Chapter 1462: Heavenly Net Chessboard

As numerous malevolent gazes shot forth from the spatial vortex, figures imbued with a strong, bloody, and fierce aura streamed out in quick succession.

The figures hovered in the air, their ferocious gazes locking onto the Cangxuan Heaven forces far across from them.

A chilling, somber atmosphere permeated the entire space.

"Heh, so Lord Zhou Yuan of Cangxuan Heaven is indeed here."

At that moment, a laugh echoed from the spatial vortex. Zhou Yuan then saw a figure clad in black armor step out of the void. On the black armor, crimson fire lotuses slowly rotated, appearing almost tangible.

Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed as he observed the black-armored figure, for he could sense the immense power radiating from within.

The individual before him was a Dual-Lotus Saint! This was intelligence he had not previously received.

Following closely behind the black-armored Dual-Lotus Saint were nine more figures, hovering in the air. The power fluctuations emanating from them revealed that all nine were also at the Saint stage.

"I am Yan Xu of the Sacred Race," the black-armored man stated, his narrow eyes squinting like a fox when he smiled. "Lord Zhou Yuan's renown precedes him; your name echoes even within our Sacred Race."

"Lord Zhou Yuan, your presence here is quite unexpected," Yan Xu said, a surprised smile on his face. "I originally thought you would have slunk back to Cangxuan Heaven with your people."

Yet, Zhou Yuan remained unperturbed by his words, simply waving a hand to signal his people to be vigilant and prepare for action.

"Lord Zhou Yuan, there's no need for futile resistance, is there?" Yan Xu said, shaking his head as if offering sincere advice. "Cangxuan Heaven's foundations are weak; you truly cannot afford this attrition."

"How about you withdraw with your people now and leave this space to me? We can part ways amicably, what do you say?"

Zhou Yuan finally offered a smile. "I'd like to take your head before I leave," he said.

Yan Xu clapped his hands. "Alright!" he declared.

He then grabbed his own head, gave it a twist, and with a sickening crunch, wrenched it clean off. The severed head, still in his hand, grinned at Zhou Yuan and asked, "Is this acceptable?"

Zhou Yuan shook his head. "I'd prefer to pluck it myself," he replied.

Yan Xu reattached his head, twisted his neck, and sighed with a hint of helplessness. "It seems Lord Zhou Yuan is truly intent on seeking death."

"Currently, you are merely at the One-Lotus stage, and we are not within Cangxuan Heaven. Even if you receive some blessings, they will be quite limited. More importantly, these blessings will gradually diminish over time..."

"So, you genuinely believe you can stop me?"

"Let's see," Zhou Yuan replied calmly.

Yan Xu sighed. "It seems there's nothing left to discuss," he said. "Never mind. You might as well all just die."

His eyes abruptly turned icy cold, and the sheer chill caused the temperature of the surrounding world to plummet.

"Kill them all; leave no one alive."

Yan Xu waved his hand, and his indifferent voice rang out. The next instant, the nine Saints behind him erupted with immense power and soared into the air. On Zhou Yuan's side, the nine Saints behind him, including Zhuan Zhu, also narrowed their eyes. Their formidable power surged as they moved, rocketing directly into the sky to confront the opposing Saints.

Boom! Boom!

The eighteen Saints collided simultaneously. The sweeping clash of their immense powers instantly generated colossal waves, tens of thousands of feet high, across this oceanic space, obliterating numerous giant islands.

As the Saints engaged in battle, a multitude of Law Domain experts then burst forth. Their Law Domains unfolded one after another, vibrant and colorful, presenting a truly magnificent spectacle.

Both sides' Law Domain experts, seething with killing intent, crashed into each other. Instantly, there was no longer a single peaceful spot within the entire space.

A large-scale melee erupted, and the flames of war spread rapidly.

Zhou Yuan's gaze did not wander to the surrounding battles; instead, it remained fixed on the black-armored man named Yan Xu. Just as the vast power within him was about to erupt, his expression subtly changed.

At that moment, he detected an unusual power enveloping the oceanic space. However, this power didn't seem to have a strong specific target.

"Did you feel it?" Yan Xu's figure suddenly materialized before Zhou Yuan, a smile on his face, his narrow eyes sharp as blades.

He did not activate his Saint power to engage Zhou Yuan. Instead, he simply sat down cross-legged in the air.

"Your doing?" Zhou Yuan asked calmly, then likewise sat cross-legged opposite him.

Yan Xu smiled, then with a flick of his sleeve, a streak of crimson light darted out and settled between them, coalescing into a reddish-black chessboard.

The chessboard was mottled and ancient, inscribed with countless profoundly obscure and ancient patterns, as if it held a special connection to the world itself.

