The white-haired old man had the demeanor of an immortal, emitting a Daoist charm like a banished immortal even while sitting silently.

He was undoubtedly an extraordinary expert!

Chen Nan dared not be neglectful, speaking very politely, yet the elder remained silent, not even raising his head, as if he hadn't heard a word.

"Senior?"

Chen Nan tentatively called out again.

The other party still didn't respond, so he had to approach slowly. Upon entering the pavilion, he saw on the stone table in front of the old man a chessboard set for Chinese chess.

To be precise, it was an endgame.

Both sides' pieces were set up in formation, awaiting the final assault.

"Senior, pardon my interruption, may I ask..."

Before Chen Nan could finish his sentence, the elder shook his head, gesturing for him to be silent, and pointed at the chessboard.

Chen Nan hesitated for a moment before sitting down opposite the old man.

The elder pointed to the chessboard with a gesture inviting Chen Nan to make the first move.

"In that case, I'll take the liberty, senior."

Chen Nan immediately made a move to attack. Since grasping the Chess Dao Holy Skill, not only had his cultivation progressed, but his chess skills had also greatly improved. Earlier, when faced with the star-like sky full of chess pieces, he had gone through an internal chess match, elevating his Chess Dao expertise significantly.

As they say, when an expert takes action, their skill is revealed.

After Chen Nan made just two moves, the elder's brow furrowed slightly, whether due to seeing his remarkable chess skill or for some other reason.

After both sides had played over ten moves, Chen Nan also furrowed his brow.

It wasn't because he was losing, but due to the elder's chess style surprising him, opposing the Chess Saint's style entirely, seemingly inhibiting each other like water and fire.

Chen Nan initially suspected the Chess Saint might be an ancestor of the Liu family, but now he worried if the Liu family had a vendetta against the Chess Saint. If so, he couldn't continue adopting the Chess Saint's style, or it would be troublesome if discovered.

Out of concern, midway, Chen Nan switched styles.

The elder seemed to recognize Chen Nan's original play style long ago, and seeing the sudden change, he also furrowed his brow.

As a result, many of Chen Nan's prior moves couldn't be utilized perfectly, and he ultimately lost by a narrow margin: "Victory was uncertain, yet you chose your own downfall."

Chen Nan bowed and said, "Your chess skill is profound, senior; I concede. Can you please tell me Liu Tiantian's whereabouts?"

The elder raised his hand, swept the stone table before him.

A white divine light descended, and with a flash on the stone table, the Chinese chess turned into Go.

"Her situation is akin to the white stones on this board," the elder stroked his beard, slowly stood up, and then vanished from Chen Nan's sight with a flicker.

"Senior, senior?"

Chen Nan looked around and called out several times; the elder was long gone.

Chen Nan gazed at the chessboard, noting the white stones, although dominated, were not in a dead position and seemed not in immediate danger.

"But where exactly is that girl?"

Chen Nan was anxious; until he saw Liu Tiantian with his own eyes, he couldn't be at ease.

At this moment, a mystical purple mist began to swirl in the distance, and a woman adorned in purple clothing gracefully approached. Chen Nan quickly rushed out of the pavilion: "Miss Ziyan, where is Tiantian, she hasn't come out?"

In this Liu family Illusion Realm, both architecture and attire retained an ancient style. So, Chen Nan also used a more classical form of address.

Liu Ziyuan smiled lightly and said, "You truly care for her; no wonder she's so devoted to you."

"Where exactly is she? Please enlighten me, miss!" Chen Nan demanded with a bit more intensity.

Liu Ziyuan calmly looked at him, pointing ahead, "The night is deep. Young Hero Chen has traveled far and may not understand our Liu family's rules: there's a curfew at night; no one is allowed to wander. Please follow me to the guest room to rest."

Chen Nan remained motionless and said, "Where is Tiantian exactly?"

"She's naturally with the Family Head and Madam. She is the Family Head's only daughter; what do you have to worry about?" Liu Ziyuan said, starting to move forward.

Chen Nan said, "In that case, why doesn't she come out to see me?"

"Perhaps after meeting her birth parents, she forgot about you for the moment. I'm not inside her mind; how could I know what she's thinking?"

Liu Ziyuan's answer seemed reasonable, but Chen Nan felt something was off.

Even if Liu Tiantian was overwhelmed with excitement, as long as she hadn't lost her mind, she'd never forget that he was outside waiting for her, unless her freedom was restricted.

After reaching the guest room, Liu Ziyuan said, "Young Hero Chen, our Liu family has many forbidden areas, so you mustn't wander at night. If you accidentally enter a forbidden area, it would be troublesome."

Chen Nan asked directly, "When can you let me see Tiantian?"

"I apologize, everything in the Illusion Realm is determined by the Family Head. Ziyuan only conveys the Family Head's intentions and knows nothing else. Young Hero Chen, it's getting late; you should rest. Farewell." Liu Ziyuan said, turning to leave.

Chen Nan locked the door, blocking her way.

Liu Ziyuan frowned and said, "Young Hero Chen, what's the meaning of this?"

"Tell me, where exactly is Tiantian!?" Chen Nan's gaze was as fierce as a beast, and his tone was firm.

"Young hero, please rest early. Ziyuan shall take her leave first."

Liu Ziyuan raised her hand, and a gentle light instantly enveloped Chen Nan. With a wave of her hand, his body was forcibly moved several meters away.

With the door open, she gracefully exited, as if nothing had happened, steps as delicate as if not of the mortal world, exuding elegance and a certain Daoist charm.

Only after she was more than ten meters away did the light around Chen Nan disappear, freeing him from the restraint.

Chen Nan quickly ran to the doorway, finding Liu Ziyuan had already vanished into the distance.

The woman's cultivation was terrifying. Despite his Earth Penetration Realm cultivation, he had been rendered powerless by her restraint just now.

Could it be that everyone in this Liu family's Illusion Realm is this powerful?

If true, then the Liu family's strength is incredibly formidable, potentially surpassing even major cultivation sects like the Corpse-controlling Sect and Taixuan Taoist School.

Ten minutes later, Chen Nan stepped out of the room.

Liu Ziyuan mentioned that there are many forbidden areas in this Illusion Realm and advised against wandering at night. He guessed that the so-called forbidden areas might be where the Life Source is located.

Given the Liu family's current stance, they might not willingly offer him the spring water, so it would be better to take it himself.

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