The King's Battle Chessboard was, without a doubt, a grand war between the Eternal and the Evernight. There was an element of wagering fate here — a bet on fortune and destiny. Though it wouldn't cost lives directly, losing even one match had a 70-80% chance of leading a prodigy into decline, forever falling out of the ranks of the chosen.
Every cultivator understood the importance of fortune. Without it, many wouldn't even have stepped on the path of cultivation.
A prodigy represented destiny itself.
Without fortune, how could one rise above the rest?
Prodigies were nourished by the destiny of their race or faction, and their personal fate was entangled with it.
Fortune nourishes fate.The stronger the fortune, the stronger the fate it breeds.
Take Yi Tianxing for example — his current Fate Star was the "King-Grade Flood Dragon Fate". To evolve it into a True Dragon, he would need immense fortune. Fortunately, within the Great Yi Dynasty, the national fate could feed back into him, aiding in this evolution. The fate of the ruler was intrinsically linked with that of the dynasty. When the dynasty advanced, so did he. His Fate Star would naturally ascend.
This was the essence of founding a fate dynasty — cultivating fortune to nourish fate. The stronger the dynasty, the nobler the Fate Star.
Likewise, when one's personal fortune was powerful, it could be poured back into the dynasty, becoming part of the national destiny. This formed a mutually reinforcing cycle.
If they could seize the fate of Evernight's prodigies in this wagered battle, the benefit to Great Yi would be immense.
Not only would it cripple a batch of Evernight elites, but it would also strengthen their own forces.
This was no longer a matter of personal pride, but a battle of two worlds' honor — the true greater cause stood before them. No one could back down.
"Very well. The King's Battle Chessboard is an extremely fair combat system. Both sides will clash using power and strategy. Its rules are immutable, so no one need worry about foul play. And, coincidentally, I have one such chessboard on hand. If no one objects, let us begin immediately."
The Brain demon sage smiled as he spoke, his expression unchanging, as though this truly was just a game — a contest with no real consequence. Whether that was the truth, no one could say. But one thing was certain: he had great confidence in the prodigies of Evernight.
"Fine. We of the Eternal side accept this battle."
The Stone Emperor inhaled deeply and spoke decisively.
His expression was one of resolute determination. Things had reached the point of no return — this was the only viable option. Moreover, the chessboard offered a fair environment, where no one had a real advantage. They could only rely on their cultivation, wit, and — to a degree — team coordination.
Skill and intelligence aside, coordination might be a problem. These were all prodigies from various races, most of whom had never even met. To trust someone enough to show their back in battle? Unlikely. Their hope would rest on superior numbers and strength.
And in that, the Stone Emperor was confident.
He also had a trump card in hand.
"Then let the game begin."
The Brain demon sage chuckled and waved his hand.
Immediately, a square chessboard materialized before them.
It didn't consist of mere intersecting lines — within were vivid landscapes of mountains and rivers.
Whoosh!!
The King's Battle Chessboard began to expand at a rate visible to the naked eye. In an instant, it filled a massive section of the void, displaying its interior in vivid, intricate detail for all to see across the Divine-Demon Battlefield.
In fact, ever since the disturbance began outside Spirit Mountain, it had already drawn the attention of the entire battlefield.
They had watched as waves of Evernight troops surrounded Spirit Mountain, sealing every possible route — no way in, no way out. To rescue those inside would be almost impossible. Leaving the battle fortress meant risking being slaughtered en masse. Thus, no race dared make a hasty move.
They saw the appearance of Evernight's prodigies, and the proposal of a wagered battle, all in clear view.
"King's Battle Chessboard? What kind of chess is that? I know Go, but this is the first time I've even heard of such a game. I'm completely lost. Strategist, do you know how to play it?"Cheng Yaojin asked curiously.
"This seems to be a new form of combat chess. I'm unfamiliar with it too. But from the rules we've gleaned, it's not about chess skills but rather real strength. Strength is the key. Still, there's certainly room for tactics and intellect."Jia Xu shook his head, though his eyes gleamed with interest.
A brand-new battle format — without a doubt, it would become wildly popular after today. It would sweep across the Eternal Continent, embraced by countless cultivators.
"Whatever it is, I believe in our King. He won't lose. Besides, we outnumber the enemy. And this time, it's not just the King who's going in. Strategist, didn't you send Ye Zhiqiu, Fu Hongxue, Lu Zhishen and the others as backup?"Yang Ye spoke confidently.
Previously, though Yi Tianxing had insisted on going alone, Jia Xu had still arranged for key figures to secretly accompany him to Spirit Mountain — just in case. After all, Yi Tianxing was too important to Great Yi. While the King might overlook his own safety, his ministers could not.
Now, that move might prove decisive.
"I shall await you in the King's Canyon,"the Brain demon sage said calmly. With a thought, his consciousness entered the chessboard. At the same time, rays of divine light descended, covering their physical bodies in protective stasis.
This ensured that, even if the chessboard was destroyed, their minds would be returned in time — a built-in safety mechanism to preserve fairness.
They had no reason to fear ambushes on their bodies while inside the chessboard — not with the entire Evernight army stationed outside Spirit Mountain.
"Very well. Then I shall go first."
The Stone Emperor swept his gaze over the Eternal prodigies and entered the chessboard.
"Count me in. If we're not dying for real, might as well enjoy a good fight!"
"Indeed! We're Eternal prodigies — how can we be looked down upon by Evernight's filth?"
"Afraid of real death? No. Then why fear a contest of will? At worst, we lose some fortune. We'll fight — let's see what this chessboard really is!"
One after another, Eternal prodigies shouted in defiance, splitting off parts of their consciousness and entering the chessboard.
In moments, a flood of elites had entered.
"A grand event like this? No way I'm missing out."
The Son of Light stepped forward, his voice clear, and followed them in.
"You brat! Turn me back now! How could you leave out the Golden Behemoth King from this battle?! That humiliation earlier — we'll settle that later!"
From the Dragon-Suppressing Platform, a golden sheep bellowed. It was the Behemoth King, still trapped in his wooly form.
Ah Qing blinked, glanced at the sky, and finally tapped him with her bamboo staff. A flash of light — and the golden sheep turned back into his humanoid form.
But Behemoth King's face was dark. He glared at Ah Qing, visibly displeased.
Naturally. No one would be in a good mood after being turned into a sheep.
Still, now wasn't the time to settle scores. Though he wouldn't admit it, he felt genuinely uneasy around Ah Qing — anyone who could turn him into a sheep without resistance was no mere mortal.
Better not provoke her.
"This chessboard won't be complete without me!"
Behemoth King roared and entered the battlefield.
Soon, almost all of Spirit Mountain's prodigies had entered — except Yi Tianxing, Xiang Yu, and the twins Yao Yue and Lian Xing.
Not out of fear — but as if waiting for something.
"Where are the human race's prodigies? Who among you dares enter the King's Battle Chessboard with me, Yi Tianxing, to battle Evernight? Let the world see that we humans are no less than any other race!"
Yi Tianxing stood from his throne, his voice echoing across the void.
"Well said! If we humans are to be shunned by the myriad races, then we must prove with strength that we are second to none!"
Xiang Yu shouted his agreement.
"Indeed! The human race reigns supreme. We fear no battle!"
A mighty voice responded from afar — from beyond Spirit Mountain, a domineering figure strode forth.