Chapter 2764: Great Commander Leads the Expedition

This attack, purely in terms of its power, was almost indistinguishable from a full-force strike by Lu Ye. Yet, Xue Jiu's expression was solemn. This was because it wasn't an attack unleashed by a cultivator, but a manifestation of a supreme treasure's power, containing a force of rules that no one could ignore. What was more, he couldn't dodge it, as it was a penalty for losing the game. No matter how he tried to evade, the attack would inevitably strike him.

In an instant, Xue Jiu deployed layer after layer of blood magic defenses around himself, almost transforming his entire body into a blood cocoon. When the attack descended, the blood cocoon melted away like snow under a blazing sun. Xue Jiu's figure reappeared, and he shuddered slightly, letting out a muffled groan. He was already injured. Fortunately, the injury wasn't severe. He secretly rejoiced that Lu Ye found it difficult to unleash the full power of the Star Chessboard; otherwise, this situation would have been truly problematic. Looking up, Lu Ye was nowhere to be seen. That fellow had already escaped a great distance during that brief interval. Xue Jiu secretly seethed with hatred, gritting his teeth as he gave chase!

Lu Ye, who was fleeing ahead, immediately sensed this and accelerated even more. Although his current situation didn't seem much improved compared to before, it had actually changed significantly. The Star Chessboard had been refined by him, and unless Xue Jiu was an idiot, he wouldn't relentlessly pursue him. Ultimately, the Blood Lord needed to return to Blood Drinking City to oversee matters. Therefore, as long as he made Xue Jiu realize that continued pursuit was futile and only a waste of time, Xue Jiu would naturally retreat upon encountering the difficulty. If this were before, he wouldn't have possessed this ability. But with the help of the Star Chessboard, he could now achieve it. In fact, if Xue Jiu was willing to waste time like this with him, Lu Ye would be more than happy, as he could use the opportunity to refine more fragments of the Dao Integration Pearl.

Another half a day later, a new game board unfolded. Just like a rewind of time, as the game concluded, Lu Ye quickly fled, leaving Xue Jiu to bear the brunt of the supreme treasure's power. Another half a day passed. The third game began... This cycle repeated, and by the time the fifth game began, Lu Ye leisurely looked at Xue Jiu across the river and said, "The Star Chessboard has recognized me as its master. It's said that treasures are for those who are destined to have them. Why must Blood Lord fight me to the death? How about we stop here and go our separate ways?"

Despite his words, Lu Ye had actually figured out Xue Jiu's plan. As one of the Ten City Lords, how extraordinary were Xue Jiu's talent and ingenuity? Although he had only played a few games with Lu Ye, and all under the premise of an unclear understanding of the rules, his chess skills had advanced by leaps and bounds. Moreover, this fellow deliberately hid his true ability, clearly intending to secure a victory in the game. At this point, in a pure contest of chess skill, Lu Ye estimated that he was no longer a match.

Across the river, Xue Jiu remained silent, merely continuing to play. As expected, he displayed his sharp acumen, making one brilliant move after another, and Lu Ye's pieces quickly suffered heavy losses. Until a certain moment, a sudden glint flashed in Xue Jiu's eyes. He placed a powerful piece, and with a loud shout, declared, "Check!" Immediately, his gaze burned with fervor as he looked up at Lu Ye. "Now let's see how you'll die! Hahahaha!"

His heart was filled with immense satisfaction. His painstaking research, enduring patience, and sudden aggressive move had indeed caught Lu Ye completely off guard. On the chessboard, his move was a checkmate, leaving Lu Ye no possibility of turning the tide. Amidst his laughter, he could almost envision the delightful scene of Lu Ye's defeat, suffering the backlash of the supreme treasure, and being captured by him in one fell swoop.

Yet, he heard a sneer from Lu Ye. Then, he watched with wide eyes as Lu Ye made a move that was utterly impossible! Xue Jiu stood frozen, staring blankly at the piece, then looked at Lu Ye with utter disbelief. "Your general can cross the river?" What's more, the general not only crossed the river but also leaped over several pieces at once. This was absolutely ridiculous! There was no such rule in the game.

"What do you know?" Lu Ye scoffed. "This is called the Grand Marshal's personal campaign, leaving no blade of grass!" As his words fell, the remaining pieces on his side seemed to come alive, charging wildly across the board. Then Xue Jiu watched as a majestic horse moved in a 'field' pattern, viciously trampling his cannon piece into oblivion, then whinnied triumphantly while standing on its "corpse," looking utterly smug. He also saw an armored warrior, closely following the general, stab his chariot piece to death. In the blink of an eye, the situation instantly reversed.

"You motherf..." Xue Jiu exploded in rage. To think, as one of the dignified Ten City Lords, he had condescended to play several games with Lu Ye, meticulously following the rules in each, only hoping to achieve one fair victory. Was this how he was to be treated? Before his words fully registered, Xue Jiu, radiating murderous intent, lunged at Lu Ye. "Are you a sore loser?" Lu Ye shouted angrily. Xue Jiu's murderous intent grew even more ferocious.

