Chapter 741: Not Giving Up
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Many eyes fell onto Ye Futian. Is he trying to challenge Zhou Ziyi to a chess battle?
The actual implementation was indeed the best way to verify anything. Both sides would have stuck to their own opinions otherwise, and none would have been able to convince the other. However, as the Palace Lord of a sacred ground of the Barren State, it would have been rather inconvenient for Ye Futian to challenge a member of the younger generation of the sacred ground of the Eastern State, despite the fact he was technically of the same generation. If they were nitpicking his age, he was actually even younger than Mo Jun and the others of his group.
Mo Jun turned his eyes at Ye Futian and said, “The princess of the sacred dynasty is a girl. If you, Palace Lord Ye, feel like trying your hand, I’d be more than willing to serve as your opponent, if that is alright with you.”
Ye Futian turned his eyes at Mo Jun. Although Mo Jun had apologized for his discourtesy the day before and presented himself as courteous and polite as possible, without any signs of anything being off anywhere, Ye Futian still was unable to help but feel that deep within Mo Jun’s mind, he still looked down on the sacred ground of the Barren State. Despite Mo Jun keeping his arrogance tightly wrapped, Ye Futian was still able to feel it seeping through.
“Alright.” Ye Futian nodded and turned around, saying to the old men, “Would you seniors mind lending me a spot?”
“No need for the fuss. If both of you feel like playing chess, just come onto this board,” Yang Xiao, who was standing on that chessboard in midair, said to Ye Futian.
“Well, in that case, you have my grat.i.tude, senior,” Ye Futian bowed and said. Yang Xiao and the other eight walked down from the board and let the two have the place for the moment.
Mo Jun flashed and stepped onto one side of the board. He then said to Ye Futian, “Palace Lord Ye, if you’d please.”
“Yu Sheng,” Ye Futian turned around and called out. Yu Sheng walked up and looked at him.
“You’re up,” Ye Futian said. Yu Sheng nodded and landed on the chessboard without asking anything. Since it was Ye Futian who had him play, he would have to just oblige.
Everyone was dumbfounded and they all wore funny expressions. Mo Jun looked at Ye Futian and asked, “Palace Lord Ye, may I know what is the meaning of this?”
“Yu Sheng is one of the junior students at the Holy Zhi Palace. He will be in charge of the pieces in my stead,” Ye Futian replied. Everyone looked at Ye Futian and they were all surprised at what he pulled. No one, however, had anything to say about it, as both players were students of sacred grounds. It was obvious, however, that he was saying that his status made it inconvenient for him to face Mo Jun directly.
Mo Jun frowned slightly and looked somewhat displeased. He had answered Ye Futian so as to face the man himself. However, what Ye Futian pulled was truly intricate, and it seemed that he had been putting the way of chess to good use.
“As you are here to play in Palace Lord Ye’s stead, it stands to reason that the game will be played as if Palace Lord Ye was playing himself. Well then, please,” Mo Jun stated in emphasis and then gestured at Yu Sheng.
Yu Sheng turned to look at Ye Futian, seemingly waiting for instructions from him.
“Just play as you see fit,” Ye Futian said. The dynamics between him and Yu Sheng at the moment resembled the one between him and Sage Wanxiang back then.
Yu Sheng nodded and placed his first piece without any regard for strategy.
Many looked on with funny expressions. Isn’t that what Ye Futian did before? Ye Futian and Mo Jun are playing the game in such an official manner, yet he actually goes about playing in such a laid-back manner?
Mo Jun looked increasingly displeased, feeling Ye Futian’s actions to be little more than a slight against him. Mo Jun waved his hand and placed his piece at the center of the board: the Origin of Heaven.
That move intrigued many watching. Mo Jun’s play style had surprisingly gone against convention as well. It was very rare for anyone to place their first piece at the Origin of Heaven.
Mo Jun seemed to have placed his piece at such a spot as a gesture of provocation, seemingly stating that he was the star of that game. Many claimed that a game allowed one to see into the character of their opponents. If one’s style was a n.o.ble, unsullied one, the person would be one with such character as well. On the other hand, if the player was one who played in a twisty, sly manner, said player would be a clever and cunning person.
Mo Jun’s style was very arrogant and flamboyant, which demonstrated the arrogance underneath the pretense of humbleness. He was a proud son of a sacred ground and a student of a sage.
All the pieces placed contained powerful power of rules. The pieces seemed to have mystical powers connecting one another, making the entire chessboard filled with incredibly overbearing force.
“Go two by eight,” Ye Futian said. Yu Sheng placed his piece without any hesitation.
Mo Jun responded right there and then, placing his white piece in a snappy manner.
“Go three by nine,” Ye Futian continued, seemingly without any hesitation as well. At the same time, the game before him was projected perfectly within his Life Palace. Changes happened on that very board in his mind like a storm. The pieces were placed and changes kept happening as if to simulate all moves that could take place.
“That is quick.” Many thought the speed the game was being played at to be startling. It showed their respective simulative and calculative abilities, which were frighteningly formidable. It was due to such abilities that they were able to place their pieces without hesitation. It was as if everything was under their control.
“Scattered Stars.” Many who were watching the game gasped. The structure of a matrix began to appear as the game went on. Mo Jun’s play style was one that was incredibly reckless in laying out his formations. The Scattered Stars was played as the Origin of Heaven as the center, scattering pieces all over the chessboard, intending to surround Yu Sheng’s pieces and taking them out once and for all.
