Chapter 2637: Cloud Master Wang and the Tianxuan Sword

"This is..." Yuan Xi stared in astonishment at Lu Ye's rapidly advancing figure, striding across one chess square after another, and urgently called out, "General, don't put yourself in danger!"

She wasn't sure why Lu Ye insisted on seeing the supreme treasure, but it was clearly not a wise decision. What puzzled her even more was how Lu Ye, as a chess piece, suddenly became unbound by the game's rules. The Sword Slave could ignore the rules because of the supreme treasure in his hand, but what gave Lu Ye this ability? Suddenly, a possibility dawned on her, and she frowned.

Lu Ye himself didn't know why he was suddenly free from the game's rules. After the entire chessboard had shaken, a thought had simply popped into his mind: that he could move freely across it. And so, he did. Without being directed by his own player, his movements were unrestricted; he burst through the barriers of one chess square after another. Not only that, but his vision also expanded. Originally, while inside a chess square, chess pieces could only see the immediate vicinity, apart from the players who could view the entire board. Anything further away was obscured by a hazy mist. Now, everything had changed. As far as Lu Ye could see, all the mist had vanished, and he could clearly see dozens of squares away. It was as if the Star Chessboard, the supreme treasure itself, had opened a convenient path for him.

Then, an astonishing scene unfolded: all the surviving black pieces in the game began converging towards the direction he was heading.

"No!" Hei Xue exclaimed, a mix of shock and fury. There were few black pieces left, and he had been strategically moving them to avoid direct confrontation with Lu Ye. Yet, just now, those black pieces had begun to move on their own. It was as if an invisible hand had bypassed him, the black player, and was commanding his pieces. The black pieces, unaware, assumed these were his commands as their player and cooperated readily. This was the will of the supreme treasure interfering! Hei Xue instantly understood. Within the chessboard, only the will of the supreme treasure could bypass him, the player, and command the pieces. But... why was this happening? At this moment, even if Hei Xue wanted to transmit a message to his black pieces, telling them to retreat, he couldn't.

"Get out of my way!" Lu Ye's figure charged into a chess square, his Pan Mountain Saber sweeping out. In their terror, the black pieces were instantly beheaded, leaving a gruesome scene of severed limbs and mangled flesh. Lu Ye moved relentlessly forward, followed by numerous specks of light that converged on him, disappearing into his body. Each speck of light enhanced his foundation. Compared to when the game first began, his current strength of 5,000 Dao power was immense, not to mention his speed and physical strength had increased severalfold. And as he continued his massacre, this enhancement persisted.

Lu Ye felt his muscles bulge and swell, his vitality surging through him like a rushing torrent. This terrifying enhancement was not necessarily a good thing for him, as it exceeded his ability to control. At this point, Lu Ye felt like a three-year-old wielding a massive hammer. Fortunately, the black pieces were incredibly fragile, turning into a bloody mess with just a casual touch. He slaughtered his way through square after square, leaving a trail of devastation.

"Are you the human soldier cultivator?" A voice suddenly reached his ears. Lu Ye looked intently, greatly surprised, for the voice belonged to a severed head, seemingly that of a Blood Race member. With such injuries, it should have been long dead, yet this one seemed to be alive. "Die!" Lu Ye had no time for pleasantries. A single strike of his saber pulverized the head.

After clearing a few more squares, he finally spotted a red glow. It was wreaking havoc in a nearby square, where numerous white pieces had gathered and were now fleeing for their lives. But wherever the red glow passed, sword energy unleashed, and the white pieces withered like autumn leaves. Lu Ye trembled, gazing in disbelief at the figure enveloped within the red glow. He had had a faint suspicion when Yuan Xi first told him about it, but he never imagined it would actually be true.

Yun Shiwang! The Sword Slave was none other than Yun Shiwang, who had sacrificed himself in the starry sky to protect its peace for thirty years! And the supreme treasure longsword in his hand was undoubtedly the Heavenly Pivot Sword.

Back then, the Star Abyss Gate had opened in the starry sky, and Yun Shiwang had returned. However, the aura of the supreme treasure had leaked, drawing many Dao Integration realm cultivators into the starry sky. That Star Abyss Gate had been opened by Yun Shiwang from the Inner World. Born in the starry sky, he had an inseparable connection to it, which granted him the opportunity to open the gate. But he quickly realized he had made a grave mistake, for the opening of the Star Abyss Gate would inevitably bring immense disaster to the starry sky. Therefore, he did not hesitate to sacrifice himself, becoming a Sword Slave and refining the Heavenly Pivot Sword. With a lingering fragment of his will, he guarded outside the Star Abyss Gate for thirty years. During those thirty years, Lu Ye, by leveraging the power of the Blood Ancestor's corpse and activating the might of Square Inch Mountain, finally sealed the Star Abyss Gate and averted that catastrophe. After Yun Shiwang fought his way out of the starry sky back then, Lu Ye had never seen him again, nor did he have any means of knowing his fate. The only thing he knew for certain was that Yun Shiwang must be in the Inner World. Lu Ye had actually considered trying to gather information about Yun Shiwang, but he had no leads and no suitable channels to inquire through. He never expected to encounter him again here today!

