Chapter 66: The Pavilion

Just at this moment, Jiang Qing was seen walking slowly toward Du Jin and Liu An with a smile on his face.

Approaching them, Jiang Qing cupped his hands and said politely, "Greetings, fellow cultivators. I have a question I'd like to ask you two. Might I ask if you are acquainted with the man accompanying my younger sister?"

Before Liu An could reply, the impatient Du Jin eagerly cut in, "Not at all! We have absolutely nothing to do with that guy! If you have any grievances against him, feel free to go teach him a lesson!" As he spoke, he winked at Jiang Qing, looking thoroughly like someone eager to stir up trouble.

However, Jiang Qing acted as though he had heard nothing, completely brushing aside Du Jin's instigation.

Maintaining his warm smile, he continued, "Haha, please do not joke with me, fellow cultivators. From what I can tell, the three of you should belong to the same sect. My name is Jiang Qing; might I ask your honorable names?"

Seeing how polite Jiang Qing was, Liu An found it difficult to conceal anything further, so he hurriedly replied, "I am Liu An, and this is my senior brother, Du Jin. As for the one traveling with your sister, he is also our senior brother." While speaking, Liu An did not forget to cast a stealthy glare at Du Jin, who was about to open his mouth once more.

Clearly paying no mind to Liu An's warning gaze, Du Jin simply carried on now that his real name was out, speaking in a carefree manner: "That's right, I'm Du Jin. Heh, that pretty boy goes by Jian Yi." Having said that, he couldn't help curling his lip, appearing rather envious of Jian Yi.

Jiang Qing nodded slightly upon hearing this, indicating that he had taken note of their names.

Without asking any further questions, he warmly invited Du Jin and Liu An to enter the grounds with him.

Upon stepping inside Eagle Head Ravine, the scene before them instantly left the two of them astonished.

Towering peaks rose in overlapping layers, surrounded by grotesque, jagged rocks, while a crystal-clear stream meandered through, emitting a crisp and pleasant babbling sound. Ancient trees reached toward the skies all around, accompanied by lush green turf, and from time to time, brightly colored birds swept across the treetops, leaving behind a trail of cheerful chirps.

Following the winding stream forward for a short distance, a pavilion suddenly came into view.

The pavilion was crafted with exquisite intricacy, its four corners upturned like the wings of a bird about to take flight, while its roof was covered in a layer of dark green glazed tiles that shimmered with a captivating radiance under the sunlight.

As they drew closer to the pavilion, they were pleasantly surprised to discover two figures seated attentively beside a stone table, fully absorbed in a game of chess.

The two men wore black and white robes respectively, their sleeves fluttering in the wind, giving them a distinctly ethereal air of Daoist immortals.

Filled with curiosity, Liu An could not help stopping in his tracks at this sight, stepping closer to watch.

His eyes remained fixed tightly on the chessboard, his gaze shifting continuously as the black and white pieces fell one after another.

Just then, an astonishing sight occurred: as the pieces alternated in the players' hands, the seemingly ordinary game of chess began to undergo earth-shattering changes! Every single move appeared to contain endless mystery and profound intent, dazzling the viewer and leaving one breathless.

However, Liu An knew nothing whatsoever about the Dao of Go. Despite this, his gaze never once strayed from the chessboard, not even for a fraction of a second.

Just as he was completely enthralled, he suddenly felt a large, forceful palm press down heavily onto his left shoulder.

"Junior brother, snap out of it!" Accompanied by a stern shout, Du Jin's voice exploded in Liu An's mind like a sudden peal of thunder.

Struck by this sudden shock, Liu An regained his senses instantly, his body trembling involuntarily. Only then did he realize that he had just seemed to sink into a massive Taiji diagram, slowly being drawn entirely into it while his sensory faculties gradually faded away.

"What remarkable prowess this senior possesses! The Yin-Yang domain he created is truly terrifying!" Witnessing all this, Jiang Qing could not help but praise aloud from the bottom of his heart.

Hearing this, the two players engaged in the match raised their heads simultaneously, exchanged smiles, and then stopped their movements, carefully returning the chess pieces in their hands back into their respective boxes.

Following that, another jaw-dropping phenomenon occurred—the two figures rapidly merged into one like phantoms, transforming back into a single person in the blink of an eye!

The Yin-Yang Old Freak, Fudaozi—this legendary figure now stood directly before them.

The protector accompanying Jiang Qing and Jiang Shu recognized his origins at a glance and gasped in astonishment, "It's actually the Yin-Yang Old Freak!"

Hearing someone call out the moniker that the world had long since forgotten, Fudaozi paused slightly, a look of surprise crossing his face.

Slowly, he spoke, "I never expected that after concealing myself from the world for over a century, someone would still remember my name."

With that, his deep, abyss-like gaze lingered on the protector for a moment before shifting to Liu An and the other two.

Examining them closely, Fudaozi furrowed his brows slightly, as if he had caught a whiff of something unusual.

He muttered to themselves, "The three of you exude a somewhat familiar aura, yet for the moment I cannot recall where I might have smelled it before... Ah, well, no use racking my brain over it."

Shifting the topic abruptly, he asked, "I split myself into two to play chess and spent quite some time doing so. For what reason have you all come to this place?"

Not daring to be negligent, Du Jin stepped forward quickly and replied respectfully, "Reporting to Senior, our journey here is for the purpose of attending the cultivator gathering."

Fudaozi nodded upon hearing this, indicating that he understood the situation. With his eyes half-closed, his formidable spiritual sense instantly spread outward like a tide, sweeping across the entire region.

Before long, Fudaozi opened his eyes again, the corners of his mouth curving upward into an imperceptible smile.

He chuckled softly, "Heh, it seems your gathering this time is rather interesting, and even harbors some rather fine treasures. However, this old man has no interest in fighting a bunch of juniors for such fortuitous encounters."

"Let us simply see which lucky soul manages to acquire that item."

Fudaozi made no attempt to conceal his words from them.

Moments later, Fudaozi's figure flickered slightly, as if blending into the surrounding Yin-Yang Qi, transforming into specks of black and white light before vanishing from the spot in a flash.

Liu An gazed with envy in the direction where Fudaozi had disappeared, lingering shock still resting on the corners of his mouth.

Jiang Qing and Du Jin exchanged glances, both of their eyes flashing with awe toward the legendary figure.

"Let's continue on our way. The senior just gave us a hint—there are missed opportunities waiting at this cultivator gathering."

The group grew even more enthusiastic about the upcoming cultivator gathering.