Chapter 2601: The Game Is Set

Jiao's efforts were destined to be in vain. Not only was Yuan Xi currently at her peak, but she also had Lian and Huan Qing assisting her.

Most importantly, Lu Ye was also there. In terms of Holy nature, he was superior to Jiao. With just a slight application of his power, he caused Jiao's Sea of Blood to become turbulent. Under such circumstances, how could Yuan Xi be hindered?

After Yuan Xi, clad in white armor, fought her way out of the Sea of Blood, she immediately lunged towards the nearest Union battlefield, where several Union cultivators were locked in fierce combat. However, moments after Yuan Xi swept into that battlefield, several enemy Union cultivators had already perished one after another.

Yuan Xi's momentum remained undiminished, leaving a trail of blood and destruction wherever she went. She did not charge into the center of the Union battlefield because even for her, it wouldn't be easy to fight her way out if she truly plunged in. Instead, she merely skirted the edges, eliminating every visible enemy in her sight.

Lu Ye was both in pain and joyful.

The pain came from his Dao power flowing out like water from an open floodgate. He had only recently replenished his Dao power, spending a considerable amount of Dao Fish, and now, with this intense battle, he wondered how much would be left. The joy was that for every enemy Union cultivator Yuan Xi killed, he could gain several Star Abyss Coins.

Lian and Huan Qing cooperated on either side, while Jiao continued his pursuit behind them. Jiao was already pale, but now his face was even whiter, and his aura seemed somewhat unstable.

In Black Blood City, the City Lord, Black Blood, saw this scene from afar and couldn't help but let out a cold snort. He didn't know what Jiao had intended to do earlier, but from the current situation, Jiao had clearly failed and was now being held back by the enemy. He was tempted to ignore it and let Jiao suffer a bit, but he couldn't truly stand by.

Xue Jiu valued Jiao far more than he valued Black Blood. Jiao was clearly not lightly wounded at this moment. If something unexpected happened and he didn't provide aid, his good days would be over if Xue Jiu found out.

"Yun Ke, Luo Molie, you two go and assist Jiao!" Black Blood said slowly. "Then bring him back!"

Behind him, two deputy city lords stepped forward to obey the command, respectfully assenting. Among them, Yun Ke was the one who had just spoken to him, the second deputy city lord of Black Blood City, ranking just below Jiao. Luo Molie was the fourth deputy city lord. Although they couldn't receive a full 100% boost from a Heaven-grade Union Orb, their strength, when exerted near Black Blood City, was not comparable to that of ordinary city-lord-level experts. With these two going to assist, Jiao's predicament should be easily resolved.

Seeing these two charge into the battlefield, rushing to support Jiao, the other deputy city lords slowly shook their heads, feeling that Jiao was indeed a bit arrogant due to favor and lacked a sense of propriety.

"Sir, we're being targeted," Lu Ye suddenly said. Since he didn't need to participate in the battle, he could dedicate more of his attention and sensed it almost immediately the two deputy city lords of Black Blood City made their move.

"How troublesome!" Yuan Xi gritted her teeth. She didn't regard ordinary Union cultivators as a threat; in her current state, even wilderness-level city lords could only withstand a single blow from her. But these two were clearly stronger than wilderness-level city lords and were here to reinforce Jiao. If they managed to converge and team up with Jiao, they would indeed pose a significant threat to her.

As she spoke, Yuan Xi suddenly stopped, turned, and charged towards Jiao. Jiao was startled and hastily retreated. He had already sensed the rapidly approaching auras of Yun Ke and Luo Molie, knowing they were there to support him. He realized that as long as he joined them, he would have the strength to fight. These were not reinforcements he had actively requested, but rather sent by Black Blood, so it wouldn't affect his prestige.

Unexpectedly, as he retreated, Yuan Xi suddenly changed direction and charged aside, not even glancing at him. This infuriated Jiao even more, leaving him feeling as though he had been played for a fool.

"Where did all these blood threads come from?" Huan Qing, who had been silent, suddenly spoke as they sped away.

"What blood threads?" Lian asked casually. The moment she spoke, she suddenly froze. Before Huan Qing mentioned the blood threads, Lian hadn't been able to detect them at all, nor was she aware of the changes around them. But after Huan Qing brought it up, she was astonished to find that there were indeed many blood threads crisscrossing and spanning the vast void. The crucial thing was that these blood threads were clearly very conspicuous, yet her perception seemed to have been stripped away. She hadn't noticed them at all before.

Yuan Xi and Lu Ye also noticed them. Lu Ye was greatly surprised and couldn't figure out what was happening. However, he was merely at the Dao Fusion stage, so it was one thing for him not to notice such a significant change on the battlefield. But it was incredible that so many warring Union cultivators hadn't noticed either. Moreover, among their four, Huan Qing was not the strongest, yet she was the first to detect this anomaly. This might be related to her being a member of the Van race. The Van Eye could see through all illusions in the world. Huan Qing had used it once, and although she could never use it again in this life, its disappearance still left her with powerful ocular abilities, allowing her to see things ordinary people couldn't.

