Chapter 500: The Chess Player (Two in One)

Ninth Tier.

Yan Jing smiled.

They were giving him far too much credit.

It was exactly because things like this kept happening that he remained so steadfast in his belief that preparing for a rainy day was the right approach.

"Mr. Merkel thinks too highly of me."

Yan Jing smiled.

"I'm just a prisoner. Why would I warrant so much of his attention?"

The Tree Man remained noncommittal. His mouth, creased like folded tree bark, parted into a grin.

"That was originally the case."

"But after the Lord looked into it, he discovered things weren't quite so simple."

His gaze landed on Huo Tong beside Yan Jing, his tone pointed.

"Mr. Wen's ability to establish a firm foothold in the Wizard Tribe so quickly came as quite a surprise to His Excellency."

"Just luck," Yan Jing said with a smile.

"Whether it was luck or not."

The Tree Man narrowed his eyes.

"Since His Excellency has given the order, I hope Mr. Wen will simply comply."

"And if I don't?"

"You wouldn't want to find out," the Tree Man smiled.

As his voice fell, his figure blurred. Suddenly, a wooden stump erupted from the ground mere inches from Yan Jing, practically pressing against his face. The Tree Man's face manifested on the bark, staring directly into his eyes.

"Whether or not you truly received a Deity's inheritance from the person backing you, Mr. Wen..."

"...or for whatever other reason, you really don't want to anger him."

"He hasn't touched you yet, Mr. Wen, only out of respect for the person behind you."

Yan Jing's gaze remained placid.

"Is it out of respect for the person behind me? Or is he just afraid that the Warden of the Great Prison is actually fine?"

At those words, a vicious glint erupted in the Tree Man's eyes in an instant.

But ultimately, the killing intent faded away.

The wooden stump slowly disintegrated.

The Tree Man vanished.

He left behind only two final sentences:

"He doesn't need to act personally to deal with you, Mr. Wen."

"You can keep going forward to watch the show, but please, Mr. Wen, do try not to die."

Yan Jing curled his lips.

"What do you think?"

He looked at Huo Tong beside him.

Huo Tong spoke up, "I thought you were going to punch him."

"Do I look like I have a bad temper?" Yan Jing laughed.

Huo Tong remained expressionless.

"That Ninth Tier doesn't dare make a move. He's just blowing hot air."

"'Blowing hot air' is an excellent phrase. It seems you're already integrating into modern culture."

Yan Jing's smile widened.

The two continued forward, chatting as they walked.

"There's a problem with the structural power dynamic of this Great Prison," Huo Tong noted.

"The top eighty inmates are all at the Celestial Immortal level, but the prison staff obviously doesn't have that many Celestial Immortals."

"Moreover, there are six Ninth Tier experts among the inmates, but only three on the prison's side."

"It's possible that the prison's experts are simply stronger within the same tier," Yan Jing offered.

Huo Tong shook her head.

"I'm more inclined to believe that the Great Prison Warden's strength far surpasses everyone else's, allowing him to suppress all of them single-handedly."

"That's why the moment something happens to him, this prison shows signs of collapse."

"There's no successor to step up and take his place."

Yan Jing smiled and nodded.

"That's a common flaw, actually."

"People who want to reach the absolute top don't place their hopes in others. This Great Prison Warden's ambition was never to manage this prison well."

"This place was only a means for him to reach greater heights."

"As long as he is here, the Great Prison stands. If he is gone, even if the Great Prison remains, it means nothing to him."

"..." Huo Tong thought about it and finally nodded.

"That makes sense."

As they spoke, the two had already drawn close to the main outbreak of the battle.

Up in the sky, two silhouettes could be seen fleeing frantically in the distance.

Two other figures were in hot pursuit.

Various abilities clashed between them, erupting into dazzling flashes and spectral phenomena that practically illuminated the entire night sky.

"They're doing this on purpose," Huo Tong said, watching the evildoers chasing the pair.

"They are fully prepared to die, just to see if he will make a move."

"There are still two deputy wardens, and other Eighth Tier experts. If he doesn't act, won't the others?" Yan Jing lightly tapped his fingers against his thigh.

"This is a game of chess. A high-stakes game."

"Then what about us..." Huo Tong asked, her eyes filled with doubt.

