Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 550: Immortals’ Chess Game

Through the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s accounts, Lu Yang had long been well-acquainted with the Heaven Mandate Immortal and his deeds, from before his rise to fame to the days after his immortal ascension.

But standing face-to-face with the Heaven Mandate Immortal like this was a first.

The Heaven Mandate Immortal wore a pale blue robe with wide sleeves, its lapels adorned with wave-like patterns. He had a dignified and imposing bearing, his golden pupils making him look commanding like an emperor.

“According to the Everlasting Immortal Fairy, the Heaven Mandate Immortal was playing chess with the Qilin Immortal. So the one sitting across from him is the Qilin Immortal?” Lu Yang turned his gaze to the other player.

The Qilin Immortal bore two coral horns upon his head, his cheeks and the back of his hands covered in crimson sales. His eyes resembled those of dragons and tigers, exuding a baleful energy. This wasn’t a sign of an incomplete transformation. Rather, it was his mark of pride as a qilin.

As the sole qilin in the world, taking human form was merely a convenience for interacting with the other four immortals. Therefore, there was no need to fully transform into a human. Retaining his qilin features was his source of pride.

The Qilin Immortal was clad in black robes. Upon closer inspection, one would notice its intricate embroidery depicting myriad beasts. Only he, the immortal of myriad beasts, was worthy to don this garment.

“A historical projection?”

Lu Yang was stunned. This is exactly like the story the transmission elder had told us—accidentally stumbling into an immortal domain and witnessing two immortals playing a game of chess.

Although immortals stood at the pinnacle of the cultivation system, their every action didn’t necessarily leave behind historical projections. Otherwise, wouldn’t the entire world be able to see immortals?

The reason a projection remained here was that this chess game had taken up a hundred years of three immortals’ lives, and their immense power had warped the space.

“Wait, that’s not right either. The transmission elder said Teacher Tiankui only saw the immortals, but their faces were blurry. Why can I see them so clearly?

“Could it be that these two immortals and I...”

“Of course, it’s because of this immortal.” The happy-go-lucky voice of the Everlasting Immortal Fairy rang out.

Lu Yang turned to see her standing beside him. She wore a yellow dress and floated slightly so their eyes were level. Since this was a historical projection, Qiu Jin’an and the others wouldn’t detect her presence.

“Immortal Fairy, you’re here too?” That makes sense. If I can see this historical projection, there’s no reason the Everlasting Immortal Fairy can’t.

“What are you saying? How would you be able to see those two lousy chess players without me? It’s because I resonated with their historical projection that you’re witnessing this scene now.” She pointed at the Heaven Mandate Immortal and the Qilin Immortal smugly.

As soon as the Everlasting Immortal Fairy appeared, the awe Lu Yang had felt toward immortals instantly evaporated. “Then what about Teacher Tiankui? Did he happen to catch the last scene of the historical projection’s reappearance?”

“It was probably the Heaven Mandate Immortal’s doing.”

“The Heaven Mandate Immortal?” Lu Yang’s expression turned odd. Is it inappropriate to say this right in front of him?

But how could the Everlasting Immortal Fairy bother with this? Forget phantom images, even if the real Heaven Mandate Immortal were here, she would dare say it to his face.

“You’ve got it backward. Teacher Tiankui didn’t comprehend the Five-Elements Combat Tactic because he saw this historical projection—he saw this historical projection because he could comprehend the Five-Elements Battle Tactic in the first place.

“Later generations couldn’t see this historical projection, not because it dissipated, but because none of them could comprehend anything from the chessboard. If word got out, it wouldn’t boost their prestige.”

Lu Yang was speechless. Once again, he recognized the Heaven Mandate Immortal’s painstaking efforts.

The Heaven Mandate Immortal and the Qilin Immortal continued their game, each chess piece landing with a soft clack. Just listening to the sound alone cleansed Lu Yang’s mind and heart, as if his soul was elevating.

“They play chess this fast?” At this speed, how could they have played for a hundred years? Twenty minutes would be pushing it.

“What’s so interesting about watching these two lousy chess players? I sped things up,” the Everlasting Immortal Fairy remarked lazily. Who in their right mind would waste a hundred years watching a chess game like that fool Tiankui? 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

“So you two have been playing chess here. I’ve finally found you.” The voice of a third ancient immortal could be heard. It was none other than the Nine-Layers Immortal, the creator of Five in a Row.

Clad in a plain hemp garment and a straw raincoat, the Nine-Layers Immortal strode in, dripping wet as if it was raining outside. He held an axe in one hand and a bundle of freshly cut firewood on his back, looking every bit like an old woodcutter.

The only unusual detail was that the firewood he carried was completely dry.

“Ho, isn’t this wutong wood?[1] Did the Epoch Immortal send you to chop it?” The Heaven Mandate Immortal chuckled.

“How do you two still have the face to say that?! The Epoch Immortal told me to fetch you for dinner, yet here you are hiding away playing chess. It’s been years, and you still haven’t finished?!”

“What’s the rush? It’s rare for us to have a chance to determine a winner between us. Shouldn’t we take this match seriously? Every move requires careful deliberation. You get it?”

“You go ahead and eat. We’ll join you shortly.”

The Nine-Layers Immortal scoffed. At the rate you two are playing, you won’t even finish in fifty years. And you’re asking if I get it? I invented Five in a Row. How could you two know it better than me?

“Never mind, I’ll stay and watch, lest you start another game after this one.” The Nine-Layers Immortal found an excuse to linger with a peace of mind.

“The Epoch Immortal?” Lu Yang murmured with a frown. Why would the Epoch Immortal send the Nine-Layers Immortal to chop firewood and fetch the Heaven Mandate Immortal and the Qilin Immortal to eat?

Shouldn’t it have been the Everlasting Immortal Fairy?

Realization suddenly dawned upon him. Indeed. The ancient mastermind had erased all information about the Everlasting Immortal Fairy through unknown means, and even historical projections aren’t spared—they also have to be erased and replaced.

Take Teacher Tiankui, for example. He might have learned of the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s existence from the historical projection.

Completely erasing all traces of the Everlasting Immortal Fairy would have been too difficult and easily left logical loopholes that risked detection. The best solution is to substitute her with another entity of equal standing. That’s why the Everlasting Immortal Fairy had been replaced by the Epoch Immortal in this scene.

However, judging by how Teacher Tiankui couldn’t identify these three immortals, he likely couldn’t understand the ancient language.

Lu Yang had only managed to learn the ancient language under the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s guidance. Due to the cultivation world’s periodization of history, merely translating the ancient language was a feat in itself, let alone speaking or understanding it.

He stole a glance at the Everlasting Immortal Fairy, only to see her grinding her teeth in fury. “Which bastard masked my existence?” She even cracked her knuckles, ready to go all out against the mastermind at any moment.

“Who’s there?!” the Nine-Layers Immortal suddenly hollered, turning his head to stare directly at where Lu Yang and the Everlasting Immortal Fairy stood.

For a fleeting moment, Lu Yang even felt their eyes had met.

After the Nine-Layers Immortal’s shouted, the Heaven Mandate Immortal and the Qilin Immortal also snapped to attention, their gazes fixed on the same spot. Although they couldn’t see anyone, they could faintly sense their presence!

The three of them felt guilty about avoiding the Everlasting Immortal Fairy, so they naturally reacted strongly when they detected someone lurking in the shadows.

“Strange. With our capabilities, how could we not see anyone who’s hiding? Even the Epoch Immortal can’t pull it off. Could the Epoch Immortal be observing us from the future through his Epoch Dao Fruit?”

1. Wutong is also known as the Chinese parasol tree. ☜