Chapter 383: The Awakening of the Cosmic Chessboard

Boom, boom, boom—the pounding of a heart echoed like thunder in a desolate void, relentless and raging.

Waves of sound burst around Li Che’s eardrums without cease.

Li Che’s Star Plucking Gaze shone from between his brows, his left and right eyes wide open as dark and light lines danced vividly.

Everything in the world seemed unable to hide from his sight; he saw every detail with piercing clarity.

A fierce gust suddenly whipped up, howling and swirling, causing the towering Paotao trees that reached 300 zhang into the clouds to sway violently and shower a cascade of leaves like a rain of peach leaves.

Li Che’s black hair and robe flapped in unison, caught by the wind and flowing in one direction.

Chess Sage Dao Fruit!

As the stars shifted, it finally underwent its fourth transformation!

Li Che exhaled deeply, a subtle smile curving his lips.

This time, his participation in the Paotao Festival was perfectly timed.

Of course, it was mainly due to capturing the power of the Kunlun Mirror from the Heavenly Dome above.

Through that mirror’s might, he sensed the divine weapon of the Three Pure Ones…

Only by refining that energy could the Chess Sage Dao Fruit transform!

Moreover—

Li Che’s eyes glowed brilliantly like a dazzling sun. He could still recall the fruit’s frantic pulsation and wild feedback!

“Help me—”

“Help me—!!!!”

The very instant Li Che’s thought emerged, the Dao Fruit in his chest, already excitedly beating, grew even more fervent, its roar echoing like rolling thunder!

Li Che tilted his head back, his fiery gaze sweeping around as if searching for the source of that sound.

Where, exactly, was that sound coming from?

He had already reached the Seven-Thousand-Year Paotao Garden…

Yet the sound’s origin remained elusive?

Why would this sound attract the Chess Sage Dao Fruit?

And why was he able to capture it?

Every inhalation and exhalation thundered in his ears as he furrowed his brow, pondering: Could this sound be coming from the Kunlun Mirror atop the Heavenly Dome?

But somehow, it didn’t seem so…

What on earth is that sound?!

Li Che’s mind raced in myriad directions until, suddenly, he was jolted awake.

“Have I been… thrown off balance?! This sound—it seems to carry a disruptive power over one’s mind!”

Li Che’s eyes narrowed.

“I must not let my emotions be swayed; what I gain is fortune, what I lose is fate. I should not be tossed about by this at all.”

Li Che calmed his spirit, exhaling a thick, mist-like stream.

In that instant, all sound vanished as if swallowed by nothingness—the world became serenely clear, with a sky as pure as washed blue.

Only the steady beat of the 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit remained by his ear.

Buzz—!!!

“It’s here!”

In that moment, Li Che’s eyes snapped open.

His entire being trembled violently as an overwhelming force tugged at his soul without resistance.

It was as if countless stars were spinning wildly, their glimmers dazzling and breathtaking!

When the vision cleared, it revealed a vast, primeval Dao Tree looming in the boundless space.

The ancient tree stretched across heaven and earth; clouds were pierced and shattered, forming circular, tumultuous layers while its branches and leaves shone like polished glass!

Having seen this many times before, Li Che was already familiar with its ways.

He no longer marveled at the Dao Tree as he once had.

Yet compared to the Dao Tree, the 300-zhang Seven-Thousand-Year Paotao trees in the Paotao Garden looked as tender as newly sprouted saplings.

His gaze instantly fixed on the Chess Sage Dao Fruit, emanating a dark and bright aura.

The fruit hung heavily, its swaying producing sounds reminiscent of colliding chess pieces.

Li Che spread his arms and surged forward in a flash, as if appearing right before the enormous Dao Fruit.

The fruit displayed shades of darkness and light, much like the dual-toned Underworld Yama Mask Li Che wore daily.

A terrifying gust howled past.

The very space seemed to wrinkle like translucent folds under that wind, as if time and the cosmos themselves were trembling.

This wind—

Could it be the Devastating Wind, one of the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations?!

But Li Che quickly dismissed that thought.

This unseen wind, which made even time wrinkle, was far more dreadful than the Devastating Wind of the calamities!

It was a terrifying force of catastrophe that Li Che couldn’t comprehend.

The Dao Fruit swayed relentlessly under such a fearsome gale.

Slowly, its outer skin began to peel away.

As the skin fell off, it morphed endlessly, almost like dough being kneaded.

