radicalducati Chapter 1231: Wang Zhi
Chapter 1231: Wang Zhi
As the second round of the grand competition officially began, the number of Chess Soldiers in the Four Corners Chess Realm noticeably increased.
Since Ning Fan was in the Chess Realm, he didn’t know what the second round of the grand competition looked like outside. He thought that soon enough, the slaughter within the Chess Realm would begin.
All disciples of the Three Palaces of the Lost World Palace, regardless of their cultivation levels, were eligible to participate in the second round of the chess battle. Each person needed to register a minimum of six and a maximum of thirty-six Chess Soldiers or Chess Generals.
This led to a situation where there were more than ten thousand disciples participating in the grand competition, and the total number of Chess Soldiers and Chess Generals entering the Four Corners Chess Realm exceeded two hundred thousand!
Though a force within the Four Corners Chess Realm suppressed spirit sense, it could not hinder Ning Fan’s Rain Technique Perception. After all, Ning Fan had cultivated the Rain Control Position and absorbed a trace of the Rain Seal Rank. Therefore, finding out the number of participating Chess Soldiers was naturally not difficult.
According to his perception, over fifty thousand Chess Soldiers and Chess Generals were gathered in the Western Army Barracks alone, and the number continued to grow with time.
Thus, the originally sparse barracks suddenly became lively.
Many cultivators set up stalls, establishing a market, and began trading magical treasures and expensive pills needed for the upcoming great battle.
With Ning Fan’s cultivation level, he had no interest in the transactions of low-level cultivators and was solely focused on consolidating his own devil bloodlines.
One day, while Ning Fan was practicing in his cave abode, a flash of light suddenly appeared in front of him, teleporting an Immortal Register.
With the start of the second round, all participating Chess Soldiers and Chess Generals received an Immortal Register for collecting Chess Realm Talismans.
The Immortal Register could store up to ten thousand Chess Realm Talismans, and when newly acquired, everyone’s Immortal Register was randomly gifted with three basic talismans.
These talismans, which could only be used within the Chess Realm, were called Chess Realm Talismans, and even a random talisman paper contained immense power.
The three talisman papers obtained by Ning Fan were the Immortal-Burning Talisman, the Demon Boosting Talisman, and the Celestial Phenomena Modifying Talisman.
Ning Fan looked at the three talisman papers, feeling a headache.
He couldn’t remember the effects of these three talisman papers and didn’t know what benefits they would bring upon usage.
He had no choice but to ask directly.
"Tell me, what are your functions?"
Soon, Ning Fan learned the purposes of the three talisman papers.
The Immortal-Burning Talisman could unleash a fire technique attack with the power of a Mid Stage of Shekong, and its power would double if used against enemies with the Chess Immortal status.
The Demon Boosting Talisman could only be used by cultivators with the Chess Demon status. Once activated, it could temporarily boost a Crossing Truth Realm cultivator’s level by a small realm; the higher the user’s cultivation, the weaker the effect of the talisman.
The Celestial Phenomena Modifying Talisman, when used, could randomly change the celestial phenomena to one suitable for the user’s own troop type to fight in.
"These three talismans seem useless to me. However, I am very interested in the principle that these talismans only work in this realm..."
To experiment with the principles of the Chess Realm Talismans, Ning Fan used up the talismans before any battles started.
After the Immortal-Burning Talisman was used, it unleashed torrents of flames, like spectacular fireworks soaring into the sky before disappearing into the vast sky.
The Demon Boosting Talisman increased Ning Fan’s mana by approximately one tribulation, with almost no effect; and this increase only lasted less than twenty breaths.
After using the Celestial Phenomena Modifying Talisman, the sunny sky over the Western Army Barracks suddenly transformed into an environment covered by devilish clouds, and this celestial phenomenon lasted for forty breaths before finally dissipating.
Under the environment with devilish clouds overhead, Ning Fan’s Ancient Devil Dao essence unexpectedly surged by more than a hundred tribulations! This Celestial Phenomena Modifying Talisman did come in handy, but unfortunately, it was already used up...
"The shop selling Chess Realm Talismans seems to have opened, I wonder if I can buy some more Chess Realm Talismans..."
The unusual phenomenon in the huge barracks naturally could not escape the notice of other Chess Soldiers.
Many experienced Chess Battle veterans quietly speculated as to whether some newcomer fool had used up all his Chess Realm Talismans upon acquiring them...
"I wonder which family’s Chess Soldier made such a foolish mistake..."
"I just stepped out of my cave for a walk and happened to see some of it; it seemed to be the work of the Chess Demon from the Fourth Mistress’s family..."