"We have to get to the table first."

Yan Jing narrowed his eyes.

"Do you really think only the inmates will come looking for me?"

"..." Huo Tong understood.

"Like it or not, I'm already at the card table, and both sides want a piece of me." Yan Jing's gaze was calm.

"But they have to let me play my cards, too."

"Where are we going?!"

Staring at the blade that seemed to have 'naturally' sprouted from her abdomen, Cen Ji coughed up a huge mouthful of blood and shouted at Ning Wei.

Ever since the two of them escaped Elite City, they had been rushing all the way toward the Desolate Forest.

"To find someone to help us."

Ning Wei clutched the final seed tightly in his hand.

His own condition was incredibly poor; half his body was drenched in blood, and one of his hands was practically paralyzed.

The Soul Tether Pathway was largely useless in this kind of running battle.

If it hadn't been for those two seeds, they would have been dead long ago.

"Can you still not reach anyone?"

He looked at Cen Ji beside him.

"Don't say it." Cen Ji's armor had been blown to pieces, and she gripped a Crystal Stone so tightly her palms were practically bleeding. "I'm the bait. It's very likely no one is coming."

This realization made her feel terrible.

Under this veil of night, there was no telling how many eyes were watching them, yet not a single person had stepped in to help.

No one.

A single move could affect the entire situation.

She had already been abandoned.

For a Domain nearing its end, even a candidate could be discarded at any time.

"Damn it, the worst that can happen is death!"

Seeing the Clown and the Constructor catching up from behind, Cen Ji gritted her teeth, preparing to turn back and fight to the bitter end.

"Someone will definitely intervene in the end. The Great Prison won't show weakness."

"Otherwise, it would completely confirm the rumors about his condition."

But Ning Wei grabbed her wrist.

With a single sentence, he snapped her back to reality.

"Who knows if they'll step in before or after you die?!"

It was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over Cen Ji's head, leaving her hands and feet freezing cold.

He was right.

If she died...

...then the Great Prison would have a perfect excuse to retaliate.

And the chess match would enter its next phase.

If the Great Prison sent an Eighth Tier or even a Ninth Tier expert, would the inmates' Ninth Tiers respond?

If they did, it would turn into a true gamble over whether the Warden would act.

For those Ninth Tiers, taking that kind of bet was practically impossible.

In other words, at this stage, accelerating the conflict was undoubtedly the most beneficial outcome for the Great Prison.

Conversely, the inmates needed to drag it out.

Drag it out until the dust settled, until more people harbored thoughts of rebellion.

Taking a step back.

They were already in the middle of a strategic game.

If an Eighth Tier lost their patience and intervened now, it would simply be too early.

These thoughts flashed through Cen Ji's mind at lightning speed, draining the color from her face.

"Then what do we do now?"

"Stall! Keep stalling!!!"

"Stall until someone new enters the board."

"Stall until a variable appears."

Ning Wei gritted his teeth fiercely, injecting his weird energy once again.

The Azure Heaven Thorns materialized, intersecting the sky and earth.

"You aren't going to make a move?"

Huo Tong asked.

Yan Jing smiled.

"Who moves their general first in a game of chess?"

"Even if no one else thinks I'm the general, I can't just lower my own status."

"Then where are your pawns?" Huo Tong looked at him.

And then saw Yan Jing looking back at her.

"Me?"

Huo Tong froze, pointing at herself.

"I believe I only brought you with me."

Yan Jing smiled.

"If he can't evolve on his own, then it will have to be you."

"But I haven't reached the Celestial Immortal realm," Huo Tong said. She didn't think she was much stronger than the woman with the high ponytail wearing armor in the sky.

She was a bit out of touch with the current era.

But her judgment was as sharp as ever.

"What are you missing to reach the Summit?" Yan Jing looked at her.

A pile of pills and a heap of vessels containing the heart of reaching the summit materialized in his palm.

"What are you missing?"

"...Nothing anymore."

Huo Tong pursed her lips.

This guy in front of her was sometimes annoying, sometimes a total bastard.

But he was undeniably wealthy.

And very strong.

Yan Jing nodded.

"Wait for it."

"That guy isn't as simple as you think."