At last!

It unfolded, transforming into——

A chessboard!

Indeed, a chessboard!

It emanated a faint glow as it floated, bearing a striking resemblance to the Cosmic Chessboard,

yet with vast differences!

For at the center of this board sat a chess piece—a white piece, cleanly split into two halves!

As if——

One half belonged to the mortal realm, the other—

Just one glimpse, and it felt as though that fragment might steal one’s very soul!

Faintly, Li Che thought he saw on the reverse side of the peeling fruit-turned-chessboard a chess master whose face mirrored that of heaven and earth.

An awe-inspiring vision!

As if a true celestial being had descended!

With a resounding slap, the central piece moved!

The chess piece split in two.

Everything before Li Che shattered into fragments; his consciousness was obliterated, ejecting him from the Dao Tree Space.

Back in the Paotao Garden, the 300-zhang Seven-Thousand-Year Paotao trees rose into the clouds, gently swaying.

After the raging winds subsided into a soft breeze, the trees swayed gracefully, exuding an elegant warmth.

Li Che felt as though a blur in his mind had been cleaved apart—like the Mud Pellet at his brow being snapped.

It was as if someone had flicked it with a mere finger.

For a moment, he was completely disoriented.

But soon Li Che grasped the situation; his brow furrowed as he realized that this time the Dao Fruit’s peeling had indeed transformed into a chessboard…

A second chessboard?

Wouldn’t that coincide with the Cosmic Chessboard?

Li Che exhaled, his spirit quivering.

Before his eyes, a white light slowly materialized.

[Dao Fruit Iv6 – Fourth Transformation: Divine Power (Wuji) Advancement, Dao Induction Manifestation (Heaven-Defying Half-step)]

Boom—!!!

The converging light piled up before him incessantly.

Li Che felt as though the board’s lines were slicing his eyes apart.

He sat cross-legged as a thought stirred within him.

It was as if a chessboard beneath him was spreading out—its expansion far more controlled than the Cosmic Chessboard that freely shields one’s aura.

This board felt oddly reminiscent of the Divine Domain once exerted by Zhang Xuanyu after expending all his strength and divinity.

It was as if it transformed his immediate surroundings into a secluded realm.

Dao Induction!

A brand-new Dao Induction!

Heaven-Defying Half-step!

Li Che’s breaths came faster; the very name of this Dao Induction stirred his soul, filling him with inexplicable excitement.

[Dao Induction (Heaven-Defying Half-step)]: The fruit’s peeling is drawn into the Dao, making the gods kneel before the heavens.

The true words of the Dao Induction appeared before his eyes, as if painted in ink before him.

Li Che couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

For a moment, he was at a loss, unable to grasp the true essence of this Dao Induction!

Suddenly, another line of white light emerged before Li Che’s eyes.

[Heaven-Defying Half-step: Heavenly Dao Domain (Ten Chi)]

A ten-chi domain…

Li Che scanned the chessboard beneath him.

It measured ten chi on each side, its grid intricately interwoven.

Entirely different from the Cosmic Chessboard.

With a subtle shift in his gaze, Li Che flicked his finger and Yue Huanglong’s Spiritual Confinement chess piece appeared.

He intended Yue Huanglong to help him decipher the new Dao Induction [Heaven-Defying Half-step] technique.

After a brief study, clarity dawned on him.

“So that’s it—” Truly, it bore a striking resemblance to Zhang Xuanyu’s Divine Domain. Within this ten-chi realm, I surpass the heavens—with a mere half-step, unleashing heavenly might!”

Li Che burst into laughter.

Inside the Heavenly Dao Domain of the ten-chi chessboard, any cultivator stronger than Li Che would have their cultivation reversed,

plummeting to a level inferior to his by half a step for ten breaths.

It was a change in realm, not merely battle power…

For instance, Li Che’s current Pure Martial Arts state was only at the early Martial Saint stage; anyone even half a level below him…

Even Lü Taibai would be sent flying with a single slap.

Moreover, Li Che now commanded a pressure far greater than that exerted by the Temple Spirit’s rank—a heavenly might to behold!

Before this divine might, all gods would bow!

Naturally, this pressure would intensify as the Heavenly Dao Domain (Heaven-Defying Half-step) expanded!

However, Li Che realized that if his target’s cultivation far exceeded his own, the effect might last only fleetingly and then vanish——

For instance, if Li Che were to target the Grand Inspector, it would likely fail.

