It was as if both body and mind were filled with bliss.
"How wondrous! The body formed here feels no different from my original one. Strength, divine powers—everything is perfectly replicated. I can exert my full power, just as before."
"Excellent. I had feared that entering with only our will and spirit might result in some sort of limitation or suppression of our power. But to think there's no impact at all! Here, we'll slaughter those Evernight prodigies until they're pissing themselves!"
"Even my divine weapons and treasures have been copied perfectly. They feel just as natural to wield. Truly miraculous. That crystal... why do I feel such a strong urge to protect it?"
The Eternal prodigies marveled at the changes they experienced.
Everything here felt identical to reality.
As for the desire to protect the blue crystal, it was because each prodigy's fate energy had been condensed within it. They had used their destiny to ignite the crystal—naturally forming a deep, inseparable bond. Their fortune was stored within. Once defeated, their fate would be stripped from them. No one would dare slack off—this was their future at stake.
"My fate energy resides within the crystal."
Yi Tianxing also turned to the blue crystal. He could clearly feel his original fate energy sealed within it, but it could no longer be reclaimed. This was now under the rules of the King's Battle Chess.
Still, this ensured no one would dare show the slightest negligence in battle.
The platform plaza was enormous, stretching hundreds of zhang in every direction. Even with over ten thousand prodigies gathered, it felt far from crowded.
Beyond the plaza lay three paths—upper, middle, and lower.
Each of these roads appeared dark red, as if stained by blood long ago. Just looking at them brought an oppressive, murderous aura.
These were no ordinary paths.
They were Roads of Life and Death.
On these roads, there was only one outcome—victory or death.
At the far end of each path, towering above a high ground, stood a Crystal War Tower. Each tower exuded a powerful aura. At their tops were blue crystals, pulsing with mysterious runes. Each tower bore different elemental properties.
The upper road's tower glowed with golden light and crackled with golden lightning. This was clearly a Lightning Tower. Anyone who approached would be struck by thunderbolts.
The middle tower contained black swirling winds, identifying it as a Wind Tower.
The lower tower shimmered with icy-blue light, surrounded by cold mist and frost—an Ice Tower.
Each Rune Tower emitted such a powerful force that even Life Chart cultivators would feel mortal danger approaching them. These towers could not be easily destroyed.
"These defensive towers are terrifying. How can we possibly break through them?"
Some prodigies hesitated. Just standing beneath them, they could feel the looming threat of death. Forcing a frontal assault would bring disastrous consequences. Few felt confident they could endure such attacks.
"There are three roads," someone explained. "Each leads straight to the opponent's crystal. We now have two options. One: Charge forward, pick a single route, and push straight toward the enemy's crystal, destroying every tower in the way. But we know too little about the Evernight prodigies to gauge our odds in a head-on clash. Two: Split into three groups, each defending a different tower, and dispatch elites to harass and assassinate the enemy. There's no resurrection here—anyone killed is out. The more we kill, the greater our advantage."
The Stone Emperor opened his eyes and surveyed the area. This King's Canyon was vast, like a pocket world. Everything here felt utterly real.
Clearly, the first strategy was aggressive and risky. The second was more conservative.
"The first is too reckless," said a bewitchingly beautiful fox woman among the foxfolk prodigies. Her every gesture radiated charm, but she was sharp—foxes were known for their cleverness. "If the Evernight side chose to enter despite being outnumbered, they must have something up their sleeve. With three open paths, if we attack just one, they might ambush from the others. One mistake, and we lose."
"I agree," said the Son of Light. "A cautious strategy leaves fewer openings. We shouldn't give the enemy any chances."
"Indeed," added the Stone Emperor. "Even split across three roads, we still outnumber them. If they all attack one road, we can hold them off and call for reinforcements. This way, we're in a position of strength."
"Move out. Until we understand the situation, we'll defend first. Use the towers for support. Once we've scouted them properly, we'll strike together. This battle concerns not just our Eternal World's honor—but our own fate and future. Let's fight as one!"
"Move out!!"
With that command, a wave of righteous fighting spirit surged from the prodigies.
The Son of Light led the charge on the upper path. The Stone Emperor took the middle. Ao Qing chose the lower.
"Let's go! Time to make Evernight taste fear!"
These prodigies, prideful and arrogant, weren't about to be overshadowed. This was a fight broadcast to the entire battlefield of gods and demons. To shine here would be to earn eternal renown.
Soon, they scattered down the three Roads of Life and Death.
However, some remained behind on the plaza.
They were led by Yi Tianxing, Xiang Yu, and the elite human cultivators.
"Mister Zhuge, what do you think we should do now?" Yi Tianxing asked.
There were nearly a thousand human prodigies present, all top-tier. Even the weakest was at the Life Aperture realm, and each possessed cross-realm combat prowess. These prodigies had come to fight for the honor of humanity, ready to die on Ling Shan if needed.
If other races could stand tall before Evernight, why not them?
In terms of wisdom, Zhuge Liang was unparalleled among them. Other great minds might exist, but none stood present here.
Zhuge Liang nodded, fanning himself gently.
"King Yi, fellow friends. In my view, since the three main roads are now being defended by the Stone Emperor and others—with thousands of warriors at each route—we needn't concern ourselves with guarding the Rune Towers."
"However, I've studied this King's Canyon closely. Aside from the three roads, there are vast wilderness zones. These wilderness areas are not under the coverage of the defensive towers, but they provide a route directly to the enemy's high ground."
Yi Tianxing's eyes sharpened.
"You mean... backdoor tower steal?"
This version of King's Battle Chess was quite different from the traditional King's Canyon. There were no minions, no heroes—each warrior was their own hero. The wilderness was unpredictable. And in it, there were said to be four great vicious beasts.
These beasts were not to be trifled with.
Crossing the wilderness wasn't easy. They risked becoming the prey.
"Exactly," Zhuge Liang said without hesitation. "With the Stone Emperor and the others drawing their attention, we can cut through the wilderness and strike directly at their high towers. A swift blow could win the match outright."
There was great danger in this strategy—but also the chance of a decisive, match-ending victory.