The intricacies of fate between heaven and earth seem like an invisible web, constantly looming above the nine heavens in a manner beyond human comprehension, even sketching the thrilling threads of fate unbeknownst to all living beings.
A single moment of unpreparedness often spells the end of a life.
A single chance encounter can be the birth of a new world.
Above the nine heavens, in the northern realm of Xiaoyao.
The sky was hazy, the earth lush. Beneath a towering tree, an old man with white hair, a youthful face, and piercing eyes sat opposite a child who resembled a three-year-old. Between them lay a chess set, seemingly already halfway through the game.
Both seemed deeply engrossed in the game, neither making a single move for a long time.
The old man, twirling a black chess piece between the fingers of his right hand, gazed at the board, deliberating on where to place it.
Before the child, a white chess piece floated in the air, spinning swiftly.
From time to time, a streak of light would fly across the distant sky, then return. A dazzling pale golden glow would occasionally streak across the chessboard, its reflections gracing the faces of the two players.
Suddenly, the child spoke, "Original, our round seems a bit long."
As he spoke, the white chess piece hovering before the child emitted a humming sound, then slid forward a bit, landing directly on a cross-shaped square on the chessboard below.
The old man, Original, twirled his beard and laughed, "Haha, it's only ten axes. Remember, the last time I made a bet with Hun Dun, I used a full fifty-six axes."
"Oh? So how did it end?"
The child asked, his face curious.
At the same time, the white chess piece finally wobbled and landed. As it touched the chessboard, two beams of black and white light rose from it, and in the hazy air, the sound of swords and horses clashing could be heard.
"As for the ending? That'll be discussed after I make this move."
The old man, Yuanshi, surveyed the chessboard with a smirk, then said in amazement, "Hongmeng, your move was truly brilliant. It's putting me at a loss."
Despite his words, the old man calmly pressed his right hand, and the black chess piece he was holding fell. Immediately, the black and white light resurfaced, and the cries of slaughter intensified.
The black and white pieces on the chessboard shimmered, and in a moment, two white pieces transformed into streams of light, piercing the sky and vanishing completely.
The child frowned, and then a white piece took flight, hovering above the chessboard.
"I still want to know the result of your game with Chaos."
"Haha, Chaos only lost me two sequences of space that time."
The old man seemed delighted at the mention of this, speaking with great joy.
The child Hongmeng was surprised and said, "Two sequences of space? That's a huge deal. One sequence has three hundred and sixty worlds. So, wouldn't Chaos be much less imposing?"
"Haha, Chaos controls the east. There's a lot of disordered void to the east. He'll make it back with a little effort."
Yuanshi chuckled.
The child Hongmeng also chuckled. When the white piece fell, the sound of iron cavalry rang out, and three black pieces disappeared.
"Speaking of East Hundun, it reminds me of West Honglian. It's been quite a while since I've seen her, and I'm feeling quite lonely."
Yuanshi twirled his beard and smiled. "Since you're missing that girl, why don't we finish this game quickly so we can go see her? You've been neglecting your Southern Sky Land all day, wandering around. Be careful about letting Discord take it away."
"Honglian is truly fun. Besides our past friendships, I'm still reminiscing about it today."
Hongmeng grinned as he quickly made his move. In the blink of an eye, the chessboard had dramatically changed.
Seeing the situation seemed tense, Yuanshi shook his head and said, "Well, well, well, I really don't know how you acquired your Dao. You spend all day thinking about the Wushan Divine Communion. Speaking of which, this Free and Unrestrained Realm is truly too boring."
Hongmeng simply laughed upon hearing this, then said, "Then it's a deal. We'll try to settle this within a day!"
The two men made small moves and chatted casually. The vicissitudes of life passed in the blink of an eye, and the sound of war and slaughter intensified.
A day can be several years, a single axis can be a hundred thousand years. To these great men, time is but a drop of water in the ocean, barely stirring a ripple of any note. Imagine, if someone remains unfazed by the surging waves of the sea, how could they be moved by the gentle streams of rain?
In the Free and Unrestrained Realm above the Nine Heavens, Chaos in the East, Red Lotus in the West, Hongmeng in the South, and Yuanshi in the North control the source of the world. They are truly great men.
Creation plays chess. A single move shakes the heavens and earth, and the sky and the earth change color. What's more, the game is about to end?
The heavens are divided into sequences, and the heavens and the earth are divided into levels. In the eyes of those who control them, within the power of order, whether it's Hongmeng or Honglian, each is clearly very weak.
As Yuanshi said, a bet is two sequence worlds. It's clear that in their eyes, the world is like chess pieces and a chessboard, nothing more than a leisurely move to amuse themselves.
The heavens within the sequence world seem to be forever invisible to the controllers.
Even a single move can shake the world upside down.
…
Tianhuang Great World, Northern Snowfields.
The Frost Blades, the world-renowned top legion of Arctic City, have been locked in a stalemate with the barbarian army in the Collapse Valley for nearly three months. Experts on both sides have suffered heavy losses, but what puzzles Situ Jian is why this time the barbarian attack is so fierce, and why, despite suffering heavy casualties, they show no signs of retreat.
"General, the Icefield Snow King is expected to arrive at the Collapse Valley the day after tomorrow. Do you think we should request assistance from the Divine Realm?"
Yan Buxu stared at Situ Jian and asked. The Icefield Snow King, possessing the mighty power of an emperor and commanding a terrifying army of giant ice demons, was a rare and powerful leader among the barbarians. Situ Jian rubbed his forehead; these past few days had truly overwhelmed him.
Since the battle at Ice Cliff fifty years ago, today was the last time he had witnessed the madness and bloodshed of the barbarians.
"No, the Divine Realm's Sky-Repairing Project is at a critical juncture. While the current situation is dire, it can still be handled."
Situ Jian was hesitant to request assistance from the Divine Realm so soon. As the guardian of the north, he had always been a regional icefield barbarian. If he had to ask for assistance from the Divine Realm at the slightest disadvantage, he, the Lord of North Pole City, would be unfit for the job.
Yan Buxu frowned slightly, but said nothing more.
"I'll hold off the Snow King then, Buxu. I'll leave the rest to you."
As a fellow Emperor-level warrior, Situ Jian was confident he had the strength to battle the notorious Snow King. Repelling him would greatly increase the chances of turning the tide of the battle. Furthermore, as long as they held out until the Sky-Repairing Plan was successfully completed, even the Icefield Barbarians, no matter how powerful, would retreat.