If I, a death row inmate, am not to become a demon, am I to become a member of the Imperial Guard?

The stone chamber was dimly lit. A crack had been carved into the wall, leading to a corridor. At the end of the corridor was a massive chessboard, crafted from a combination of obsidian and dark iron. Each square was a tiny dot, its edges etched with ancient patterns. The light shone on the chess pieces, casting flickering shadows.

Zhou Yang stepped onto the chessboard. His footsteps were light, the soles of his shoes making a soft rustling sound. His palms were slightly cool, and his heartbeat was rhythmic. The system's halo trembled slightly on his chest, indicating that he had entered a new level.

At the other end of the chessboard, the black mist coalesced into a human figure. The figure's face was blurred, yet it possessed the sharp eyes of an old man. The black mist rose and fell with each breath, like living smoke.

The old man spoke, his voice deep yet tinged with amusement: "A fine chess piece. Play a game with me. If you win, I'll let you see the dragon's scales; if you lose, your lifespan will be mine."

Zhou Yang frowned. The halo around his chest flashed, displaying his remaining lifespan. The number was rapidly decreasing.

"The rules are simple," the old man continued. "With each move, a wisp of your lifespan will be drawn and injected into your opponent's piece."

Zhou Yang nodded, his finger lightly tapping the first black piece. The piece landed, its dark light flashing. Instantly, he felt a chill in his chest. System notification: 0.2 years of lifespan extracted.

He looked up and saw that the old man in the black mist had already placed a white piece on the corresponding square. The white piece shimmered, as if it had absorbed light.

Zhou Yang frowned slightly. The situation seemed ordinary, but it concealed a hidden strategy. He quickly scanned the board and discovered that his opponent's opening strategy favored occupying the center. With each move, the system prompted him to draw 0.2 years.

The first game ended with white pieces surrounding black pieces, resulting in Zhou Yang's defeat. System record: 5 years of lifespan consumed.

The old man's laughter echoed in the stone chamber: "Young man, if you want to win, you'll have to understand me first."

Zhou Yang stood in the center of the chessboard, taking a deep breath. His eyes were fixed on the movement of the black mist, trying to detect its urgency. The black mist expanded rapidly after each move, then contracted sharply. The rhythm was unstable.

He placed his hand on his chest and whispered, "I'm not afraid of losing it."

System notification: Burning lifespan can be increased for deduction. "Burn for fifteen years to deduce the sure-win method for 'Go's counter to this move'." A pale blue light flashed from Zhou Yang's fingertips.

A beam of light enveloped the entire chessboard. Fine cracks appeared on the obsidian surface, as if it had been subjected to high temperatures. A faint golden light flowed from the cracks.

Golden light converged into a rune, which traced several paths on the chessboard. These paths, like rivers, bypassed the center and led directly to the opponent's potential routes.

Zhou Yang closed his eyes, sensing the flow of the system. In the Longevity Pool, the light of fifteen years was drawn away and transformed into the sharpness of thought.

He returned to the starting position and raised his hand to place the black stone. This time, the black stone was not placed randomly. As it landed, it emitted a slight pulse. The pulse spread along the runes, impacting his opponent's white stone.

When a white stone is touched by a pulse, tiny cracks appear on its surface. As the cracks spread, the white stone loses its original support.

The old man raised an eyebrow, his voice becoming somewhat impatient: "You brat, how did you learn that?"

Zhou Yang smiled faintly: "A game of chess isn't just about looking at the local pieces. You have to look at the whole picture."

He moved swiftly, and the black pieces formed a "star array" on the board. At the center of the star array was a dark red stone, emitting a faint heat. The heat permeated outwards, forcing the opponent's pieces to retreat.

A flicker of surprise crossed the old man's eyes. System notification: 0.1 years of lifespan extracted. Cost reduced.

Zhou Yang felt as if each extraction was like severing a thin thread. His consciousness became clearer at the moment of severance. Each severance was a form of tempering.

He continued to set up his formation. Black formed a "chariot wall" in the upper left corner and a "knight formation" in the lower right corner. The entire board was covered with red light patterns, which resembled a grid, trapping the opponent's pieces.

The old man panicked, making frequent moves in an attempt to break the light pattern. With each move, the light pattern automatically repaired itself, like blood congealing in a wound.

Zhou Yang raised his hand, and a black stone slid along the light pattern towards the center. It struck the dark red stone in the center, triggering a wave of light. The light wave spread outwards, instantly shattering several white stones.

System notification: This round has consumed 3 years of your lifespan. You still have enough lifespan to last for two more rounds.

