The Cold and Aloof Palace Master's Daily Demon-Slaying Life

Master Qingwei picked up a black chess piece but did not put it down. Instead, he looked at Zuo Qingqiu and asked casually, "Now that you have attained the Golden Core stage, the extraordinary phenomena of heaven and earth have shaken the Central Plains. Unless the Diluo Sect is deaf and blind, they must already know about it."

"Several days have passed since you proclaimed the title of True Lord. If you wait until the enthronement ceremony is over forty days later before setting off, won't they be prepared? They might even flee at the first sign of trouble, leaving you empty-handed. Why not strike now, with overwhelming force, and wipe them out in one fell swoop, then hold the ceremony later?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Qingqiu raised her eyes to look at Master Qingwei.

Seeing that there was no real doubt in his eyes, but rather a hint of profound meaning, he understood about 70-80% of the situation.

She pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "If what my senior uncle says is simply about revenge, then this is the way to go. We must act swiftly to avoid any unforeseen complications."

"But," she changed the subject, "this operation is revenge for me, and for the sect, it is an act of 'establishing authority' for the newly promoted Supreme Elder."

"In establishing authority, the emphasis is on momentum rather than speed, and on results rather than process."

Zuo Qingqiu continued, her tone calm and even, "What I want is for the Diluo Sect's mountain gate to be destroyed, its foundation to be completely wiped out, its demonic flames to be extinguished, and its name to be erased from the old land. As for whether its high-ranking members fled beforehand, or whether any escaped, that is not the key."

"Forty days is enough time for them to split up. Those who value their lives will flee, while the loyal will hold out to the death. Those who flee are like stray dogs, not worth worrying about. Those who hold out to the death can be caught in one fell swoop."

"Moreover," she paused, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, "the Diluo Sect has a history of tens of thousands of years. Before it degenerated into a demonic sect, it produced great figures at the True Monarch level. Within the sect, there's no guarantee that there aren't any hidden tricks or deadly weapons left behind by the True Monarch ancestor. If I attack them immediately, they will have no way out and will fight to the death, perhaps even activating their trump card of mutual destruction."

"I am not afraid, but trouble is inevitable, and I may even have to pay an unnecessary price. It would be better to give them time, let them suffer in fear, and let them erode each other in suspicion. The longer it drags on, the more their morale will drop, and the more hastily they will prepare. Then I can achieve the greatest results with the least cost."

Upon hearing this, Master Qingwei clapped his hands and laughed: "Excellent! Excellent! Qiu'er, your ability to think of this shows that you have a broad vision and are beginning to show the qualities of a superior."

He placed a piece on the board and sighed, "This move is to kill the enemy's spirit. The most agonizing and terrifying thing is having a sword hanging over your head that could fall at any moment. Wait until it collapses on its own before you strike with lightning speed, crushing everything in its path. That way, you'll achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Zuo Qingqiu nodded slightly. This is similar to the Sword of Damocles from her previous life.

After finishing their business, the two stopped talking and focused on the game of chess.

For a moment, only the crisp sound of chess pieces being placed could be heard inside the ancient pavilion, along with the silent, vast sea of ​​clouds surging outside.

Master Qingwei has been immersed in the art of chess for thousands of years. His chess skills are unfathomable, his strategies are ingenious, and his calculations are profound.

Although Zuo Qingqiu was also knowledgeable about chess principles, he used them more as an aid in cultivating his character and deducing formations. In terms of pure chess skills, he was naturally inferior to veteran chess masters like Qingwei Zhenren.

However, she is insightful and doesn't seek victory or defeat when making moves. She only seeks to follow her heart when making moves, and her playing style is moderate, peaceful, and steady.

After about half an hour of playing, the black and white pieces on the chessboard were intertwined, and the situation was gradually becoming clear.

Master Qingwei was one move ahead in the game and ultimately won by a margin of three pieces.

