Starchild Escapes Arranged Marriage Chapter 893

Chapter 893: Heavenly Demon Mask
Sweet Dream never imagined that losing could be such a devastating experience.
It wasn't a matter of life and death on the battlefield, just a trial called "Starry Sky Chess" that she impulsively became interested in.
Being too young, today was the first time she stepped into the trial of the Starry Sky Chessboard.
Compared to someone else, she was an absolute novice.
When she first encountered the rules of Starry Sky Chess, she understood that she had exceptional talent, even believing hers to be the strongest.
Her sword could trace the paths of stars.
The princess of the King Tower, once she decided to step onto this battlefield, never considered the word "defeat".
But now, she lost.
Not only did she lose, but she lost so miserably, as if someone held her down and rubbed her body against the ground.
The sound of grit falling in the golden hourglass became incredibly harsh, like a countdown announced by fate.
"Snap!" The crisp sound of a move being played struck her soul with confusion and helplessness.
Surrendering was absolutely impossible!
Her first defeat in life, even with such humiliation, she gritted her teeth and held onto the last shred of her dignity as a ruler.
On the battlefield of the star map, the area occupied by her pieces was continuously shrinking, and their influence was decreasing.
Yun Xi didn't go all out against Sweet Dream; after evoking her strongest attack, every move he made was stable, neither aiming for direct harm nor intentionally pressuring her.
In the eyes of almost all the chess players in the Stardust Zone, this was proof that the game had entered the mid-game stage.
From the perspective of the rules of Go, Sweet Dream didn't actually lose too much, and the board still had a lot of potential.
From the perspective of the rules of Gomoku, Yun Xi had won. However, the rules of Starry Sky Chess were infinitely more complex than Gomoku, and no one truly believed that Sweet Dream had lost.
Only Sweet Dream herself knew that she was merely putting on a brave front, unable to swallow that last breath.
In her large eyes, a hazy mist was covering her eye sockets, making it hard to discern the patterns on the chessboard.
Even though she didn't cry, Sweet Dream's body was like a storm-battered flower, shedding piece after piece of broken and tattered petals, and the delicate bud trembled.
"Hiss!" The wings behind the Feather Snake King fully spread out as it smoothly swam over to Yun Xi's side, wrapping its soft and elastic body around his neck.
As the only third party in the game, this magical fantasy specie seemed to be treated as an appendage of Sweet Dream, now launching a fierce attack against Yun Xi.
Hmm, it's probably like a lover's small hands encircling their partner's neck, that feeling of firmness.
"Actually... your moves were not wrong." Compared to a certain Golden Core cultivator who purely enjoyed tormenting newcomers, Yun Xi was now playing a genuine guiding game.
"But you still don't understand the true nature of the Starry Sky Chess," Yun Xi, who had already won but didn't end the game, smiled as he looked at Sweet Dream, who seemed on the verge of tears.
The game on the Starry Sky Chessboard is a battle solely between two individuals.
On this stage, there is no distinction of race, background, or gender. Before the Starry Sky Chessboard, everything is equal.
When the game begins, all external voices and disturbances fade away. In this silent and soundless world, there are only you and your opponent.
In this secluded little world, only the two players who play chess hold the pieces representing the stars, placing them on the ever-changing starry chart at all times.
Every second requires observation of the entire starry chart.
Each move affects the entire starry chart, evolving into countless variations of the Starry Sky Chess game.
"Then why... can't I defeat you?" Sweet Dream tightly closed her eyes and held back the tears in her eyes, her voice filled with helplessness.
Like a setting sun, the unparalleled champion surrounded by the army, marching towards her downfall.
Her sword in hand was already covered in scars.
Her armor was already tattered.
Her stamina had also reached its limit.
The unbeatable champion was meeting her own end on this battlefield.
"That's because... you haven't seen enough," Yun Xi pointed out to Sweet Dream, revealing her biggest weakness:
"You can see the power when five pieces are connected, and that power is strong, but it's not absolute."
"In the world of the Starry Sky Chess, there are even more unimaginable powers."
"Your sword can cut many things, but there are also things it cannot cut."
