This would be a true war.Moreover, an unprecedented war, with a ferocity surpassing anything seen before.
On Mount Spirit, the many prodigies burned with righteous fervor, unleashing their battle cries without hesitation. No one wanted to flee in disgrace. To escape now would mean forever losing the right to be called a prodigy. No one would ever acknowledge someone who turned their back on the enemy as worthy of that title. It was a humiliation—a cowardly, shameful retreat.
As a prodigy, one must possess pride and confidence.
They would rather die in battle than become deserters.
This was the Divine Demon Battlefield. The Eternal Night was an eternal enemy.
If even the Stone Emperor dared not surrender, how could they dare flee? Doing so would bring shame upon their clans, earning scorn, rebuke, and punishment. It would be the disgrace of an entire race.
They could die in battle—but their clan's dignity could not be tarnished.
That burden was something no prodigy could bear.
In that moment, a fiery will to fight surged across the entire mountain. In the eyes of every prodigy, battle intent shone brilliantly. With so many gathered, this wasn't just a case of one plus one equals two. Mount Spirit, with its concentration of prodigies, could rival any battle city—perhaps even outmatch the most elite strongholds. Their collective strength was formidable. Even the vast Eternal Night army would struggle to breach this defense.
Not to mention, Mount Spirit wasn't without defenses.
It was protected by a supreme formation—the Eight Trigrams Sealing Heaven Formation. Once activated, it could seal the entire mountain. Breaking through would require terrifying force, more than even the Eternal Night could muster easily. Most terrifying of all, Mount Spirit was not stationary—it could move, and move swiftly. It wasn't just a mountain—it was a treasure artifact.
"Interesting," said the Brain Demon Sage, standing atop a black cloud, his tone amused. "Looks like you people from the Eternal World still have some backbone. That makes things more entertaining. A one-sided massacre would be far too dull. Since the Divine Demon Battlefield is about to close, we might as well leave with something memorable."
He gave a knowing smile.
"In that case, fighting with ordinary soldiers would be pointless. Since you are all the elite prodigies of your races, I've brought some of ours from the Eternal Night World. Why not have a battle of prodigies? What do you say?"
His words brimmed with confidence.
Given the situation, the Eternal prodigies had little choice. Either face endless hordes of Eternal Night monsters, or accept the proposed battle of champions.
This was no ordinary clash—it would represent the strength of each world's prodigies, a contest of heritage and power.
Victory or defeat would have far-reaching consequences.
"What's there to fear? How will we fight?"The Stone Emperor's eyes gleamed as he responded resolutely.
He accepted without hesitation.
None of the prodigies on Mount Spirit objected. It was one of the best options available. Surrounded by a sea of monstrous creatures, even the strongest would struggle. Falling into that ocean of enemies would mean certain death.
Escape was impossible.
"Simple," said the Brain Demon Sage with a smile. "If it's a prodigy battle, then let it be decided through combat among prodigies. I wonder, do you dare fight?"
"I've brought three thousand prodigies of the Eternal Night. You may send out the same number, or your full force. I don't care—it's up to you."
He chuckled, shaking his massive brain-like head nonchalantly.
"Three thousand against all of us? You think we're made of mud?"The prodigies of Mount Spirit were infuriated.
This was outright contempt, as if their strength wasn't even worth acknowledging. It was a blatant insult.
"Hmph, since you're so confident, don't back out when you lose."The Stone Emperor's tone was icy, but he didn't reject the offer.
Insult or not, this battle might give the Eternal side a crucial edge. The process didn't matter—only the outcome did.
"How do we fight?"The Son of Light asked.
A battle of this scale couldn't be a chaotic melee. Even if the Eternal Night side was strong, enough random strikes could bring them down. But clearly, they had something more sophisticated planned.
The Brain Demon Sage laughed."Since it's rare to meet again on the Divine Demon Battlefield, and since the battlefield will soon close, slaughter seems unnecessary. I have with me a rare treasure, very popular in the Eternal Night World—it's called King's Combat Chess. I believe you have it in your Eternal World as well."
"King's Combat Chess!"
Some prodigies looked confused, others contemplative.
"I think I saw it in the Divine Demon Treasure List once… labeled as a miscellaneous item. I didn't pay it much attention."
"I saw it too. I never looked into it deeply."
Many recalled faint memories of the item. Yi Tianxing too showed a strange expression—he had seen it before, but hadn't cared much at the time.
Now, instinctively, he called up the Divine Demon exchange list in his mind.
A peculiar treasure appeared.
It was a chessboard—but not the usual grid of lines.Instead, it depicted a realistic scene, like a painting. There were mountains, rivers, grass, walls, and massive glowing crystal towers. It was clearly a map—specifically, a popular map from pre-cataclysmic fantasy games: King's Canyon.
Now, King's Canyon had become the internal world of a heavenly treasure.
This wasn't an illusion.It was real.
Within the chessboard was a unique pocket world—King's Canyon. Every tree and blade of grass was real, and the space inside was vast. Both sides had crystal towers, and the battlefield was split into three lanes—top, mid, bottom—leading to the enemy's crystal core. It was identical to the old game. Of course, there were some differences—but nothing that changed the essence.
And unlike the game—there were no heroes, no minions.Only one thing mattered: you were the hero, and also the minion.
"In King's Combat Chess, your mind, spirit, and luck manifest into a real combat avatar. Once killed, there's no revival. But your true body won't die—just suffer great damage. A portion of your spirit will be destroyed, and all your fortune (Qi Luck) will be lost. That fortune then goes to the victors."
"Only if your side wins will your fallen avatars regain the fortune they stored in your own crystal tower. If you lose, that stored luck is claimed by the enemy as reward."
The Brain Demon Sage smiled as he explained.
That was the cruel truth behind King's Combat Chess.
Death didn't mean true death—but it could be worse.
With your Qi Luck gone, everything would go wrong. No more smooth cultivation. No more lucky breaks. Perhaps even drinking water would cause you to choke. You'd become a walking disaster.
It was brutal.
No bloodshed—yet just as deadly.
This was the rule of the treasure itself. Even if refined, its owner couldn't change it. The rules were absolute.
But one thing could be negotiated: how much Qi Luck to wager.
"How much Qi Luck will we stake?"Yi Tianxing asked.
"All of it."The Brain Demon Sage answered without hesitation.
All of it—meaning every participant would pour all their spirit and fortune into their avatars. If they lost, all of it would vanish, becoming the enemy's gain. The result would be devastating, enough to strip someone of their title as a prodigy.
A prodigy without Qi Luck was no longer a prodigy. Others would surpass them, and regaining their position would be incredibly difficult.
Everyone present understood that clearly.
Shock and gravity appeared on every face. This battle would not take lives—but could ruin them.
Victory depended not only on strength, but on strategy, teamwork, and coordination.
It was no different from a full-scale war.
With three lanes, the potential for tactics and strategy was immense. One clever ploy could turn the tide.
This was a battle of total strength.
"Very well. Let's have a King's Battle."
A resolute light flashed in the Stone Emperor's eyes as he gave his answer.