I am Master Maoshan

Chapter 2357 Aid from All Directions
After an unknown amount of time, when Liu Jun emerged from the spatial tunnel, he was back in the Temple of the Gods. The Temple of the Gods remained magnificent and imposing, exuding a solemn and sacred aura.

Chu Liuying, Yao Guangxiao, and others immediately surrounded them, their faces full of concern. Their eyes were filled with worry and joy, as if they had seen long-lost relatives.

"Your Majesty, you're finally back! Where have you been all this time? We were all so worried!" Chu Liuying spoke first, his voice trembling slightly.

Yao Guangxiao stepped forward and asked, "What's going on with you? All those formations have been activated, but have they been used?"

Looking at the familiar faces before him, Liu Jun felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry, everyone, I'm fine. The formation worked, but we've encountered another troublesome problem. We only have seven days to deal with it."

Everyone listened with curiosity. Liu Jun then recounted the whole story in detail, including the Heavenly Chessboard, the bracelet, and the search for the chess pieces.

After listening to Liu Jun's story, the previously noisy hall fell silent instantly, and everyone fell into deep thought.

Finding people to act as pawns might not seem complicated at first glance. In this vast realm of gods, finding people willing to risk their lives for something is not difficult. As long as sufficient incentives are offered, or a certain belief is used to inspire, there will always be a group of people willing to take the risk.

But things are far from that simple. Strength became an insurmountable barrier standing before them. Those lacking strength cannot be used as pawns—that's an undeniable fact.

This Heavenly Chessboard is mysterious and unpredictable, containing boundless power of rules. Those who are weak, even before becoming pieces, may be mercilessly annihilated by the powerful rules of the chessboard.

Losing a single piece might not seem like a big deal. But if the mistake of losing a piece leads to the loss of the entire game, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The pieces on the chessboard are interconnected; their fates are intertwined. If one piece fails, the others will inevitably suffer as well.

Those pieces that were originally safe and sound will be plunged into utter ruin because of the mistake of this one piece, and the entire situation will fall into chaos.

"Those below the God-King Realm cannot become pawns on the Heavenly Dao chessboard; they will be obliterated by the power of the rules." An aged yet steady voice came from outside the hall.

As the voice faded, Liu Jun's master Qingfengzi, his mistress Feng Wanqing, his uncle Qingmuzi, and Yan Li walked in together.

Everyone noticed that all four of them had acquired a bracelet. The bracelet emitted a faint glow, subtly revealing a mysterious aura, as if it contained boundless power.

Liu Jun has eleven more of these bracelets. These eleven bracelets correspond to the other unclaimed chess pieces.

Looking at the bracelets on his master's and the others' hands, and then at the eleven bracelets in his own hand, Liu Jun felt a mix of emotions.

“Master, you…” Liu Jun hesitated, unsure how to express his worry.

Although he usually treated Qingfengzi with disrespect, calling him "old geezer" all the time, their feelings for each other were genuine.

Qingfengzi looked at Liu Jun and chuckled, "You brat, I know what you're worried about. This was all part of our plan a long time ago, but we didn't expect it to happen so quickly, so quickly that we weren't fully prepared."

Master's wife, Feng Wanqing, gently patted Liu Jun's shoulder and said tenderly, "Jun'er, don't worry. Since we've chosen this path, we've made thorough preparations. Your master, uncle, and I already knew about the Heavenly Chessboard, and we wore these bracelets willingly."

"Scared? Where's the guts you had when you stole my Spirit Tail Chicken from Maoshan in the mortal realm?" Qing Muzi raised an eyebrow.

"Uncle-Master, these are two different things," Liu Jun said with a wry smile.

It's truly remarkable that Qing Muzi, who is usually taciturn and sparing with words, could make him laugh.

"Keep it up," Yan Li said without saying much, only uttering these two words, her eyes showing not a trace of fear.

"We've come this far, whether you stick your neck out or not, you'll still get stabbed. Stop dawdling and issue the divine decree now!" Qingfengzi urged, frowning.

Liu Jun paused, frowned slightly, and asked with confusion and bewilderment, "What's the purpose of issuing a divine decree?"

This Divine Realm Token is no ordinary object; only a Divine Lord can activate it. Once activated, its light will pierce through layers of clouds and mist, making it visible to everyone in the entire Divine Realm.

However, since the birth of the divine realm, no divine ruler has ever issued such a decree. It is like a mysterious rune sealed away in the long river of history, quietly waiting for the moment it will be awakened.

"Nonsense, are you going to pick people from here to use as pawns? Of course you're going to ask for help! Otherwise, are you going to just shout?" Qingfengzi rolled his eyes in annoyance, looking at him as if he were a blockhead.

"Understood, Master." Liu Jun sighed, slowly reaching out to take out the Divine Lord Seal radiating a mysterious light from his robes.

This divine seal is the symbol of the divine lord and the key to controlling the power of the divine realm. It is crystal clear and covered with ancient runes that shimmer with multicolored light.

Although he had never issued a divine decree, ever since he obtained the divine seal, he felt that the instructions for use would automatically appear in his mind, as if the divine seal had some kind of mysterious connection with him, allowing him to clearly know how to use it.

Liu Jun took a deep breath, concentrated his mind, and slowly poured his own power into the Divine Seal.

As he poured his power into it, the Divine Seal began to emit a dazzling light, which shot into the sky. Immediately afterward, a huge line of golden characters appeared in the sky, the characters were strong and powerful, as if they were written with divine power: "Urgently need the support of a powerhouse at the Divine King Realm or above, nine out of ten will die."

