Chapter 33: The Grand Board Nation-Destroying Chess

Hu Feng, accompanied by a fearful and respectful Cardiron, stepped into the elegant teahouse. He sat in a secluded corner and quietly watched the fierce battle of the Grand Board chess match.

“Bright Summit, four six!”

“Black Horn, eight two!”

…

The matches in the hall grew increasingly intense, with two chess players confronting each other fiercely.

The referee in the center, wearing a green long robe, had a loud voice. Every time a player made a move, he would call out the position with a drawn-out tone. His expression remained unchanged, but the two players became increasingly nervous. Their moves grew slower, each step feeling as difficult as lifting a thousand pounds. Beads of sweat dripped down their foreheads.

Bright Summit, Purgatory City, War Soul Hall, and Black Horn were known as the Four Great Cities on the Dallas Continent. Each dominated its own region. Although they did not hold the official title of an empire, their populations, resources, and territory were no different from those of a powerful empire. In the vast continent, people were enthusiastic about discussing the glory of these Four Great Cities. Most people also liked to role-play these four factions when playing chess.

At first glance, the chess match on the field seemed no different from an ordinary contest. However, a closer look revealed that the players’ mindsets, the depiction of the chess patterns, and the material of the chess pieces were all extraordinary in detail. By concentrating and sensing carefully, one could gradually discover more differences.

Hu Feng took a gentle sip of the hot tea served by the waiter. With his eyes slightly closed, he appeared to be savoring the tea, but his Divine Sense had drifted away. A thread of his Divine Sense unconsciously penetrated above the chess pattern.

On one side of the match was a middle-aged man with disheveled hair. He was tall and burly, wearing vine armor commonly seen in the Wasteland. He was obviously a Demon Hunter wandering in the Wasteland. The other side was a young man wearing a black robe. He had a broad chest and shoulders, with a long sword strapped to his back. He looked like a Stronger with contained essence, or perhaps a nobleman from a millennium-old lineage. The front of the black robe featured a carving of a galloping wild ox. Its head was slightly bowed, and its thick curved horns pointed upward, as if attempting to pierce the sky. The image was majestic and powerful, radiating impressive momentum.

Black moved first. With every step, the disheveled Demon Hunter nervously swallowed, as if making a difficult choice. Through the imperceptible Divine Sense, Hu Feng sensed that the player was not just nervous on the surface; there was more to it. With each move, the player’s physical strength, Magic Power, and Soul energy were weakened and swallowed by the pitch-black chess pieces. If a player made a careless mistake and lost a move, the loss of power would be even more severe.

This was not only a contest of mental fortitude and chess skills, but also a confrontation of strength and willpower!

To the unaware onlookers, this was just an ordinary game of chess. But for the two players on the field, it was an undeniable battlefield!

For the two players, every chess piece of the opponent was like a fierce army or a God of War filled with Killing Intent. If they failed to consider a move properly, they would lose not only their momentum but also their strength and Soul energy. The worse the loss, the more severe the drain. In extreme cases, it could lead to terrifying backlash. Hu Feng felt that even if he just approached the field to concentrate and sense, a thread of his Divine Sense might have been swallowed by the rune-covered chess pieces.

Impressive!

Hu Feng retracted his Divine Sense and slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at the aggressive Demon Hunter on the field with a hint of pity. The disheveled man looked powerful and his attacks were like a tidal wave, seizing large amounts of territory. Little did he know that he had already consumed a significant amount of physical strength and mental energy, leaving him with little stamina for the follow-up. True enough, within three moves, he was defeated by the young man in the black robe and lost all his chess momentum.

What is chess momentum?

Chess is battle chess, and momentum refers to aura and Qi Fortune. If a person loses their Qi Fortune, their luck reaches its end, and they are plagued by bad luck. Similarly, if a player loses their chess momentum, they are surrounded by enemies on all sides and will inevitably lose!

“Bright Summit three forward one, absolute kill, leave him only one shoulder!”