"The Fourth Mistress is pitiable, actually hiring such an idiot as an assistant; without the Chess Realm Talismans, he has no ability to protect himself in the upcoming chess battles..."
"Look, that person is walking over..."
As Ning Fan walked towards the shop, the veterans around him immediately pointed and murmured about him.
Due to the inherent isolating power within the Four Corners Chess Realm, ordinary people could only vaguely make out Ning Fan’s silhouette without clearly seeing his face, and could thus only recognize him by the Chess Demon Token hanging from his waist.
Seasoned players who participated in the Chess Battles multiple times often ridiculed Ning Fan’s foolishness.
Once they saw Ning Fan heading towards the shop, a few concerned individuals could not help but remind him, "Hey! Young guy! The chess battle hasn’t started yet, and you have no military achievement points. Even if you enter the barrack shop, you won’t be able to buy anything."
Ning Fan’s mana was comparable to a Quasi-Saint, yet he was called a young guy by several Crossing Truth Realm cultivators.
"Thanks for the reminder." Ning Fan was both amused and exasperated, but did not take such a minor matter to heart and entered one of the shops within the barracks.
In this shop, twenty-two types of basic talismans were displayed, available for cultivators to purchase, with prices ranging from 500 to 2000 military achievement points.
The shopkeeper was also a Nascent Soul Stone Soldier Puppet. Upon seeing Ning Fan enter the shop, he did not offer any service and maintained a very indifferent attitude.
"Can I use Dao Crystals to purchase these symbol papers if I don’t have military achievement points?" Ning Fan asked.
"No." The Nascent Soul Puppet replied flatly.
"Can I exchange them with something else..." Ning Fan asked again.
"No." The Nascent Soul Puppet remained unaffected, as if nothing could stir its emotions.
"You can only use military achievement points to buy the symbol papers, I see..."
Ning Fan walked out of this store and headed into the second store.
The second store displayed fourteen types of basic symbol papers, differing from the first store.
Ning Fan checked the other stores; every store in this place sold only about twenty types of symbol papers.
"Isn’t it said that there are three thousand types of Chess Realm Talismans? Yet all the stores here combined seem to sell only over a hundred types. Why is that?" Ning Fan asked the shopkeeper of a certain store.
"The barracks’ stores only sell basic talismans. Intermediate talismans need to be obtained through synthesis or by chance encounters; advanced talismans can only be obtained through synthesis." A Stone Warrior Puppet answered.
"Uh, it requires synthesis? Now that I think about it, I seem to recall Mistress Xiao Man mentioning the specific rules for synthesis..."
Ning Fan struggled to search his memory:
[Little Fan Fan, from now on, I’ll teach you the synthesis rules for Chess Realm Talismans. One little Immortal Speed Talisman, two Monster Mind Talismans, and one Great Demon Body Talisman can synthesize an intermediate Immortal Speed Talisman; two Immortal-Burning Talismans and four Blood-returning Talismans can be synthesized into a Blood-sucking Talisman, which can be used three times. Don’t forget this; also...]
Mistress Xiao Man indeed spoke about a heap of synthesis rules.
But because these rules were too complicated, Ning Fan couldn’t be bothered to remember them. What was he doing at that moment? Oh, right, he was admiring Bei Xiao Man’s earnest little face during her explanation, just finding this little girl incredibly cute when she was serious...
"It’s really so troublesome after all..."
Originally, Ning Fan had a bit of interest in the formation principles of Chess Realm Talismans, but now he had lost all enthusiasm.
Too many rules are too troublesome.
Anyway, defeating all enemies should be enough...
...
At the same time, in the Eastern Army Barracks.
Six figures, neither human nor beast, appeared within the Eastern Army Barracks.
The surrounding Eastern army Chess Soldiers were all greatly shocked and started discussing among themselves when they saw these figures.
"They are from the Realm Beast Tribe! Isn’t the Realm Beast Tribe not interested in participating in the second round of the chess battle? Why have they come here!"
"Need you ask? It must be our Grand Elder who invited them! Only our Grand Elder can associate with the quirky Realm Beast Tribe. I really wonder how he gained their favor."
"Those few Realm Beast Old Monsters seem to have Eternal Immortal Venerable cultivation level, too powerful! Why could the Grand Elder, who only holds Abandon-Void cultivation, invite Eternal Immortal Venerables? There seems to be more to this..."
"Hiss! No way! What do those Realm Beast Immortal Honorables intend to do! The chess battle hasn’t started yet, and they want to leave the barracks early!"
Since the battle within the Chess Realm hadn’t started, a layer of faint golden light blocked the exterior of the Eastern Army Barracks, preventing even an ordinary Immortal Emperor from leaving.