Such a play style’s advantage lied within its ability to devour its opponent whole without leaving any window for retaliation. It was a one-shot-kills-all way of playing. The downside, however, was that placement of pieces was done in an incredibly loose manner, which made it easy for the opponent to cut their way through the openings. It was apparent that Mo Jun was incredibly confident in his ability at chess, intending to win by completely overwhelming and crus.h.i.+ng his opponent.
At that moment, changes became apparent on the board as starlight of terrifying rules glittered like incredibly sharp blades. Mo Jun hovered slightly above the board, glancing coldly at Yu Sheng. He extended his hand and conjured a white piece using rules and placed it in one spot, like a blade of starlight falling down.
The entire game seemed to have moved the very instant that piece was placed. The Scattered Stars play style brought s.h.i.+mmering starlight onto the board, manifesting as straight blades landing where Yu Sheng stood. One piece after another crumbled to pieces. Several black pieces around Yu Sheng were gobbled up, as the game turned deadly and against Yu Sheng’s favor.
“Go six by eight,” Ye Futian said. A black piece was conjured, and with a wave of Yu Sheng’s hand, it landed onto the board hard, kicking up a terrifying whirlpool. All pieces gathered towards one single spot: where Yu Sheng stood. At that instant, boundless power gathered at one single place. Yu Sheng’s body seemed to have become incredibly huge and emanated extremely overwhelming might. The power took a tangible form as the piece was placed, and a matrix out to crush everything in its path formed, heading for Mo Jun.
Mo Jun’s expression looked incredibly dire. The one piece had actually connected all the other pieces on the board, coalescing into a terrifying force. His brow looked incredibly sharp and he stepped out and put down his piece. He seemed to have turned himself into the center of the formation in an instant. The sword of light and shadow blocked out the sky and swept at Yu Sheng.
Ye Futian said something without hesitation and Yu Sheng stepped forward, landing on the spot on the chessboard with his piece. He walked straight into Mo Jun, and an even wilder and more overbearing force burst forth. Many pieces around Mo Jun were destroyed right there and then, dimming his starlight. Yu Sheng came to look even more imposing at the moment.
“Mo Jun is going to lose.” Many looked excited. They were able to tell that Yu Sheng had now had the absolute advantage. Two pieces were all it took to cement that very advantage on the board.
Mo Jun, on the other hand, looked utterly crushed and scattered. He looked rather pale as well. That overbearing pressure pressed hard onto his body, with the full intention of crus.h.i.+ng him right there and then.
“Go seven by nine.” A voice was heard at the very moment. The eyes of many sparkled as they looked at one corner of Chess Peak. The one who stood there was none other than Liu Zong.
Liu Zong went to guide Mo Jun personally.
While it was definitely not anything worth shouting about, Liu Zong was being frank with his actions, opting to voice it out loud in front of everyone instead of guiding Mo Jun telepathically, making it known to all that he was the one providing guidance right there and then.
Ye Futian glanced at Liu Zong and said nothing. Mo Jun’s force was no longer there. He became totally incapable of looking into the whole game, after being subjected to the effects of Yu Sheng’s might and the power of the matrix formed against him. The victor would have been determined with two more pieces placed. However, Liu Zong was not Mo Jun. That very move he said was one that was immeasurably intricate, so much so that one could consider that position to be the best at the moment.
Mo Jun placed that piece without hesitation. The powerful sword matrix of starlight began to show signs of revival, and the powerful might on the chessboard was gathered once again.
Ye Futian glanced at seven by nine spot plainly and without paying it much heed. He went on to say, “Go six by nine.”
Yu Sheng nodded and did so. That piece worked like a hammer, dealing a devastating blow as it was placed. Mo Jun grunted as he continued to look pale. It was if there was an incredibly overwhelming power of rules being gathered, intending to split that very game.
“Go seven by eight,” Liu Zong said, and Ye Futian responded shortly after. Both placed three pieces respectively, and eventually, an incredibly wild might swept all over the chessboard and went on to gobble up all the white pieces. The formation of the white pieces crumbled completely in an instant, without any chance of revival.
The powerful currents about the chessboard quieted down in an n instant, like the atmosphere on Chess Peak at the moment.
Mo Jun was a very adept player of chess and a student of Xihua Sacred Mountain’s saints. His play style was reckless and arrogant, yet he ended up suffering a humiliating defeat, despite Liu Zong’s efforts. Mo Jun ended up defeated all the same, as there was simply no way to save that broken game. Liu Zong was only able to do so much to help.
Many looked at Ye Futian. He stood quietly, his robe and black hair billowed with the breeze, making him look incredibly handsome. Many seemed to truly acknowledge the might of a Palace Lord of a sacred ground at that very moment.
Does Ye Futian really know nothing about chess? Mo Jun looked up at Ye Futian. He had dissed Ye Futian after that game the day before, deeming him someone who knew nothing about chess. What about now then? Who is actually the one who knows nothing about chess?
“I apologize for my reckless words yesterday,” Mo Jun said, looking up and cupping his hands. He then turned around and walked off the chessboard. Despite suffering a defeat, he kept his bearing as a student of the saints intact.
There was another person who looked rather displeased at the turn of events: Zhou Ziyi.
It was a chess battle that happened because of her.
Mo Jun was simply playing in her stead.
With Ye Futian emerging as the victor, it had indeed proved Ye Futian’s words that her play style was indeed the worst among the nine.
“What do you think?” Ye Futian asked as he turned his eyes to her.
Zhou Ziyi looked up at Ye Futian and said, “Even if you won this game, were you really saying that it wasn’t you who caused what happened with the battle at the Celestial Dragon Chess Game yesterday?”
Ye Futian glanced at her plainly, walked up and said, “If you are unwilling to give up, I guess I’ll just show you then.”