Unfortunately, it still hadn’t discovered Li Xiu’s whereabouts. Frustrated, it spewed out cold light to vent its anger before turning towards the Ice Platform again.
Over there, Li Qingyi was almost finished; the ninth Light Talisman had appeared on the Unbreakable Cold Ice Shield.
Watching the Ice Tiger’s glow rapidly approach from afar, Li Qingyi hesitated no longer and blew out the Longevity Lamp beside him, leaving the Land of Nine Dragons Profound Ice.
Li Qingyi had only just disappeared when the roaring Ice Breath engulfed the Ice Platform, yet it couldn’t retain anything.
With a furious roar, the Ice Tiger shook the ice plains, frenziedly releasing its wrath near the Ice Platform. With a swipe of its paw, the ice plains cracked with deep trench-like fissures.
Li Xiu watched the raging Ice Tiger from afar, knowing that if he truly faced the Ice Tiger in battle, he’d likely end up in trouble.
Previously, he could defeat Jiaotu only because Jiaotu was bound by the Jade Lock Chain, unable to fully exert its power.
Now, Li Xiu had lost his thought of slaying the Ice Tiger, silently waiting for it to finish venting. As long as it leaves the Ice Platform or falls asleep again, Li Xiu will stealthily blow out his own Longevity Lamp.
Li Qingyi returned to the entrance of the Nine Dragon Profound Ice Sect, standing there gazing at the gate, feeling unease in his heart.
More than an hour passed, and as Li Qingyi grew increasingly irritable, he saw a flash of light at the gate where Li Xiu’s figure appeared.
"My heart’s not good; could you avoid scaring like that next ti?" Li Qingyi examined Li Xiu, wanting to say much, but seeing he wasn’t hurt at all, he only uttered this sentence.
"Alright." Li Xiu smiled and nodded.
"It’s good you’re fine. I’ll head back first. Wait a day for . Once I advance in Spirit Casting, I’ll go with you to the City of Light." Li Qingyi said little more, turning to leave.
Li Xiu returned to the Seventh Courtyard, which had been relatively quiet these days. Those guarding the Trial Gate stayed by it, those heading to the City of Light went there, only Li Ming’Er and Old Bai remained in the Seventh Courtyard.
When Li Xiu returned to the Seventh Courtyard, Old Bai was playing chess in the yard.
"How do you play chess alone?" Li Xiu saw Old Bai playing chess solo, lacking even an opponent, and asked curiously.
"I play chess with myself." Old Bai stared at the chessboard, seemingly pondering his next move.
"Playing chess against yourself, controlling both sides, there’s no suspense; where’s the fun in that?" Li Xiu said.
"Why would there be no suspense?" Old Bai placed a piece, speaking to the chessboard, "The human heart is a wondrous thing. In different environnts, the mind changes; are you certain you truly understand yourself?"
Li Xiu listened to Old Bai’s words and beca contemplative.
While placing pieces, Old Bai continued, "There are ways and thods for the wealthy to live and interact, and there are ways and thods for the poor as well. When you have everything, sacrificing a bit to achieve your goal is easy, but when you have nothing, even paying a single coin is like cutting flesh. What you like today might be your all; tomorrow, you might no longer like it, and it may beco worthless. The human mind changes every mont. The most difficult thing to predict in this world is human nature. I play chess with myself; at this mont, I am ; at that mont, I am not necessarily the sa . How could there be no suspense?"
"What if the heart remains as one?" Li Xiu stared at Old Bai and asked.
"Then you’re either a demon or a saint." Old Bai said as he placed the last piece in his hand.
Li Xiu didn’t need to count; one glance showed it was a draw.
"If there’s suspense, if there’s difference, why is it a draw?"
"Because I can’t reclaim the from that ti." Old Bai sighed, gathering the black and white pieces from the board.
"Interested in a ga with ?" After clearing the pieces, Old Bai smiled and looked at Li Xiu.
"You can’t beat ." Li Xiu said.
"Chess is like life; life’s not yet started, how do you know you won’t lose?" Old Bai replied.
"Life has unknown rules, but the chessboard does not. As long as you know the rules, I won’t lose." Li Xiu disliked playing chess because, for him, chess had no suspense, no unknowns, nothing that stirred his heart.
Li Xiu was very curious and liked exploring the unknown, sotis even wanting to do adventurous things, because only then could he feel truly alive.
Old Bai was slightly taken aback; Li Xiu’s words were bold. He had played chess with soone known as the Chess Saint, and even the Chess Saint dared not make such arrogant claims.
Old Bai gazed at Li Xiu for a while, then suddenly chuckled, "If you win, I’ll give you sothing fun."
"Not playing." Li Xiu still refused, for he already knew the result, and repeating sothing with a known outco held no interest for him.
Li Xiu’s refusal made Old Bai even more eager to play a ga with him. After a mont of contemplation, he said, "If you lose, you give sothing."
"What do you want?" Li Xiu grew interested upon hearing Old Bai trying to make a bet; he wanted to know what Old Bai desired.
"Win first, then I’ll say." Old Bai replied.
"You can’t win." Li Xiu shook his head again, "Just tell what you want."
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