"Wait, what?"
"I just woke up and saw this!"
"A Jing Yuan character PV? Old Yu, you didn't give us any heads-up for something this big!!?"
"Does this mean Jing Yuan is going into the gacha pool? I didn't misunderstand, right?!"
"Mother of god! Look at that!"
After a flurry of real-time bullet comments, the video began. The once-noisy crowd in the plaza fell into a sudden, deathly silence. Every eye was glued to the screen as if everyone had been frozen by a spell.
The atmosphere changed so fast that even Phantylia found it slightly eerie.
In the video, a lush, green courtyard appeared. Within it, an old man and a youth sat playing chess. It seemed like the beginning of a cliché story, but the two people were the pinnacle of the Xianzhou Luofu's combat power.
Jing Yuan and Yanqing!
Jing Yuan sat with one hand propping up his chin, his eyes half-closed as if he were on the verge of falling asleep. A small bird landed on a floating chess piece, further disturbing the drowsy General.
Letting out a yawn, Jing Yuan asked, "What's the matter? Still haven't figured it out?"
Yanqing's eyes lit up as he moved a piece. "Hmph! Your turn, General."
Jing Yuan stroked his chin. "Tsk, tsk... such aggression. Young people these days..."
As he spoke, he reached out and caught a falling ginkgo leaf between two fingers.
"Still..." He placed the leaf onto the board as a chess piece. "...too naive."
He stood up leisurely, hands clasped behind his back. The background music shifted from elegant, traditional melodies to the high-energy, stirring rhythm of a battle march!
"Chess is like war. Within a single game, the variations are infinite!"
Four Mara-struck monsters suddenly emerged from the bamboo forest ahead. As Jing Yuan's voice faded, he waved a hand. Imperial decrees unfurled like scrolls, and the entire screen was filled with golden light effects!
The plaza erupted in a wave of thunderous cheers!
"Holy crap, that is too cool!"
"The music gives off such a vibe of a strategist winning from a thousand miles away!!!"
"Yu Ling is absolutely slaying again!"
"Here it comes! It's coming!!!"
In the back, Phantylia frowned slightly. It's just a few Mara-struck fodder. Why are these people so excited? A bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well who have never seen the world.
The next moment, a golden flash erupted behind Jing Yuan. A massive chessboard spread out from beneath his feet, and the surrounding courtyard was completely replaced.
Only Jing Yuan and the Mara-struck soldiers remained. Jing Yuan stood on the "General" position of the board, while the Mara-struck occupied the "Pawn" positions on the opposite side.
This scene gave Phantylia a small startle!
Does he truly possess hidden strength? Can he manifest a battlefield into a chessboard? Is this the key to his eternal composure?
Phantylia's eyes glowed with a faint, ghostly light. She was going to watch this seriously now!
The background music reached a crescendo with rapid, drum-like beats, sounding like a horn for a general offensive. The onlookers clenched their fists, looking like they were ready to grab the nearby benches and brooms to charge into battle themselves.
As the tension peaked, Jing Yuan revealed his weaponthe array blade known as Before Dawn.
"Thunder... is here!"
Golden lightning surged across the blade. The front row of "Pawns" fell instantly. The "General" and "Advisors" in the back followed suit.
Highlight glints appeared in Jing Yuan's eyes. A golden Lightning-Lord manifested amidst the clouds. A massive blade swung down.
"Victory is determined thus."
Phantylia's knuckles tightened slightly. She had been fooled by the video!
It wasn't that Jing Yuan actually had the ability to summon a giant chessboard and force enemies into chess positions! It was a cinematic technique! It was used to represent Jing Yuan's nature as a strategist who treated war like a game of chess!
"Dammit..."
Suddenly, the fallen bodies began to twist and writhe. A massive, deer-like monster rose from behind them.
Seeing the Abundant Ebon Deer, Phantylia gave a cold sneer. "Finally, something interesting."
Jing Yuan stepped out from the illusion of the chess game. He whispered, "Time for a surprise move."
He raised Before Dawn above his head. His entire body was shrouded in golden lightning, surrounded by circling imperial decrees. Even the spiral clouds in the sky were dyed gold.
"Radiant spirit, heed my word."
The Lightning-Lord behind him raised its weapon in unison. At his command
"Show no mercy!"
A strike that seemed capable of splitting the heavens fell upon the world!
When he looked back, the Mara-struck and the Abundant Ebon Deer had all vanished. Only ginkgo leaves remained, drifting across the ground.
"Did you catch all that, Yanqing?"
"I remember it, General."
"Good. Once you've forgotten it all, you'll have completed your apprenticeship."
Jing Yuan patted Yanqing's shoulder and walked out of the courtyard.
"Eh? But Yanqing..."
"Ah! You stole another piece, General!"
The crowd burst into laughter. Phantylia, however, walked away with a cold expression.
Demonstrating Jing Yuan's ability? A world as a chessboard, stars as pieces?
That's it? Flowery words and nothing more!
Though the video was well-produced and the music was stirring, Phantylia had seen through the flamboyant exterior to the essence! Facing just a few Mara-struck and an Ebon Deer, he was forced to use the Lightning-Lord bestowed by the Hunt.
Jing Yuan, one of the Seven Arbiter-Generals... it seems he has no other tricks besides that spirit. The Divine Strategist is nothing more than this!
Having reached this conclusion, a thought bloomed in Phantylia's mind.
Jing Yuan, since you are so weak, why don't I grant you the power of Destruction? I shall turn you into a Voidranger. When that happens, the Luofu will fall into internal strife and collapse from within.
Yes, yes... that is the way that truly fits my aesthetics of destruction!
Now, only one problem remained. How could she lure Jing Yuan into the open? If he stayed behind the scenes, her plan couldn't be realized.
Just then, she received several messages. It was from Yukong, the Helmsman of the Sky-Faring Commission.
"Tingyun, where are you right now?"
"The Express crew is heading to the Shackling Prison to support General Jing Yuan. I recommended you as their guide."
"Reply as soon as you see this."
After reading the message, Phantylia's smile widened until it was almost uncontrollable!
"Truly... the heavens are helping me!"
"It seems luck is entirely on my side this time."
"The Xianzhou Luofu is destined to crumble and be utterly destroyed this day!"
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