But those few Realm Beast Immortal Honorables, with just one use of their Divine Skills, directly crossed space and appeared within the light layer, outside the barracks!
After another flicker of their bodies, they disappeared into the boundless mountains and seas, with no one knowing where they’d gone.
"Ahem, ahem, perhaps I’m seeing things... No matter how powerful, it’s impossible to leave the barracks early..." A certain Eastern Army Chess Soldier forcibly explained.
"Indeed, indeed..."
"This is surely some kind of mirage of the Chess Realm!"
"Every time the Four Corners Chess Realm opens, many bizarre things happen. It’s not unusual!"
...
Ning Fan originally planned to go back to his cave dwelling to rest.
But suddenly, a vague sensation came via the Rain Technique, seemingly indicating that a few Chess Soldiers from the Eastern Army camp had left the barracks early.
Although Ning Fan could use the Rain Technique despite interference from the Chess Realm, it still affected him somewhat, making perceptions over long distances fuzzy.
"Interesting, someone managed to leave the barracks early, those auras seem so familiar, they must be Realm Beasts..."
Ning Fan had no favorable impression of the Realm Beast Tribe.
So he followed closely in their steps to see what those Realm Beasts were scheming. What they attempted would be what he aimed to thwart. In any case, since he had nothing else to do, he might as well find something to entertain himself with.
With Ning Fan’s cultivation, even if he decided to leave the barracks, it wouldn’t be noticeable to ordinary people.
Only a few Chess Soldiers from the Western Army heard a loud boom, looked up and noticed that the barracks’ light screen had somehow torn open, but that tear healed immediately.
"Strange things happen every year."
"This year, there are especially many."
"Drink, drink, surely we are seeing things."
...
In the chess realm battlefield, the terrain changes infinitely. You think you are moving forward in a straight line, but in reality, you might just be circling in place.
At this moment, those Realm Beast Immortal Honorables encountered such a ’ghost hitting the wall’ situation.
They had returned to a certain misty mountain for the fourth time.
"Hmph! This Four Corners Chess Realm is indeed extraordinary. Even with our cultivation levels, we’re completely unable to discern directions!" Among the six, the Thunderclap Realm Immortal in a thunder robe spoke with a grim face.
"Then use the secret technique to perceive!" ordered the Eastern Realm Immortal Venerable.
"Let me! World Sense Technique!" The volcano-like red-faced Immortal Venerable suddenly released his spirit sense, merging eerily with the world’s atmosphere.
This is a secret technique of the Realm Beast Tribe, allowing spirit sense to be merged with the realm, thus perceiving the entire situation of the realm.
However, this time, the foolproof secret technique actually failed!
The red-faced Immortal Venerable suddenly spat out blood, and the spirit sense that merged into the Four Corners Chess Realm was entirely shattered.
"What happened!" The Immortal Honorables asked in shock.
"It failed. There’s a trace of the Immortal Kingdom’s Divine Sense in this realm that forbids any intrusion," the Immortal Venerable who cast the technique replied bitterly.
"Did you plant any World Sense Coordinates marker and lock down the position of the Southern Army Barracks?"
"When the spirit sense shattered, I vaguely managed to plant some..."
"Good! According to the World Sense Coordinates, let’s head towards the Southern Army Barracks!"
The goal of these Realm Beast Immortal Honorables was an abandoned Southern Army Barracks.
The Immortal Honorables helped the injured one suppress his wounds and continued their journey.
Much later, in this deserted place, with a sudden flash of light, Ning Fan’s figure appeared.
"Southern Army?"
With a flicker, Ning Fan vanished and followed once more.
...
There were originally four palaces in Yishi Palace, but for some reasons, the Nangong lineage completely vanished in the river of history.
When those Realm Beast Immortal Honorables arrived at the Southern Army Barracks, they saw nothing but ruins everywhere.
"What did the ancestors send us here to find? This place must have been looted innumerable times, there shouldn’t be any treasures left," the red-faced Immortal Venerable asked in confusion.
"We’re not looking for treasures, but for a person!" the elder Immortal Venerable answered.
"Looking for a person? Nangong has already perished, there’s no Chess Soldiers participating in any battle here. Who are we looking for?" the Thunderclap Realm Immortal Venerable asked.
"Wang Zhi!" the elder Immortal Venerable revealed something astonishing.
Everyone was shocked upon hearing the name.
"Isn’t Wang Zhi a legendary figure!"
"Is the ancient legend of the Stone Chamber Mountain truly real!"
"Does Wang Zhi really exist?"
"If such person exists, Yishi Palace would surely know of it!"
"Everyone quiet down!" the elder Immortal Venerable shouted in displeasure.