"You flatter me." Master Qingwei stroked his beard and smiled, his eyes filled with the gentleness of an elder to a junior and a hint of pride. "It seems that my chess skills over the past thousand years have not yet become rusty."

Zuo Qingqiu looked at the settled situation on the chessboard with a calm expression and no regret: "Grandmaster Uncle's chess skills are profound, far beyond my reach. The True Lord realm is good at comprehending the Great Dao and applying power, but it is not of much help to chess, a skill that requires years of accumulation."

She has lived for over two hundred years, most of which was spent desperately cultivating, fighting, and comprehending the Dao. How could she have the leisure to study chess scores?

It's already quite an achievement to have reached this level.

If she could easily crush Master Qingwei, who had been immersed in the art of chess for thousands of years, with her more than two hundred years of experience, that would be truly outrageous.

Master Qingwei laughed heartily, clearly in a very good mood.

To be able to play a game of chess with a true lord destined to be remembered in history and shine for eternity, and to win in the end, would be a life well-lived.

"Alright, the game is over, and the matters have been discussed." Master Qingwei stood up, stretching his limbs. "Go back and prepare well. We will handle the enthronement ceremony. As for the Diluo Sect, just leave it for now. In about forty days, it will be your time to make a name for yourself and awe all heroes."

Zuo Qingqiu also stood up and bowed slightly to Master Qingwei: "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Uncle."

"Go then." Master Qingwei waved his hand, his gaze fixed on the vast sea of ​​clouds outside the pavilion. His tone was leisurely, "This sea of ​​clouds is churning and ever-changing. After watching it for a while, it becomes quite interesting. I'll sit for a while longer."

Zuo Qingqiu said no more, turned around, stepped out of the ancient pavilion, and his figure quickly disappeared into the swirling clouds and mist in the mountains.

Master Qingwei stood alone in the pavilion, gazing in the direction she had left, then looking down at the magnificent sect below, his eyes filled with satisfaction and anticipation.

"Junior Brother Yuan Lei, if you have a spirit in heaven, seeing Qiu'er's radiance today, you should be smiling in your grave."

"Taihua Gate...it's going to be a great place."

A mountain breeze blew by, ruffling his dark Taoist robe and snow-white beard.

The sea of ​​clouds surged beneath his feet, radiating golden light, like a fairyland.

-

Let's rewind to the day after Zuo Qingqiu successfully attained enlightenment.

Located in the southwest of the Central Plains, deep within the Yanfu Mountains, is the site of the Diluo Sect's mountain gate.

This place is completely different from the celestial atmosphere of Taihua Gate.

The Yanfu Mountains are shrouded in a layer of gray-black miasma and fog all year round, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate and giving them a gloomy and dark appearance.

The mountains are mostly dark rocks with sparse vegetation. When vegetation does grow, it is mostly dark-colored, strangely shaped poisonous weeds and vines.

A faint, sweet, and pungent smell permeated the air; it was the resentful aura accumulated from years of killing and blood sacrifice. Ordinary mortals would faint after just one breath, and over time, they would die from exhaustion of life force.

The mountain gate of the Diluo Sect is built against the mountain. The halls are mostly built with huge black stones, with a rough and fierce style. They are mostly carved with skulls, evil ghosts and twisted demon god patterns. Looking at them, you can feel the evil aura and the overwhelming demonic atmosphere.

However, at this moment, the once bustling and noisy demonic sect's mountain gate, filled with all sorts of cruel cultivation and bloody sacrifices, has fallen into a strange, impending, deathly silence and panic.

Inside the main hall, the "Hall of Ten Thousand Souls," the atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Li Qingye, the current sect leader of the Diluo Sect, was a middle-aged man with a gloomy face, deep-set eyes, and an aura of the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm. He was pacing anxiously in the main hall.

The ground beneath his feet was paved with countless skulls of living beings, making a creaking sound as he stepped on it, adding to the horror.

Several people were still standing in the hall, all of them high-ranking members of the Diluo Sect, including elders and managers. Their faces were grim and their eyes were darting around.