Chapter 2602: Precious Starry Sky Chessboard

When Lu Ye first saw the blood-red lines, he thought they were simply crisscrossing in an orderly manner. Upon closer inspection, however, he realized that these intersecting lines had actually cut the vast void into countless square grid cells, forming an enormous chessboard.

The chessboard was not a flat, ordinary one, but a three-dimensional, cubic structure that enveloped the entire battlefield.

The four from their city found themselves confined within one of these grid cells, sealed by an unknown force on all sides, preventing their escape.

Lu Ye raised his hand to draw his blade, intending to see if he could force his way out of the grid. However, just as his long blade emerged three inches from its scabbard, Yuan Xi pressed it back. "Don't act rashly," she warned. "Once the game is set, we can only abide by the rules of the Starry Sky Chessboard, or face severe backlash from the supreme treasure."

Lian then motioned with her chin to the side, saying, "Look over there."

Lu Ye immediately looked and saw a cultivator unleashing power, attacking in all directions. Yet, in the very next instant, green flames erupted all over that cultivator's body, burning fiercely. Piercing screams rang out, chilling the heart. In just the blink of an eye, the cultivator was reduced to ashes, leaving no trace of even their storage ring or Dao bone.

This wasn't an isolated incident. With so many cultivators trapped within the game, some, driven by excessive curiosity, invariably tried to test its limits. Their attempts, however, cost them their lives.

Lu Ye frowned deeply. "The Starry Sky Chessboard… are we meant to play chess here?" He instinctively felt that things wouldn't be so simple. And with so many people trapped in the game, how would they even play?

Lian offered a wry smile. "We are meant to play, yes, but I fear we'll only be the pieces. The Starry Sky Chessboard has many types of games. However, given the sheer number of participants this time, if my guess is correct, it will be a 'Legion Chess' game." As she spoke, she suddenly turned to Yuan Xi. "Xi, it will likely be up to you."

Yuan Xi's face clouded with worry, yet she knew her duty was undeniable. She nodded gravely. "I'll do my best!"

As if specifically explaining to Lu Ye, Lian continued, "Once the game is formed, the Starry Sky Chessboard will then select the players. Typically, it chooses the strongest individuals from both opposing sides. So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, our side's player will be Yuan Xi!"

While Slender Bamboo might usually possess the ability to contend with Yuan Xi, that's only true if Yuan Xi isn't utilizing her Dao Soldier's second form. With Yuan Xi now clad in white armor, Slender Bamboo stands no chance. Furthermore, Slender Bamboo has suffered significant exhaustion and injuries during the recent battle.

Thus, it was highly probable that Yuan Xi would be selected as their side's player.

Lu Ye suddenly felt his scalp prickle. "How are the City Lord's chess skills?"

His concern stemmed from the fact that their City Lord had always given the impression of not being particularly bright, leading Lu Ye to suspect her chess skills wouldn't be anything special.

Lian remained silent, finding it difficult to answer, while Yuan Xi averted her gaze.

Lu Ye was utterly dumbfounded.

Lian then spoke, "Actually, this kind of confrontation has little to do with actual chess skill. After all, it's not a true game of chess, so Xi, don't feel too much pressure."

Yuan Xi adopted an indifferent demeanor. "I feel no pressure. Others' lives or deaths are irrelevant to me. I'll just make sure to look after you few when the time comes."

If Yuan Xi were indeed chosen as the player, it would undoubtedly be good news for their group. They would certainly receive additional protection, as, being pieces within the game, their actions would often be beyond their own control, manipulable only by the player.

If someone else were to become the player, there's no telling what unforeseen circumstances might arise.

Lian said sternly, "Do not approach this game with such a mindset. In this chess confrontation, the pieces are merely aids; the player is the foundation. If the opponent bypasses the game itself and directly takes you down, then any advantage we might gain on the board will be rendered meaningless."

"I understand," Yuan Xi replied, looking conflicted.

Both women deliberately avoided explaining things too clearly, fearing it would place undue pressure on Lu Ye and Huan Qing.

At this moment, Lu Ye suddenly felt a stir. He pulled out a sound transmission talisman to check, then frowned. "Xiao Die sent a message. Our city has also been enveloped by the game, and it seems to have lost contact with the Hehe Realm."

Losing contact with the Hehe Realm meant that as long as they remained within the game, they couldn't use the Dao Harmonizing Pearl to enter the Hehe Realm for refuge.

Lian nodded. "Tell her not to panic; this is normal. Within the game, the inside is completely isolated from the outside. This is the power of the supreme treasure, which even the Hehe Realm cannot resist. What's more, the Dao Harmonizing Pearl's amplification for City Lord-level cultivators will also temporarily cease."

To some extent, the Starry Sky Chessboard specifically suppresses the power of the Dao Harmonizing Pearl, which is why the connection to the Hehe Realm was severed.

Upon hearing this, Lu Ye's eyes immediately lit up.

Within the game, City Lord-level cultivators wouldn't receive the Dao Harmonizing Pearl's amplification? If so, that was undoubtedly good news for their side.

Because, comparatively, their side possessed fewer City Lord-level cultivators. This rule would undoubtedly help to equalize some of the power disparity between the two sides.

