Inside the high pavilion, the atmosphere was oppressive, and the void seemed to have solidified.
The misty smoke floated in midair, motionless.
The celestial instrument symbolizing the Three Talents also ceased to turn.
The flow of time seemed to slow down.
Only in the Pavilion Elder's eyes, the terrifying heavenly secret, the perilous causality, rolled like giant waves at the bottom of an abyss, ceaselessly surging.
After an unknown length of time, the atmosphere slightly eased.
The void began to flow again.
The smoke resumed its misty state, and the celestial instrument continued its rotation.
Everything was once again as usual.
The Pavilion Elder still bore the same weary and dazed look, as if he might suddenly doze off at any moment.
Yet, the ripples stirred by the heavenly secrets in his heart had still not calmed.
"Rebirth..."
"That person's...rebirth?"
The Pavilion Elder found it somewhat incredible.
The causality that had already died started to slowly develop once more.
The already bewildering and world-shaking chess game unknowingly evolved into a frightening variable.
"The Yin Yang Rebirth Formation, reversing Yin and Yang, transforming life and death, overturning principles, ignoring Dao rules..."
"This formation must not be learned..."
"People these days are truly bold, daring to imagine anything, daring to do anything... Is it the fearlessness of the ignorant, or do they truly have... unfathomable courage."
"Why exactly is it... this formation..."
The Pavilion Elder was silent for a long while and sighed.
How terrifying those four words "Yin Yang Rebirth" truly are, as a Pavilion Elder, he knew all too well.
Once released, the causality it would involve is too vast, even those slumbering elders might "awaken."
If the storm grows large enough, he might not even retain his position as Pavilion Elder.
The Pavilion Elder remained silent for a moment.
Change the bait, or change the fish?
Use this "bait" to catch that big fish.
Or change another "fish" to revitalize the situation?
Even a fool would know which choice to make.
This "bait" is a grand formation, containing the heavenly secrets of Yin and Yang and rebirth, even related to the position of Pavilion Elder.
Never mind a single fish, even a hundred, a thousand wouldn't be worthy of this "bait."
Not even the Golden Dragon Fish.
"If truly unable to catch this fish, just change to another."
After pondering, the Pavilion Elder was about to put away the Yin Yang Rebirth Formation when a thought suddenly halted his movement.
The Pavilion Elder mused internally:
"Even a fool would know how to choose...?"
As a dignified Pavilion Elder, am I going to do something even a fool knows how to do?
The Pavilion Elder's gaze slightly condensed, sinking into deep silence.
A seeker of the Dao, intuitively understands the heavenly secrets, should perceive without being confined by perception.
To exhaust the principles of things, without being bound by them.
Do not be confined by the fame and fortunes of the world, maintain the innocence of a child, and regard all things equally, only then can the heavenly mechanisms of causality reflect their true form in one's heart.
Following this line of thought, the Pavilion Elder pondered...
"The heavenly secret at this point in time, presenting this choice before me, is both allowing me to choose and... providing me an insight?"
"What is this insight...?"
The Pavilion Elder sat before the chessboard, silently contemplating, unmoving as if a clay sculpture.
All manner of heavenly secrets and causality continuously flowed within his mind.
The choices of fate swayed ceaselessly.
Time ticked away little by little.
The incense burned down bit by bit.
The moon set, the sun rose, the east turned white, then gradually dimmed, until the setting sun, with the evening glow across the sky, night was approaching.