Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 294: The Chess Game of the World

The word “what” was not enough to describe Chu Tianyu’s shock at that moment. Just Qingtian’s earth-shattering words had already thrown him into confusion. It was unimaginable—Qingtian and Shitian could actually be the same person. How was that possible? He had witnessed the conflict and fighting between the Nether Realm and the Heavenly Holy Gate with his own eyes; there was not an ounce of falsehood. Moreover, whether from the thoughts of the first Heavenly Illusionist or from the information obtained through the Soul-Collecting Technique from Lord Qin, the situation remained the same—absolutely no deception or error.

Seeing Chu Tianyu’s puzzled expression and guessing what he was thinking, the figure before him—whether Qingtian or Shitian—spoke again in a firm voice, “Young man, you really don’t need to doubt anything or overcomplicate things. It’s simple: I play both the good guy and the villain!”

Hearing his words, Chu Tianyu gradually emerged from his initial shock and confusion. To be honest, this was utterly astonishing. Probably no one could have predicted such an outcome. But now that it was explained, Chu Tianyu began to recall some clues—like Tian Yunqing suddenly stopping her pursuit of the Ao Xue sisters and her strange expression when changing the subject. It seemed that Qingtian might have been hiding in the shadows all along, and he hadn’t sensed his presence. Clearly, this person possessed extraordinary energy!

As Chu Tianyu calmed down, he also regained his clarity of mind and quickly grasped the key to the situation. He asked the mysterious figure, “Then what is your goal? What do you intend to do?”

“Goal? Haha. That term is utterly meaningless to me! Young man, could you take off that mask and face me honestly? Then I can tell you a story. Perhaps this story holds the answer you’re looking for!” said the mysterious figure.

By now, Chu Tianyu had fully recovered. Since he was here, he might as well face it. Whether this person was Qingtian or Shitian, he was standing right in front of him. No matter what happened, the worst outcome would just be another final battle. Why worry and create unnecessary troubles now?

After coming to terms with it, Chu Tianyu completely calmed down. Though he had his own calculations in mind, he understood that this matter was far from simple and couldn’t be resolved through mere fighting. The best choice now was to wait and see what would happen. Didn’t he want to tell a story? Well, let’s see what trick he had up his sleeve.

“Good. I’m all ears, young man!” Chu Tianyu said, taking off his mask as well.

When the mysterious man saw Chu Tianyu’s true face, he immediately nodded and said, “As expected, you’re handsome and composed, with a brilliance that’s subtly displayed. Truly, heroes are born young—far more impressive than those on the cover of some Playboy magazine!”

Chu Tianyu almost choked on his own saliva at hearing that. What was this about? The earlier remarks had made some sense, but suddenly it turned into mentioning Playboy. Yet Chu Tianyu wasn’t annoyed. He vaguely remembered that when he took control of the Chu family and played the role of a playboy, he had appeared on the cover of that magazine once…

“Um, cough, sir, according to you, since you’re both ‘Heaven-Piercing’ and ‘Heaven-Devouring,’ how should I address you?” Chu Tianyu quickly changed the subject.

“The two names you mentioned were just made up casually when I founded Tian Sheng Men and Ming Yu. They don’t count. As for my true name, honestly, it’s been so long that even I can’t remember it. Even if I could, the name from back then would probably be incomprehensible to you today. Alas, those characters have long disappeared with history… Ah, you see, as an old man, I keep talking nonsense. Back to the point, young man, just call me Ni Tian!” the mysterious man droned on.

“Ugh, after all this talk, it’s like nothing was said. What’s this ‘Ni Tian’—it seems like this person is obsessed with ‘heaven’!” Chu Tianyu thought to himself.

But he said formally, “Oh, it’s Senior Ni Tian!” He almost added “I’ve long admired you,” but luckily held back in time.

“Hehe, are you wondering why this old guy keeps clashing with ‘heaven,’ huh?” Ni Tian asked, looking at Chu Tianyu with an expression of utter understanding.

“Senior Ni Tian, didn’t you say you had a story to tell?” Chu Tianyu didn’t want to keep talking to him.

Ni Tian looked up at the sky, which was gradually turning gloomy, and casually said, “Hmm, it’s getting late. Time to get to the point.”

