Humanity’s Great Sage

This attack, judging solely from its power, was almost indistinguishable from a full-force strike by Lu Ye.

However, Xue Jiu's expression was grave.

Because this wasn't an attack unleashed by a cultivator, but a manifestation of the power of a supreme treasure, and the power of the laws contained within couldn't be ignored by anyone.

Yet, he couldn't dodge, because this was the punishment for losing the chess game. No matter how he dodged, this attack would inevitably strike him.

In an instant, Xue Jiu had erected layers of blood-based defenses around himself, almost transforming his entire person into a blood cocoon. When the attack descended, the blood cocoon dissolved like snow under the scorching sun.

Xue Jiu's figure reappeared, shuddering slightly, and he grunted, already injured.

Fortunately, the injury wasn't severe. He secretly rejoiced that Lu Ye was unable to unleash the full power of the Starry Sky Chessboard, otherwise, this would have been truly difficult to handle.

Looking up, there was no sign of Lu Ye. This guy had taken advantage of the brief moment to escape far away.

Xue Jiu cursed inwardly and gritted his teeth to pursue!

Lu Ye, who was fleeing ahead, sensed it immediately and sped up even more.

The current situation seemed to have not improved much compared to before, but in reality, there had been a significant change. The Starry Sky Chessboard had already been refined by him. As long as Xue Jiu wasn't a fool, he wouldn't keep staring at him relentlessly.

This Blood Master ultimately needed to return to Blood Drink City to oversee things.

Therefore, as long as he made Xue Jiu realize that continuing to chase like this was pointless and would only waste time, Xue Jiu would retreat when faced with difficulties.

If it were before, he wouldn't have had this ability.

But with the help of the Starry Sky Chessboard, he could now do it.

In fact, Xue Jiu's willingness to waste time with him like this was exactly what he wanted, because he could take this opportunity to refine more fragments of the Dao Integration Beads.

Another half day later, a new chess game unfolded.

As if time were rewinding, as the game ended, Lu Ye quickly fled, leaving Xue Jiu to bear the brunt of the supreme treasure's power.

Another half day.

The third game began…

Repeating this cycle, when the fifth game started, Lu Ye looked leisurely at Xue Jiu across the river: "The Starry Sky Chessboard has already recognized me as its master. As the saying goes, treasures reside with those who are destined. Why must Blood Master fight me to the death? Why not just stop here and go our separate ways?"

He said this, but Lu Ye had already seen through Xue Jiu's plan.

As one of the Ten City Lords, how extraordinary was Xue Jiu's talent? Therefore, although he had only played a few games of chess with Lu Ye, and all of them were under the premise of not understanding the rules clearly, his chess skills had improved by leaps and bounds. Moreover, this guy was deliberately hiding his skills, clearly determined to achieve victory in the chess game.

Just now, in terms of pure chess skill, Lu Ye estimated that he was no longer his opponent.

Across the river, Xue Jiu remained silent, only focusing on playing chess.

He indeed revealed his sharpness, with brilliant moves one after another. Lu Ye's chess pieces quickly suffered heavy losses.

Until a certain moment, a glint of light suddenly burst out from Xue Jiu's eyes. A heavy cannon fell, and he shouted: "Checkmate!"

Immediately, he looked up at Lu Ye with fiery eyes: "Now I'll see how you die! Hahahaha!"

He felt extremely happy. His painstaking research and forbearance had not been in vain. This sudden attack had caught Lu Ye completely off guard.

On the chessboard, his move was already a killing move. There was no possibility for Lu Ye to turn the tables.

Amidst his laughter, he could almost foresee the wonderful scene of Lu Ye losing, being backlashed by the supreme treasure, and being captured by him in one fell swoop.

But then he heard a sneer from Lu Ye.

Immediately, he watched in disbelief as Lu Ye made a move that was impossible to make!

Xue Jiu stood there, staring blankly at the chess piece, then looked at Lu Ye with disbelief: "Your commander can cross the river?"

The key was that this commander not only crossed the river, but also jumped over several chess pieces at once.

This was simply a preposterous joke!

Then Xue Jiu saw the steed jump in a "field" shape, viciously crushing his cannon chess piece, standing on the corpse of the cannon chess piece and neighing incessantly, looking like a triumphant villain.

He also saw a soldier in armor, closely following the commander, stabbing his chariot chess piece to death.

In the blink of an eye, the situation reversed.

"You…" Xue Jiu roared in anger.

To think that he, a dignified City Lord of the Ten Great Cities, had condescended to play several games of chess with Lu Ye, each game being honest and straightforward, only wanting to win a victory in a fair and square manner, but he was treated like this?

Before he could finish speaking, Xue Jiu pounced towards Lu Ye with murderous intent.

"Can't you afford to lose?" Lu Ye shouted angrily.

Xue Jiu's murderous intent became even more intense.

Only after a moment did Lu Ye flee in a disheveled manner, and Xue Jiu emerged from the wreckage, covered in dust. He looked at Lu Ye's departing figure, his brow furrowed.

He hadn't noticed the problem in his rage just now, but now that he thought about it, something was wrong.