The moment these words appeared, the entire God Realm trembled. Countless powerful figures looked up at the large characters in the sky, their faces showing shock and hesitation. Qingfengzi's eyes widened, he grabbed Liu Jun's arm, shook it violently, and shouted, "Are you stupid, kid? If you're so clear-cut, do you think anyone will help you? You're clearly telling everyone the danger; who would want to come and die?"

Liu Jun looked at his master and slowly said, "Master, I must tell the truth. If I don't tell everyone the truth, even if someone comes, they may be put in a more dangerous situation because they are unaware of the situation. Moreover, I believe that there are always some truly strong people who will not hesitate to sacrifice themselves for the future of the God Realm."

Just then, several dazzling lights flashed across the distant sky, followed by several figures streaking across the sky like shooting stars, flying towards the Temple of the Gods.

The first and second figures to fly in were none other than Catman and Thor.

Although Cat Brother looks lazy and aloof, he is actually a loyal and righteous cat who is willing to risk his life to join the Heavenly Chessboard and become one of the many pieces. Liu Jun was not surprised.

However, Thor's appearance puzzled Liu Jun. After all, Thor was the ancient Western God of War, renowned for his extraordinary strength.

Although he and Saul were friends, they hadn't known each other for long, and their relationship wasn't close enough for Saul to risk his life to help him.

"Don't be surprised. I only have one condition: if I live, send me back to my previous world." Just as Liu Jun was full of doubts, Thor seemed to see through Liu Jun's confusion and then said calmly.

Liu Jun was slightly taken aback, then came to his senses and asked seriously, "That's no problem. I'll do it even if you don't help me. But have you really thought this through? This is no ordinary battle. It's a confrontation with the Heavenly Dao. If you're not careful, you'll be shattered to pieces and never recover."

Thor's lips curled into a slight smile, revealing a confident yet slightly excited expression: "Hmm. To confront the Heavenly Dao is quite a new experience. I, Thor, have fought countless battles throughout my life and experienced all sorts of thrilling encounters, but this is the first time I've clashed with the Heavenly Dao. This kind of challenge suits me perfectly."

"Alright, in that case, I'll thank you in advance." Liu Jun nodded heavily and handed the bracelet to Cat Brother and Thor.

Immediately afterwards, another figure slowly descended, like a light feather, quietly floating down beside them.

Liu Jun didn't recognize this person, but for some reason, he felt a familiar aura emanating from him, as if he had seen him somewhere before. He stared intently at the stranger, trying to find some clues from his appearance and demeanor.

"Yunmie, you've arrived." Just then, Qingfengzi, who had been standing to the side, greeted him.

“This is the previous Wasteland God King, Yun Mie,” explained Feng Wanqing, the master’s wife, who was standing to the side.

“I said I’d get involved in challenging the Heavenly Dao, so give me a bracelet.” Yun Mie stretched out his hand.

Liu Jun handed over the bracelet, and Yun Mie put it on without hesitation.

Just then, another valiant woman descended from the sky. This woman was none other than Shui Yuexin, who was stationed at the border.

She was dressed in a light blue outfit, which fluttered in the wind, making her look like a fairy descending to earth.

Shui Yuexin rushed over so hastily because she had seen the divine decree issued by Liu Jun. She had known Liu Jun for quite some time and had been through thick and thin with him several times, so she naturally stepped forward without hesitation.

Moreover, she herself is exceptionally strong, a genuine veteran God-King realm expert, certainly qualified to be a pawn on the Heavenly Dao chessboard, and might even be able to contribute greatly to Liu Jun's cause.

Following closely behind Shui Yuexin was a tall and distinguished man, none other than Long Aodi of the Array Sect.

Upon seeing Shui Yuexin and Long Aodi arrive, a hint of surprise flashed in Liu Jun's eyes, but he quickly regained his serious expression.

"Senior Shui, thank you so much for coming," Liu Jun said sincerely.

“There’s no need for such formalities between us. You have done me a great favor, and I, Shuiyuexin, am a person who knows how to repay kindness. Naturally, I am willing to help you, no matter how dangerous it may be.” Shuiyuexin’s voice was clear and melodious, yet it carried an undeniable firmness.

However, when Liu Jun turned his gaze to Long Ao Di, his brows furrowed slightly.

He was naturally grateful that Long Aodi came to help him, but he remembered that Long Aodi was not yet at the God King realm, but only at the Quasi-God King realm.

His master, Qingfengzi, also said that the Heavenly Dao contains immense power, and only those at the God-King level are qualified to become its pawns. Otherwise, once they enter, they will be mercilessly obliterated by the terrifying power of the Heavenly Dao chessboard.

Thinking of this, Liu Jun couldn't help but look at Long Aodi with a slightly worried and questioning gaze.

Emperor Long Ao was incredibly clever; he saw through Liu Jun's thoughts at a glance. He rolled his eyes and said irritably, "What kind of look is that? Are you looking down on me?"

Liu Jun frowned and said seriously, "Don't be ridiculous. This is no joke. You're not at the God-King Realm; you'll be obliterated by the Heavenly Dao Chessboard. I'm not exaggerating; that's the rule of the Heavenly Dao Chessboard. I don't want to see you die in vain."

Emperor Long Ao did not get angry when he heard Liu Jun's words. Instead, he grinned, and his smile was full of confidence.

"I think that's enough." As he spoke, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from Long Aodi, spreading outwards like a surging tide.

Those around who were not at the God-King realm were all shaken by this sudden aura and took a few steps back, their faces showing surprise.

Liu Jun stared wide-eyed at Long Aodi in disbelief. He could sense that the aura emanating from Long Aodi had indeed reached the level of a God-King.