After speaking for a while, as if organizing his thoughts, he continued, “Let’s not beat around the bush. I too am someone imbued with dragon energy—I believe you can sense that as well. It’s just that I was ahead of you by a thousand or so years. A thousand years of loneliness… So, out of boredom, I created two sects and granted them methods to obtain the energy of heaven and earth…”
“Is that what you call granting? And your so-called energy of heaven and earth is nothing but a pretext—a sinister art that requires sacrificing the physical health and even life of its user to achieve its effects!” Chu Tianyu exposed him right away.
“Hehe, what is right and what is evil? The notion of right and evil lies in the heart and in the tools used. Is that what all the books say these days?” Ni Tian said with a smile, showing no anger.
“The key lies in this ‘tool.’ Whether used for good or evil, it only harms both others and oneself—purely harmful with no benefits. Could it be that you did such absurd things just out of boredom?” Chu Tianyu said seriously.
“It was purely out of boredom. Everything in the world conforms to the principles of yin and yang—The Tao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two give birth to three, and three give birth to all things. All things embrace yin while holding onto yang, and through the interaction of these forces, harmony is achieved! I created two sects, one good and one evil, one light and one dark, precisely to reflect the principle of balance between yin and yang in everything.” Ni Tian said with a smile.
“How does Laozi’s theory seem distorted when spoken by you? Let me explain it for you. The so-called balance of yin and yang exists only because you possess immense power, power beyond human limits. Your so-called control over yin and yang, your emphasis on balance, and the creation of these two sects—playing games like using one hand to fight the other—are, in essence, attempts to break free from constraints, disrupt balance, and shatter these laws. For someone like you, I have just one comment: truly ‘powerful to the point of boredom’!” Chu Tianyu revealed the truth in one sentence.
“Good, good. You’re really a clever kid. Heaven sent you as a ‘constraint’ force—you really haven’t disappointed me. You’re right, but only partly. A thousand years of life, power with no one to check it—calling it powerful to the point of boredom makes sense. But let me add one more thing: powerful to the point of fear!”
“Fear?” Chu Tianyu asked in confusion.
“That’s right. A thousand years of life and experience have taught me one thing clearly: no force exists without constraints or weaknesses. No matter how powerful it is, there is always a counterforce. Otherwise, how could there be any talk of balance between yin and yang?”

“Hah, I didn’t notice that at all. Otherwise, a thousand years would have passed—how could you still be standing in front of me, chatting and laughing?” Chu Tianyu sneered.
Ni Tian didn’t seem bothered and remained calm, saying, “That’s because I keep myself in this balance at all times. Otherwise, over these thousand years, the entire world would have been enough for me to destroy it several times! To be honest, when I first gained power, I was crazy and indulgent, but it only brought endless disasters. There were the early ‘human calamities’—countless people who claimed to be righteous kept harassing me. It was incredibly annoying. I killed one group after another, only for another to appear. By the time most of them were gone, the ‘heavenly calamities’ came—whether it was going mad from practicing martial arts or being struck by lightning from the heavens, I’ve tried it all. It was truly unbearable!”
“Then why not just find a deserted place and stay there quietly?” Chu Tianyu said dismissively.
“Wouldn’t that just lead back to that ‘loneliness’ you mentioned earlier? You might not be able to understand that kind of loneliness yet. You can endure it for a year, for ten years, but can you endure it for a hundred years? Without family, without friends, not even enemies—only memories, painful, madness-inducing, yet infinitely desired memories…”
Hearing this, Chu Tianyu also fell silent. He had never experienced such a state, but it wasn’t hard to imagine.
After speaking, Ni Tian also remained calm for a while before continuing, “That’s why I created the Nether Realm. While destroying everything, I also founded the Heavenly Holy Gate to counter it, achieving a delicate balance. I also found endless pleasure in it, just like playing chess. As long as I arrange the pieces properly, I can enjoy the game alone. Later, I realized that the entire world is like a chessboard, divided into left and right sides. Sometimes they fight against each other, sometimes they remain separate—perfect balance is thus created!”
“And what about balance for someone like you who claims to control the game?” Chu Tianyu asked coldly, unshaken.
Ni Tian didn’t answer directly: “This kind of balance at least eliminates many distractions from the mortal world. To those righteous people, I am the pillar of the Heavenly Holy Gate; to those evil forces, I am the devourer of the Nether Realm. How wonderful! No matter which side has the upper hand, I am always the winner. This also allows me to easily accomplish many things and search for a way to break free from this worldly balance!”
“You’re truly a genius!” Chu Tianyu couldn’t help but admire.
“I don’t sense any sarcasm in that compliment. Thank you!” Ni Tian smiled.

But before Ni Tian could finish feeling proud, Chu Tianyu shook his head with regret and said, “But it was used in the wrong place. What a shame!”
Ni Tian’s expression immediately changed. He asked, “What’s a shame about?”
“It’s a shame that it seems you’ll have to experience God’s ‘force of balance’ before you find this method!” Chu Tianyu said, deliberately rolling up his sleeves as if ready to fight, yet without the slightest hint of anger.