A moment later, Lu Ye fled in disarray, and Xue Jiu emerged from the shattered game in a disheveled state. He watched Lu Ye's retreating figure, his brows furrowed deeply. In his fury moments ago, he hadn't noticed the problem, but recalling it now, something felt amiss. Because, when it came down to it, the Star Chessboard was a supreme treasure based on rules. For it, its rules were inviolable, and this wouldn't change whether it had a master or not. Only by adhering to its rules could it exert its inherent power.

Therefore, even if Lu Ye had truly refined it, he shouldn't have been able to arbitrarily disregard its rules. The game's regulations were predetermined, and within the game, no one could easily violate them. If Lu Ye, as its master, violated them, he would inevitably suffer a backlash. Yet, from beginning to end, he saw no signs of Lu Ye suffering any backlash. What was going on? If this were the case, weren't his previous intentions nothing but wishful thinking? He had originally thought that by winning just one game against Lu Ye, he could make him suffer the supreme treasure's backlash and then capture him.

At this very moment, Lu Ye was frowning in contemplation. Things were not as Xue Jiu imagined; he was, in fact, experiencing a backlash. However, his process of refining the Star Chessboard was different from normal, so the backlash didn't manifest on his body. Instead, it manifested on the Talent Tree. In other words, the Talent Tree was the true master of the Star Chessboard! When he had previously wantonly broken the rules and used unscrupulous means to win that game, the Talent Tree had violently shaken a few times, causing Lu Ye's mind to momentarily waver for a breath. He secretly realized that he should probably do less of such things in the future. Although he didn't know what consequences excessive actions might bring, judging from the current situation, any consequences that did arise would likely be beyond his endurance.

The aura of his pursuer grew closer from behind, giving Lu Ye a headache. He had delayed for so long using the Xiangqi game, and most of the Dao Integration Pearl fragments in his hand were already refined. However, in terms of chess skill, Xue Jiu had now surpassed him, so it might not be suitable to continue delaying with Xiangqi. With a thought, Lu Ye suddenly turned around, and a chessboard unfolded, enveloping the surroundings.

Seeing this, Xue Jiu was furious. "You dare to dream—" Before he could finish, Lu Ye raised a hand to stop him. "Blood Lord, please calm your anger. This time, we won't play Xiangqi. We'll play a different kind, guaranteed fair and just!" Xue Jiu frowned, noticing that this chessboard indeed seemed different from the previous one. Simultaneously, the rules of the game imprinted themselves on his mind. Indeed, it wasn't Xiangqi, but a game called Gomoku, much simpler than Xiangqi, with little room for cheating. His expression softened slightly, and Xue Jiu stared coldly at Lu Ye. "You'd better be honest. If you dare to play tricks again, I'll overturn your chessboard!"

Lu Ye chuckled, "Blood Lord can rest assured." He was slightly surprised, having thought Xue Jiu wouldn't agree to play another game with him. Time passed as both sides placed their pieces. Until a certain moment, Lu Ye suddenly looked up at Xue Jiu, a look of understanding dawning on his face. "So that's it!" He had been wondering why Xue Jiu, after suffering such significant losses before, hadn't learned his lesson. It turned out Xue Jiu was waiting for him here. Just now, he had distinctly felt an extremely subtle energy infiltrate his body. This was clearly Xue Jiu's doing. He didn't know what kind of secret art this was yet, and if not for the Talent Tree's sudden reaction, Lu Ye truly wouldn't have noticed it. Xue Jiu had clearly agreed to the game precisely to unleash this secret art.

"Did you notice?" Xue Jiu no longer bothered to hide it, grinning menacingly at Lu Ye. "It's too late. This is my unique secret technique; no one in the world can cast it except for me." As Lu Ye placed a piece, he frowned and asked, "May I ask, Blood Lord, what is the purpose of this secret art?" Xue Jiu smiled inscrutably. "Why don't you try it and find out?"

As he spoke, he casually placed a piece. Lu Ye's eyebrows involuntarily shot up, because Xue Jiu hadn't blocked his piece, clearly indicating he had given up the game and was ready to face the penalty for losing. For him, this wasn't the first time, and it wasn't unbearable. Seeing this, why would Lu Ye stand on ceremony? After placing his last piece, he instantly flashed out of the game board. The supreme treasure's power erupted behind him, and Lu Ye had already flashed tens of thousands of miles away. Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine. He turned his head and saw Xue Jiu standing not far behind him, smiling at him.

Lu Ye was greatly astonished. His pursuit and evasion over this period had shown him the Blood Lord's unfathomable depths, but the opponent's speed didn't seem to be this fast before. Furthermore, this couldn't be explained by mere speed; it was practically teleportation. Lu Ye hadn't detected the slightest trace of his movement. Disbelieving, he continued to flee. However, every time he looked back, Xue Jiu was right behind him, like a ghost.

"Don't bother wasting your efforts," Xue Jiu chuckled after several attempts. "Once I cast this secret art, you'll never shake me off. My body will be like a true shadow, following wherever you go." Lu Ye said in a deep voice, "Blood Lord's secret art is indeed remarkable." "Since you know it's remarkable, why resist stubbornly?" Lu Ye sneered, "But it seems to have significant drawbacks, doesn't it?" Xue Jiu raised an eyebrow. "What have you observed?" Lu Ye said, "It seems Blood Lord can't casually attack?" If he could attack freely at such close proximity, Xue Jiu would have acted long ago. How could he possibly just follow like a shadow?