Lu Ye's heart twisted in pain. True, the catastrophe in the starry sky had originated with Yun Shiwang, but he had already atoned for that mistake, paying an unimaginable price. Just by looking at his current state, Lu Ye knew that the Senior Brother Yun who once renowned throughout the starry sky was dead. Now, he was merely a Sword Slave, his remaining physical body controlled by the will of the Heavenly Pivot Sword. Yet, Lu Ye wondered why he possessed such immense killing intent. Even from dozens of squares away, the sheer murderous aura pricked his skin with pain. This supreme treasure longsword seemed intent on destroying everything it encountered. The Heavenly Pivot Sword hadn't been like this back in the starry sky. Had something changed after it entered the Inner World? Or perhaps, after acquiring a Sword Slave, the Heavenly Pivot Sword had unleashed its true nature, revealing itself to be a sword of slaughter all along?

Lu Ye didn't know and had no time for deep thought, because the moment he saw Yun Shiwang, the other sensed his presence and suddenly turned to look in his direction. Immediately afterward, he raised his hand and slashed out a sword strike towards Lu Ye. Lu Ye's blood ran cold. As Yun Shiwang's sword descended, the stunning sword light seemed to disregard the spatial barriers, instantly traversing dozens of chess squares to arrive before him. Lu Ye raised his saber and slashed fiercely. Its blade shattered the sword glow, but the impact felt like being struck by a star. He was sent tumbling through the air, his chest heaving with tumultuous qi and blood, thoroughly discomfited. His pupils contracted sharply. At this moment, with the Star Chessboard's enhancements, he wielded 5,000 Dao power, and his saber's speed and force far surpassed his normal state. Yet, he had nearly failed to parry a sword qi strike from Yun Shiwang across the distance? He immediately understood the feeling of powerlessness the black pieces had experienced against him earlier.

Before he could even regain his balance, Lu Ye was utterly terrified. In his peripheral vision, Yun Shiwang, who had been dozens of squares away, had followed the sword qi and was now right in front of him. The Heavenly Pivot Sword thrust straight at him. There was no flourish, just the simplest direct thrust. Yet, Lu Ye found himself seemingly unable to block it, because as Yun Shiwang thrust his sword, Lu Ye distinctly felt his senses being disrupted. With a clang, sparks flew. He finally managed to block the sword with the flat of his saber at the last moment, but he was still sent flying. The pure, extreme murderous intent enveloped him like a tangible substance, making him shiver. Yun Shiwang, meanwhile, moved like a shadow, his longsword varying in speed. Blood splattered, and in just a few moments, Lu Ye felt as if he was riddled with wounds.

A strong sense of mortal danger suddenly assaulted his entire being. In his vision, the Heavenly Pivot Sword rushed directly towards his head. At this critical moment, Lu Ye was thrown backward, his entire body shaking with expended power, utterly unable to respond. "Edict: Impregnable!" he gritted his teeth and lowed. The next instant, a thick layer of light enveloped his entire body. It was an unexpected bonus he had gained after a certain kill. Previously, against the black pieces, Lu Ye had no need to use it, but now, facing Yun Shiwang, he had no choice. If he didn't use it, he would surely die! With a shattering sound, this thick layer of protection instantly broke apart. Lu Ye felt a slight pain in his forehead, where a bloody hole had appeared, blood streaming down his cheek, making him look utterly grotesque. However, thanks to the obstruction of that protective layer, he had narrowly escaped death.

He was no match! Even with the numerous enhancements from the Star Chessboard, he was still no match for Yun Shiwang. Yun Shiwang's current power filled him with a sense of overwhelming might, like gazing up at a towering mountain. How had things come to this? He had only come to investigate, merely wishing to see if the Sword Slave was indeed Yun Shiwang. Yet, a mere glance from afar had provoked Yun Shiwang's relentless assault. It was clear that Yun Shiwang truly intended to kill him, or rather, the will of the Heavenly Pivot Sword intended to kill him, as Yun Shiwang currently possessed no independent thoughts; his every action was controlled by the will of the supreme treasure. Lu Ye couldn't understand why. No matter what, both he and the Heavenly Pivot Sword hailed from the same starry sky. Even if they hadn't had much contact before, this supreme treasure shouldn't be treating him this way. They were fellow countrymen, after all!

Lu Ye's only consolation was that he was barely qualified to contend with Yun Shiwang. Otherwise, if Yun Shiwang were allowed to continue his slaughter across the chessboard, countless white pieces would surely suffer. But continuing like this wasn't a solution either. Although he now had the right to move freely within the game, he couldn't escape the chessboard itself. If he did, his power would instantly revert to its original state, and he would die even faster. As he struggled with Yun Shiwang, he continuously sent mental transmissions, attempting to awaken him. But no matter how hard he tried, Yun Shiwang showed no reaction.