Chapter 287: The Match of the Chess Saint

"There it is!"

Xu Yang pointed to the sky above. The faint lingering scent of broken laws was still discernible, confirming it was the direction Tuobayun had taken.

The group had largely reached a consensus on this matter. Without further hesitation, protected by Xu Yang and the Empress's powerful spiritual energy, they soared upwards and directly entered the next parallel dimension.

This time, however, as everyone gradually regained consciousness, they found themselves facing an enormous, star-like spatial tableau.

It was as if this particular leap had transported them above a brilliant starry sky.

Of course, everyone knew this couldn't be a real starry sky. The only explanation was that their team seemed to have fallen into an illusion.

And this was clearly intentional.

"Welcome to the Nine-Star Heavenly Net Array. I am Shiwulang, the Chess Sage of Northern Jin and one of His Majesty's chief attendants."

Within the illusion, the figure gradually became clearer, and the thunderous echoes in their ears grew intensely loud.

"What's going on... Is this place truly a pure illusionary space? Why do I sense such strong fluctuations of laws?"

The Empress rarely showed such agitation. Despite her immense spiritual power, she now felt an unprecedented sense of restriction. It wasn't painful, but the feeling of being intensely suppressed, unable to exert her full strength, was deeply unsettling.

"If I'm not mistaken, this space possesses independently existing laws, forming a unique system of rules. Among these is a rule that forbids illusions. Once we entered this space, your illusionary techniques should become unusable."

Listening to Xu Yang, most people understood. To put it simply, this space was more like a game arranged by their opponent. Once here, they had to abide by the opponent's rules. Unless they could tear through the spatial laws with overwhelming force and escape, they would have to follow the established rules and defeat their opponent.

"As expected of Xu Yang, an opponent capable of making the Tuoba family wary! However, this time, I'm afraid you won't have the opportunity to display your divine abilities. Like everyone else, you will simply become my chess piece."

Shiwulang appeared exceptionally confident. With a casual flick of his wrist, brilliant stars, each with a different glow, began to twinkle above Xu Yang and the others. It seemed as though a star corresponded to each person, and a powerful spiritual pressure descended. For every individual, there appeared to be a distinct suppressive law.

Logically, such highly customized spatial laws could not have been created in a short time. It was clear that Shiwulang's presence was a trap personally laid by Tuobayun long ago to guard against Xu Yang's team, finally put to use at this moment.

"Heh, the Tuoba family certainly went to great lengths to deal with us. But what I'd really like to know now is, where exactly did Tuobayun go? The Infinite Tower?"

Shiwulang's aura visibly fluctuated for an instant. Although he tried his best to conceal it, how could his emotional tremor possibly escape the keen perception of Xu Yang and the Empress?

"Why bother speaking, those who are already doomed? All you need to do now is follow my rules and play a game with me."

As Shiwulang spoke, a star also descended above his own head, and a vast life force permeated the star.

Soon, the illusory backdrop where everyone stood transformed into countless intersecting and crisscrossing chessboard lines. Black and white pieces formed an incomplete game, and everyone's fate was intertwined within this chessboard.

"I will play as White, and you as Black. Under the influence of the laws, each chess piece will absorb your life force. Of course, this absorption is only temporary; the law's power will only truly harvest the life force you've lost when one side is completely defeated.

Undoubtedly, this is a game of life and death, and you can combine all your collective wisdom to play against me. Xu Yang, I heard that in a previous internal competition at the academy, you defeated a young chess player. That person was one of my disciples, the most outstanding chess player of his generation. Unfortunately, after his defeat at your hands, he never recovered."

Xu Yang sneered, "He's a failure himself, and he blames me for winning? I didn't force him to play chess with me."

"Hmph, there's no need for such arrogance. Today, I'll show you the strength of the Three Thousand Dao Provinces' foremost Chess Sage. Let me warn you one last time! The Nine Starfall Laws here are simply beyond your current ability to contend with. Even if you manage to collectively tear this space apart, more than half of you will surely perish. Don't even think about tricks; face reality."

Shiwulang seemed exceptionally excited. For him, being able to contribute to the Northern Jin Tuoba family through his chess skills in such a setting was all he could ask for.

"Enough talk, let's begin."

Xu Yang was undoubtedly a prodigious talent, excelling in every field, even rarely meeting his match in chess. This time, however, was different. He quickly realized that in the endgame Shiwulang had set up, White had at least twenty easy ways to win, while Black, despite having numerous pieces, faced a very unclear situation.

If it were a true one-on-one peak duel, Xu Yang would have at least a fifty percent chance of turning the tables and achieving victory. But now, with so many people on his side, he couldn't control the entire situation alone, making victory almost impossible.

Most importantly, one of the many rules was that people could not communicate with each other. They could only make their moves according to their own thoughts, controlling the chess pieces corresponding to their life force.

"Do you have any good ideas?"

The Sword Soul suddenly spoke, asking Xu Yang for a way to break the deadlock. Clearly, even someone unfamiliar with chess could guess that simply playing the game offered no chance of winning.

"There is a way, but everyone will have to endure some hardship."

...

As time passed, Black's chances of winning dwindled. Pieces were continuously captured and surrounded by White. Each time a Black piece shattered, the corresponding life force was temporarily drawn out by the laws, and the person associated with it became noticeably weaker.

Ling Qingshu and Long Kun, having no understanding of chess, were practically fumbling throughout. Ling Yao, a true sword cultivator, was completely ignorant of the game, but her life force was stronger, so she was only in a semi-weakened state for now.

What surprised everyone was the little girl, Xiaotuantuan, who managed to escape the opponent's encirclement several times in a row, not losing a significant number of pieces immediately.

However, this was only a temporary measure. To fundamentally turn the tide, this method alone was clearly insufficient.

"Hmph, Xu Yang, you're actually still trying to struggle? Then let me show you despair!"