The two watched for a while longer. Despite the Thorns blocking the way, their opponents were two Summit ascenders, after all. Before long, Cen Ji and Ning Wei's injuries were growing heavier.

"I'm ready to go in."

Huo Tong was eager to fight.

With this reward system in place, she felt brimming with motivation.

"Don't rush."

Yan Jing stopped her.

"You really shouldn't be in a rush."

A voice drifted down slowly from midair.

A man with half his face covered by a mask descended from the sky.

Two pairs of massive black wings grew from his back, and he held chains in his hands, making him look like a fallen angel out of myth.

"Wen Xu."

The man finally came to a halt about half a meter above Yan Jing, staring down at the two of them from his superior height.

"Do you still refuse to admit that that woman is guilty?"

"Is that really important?" Yan Jing smiled.

"Even if I don't admit it, are you suddenly unable to touch her?"

"If he wanted to, even if he forcibly 'judged' Sister Wen Qiao, what would it matter?"

"But he hasn't done that."

As he listened to Yan Jing's words, the man's eyes gradually darkened.

Yan Jing ignored the reaction and continued, "Yet he still hasn't done it."

"There are a few possibilities here. Either Sister Wen Qiao isn't one hundred percent helpful for his advancement, and my words can play a key role..."

"...or, if Sister Wen Qiao is unwilling, he simply has no way to force her. And that makes things far more interesting—"

Clang!

The iron chain whipped through the air, seeming to vanish into the void before reappearing right beside Yan Jing's neck.

The two were inches apart. Yan Jing could already feel the bone-piercing chill of the metal. Because of Wen Xu's constitution, he even felt a sting of pain. But he kept smiling.

"You don't dare touch me."

"For the exact same reason you don't dare touch Sister Wen Qiao."

"Before, he might have had other methods, making Sister Wen Qiao just a backup plan. But the failure exploring the God Storage Land and the riots in various places have made him cautious."

"That is why you've come looking for me."

The man spoke with a dark expression.

"Don't think you're so smart, kid."

"Since you're a chess piece, act like a good little piece."

"A Ninth Tier needs only a single finger to crush you. No matter how clever an ant is, it is still just an ant."

"Cen Ji made far too massive a mistake on this mission."

"So both of them have to die."

"Those are orders."

The man said coldly. He slowly turned his head to look at Huo Tong.

"Don't do anything beyond your capabilities."

Yan Jing said nothing. He only stretched his neck forward slightly.

The man's pupils instantly shrank. The chains extending from the void trembled and withdrew, keeping a safe distance from Yan Jing.

Yan Jing smiled.

"A Ninth Tier might have a hundred ways to kill me, but I also have a hundred ways to make you suffer."

"If I offered to declare Wen Qiao's Sin Burden in exchange for your death, do you think he would agree?"

"You wouldn't dare!!!"

The man roared, but his eyes clearly darted away.

Finally, the man vanished.

"Why do I get the feeling you did that on purpose?"

Huo Tong looked at Yan Jing.

"Mhm."

Yan Jing nodded and closed his eyes.

"I need a reason."

"What reason?"

"An absolute reason to reach the Summit."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Cen Ji spat out a mouthful of bloody water, her entire aura plummeting.

"Can you still hold on? That guy should be coming soon."

Ning Wei grabbed Cen Ji's arm, struggling to push forward.

Relying on the Thorns as a barricade, they had stalled for another few minutes, but now the Thorns had been destroyed once again.

Right now, they were fleeing through the Desolate Forest, using the trees for cover.

"Just go."

Cen Ji looked at Ning Wei, her gaze complex.

"There's no need for you to save me again. I've already been abandoned."

"What kind of bullshit is that!" Ning Wei maintained his death grip on her arm.

Wasn't this just a joke?

The mission Yan Jing had given him was to connect with the woman in the special inmate ward, and then use Cen Ji to climb the ranks and learn about the Great Prison through her. Cen Ji's life held half the weight of his entire task.

As long as Cen Ji was alive, Yan Jing was much more likely to show up.

Plus, Cen Ji's combat prowess was stronger than his.

He'd have to have a hole in his head to abandon her now.

"...Do you like me?"

Cen Ji looked at Ning Wei.

