Benevolent Wave World.
This was a world ravaged by constant wars between two powerful kingdoms.
Born to a family of peasants in the White Kingdom, Soldier Zhao Two never had an easy day in his life.
Since young, he had always been required to help out with the family farm, and that alone took up almost every last bit of his time.
Even so, as a loyal citizen of the kingdom, Soldier Zhao Two had always aspired to do something more for the king.
Because of that, he had devoted all of his time outside of farming to something that seemed rather meaningless for a farmer – martial arts practice.
Regardless of the weather or the seasons, regardless of how tired he was, Soldier Zhao Two never skipped a day of practice.
He was not afraid of hardship.
All he was afraid of was that despite his efforts, he could never have the opportunity to serve the king in battle.
Thankfully, his efforts finally paid off today as he got his wish.
Standing on the battlefield in the signature armour of the White Kingdom, Soldier Zhao Two felt his heart beating in excitement as he looked into the distance.
The army of the treacherous Black Kingdom had appeared from beyond the horizon at dawn, and had now set up formation just beyond the striking range of arrows.
The arid breeze picked up the loose sand from what would be the battlefield in moments to come, creating something like a yellow curtain that separated the two armies.
And from beyond the curtain of sand, Soldier Zhao Two felt his gaze meeting that of the enemy general.
The distance was too far for Soldier Zhao Two to make out the features of the general, but he could still sense the general's gaze falling upon him.
For the first time in his life, Soldier Zhao Two shuddered not from excitement, but from fear.
Seated atop his warhorse, the general seemed ever so intimidating.
It felt like if the general so wanted to, it would be extremely simple to crush him with a single wave of its halberd.
Soldier Zhao Two looked down at the sword in his hand.
He remembered how thrilled he had been when he first received this sword.
But now that he looked at it again, it completely paled in contrast to the general's halberd.
Would it be able to withstand a single strike?
Soldier Zhao Two was not sure.
Just as he was wondering about that, he suddenly heard a drum beat coming behind him.
He knew this beat well – it was the signal for him to advance.
Soldier Zhao Two looked forward once more.
Beyond the curtain of sand, he could see that it was no longer just the general who was staring at him.
The general, the guards, the chariots, the cavalries, the archers, the soldiers.
All of them were glaring at him, as though daring him to take a single step forward.
A deafening silence fell upon the battlefield, through which Soldier Zhao Two could even hear the sound of metal shaking.
That was right.
The sound was from his armour shaking due to how hard he was trembling right now.
Advance?
Wouldn't that be equivalent to sending himself straight into the jaws of death?
Soldier Zhao Two had always been proud of how he had endured all the training that he had done throughout his life.
Every swing of a sword.
Every punch against a tree.
All of that had come together to give birth to the strong warrior that he currently was.
But was this really what he had trained for all his life? To die for the kingdom?
Soldier Zhao Two swallowed his saliva that had been born of nervousness, and tried to take a step forward.
He willed it with his mind, but his legs did not follow.
As though it was fully aware of the dire consequences, his body refused to obey his foolish instructions.
It was impossible after all.
There was no way he could advance.
How could he?
When all that awaited him was death?
"What is this? Are you not able to make a single move?"
"Eh?"
Upon hear that familiar voice, Soldier Zhao Two felt his surroundings begin to warp.
The entire Benevolent Wave World seemed to be dissolving like butter over fire, melting away to reveal another world beneath.
Zhao Yunxiao opened his eyes to find himself seated in a huge chamber with numerous stone pedestals. In front of him was a floating chessboard, and a sea serpent looked at him from across the chessboard.
For a moment, the soldier Zhao Yunxiao failed to comprehend what was going on.
Thankfully, his memories came flooding back the very next moment.
And then Zhao Yunxiao understood.
He had clearly lived the life of Soldier Zhao Two, and understood every little detail of the soldier.
But at the same time, he was no soldier.
Or rather, he had been a soldier, just that he was no longer one.
He was now a cultivator, a proud outer disciple of the Black Tortoise Sect.
Huu-!
Zhao Yunxiao closed his eyes and let out a deep breath as he tried to compose himself, at the same time organising the jumbled memories in his head.
He tried to regulate his breathing once more, concurrently using his essence energy to vapourise the cold sweat covering his entire body.
"You sure weren't joking when you said that you are completely talentless," Cha sighed. "Are you not even capable of playing a simple game of chess?"
"I never said I am completely talentless," Zhao Yunxiao begrudgingly corrected the sea serpent after finally regaining his bearings. "And you could have warned me about the effects of the chessboard in advance, Senior Cha."
A simple game of chess?
How could it be shameless enough to say that to his face after he had already experienced first-hand just how strange this chessboard was?
"Well, you never asked," Cha answered nonchalantly. "So, what is it going to be? Are you even able to play the game?"
"Are you able to move the pieces on the board, Senior Cha?" Zhao Yunxiao could not help but ask in return.
"Are you doubting me right now?" Cha narrowed its eyes.
"I wouldn't dare to do that, but it sure would be great if you can demonstrate a little..." Zhao Yunxiao replied timidly.
"Tch, ignorant kid," Cha clicked its tongue. "What's so difficult about this?"
Cha looked at the chessboard and its eyes glowed.
And just like that, a soldier piece on its side moved forward.
Zhao Yunxiao: "..."
Cha sure made it look easy.
In the end, what was the difference maker here?
"You look confused," Cha accurately described Zhao Yunxiao's current mood with that statement.
"Please enlighten me, Senior Cha," Zhao Yunxiao asked humbly. "What do I need to do to move a piece?"
At this point, it was no longer just about playing the game.
Zhao Yunxiao clearly understood that this chessboard was extraordinary.