"You believe your sword can cut through everything, but belief alone is not enough."
"This world is even broader than you imagine."
This is the decisive gap between Yun Xi and a certain Golden Core cultivator. He doesn't play chess to bully others, but rather to find joy in playing.
Whether the opponent is an inexperienced chess player who hasn't completed the Star Position Test or a genius with unparalleled talent like Sweet Dream, Yun Xi enjoys playing against them.
"Am... I too weak?" Sweet Dream heard for the first time in her life someone telling her, "You're not strong enough."
This kind of logic was completely disregarded by her before this game.
All the enemies who thought she wasn't strong enough have already become losers beneath her throne.
Only this time did she realize that someone had the right to say those words to her.
"Not strong enough," this was the first time she discovered that those words were true. In the past, everyone who said those words to her was wrong because they were weaker than her and not qualified to say such things.
And now, the opponent standing before her is the only person qualified to say those words to her.
I understand..."Sweet Dream lifted her head, looking at her opponent with an admiring gaze for the first time.
From childhood until now, she had never experienced defeat, and being protected by Amu, the Feather Snake King, it was the first time she looked up to someone.
His strength was unfathomable, from the beginning until now, she had never found even a single flaw.
"You are strong... Stronger than me..." Admitting this fact was unimaginable for Sweet Dream, who had always been favored by the Goddess of Victory.
Perhaps, only Yun Xi, who displayed a chess skill that could make Sweet Dream desperate, was worthy of the princess's admiration from the King Tower.
Furthermore, her eyes burned with an unyielding flame.
The undefeated legend came to an end today.
Sweet Dream had imagined her first defeat many times, but never imagined such a crushing defeat.
The more she understood the secrets of Starry Sky Chess, the more she realized the terrifying nature of the person before her.
When she was very young, Amu took her into the world of the starry sky, where she observed a fantasy specie with a massive body that could wrap around planets from a great distance.
At that moment, she felt a "shock" for the first time, it was the instinct of a small life looking up to the magnificent creature that could dominate the stars.
Ouroboros, a legendary fantasy specie, was a friend of Amu's, who visited the King Tower.
When she was still young and observed that fantasy specie for the first time, she instinctively knew that it was an opponent she could never defeat at her current state.
Of course, at that time, she had no need to challenge the colossal snake that encircled the stars. It was not her enemy but a friend of Amu's.
With Amu's protection, she didn't have to face opponents of that level when she was still weak.
Later, as she grew up, she gradually mastered the power that came from being in harmony with Amu, constantly reaching new peaks.
Now, even if she were to face Ouroboros, the fantasy specie that encircles the stars, again, she would have the confidence to win.
The opponent she couldn't defeat when she was young no longer needed to be feared as she grew older.
As she stepped onto the Throne of the King, she already had the qualifications to challenge all the legend ranks in the realms of the endless god's domains.
However, now she once again felt the same shock she felt when she gazed up at the starry sky snake when she was young.
In the world of Starry Sky Chess, this person was truly too strong, reaching a level that she couldn't even come close to.
She couldn't even comprehend how much the other person's gaze, while looking at the Starry Sky Chess board, observed things that she had never understood.
This strength, just like the gap between her and Ouroboros when she was young, was completely on a different level.
Furthermore, even Amu couldn't protect her this time.
The undefeated legend came to an end right here.
She had encountered an opponent whom she could never defeat at her current state.
Only a king can defeat another king.
If this person were to participate in the trial of the King Tower, they could surely become their own archenemy. It is a kind of intuition, an almost certain premonition.
"Losing to you today... was not a coincidence..." The sands of the golden hourglass trickled down as Sweet Dream's gaze began to shine again from amidst the ruins.
"But it was inevitable."
"This is fate..." With a resolute voice, wiping away her tears, the king, forced into a desperate situation, once again raised her nearly broken sword.
In her eyes, she saw a dazzling and powerful figure at the center of the endless army, far more radiant and formidable than she was at that moment.
In this battle, she lost completely, accepting her defeat wholeheartedly.
There was no room for any excuses, and she disdained to seek such justifications.
This person was stronger than herself, and that's why they were able to win.
