Chapter 1557: Leave it to Fate

"What happened? Was that an earthquake just now?"

"Damn, I thought I was hallucinating from staying up all night playing mahjong... I told you the ground shook."

"No, isn't our Eternal Domain in the sky? How could there be an earthquake?"

"Did we hit some unstable air currents?"

“……”

Ash-like snowflakes were falling. On the streets of the Eternal Domain, quite a few figures were gathered together to watch the excitement. The slight earthquake just now didn't seem to panic them; instead, they became even more curious.

At the same time, Tian Xiaochen was speeding through the streets, rushing straight toward the Eternal Palace.

"Eh? Isn't that Xiao Chen?"

"Xiao Chen, where are you running to in such a hurry?"

At the crossroads, several children his age saw this scene and called out in confusion.

Tian Xiaochen had no intention of explaining to them. He gave a vague "going to save someone" over his shoulder and continued to sprint forward... leaving the children to look at each other in bewilderment.

"Attention all residents! The Eternal Domain is about to experience continuous turbulence. All residents, please return home immediately and do not go outside!"

"Attention all residents!! The Eternal Domain is about to..."

Knights in armor rushed onto the streets, quickly evacuating the crowd. The voices echoed in every corner of the street, and the children standing by the roadside were also driven away by two knights, obediently walking toward their homes.

"Why is there continuous turbulence?"

"I don't know... could it be related to the five big suns in the sky?"

"We shouldn't be in any danger, right?"

"With Lord Wuji here, what danger could there be? Alright, alright, hurry home and lie down."

“……”

Lord Wuji and the knights did indeed have a good reputation in the Eternal Domain. The residents who had been chatting and watching the fun on the streets soon vanished without a trace, leaving only many knights moving through the falling snow, solemn and silent.

Just then, one of the knights seemed to see something out of the corner of his eye and turned to walk into an alley:

"That kid!"

"Don't run around outside! Get home immediately!"

Tian Xiaochen naturally ignored the knight’s warning. After glancing at him, he turned and ducked into a smaller alley.

The knight raised an eyebrow, snorted coldly, and immediately gave chase. Although he was wearing heavy armor, his speed was still faster than Tian Xiaochen’s. The two figures, one big and one small, sped through the alley, the distance between them closing rapidly...

Tian Xiaochen heard the dull sound of footsteps behind him, and beads of sweat began to seep from his temples:

"He’s going to catch me!"

"He won't catch you."

Chen Ling’s calm voice sounded deep in his thoughts.

As the words fell, the entire Eternal Domain suddenly shook again, once more breaking free from a nearby spatial collapse area... This sudden jolt caused Tian Xiaochen to lose his balance, stumbling and nearly falling to the ground.

The knight following behind him couldn't help but laugh:

"Running? Where do you think you can go?"

Just as he reached out to grab Tian Xiaochen’s collar, a metal flowerpot with a sapling on the third-floor balcony of a nearby residential building swayed due to the vibration of the Eternal Domain, eventually sliding off the edge and falling straight down!

Bang—!!

The metal flowerpot, along with the small tree, hit the knight’s head with precision. Even with the protection of his helmet, the force of the impact caused the knight to roll his eyes and pass out on the spot.

Tian Xiaochen stood there, stunned.

He looked at the knight who had passed out for no reason, then at the house where the flowerpot had fallen... His eyes were filled with shock.

Was this a coincidence?

No... was this Chen Ling’s doing??

From Tian Xiaochen’s perspective, Chen Ling’s methods were simply too mysterious. Even though he was still locked in the Eternal Palace, he could control someone’s consciousness from so far away, and even control a flowerpot with such precision to knock out the knight chasing him... It was as if a great hand of fate was protecting him by his side, shielding him as he moved forward.

Tian Xiaochen’s awe for Chen Ling grew even deeper.

After shaking off the knight, Tian Xiaochen didn't stop. He went straight through the alley to the roadside. At this time, patrolling knights were frequently passing by on the street, and it was no longer possible to approach the Eternal Palace as openly as before.

"I can't get past... Lord Chen Ling, what should I do?" Tian Xiaochen was somewhat nervous.

"What about the thing I told you to take?"

"It’s here."

Tian Xiaochen immediately reached into his pocket and pulled out a black Gomoku piece.

"Do you see the sewer grate nearby? Throw it in."

"Huh?"

Tian Xiaochen looked at the inconspicuous sewer grate, his eyes filled with confusion. "Just throw it in? What does that have to do with me getting past?"

Tian Xiaochen had thought that saving Chen Ling would be a life-or-death struggle or filled with immense difficulty... but he hadn't expected that all Chen Ling wanted him to do was throw a chess piece into the sewer?

"Just throw it down," Chen Ling said lightly. "As for what happens next... leave it to 'Fate'."

"Okay."

Tian Xiaochen said no more and threw the black piece in his hand. The piece clattered against the grate of the sewer and then vanished without a trace.

The black piece rolled silently down the sewer, fate rolling forward in the darkness like a wheel.

……

The Eternal Palace.

Chen Ling, sitting on the luxurious sofa, unhurriedly turned the page of the notebook he had already filled.

The vermilion earrings swayed silently at the edge of the sofa. Chen Ling sat with his legs crossed, his expression calm and relaxed. At this moment, he didn't look like a prisoner under house arrest at all; instead, he was as relaxed as a screenwriter writing and drinking tea in his luxurious home.

A pure black, translucent fountain pen spun lightly at his fingertips. Chen Ling looked at the blank page for a moment before letting the nib touch the paper again.

The ink spread across the paper, and lines of elegant text were written out:

[Time: 19:45]

[Scene: Eternal Domain Dungeon]

[Characters: Tian Xiaochen, Mo Yao, Knight A, Knight B, Knight C, Prisoner A, Prisoner B, Prisoner C...]

[△ The black piece dropped by Tian Xiaochen rolls continuously along the sewer pipe, and after a series of collisions, coincidentally rolls into the dungeon directly below...]

……

Drip—

With a slight sound like a pebble hitting the ground, the two knights on duty in the dungeon were both startled.

"Did you hear something?"

"Yes."

"Was it the sound of water..."

One of the knights stood up in confusion, picked up the burning lamp nearby, and looked toward the direction where the piece had landed... The next second, his eyes widened in astonishment!