Lian suddenly turned to Yuan Xi. "If you are indeed chosen as the player, you must find a way to send Xiao Die back to our city immediately."

Only by sending Xiao Die back to their city could she activate the secret technique left by Shen, enabling their city to become hidden and undisturbed.

Lu Ye was bewildered. "Isn't Xiao Die already in the city?"

Lian replied, "She is in the city now, but once the game commences, she will no longer be there."

As these few conversed, in Black Blood City, Black Blood wore a look of sudden realization, muttering repeatedly, "So that's it! So that's it!"

He finally understood why Xue Jiu had exposed the secret of wielding the Sky Mirror: it was all to draw out this Starry Sky Chessboard!

It now became clear that Xue Jiu had long known the Starry Sky Chessboard was hidden here. This explained why he had committed so many troops and instructed Black Blood to prioritize delaying tactics in this battle.

He had previously been puzzled because if the forces from their two Universe-level Dao Harmonizing Cities had been fully committed to the war, they would likely have achieved significant success by now. Yet, under Xue Jiu's command, they were prevented from acting rashly, with only Jiao operating independently, ultimately achieving nothing.

Now that the game was set, the nature of the conflict had drastically changed. But since that individual desired the Starry Sky Chessboard, Black Blood would, of course, exert himself fully to satisfy their wishes.

"Select the players!"

The hollow, ancient voice resounded once more.

Simultaneously, a ball of light suddenly materialized from thin air. It then split into two—one white, one black—and traversed the battlefield. The white light instantly arrived before Yuan Xi, settling atop her head.

The black light, meanwhile, floated directly towards Black Blood, likewise settling atop his head.

Black Blood immediately straightened his chest, adopting a proud, 'who else but me' stance.

Meanwhile, in a grid cell not far from the four in Yuan Xi's city, Jiao watched the scene from a distance, gritting his teeth in frustration.

Had he not been injured earlier, this player position would never have fallen to Black Blood!

The Starry Sky Chessboard's rule was to select the strongest individual from each opposing side as the player.

Yuan Xi, having maintained her Dao Soldier's second form, was undoubtedly their side's strongest, making her the natural choice for player, which aligned perfectly with Lian's earlier prediction.

On Blood Drink City's side, if Jiao hadn't been injured, the player's role should have been his. Now, it had fallen to Black Blood, a clear advantage, and Jiao was naturally resentful.

Xue Jiu had plotted for the supreme treasure. In a unique confrontation like this, the roles of pieces and players were entirely distinct, and the merits they could accrue were incomparable.

As the two balls of light descended, Lu Ye's hand suddenly felt light, and Yuan Xi, who had been standing before him, abruptly vanished.

The next instant, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a luminous silhouette rapidly expanding.

Looking up, he was immediately astonished.

For that luminous silhouette was none other than Yuan Xi. At this very moment, she was seated cross-legged on one side of the Starry Sky Chessboard, her brows furrowed in a deeply pained expression. Her body was continuously expanding, enveloped in white light that made her appear like a divine being.

Her form continued to expand until it was several times larger than the entire Starry Sky Chessboard, at which point it ceased.

From a distance, Yuan Xi appeared to have transformed into a colossal, luminous giant.

Simultaneously, opposite her, Black Blood's colossal figure also expanded, reaching the same immense size as Yuan Xi.

The only difference was the color of the light enveloping them: Yuan Xi's was white, while Black Blood's was black. These two luminous shrouds appeared like two solid layers of defense, encasing their entire bodies and making them seem impenetrable.

Two colossal figures sat opposite each other across the Starry Sky Chessboard, with countless cultivators within the game now serving as chess pieces.

Lu Ye observed for a moment, then frowned. "Building Master, can the players attack each other?"

He asked this because he sensed something was amiss. Based on Lian and Yuan Xi's earlier explanations, he had assumed the two players would simply place pieces on the board. But if that were true, then what was the purpose of the light enveloping Yuan Xi and Black Blood?

It was clearly an extremely powerful defensive force.

If it was a defensive force, what was it guarding against?

Lian sighed. "That's why I said that in this game, the pieces are aids, but the player is the fundamental element! This round is a life-or-death struggle between Yuan Xi and Black Blood; only the victor will survive!"

Lu Ye's expression hardened. "What can we do?"

Lian explained, "Kill the enemy! The more enemies we eliminate, the less pressure Yuan Xi will face. The offensive and defensive power that the two players can unleash is directly tied to our performance as pieces."

Lu Ye remained silent, gripping his blade even tighter.

He hadn't expected that once chosen as a player, Yuan Xi would be forced into a battle for her life.

In a true one-on-one fight, she would not be inferior to Black Blood. Though Yuan Xi City was only at the Deluge-level, with its blessings, Yuan Xi herself could be considered a formidable Universe-level City Lord.

If she were to unleash her Dao Soldier's second form, Black Blood would most likely be no match for her.

However, this was not a simple duel. Her life and death were directly tied to the performance of the numerous pieces. Therefore, if she wished to survive, she would need to command the entire situation and leverage the collective strength of all the pieces within the game.