Li Che was convinced that the Grand Inspector was a true cultivator at the divine calamity stage.

As for which level of divine calamity, how many tribulations he had overcome—Li Che could not say.

“Heaven-Defying Half-step, ten-chi Dao Domain—should I expand the domain further?”

The very thought stirred the domain beneath him, and suddenly, half a chess piece materialized before his eyes.

Whoosh—the chess piece floated, emitting a faint glow.

Then, in the next moment, Li Che felt an unbearably terrifying pressure, as if a true celestial being from the Heavenly Dome were casting a gaze that no mortal should ever face, compelling one to bow in submission!

The air itself seemed to collapse in that instant, forming a vacuum within the ten-chi space.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Li Che’s ears rang with a pulsing tinnitus.

It was the pressure surpassing his limits.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”

Li Che panted heavily.

A look of astonishment and suspicion flashed in his eyes.

Gazing at the half-split white chess piece floating before him—perfectly cleaved as though by a razor—

Li Che stretched out his hand, fingers spread, and pressed down on the piece.

Blood and energy surged; his divine might roared!

His flesh vibrated like a trembling elixir pill, the Mud Pellet of his brow seemingly roaring with life!

Suddenly, Li Che erupted with power; veins on his arm bulged like coiled dragons as he pressed the white chess piece down.

It felt as though, with that pressure, the Heavenly Dao Domain beneath him would gradually expand.

Like compressing a spring and watching it swell.

However—

He could only rely on his unaugmented strength.

When Li Che sensed his power was insufficient, he instinctively planned to ignite his Divine Seed—but

It was as if he were locked out; he couldn’t trigger his Divine Seed, as if its connection had been severed.

In short, Li Che had to rely purely on his physical strength, without any external augmentation.

“It appears that only by advancing my Martial Arts and divine cultivation—or by refining my body—can I press down on this half chess piece to further expand the Heavenly Dao Domain.”

A flicker of relief passed over Li Che’s face.

Now that he understood how to expand the domain, there was no need to worry—he only had to continue strengthening himself.

Whoosh—Li Che’s eyes fluttered open, his jet-black, vigorous hair gently flowing under the Paotao trees.

His eyes sparkled with a crystalline light.

In high spirits and brimming with joy,

the Chess Sage Dao Fruit held immense significance for Li Che. Since its inception, it had aided him immeasurably.

Thanks to the Chess Sage Dao Fruit, Li Che could walk out of Feilei City with ease and accomplish deeds that would have made gods and men seethe.

Now, with the Dao Fruit having undergone the fourth transformation, Li Che’s path to enlightenment took a resolute step forward.

Yet Li Che remained seated.

His spirit delved deep into the Cosmic Chessboard.

Lines interwove in a vibrant display—clear and robust.

Along with the transformation of the Chess Sage Dao Fruit, the Cosmic Chessboard itself grew even more formidable, intensifying its suppression, breath-convergence, and refining powers!

From Yue Huanglong’s Spiritual Confinement chess piece, a much thicker Kunlun Mirror energy beam was drawn forth, suspended in midair and swaying like a loose thread in the wind.

At that moment, Li Che’s spirit stirred as he began the refining process.

Accompanied by a deep roar, the refining pace accelerated considerably compared to before.

Previously, refining the Kunlun Mirror’s energy was a laborious task, but now it progressed much faster.

Li Che’s eyes lit up suddenly.

He raised his hand and tapped his brow.

The Cosmic Chessboard surged upward rapidly, climbing 300 zhang straight into the sky.

Beneath the dome of the Chessboard,

Li Che’s muscles trembled in unison; every sinew seemed to unveil blue veins like coiled dragons beneath his skin.

In his dantian, within the crevices of his flesh’s elixir pill, golden energy surged continuously.

This golden energy coalesced into a golden pool, churning with surging waves and shimmering brilliantly.

Li Che then retrieved the Seven-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Paotao and began to savor it unhurriedly.

The taste was exquisitely sweet, incredibly soft; its rich nectar burst like a water balloon in his mouth, drenching his senses with sugary juice.

In an instant, his physical form revived as he ravenously absorbed the terrifying vital energy contained within the Paotao!

The Dragon Blood Paotao’s foremost purpose was to replenish blood!

It rapidly enhanced and bolstered his vital energy!