Seeing them silent, he continued to explain, "You should know, 4,000,000 years ago, the ancestor ventured into this place and thereafter was severely injured..."
"Wasn’t that proven to be a rumor?" others questioned.
"Rumor? Ha, merely a ruse to confuse others! The ancestor was indeed injured, and the one who hurt him was a peculiar person claiming to be Wang Zhi!"
"Gasp! The ancestor was a Second-Grade Quasi-Saint, and this person could heavily wound even the ancestor. Could they be some unparalleled Ancient Great Cultivator?" Everyone was astounded.
"Most likely!"
"What do we do! That person can severely injure the ancestor; finding him means seeking death for us?"
"Don’t fear! The ancestor said that person is peculiar, but not bloodthirsty. Otherwise, the ancestor would have been more than just injured; he might have been defeated. According to the ancestor, he met that peculiar person near the Southern Army Barracks. However, time has passed, and it’s uncertain if that person is still here. If they are, we need to find them, and so..."
The elder Immortal Venerable hadn’t finished speaking when a sigh resounded through the sky, carrying the weight of eons, as if heaven’s will suppressed it with an unprecedented might.
At the sigh’s emergence, trees within a thousand-mile radius were severed at the middle, seemingly cut down by the Daoist Thought of the sigh’s owner.
This person’s Daoist Thought was like an invisible axe that could fell all the trees in the world.
The Realm Beast Immortal Honorables were immediately filled with trepidations, searching everywhere for the sigh’s source, but they couldn’t find it.
Turning around abruptly, they finally noticed there was suddenly a white-haired old man, dressed as a woodcutter, standing behind them.
"Are you looking for something?" the old woodcutter asked with a sorrowful expression.
"Gasp! Could this person be the strange Wang Zhi!" The Realm Beast Immortal Honorables were all greatly shocked.
"Oh, I get it," the old man said. "You must have lost your beloved axe, just like me. Did you lose this gold axe or this silver axe?"
The old woodcutter waved his hands, manifesting a gold axe and a silver axe in each hand.
Both the gold and silver axes were actually Innate Mid-grade treasures!
The Realm Beast Immortal Honorables found it hard to breathe, especially the leading elder, who started sweating nervously.
It was indeed this question!
When the ancestor encountered this strange man back then, he was also asked this question!
At that time, the ancestor, unaware of the man’s power, saw that the other held two Innate Mid-grade treasures and attempted to snatch them but was defeated.
The golden and silver axes were incredibly potent. The ancestor was wounded by them and even after 4,000,000 years, the wound couldn’t heal and still oozes blood!
The injuries inflicted by these axes are extraordinarily difficult to heal!
The true reason the Realm Beast Immortal Honorables came here wasn’t for the Grand Elder of the Eastern Palace’s sake, but to find a cure for the ancestor’s wound.
If the master of these axes could be found, there might be a way to heal the wounds inflicted by them.
"Esteemed senior, we are here to request a method to heal from the injuries of the gold and silver axes. The incident back then happened because our ancestor acted rashly. We hope you won’t hold a grudge and offer aid. If the senior is willing, the Realm Beast Tribe is willing to offer ten Immortal Venerable Dao Fruits and one trillion Dao Crystals..."
The elder Immortal Venerable rambled on, presenting numerous gifts, seeking favor with the old woodcutter.
The old woodcutter, however, remained sorrowful and self-reproachful, not bothering to listen to the chatter or glance at the mound of gifts before him.
"What’s this, you’re not here for the axes? How boring," the old woodcutter mumbled.
"Oh, if only I hadn’t been fascinated by that game of Chess Immortal back then, why couldn’t I control my own eyes..."
He put the axes away, suddenly looking up at a certain empty spot in the sky and asked, "Why doesn’t the little friend present himself?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Fan revealed himself, casting a wary gaze at the old woodcutter.
This old man was unmistakably an Ancient Great Cultivator!
Ning Fan couldn’t have expected that such a presence was hidden here — was this man an ancestor figure of the Forgotten World Palace?
Even more concerning to Ning Fan was the elder’s Daoist thought that greatly suppressed his wood element power; if they fought, his wood element would suffer a significant disadvantage.
"Is the senior a member of the Forgotten World Palace?" Ning Fan landed and inquired.
The Realm Beast Immortal Honorables were both shocked and angry! They couldn’t believe Ning Fan was secretly following them!
"Forgotten World Palace? What’s that..." The old woodcutter looked utterly perplexed.
"May I ask which sect in Beitian does the senior belong to?" Ning Fan was slightly puzzled and asked further.
"Beitian? What’s that..." The old woodcutter still looked completely bewildered.
