The Emperor's Gambit

The sky above was a tapestry of countless colored rays, auspicious light swirling in harmony, with sacred lotus blossoms blooming one after another, divine rainbows encircling the vast firmament, and a blanket of serene peace.

No one knew how long had passed before the discourse on corpses and the Dao reached a pause.

“The form of the Dao gradually drifts away; it returns through the extreme of life-and-reversal, and that which departs is the Missing One.” The Small Stone Emperor reappraised Lu Zhan’s Dao, then nodded. With a sudden sweep of his sleeve, a great tomb cracked open, and the Moon-Shadow Demon Blade flew out, seized by his power. He handed it to Lu Zhan. “An excellent exposition. This stone weapon is yours.”

In the distance, Keke had woken up, and his large eyes went round. The Small Stone Emperor had so casually handed a stone weapon to an Otherworld Ancestor!

Stone Corpse, Suspended Ancestor, and the others also started, envy flickering in their eyes. They had not expected the Small Stone Emperor to be so magnanimous as to give away his own former weapon without a second thought.

As for Lu Zhan himself, he was both pleased and troubled. He had just been deeply enlightened, it seemed. He accepted the Moon-Shadow Demon Blade calmly, and even when he looked at the Otherworld Ancestor’s Dao Imprint among the seven corpse shadows, his gaze turned tranquil. “The ultimate source can be a single grain of sand, a blade of grass, a fallen petal. All things are the Dao. You and I are the Dao.”

The Small Stone Emperor looked toward a corpse shadow among the Five Kings of the Chaotic Land. “Insightful.”

As he spoke, the second great tomb suddenly split open, and a king-level stone sword flew out. He grasped it in one hand and then handed it to that corpse shadow.

Everyone showed a strange expression. The Small Stone Emperor was not merely generous—he was casually giving away peerless treasures. None of the Stone Kings present felt they could be so carefree; they could not bear to part with such items.

In the distance, Xiao Chen was also startled. Had the Small Stone Emperor truly reached an inconceivable realm? Were these stone weapons all useless to him? Or had he truly fallen and no longer needed these supreme treasures?

“The rhyme of the Dao is natural. Why sigh over the Dao? Why discourse on the Dao? You, I, and he are not the Dao, but the Dao…” The Small Stone Emperor repeated these words several times, then sighed, “Truly evocative. My heart resonates. Is there more?”

But the corpse shadow among the Five Kings of the Chaotic Land sat motionless, without any response.

The Small Stone Emperor’s face showed deep disappointment and regret. “A pity you fell too early and could not perfect it.”

With a crash, the third great tomb split open, and a large stone seal flew out from within. The Small Stone Emperor unhesitatingly handed it to that corpse shadow among the Five Kings of the Chaotic Land.

Everyone was greatly shocked. This was a stone seal personally refined by the Small Stone Emperor, a supreme treasure renowned among stone weapons. He had given it away without a care—truly a magnificent gesture.

“Small Stone Emperor, can it be that the essence of our Dao is not worthy of your attention?” Stone Corpse asked, his voice low and deeply displeased.

“Your Daos are orthodox and unexceptional; they cannot inspire me. But his Dao, though not necessarily superior to yours, can enlighten me…” The Small Stone Emperor replied calmly, sitting cross-legged on the green stone, emanating an overwhelming pressure.

“Enlighten you? What exactly are you trying to do?” Stone Corpse was very vigilant, then demanded, “How could you see through my Saint Corpse Heavenly Dao? How dare you dismiss it as orthodox and unexceptional?”

The Small Stone Emperor did not answer, sweeping his gaze over the seven kings and seven corpses present.

Suspended Ancestor sneered, “So you did not decide who received the stone weapons based on the height of our Dao, but only on which were useful to you. What exactly do you want?”

“A discourse on corpses and the Dao, that we might all elevate together.”

Upon hearing this, Stone Corpse laughed coldly. “Arrogant words. You are a dead man—how can you still be elevated? A conversation spanning a thousand ages—is it only to satisfy your vanity?”

Lu Zhan was silent for a long time, then suddenly spoke. “He is not dead!”

“What?” The Grinding Stone Beast revealed a look of shock, shouting, “He is not dead?!”

At this moment, the battle-master Shan Jun, who had also been born before the Primordial Era and returned a hundred thousand years later as a Reverse Heaven Warrior, suddenly spoke, “You have not died. You have been lying silent in your tomb all this time!”

At this moment, both Lu Zhan and Shan Jun recalled certain primordial events and made this judgment.

Not far away, Xiao Chen and Keke were very surprised. The Small Stone Emperor was not dead? That was astonishing! At the same time, they thought of the words of the old skull and the stone crow, who had also repeatedly mentioned the events of the Primordial Era. Now it was being confirmed.

