Arcane Alliance Headquarters, Yuanshi City.
Hidden deep within this grand building lay a secret throne room. The vast chamber was dimly lit, its high ceiling disappearing into shadows.
At the far end of the hall, upon a raised platform, a lone figure lounged lazily on an ornate throne.
The Hidden Ruler of Yen-Lu wore loose silk robes that left much of his upper body exposed. Reclining against the throne, he held a long wooden pipe in one hand, occasionally drawing from it as thin wisps of smoke curled through the air.
Before him were three xiangqi boards.
With calm movements and a slightly bored look on his face, he placed a piece onto one of them. Then another. And another.
He played all three games alone, his dark eyes moving between the boards as if facing invisible opponents.
To Tian Di, no one alive was worthy of challenging him. Playing three simultaneous games against himself was both a display of his towering intellect and… his unmistakable arrogance.