Ning Fan was even more astonished.
This person seemed unaware of the Forgotten World Palace or Beitian’s existence, appearing uninformed rather than feigning ignorance.
"Where are you from, senior?"
"Xin’an County, Dongping Village," the old woodcutter replied.
"Are these names from the Real Realms?"
"Real Realms, what’s that?"
The old woodcutter looked utterly baffled, as if he was a blank slate regarding cultivation matters.
Ning Fan appeared deep in thought, pondering the old woodcutter’s background.
This man, despite his immense power, was unlike anyone Ning Fan had encountered before.
The old woodcutter seemed entirely out of place in the cultivation world, appearing more like a mortal who accidentally attained supreme power.
Moreover, he exhibited no calculations or hostility towards the external world...
"Excuse me, young friend, have you seen this old man’s iron axe? My iron axe is lost."
"No..." Ning Fan replied.
"Ah, then forget it. This old man will look for the axe elsewhere..."
The old woodcutter looked even more disappointed, ignoring Ning Fan, and with a shake of his form, disappeared without a trace.
"Wait! Senior, please stay!"
The Realm Beast Immortal Venerables were furious.
They had finally found Wang Zhi, whom the ancestor demanded, only to have Ning Fan mess things up, and all their anger was immediately transferred to Ning Fan.
"Who are you! Why are you following us here? Do you mean to become enemies with our Realm Beast Tribe?" The Realm Beast Immortal Venerables growled angrily.
It was all because Ning Fan’s aura was so restrained under the cover of the cloud aura that these people couldn’t see Ning Fan’s true power.
These Realm Beast Immortal Venerables blindly trusted their own perception. Since they couldn’t sense Ning Fan’s power, they believed he was just a small fry specialized in concealment with low cultivation.
Upon further inspection of Ning Fan’s identity token, they discovered he was merely a Chess Demon invited by Bei Xiao Man, and they dismissed Ning Fan completely.
What kind of cultivation did Bei Xiao Man have? A youngster from the Yishi Palace! What kind of Chess Demon could this girl invite? No need to worry!
"And if I am an enemy, what then?" Ning Fan replied indifferently.
"Courting death!"
Immediately, a Realm Beast Immortal Venerable was enraged and unleashed the Boundary Control Technique at Ning Fan.
The hand seal formed from the power of the boundary fell from the sky, coming down upon Ning Fan.
That hand seal was an attack from an enraged Eternal Immortal Venerable with the power to destroy the heavens and the earth, yet Ning Fan couldn’t be bothered to dodge.
He simply opened his demonic mouth and swallowed the hand seal whole.
"How, how can this be possible!" The Realm Beast Immortal Venerables were all shocked, realizing then Ning Fan’s power. They turned to flee.
Too bad, they couldn’t escape!
Ning Fan’s demonic hand reached out, as if capable of covering the sky with one hand. No matter how the few Realm Beast Immortal Venerables ran, they still remained within Ning Fan’s palm’s range and were easily captured by Ning Fan.
"Quasi-Saint, Quasi-Saint! This person must be a Quasi-Saint! Otherwise, why would we have no ability to resist!"
The Realm Beast Immortal Venerables were almost scared senseless.
However, they quickly calmed down.
This was because in the Four Corners Chess Realm, generally, people couldn’t be killed. Those who were killed were protected by the Four Corners Chess Realm and could directly reincarnate outside.
Ning Fan naturally sensed this as well; in this Four Corners Chess Realm, there was an invisible force protecting the participating chess soldiers.
But so what...
Ning Fan squeezed his demonic hand, crushing the bodies of all the Immortal Venerables and tossing their spirits into the Refining God Cauldron, refining them all to death.
Ordinary means of killing might be hindered by the Four Corners Chess Realm.
But if a divine means is used, even the Four Corners Chess Realm could not obstruct it!
Exterminating a few Realm Beast Immortal Venerables was of no concern to Ning Fan. What he cared about was that old woodcutter.
Who on earth was this great cultivator Wang Zhi...
After killing six Realm Beast Immortal Venerables, Ning Fan obtained a full eighteen beginner-level Chess Realm Talismans, while also gaining 6000 military achievement points.
At this point, however, he was already uninterested in the Chess Realm Talismans and military achievement points.
Ning Fan casually consumed the ten Immortal Venerable Dao Fruits brought by the Realm Beast Immortal Venerables, took all the spoils of war, and returned to his cave dwelling, busy refining the Immortal Venerable Dao Fruits.
...
A few days ago, from the sea of ages, a mountain that had been submerged under the sea for a millennium suddenly rose from the seabed.
Today, this mountain became the battleground for the second round of the contest among the Third Palace Disciples!