Suspended Ancestor, Grinding Stone Beast, and the Three-Eyed Stone King all erupted with murderous aura. No one could help but be wary after learning the truth. That was the legendary Small Stone Emperor, who had beaten all opponents under heaven! If he intended them harm, using the world’s third-ranked Stone Mirror, the Third Imperial Mirror, to kill enemies would be an extremely terrifying and dangerous thing.

“You are mistaken. I have indeed fallen. This is a conversation spanning a thousand ages. I have foreseen everything, and specially left a wisp of residual will to await you.” The Small Stone Emperor was frighteningly calm.

“Who… killed you?” Stone Corpse and the others asked guardedly, wanting to know the truth.

Not far away, Xiao Chen and Keke also listened intently. They too had always wanted to know this answer.

“I killed myself.” The Small Stone Emperor’s dragon robe rustled in the wind, but his body was as unmoving as a stone carving.

“You… impossible!” “Nonsense!”

Everyone showed shock. Though they did not believe it, they still involuntarily stepped back.

“Why did you kill yourself?” Lu Zhan asked.

“What do you intend?” Stone Corpse was even more cautious, on high alert.

“Walking a path with no hope—what meaning is there in living? Never seeing the light of dawn—it is better to end it with one’s own hand.” The Small Stone Emperor spoke very calmly.

Naturally, no one thought he was pessimistic or negative. They immediately connected it to his cultivation: he must have found no way forward and chose to end his own life.

“Have you been reborn?” the Grinding Stone Beast asked uncertainly. The others were all shaken.

The Small Stone Emperor did not answer, sitting still like a statue that had existed since time immemorial.

“You killed yourself to break through, and are now being reborn…” Lu Zhan ventured, because even he was not certain.

For the invincible Small Stone Emperor to choose suicide to end his own life—it was simply unimaginable. He had already stood at the very peak of power in life. For a man who had looked down upon the world to be able to let go of all his former glory… If it were true, that would require immense courage. Could any of the kings present let go and do the same? They were already eternal, undying and indestructible. Who could abandon life? Who dared start over from scratch?

This required unimaginable willpower and unmatched boldness—to lay down past glories, forget former brilliance, start from an ordinary person, and begin from the beginning.

Throughout the ages, who could do such a thing? Only the Small Stone Emperor alone!

The silence itself was an admission. Everyone’s hearts trembled.

After a long time, Stone Corpse laughed darkly. “Pity, you wasted eons of bitter effort, but in the end, it was all in vain. Otherwise, you would not be discoursing on corpses and the Dao with us. You still have not broken through.”

“You speak truly. I have not even fully achieved new life; my power is still less than in the past.”

Suspended Ancestor laughed loudly. The unease in his heart lessened somewhat, but he knew the other was no ordinary man. Since he dared face them, he surely had the means to protect himself and would recover fully in time.

“You went to such great lengths, using the myriad worlds as nodes to build this peerless great tomb—so it was to protect yourself and welcome your rebirth…”

By now, everyone understood why this tomb was so magnificent. Even a Stone King would have to expend endless effort to complete it.

“You are only half right. This is a conversation spanning a thousand ages…”

Hearing this, Lu Zhan frowned. “What do you mean?”

“The great tomb holds my past body; it does not protect my new-born form.”

Shan Jun swept his gaze around. “You mean you are conversing with us across the ages, while your reborn self has not yet appeared and has not yet contended with us?”

“You could say that. An equal conversation.”

“I advise you to hide him well, or else he will be in great danger…” A murderous light flickered in the Grinding Stone Beast’s eyes. “I destroyed myself a billion years ago. I have waited until today.”

“Seven great tombs lie here.” A chill rose in Lu Zhan’s heart. He demanded, “So what do you intend?”

“I wish to borrow the power of all of you to give me a push, to help me take a step forward…” The moment these words were spoken, everyone’s expression changed drastically.

“What step do you wish to take?” The Three-Eyed Stone King’s face was extremely ugly.

Everyone had a bad premonition. Their coming had long been foreseen; everything was arranged. This might not merely be a conversation spanning a thousand ages, but also a life-taking scheme spanning a thousand ages!

“You worry too much. I do not intend to kill you, nor do I have the power to do so. Even if I were reborn in the flesh, I am still the Small Stone Emperor. We stand in the same cultivation world. Even five Stone Kings united could be invincible under heaven, and the seven of us together are truly unmatched. No one in this world can defeat you…”

“Then what exactly do you want?”

“Borrow your power—borrow the divine strength of all you kings to refine my future body! Borrow your Dao—borrow the Dao of all you kings to bring my Dao Imprint to perfect completion!”

