Chapter 2622: What to Use to Win

Lu Ye stood alone in the grid, where a colossal dice stood precisely in the center. The dice was about half a person's height, appearing not as a solid object but as a translucent phantom. Lu Ye's heart stirred, and he immediately understood what it was. Yuan Xi had previously mentioned this item to him, explaining that as the game progressed, the rules would gradually shift, and this was the first such change. Such dice were not unique in the game; there were many, drawing both players to dispatch their pieces to contend for them. Capturing each dice would grant the capturing player an advantage in their maneuvers, making them highly coveted by both sides. When he first heard about this change, Lu Ye had intended to compete for one, but Yuan Xi had told him that the closest dice was still more than a dozen grids away, so he dismissed the thought. Yet now, Yuan Xi had directly moved him here. This meant he had instantly traversed at least a dozen grids.

As thoughts raced through Lu Ye's mind, Black Blood, standing by the chessboard, looked grim, his face clouded with vexation. The opposing player was demonstrating an increasing number of surprising tactics, and the target he aimed to eliminate was still alive. Jiao had been just one step away from success, yet ultimately failed. There was no longer an opportunity to continue the pursuit, as this time Yuan Xi had personally intervened, moving Lu Ye to a position far from Jiao. Even if he wanted to redeploy Jiao to that location, he was powerless to do so. Yuan Xi had revealed such a maneuver this time. If that human soldier-cultivator didn't die, who knew what other tactics she might reveal next? She might even stand up and smash the chessboard over his head.

However, Black Blood's brows soon rose, and he looked at Yuan Xi with a hint of pleasant surprise. "So there's a price to pay!" he exclaimed. In this white player's turn, the white pieces were indeed moved, and Lu Ye was also personally transported by Yuan Xi. However, Yuan Xi had not launched an offensive against him or strengthened her own defenses. Even now, Yuan Xi showed no signs of such actions. This was undoubtedly the price Yuan Xi had to pay: to move Lu Ye, she had to forgo her own offense and defense! The black pieces had the first move, and after many rounds, the white side had slowly leveled the disadvantage, finally reaching a point of equilibrium. Suddenly losing a round of offense and defense would significantly impact the remainder of the game. Black Blood was overjoyed. If this was the case, perhaps it wasn't entirely unacceptable? His only regret was that Yuan Xi had moved Lu Ye to a grid containing a dice. However, it wasn't a major issue; although the dice was there, it wouldn't be easy to acquire. Especially since Lu Ye currently looked to be in a dreadful state, it was a good opportunity for Black Blood to strike while he was down—perhaps even eliminate this major threat at once, or at the very least, delay him. While there were many dice, the white side absolutely could not be allowed to seize them easily.

In the grid, Lu Ye, disregarding his need for recovery, quickly moved to the dice. He had thought he could gain an immediate advantage by being so close, but upon nearing it, he discovered a protective barrier preventing him from approaching. To acquire the item, he clearly needed to break through this barrier first. He swiftly raised his long saber and brought it down. Only after striking did he realize that the barrier, while appearing unassuming, was extremely tough. Even with his current strength, breaking through it would be far from easy. Crucially, he was heavily wounded from his recent battle with Jiao. Turning his head, he observed the group of black pieces in the adjacent grids, discerning their menacing glares and ill intentions. Lu Ye quickly sat down, popped a healing pill into his mouth, and began recovering swiftly. He realized that these black pieces would very likely be deployed into his grid next. Black Blood would never allow him to seize the dice right in front of him; with the item there, Black Blood would have to act, whether he wanted to or not.

While Lu Ye was healing, Jiao had retrieved his Dao weapon and now shouted up at Black Blood, "Where is he?" There was no sign of Lu Ye in the nearby grids, which was clearly unusual. Black Blood sighed and briefly explained the situation. Jiao immediately gritted his teeth and growled, "Damn it! He was just one step away!" "Jiao," Black Blood said gravely, "don't forget what you promised earlier. The current situation doesn't allow for your reckless actions. I need you to go and seize those dice!" Jiao's face was filled with reluctance. He was now far from Lu Ye, and his only surprising tactic had already been used. It would be very difficult to confront Lu Ye again as before, and even if Black Blood cooperated, Jiao had little hope of succeeding. But how could he accept giving up just like that? Black Blood felt a simmering anger but patiently reasoned, "These dice that have appeared now will allow me to maneuver the black pieces more easily. If you help me seize more of them, I can allow you to move several extra grids when I deploy you. Won't it be simpler to confront that human soldier-cultivator then?" Jiao understood this logic perfectly well. He nodded sullenly. "Understood. I'll cooperate with your plans, but if there's an opportunity, you must deploy me in his direction!" "Don't worry," Black Blood readily agreed. "Given our years of friendship, I'll certainly keep your objective in mind."