This mountain, named Stone Chamber Mountain, was considered a holy land in the minds of all the chess players of Northern Cold Country and was also the site for the second round of the great competition of the Yishi Palace, appearing from underwater only once every thousand years.
The fame of this mountain comes from an immemorial legend about a mortal woodman named Wang Zhi, who accidentally entered Stone Chamber Mountain and, by chance, stumbled upon several immortals playing chess.
Wang Zhi was so mesmerized by the game that he didn’t realize how long he had been standing there watching.
When the game ended and he left Stone Chamber Mountain, he found that a hundred years had passed in the outside world, and there was no longer a single familiar person from his past.
A game of immortal chess lasting a hundred years might be considered a legend for mortals; for immortal cultivators, however, it was not particularly astounding.
However, in the hearts of later Chess Masters, Stone Chamber Mountain still holds significant meaning, as this mountain was once the battleground of the grand Ta Gu Xian Ren!
A thousand years pass easily, yet human affairs are hard to recreate.
The Ta Gu Xian Ren has long departed, leaving only an empty mountain for future generations to remember.
Countless Northern Heavenly Chess Masters gathered here, all to witness Stone Chamber Mountain, which emerges every thousand years.
As the palace lord of the Lost World Palace, Yuan Yao was dizzy with busyness, as she had too many distinguished guests to entertain; occasionally she took brief moments to glance at the progress of her four daughters’ games, clearly very concerned about their performance in the second round.
The desire to see her daughters succeed was completely normal; any mother would wish for her daughters to excel.
The second round of the grand competition was not about fighting, but about the chess skills of the disciples from the three palaces. Over ten thousand Chess Masters competed simultaneously, each duel was truly astonishing to behold.
As the grand competition officially commenced, each disciple from the three palaces was assigned an opponent, needing to decide victory or defeat on the chessboard.
Bei Xiao Man’s first match also began, and as fate would have it, her first opponent was none other than the personal disciple of the Grand Elder of the Eastern Palace — Yu Jin!
This Yu Jin naturally had an icy demeanor, as if nothing in the world could make him show any emotional fluctuation.
He looked at Bei Xiao Man with a sort of deeply ingrained superiority, just as his master looked down upon Yuan Yao, the palace lord of the Lost World Palace, Yu Jin also looked down upon Yuan Yao’s four daughters!
"You are not my match! I heard your chess skills are quite good, but alas, in the face of absolute chess soldier suppression, your skills are useless!" Yu Jin said arrogantly.
"Damn it! I heard that your master maneuvered to invite an Eternal Immortal Venerable from the Realm Beast Tribe to be your chess soldier..." Bei Xiao Man gritted her teeth in anger.
Inviting an Eternal Immortal Venerable as a chess soldier for mere palace disciples, how could one be so unfair!
Furthermore, with over ten thousand palace disciples, what are the odds that she would draw the personal disciple of the Grand Elder in the first match! This hardly seemed like a coincidence, more like the Grand Elder did it on purpose!
Bei Xiao Man was self-aware; her chess skills were good, but no matter how good, it was daunting for a Crossing Truth and Shedding Void chess soldier to defeat a group of Immortal Venerable chess soldiers.
Difficult, very difficult...
But no matter how difficult, she cannot lose this match!
Because among her chess soldiers, there was Ning Fan! If Ning Fan were to be defeated by the enemy, even if he could be reborn in the outside world, he would surely suffer some injuries... Ning Fan’s mind was already muddled, how could he endure more!
"Haha, what great luck, I’m first..." Yu Jin obtained the first move through casting lots.
Bei Xiao Man was even more infuriated; she had played countless games, so how could she not see that Yu Jin had tampered with the copper lot, allowing him to get the first move.
How despicable!
How shameless!
You already have a team of Immortal Venerable chess soldiers, yet you still cheat; it truly confirms the old saying: a tree without its bark will surely die, a man without shame is invincible in the world!
"Then I won’t hold back, Immortal Five, advance ten!"
Yu Jin, at the start of the game, wanted to directly drive his piece into Bei Xiao Man’s formation, forcing an exchange!
The power of his chess soldiers was the reason why such an exchange tactic suited him perfectly. He was absolutely confident in capturing the opponent’s pieces; for the opponent to capture his was nearly impossible, so this move was a sure win.
However, an unexpected event occurred!
Before Yu Jin could move his [Immortal] piece, the piece suddenly shattered!
At the same time, the pieces labeled [God], [Demon], [Yin Yang Transformation], [Old Monster], and [Spirit] on the board also shattered.
If ordinary pieces shattered, it was nothing much.
If spiritual general pieces shattered, then the game was immediately forfeit!
