Alert! The Dragon Lord has emerged from seclusion!

But her fists were clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, and blood dripped from between her fingers.

"Qingcheng, from now on, the burden of the Ye family..." The father seemed to have aged ten years overnight.

"I know," she interrupted, her voice hoarse. "I will find out."

The illusion shifted again, showing the excruciating pain of the Heart-Locking Curse taking effect, the chilling aura devouring the heart, and the eyes of the Netherworld Sect's ghostly hand in the darkness...

"Your tribulations stem from your guilt over the destruction of your family, your thirst for power, and—" Ye Qingcheng's image slowly appeared, the Frost Soul Sword in her hand gleaming coldly:

"The fear of 'implicating others'."

"You're afraid Lin Chen will be in danger because of you, afraid Shen Qingqiu and the others will get hurt because of you, afraid that you'll ultimately... be a jinx."

"Shut up!" Ye Qingcheng shouted, unleashing a furious slash with her Frost Soul Sword!

Two battle groups erupted instantly.

Su Qingxue's swordsmanship and that of the mirror image share the same origin, with ice crystals scattering and a chilling aura spreading.

Every move and every stance was anticipated by the other, like the left hand fighting the right, resulting in a stalemate.

Ye Qingcheng's side was even more violent.

Her swordsmanship was inherently unruly and fierce, and so was her mirror image. The two Frost Soul Swords clashed wildly, their cries piercing the air, and the frost and sword energy cleaved the third layer of space into a mess.

And Lin Chen—

He stood still, with no illusions around him.

Only one voice echoed in his mind, Luo Yunyi's weak yet clear voice:

"Lin Chen... run... the altar is absorbing our life force... I can't hold on much longer..."

Then Shen Qingqiu spoke in a calm yet urgent tone: "Lin Chen, numerous spatial rifts have appeared on the outskirts of Guixu, and the support team is being blocked... You must get out as soon as possible!"

Qin Yurou sobbed, "Brother Lin... Chu Ling'er overexerted herself and fainted while trying to maintain the psychic connection... So many of Mu Qingyao's Gu worms died..."

Finally, the scene of Su Qingxue and Ye Qingcheng's bitter battle in the illusion, along with their soul-piercing words, constantly assaulted his senses.

Love Tribulation —

This ordeal tests one's concern for the plight of their companions, the difficulty of making choices, and the guilt of "implicating others because of oneself."

Lin Chen closed his eyes.

Within his dantian, the Chaos Nascent Soul slowly raised its head, and the Chaos Seed in his arms shimmered with light.

"Love is indeed my weakness," he murmured to himself, then suddenly laughed. "But you've got one thing wrong."

He opened his eyes, his gaze filled with a deep, unfathomable chaos.

"My affection is not a burden, but a strength."

As soon as he finished speaking, the chaotic energy was no longer contained within, but instead burst forth!

It wasn't a mirror image attacking Su Qingxue or Ye Qingcheng, but rather—it enveloped the entire third layer of space.

"The Way of Chaos encompasses all things and also illuminates the truth."

Lin Chen pressed his hands down lightly, his voice booming like a great bell:

"Dispel illusions, return to truth!"

Om-!

Wherever the chaotic energy passed, all illusions vanished as if erased by an eraser.

The mirror images of Su Qingxue and Ye Qingcheng emitted unwilling screams, their figures twisting and blurring before finally exploding with a "bang," transforming into two primordial energies—one icy blue and the other frosty white.

The two wisps of energy did not dissipate, but were drawn by the chaotic energy and surged into Su Qingxue and Ye Qingcheng's bodies respectively.

The two women were simultaneously startled.

Su Qingxue felt a new understanding emerge in her mind, and her control over the power of Xuan Yin improved by three points. The Xuanming True Water corrosive wound on her left shoulder was also healing rapidly.

Ye Qingcheng noticed that some stagnation points in her Frosty Yin Origin had suddenly been cleared, and her sword intent became purer and more ferocious.