Li Che could clearly feel the Paotao’s flesh entering his stomach, his stomach muscles contracting like a blazing furnace, instantly converting the fruit’s essence into energy surging into his dantian.

It refueled his Qi Sea.

Originally, Li Che’s Pure Martial Golden Pool Qi Sea spanned barely a hundred zhang, but now it expanded rapidly, nearly growing a zhang with every breath.

Ten breaths meant an expansion of ten zhang; a hundred breaths, a hundred zhang!

Crack, crack—Li Che devoured the entire Paotao.

The delicious flavor almost made his tongue numb.

So tasty.

He craved more.

Alas, there was no chance to pick another Paotao.

Moreover, there were only six Seven-Thousand-Year Paotaos in total; having picked and eaten one,

only five remained…

“Eh? There are still five?”

Li Che licked his lips.

“For the third round, advancing to the fourth round, from the Seven-Thousand-Year Paotao Grove to the Nine-Thousand-Year Paotao Grove—we only need to gather three Paotaos. Leaving four behind is more than enough.”

“Too many would be wasteful. Better let my stomach keep them safe—no chance of loss.”

Before proceeding, Li Che’s mind stirred once more.

As the Cosmic Chessboard expanded, he drew closer to that brilliant, radiant sun.

Its intense, resplendent light continuously emanated from the Kunlun Mirror.

Li Che began to try capturing it.

Moments later, he successfully captured a significantly stronger beam of Kunlun Death Light.

Indeed, Li Che named this captured beam the 【Kunlun Death Light】.

Taking advantage of the interval during which the Cosmic Chessboard suppressed and refined the Kunlun Death Light,

Li Che stood up and headed toward the next Dragon Blood Paotao tree.

In his dantian, the stomach’s rhythmic contractions continued to refine the Paotao flesh, expanding his Pure Martial Golden Pool.

In just that short while, his Golden Pool expanded to roughly 500 zhang.

Li Che believed that one Paotao could extend his Golden Pool by about 800 zhang.

One Seven-Thousand-Year Paotao was incredibly potent!

It rivaled even the best heavenly pills from the Four Supreme Realms, yet refined much faster with far less wasteful consumption.

Because he had already used the Spiritual Confinement technique to harvest the Paotao,

if Li Che attempted to summon Spiritual Confinement again to pluck another, the Kunlun Death Light would instantly obliterate him.

After some thought, Li Che summoned the Little Yinglong King—

In a previous battle, the Little Yinglong King had suffered severe injuries, and now Li Che needed to repair it.

The Iv5 Painted Immortal Dao Fruit might not fully replicate the peerless Mechanical Beast Little Yinglong King,

but it could reproduce several of its parts.

After replicating the components and replacing the damaged parts of the Little Yinglong King, the repair was complete.

It was incredibly fast!

Boom—!!!

The Little Yinglong King let out a roar, soaring upward and flapping its wings as it dashed toward the Paotao.

The fierce beast guarding the Paotao rushed out, only to be severely injured by a single tail swipe from the Little Yinglong King, and it immediately scampered off.

Sure enough, by no longer using Spiritual Confinement to harvest the Paotao, the Kunlun Mirror ceased projecting Kunlun Death Light.

Li Che secured a second Dragon Blood Paotao, his face nearly bursting into a smile.

Paotao Garden—what a wonderful place.

He wiped the vivid red Paotao on his robe and then took a massive bite.

Li Che sat cross-legged.

While eating the Paotao, he refined the Kunlun Death Light.

It was a moment of serenity.

In the Five-Thousand-Year Paotao Garden,

scorching hot currents surged unceasingly.

The ground lay in shambles, utterly devastated.

The pitted, cracked surface was riddled with fissures, and many divine weapons lay shattered and scattered.

Ning Cai, covered in blood and with a determined yet discontented look in her eyes, finally sighed.

She extracted the Paotao and tossed it to the Jade Guanyin of the South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove.

Jade Guanyin held a purple bamboo in one hand and smiled gracefully, saying, “Thank you.”

Soon after, Ning Cai collapsed to the ground, but in that moment of falling, her spirit stirred and she chose to withdraw.

Elsewhere,

At the Bashu Sword Pavilion, the foremost hero Gu Bajian, impaled by eight broken swords and teetering on the verge of collapse, coughed up blood, his face ghastly white.

Opposite him,

Goldmane clasped his arms, a sword-scar across his face slowly healing.