“Arrogant words! You yourself said that five Stone Kings united are invincible under heaven. Now there are seven of us here, and you dare to scheme against us?”

“If this were any other place, I would certainly be powerless against you. But here, with these seven great tombs…” The seven kings were startled and were about to act, but suddenly sensed a great danger and dared not move rashly.

“A primordial world-killing grand formation can trap a Stone King. I built seven great tombs here and laid down forty-nine layers of world-killing formations. Trapping you for a hundred thousand years is absolutely no problem!”

“You…” Everyone changed color!

Forty-nine world-killing formations in this place—it was a dead land! No matter how powerful they were, it would not be easy to escape.

“I will not let you languish here for ten thousand years in vain. If I succeed, I will impart to you the supreme Dao I have comprehended, holding nothing back. If I fail and die here, all my battle treasures will belong to you, including the world’s third-ranked stone mirror, the Third Imperial Mirror. I think you know something of its origin…”

“I, the Grinding Stone Beast, have never revered heaven nor bowed to earth in my life. I will never be manipulated by others…” The Grinding Stone Beast was the first to resist.

But one of the great tombs burst into dazzling light, and seven world-killing formations activated simultaneously. He disappeared in an instant—the first great tomb rumbled open and swallowed him.

“Gentlemen, please enter the tombs!” At this moment, the Small Stone Emperor stood up, scanning the crowd with authority.

[The first great tomb held seven killing formations, completely sealing the area without a single crack to escape. Such might made people furious—seven Stone Kings, forced to enter tombs!]

With a flash, the Three-Eyed Stone King’s vertical eye suddenly opened, shooting a dazzling golden beam that could pierce the past and future. He tried to open a passage to escape.

But the killing formations blocked everything. Even his kingly vertical eye was powerless to shatter them.

With a roar of fury, he directed his third eye at the Small Stone Emperor, a brilliant golden light flooding the void and drowning that place.

But when a polished stone mirror reflected the attack back, his roar abruptly ceased. The same attack was coming for him.

A flash of light, and seven great battle formations operated with overwhelming power. The second great tomb rumbled open, and he was swallowed inside.

A Stone King, forced into a tomb! Such methods made the remaining five kings’ faces turn very ugly. Even Xiao Chen in the distance was incredibly shocked. Keke’s small mouth was wide open, enough to hold a walnut. At the same time, they looked at the old Daoist beside them with even more complicated expressions, growing more cautious.

“Gentlemen, please enter the tombs,” the Small Stone Emperor urged, his hands clasped behind his back. “I will repay you richly another day.”

Forcing kings into tombs—even if he repaid richly later, it could hardly soothe their fury. The five kings’ expressions were dark to the extreme.

“I, Suspended Ancestor, will never submit to you!” Suspended Ancestor raised his golden stone holy sword and struck down, unleashing endless laws and order.

But it was futile. The Small Stone Emperor had prepared thoroughly, expending endless effort here. The third great tomb split open, and with a rumbling sound, the seven great formations activated, swallowing Suspended Ancestor.

“Gentlemen, please enter the tombs.” The same unyielding words.

Lu Zhan sighed. Finally, he walked himself toward the fourth great tomb. The tomb split open automatically and received him.

Then Shan Jun and the other Stone King each walked forward. Stone Corpse was furious but could only swallow his anger and be forced into the seventh great tomb.

“And now, please, you corpse brothers, return to your places!” The Small Stone Emperor gestured to the seven corpse shadows.

Strictly speaking, these seven corpses had no consciousness and could be completely controlled by him. So as soon as he spoke, they all flew up and sat cross-legged atop the seven great tombs.

Seven great kings forced into tombs—such a thing had actually happened! Xiao Chen felt it was unreal. Was the Small Stone Emperor truly heaven-defying enough to foresee today’s events before his fall? This might be the true manifestation of ‘penetrating past and present’!

The Small Stone Emperor walked to the center of the seven tombs. With a crash, his dragon robe shattered into pieces, transforming into a beam of divine consciousness. He tore open the central earth, and a half-flesh, half-stone giant body rose forth.

At the same time, the seven great tombs seemed to blaze, erupting with boundless divine light that shot straight into the heavens.

“Small Stone Emperor, do you intend to refine us? That is impossible—you will die first!”

“I only wish to borrow your power and your Dao,” the Small Stone Emperor replied. The seven great tombs shot out seven dazzling pillars of light toward the half-flesh, half-stone giant body in the center.

Xiao Chen found it strange. Why had the old Daoist beside him not participated? Could his conjecture be wrong?

Just then, the old Daoist beside Xiao Chen suddenly trembled violently, revealing an extremely serious expression. He scanned in all directions, as if searching for something.