"The winner is Bei Xiao Man!"
Within just twenty seconds of starting, Bei Xiao Man secured a lightning-fast victory, winning mysteriously, leaving everyone baffled!
"Impossible! This is impossible! How could I lose! My master summoned so many Immortal Venerable chess soldiers, chess generals..." Yu Jin was severely hit, unable to accept the scene before him.
"Strange! The match just started, why did his chess soldiers all perish? And after his chess soldiers perished, why didn’t they resurrect in the outside world?" Many spectators were puzzled.
"Hiss! It must have been that strange man Wang Zhi who used deadly force!" In the stands, several members of the Realm Beast Tribe who knew the inside story were shocked, realizing that their Immortal Venerables had died.
This debt was squarely placed on the head of the strange man Wang Zhi.
"Pfft, I actually won the first match by lying down..." Bei Xiao Man laughed with a snort.
She originally had no hope of winning, and yet she won by lying down; her luck was incredible!
Having won the first match by lying down, Bei Xiao Man, after a little rest, began the second match.
Her second opponent was Fan Xiping, a disciple of the North Palace.
This was an elderly man with white hair, although he appeared very old, in reality, he was only tens of thousands with a Life Immortal cultivation.
His cultivation might not be high, but he was deeply passionate about Dao, and his skill in chess was superb, thus his reputation among Northern Heavenly Chess Masters was not small.
Upon seeing that her opponent in the second round was Fan Xiping, Bei Xiao Man lost her composure!
This person’s chess skills could at least rank in the top fifty in Beitian, right!
Why are all her opponents so formidable! As expected, her drawing position was tampered with by the Great Elder, hoping she’d lose quickly.
"Fourth Miss, our Chess Soldiers are evenly matched, and our skills too. Today’s game should be quite enjoyable!" Fan Xiping was delighted to meet a worthy opponent.
He was a chess fanatic who cared little for internal disputes within the sect, only pleased to encounter a strong adversary like Bei Xiao Man.
However, Bei Xiao Man was not pleased.
If she were facing someone weaker, she had ways to win without using the Chess Demon.
But unfortunately, her opponent was a chess expert like Fan Xiping, and winning with just five pieces against his six was too difficult.
"No need for lots, let’s have the Fourth Miss go first." Fan Xiping was quite gracious, giving up the first move.
"Thank you." Bei Xiao Man, rarely polite, placed her six starting pieces on the Liubo chessboard.
The Chess Demon was supposed to be the main combat force, but Bei Xiao Man had placed it in the formation, not at the front.
"Oh? This kind of formation is something I’ve encountered for the first time..." Fan Xiping was slightly surprised and also set up his formation.
He thought Bei Xiao Man was using some ancient chessbook, hence the unusual formation.
But once they exchanged moves, he saw through the illusion.
"Strange! Fourth Miss didn’t move this Chess Demon from start to finish, why is that? Could it be that this Chess Demon holds a critical move, and the timing isn’t right yet, so it can’t be moved lightly..." Fan Xiping was puzzled.
People usually protect their Spirit Generals at all costs when playing chess.
But Bei Xiao Man, on several crucial moves, would rather sacrifice the Spirit General to protect the Chess Demon!
Fan Xiping frowned.
He had never encountered such a situation before!
He couldn’t understand Bei Xiao Man’s chess strategy at all!
He increasingly felt that the Chess Demon, which Bei Xiao Man never moved, was full of danger!
No, he must remove this Chess Demon, guard against the Fourth Miss’s later moves, or the variables in this game would be too great!
So an even more miraculous scene appeared.
Bei Xiao Man would rather give up the Spirit General to protect the Chess Demon.
Fan Xiping would rather give up a perfect opportunity to attack the Spirit General than to mobilize forces to besiege Bei Xiao Man’s Chess Demon.
"Is this old man crazy! I voluntarily conceded, letting him take the Spirit General, and he insists on going after my Little Fan Fan!" Bei Xiao Man was furious.
"Wonderful, wonderful! The Fourth Miss’s Chess Demon is full of hidden depths, undoubtedly related to the outcome, hence sparking a deadly duel!" The surrounding audience continuously expressed their admiration, all captivated by this unprecedented chess path.
"Frustrating, so frustrating! If you’re so eager to take my Little Fan Fan, then I’ll have all my Chess Soldiers and Chess Generals protect Little Fan Fan!" Bei Xiao Man decided to go all in!
The outcome was long since unimportant!
Anyone who dared to take her Little Fan Fan, she would fight to the end!
...
In the Four Corners Chess Realm.
Ning Fan felt extremely bored.
