"Let's play a chess ga."
Suddenly, Jun Yu said.
"Huh?"
Su Zimo was stunned for a mont before shaking his head. "I don't know how to play chess[1] and I've never played with anyone before."
He had only co into contact with the Dao of chess when he was young and studying. However, he was not interested in this aspect and did not study it.
When he started cultivating thereafter, he was even less interested in it.
"Do you know the rules?" Jun Yu asked again.
"I only know a little." Su Zimo replied.
He was puzzled as to why Jun Yu would suddenly want to play chess with him.
What Su Zimo did not know was that Jun Yu was even more puzzled.
Back when Fairy Ling Long imparted the nine Ling Long Zugzwangs to her, she once told Jun Yu that if the latter had a chance, she should show them to Su Zimo.
Fairy Ling Long even said that the two of them could communicate with one another if there was anything they did not understand.
Initially, Jun Yu thought that since Fairy Ling Ling Long said that, Su Zimo would definitely be proficient in chess. However, she did not expect that Su Zimo only knew a little about chess and had never played before.
"That's a little strange."
Jun Yu frowned slightly.
No matter what, since Fairy Ling Long was the one who asked her to do it, she did not think too much about it. "Let teach you."
Since she wanted to show Su Zimo the Ling Long Zugzwangs, she first had to teach him the rules.
It was not difficult for Su Zimo to get started at chess. Jun Yu rely explained a few things casually. Given his talent, Su Zimo had already mastered it in less than ten minutes.
Jun Yu placed the Astral Chessboard between the two of them before waving her robes. White and black chess pieces fell onto the chessboard, taking place on each side to form a zugzwang.
"This is the first Ling Long Zugzwang. If you're black, how do you get out of this?"
Initially, Jun Yu wanted to spar with Su Zimo for a few rounds. However, she lost interest when she saw that he did not know much about chess and was just inducted into it today.
After she explained the rules of the ga to Su Zimo, she set out the Ling Long Zugzwang for Su Zimo to read and figure out.
Regardless of whether Su Zimo could resolve it, she had to complete Fairy Ling Long's request.
Su Zimo looked at the chessboard before him and fell into deep thought.
Rather than calling it a zugzwang, it was more like checkmate!
The black chess pieces he was controlling were restricted everywhere on the chessboard and were surrounded by white chess pieces. There were obstacles stacked upon one another continuously—this was a dead end without any chance of survival!
Su Zimo pinched a black chess piece with his fingertips and stared at the Astral Chessboard for a long ti without placing it down.
That was because no matter how he thought about it, he could not find a solution.
He had nowhere out no matter where he placed the black piece!
The Dao of chess was unpredictable and every single move would lead to countless changes—that was an extrely high requirent for one's ntal strength.
An hour passed and he sat there motionlessly. The more he calculated, the more chaotic his mind beca. His chest felt vexed and he had a splitting headache!
Su Zimo closed his eyes hurriedly and composed himself, panting slightly.
Jun Yu was not surprised at all and rely smiled faintly.
The Dao of chess was easy to learn but difficult to master.
In a ga of chess, there were many mysterious Dharmic Daos.
A single essence can create duality. Duality creates four phenonons which then splits into eight trigrams. Everything within Heaven and Earth that's encompassed by the Heavenly Cycle can all be reflected in this chessboard that was two feet square.
The chessboard was Heaven and Earth, the starry skies and the universe. It was all-encompassing and could accommodate anything!
Su Zimo had just learned how to play chess—how could he know how to resolve such an exquisite Ling Long Zugzwang?
The nine Ling Long Zugzwangs were one more complicated and mysterious than the other towards the end.
She had cultivated the Dao of chess for many years but had only lost to Fairy Ling Long.
Even with her comprehension of chess, it took her an entire day to resolve the first Ling Long Zugzwang.
Right then, Su Zimo's breathing had already stabilized.
However, he did not open his eyes. Holding the black chess piece between two fingers, he placed it on a spot on the Astral Chessboard.
Thereafter, Su Zimo opened his eyes and looked at the Ling Long Zugzwang before him. He heaved a sigh of relief and smiled.
"Eh?"
On the other end, Jun Yu could not help but exclaim softly in surprise when she saw Su Zimo's move.
That was because this move was the key to resolving the first Ling Long Zugzwang!
Although that move seed like it killed a portion of his black chess pieces, it actually opened up the board by capturing the opponent's pieces as well. It was a mysterious move that allowed him to seek life within death itself!
"How is that possible?"
Frowning slightly, Jun Yu instinctively thought that Su Zimo had rely done it by accident.
She did not say much and continued playing with the white chess piece in her hands.
After Su Zimo's seemingly suicidal move with his black chess piece, the situation changed drastically. The space on his board was vast and he could move freely without any restraints, killing his way out.
Given Su Zimo's talent, it did not take long for him to break out of the encirclent after playing the critical move. He ford a stand-off with the white chess pieces and dispelled the Ling Long Zugzwang perfectly!
Jun Yu knew that it was aningless to continue with the ga and retracted the black and white chess pieces.
She looked at Su Zimo in surprise. "Fellow Daoist Su, you have a strong talent and comprehension in chess that's truly rare indeed."
Although she said that, she still had imnse doubts towards Su Zimo.
She still felt that Su Zimo's move earlier on was rely a lucky hit.
Furthermore, it took her an entire day to resolve this situation.
As a beginner, Su Zimo only took slightly more than an hour—how was that possible?
In reality, under normal circumstances, even if Su Zimo racked his brains and gave it his all, he would not be able to dispel the Ling Long Zugzwang.
However, just as he closed his eyes and gradually composed himself, a thought flashed through his mind. A black-robed woman who wielded a horsetail whip and utilized a strange footwork appeared.
The black-robed woman was the phantom that the Martial Dao Pri Body saw during the Tenth Tribulation.
At that mont, a strange feeling rose in Su Zimo's heart.
As though she was on the Astral Chessboard, the black-robed woman transford into a black chess piece in his hands and was in a dead end, facing attacks from all directions.
However, the black-robed woman was not flustered at all and took a shocking step forward, breaking out of the situation instantly!
Pursuing that feeling, Su Zimo placed the black chess piece.
The spot where he placed the chess piece was where the black-robed woman took a step forward!
Thereafter, Su Zimo opened his eyes and looked over. By then, the situation of the Ling Long Zugzwang had already changed—a path of survival had opened up for the black chess pieces!
Su Zimo was a little excited. He recalled the Ling Long Zugzwang earlier on and compared it to the footwork displayed by the black-robed woman. Gradually, a realization flashed through his mind as though he had understood sothing.
The footwork displayed by the black-robed woman was actually the Nine Palace Subtle Steps.
However, Su Zimo had only seen the form and process of the black-robed woman's footwork. It was almost impossible for him to truly comprehend that footwork.
But now, Fairy Ling Long had infused the Dharmic Dao of the Nine Palace Subtle Steps into the Ling Long Zugzwang.
On the surface, it looked like she was making them resolve the zugzwang. However, in reality, she was making use of it to impart the Dharmic Dao!
[1] Here, they're referring to the ga of Go. It's just easier to use chess because Go Immortal or whatnot just sounds weird.
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