Chapter 173: with translation of chapter title

Fengxi unleashed a combo punch, fully exploiting the landlord's advantage.

Changing the competition format, adjusting the venue……Everything was covered under the slogan of "Heaven's Mandate" used to hoodwink the audience.

When faced with targeted sniper attacks, the dreams of the star‑sky demon race, which had evolved beyond limits and run amok, were brought to an end.

With the right to assign groups in his hands, Fengxi secretly arranged things—just enough to make those high‑level demon race pawns want to die and be reborn.

The death group, the hell group—words cannot perfectly describe how brutal this is.

The star‑sky demon race, the Wu Clan, the top clans native to Kunlun……all mixed together, what a heart‑less frenzy!

The audience had fun, but every top‑tier competitor, without exception, cursed them in secret.

Among them, the most torn were perhaps the top‑tier demon race natives of Kunlun.

——Being called top‑tier, behind this naturally lies the will of the Great Luo Heaven, able to suppress the clan's fortune.

The clan has a Great Luo Demon God, so they naturally hold some say in the demon race's high ranks—like the Qinyuan clan, one of the ten great demon marshals, is called "Qinyuan".

With such ties, it's only natural to know that the games' intrigue is complex, and there may even be a bias—when helping the star‑sky demon race, they'd give a push on the side.

But there are always some rough‑handed werewolves, nursing grudges, often arranging collisions, making them feel embarrassed.

Not speaking of clan honor, should they sacrifice ethnic confidence to aid the demon race's high ranks……

Even if they could make such a sacrifice, letting the star‑sky demon race step on their own honor to advance……

Some shameless bastards then started to stir things up.

Under the scheming of the three heroes of the Kunlun Wu Clan who refuse to reveal their real names, various wind‑fanning and fire‑lighting tactics were employed, their means countless and unimaginable.

Recently, they collected many chamber pots, and under successful security work they caught quite a few dangerous elements.

Assassins, killers……these captured beings, except for a part detained for the reincarnation cause, a part thrown out to fan flames inside the Kunlun demon race, and the remaining part, were ordered by Fengxi to have Hougang publicize them as the vanguard of demon race aggressors seeking to invade Kunlun, to forge stronger regional xenophobia.

And now……

As long as the star‑sky demon race wins a match, Fengxi happily pins that chamber pot on them once more, using the failure of Kunlun's top‑tier clans to promote the "star‑sky demon race threat theory" and set up an opposing target.

Then behind the scenes he secretly arranges, tilting the scales to fly, using the Wu Clan's athletes' glorious victory to prove— I! the Wu Clan! am a golden thigh! I will uphold the great spirit of the ancestral god Pangu, stand on the front line against aggressors, and protect Kunlun region's most precious freedom and independence!

The demon race's strategists certainly won't sit still waiting to be stuck with that chamber pot that's mostly true; they keep trying to seize the initiative.

The whole games are thus a storm of wind and clouds, endlessly changing.

On the surface it's a contest of innate talent and physique; underneath it's a war of wits and bottom‑lines.

The Wu Clan wants to implement its strategy, the demon race high ranks want to shake the opponent's momentum and prestige……around the goal, both sides' players spare no means.

After the games had gone on for a while, calculating gains and losses, the Wu Clan actually held the edge.

A large number of lower‑tier clans, after the brutal crushing of the matches, or due to scheming by well‑meaning people, or having their spirit broken and feeling utter despair at the trashy reality, thus placed their hopes on reincarnation; or having their spirit seized, they thought the Wu Clan's continual victories best showed excellence, decided to follow excellence, follow the Wu Clan; or with high spirits, under the manipulation of the three‑double behind‑the‑scenes black hands, they achieved defeating the strong with the weak, forged a steadfast heart, tore apart former cognitive obstacles, firmly believed that the high or low of ethnic bloodline talent is no longer the sole factor determining future achievement—as long as they're willing to work hard, anything is possible!

The first type is to be used to implement the reincarnation strategy.

The second type is to be trained into lackeys and thugs.

The last third type is to be trained into comrades who share the same ideals and have firm belief.

According to the artist's summary of Kunlun clan historical data, evaluating the inner civilizational thought state, whether it has sufficient war potential, finally Fengxi bestows upon them their respective outcomes at this grand assembly.

Using heaven and earth as the chessboard, viewing all beings as chess pieces.

"Thus, the situation is in my hands; the demon race high ranks are already powerless to turn the tide!"

Fengxi said confidently to Hougang.

"You're happy so early—watch out for a capsizing." Hougang rolled his eyes, "The first kind of pawn? Forget it. After being repeatedly trampled, having seen the cruelty of reality, unwilling to be someone's fish‑meat yet unable to resist, they can only choose escape, and we've got them in our grasp."