She was not on par with him, so she lost, without any other reasons.
"Today... is the first time I've lost." Sweet Dream looked at the intertwined chessboard, seemingly still having the strength to fight, but in reality, all hope had been extinguished.
The game seemed to be ongoing, but it was only because the opponent had yet to unleash their strongest attack, maintaining the current state.
Just like honoring the king who fought alone until the end, the more powerful king chose to grant her the final dignity.
So, she would fight until the end.
Leaving behind tears, but without any regrets.
Stained with blood, that was the king's path to the end.
"Is that so?" Yun Xi seemed to hear a sound of something invisible shattering in Sweet Dream's voice.
She must be very unwilling.
Losing would be heart-wrenching, but it is also proof of growth.
Just like each time he fell before the green-skinned hippo in the Dark Forest, only by breaking through this despair and unease could he surpass his past self.
Losing does not mean it's the end, especially for a genius like Sweet Dream, who possesses exceptional talents in Starry Sky Chess. It will only make her stronger and stronger.
Raising his head, Yun Xi looked at the rank list of Star Zone.
Cyber Elf Alpha is the only one at ninestar rank.
Norn the God of Wisdom is followed closely by the Gem Princess, achieving the sixstar rank.
The originally scarce fivestar rank now has a few more names, and the ranks below are also constantly increasing in number.
In the month since the Starry Sky Chessboard trial was made public, more and more new chess players have come to this world, capturing the mysteries of the starry trajectories.
From today onwards, "Sweet Dream" will also become one of them. With her extraordinary talent, she will surely become a star that astonishes everyone.
"I... will not forget..." Sweet Dream looked at Yun Xi with an insatiable gaze, fixating on his figure.
In Yun Xi's mind, a certain mask suddenly started to vibrate incessantly, surpassing all the students of White Lotus Sword Palace.
Like a dark Holy Grail filled with blood awakening.
Like the calamity devouring the heavens and earth resonating in the twilight of the gods.
Like a massive legion composed of countless heroes roaring.
Ah, those are the response voices from the Demons of the Outer Realm, not just one, but many.
The Paranirmita Vasavartin Scroll is being fully activated by Sweet Dream's gaze at this moment.
The undefeated princess, guarded by the Feather Snake King since birth, the Throne of the King has the qualifications to become the highest offering to the Six-eyes Demon Mask.
Her unwillingness, her strong will, and the complex emotions born from her first defeat are becoming the best nourishment for the Paranirmita Vasavartin Scroll.
What a sweet taste it is.
This is a great offering worthy of the divine.
This is a treasure that, since the birth of the Paranirmita Vasavartin Scroll, no Heavenly Demon mask has ever collected.
The strong one from the legend rank, the princess of the King Tower bound to the Feather Snake King, with a heartfelt and fervent longing.
“You, who defeated me for the first time!"
“I will definitely become stronger and defeat you!"
A strong obsession is being born. The legendary undefeated myth created by the princess of the King Tower, the glory she has obtained is so brilliant, and the belief born at this moment is equally strong.
At this moment, in Sweet Dream's eyes, no one except Yun Xi can be seen.
"Hiss!" As if anticipating this, the Feather Snake King bit Yun Xi's ear, causing a tingling sensation that made Yun Xi's whole body tremble.
It seems like something terrible has happened?
He was just playing his favorite Starry Sky Chess as usual, right?
"Snap!" Like proclaiming its own victory prophecy, Sweet Dream's move became resolute again.
The king bathed in blood launched a final charge towards its enemy.
Even if this charge is destined to fail, leading to death.
Thinking too much, Yun Xi shook his head and cleverly used his own chess formation to completely quash Sweet Dream's desperate final counterattack.
He didn't understand the girl's thoughts.
Playing chess, he still had confidence.
So, Sweet Dream fell, unable to even touch Yun Xi's heels, despite giving it their all and launching a desperate counterattack, not even able to break through the copper walls and iron barriers.
Like a fragile little rabbit crashing into a towering tree reaching the sky.
At the moment the rabbit died, the tearful girl finally tasted the first cup of life's poison.