Celestial Refining Divine Scripture-Chapter 316 - 314: Commencement of the Battle Contest
Facing the High Priest, Song Yuanhao stood with hands behind his back, his bearing astonishing, as if a powerhouse like the High Priest stood before him as an equal.
"Why should I hide from Zheng Xuan and the Son of Heaven’s final test any longer?"
"Now is the time to reveal myself!"
"The time is ripe, and the great momentum is taking shape!"
The High Priest gave Song Yuanhao a deep look. "The last captain’s spot is yours."
"You’d best not play any tricks, or else my Barbarian Race will show no mercy!"
Song Yuanhao threw his head back and laughed at these words.
"Rest assured, High Priest. With our meager strength, how could we contend with the Barbarian Race?"
"All we seek is revenge!"
The High Priest’s expression softened ever so slightly, a faint nod, then his figure leapt aloft.
A playful grin gradually crept over Song Yuanhao’s face, his lips curling, a glint of mockery flashing in his eyes.
"Barbarian Race?"
"Just like those puppets you hold in your grasp—mere puppets, nothing more!"
In the void—
The High Priest’s gaze was cold and deep: "The true aim of the Song clan is still shrouded even now. Though they mean to use my Barbarian Race, are we not also using them?"
"No matter how deeply they hide their strength, they still cannot be compared to my race!"
Though a wary shadow lingered in his heart, by now, the Barbarian Race had no path of return!
At this thought, the High Priest’s heart eased a fraction, and he vanished into thin air.
...
Time slipped by in silence.
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye!
On this day—
The setting sun atop the vault of heaven suddenly thundered!
Mysterious radiance surged, myriad phenomena veiled the skies!
Such a stir swept through the entire Realm of the Setting Sun.
Both Daqian and Barbarian Race Martial Artists were jolted awake, raising their eyes to the heavens.
Only to see the winds and clouds shifting, Heaven and Earth overlapping; the entire Realm of the Setting Sun was shifting fiercely with terrifying might, as if vast territories were being drawn.
In but a brief moment, the turbulence faded and the world was calm once more!
Outwardly, nothing seemed changed from before, yet everyone sensed that the Realm of the Setting Sun had undergone tremendous transformation.
"Combat will commence in half an hour!"
"Barbarian Race and Daqian will be arrayed in rings; within, the Barbarians; without, Daqian; the realm will be divided into nine territories, separated by the Heaven and Earth Boundary Line!"
Zheng Xuan’s chill, solemn voice resounded like a god’s, surging from that high-hanging setting sun and spreading in all directions!
"When battle begins, each captain will command a Setting Sun Chess Seal, occupying one region of Heaven and Earth. Battles are one-on-one; should another captain wish to intervene, the one seeking aid must hand over their Chess Seal and forfeit their captain’s post—this is deemed as a fallen captain!"
As the words fell, gasps of shock and a roar of confusion rose from both sides.
"These rules are way too weird."
"We can’t even get help from others?"
"One-on-one, that’s fair, but get unlucky and draw a strong opponent, and you’re screwed."
"If you want help, you have to surrender your Setting Sun Chess Seal, and it counts as losing a captain... That puts us Daqian side at a real disadvantage!"
...
Xu Yang was also working through the rules in his mind, finding them odd as well.
Victory or loss seemed to hinge heavily on luck!
"Information is the key!"
Liou Yunfeng suddenly spoke up.
Xu Yang glanced over at him, a light flashing in his eyes, blurting out, "Exactly—information!"
"If we can figure out the positions and strength of the Barbarians’ nine captains, then it’s much easier."
"Likewise for the Barbarians, of course!"
Yang Yi frowned. "Strange... This treasure belongs to our Daqian, and is held by King Beixuan, yet it gives us no advantage."
"Perhaps it has to do with the treasure itself!"
Liou Yunfeng, well versed in oddities, said quietly: "A chess game must be fair, or chaos will ensue!"
At this, everyone saw the logic.
While Zheng Xuan wielded command, this treasure was like laying out a chessboard!
