As soon as Zhou Taozhi entered the chess game, he rolled a six, earning the first move among the three. The Storyteller and Xiaopang each rolled a one. Both immediately felt rather dispirited and suspected the other might be a jinx who would affect their own luck.
"Which of us goes first?" Li Xiaopang asked dejectedly.
"Roll again."
"Fine."
After that brief exchange, they each rolled again. Xiaopang got a four, while the Storyteller got another one.
Xiaopang immediately gave him a look of utter disgust and transmitted, "Your luck is atrocious. Try not to talk to me later, or you'll pass it on."
"...!" The Storyteller felt rather unlucky himself, but stubbornly insisted, "Good people don't win the first round."
Ahead of them, once Zhou Taozhi saw that they had settled their order, he raised his hand again and smiled. "I'll go first, then. Here comes the roll."
"Good, hurry up." Xiaopang rubbed his hands together, eager to begin.
As his words fell, Zhou Taozhi abruptly raised his right arm and slapped hard at the enormous die in midair.
Humm!
The fierce gust from his palm sent the die spinning violently through the air. Only after two full breaths did it slowly stop, with a one on top.
Seeing this result, Xiaopang could not hide his delight. "As the old saying goes, nobody wins gambling forever, and gamble long enough and you'll lose your underwear... Senior Zhou, that Peach Sword of yours is mine today."
"Heh."
Zhou Taozhi's divine soul merely gave a cold chuckle. Then, following the game's rules, he took just one step forward.
Boom!
When both his feet landed on the second bluestone tile, a violent surge of energy abruptly rose beneath him. Like a fountain bursting from a well, it enveloped his physical body in