The time flow in the Four Corners Chess Realm is ten thousand times faster than the outside world, and more than two hundred days had passed since he killed the Realm Beast Immortal Venerable.
So many days had passed, the second round of chess battles should have started, yet he hadn’t encountered any combat from these so-called chess battles.
Because Bei Xiao Man hadn’t even used him, she simply placed him on a devil mountain, letting the Demonic Qi nurture him, defending the position.
No enemies were transported to his side; he hadn’t received any orders from Bei Xiao Man to be transported in front of an enemy to kill their Chess Soldiers.
Just when he was feeling bored, a stream of light suddenly teleported to his location.
It was someone Fan Xiping dispatched to attack him!
It was an enemy Chess Soldier of the "Ghost" character, at the initial stage of Crossing Truth!
"Is the opponent a Chess Demon..." The Chess Soldier had an extremely arrogant expression.
He had participated in over forty chess battles and had rich experience in symbol-fight.
Seeing that the enemy was a Chess Demon like Ning Fan, the Chess Ghost expertly flipped open his Immortal Register, and deployed a Weak Demon Talisman.
With this symbol, the enemy’s Enlightenment Demon Fiend would drop two realm levels! The higher the opponent’s cultivation, the less effective the symbol.
Swoosh swoosh!
This Chess Ghost continued to deploy two more symbols.
Beserk Ghost Talisman!
Ghost-Head Knife Talisman!
The Beserk Ghost Talisman could greatly increase his cultivation!
The Ghost-Head Knife Talisman was an equipment talisman paper that could summon a Ghost-Head Knife of the Acquired Twelve Nirvana level for battle.
Seeing that he had already used three talismans in quick succession, yet Ning Fan hadn’t brought out his Immortal Register, the Chess Ghost knew Ning Fan was a novice.
"Weak, too weak! This child doesn’t even know how to deploy symbols, likely won’t withstand even one of my attacks!"
Slash!
The Chess Ghost wielded the Ghost-Head Knife and struck from the sky, confident in defeating even a Chess Demon at the Shedding Void Stage!
This is the difference between an expert and a novice; if Ning Fan only had Shedding Void level cultivation, he likely couldn’t defeat this seasoned Chess Ghost, as the latter clearly still had many tricks up his sleeve.
Unfortunately, Ning Fan was not at the Shedding Void Stage.
Ning Fan casually lifted a finger, sending out a Calamity Flash red beam, turning the Chess Ghost into ashes.
He spared the Chess Ghost from complete annihilation, allowing him to successfully reincarnate in the outside world, his face filled with indescribable fear!
"F-fake, it must be fake! What kind of cultivation is that! Even with all my talismans, I had no power to resist!"
...
The battle on the chessboard was but an instant to the outside world.
Fan Xiping, cunning and experienced, looped several times, and the Chess Ghost suddenly appeared at the center of Bei Xiao Man’s military formation, launching an attack on her Chess Demon.
"This move, Fan won’t be polite in taking!" Fan Xiping smiled.
But he quickly lost that smile!
The Chess Ghost he sent to attack the Chess Demon shattered with a crack!
Oh no! Failed to capture, got counter-killed! It was a counter-kill, his Chess Ghost didn’t even have time to deploy a symbol to escape!
"Huh!" Bei Xiao Man was utterly baffled.
Her Little Fan Fan clearly suffered an attack, why wasn’t it captured? Could it be that... the opponent’s Chess Ghost was a thousand or ten thousand times weaker than her Little Fan Fan?
Bei Xiao Man sighed in slight relief.
But she soon miscalculated again.
She fell into Fan Xiping’s trap once more!
Fan Xiping successfully bypassed her set-up, launching another attack on Ning Fan, represented by the Chess Demon.
This time attacking Ning Fan was Fan Xiping’s Chess Immortal.
Then...
Fan Xiping’s Chess Immortal was counter-killed.
Then Fan Xiping used a Chess Demon to attack Ning Fan.
Afterwards, the Chess Demon was counter-killed.
Having lost three pieces in a row, Fan Xiping’s position completely deteriorated. He was stunned, trying to use strategy to remedy his declining situation.
But then, something strange happened!
Neither side’s chess pieces had moved at all!
Yet Fan Xiping’s remaining three pieces suddenly exploded with no forewarning!
"The winner is Bei Xiao Man!" Another effortless victory.
"H-how could this be..." Fan Xiping spat blood and collapsed. He had exhausted every tactic in this match, yet never expected his Spirit General would explode without reason!
"Strange, how did I win again? Why did that old man’s Spirit General explode on its own..." Bei Xiao Man wore a confused expression.
Winning once by luck could be explained.
But winning two games in a row effortlessly was too strange...