That evening, the tournament feast began. A plenitude of delicious food was delivered to the camp, accompanied by performances. A bonfire roared, singing and dancing filled the air, and the atmosphere was electric. The contestants relaxed at last—the relentless competition had left them tense. Amidst the revelry, no one noticed that Erwin was absent from the camp.
Kunlun. In the Sect Leader's private training room, the Sect Leader and Erwin sat opposite one another at a small table. A chessboard lay between them. Erwin played white. At this moment, the black and white pieces seemed to radiate a murderous aura.
The Sect Leader pressed down a black piece. "Erwin, you're going to lose."
Erwin studied the board, seemingly contemplating his next move. "Do I really need to deliberate?" the Sect Leader continued. "You've already made a mistake. From your first move, your strategy was excellent, but your large group is now surrounded. My move is the decisive strike—your pieces have no chance of survival."
"Your chess skills are truly exquisite, Senior," Erwin replied calmly. "Just as you said, you were calculating against me from the very start. You've forced me to this point—your ability is truly astonishing."
The Sect Leader sighed. "So, you're conceding?"
Erwin smiled. He picked up a chess piece. A glint of light flashed in the Sect Leader's eyes as Erwin slowly spoke.
"However, a game of chess is a contest. For a contest to exist, two opponents of equal standing are required. From the very beginning, the two sides in this game were unequal. It's too difficult for a piece to escape the board. I didn't understand this before, but now I do. In truth, I have always been the player. And you are the pieces."
As he finished speaking, Erwin placed his white piece on an empty space on the board.
The next moment, the situation changed drastically. The white dragon, which had seemed defeated, suddenly came back to life, subtly encircling the black dragon.
The Kunlun Sect Leader was startled. He observed the chessboard for a long moment before smiling wryly, picking up several black pieces and setting them aside.
"I've lost."
Erwin laughed. "No, Senior. Your skills are superb, but as I said before, the player has never been you. I am the player, so winning or losing is meaningless to us. You were never the other player."
The Sect Leader leaned back. "Is it really impossible to escape?"
Erwin shook his head. "You know very well it's impossible. After all, you've experienced it. I can only shatter the current state, but what the price will be afterward, no one knows. It might cause everything to perish, or it might restore everything to its proper course. I am here precisely because I can escape unaffected and see the truth."
The Sect Leader stood and walked to the window. "Kunlun has been passed down for too long. If it perishes in my hands, I will have failed every ancestor who came before."
Erwin chuckled. "Actually, you weren't the one who made this choice. It was a decision made jointly by generations of Kunlun patriarchs. It shouldn't have been your sole responsibility. According to the original plan, you were supposed to know nothing. Unfortunately, the patriarchs underestimated their descendants."
The Sect Leader sighed. "Yes. Sometimes, knowing too much brings only trouble. If I could, I would want to know nothing—just follow the normal procedure and perfect the final step of the plan."
"It's too late," Erwin said. "You're already a participant. Why not take one last gamble?"
"How confident are you?" the Sect Leader asked.
Erwin's smile didn't reach his eyes. "A ten percent chance of restoring everything to its proper course."
The Sect Leader paused. "Ten percent?"
"Yes," Erwin nodded. "If my backup plan works, it might reach fifty percent. But no matter what, everything will come to an end. At worst, everything will simply disappear. Destruction is easier than creation, isn't it?"
"Agreed. Destruction is always easier," the Sect Leader admitted. "I've lost the game. As agreed, Kunlun will cooperate with you wholeheartedly, no matter the final outcome."
Erwin offered a respectful bow. "Thank you, Senior. In that case, Kunlun can begin preparations. Let's use the Godslayer as a prelude."
The Sect Leader smiled. "Good. The Godslayer—just thinking about it is intriguing. I look forward to it."
"There is one other matter that requires your attention," Erwin said, his voice turning serious. "Find Merlin as soon as possible."
The Sect Leader hesitated. "He's formidable, and very powerful. Are you certain?"
A cold glint flashed in Erwin's eyes. "He must die. Not only is he the key to unlocking the plan, but more importantly... he has a debt to settle."
"I understand," the Sect Leader nodded. "I'll find a way. However, Merlin has always appeared on his own terms—no one knows where he is. I have some guesses, though. He might be in a specific location. I'll verify it."
"Then please proceed," Erwin said.
Just then, Erwin's face stiffened. A powerful aura surged from his body. His hair rapidly grew longer, a glimmer of darkness appearing in his pupils as they shifted from white to black.
A purple light flashed across Erwin's body—the King's Sword had manifested directly in his hand. Then the changes began to reverse. Soon, Erwin returned to normal, gasping for breath.
The Sect Leader frowned. "Your condition isn't stable."
Erwin smiled. "No, Senior. My condition is better than ever before, and it will only improve. The fact that I can't suppress it means the time is almost upon us."
"It's hard to imagine how you've endured this," the Sect Leader said. "For your age, it's truly remarkable."
"Because I had no choice," Erwin replied simply. "Alright, Senior, I'm leaving. Kunlun doesn't have much time left. At most, a week."
The Sect Leader nodded. "I understand."
Erwin vanished in a flash.
Looking at the spot where Erwin had just stood, the Sect Leader sighed. He took out an ancient bronze mirror and performed a gesture on its surface. A flash of golden light appeared on the glass before fading away.