The old man's face contorted, his voice low and menacing: "Impossible! I'm destined to lose this round."

Zhou Yang calmly withdrew his hand. The chessboard continued to evolve, with the black pieces gradually surrounding the white pieces. With each encirclement, the system automatically replenished a small amount of his lifespan to prevent overexertion.

The game has entered the middle game. Black's pieces have formed a "tiger's head." There are two "guards" on each side of the tiger's head. Guards move twice as fast as regular pieces. System notification: Guards can offset 0.1 years drawn per move.

The old man tried to break through the tiger's head, but found that with each move, the lifespan he drew decreased further. The chessboard seemed to have its own will, helping Zhou Yang.

In the end, all the white pieces were trapped. Only the black pieces remained, shimmering on the board. The old man transformed into black mist, slowly dissipating, leaving behind a low hum.

The system halo pulsed violently in front of his chest, displaying: Victory in this round, reward of 2 years of lifespan, unlocking the Dragon Scale clue.

Zhou Yang stood in the center of the chessboard, looking up at the top of the stone chamber. Ancient symbols were carved on the stone walls, and a faint light shone from the center of each symbol. That light was the outline of the dragon scale fragment he had been searching for.

He reached out and touched the symbol, his fingertips brushing against a warm stone slab. The slab shattered instantly, revealing a blue scale. The scale was engraved with intricate patterns and emitted a faint, cold light.

System notification: Dragon Scale Fragment acquired. Next task: Find the remaining fragments.

Zhou Yang withdrew his hand and began to collect the scales. The halo around his chest stabilized, and his lifespan returned to its original level.

He turned and left the stone chamber with light steps. Behind him, the light patterns on the chessboard slowly dimmed and eventually disappeared into the stone wall.

The wind howled outside, and his laughter echoed through the valley. His laughter carried a hint of satisfaction, but also a lingering ambition.

He thought to himself: I've won this game. But the real opponent is waiting in the deeper parts of the game.

The figure disappeared into the lamplight, and the stone chamber returned to silence once more.

The corridor lights flickered as they led out of the stone chamber, casting dappled light that danced on the cold stones. Zhou Yang's steps did not falter; his mind was still replaying the details of each impact.

The system's halo flickered faintly on his chest, displaying his current lifespan of seventy-five years. Each decrease in the number served as a reminder of the weight of the price he had paid.

He turned to look at the stone wall and noticed a groove he hadn't seen before. Hidden in the groove was a dark silver talisman, its surface engraved with three intersecting lines.

Zhou Yang removed the talisman and gently dusted it off. The talisman's patterns trembled slightly at his fingertips, as if still warm. He secretly memorized it; this might be the key to unlocking a larger formation.

Back at the camp, Qin Shuang was already waiting by the lamplight. Her gaze showed a hint of surprise upon seeing the dragon scale fragments, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Did you get the fragment?" Qin Shuang asked calmly, her voice devoid of emotion.

Zhou Yang nodded and gently placed the blue scale into his sleeve. The embroidery on the cuff shimmered slightly in the cold light.

Qin Shuang sighed softly and ran her hand over the patterns: "This fragment can trigger the remaining pieces of the dragon's spine. We must collect the rest as soon as possible."

Zhou Yang remained silent, a calculating glint in his eyes. He knew the next step would be even more treacherous, as the Heavenly Principle Sect's hidden forces were still observing from the shadows.

He placed his finger on the halo on his chest, feeling the system's pulse. The system whispered: "Ten years of lifespan can be burned to increase the exploration speed of the Dragon Ridge Ruins."

Zhou Yang didn't hesitate, a pale red glow appearing at his fingertips. System record: After burning for ten years, sixty-five years of lifespan remain. Exploration efficiency increased by two times.

In the darkness, torches flickered in the camp. Zhou Yang stood on the high platform, looking down at the surroundings. The distant mountains were shrouded in mist, like a sleeping behemoth.

He secretly planned: first go to the ancient tomb in Beiling, where the first fragment of the dragon's spine is hidden; then return to the capital and use the newly acquired dragon scale to lure out the true culprit of the Heavenly Principle Sect.

The wind blew past his ear, carrying the sweet scent of pine needles from the valley. Zhou Yang chuckled softly, his laughter echoing in the night, tinged with a touch of heroic spirit.

At this moment, the system's halo flashed again, indicating: This round of lifespan extraction has reached its limit; a short rest is required. Zhou Yang nodded slightly and withdrew his finger.

He raised his hand to extinguish the torch, his figure disappearing like a ghost around the bend in the mountain path. The chessboard left behind by the old man in the black mist had become the sharpest knife in his hand.