He had failed to move a single chess piece earlier, yet that alone had already brought him quite a bit of benefits.
Zhao Yunxiao had a feeling that if he could ever learn to do this, it would definitely be extremely beneficial to his future path of cultivation.
And even if he was wrong, this was still a treasure left behind by Azure Hand Yang Hong.
To be able to play on the Benevolent Wave Chessboard was an honour in and of itself!
"I guess I have no choice if we want to get this game started," Cha reluctantly agreed. "There is nothing complicated here, kid. The key is your will and resolve. To move the chess pieces, all you have to do is to steel your will and not lose yourself."
"Steel my will and not lose myself..." Zhao Yunxiao repeated as he pondered over those words.
Indeed, he seemed to have lost his sense of self earlier when he tried to move a chess piece, to the point where he even thought that he was the chess piece itself.
No, that's not exactly right.
He was supposed to become the chess piece itself.
The problem was losing himself in the process.
He had to become Soldier Zhao Two, but he had failed to retain his identity as Zhao Yunxiao at the same time.
Was that because his will was lacking?
Zhao Yunxiao refused to believe that.
Despite his lack of talent, or perhaps even because of it, Zhao Yunxiao was confident in the strong resolve that he had developed over time.
If it was about talent or skills, Zhao Yunxiao might still be willing to concede that he was inferior.
But when it came to sheer will and resolve, he refused to accept that he could not even muster up enough of that to move a single chess piece on the board.
Now that he was prepared for what was to come, surely he would be able to do it this time!
Huu-!
He let out a deep breath.
"Looks like you are prepared to try again," Cha smiled. "Go for it."
Zhao Yunxiao did not answer.
Instead, he fixed his gaze on the same soldier piece as before, slowly stretching his hand out towards it.
Boom-!
Soldier Zhao Two looked forward, his eyes falling upon the enemy soldier who had entered the curtain of sand between the two armies.
The face of this enemy soldier was a blur, but he could clearly see its eyes staring right back at him.
Its gaze was cold and merciless. There was no doubt that if given the chance, it would cut him down without a moment of hesitation.
It was not just this one soldier either.
Every single enemy in the Black Kingdom's army behind it was glaring at him, unleashing a heavy pressure that bore down upon him.
His instincts told him to run.
Run as fast as possible, as far as possible.
Even so, he remained standing there without retreating.
Perhaps it helped that his muscles were slightly frozen from fear?
It was the same situation as before, and the familiar drum beat that came from behind was no different.
This was the signal for him to move forward, to enter this deathtrap that had been laid out in front of him.
If Soldier Zhao Two had not been prepared for this, the pressure would probably have completely overwhelmed his nerves, bringing him to the point of collapse.
Wait... same situation as before?
This was clearly his first battle, so why would he think that this was a familiar scene?
Then again, that did not matter.
What mattered was that he had to advance in order for his side to stand a chance to win.
Huu-!
Soldier Zhao Two let out a deep breath and tightened his grip on his sword.
He might not have been a soldier, but he was one now.
And it was now time to act like one.
With that, he looked ahead with a look of determination and took his first step forward.
***
Zhao Yunxiao's forehead was dotted with cold sweat slowly opened his eyes, his forehead dotted with sweat.
"Not bad, you learn fast."
He looked across the Benevolent Wave Chessboard, at the sea serpent that just spoke.
Then his gaze turned down towards the chessboard itself.
His hand was on a soldier piece, but the piece was no longer at its starting position.
Zhao Yunxiao could not help but smile in satisfaction.
He had managed to move the piece.
"Stop looking so dramatic, it's just a single chess piece," Cha scoffed. "You should have been able to do this from the start!"
Cha's eyes lit up once again, and an archer piece moved.
The effortless manner in which he did that truly made Zhao Yunxiao's reaction appear overly dramatic, but Zhao Yunxiao was not bothered.
Rather, he dared not relax as he reached out towards his next piece.
Boom-!
Cavalry Zhao One had the privilege of being born into a prestigious family, and enjoyed various lessons from the best and most expensive of tutors since young.
But out of everything that he had come into contact with, horse riding was the one thing that he loved the most.
Because of that, Cavalry Zhao One decided to do away with all the other useless things, and focus entirely on his riding skills.
Before long, his talents became recognised by the kingdom, and he even got recruited into the White Kingdom's army as a cavalry.
Everyone placed high hopes on him, and for good reason as well.
Even during internal competitions with the more experienced cavalries, Cavalry Zhao One had always emerged the victor.
And now, the time had finally come to prove his skills in battle.
The drum had sounded, and it was his turn to advance.
Cavalry Zhao One looked at the scene ahead.
As expected, a real battlefield felt different from practice.
The pressure was intense, and the death stares coming from the opposing army told him everything he needed to know about his eventual fate if he were to make even the slightest of mistakes.
He was not the only one being nervous as well.
Seated atop his trusted partner, Cavalry Zhao One could clearly sense his horse tensing up.
Its animal instincts had probably kicked in, letting it know that if it were to advance any further, the same day next year could very well end up being its death anniversary.
Cavalry Zhao One smiled.
But this was not a smile of resignation.
Instead, it was one of amusement.
Despite the potentially dire consequences to come, Cavalry Zhao One felt a strange peace in his heart.
That was because from atop his horse, he watched the sole soldier that had advanced earlier and was now staring down the enemy forces all on his own.
Cavalry Zhao One steeled his resolve.
If even a mere soldier could overcome his fear and do something like this, how could he cower?
As though their emotions were connected, the previously tensed horse seemed to loosen up all of a sudden as well.
"Ride!" Cavalry Zhao One shouted, and his horse charged forward.
He was a genius cavalry of the White Kingdom, and he had to act the part.
Now, it was time for his enemy to tremble instead!