As they spoke, twenty breaths of time elapsed. Black Blood made his move, and numerous black pieces began to shift. His gaze fell upon Lu Ye's location. Into that grid, a surge of black pieces poured in. "Oh, right," Jiao suddenly transmitted through a private message. "For some reason, that fellow possesses a sacred nature, almost as if he has our Blood Clan's lineage." Black Blood was taken aback. "Isn't he human?" "I'm not sure," Jiao replied, "but his sacred nature... is very potent!" "To what extent?" Black Blood was startled. For Jiao to make such a comment, the human soldier-cultivator's sacred nature must be exceptionally strong. Jiao sullenly said, "To the extent that it can slightly suppress me!" As he spoke, he followed the deployment direction, charging into the next grid. A twitch appeared at the corner of Black Blood's eye. It was known that in terms of sacred nature, he was slightly inferior to Jiao. In the cultivation of their clan's bloodline, Jiao had even received praise from Blood Scourge, who openly stated that Jiao might one day surpass him. He quickly turned his head to look towards Lu Ye. He saw that the two Blood Clan Dao Harmonization cultivators leading the charge had already surged into the grid with a group of black pieces. "It's over!" This thought flashed through Black Blood's mind. He hadn't actually expected this group of black pieces to do much to Lu Ye. Even a dead tiger commands respect; Lu Ye, having fought Jiao to such a standstill, was not someone ordinary Dao Harmonization cultivators could handle. However, since Lu Ye was in a weakened state, Black Blood had thought these black pieces could at least provide some containment, especially with two Blood Clan Dao Harmonization cultivators leading them. With their blood sea ability deployed, they would have a significant advantage. The goal was merely to temporarily prevent the opponent from seizing the dice. Who knew he would suddenly receive such intelligence from Jiao! He almost burst into curses. How could Jiao have kept such crucial information to himself until now? If he had known this earlier, how could he possibly have deployed that group of black pieces there? Now, instead of containing the enemy, they were like lambs walking into a tiger's den. He was cursing Jiao thoroughly in his mind, feeling that this fellow was more trouble than he was worth. Yet, a piece placed could not be unplaced, and now he could only watch helplessly.

In his view, the two Blood Clan Dao Harmonization cultivators had already spread their blood sea, filling the entire grid with a crimson hue. Using the cover of the blood mist, they maneuvered to flank Lu Ye from both sides. The Fusion Dao cultivators, following their orders, hid within the blood sea, approaching Lu Ye like schools of fish. A few breaths later, a powerful life force suddenly extinguished, causing the blood sea to ripple. The moving Fusion Dao cultivators froze, their expressions immediately turning to alarm. They all sensed that one of their own Dao Harmonization cultivators had fallen, and they collectively stiffened in place. But... it was too fast. They had only been in the grid for a total of three breaths of time. A powerful Dao Harmonization cultivator was just killed like that? Black Blood also felt the fall of the Dao Harmonization cultivator. He closed his eyes, his expression one of utter despair. With a piece like Jiao, how could he possibly win this game? What would he even use to win? Three more breaths passed, and the second Blood Clan Dao Harmonization cultivator died in battle. As the blood sea dispersed, the Fusion Dao cultivators finally saw a blood-stained figure wielding a saber—it was the human soldier-cultivator who had previously appeared so miserable. He still looked dreadful at this moment, but no one dared to underestimate him anymore. All the cultivators were terrified! With two Dao Harmonization cultivators killed in such a short time, how could these Fusion Dao cultivators possibly stand a chance? They feared he could easily wipe them all out. "He's coming!" someone shrieked, swallowing repeatedly. Looking ahead, after slaying the two Dao Harmonization cultivators, Lu Ye was swiftly approaching them. All the Fusion Dao cultivators felt their death knell approaching, their faces turning pale.

Unexpectedly, the rapidly approaching Lu Ye cried out, "I, Lu Ye of the Human Race, swear in the name of the Star Abyss Will: if you assist me in breaking through this barrier, I will spare the lives of any in this grid who do not actively attack me!" The number of enemy Fusion Dao cultivators was not small, over fifty in total. However, even killing them all would only grant him an increase of fifty points of power. Fifty points of power were certainly decent, but compared to his current power of over three thousand, it was negligible. The recent slaying of two Blood Clan Dao Harmonization cultivators had already boosted his strength somewhat. He wanted to acquire the dice more quickly, to allow Yuan Xi to establish an advantage in the next round. However, achieving this with his own strength alone would be difficult. He could just make use of the power of these black Fusion Dao pieces. As he spoke, he slashed his saber forward. Under the blade's glow, one black Fusion Dao cultivator was instantly cut in half. Initially, when Lu Ye made his offer, these black pieces were hesitant. After all, they were enemies, and colluding with the opponent right under their own player's nose would surely incur the player's wrath. But with Lu Ye's slash, these Fusion Dao cultivators dared not entertain any other thoughts. True, if they assisted Lu Ye, they might face retribution from their own player later, but if they didn't assist, they would die now. In such a situation, anyone with a shred of rationality wouldn't hesitate on what choice to make. Moreover, Lu Ye had personally sworn an oath in the name of the Star Abyss Will, completely alleviating their worries.