Inside the black sphere was an entirely separate world.
Xian Di stood on a boundless chessboard. Beneath his feet lay enormous alternating black and white squares, each several meters across. Their borders glowed faintly, tracing precise geometric patterns in the darkness.
There was no sky overhead, no end in any direction, only pure, fathomless darkness, as though the entire universe had been compressed into this chess game barely a few dozen meters across.
After a quick assessment came defense.
The Three Great Families' secret method for countering domains-Falling Blossom Emotion.
Xian Di spread his feet slightly, lowered his center of gravity, and crossed his hands before him. Cursed energy surged from his body, forming a thin, luminous blue film over his skin. It clung tightly to him like a translucent glaze, radiating a soft yet icy light in the darkness.
This was no ordinary cursed energy reinforcement. Falling Blossom Emotion worked by covering the entire body in cursed energy, creating an offensive defense capable of automatically counterattacking. The instant a domain's sure-hit attack touched that film, the cursed energy would erupt on its own, striking back with equal force.
This was how the Three Great Families bought time in a clash against a domain. Though it could not completely block a domain's attacks, it at least prevented them from being killed the instant a Domain Expansion activated.
Xian Di settled into his stance, the luminous blue film flowing around him.
He raised his head and looked at Yuko across from him.
The girl who had been bleary-eyed only moments earlier now stood at the other end of the chessboard. At some point, her ponytail had come undone, and her long black hair hung beside her shoulders, drifting gently in the darkness.
"I really didn't expect this," Xian Di said, genuine