"Huh? Uh, maybe." Ning Wei had no idea how Cen Ji had jumped to that conclusion, his small monolidded eyes twitching violently. He thought back to a certain figure buried deep in his memories.

Perhaps most people in the world were the same—men were like men, and women were like women.

They were at the brink of death, yet this woman in front of him was actually hung up on whether he liked her or not.

And he, just like the person he hated the most, didn't have much real feeling for the woman before him, yet still had to say things to coax her.

Hearing Ning Wei's affirmative answer, Cen Ji's eyes filled with mixed emotions before she shoved him away fiercely.

"...Just go. Their goal is to kill me."

"Once I'm dead, the Great Prison will have their chance to intervene, and the inmates can test the waters."

"Just go."

Ning Wei refused to agree.

"Don't panic. My friend is on his way."

"No one is coming!!!"

Cen Ji's voice suddenly spiked, so much so that she hacked up another large mouthful of blood right after she finished.

She wiped the corner of her mouth, staring at Ning Wei with exasperated frustration.

"No one is going to come save you."

"In this world, the only person who can save you is yourself."

Ning Wei froze for a moment before speaking up.

"What kind of stupid talk is that?"

"If that were true, how did you even survive..."

Despite saying that, deep down, he knew Cen Ji was right.

The relationship between him and Yan Jing was nothing more than master and subordinate.

This incident had already dragged in Summit ascenders, Ninth Tiers, and even the Great Prison Warden.

There was a very high chance Yan Jing wasn't going to show up.

In that case, his only remaining trump card was...

The three paintings Yan Jing had given him.

They were three blank canvases.

But according to Yan Jing, as long as he wanted to, he could paint anything on them. It didn't even need to be perfectly accurate, just a rough approximation, provided that the drawn entity didn't exceed Yan Jing's strength by too much, and that he had a clear memory of it in his mind.

He had actually already decided on one of them: he would paint Cen Ji's previous blade for her.

But he hadn't figured out the other two yet.

"What should I draw, what should I..."

His brain was a mess of mush as the figures of various powerhouses flashed through his mind.

He had to kill their two pursuers, but he couldn't exceed Yan Jing's level of strength.

He considered painting Wen Xu, but he had a nagging feeling that Wen Xu was watching him from somewhere. If he exposed Wen Xu's existence in front of everyone like this, he suspected Wen Xu would kill him before he even finished the drawing.

"Damn it, didn't you say my chance to reach the Summit was here?!"

He cursed viciously, and then abruptly froze.

Staring at the three paintings in his pocket.

He suddenly seemed to understand something.

"Fuck you all. I really mean it, fuck you all... why does everyone have to force me..."

He raised his head, glaring back at the two men chasing them at terrifying speeds. A vicious look twisted his face. He bit his fingertip open, using his blood as a brush, and pressed it against the canvas.

"Damn it! I'm going to reach the Summit, and I'm going to fuck you all up!!!"

His fingertip flicked, and a black cloak surfaced on the painting.

The cloak was tainted with a dreamlike radiance. The moment it appeared, the entire space began to destabilize. Countless illusory figures materialized in the air, lining up neatly behind the cloak.

This scene left Cen Ji stunned.

Because this cloak was far too familiar to her!

But it wasn't over yet. Ning Wei's fingertip flicked again.

This time, a lantern appeared in his hand.

The lantern did not emit a warm glow, but rather a dark green spectral light. When it appeared, the light of the entire sky seemed to dim along with it, and a great river carrying a heavy, oppressive aura emerged from the heavens, as if flowing from some unknowable realm.

Beside him, Cen Ji was even more shocked.

Her eyes widened as she stared at Ning Wei.

But Ning Wei was clearly possessed by madness, entirely oblivious to Cen Ji's gaze.

His mind was desperately trying to recall—recalling the exact appearance of the figure he hated the most.

A Black Robe, a lantern... and then...

...that scythe...

Rumble—

The instant his fingertip touched the canvas, a sea of lightning abruptly manifested in the sky above the Desolate Forest. Heavy rain poured down into the night. Amidst the downpour, Yan Jing looked at Huo Tong and praised, "Do you see? That is the true resolve of someone who wants to reach the Summit. I feel like I've learned quite a lot."

As his words faded, a single raindrop slid down the tips of his bangs.