Chapter 598: Game Kingdom (Two-in-One)

Chen Mingkai died, his head tumbling to the ground.

Chen Nian killed him.

Yet Chen Nian was also the one grieving.

Yan Jing watched the sorrow on Chen Nian's face with a calm gaze.

He had seen too many grieving people, yet there was always a new reason for sorrow.

Some things simply couldn't be asked unless the other party offered them first.

He felt Wen He's arms tighten around him, so he gently rested a paw in her palm.

Compared to Chen Nian, the fact that he and Wen He could still see each other made him undeniably fortunate.

"Pardon my display, Mr. Four."

Chen Nian looked at Yan Jing, his tone mild.

Yan Jing shook his head.

"I've seen things far more cruel and dramatic than this."

"You are the one who best understands the matters between you and your family."

Hearing Yan Jing's words, Chen Nian fell silent for a few seconds before turning to Chen Shi with a smile.

"Uncle Shi, what do we do next?"

Chen Shi seemed to have just snapped back to reality after Chen Mingkai's death. His eyes narrowed as he spoke.

"We take the offensive."

Whoosh.

As if a gust of wind had swept past, one of the eleven Bronze Lamps in the corner abruptly went out.

The man in the blood-red robe turned his head and raised an eyebrow at the seventh Bronze Lamp.

He had anticipated that the first lamp to go out wouldn't be the fifth.

But he truly hadn't expected it to be the seventh.

In his view, the ninth, eleventh, and fourth lamps were all far more likely to extinguish than the seventh.

However...

The world was unpredictable.

This was perfectly normal, too.

The man withdrew his gaze.

It was as if the one who had died wasn't his child.

Years ago, he had already entered a completely new realm.

He was only one step away from the ultimate Demigod Realm Stage.

The abundant divinity suppressed his emotions, long rendering him immune to any major emotional fluctuations over such matters.

Attain godhood on Advent Day.

This was his sole desire.

It didn't have to be him, but it had to be someone from the Chen Family.

With this thought, he picked the unburnt wick from the extinguished lamp, pondered for a moment, and placed it into the second lamp. In an extremely distant domain, the eyes of a man sitting on a General's Chair suddenly lit up.

The man wore armor. Beneath his short, pitch-black hair, his bright eyes and white teeth formed a sunny smile.

At this moment, he could feel the Blood Value within his body rising, and at no slow pace.

He knew one of his siblings had died.

Yet he wasn't sad in the slightest; instead, he laughed happily.

His father had chosen him.

Naturally, it was the right choice.

He stood up, waves of power blossoming from his body in radiating ripples.

His aura surged in tandem, reaching the peak of the heavens under the terrified gazes of the subordinates flanking him.

Tenth Tier.

A Tenth Tier in the truest sense.

He had only been a hair's breadth away before, but now he completely crossed that threshold, stepping into the position of a Divine Envoy.

Below him, everyone dropped to one knee in submission.

"Congratulations to the Second Young Master for ascending to the Tenth Tier! Our Lord is mighty!!!"

Their voices echoed throughout the tent.

The man laughed.

He had finally taken this step.

It proved that all his usual sycophancy in front of his father had not been in vain.

"Turn around!"

He looked at his lieutenant.

The lieutenant froze.

According to the man's previous plan, the east and west sides of their current domain were flanked by Space Rifts, while the south bordered the First Young Master of the Chen Family. To avoid his sharp edge, they were supposed to march north, aiming straight for the Eighth Young Master, who was clearly much weaker.

But now, the man was ordering them to turn around.

This obviously meant...

A moment later, the lieutenant snapped to his senses and immediately issued orders for the troops to reverse their march.

Clearly, the man felt his current strength was enough to deal with the Chen Family's First Young Master, and he didn't want to risk any further delays.

They waited for a few seconds, but saw no reaction from Chen Nian.

Chen Shi sighed.

Although he had long known that the patriarch would never place his hopes on Chen Nian, it still felt regrettable to see it actually happen. If Chen Nian's Blood Value could return to its peak, their chances of success this time would be much greater.

"Your bloodline power can actually work like this?" Yan Jing had just learned about this aspect of the Blood War from their explanation. "That's why I told you, Mr. Four, that a bloodline is given by one's parents—it isn't truly yours." Chen Nian remained calm.

"Since they can give it to you, they can naturally take it back after you die."

"One thing is certain." Chen Shi's face darkened.

"One of the young masters must have stepped into the Tenth Tier by now."

This was undoubtedly bad news.

Their side was already the weakest, and they also had to face this unreasonable distribution. If they dragged this out into the late stages, it was highly likely to create a monster.

Yan Jing understood.

Perhaps not killing Chen Hong also had this kind of consideration behind it.

But Chen Mingkai absolutely had to die, which was enough to show just how much Chen Nian hated him.