"This is..." Yuan Xi's expression suddenly turned grave. She looked around, and a chill suddenly ran down her spine. In her sight, the crisscrossing fine lines extended to an unknown extent, which made her recall something.

"Let's get out of here!" Lian's face also changed drastically, and she urgently called out.

Yuan Xi didn't hesitate for a moment. She changed direction and sped away from the battlefield.

"Where do you think you're going!" Jiao, seeing this, immediately roared. Blood waves surged around his body as he charged towards them like a mighty ship riding the waves. Beside him, two figures closely followed, their auras stable and profound. It was Yun Ke and Luo Molie who had arrived as reinforcements, giving him the courage to act.

"Get lost!" Yuan Xi shouted, unleashing a fierce punch. A massive fist-shadow suddenly formed at the tip of her fist. At this instant, Lu Ye felt his Dao power being consumed far more rapidly than before.

Facing this strike, Luo Molie quickly stepped forward. With a raised hand, a solid shield-like defense materialized before him. As the fist-shadow struck, the shield instantly cracked, and Luo Molie exclaimed in shock, "How is this possible?" Although he was the fourth deputy city lord of Black Blood City, only able to benefit from a partial enhancement of the city's Union Orb, he specialized in defensive power. His Dao weapon, upon reaching the Union stage, was also defense-oriented. He had been confident that his defense could withstand this blow. The result, however, greatly astonished him. With a cry of alarm, Luo Molie retreated explosively, blood oozing from his mouth and nose, clearly having sustained minor injuries. He finally understood why even a powerful cultivator like Jiao had been severely wounded. He had previously thought it was because Jiao was fighting multiple opponents, but now he realized the enemy's strength was simply overwhelming. Nevertheless, he had ultimately managed to block the attack.

Jiao and Yun Ke swept past him from either side, jointly attacking Yuan Xi. Lian and Huan Qing moved to support and parry, but in the hasty clash, they both retreated. Lian's strength was indeed formidable, but she had no external power amplification. Relying solely on her own strength, she was ultimately at a disadvantage in such an engagement.

Yuan Xi caught her breath, gritted her teeth, and charged towards Jiao. To escape her current predicament, she had to first deal with her immediate opponents or force them back; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to leave at all. She only hoped there was enough time.

The fierce clash caused the Star Abyss aura around them to become chaotic. Ten breaths later, the three deputy city lords of Black Blood City were finally forced back. Yuan Xi dared not delay and was about to flee with Lian and Huan Qing, but just then, the void suddenly shook violently. At that moment, the blood threads that all cultivators had previously ignored became visible to countless eyes. Simultaneously, a subtle yet vast power permeated the surroundings.

A hollow, ancient voice suddenly echoed across the battlefield, reaching everyone's ears. "The board is set!"

The sudden turn of events caught almost all cultivators on the battlefield off guard, causing them to cease fighting. Only Yuan Xi's expression was grim. She gritted her teeth and muttered, "Just as I thought!"

Lian gave a bitter smile, "How can this supreme treasure be here?" Both of them were well-traveled and experienced. They had vaguely suspected something when they first saw the blood threads, but couldn't be certain. Regardless of whether their suspicions were correct, this was not a place to linger, which was why Yuan Xi had been so eager to leave. Unfortunately, they had been entangled by the three from Black Blood City... But now, it seemed even without the three entangling them, they wouldn't have escaped, because by the time they noticed the blood threads, the board was almost set. Unless one could notice the blood threads the moment they appeared, everyone would fall into the "game."

"What supreme treasure?" Lu Ye asked, puzzled. Huan Qing, standing nearby, also cast a curious glance.

Lian sighed. "A supreme treasure called the Starry Sky Chessboard. This artifact has appeared several times throughout the Inner Realm, stirring up quite a few commotions. However, this treasure is somewhat different from others. It drifts from place to place, and without the right conditions, it remains in a hidden state, undetectable by anyone. Only when certain conditions are met does it reveal itself. I just never expected it to be hidden here."

Yuan Xi gritted her teeth. "I knew that guy Xue Jiu wouldn't easily expose his possession of the Sky Mirror. It was all for the Starry Sky Chessboard!" She initially thought Xue Jiu's goal was to destroy Thin Bamboo City and help their faction win the Snowfield War. Only now did she realize she had underestimated Xue Jiu. It made sense. Xue Jiu was always cold and merciless. He could even casually devour and refine some of his own offspring, so how could he care about the lives of the cultivators in the Snowfield? It was even less likely that he would expose a supreme treasure just to help out. His sole purpose in paying such a high price was one thing. That was the Starry Sky Chessboard hidden here. He must have used some channel or method to ascertain the Starry Sky Chessboard's hidden location, which led to his subsequent actions. And this great battle, involving thousands of Union cities, was merely a prelude to lure out the Starry Sky Chessboard!

"The condition you mentioned, is it the death of enough people?" Lu Ye mused.

Lian shook her head. "Not just the death of enough people. Those blood threads indeed require fresh blood to be constructed, so deaths are one condition. The other condition is that the conflict must be sufficiently fierce. Although the Starry Sky Chessboard has no sentience, it operates by its own rules. When both these conditions are met, it will reveal itself and set the game."