"This is the Sky Net Chessboard, a top-tier Dual-Lotus Saint Artifact. The moment I arrived here, this entire space was transformed into this chessboard. You and I are the players, and everyone else is merely a chess piece."

Yan Xu's palm swept over the chessboard. Crimson light gathered, and eighteen exceptionally bright chess pieces formed. Within these pieces, faint light figures could be seen, unmistakably representing the eighteen Saints from both factions.

In addition to these eighteen Saint pieces, countless smaller pieces also took shape, clashing and battling each other – a perfect representation of the ongoing skirmish between the two main armies.

Zhou Yuan, expressionless, directly slammed his palm down at Yan Xu. Vast power surged and roared, sweeping like a colossal dragon, striking Yan Xu's body with immense force.

Yet, Yan Xu did not dodge; he allowed the strike to land. His body remained utterly motionless, seemingly unharmed.

"There's no need to waste your effort," Yan Xu chuckled. "To break this setup by force, you would need to be a Three-Lotus Saint. Otherwise, you can only obediently follow the rules."

Zhou Yuan shook his head. "You are, after all, an established Dual-Lotus Saint, and as you mentioned, I am merely at the One-Lotus stage," he said. "So why not just have a straightforward fight? Why go to all this trouble?"

Yan Xu sighed. "There's no other way," he said. "Your past achievements are simply too remarkable. Every Saint who previously underestimated you ended up failing. So, I never intended to simply regard you as a One-Lotus Saint, because I aim to complete my mission without a hitch."

"That's quite an honor," Zhou Yuan said, a hint of amusement in his tone. Yan Xu's apprehension towards him was so pronounced that even Zhou Yuan himself found it amusing. After all, based on apparent strength, the opponent clearly held an advantage; this wasn't Cangxuan Heaven, and Zhou Yuan's supportive power would be partially diminished.

Yet, despite holding an advantage, the opponent seemed unwilling to confront him directly, instead going to great lengths to deploy a top-tier Dual-Lotus Saint Artifact to impose restrictions.

"Since it's a chess game, naturally, the pieces will be used for offense and defense to determine the victor in the end."

Yan Xu smiled slightly, pointing to the crimson chessboard before them. "The rules are quite simple," he explained. "As my forces gradually gain the upper hand, I will receive a blessing, while you, in turn, will be weakened."

"Quite a scoundrel, setting all the rules yourself," Zhou Yuan remarked calmly.

Yan Xu chuckled. "What fairness is there in this world? You were already a step behind when you entered this game. However, for the Sky Net Chessboard to take effect, both sides must, at the very least, possess roughly equal apparent strength."

Zhou Yuan's gaze deepened. "However, I have no interest in this kind of game," he stated. "What I prefer to do is simply overturn the chessboard."

"As I just said, this is a top-tier Dual-Lotus Saint Artifact," Yan Xu replied, shaking his head. "Only a Three-Lotus Saint can break it through sheer force."

"I don't believe you."

Zhou Yuan revealed a stark, chilling smile. He raised a hand, and an about-an-inch-long mottled black pen slowly rose into the air, then hovered above the chessboard.

Ancient Genesis Runes materialized upon the black pen, transforming into shimmering streams of light that cascaded downwards.

The chessboard seemed to sense something; crimson light surged upward, clashing with and attempting to corrode the descending streams of light.

Under this collision, the chessboard itself trembled slightly, its inherent light flickering erratically.

Yan Xu's eyes narrowed, and he slowly uttered, "You actually intend to alter the rules?"

How could he not sense it? The mysterious streams of light cascading from the mottled black pen contained billions of Genesis Runes. As these runes made contact with the Sky Net Chessboard, they were astonishingly attempting to infiltrate its core and subsequently alter its very rules.

"Truly Lord Zhou Yuan, your mastery of Genesis Runes is profoundly deep," Yan Xu lightly sighed. Zhou Yuan was indeed a tricky opponent; he hadn't chosen to break the board by force, but instead aimed to dismantle it with ingenuity.

"It seems I must end this game before you achieve your objective."

Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. "You just stated that for this chessboard to take effect, both sides' apparent strength must be roughly similar," he said.

Yan Xu chuckled. "You also said 'apparent'," he retorted.

A strange smile played on his lips. He extended a finger and lightly tapped one of the Law Domain chess pieces.

The instant his finger landed, Zhou Yuan's expression suddenly darkened.

For he sensed that, at that very moment, a powerful fluctuation had suddenly erupted on the battlefield below. This fluctuation, originally only at the Law Domain stage, was now rapidly escalating in power, ultimately breaking through its restraints and advancing into the Saint stage.

Zhou Yuan's eyes turned icy as he stared at the smiling Yan Xu, letting out a slow breath.

"You... bastard."