It merely provides the board; the game depends on the skill of its pieces!
The nine captains on each side were both the pieces, and the players!
Moreover, there is no omniscient perspective!
"Young master, shall we strike first when the time comes?" Yang Yi asked.
Xu Yang pondered: "The tempering from the Setting Sun Chess Seal is remarkable. My strength has increased by about twenty percent!"
"But, it’s hard to gain much from the Profound Mysteries of Heaven and Earth in a short time—the same for everyone else!"
"To gather intel won’t be easy!"
"Once the fighting starts, I plan to hold position for now!"
Comprehend the Profound Mysteries and wait!
If the enemy moves first, then it’s not too late to face them!
Zhao Mushen and Lv Xiu both broke through with the help of pills. Yang Yi’s trio also advanced to Myriad Manifestations Realm Perfection!
And though just newly arrived, their strength was nothing to scoff at!
Truth be told, Xu Yang eagerly wondered who would face him first.
"I’d bet most of them are thinking what you are!"
"Whoever moves first is at a disadvantage, unless their strength is overwhelming!" Liou Yunfeng sighed.
Just because they realized the logic didn’t mean others would not!
Xu Yang could not agree more!
"Let’s wait!"
Half an hour later—
Xu Yang suddenly felt the Setting Sun Chess Seal quiver.
Before he could investigate, a vast, blazing might surged forth from the Chess Seal, flooding over the void like a mighty river, engulfing him and all nearby within.
Swoosh!
In an instant, everyone vanished!
At this moment—
If one gazed down from above, they would see the entire Realm of the Setting Sun had transformed into a ring-shaped secret domain of Heaven and Earth!
Divided into inner and outer rings!
Within, nine regions were arrayed in a ring, Heaven and Earth manifested, clearly delimited one from the next!
The outer ring was the same.
One Setting Sun Chess Seal held sway over one domain!
Like the master of a secret realm—in this, no wind or grass moved without the master knowing.
"I’m in the Daqian Ninth District!"
Xu Yang appeared from thin air, murmuring as he gazed at the empty world around him.
This came from the message transmitted by the Chess Seal.
The nine captains, numbered one through nine, spread into nine great regions!
Xu Yang raised his eyes, peering through the illusory, manifest Heaven and Earth Boundary Line, seeing a vast expanse, and a thousand yards ahead, the Heaven and Earth Boundary Line clearly marked out.
Precisely the inner ring, matched to the corresponding Barbarian Race side!
Yet all he could do was barely glimpse, unable to discern anything within.
Xu Yang narrowed his eyes, pupils turning dark gold!
The Cangxu Divine Eyes ignited, his gaze piercing forth!
Buzz!
A stab of pain assaulted him instantly.
Xu Yang grunted, quickly closing his eyes.
Droplets of fresh blood slipped down the corners of his eyes.
"Young master, are you alright?"
The faces of the group changed drastically.
Xu Yang sucked in a sharp breath, shaking his head slightly with eyes closed.
"I’m fine!"
"What a terrifying power—Cangxu Divine Eyes cannot see through it at all! It seems all such Divine Techniques are useless here!"
That instant of deterrence made Xu Yang feel a terror like the end of the world!
He took dozens of breaths before his eyes recovered somewhat.
Xu Yang slowly opened his eyes, bloodshot and filled with weakness!
No using Cangxu Divine Eyes again for a while!
Meng Ziqiu said solemnly, "Young master, let me scout ahead."
"Beyond the Heaven and Earth Boundary Line is clearly unclaimed land, everyone is free to step there. There’s no zone or team limits."
"If we want intelligence, we can only probe with manpower!"
"With my strength, even if I meet danger, I can escape back."
At these words, Xu Yang’s heart moved, and he nodded: "I’ll trouble Mr. Meng to make the run!"
"No problem!"
Meng Ziqiu grinned.
With his strength, even if he blundered into a formidable foe, he wouldn’t fall instantly!
Immediately, Meng Ziqiu darted out like a flash.
Xu Yang gazed into the distance, names swirling in his mind: "Who will it be?"