"Wait, if your father never gives the Blood Value to you, then at the very end, wouldn't that be equivalent to..."

Yan Jing blinked and looked at Chen Nian.

Chen Nian nodded.

"We will face a monster."

"That's great." Yan Jing smiled, an unexpected hint of excitement in his eyes.

He seemed to be looking forward to it.

Chen Shi took all of this in, not daring to speak.

This friend of their young master clearly wasn't a normal person either.

"Let's go. To the Stone Door."

Since they had decided to take the initiative, Chen Nian didn't hesitate anymore, calling everyone to head for the Stone Door.

Because of Wen Xu's presence, no matter how the Stone Door moved now, it couldn't escape their sight.

When they followed the information Wen Xu sent and arrived at the Stone Door, they found him sitting cross-legged on a massive boulder, appearing to be resting his eyes. "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

The group turned their heads in confusion.

It sounded like wind was blowing through this place.

A very strong wind, at that.

Yet there was absolutely no wind at all.

Everyone who came here was at least at the Summit level; it was impossible for them to misperceive it.

Bai Chen and Bai Yue, in particular, were absolutely certain that it was the sound of wind, but they truly couldn't feel its physical presence.

That was, until Chen Nian spoke up softly.

"Mr. Wen has linked himself with this land. He is feeling it, comprehending the Dao."

The moment they heard "comprehending the Dao," everyone's hearts jolted.

It was such a distant concept. Legend had it that in the distant time of Before the Severed Era, any instance of comprehending the Dao was incomparably precious.

And even now, the immense value of this term had never diminished.

To comprehend the Dao meant one was gaining enlightenment regarding one's own path.

Just as they were hesitating over whether they should wake Wen Xu, their vision suddenly blurred, and an ancient Stone Door appeared before their eyes. The craftsmanship, seemingly carved by rough blades and axes, was rugged and wild, exuding a primordial aura.

It seemed this door also originated from an era long past.

Stone after stone floated up in front of them, arranging themselves into words.

"Where to?"

Chen Shi narrowed his eyes.

This door wasn't something that could just take you wherever you wanted to go.

But for Wen Xu to ask this now, there was clearly only one possibility.

He had already grasped the true way to use this door.

"The Game Kingdom, Mr. Wen."

Chen Nian spoke softly.

As soon as his voice fell, a brilliant light erupted from the Stone Door before them, and a swirling vortex materialized within it.

"Five people may enter."

The stones in the air shifted once more.

Chen Nian looked at the group and quickly made a decision.

He was definitely going, and then there was Chen Chunshui, who also had to go as a Tenth Tier.

Then he looked at Mao Si, his gaze carrying an inquiry.

Yan Jing gladly nodded, accepting the silent offer.

Since he was going, Wen He wanted to tag along too.

Yan Jing couldn't refuse Wen He, making it four people in total.

For the last person, Chen Nian originally wanted to choose Chen Shi, but Yan Jing offered his own suggestion.

"Choose Huo Tong."

Yan Jing said.

"This girl is excellent. She's the trailblazing general of our Ship. When it comes to conquering and seizing territory, she should be the most suitable one."

Chen Nian nodded.

With that, the five members were finalized, and they stepped into the Stone Door.

At the exact moment they stepped through, everyone's vision instantly plunged into darkness.

No one panicked. Chen Shi had conducted experiments on this beforehand and had long since informed them that this was a normal reaction.

It wasn't until the darkness reached an extreme limit, and they felt their bodies tightly bound, that Yan Jing raised his hand.

Just a light swipe of his paw.

Crash!!!

The pitch-black expanse in front of them acted like a mirror. Fissures appeared in its center before it completely shattered.

Their vision suddenly brightened, the world spinning wildly around them. By the time they opened their eyes again, they had arrived in a completely different domain.

At their feet lay a scattering of crushed stones.

These fragments were originally a whole, wheel-sized stone, the very same one they had just emerged from.

"Mr. Wen has improved again."

Chen Nian remarked softly.

According to Chen Shi's experience, relying on the Stone Door required someone to infiltrate the domain ahead of time carrying Weird Energy.

But Wen Xu had directly teleported them right to where they wanted to go.

It seemed that as long as there were stones at the destination, he could achieve this.

"He is completing his own path. He isn't far from the Demigod Realm now."

Chen Nian made his judgment.

Soon after, the group surveyed the domain before them.

It didn't seem any different from an ordinary domain.

They appeared to be in a deserted, mountainous wilderness with hardly a sign of human life.

After a brief discussion, they concealed their auras and headed down the mountain.

"The Game Kingdom is located within the Heavenly Kingdom. The rules here are quite different from other places."

Chen Nian calmly explained it to the rest of the group.

"Unless you are in the Demigod Realm, combat is prohibited here."

"Combat is prohibited... What does that mean?"