"But the second and third kinds……if the star‑sky demon race turns over, the second kind will defect; again using cruel means to attack the heart, the third kind will also be abolished."

"Hahaha……is that possible?"

Fengxi looked left and right, delighted beyond measure, "Now the star‑sky demon race, facing our Wu Clan's home‑field advantage players, can they win? Impossible!"

"But there's always a stronger hand among the strong……" Hougang said, "Now we're at the crucial match point, the last chance……the demon race side won't give up, they'll take it seriously!"

"Is that so?" Fengxi lifted his head, puffed his chest, "I'm waiting!"

"What's the point of your waiting?" Hougang said speechlessly, "By this point, you and I with our small frames don't even have the qualification to participate."

"That's a contest of clan foundations, a clash of heavenly will!"

"After all, in this heaven‑and‑earth, the Great Luo is supreme; now we can only serve as charging pawns……that chess master, does he truly willingly let our pawns' struggle decide victory?"

"Without fists, just a couple of words, see if there's a chance to retract a move—how could he not be willing?"

Hougang said leisurely.

"If the demon race high ranks strike first, wouldn't they suffer a loss?" Fengxi raised his eyebrows.

"Suffering a loss isn't the same as losing……as long as their capital is ample, a couple of small losses won't hurt the foundation." Hougang shook his head, "As long as they feel that, in exchange, they can suppress this Wu Clan's success model and incur less loss, then they'll do it."

"That's how it is……" Fengxi murmured thoughtfully, "But I have faith in the ancestral witches and the clan, able to hold onto the fruits of victory."

"Mm, I think the same." Hougang smiled.

Suddenly he lifted his head, looked toward the high sky.

Fengxi closely followed, making the same motion.

Because……

The sky became brighter!

……

"I felt……

The scent of gunpowder."

Nearest to the All‑Sports Meet is the Great Adept Daoist Hall; inside the Three Pure Ones Holy Hall, the three Heavenly Lords of Morality, Yuanshi, and Lingbao are present.

Yuanshi Tianzun holds a jade ruyi, speaking softly, as if addressing the other two ancient holy beings, yet also as if speaking only to himself.

His gaze turns toward the void; deep in his eyes are countless specks of stars and mysterious lines intertwining, all worldly cause‑and‑effect evolution stems from the point of creation, grasped by him, sorted by him, he holds the chessboard, penetrates the heavenly will's game.

At this very moment, the entire vast and boundless Kunlun mountain range, seen from his most transcendent perspective, appears to be situated within the most terrifying turbulent vortex, each thread of undercurrent representing a heavenly will.

The heavens are playing a game; for now it looks calm, but in fact it has reached an incredibly delicate brink, and perhaps the next moment a horrifying surge will erupt, overturning Kunlun and causing countless beings here to shed blood.

A slight mistake, and the pristine pure land that has endured since the creation of heaven and earth will turn into a land of destruction.

Even here, there are many dojos of great supernatural beings.

Yuanshi Tianzun does not doubt that the high-level leaders of the Wu Clan and the Demon Race lack such resolute and terrifying determination.

He firmly believes that if the great supernatural beings of both sides deem it necessary, they could break Buzhou, shatter the firmament... what weight could mere Kunlun possibly carry?

"A competition where the participant limit is set at mere Golden Immortals..." Yuanshi Tianzun sighed lightly, "Is that really all?"

"Yes!" Lingbao echoed, "Let's not talk about all the scheming; swords and spears are ready... are we going to war?"

The youngest celestial lord raised his head, gazed through the hall's vaulted ceiling, and looked toward the starry sky.

There, a horrifying scene was unfolding.

— Altars stood in the void, numbering in the hundreds of millions.

On each altar, incomprehensible and obscure runes were engraved—secret scripts from the ancient dragon-and-phoenix era, each character communicating the principles between heaven and earth.

Myriad principles intertwined, influencing the most vast and profound spirituality of the boundless star sea, pulling at the demon god statues clinging to the altars.

Trillions of demon spirits were driven, circling the altars to kowtow; the chief officiants, ranging from Golden Immortals to Taiyi-level, offered devout and fervent worship, presenting the flesh and blood of terrifying beasts in sacrifice— a savage, bloody, fierce aura that made the demon god statues appear terrifying and ferocious.

As the sacrifice proceeded, the statues emitted a dim blood-light, flickering on and off like living beings breathing in and out; a mysterious frequency that resonated and vibrated the surrounding boundless star sea, including the hidden dimensional worlds in the cracks of time and space, just like the pulse of living beings.

