Chapter 126: The Unchanged Outcome

The Zhenlong Puzzle!
When his gaze fell on the chessboard on the square table, Kai Xin couldn’t help but feel a tremor in his heart. The experiences from his past life came vividly to mind.
This puzzle, hailed as the most mysterious and intricate in the martial world, even posed a challenge to many high-level professional chess players, who often only managed to gain a little innate insight. As for him, he had suffered a crushing defeat in the first round, leaving with just a bit of insight and a top-notch martial arts manual.
Thinking of this, Kai Xin stared at the chessboard on the table, taking a deep breath involuntarily. His expression grew solemn…
The Zhenlong Puzzle!
It was the most mysterious and intricate creation in Jin Yong’s writings, possessing magical illusions that could directly affect people’s emotions and memories. It was even regarded as a wonder equal to the Nine Yin and Nine Yang Divine Arts! If one could decipher its essence and mysteries, not only could their identity as the Master of Mysterious Void be revealed, but they might also gain unparalleled opportunities.
It was a pity…
In the past, countless people failed to understand or solve this puzzle, unable to truly break through its constraints and transcend themselves, ultimately failing in the final stages.
In his past life, Kai Xin had not succeeded. This time, he held no expectations at all…
Because the Zhenlong Puzzle was extremely complex—it required not only a deep understanding of Go itself but also the ability to navigate the illusions it created while overcoming inner demons, taking a very long time to master.
Kai Xin came here partly to gain some innate insight and partly to use the opportunity to play chess to avoid being pursued by the Green Forest Alliance due to the tributes, as well as other unexpected changes and enemies.
As long as he could survive until the end of the day, after the Emperor’s birthday, the court would, out of face, stop pursuing them. All tributes would become unclaimed, the pursuit markers on the map would disappear, and those who obtained the tributes would truly become their masters.
With this thought, the solemnity and tension in Kai Xin’s heart diminished somewhat…
Pulling up his robes, Kai Xin sat down at the square table without hesitation, under the admiring gaze of the Master of Mysterious Void.
“Ding!”
As the Master of Mysterious Void took his seat, a clear system prompt sounded:
“Accept the Master of Mysterious Void’s Zhenlong Puzzle challenge!”
“Survive ten moves without defeat to pass the puzzle… You will gain one point of innate insight and one top-notch martial arts manual!”
“If you fail, you will only gain one point of innate insight.”

“Whoever solves the Zhenlong Chess Game gains three points of innate wisdom! One top-tier martial arts secret manual, along with a unique technique developed by Master Xuan Kong himself.”
With a deep gaze, Kai Xin took another deep breath of joy and looked at Master Xuan Kong:
“Please make the first move.”
“…”
At that moment, Master Xuan Kong shed his kind expression and smile, adopting a solemn look. He nodded and picked up a round, dark chess piece from the box filled with black pieces.
The instant the piece was placed, Kai Xin felt the surroundings shift dramatically, with black and white intermingling wildly!
As soon as the Zhenlong Chess Game was set up, stars and moons seemed to swirl swiftly!
Under the glow of countless stars, Kai Xin felt as if he were sitting in a hazy space, somewhat lost, with a vast Zhenlong Chess Game before him…
Black pieces and white pieces formed a huge, magnificent star map, stunningly displayed before him.
In this star map, the number of black pieces far exceeded that of white pieces. In this exaggerated depiction, it resembled a giant, ferocious black dragon tightly gripping a white tiger, its fierce gaze exuding terrifying power—seemingly capable of tearing the white tiger to shreds in one strike.
Kai Xin held a white piece in his hand, his mind in awe.
It must be said—the influence of the Zhenlong Chess Game on people’s minds is truly terrifying!
An ordinary endgame, when activated by its mystical patterns, transforms into such a dangerous and fearsome scene, drawing one involuntarily into it. One ceases to be a controller and becomes trapped within the game, losing any sense of the overall situation; moreover…
As one delves deeper, influenced by the illusions of the black dragon and white tiger, the mind is shaken. Looking down at the white piece in hand, one can’t help but feel despair, hesitation, and panic—leading to even more negative emotions, such as the illusion that a mere white piece cannot change the current situation or save the white tiger from the black dragon’s clutches.
Zhenlong!
This is the Zhenlong Chess Game!
A mystery that makes countless high-level players despise it yet delights many others, making them realize how chess mirrors life itself!
With his eyes closed as he held the piece, Kai Xin once again entered the Zhenlong Chess Game, feeling deeply moved. Only after a long while did he exhale slowly, opening his eyes to closely examine the scene of the black dragon devouring the tiger before him.
The black dragon devouring the tiger—so vivid…
Yet in his hand was just a seemingly insignificant piece.
With such a huge disparity, most players fail at this stage, including Kai Xin in his past life. But this time, he glanced down at the piece in his hand and began to imagine.

If this chess piece were as large and dazzling as the one in the picture before him…
Buzz!!!
Happy’s chess piece suddenly began to tremble!
It was growing larger and brighter—like a silver-white moon disc emitting an astonishing light from within, illuminating Happy’s resolute face with even more confidence and vigor.
It was time to make a move…
Happy smiled slightly and, aiming at the black dragon’s gaping maw, slowly pushed the white moon disc from his hand. Drawn by an invisible force, it flew toward the black dragon’s sensitive scales.
“Roar!!!”
The white tiger lunged with its claws; its scales were struck, and the black dragon let out a painful cry instantly…
The furious roar of the dragon shattered the entire Star-Moon realm, and the intricate chess board shattered into countless pieces. In an instant, Happy found himself back in the temple. His previous self reached out, and the white piece landed precisely where he had intended.
Master Xuan Kong, whose gaze seemed murky, watched as Happy quickly regained his composure, freed himself from the chess board, and his spirit soared as excitement flashed across his face.
“Unperturbed by external changes—seeing what is before one’s eyes… This young disciple truly possesses extraordinary focus!”
“Master, you flatter me. Please make your move.”
Happy was thrilled inside but showed none outwardly, raising his hand in a gesture of invitation.
He was well aware of his own chess skills—quite amateurish. He had come here solely thanks to the lessons from his past life; otherwise, he would have followed in their footsteps, helplessly watching the white tiger perish in the black dragon’s belly.
Xuan Kong wasted no time. Glancing at the slightly changed board layout, he gently picked up a piece, glanced at Happy, and skillfully placed it behind the white tiger…
The scene changed again!
Happy felt the scene shift before his eyes, and he was back in that Star-Moon realm with the black dragon and white tiger.
The situation seemed even more perilous!
Roar!!!
The black dragon swallowed the tiger…
The white tiger was now severely damaged, its strength waning—its situation critical.
Happy sat quietly in the Star-Moon realm, gazing up at the celestial map composed of black and white lights. His eyes flickered, his brows furrowed as he fell deep into thought:
In terms of chess skills, he was indeed weak;
but such a vivid progression wasn’t hard to understand. If analyzed from the perspective of moves, with his experience, it wouldn’t take nine rounds… the white tiger would surely perish!