The young man in the black robe had a calm expression. With a light press of the white chess piece in his hand, the black pieces lost all vitality and became dead pieces. Instantly, a cold wind erupted. The over one hundred black pieces gathered together and transformed into a fierce tiger. With a roar, it bit down on the Demon Hunter’s right hand. The scene was bloody and cruel, causing the eyelids of all the onlookers to twitch!

Wizard Battle Chess!

Given the name Grand Board Nation-Destroying Chess, this match was naturally not simple. It indirectly related to the Qi Fortune of the Four Great Cities, so one should not easily open such a game. Losing only one arm was considered lucky for the loser. Many people came to the teahouse to play chess every day, but very few dared to play the Grand Board Nation-Destroying Chess in public. Why? Because this game involved more than just heart-pounding excitement!

“Impressive. The players are not simple, and those who refined the chess pieces and the chess pattern are even more extraordinary!”

Watching the injured Demon Hunter lying on the ground, Hu Feng was secretly startled. Although he had not studied it in detail, he was certain that the chess pieces and chess pattern of the Grand Board Nation-Destroying Chess definitely sealed a powerful Magic Array. Even with his current strength, he doubted he could break it and would still be bound by the rules. To understand and control Magic to this extent, one must have at least reached the Saint Domain realm.

Sword Saint, Magician Saint. Upon reaching the Saint Domain realm, their Cultivation became mysterious and unpredictable, and their lifespan could reach ten thousand years. If he encountered a powerful Grand Swordsman or Great Magician now, Hu Feng believed he might still have a chance to fight. But facing a Saint Domain Stronger, he knew he was no match. He couldn’t even think about counterattacking; the question was whether he could escape!

Private rooms, ancient chess, ancient music, fragrant tea…

Putting aside the tense atmosphere of the Grand Board Nation-Destroying Chess, the teahouse was indeed a good place for cultivating one’s mind. Hu Feng slowly sipped his orchid tea in his cup. He was just about to look around when several tall Demon Hunters suddenly approached aggressively, escorting a fierce bald man. The man wore pitch-black scale armor, carried a heavy axe on his back, and had a fierce wolf head tattoo carved on his forehead. His Dou Qi surged endlessly within his body, and his strength was at least that of a high-level Swordsman.

Bald Wolf?

Cardiron, who was behind Hu Feng, saw the bald man and his group and his face changed. Reacting instinctively, he stood up and tried to rush out. However, Bald Wolf and his group were prepared and blocked the way completely. With a loud slap, Bald Wolf struck him, leaving five bloody marks on Cardiron’s face. Half of his face swelled up.

“Run? Why aren’t you running?” Looking at the terrified Cardiron, Bald Wolf sneered, “Cardiron, you have quite some nerve. You dare to run away. Don’t think that hiding for over a year means you can hide forever! Speak, are you going to pay back the money or your life? Or, go to the western desert as a miner?”

Bald Wolf and his group were aggressive. The more panicked Cardiron became, the louder they laughed, without any restraint!

“Lord Bald Wolf, I beg you to give me a little more time. In just three more days, I will definitely pay back all the money!” Cardiron’s face was pale, and his legs involuntarily trembled. Fate put them on a narrow road. Unexpectedly, he had just returned to Cold Moon City and encountered Bald Wolf and his group, leaving him with no way out.

In the beginning, if he had not been forced into a corner, how could he have risked everything for illusory wealth? He had recklessly rushed into the dangerous Underground Passage to find the hidden underground city. Before setting out, he had burned his boats, but in the end, it was all for nothing. Over a year had passed. With Bald Wolf’s compounding interest calculation, the more than one thousand Contribution Points he owed back then had probably turned into an astronomical number by now. Even if he cut off the meat on his body and sold it, he couldn’t pay it back!

“How much does he owe you?”

Just as Cardiron was scared out of his wits, not knowing what to do, Hu Feng calmly stood up. He looked coldly at the arrogant Demon Hunters.