289: Chapter 289 The Match Ends

On the other side, the World Tree assessment area of the Origin Star Sea.

Zhang Huaiyuan was naturally unaware that a secret encirclement and assassination plot against him was about to close in; he was still fully engaged in a game against the avatar of the High Priest of the Elf Race.

Time had already reached the ninetieth year, nearing the end of the third round of trials.

However, for the vast majority of ordinary participants, they hadn't even figured out the tricks and methods within.

Even Talix, the original top student of the Time Book House, and Fang Qingran, the Seventh Princess of the Silver Splendor Empire, had only managed to capture a single piece from the opponent as their best result.

In contrast, a Missionary from the Holy Light Monastery had extremely good luck; much like Zhang Huaiyuan's previous attempt, he accidentally put together a powerful combination and captured two pieces in a row.

This was already considered the best performance among the ordinary participants.

Therefore, at this moment, the scoreboard displayed a gap that was simply despair-inducing.

First Place: Saintess Jiang Nian, Points: 55.

Second Place: Zhang Huaiyuan, Points: 46.

Third Place... Points: 2.

"This gap... is a bit too large."

"The gap between me and Junior Classmate Zhang is actually this huge..."

"And the opponent is the High Priest of the Elf Race, a legendary figure... It turns out that compared to true geniuses, we're no different from the illiterate..."

Even though they were mentally prepared, this level of disparity still made the others smile bitterly in their hearts.

However, they were all elites cultivated by their respective academies after all.

Most of them quickly adjusted their mindsets after a brief moment of disappointment.

They simply gave up on their own matches and focused on watching the games of the two true geniuses, hoping to learn something.

At the same time, the game between Zhang Huaiyuan and the High Priest of the Elf Race had reached a critical moment.

When he practiced in the ruins in the past...

The phantom of the Lord of Truth was too powerful; he could only react to moves as they came, or focus on how to capture one or two of the opponent's pieces before being eliminated.

He had no time to worry about the overall situation at all. As soon as the mid-game arrived, he would be steamrolled, which was why he had been unable to break past the three-piece mark for the longest time.

This time, facing the avatar of the High Priest of the Elf Race with twenty thousand years of accumulated knowledge, it was just right, so to speak.

It provided pressure without being overwhelmingly powerful.

Combined with the fact that his points were already far in the lead, he could finally feel at ease trying different ideas and managing the late-game of the chess match.

Zhang Huaiyuan reached out with a finger, once again comprehending a Knowledge Star and placing a piece.

Instantly, several pieces on the board connected into a single formation, and a deep blue shield glow rose up, barely blocking a strike manifested by the opponent's piece.

"Technology-side weapons are particularly good at positional warfare. I'll focus on defense this round, trying to build a defense at the minimum cost to block the opponent's offensive, while selecting as many late-game development Knowledge Stars as possible."

Zhang Huaiyuan looked toward his opponent's board.

The path the opponent took was primarily based on Magic-side Arcanum, and it was currently mostly constructed.

Massive magic circles floated above each piece, radiating a heart-stopping power.

As the High Priest of the Elf Race, although they had dabbled in all kinds of disciplines, they were undoubtedly most familiar and skilled with Rune Magic knowledge.

The complexity of many of these composite magic circles had already exceeded his own knowledge reserves.

"The opponent is using the same logic I did before, pursuing a rapid breakthrough; most of them are offensive magic circles. However, once a major advantage isn't secured, there are quite a few flaws in their sustainability and defensive capabilities."

"It's about time to start the counterattack."

Zhang Huaiyuan took a moment to check the remaining time and then glanced at Saintess Jiang Nian's game nearby.

She was also primarily using Rune Magic, but her construction was extremely balanced, possessing both offense and defense.

Her current highest score was still leading his by 9 pieces.

"No wonder she was so confident before. It makes sense... Miss Saintess Jiang Nian has an extraordinary background; perhaps she had already come into contact with the 'Truth Chess Game' long ago. Plus, she is blessed by the Myriad Gods and favored by fate; she could probably fuse a powerful combination with any random choice."

"I wonder if I can overtake her in this round."

Zhang Huaiyuan shook his head slightly, not letting the temporary lag affect his state of mind.

He began scouting for new Knowledge Stars to counterattack.

There were generally two ways to capture an opponent's piece.

One was to fuse Knowledge Stars to assemble a weapon that exceeded the opponent's strength.

The other was to find stars that could interfere with or assimilate the opponent's pieces, weakening them or even taking reverse control.

In terms of research into Rune Magic, Zhang Huaiyuan naturally couldn't compare to the avatar of the High Priest of the Elf Race who specialized in this path, but with True Sight to find loopholes, he could still manage some minor interference.

He soon found a suitable star to refine.

The piece fell into a corner of the opponent's formation. Instantly, several surrounding pieces were affected, and the interlocking composite magic circle phantoms above them fluctuated.

"Good opportunity."

Zhang Huaiyuan keenly sensed this moment and immediately swapped piece positions and combinations, loading several modules that had been charging for a long time into his combined offensive weapon.

In an instant, countless cold, metallic gun barrels manifested above the piece. With the support of overflowing energy, these weapons that Zhang Huaiyuan had meticulously combined erupted with terrifying power.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Amidst the silent roar, a torrent of energy swept out, colliding head-on with the composite magic constructed by the avatar of the High Priest of the Elf Race.

Unlike a confrontation in reality...

Conflict on the chessboard was only related to the strength of the Knowledge Stars you combined; there were no shortcuts.

The two forces clashed frantically on the board.

Meanwhile, neither Zhang Huaiyuan nor the avatar of the High Priest of the Elf Race remained idle, continuing to search for stars to strengthen their own attacks or interfere with the opponent's.

However, it was clear that with the help of True Sight and the experience of having played against the Lord of Truth, Zhang Huaiyuan's speed in selecting suitable Knowledge Stars was much faster than his opponent's.

Soon, under the interference of multiple pieces, the originally interlocking composite magic circles began to experience blockages.

The grand pillars of magic light showed a visible weakening.

While Zhang Huaiyuan's side was also subject to interference, the magnitude of the impact was far lower than his opponent's.

The evenly matched confrontation gradually saw the energy beams of the technological weapons gain the upper hand.

Several magic circles could not withstand the massive energy impact and exploded one after another.

Instantly, the light on a large area of pieces dimmed, and they disappeared from the board.

"Losing again. If I'd known, I wouldn't have changed the rules; we should have kept it so that whoever leads by twenty pieces first wins..."

On a branch of the World Tree, the true body of the High Priest of the Elf Race watched this scene with a slight, bitter smile.

This time, his old face was truly disgraced.

Within these hundred years, he had already lost several games in a row to these two young people.

In the largest game, he had even been captured for a full 55 pieces.

And this current game was clearly another crushing defeat.

"The younger generation is truly formidable."

With a light sigh, the game within the trial also neared its end.

After a gap was opened, the High Priest's avatar's board collapsed like a mountain, with pieces falling into Zhang Huaiyuan's hands one by one.

The outcome was decided.

...