“To think you could wound me—your sword should be a source of pride.”

“Leave the Paotao and retreat.”

Gu Bajian wiped the blood from his lips, nodded, and without delay, retrieved a Paotao which he flung away.

Then, like Ning Cai, he withdrew from this hero contest.

Lastly, Lu Shiyi of Haoran Academy suffered defeat even earlier—leaning against the trunk of a Paotao tree, his back impaled by an eight-ring Golden Staff.

“Amitabha, thank you for the Paotao gift.”

Undoubtedly,

the combined might of the three top heroes of the Divine Sect ultimately fell short.

Goldmane, Jialuo Monk, and Jade Guanyin from South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove formed a formidable trio.

Meanwhile, Long Zi Aoyuan, Zhou Chiguo, and the foremost hero of the Dragon and Tiger Divine Sect, Zhao Jun, clashed with heroes from the three great eternal families.

After a fierce battle that left both sides wounded, the fight concluded in mutual defeat.

Zhou Chiguo lost his divine weapon—the White Jade Pipa—so much that his power was greatly diminished. Victory in this battle was hard-earned.

Then, after their triumph, as they seized Paotaos from the heroes of the three great families—Ji Chen, Yue Wanglou, and Gongshu Changong—

the roaring winds and immense pressure spread out.

Soon, three figures emerged from the depths of the Paotao Grove: Goldmane, Jialuo Monk, and Jade Guanyin.

Zhou Chiguo, Long Zi Aoyuan, and Zhao Jun exchanged a glance and sighed.

It was evident; they already knew the outcome.

The valor of Goldmane and his allies clearly surpassed their own at this moment.

This battle was without surprise.

Zhou Chiguo and his mates attempted to fight back, but the end was tragic—they were utterly crushed.

When Zhou Chiguo faced Goldmane, upon learning he was a disciple of Ji Mo Li, Goldmane’s eyes lit up and he unleashed his full fury, nearly killing Zhou Chiguo outright.

In the end, Goldmane’s fingers pinched Zhou Chiguo and plucked two Paotaos from him before casually tossing him aside like an old rag.

“A disciple of Ji Mo Li—so weak!”

“Useless.”

Goldmane raged with arrogance, while Zhou Chiguo, bruised and battered, clenched his teeth in silent fury.

Had Li Che not stolen his [Pudu Vajra King Fire-Water Wind Pipa] and reduced his power so drastically, he would never have fallen so low!

That arrogant Goldmane was utterly detestable!

And Li Che, who took away his White Jade Pipa, was even more loathsome!

Besides Zhou Chiguo’s miserable end, Long Zi Aoyuan of the Dragon God Clan fared even worse.

When Long Zi Aoyuan clashed with the monk Jialuo, he nearly was transformed into a mount!

Jialuo’s eyes gleamed upon seeing Long Zi Aoyuan—intending to recruit him as his celestial dragon.

But Long Zi Aoyuan, on the verge of being subdued and transformed, chose to forsake the chance and hurled a Paotao away, barely escaping—

He might have been trampled underfoot otherwise.

And as for Jade Guanyin,

there was no contest—the foremost hero of the Dragon and Tiger Divine Sect, Zhao Jun, wisely surrendered without hesitation.

Boom, boom, boom—a resounding announcement echoed: “The top hero of Witch God Mountain, Goldmane, has gathered five Five-Thousand-Year Paotaos and ascended to the Seven-Thousand-Year Paotao Garden.”

“And the top hero of the Western Region’s Buddhist Heavenly Kingdom, Jialuo Monk—”

The announcement reverberated like a deep bell and somber drum.

It signified that the three spots in the Five-Thousand-Year Paotao Garden were now decided.

These three would compete with Li Che, who had already ascended to the Seven-Thousand-Year Paotao Garden, for the sole slot in the Nine-Thousand-Year Paotao Garden.

A contest for—

the leader of heroes!

In Divine Capital Second City,

with the sun low in the west and clouds piled high, the setting sun bathed the land in hues of gold and crimson.

It was a timeless spring—clouds and mist rising in unison.

On Jade Plaza,

the Heavenly River’s waterfall cascaded, illuminating the events and results of the grand hero contest in the Western Queen Mother Bizarre Temple.

Amid interwoven displays of divine might, the defeated heroes were promptly teleported out of the temple empty-handed, not a single Paotao in their grasp.