"This is..." Ye Qingcheng exclaimed in surprise.

"The mirror image is simply a manifestation of a portion of your origins and obsessions." Lin Chen gathered his chaotic energy, his breath slightly ragged—forcibly breaking through the entire spatial barrier using the Dao of Chaos had been quite taxing.

"Instead of defeating them, integrate them."

"Letting go of attachments becomes a source of resources."

Su Qingxue looked at Lin Chen, her icy blue eyes filled with concern: "Are you alright?"

"It's alright." Lin Chen paused to catch his breath, then looked at the stairs leading to the fourth floor. "But time is running out. I can feel the altar at the top of the tower absorbing energy at an accelerated rate."

Ye Qingcheng wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes fierce: "Then smash that lousy altar!"

The three of them climbed the stairs again.

Before his figure disappeared into the fourth layer of light, Lin Chen glanced back at the empty space of the third layer, his brows furrowing slightly.

Everything went too smoothly.

Although he had overcome the tribulation of love, he could sense that the Heavenly Alliance's true killing move was yet to come.

Moreover... the white-robed man at the top of the tower never actually made a move.

What is he waiting for?

The fourth floor was unexpectedly spacious.

There was only a stone table in the center, with a chessboard on it.

On each side of the chessboard is a futon.

On the left side, a middle-aged scholar dressed in a black and white Taoist robe sat on a prayer mat. He had a refined appearance, held a white chess piece in his hand, and was looking at them with a smile.

The cushion on the right is empty.

Behind the scholar stood two lamps—the lamps were of simple and ancient design, with burning wicks; the flame on the left was pale gold, and the flame on the right was dark red.

"Please, gentlemen, have a seat," the scholar said in a gentle voice. "I am the gatekeeper of this level, and my Daoist name is 'Yitian'."

Ye Qingcheng raised an eyebrow: "Play chess?"

"No." Master Yitian shook his head, pointing to the chessboard. "This is no ordinary chess game; it is the 'Double Fate Game.' Fate is the piece, and luck is the board."

He looked at Lin Chen: "Young friend Lin, would you dare to play a game of chess with this old man? The rules are simple: you play black, and I play white."

"Each move requires the infusion of a primordial energy."

"At the end of the game, the player with more liberties wins."

"What if we win? What if we lose?" Su Qingxue asked coldly.

Master Yitian pointed to the two lamps behind him: "The winner can light the 'Lamp of Life' and leave safely with his companions, heading straight to the fifth floor."

"The loser..." He moved his finger to the dark red lamp, "'Death Lamp' burns out, the body turns to dust, the soul is forever trapped in the game, becoming the guardian ghost soldiers of the Heavenly Alliance."

Ye Qingcheng scoffed, "Why should I play these tricks with you? Why not just smash this broken chessboard?"

As she spoke, the Frost Soul Sword slashed towards the stone table!

The sword light reached three feet in front of the table, but was blocked by an invisible barrier.

The barrier rippled, silently swallowing the sword energy.

Master Yitian smiled: "This rule was personally laid down by the Alliance Leader. Unless one's cultivation surpasses that of the Alliance Leader, one can only follow the rules."

Lin Chen pressed down on Ye Qingcheng's hand holding the sword and stepped forward: "What if I don't surrender?"

"Then this shall be considered a forfeit." Master Yitian's smile remained gentle. "Those who forfeit are defeated. All three of you must ignite the Death Lamp."

Su Qingxue's icy gaze narrowed slightly: "In other words, we must play the next round, and we must win."

"Not bad." Master Yitian flicked his sleeve, and three black chess pieces appeared before the futon on his right. "Young friend Lin may make the first move. However, I must remind you—once the game begins, it cannot be stopped midway. Each move consumes your fundamental essence."

"If victory cannot be achieved before the source is exhausted..."

He paused for a moment: "Then it will perish due to the depletion of its very essence."

Lin Chen looked at the three black pieces and suddenly asked, "How many pieces are there in the game?"