A single altar is already this strange—let alone altars spread across the star sea as if countless in number.

They resonate and influence each other; the Great Dao of worshiping the three hundred sixty demon gods links together to form the most complex network—using the Dao as soul, the starry sky as bone, living beings as blood, and faith and fortune as meridians, crafting a supreme "divinity".

The divinity lies sprawled across the starry sky.

In an instant too subtle for all beings to perceive, yet clear to a Great Luo, this divinity "came to life".

It lived for only an instant.

Yet that instant, the great creation formed by converging the Great Daos of the three hundred sixty demon gods shifted and altered future contingencies, erasing unfavorable futures for the Demon Race, steering many outcomes toward what they needed—no matter how strange or unfathomable the process.

The opponent is too strong to win… what to do?

No problem.

Just burst forth with power and it'll be fine!

When nervous, excessive tension focuses the mind to the extreme, leading to enlightenment and a great increase in strength.

When despondent, one may inexplicably enter the emotionless, forgetful Tai Shang realm, achieving enlightenment and a great increase in strength.

— This is the treatment enjoyed only by those called the "protagonist": a cheat‑filled life, the privilege of heaven‑favored geniuses.

Thanks to Pangu.

When heaven and earth were opened and the supreme rules established, such an ironclad law was left behind.

The Great Derivation numbers fifty, using forty‑nine, leaving one thread of variable vitality.

Though the variable is but a single thread, that thread can derive infinitely— in other words, everything is possible!

Within this boundless possibility, every living being has a chance to enjoy the protagonist's treatment.

Before the "protagonist", difficulties become whetstones, perilous places become sources of blessing, and no matter how others scheme to suppress, they ultimately become stepping stones.

For example, a villainous king of mighty swords, heavy with nefarious aura, could easily become an experience‑draining ATM.

He painstakingly laid out his plans, finally securing a home ground, yet when facing the star‑sky demon race players who burst forth with power at a moment's notice, he could only sigh in helplessness.

Unreasonable?

That's exactly right!

If we were to reason, how could we demonstrate the supreme authority of the administrators?

The high‑level of the Demon Race manipulates the starry sky, evolves a supreme formation, alters future heavenly secrets and destinies— within the celestial cycles, all honor, disgrace, success, and failure can be decided by a single word.

Where starlight shines, destiny lies in one's grasp.

Those of great wisdom can develop the profound art of observing stars, gauging fortune, and divining fate—a Great Dao marvel, and naturally there is an inner reason.

"Manipulating the starry sky, tugging at destiny… although not the demon gods themselves descending to preside, it is still terrifying enough."

Lingbao Tianzun sighed, "Cutting away future failure possibilities, selecting the desired outcome— those who know understand its great terror; those who don't perish, their Dao extinguished, leaving only regret."

"Let alone the fact that right now the starlight is blazing, the entire Honghuang world and all star‑sky races will receive a boost— this is an open and aboveboard manipulation of the rules, and moreover a blatant killing intent."

Cheating in the exam hall is called cheating.

Changing the exam rules to give one's own members direct bonus points?

That is a method, that is ability!

Compared to Fengxi secretly giving his own players something akin to taking drugs, the Demon Race, when in earnest, reveals an even more unfathomable terror.

In a hazy moment, Lingbao Tianzun saw a demon emperor extend a hand, plucking at destiny as if plucking guitar strings; with casual ease everything was being altered, weakening the accumulated strength of the Wu Clan.

However, at the moment when destiny was about to be changed, the Wu Clan's counterattack arrived.

Between heaven and earth, the primordial qi was boiling!

Time, space, metal, wood… the Twelve Ancestral Witches correspond to twelve kinds of primordial power.

The celestial cycles number three hundred sixty.

The celestial divisions are arrayed in twelve!

The Wu Clan also has deep foundations, and also possesses world‑shaking mighty ones.

At this moment, each of the twelve Wu tribes raises its banner straight and upright, commanding the primordial forces of heaven and earth.

Each Wu, with mind and spirit resonating, participates therein; with the aid of supreme intelligence, they work together to amend the foundation of cosmic law, adding supplementary clauses and grasping the final right of interpretation.

"Pangu opened heaven, created all things, accomplished all manifestations… the Wu Clan established its foundation with spacetime and the five phases, using the twelve primordial forces to evolve all phenomena, interpreting the myriad— and this is not to be underestimated."

Moral Tianzun evaluated, "The Demon Race has an ultimate means to suppress foundations, yet the Wu Clan is not lacking in the slightest— when the two strong contenders face off, it is quite a splendid show."

(End of chapter)