Those who endured the brutal battles returned in a sorry state, grievously injured.

However, almost immediately, Eunuch Lian of Purple-Clad Diao Si appeared, producing precious pills to help the injured heroes recover.

After completing his tasks, Eunuch Lian couldn’t wait to gaze at the Heavenly River’s cascade.

Reflected on the waterfall was the scene outside the Seven-Thousand-Year Paotao Garden.

Goldmane, Jialuo Monk, and Jade Guanyin all appeared simultaneously.

The trio who had once cooperated in the Five-Thousand-Year Paotao Garden now saw their alliance vanish, replaced by mutual wariness.

They all knew that soon enough, they would be fierce competitors.

To ascend to the Nine-Thousand-Year Paotao Garden, one must secure three Seven-Thousand-Year Paotaos—

Among the four heroes, only one could prevail!

Thus, the ensuing struggle would be even more brutal than the second round!

In the fourth round, no hero was a pushover!

Even Li Che, who had ascended early, was acknowledged by Goldmane and his allies as being no pushover.

After all, the fact that Goldmane and his cohort encountered no one like Zhang Xuanlei and his companions in the second round clearly indicated—

Li Che single-handedly defeated the three top heroes of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect!

Zhang Xuanlei, Zhang Xuanhe, and Zhang Xuanyu were by no means weak.

They could even team up with Goldmane for a fierce matchup.

Yet Li Che had effortlessly bested them all.

Suddenly,

a clamor erupted above on Jade Plaza.

“Donor Jin, this Li Bansheng is unfathomably powerful. In both the first and second rounds, he advanced at incredible speed.”

“My cooperation with you in the second round was most enjoyable. How about we continue our teamwork in the third round? Let’s defeat this mysterious Li Bansheng first!”

Jialuo Monk, clutching his eight-ring Golden Staff, laughed as he proposed this from outside the gate of the Seven-Thousand-Year Paotao Garden.

That very proposal drew gasps.

Unexpectedly, Goldmane, arms folded, shot a sidelong glance at Jialuo Monk.

“Don’t you know about the bet between me and Li Che?”

“Are you insulting me?!”

Goldmane’s hair seemed to flare as he roared, “I don’t need cooperation. Once I enter the Paotao Garden, I’ll go straight to finding Li Che—”

“I’ll settle the score with him and complete our wager.”

“As for you—”

“You go find that woman with the purple bamboo!”

Goldmane declared with unbridled arrogance.

“You settle your duel with her—then wait for me! I’ll defeat whichever one emerges victorious between you two,

and ultimately claim the right to harvest from the Nine-Thousand-Year Paotao Garden!”

“Then, I’ll drag the shameful Jin Taisui back to demand accountability!”

Goldmane’s excitement mounted as he roared.

In the next moment, an overwhelming aura burst forth from him; Goldmane soared like a golden lion, roaring mightily.

“Li Che!”

“I’m coming!”

“Stop hiding—face me openly in a fair fight!”

Goldmane couldn’t help but howl to the heavens, his heart ablaze with emotion.

Jialuo Monk was silent.

A foolish brute.

Soon, Jialuo Monk resolutely abandoned any idea of persuading Goldmane with sentiment or reason.

He exchanged a look with Jade Guanyin, and the two silently conferred.

Only Goldmane remained defiantly arrogant.

Then, as the trio waited, ethereal mists of immortal aura surged upward; the gate of the Seven-Thousand-Year Paotao Garden was forcefully thrown open by the cascading celestial energy!

Countless wisps of immortal aura poured in, intermixed with the rich fragrance of ripe Paotaos spilling out like a roaring stream.

“So… so fragrant!”

“It’s as if a Paotao has been bitten open, releasing its scent in full splendor!”

“But this aroma—it’s too intense… how can it be so overpowering?”

A strange feeling crept into all three of them.

“The third round of the hero contest has begun.”

The gate swung wide open.

On the main banquet platform of Jade Plaza,

the Empress sat regally beside the Emperor, her clear voice resonating.

Her voice traveled through the cascade of the Heavenly River, reaching deep into the Bizarre Temple.

The Empress wore an elegant smile.

Suddenly, her smile froze.

A flash of exasperation—and anger—crossed her eyes.

“One, two, three—and… four?!”

“How is it that there are only four Paotaos left?!”

“Who is it?!”

“Who stole my Paotao?!”