Because the Starry Sky Chessboard, strictly speaking, was a supreme treasure of the law type. To it, its rules were inviolable. This would not change whether it had a master or not.

Only by following its rules could it exert its proper power.

So even if Lu Ye really succeeded in refining it, he shouldn't be able to ignore its rules at will. The rules of the chess game were set in advance, and no one within the chess game could easily violate them.

If Lu Ye, the master, violated them, he would inevitably suffer backlash.

But from beginning to end, he had not seen any signs of Lu Ye suffering backlash.

What was going on?

If so, wouldn't his previous plan be wishful thinking?

He had originally thought that as long as he won a game against Lu Ye, he could make him suffer backlash from the supreme treasure, and then capture him.

At this moment, Lu Ye was frowning and sensing.

Things were not as Xue Jiu thought. He was in fact suffering backlash, but because his process of refining the Starry Sky Chessboard was different from the normal situation, this backlash was not reflected on him.

Instead, it was reflected on the Talent Tree.

In other words, the Talent Tree was the master of the Starry Sky Chessboard!

When he had recklessly broken the rules and unscrupulously won that victory before, the Talent Tree had shaken violently a few times, causing Lu Ye's mind to be slightly dazed for a moment.

He secretly woke up, it seemed that he should do less of this kind of thing in the future. Although he didn't know what the consequences would be if he did too much, judging from the current situation, if there were any consequences, he probably wouldn't be able to bear them.

The aura of pursuit behind him was getting closer and closer, and Lu Ye was having a headache.

He had used the Xiangqi chess game to delay for so long, and he had already refined most of the Dao Integration Bead fragments in his hand, but now, Xue Jiu had surpassed him in chess skills. It might not be appropriate to use the Xiangqi chess game to delay any longer.

In a flash, Lu Ye suddenly turned around, and the chessboard unfolded, enveloping all directions.

Xue Jiu was furious when he saw this: "Don't even think about it…"

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Ye raised his hand to stop him: "Blood Master, calm down. This time, we won't play Xiangqi, let's change to another one, I guarantee it will be fair and just!"

Xue Jiu frowned, because he found that this chessboard seemed to be different from before.

At the same time, the rules of the chess game were imprinted in his mind.

It was indeed not Xiangqi, but a chess game called Gomoku, which was much simpler than Xiangqi, and there was not much room for cheating.

His expression eased slightly, and Xue Jiu stared coldly at Lu Ye: "You better be honest, if you dare to act recklessly again, I will overturn your chessboard!"

Lu Ye smiled: "Blood Master, rest assured."

Slightly surprised, he thought that Xue Jiu would not agree to play chess with him again.

Time passed, and the two sides placed their chess pieces one by one.

Until a certain moment, Lu Ye suddenly looked up at Xue Jiu, revealing a knowing expression: "So that's how it is!"

He was just saying, Xue Jiu had suffered such a big loss before, how could he not learn his lesson? It turned out that he was waiting for him here.

Just now, he clearly felt an extremely hidden power invade his body. This was obviously Xue Jiu's doing.

He didn't know what kind of secret technique this was for the time being, if the Talent Tree hadn't suddenly reacted, Lu Ye would not have been able to detect it.

Xue Jiu had obviously agreed to the chess game in order to use this secret technique.

"Have you noticed it?" Xue Jiu no longer pretended, and looked at Lu Ye with a sneer: "It's too late, this is my secret creation, no one in the world except me can use it."

Lu Ye frowned as he placed his piece: "May I ask Blood Master, what is the use of this secret technique?"

Xue Jiu smiled mysteriously: "Why don't you try it and see?"

As he spoke, he casually dropped a piece.

Lu Ye couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, because Xue Jiu didn't block his chess piece, which was obviously giving up on the chess game, preparing to bear the punishment of failure.

For him, this was not the first time, and he could bear it.

Seeing this, how could Lu Ye be polite? After dropping the last chess piece, he flashed out of the chess game.

The power of the supreme treasure erupted behind him, and Lu Ye had already flashed tens of thousands of miles away. Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine. He turned his head and saw Xue Jiu standing not far behind him, looking at him with a smile.

Lu Ye was greatly shocked. This period of pursuit and escape had allowed him to see the unfathomable nature of this Blood Master, but the other party's speed didn't seem to be so fast before.

Moreover, this was no longer something that speed could explain, it was simply ghostly. Lu Ye didn't notice any trace of his movement at all.

He didn't believe in evil and continued to flee forward.

However, every time he looked back, Xue Jiu was following closely behind him not far away like a ghost.

"Don't waste your efforts," Xue Jiu said with a chuckle after several attempts. "Once this secret technique of mine is cast, you can forget about getting rid of it. My true form will be like a real shadow, following you wherever you go."

Lu Ye said in a deep voice, "Blood Master's secret technique is indeed remarkable."

"Now that you know how remarkable it is, why bother resisting stubbornly?"

Lu Ye sneered, "But it seems the drawbacks aren't small either?"

Xue Jiu raised his eyebrows. "What have you seen?"

Lu Ye said, "Blood Master doesn't seem to be able to attack at will?"

They were so close to each other. If Xue Jiu could attack at will, he would have already done so. How could he really follow him like a shadow?