Huo Tong frowned.

She thought she had been brought here specifically to fight, but to be told she was essentially barred from fighting before they even started left her feeling a little uneasy.

"Exactly what it sounds like." Chen Nian's voice beneath his mask was hoarse.

"The rule here is that you cannot actively deal damage to others."

"You can stun someone or make them fall asleep, but you cannot do anything that might endanger their safety."

"That's why this domain is known as the easiest to defend and hardest to attack out of all the domains."

"So you're saying the person assigned to this domain is highly favored in your family?" Yan Jing laughed.

"It's my Fourth Sister."

Chen Nian coughed twice.

They hadn't seen each other in so long, yet Chen Nian's old ailment didn't seem to have cured, leaving him to cough frequently.

"She and Second Brother are the ones our father dotes on the most at home."

"Followed by First Brother and First Sister."

"I've actually always wanted to ask: this First Brother and First Sister... how are they ranked?"

Yan Jing asked.

Normally, there were two common ways to handle these titles.

If there was a First Brother and a First Sister, it should mean they were ranked separately by gender.

But there was also a Ninth Sister, and it was impossible for there to be nine girls among eleven siblings, which implied they were ranked together regardless of gender.

"They are both extremely domineering people." Chen Nian's gaze was calm.

"They're twins, a boy and a girl. Neither is willing to acknowledge the other as the eldest, so they simply share the same standing."

"Our family doesn't have an eleventh child. With two eldest, the youngest is the tenth."

As he spoke, Chen Nian's footsteps came to a halt.

Up ahead, the very first figure they had encountered since arriving in this domain appeared before them.

It was an old man in farmer's clothes walking along the country path, a hoe slung over his shoulder.

"None of you move yet. Let me demonstrate the rules of this domain for you."

Saying that, Chen Nian walked straight toward the old man.

The moment he drew near, the old man lifted his head. He stared at Chen Nian, his eyes practically gleaming.

"Care for a round?"

The old man looked at Chen Nian.

Chen Nian nodded.

"A round it is."

"Come on then!"

The old man spoke, suddenly sweeping his hoe out in front of Chen Nian.

Then, something magical happened. Affixed to the tip of that hoe was clearly an electronic screen.

In an instant, a blue light bloomed, engulfing the two of them.

In the distance, Yan Jing looked at this familiar blue light and fell into deep thought.

He had seen this thing before.

In fact, he felt like he had even played it.

{The game has begun!}

{Current Game: Rock Paper Scissors — Death Edition}

{Game Rules:

Simple and brutal game rules!!!

Both sides will play Rock Paper Scissors

The losing side will suffer the Rock Paper Scissors punishment

Note: If both sides tie for three rounds, the game will end

Rock Paper Scissors will begin in three seconds

When the red light stops flashing, please confirm your gesture}

"Let's call it a draw." Chen Nian looked at the old man, his voice hoarse.

"You can't win."

"A draw?!" The old man rolled up his sleeves, instantly refusing to accept it.

"Are you insulting me?!"

"Then bring it on."

Right as the two conversed, the red light stopped flashing.

Both of them threw their gestures.

"Little Jing, what would you throw?"

Wen He's head was buried in Yan Jing's fur as she whispered.

"Rock."

Yan Jing replied.

The old man opposite them had employed three distinct tricks.

First, he delayed his throw for as long as possible. He brought his hand down first, but it wasn't rock, nor was it scissors or paper. It was a "nail." Yes, a middle finger.

This was to bait his opponent into throwing their gesture first.

Then, he would seize the opportunity to change his own.

But this was actually a fake-out.

The final gesture he showed wouldn't be a standard one either. His real killing move was hidden in his other hand tucked behind his back, which formed a standard gesture to seize the absolute advantage.

The last trick was an ability.

It seemed to be activated through the hoe in his hands, allowing him to read his opponent's mind.

The opponent was clearly a veteran of this game, showing utmost proficiency the moment he made his move.

But...

His tier was too low.

His movements were too slow.

For someone of a high tier, there was actually only one trick to this game.

See through the hand hidden behind the opponent's back, and change your own gesture at the very last fraction of a second.

As long as your movements were fast enough.

You would win.

"Really? I thought it would be paper."

Wen He muttered quietly after hearing Yan Jing's answer.

Looking at it this way, there was still a considerable gap between her and Yan Jing.

Moreover, this domain was more dangerous than they had imagined. Just some random old man popping up almost made her fall for a trick.

In the next second, the red light vanished.

It revealed Chen Nian's and the old man's gestures.

Wen He froze.

Chen Nian had indeed thrown rock.

But that wasn't what surprised her.

What surprised her was that the opponent had also thrown rock.

"There's a reason Old Chen isn't favored by his father."

Yan Jing shifted his position in Wen He's embrace, his tail brushing against her chest.