Shen Family Founding Ancestor smiled.

"I know. But it's the only way. I must live, so I can only sacrifice all of you."

You angrily stood up.

"You must live? I spit on that! Is the Shen Family Founding Ancestor's life so precious, while we insignificant descendants are just dust? Life should not be measured!"

The Shen Family Founding Ancestor still sat there, fiddling with the chess pieces.

It was as if, through the Shen Family behemoth, he plundered resources, nurtured descendants, using the world as his chessboard and living people as his pieces, to prolong his own life for countless generations.

"Everything you say is correct. But today, you still must use your death to fulfill my life. After all, you are my descendant, Shen Yang."

Shen Yang? Next you'll say Harbin!

You silently mock him internally.

However, you seized a key point.

"You also know I'm your descendant. Why would you rather harm your own descendants than possess someone else? Couldn't the Shen Family modify their constitution to be compatible with you anyway?"

Shen Yang shook his head.

"No, that won't do. The modification must also be based on you being my descendant. If I forcibly possessed an outsider, my soul would suffer backlash, with unimaginable consequences."

Hearing this, your emotions instantly stabilized. You sat back down and continued playing chess with him.

"Hahaha!"

Chen Yi outside the simulation was overjoyed.

He could easily imagine how hard the simulated version of himself was trying to hold back laughter at this moment.

"Shen Family, oh Shen Family, why do you keep handing out such easy questions?"