The eunuch Old Yao hurriedly bowed even lower, his face beaming with a smile: "Your Majesty is of True Dragon lineage, with a lifespan comparable to the heavens. How could this old servant have the honor of seeing Your Majesty in your youth? I can only imagine that back then, Your Majesty must have been a peerless Great Celestial Pride of your generation, a youthful Great Emperor! And Princess Xue Ning is so clever, she must be very much like Your Majesty when you were young."

This old man was none other than Emperor Longchang, who had ruled the Daqian Kingdom for over three thousand years.

"Comparable to the heavens in lifespan? I’m getting old~ old~ " Emperor Longchang chuckled, shaking his head while twirling a pawn between his fingers, looking lovingly at his precious granddaughter many generations removed, "Today, Great-grandfather will teach you something: that slim chance of survival was deliberately left for you by me."

"Snap!"

Emperor Longchang placed a piece.

The chessboard configuration changed instantly.

Originally, when Wu Xue Ning placed a piece, a path of life appeared on the chessboard, but now with this move, it instantly changed into a deadly trap, with no way out.

Then, Wu Xue Ning began a desperate struggle, but was quickly defeated by Emperor Longchang in just a few moves, defeated across ten thousand miles.

Wu Xue Ning’s little face turned ashen, her small mouth pouted, and she said tearfully, "Great-grandfather is bullying me, deliberately setting traps to trick me."

"Oh dear, why are you crying?" Emperor Longchang said with a laugh, "My Xue Ning has a promising future. Great-grandfather is teaching you that in everything you must be a bit more cautious. Especially the apparent paths of life in deadly situations, which are often the most dangerous dead ends. Sometimes when facing a dilemma, you must do just the opposite, like your move, if only you could achieve sacrifice then success, using kill to counter kill..."

Before Emperor Longchang could finish his words, Wu Xue Ning burst into tears on the other side: "Great-grandfather is just bullying me! Bullying someone who’s barely ten years old! You just don’t want to lend me the Azure Dragon Sword! Waaah~"

She cried so miserably, so sadly, it was as if she had been greatly wronged.

"Nonsense. The Azure Dragon Sword is a clan’s Dao Artifact passed down through the Wu Family, only the Great Emperor of our Wu Family can wield it, what would a little girl like you do with it?" Emperor Longchang was headache-ridden by her crying and shook his head in anger, "I said I would lend to you a Spirit Treasure level Treasure Sword——[Qianqiu]. Isn’t it that you just want a talking sword? [Qianqiu] can talk."

Wu Xue Ning immediately broke into smiles, exceptionally delighted, and gave Emperor Longchang a peck on the cheek: "Thank you for the gift, Great-grandfather. I don’t care whether it’s Qianqiu or Wanli, as long as it can talk."

"What... I thought I said you’d have it only if you won the game?" Emperor Longchang was stunned, "When did it become that I have already gifted it to you?"

"Great-grandfather, you just said it yourself, I said I would lend you a..." Wu Xue Ning repeated Emperor Longchang’s words verbatim, even imitating the exact tone.

In the end, she hugged Emperor Longchang’s arm and acted coy: "Great-grandfather is a Great Emperor of the Human Race, ’Words and Laws Follow’; you can’t go back on your word~"

"This is you being mischievous." Emperor Longchang glared in astonishment, then turned to ask, "Old Yao, did I say that?"

"This..." Old Yao nodded and bowed, his face smiling all over, "In response to Your Majesty, indeed you just said that."

"Oh no, I’ve been had~~" Emperor Longchang lamented greatly, "This girl cried and stirred my thoughts into confusion, then threw out wanting the Azure Dragon Sword to scare me, actually causing me to miss it. Girl, this is a crime of deceiving the sovereign."

"Hee hee, isn’t it because Great-grandfather taught me well?" Wu Xue Ning said coquettishly with a grin, "Face the dilemma, act against the norm, break it and stand anew."

"Good, truly worthy of being my great-great-great... granddaughter." Emperor Longchang felt immense comfort, suddenly bursting into laughter, "With this, when my lifespan exhausts, no one will be able to bully you."

"Great-grandfather, don’t say such things." Wu Xue Ning hastily widened her eyes to scold, "Great-grandfather, you’ve already lived over 3,600 years, you will surely continue to live on. Once I finish my cultivation, I will go overseas to the Immortal Dynasty to find you the Immortality Medicine."

"Good, great-grandfather didn’t dote on you in vain."

Emperor Longchang laughed heartily and then wrote a handwritten decree, handing it to the eunuch Old Yao: "Old Yao, go escort the Little Princess. By the way, take my decree, go to the Divine Weapon Hall, and fetch [Qianqiu] for the Little Princess."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Old Yao respectfully held up the decree, leading the jubilant Wu Xue Ning out of Zhuozheng Pavilion.

Less than half an hour later, Old Yao returned to report: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Little Princess has left with [Qianqiu], and meeting her outside was Prince Zhixing of the Wu Family. However, the Little Princess gave [Qianqiu] to Prince Zhixing. From what I gather, it seems she wants to improve Prince Zhixing’s chances in the decisive battle against Liyao the Great Celestial Pride. Your Majesty, what do you think of this matter?"

"Since it’s been gifted to her, how to dispose of it is her own business now." Emperor Longchang said with eyes half-closed, "Old Yao, you’ve met Wang Liyao already, right? How is she?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, when Liyao the Great Celestial Pride and Wang Anan of Duke Dingguo’s Mansion had their duel, this old servant took a look from afar." Old Yao answered truthfully, "As for her, she is indeed radiant and distinguished, like a True Phoenix among humans. Based on my observations and guesses, Liyao the Great Celestial Pride’s bloodline talent is likely above that of most Great Celestial Prides."

"A True Phoenix among humans indeed, to garner such praise from you, Old Yao, Liyao the Great Celestial Pride must be extraordinary, qualified to tread that Saint Road." Emperor Longchang praised, yet suddenly seemed to recall something unpleasant, his face showing displeasure, "Hmph, Duke Dingguo’s Mansion is truly lucky, even the branch of a branch can produce a Great Celestial Pride. Let’s hope they will choose their alignments wisely this time, and not repeat past mistakes."