<h4>Chapter 981: Chapter 981: Outside the Chess Game, Worldly Affairs Are Complicated (4th Update)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Alright! She’s just a child, let the little girle over and have some food as well!" An Yan intervened.


    Eventually, Xue An and Gong Changyue were drinking tea and chatting by the window, while Gong Xueman was eating with An Yan and Hu Ying on the other side.


    Gong Xueman was just poorly disciplined, leading to a stubborn temperament, but her nature wasn’t bad, and she was incredibly innocent and cheerful.


    Thus, under An Yan’s few words, Gong Xueman had already started happily calling her Sister Yan.


    Watching this scene, Xue An found it amusing in his heart.


    Yan’er’s charisma was indeed growing day by day!


    Could it be that Yan’er also had the potential to be a leader in The Multiverse?


    Then he shifted his gaze back, sipped his tea lightly, and casually said, "It seems that Master Gong Changyue is not very confident about thepetition?"


    Gong Changyue trembled and thenughed bitterly, "Mr. Xue, you have keen eyesight, indeed! That’s right, I have no confidence in thispetition at all!"


    "Oh? Why do you say that?" Xue An, keeping hisposure, filled Gong Changyue’s cup with tea.


    After thanking him for the tea, Gong Changyue sighed lightly, "To be honest, this is my second time going to the Tian Zhao Star Domain to participate in the chesspetition, but it’s the first time I’m taking the lead as an official participant!"


    Xue An listened quietly.


    A hint of despair shed in Gong Changyue’s eyes, and then he took a sip of his tea, "Last time, I went with the elders of my family as an assistant. I had no thoughts of winning any title, it was purely to broaden my horizons!"


    At this, a bitter expression appeared on Gong Changyue’s face.


    "Of course, even if I wanted to win a title, it wouldn’t have been possible. Once I was at the chess event, I realized how vast the world is and how there were numerous incredibly talented individuals. Compared to them, my chess skills seemed hardly remarkable!"


    "Why is it that this time it’s just you and your sibling participating in thepetition?" Xue An asked softly.


    Hesitation appeared on Gong Changyue’s face, "This... I beg your forgiveness for not being able to disclose this!"


    Xue An smiled, "No worries!"


    "Sigh! Mr. Xue, I truly don’t distrust you, but it’s because there are unspeakable circumstances! Moreover, participating alone in thepetition this time, my heart really doesn’t have the slightest bit of confidence!"


    Xue An remained nomittal, "If you lose, you lose. At your age, it’s not something shameful!"


    Gong Changyue shook his head, "You don’t understand. Last time... almost everyone from our Gong Family who participated was defeated. If we can’t secure a title this time, our Gong Family’s ranking in the chessmunity will be forcibly lowered, and then..."


    Gong Changyue didn’t finish his words, but his face full of worry said it all.


    Xue An smiled again, refilled his cup of tea, and after taking a sip, he calmly said, "So it seems that the Tian Zhao Star Domain, which manages thepetition, also controls your fate!"


    Anger shed in Gong Changyue’s eyes, but in the end, he nodded in resignation, "Yes, and the chess masters in the Tian Zhao Star Domain are extremely domineering and aggressive. Unfortunately, the higher the chess level, the greater the pressure. There’s nothing we can do about it!"


    Just as he said this, Gong Xueman suddenly turned around and spoke, "Brother, it’s not entirely like that. Have you forgotten Sister Zhuge Xuanqing?"


    On hearing this name, the light exploded in Gong Changyue’s eyes, but it quickly dimmed again.


    "Yes! Miss Xuanqing indeed has the strength to challenge many of the chess masters in the Tian Zhao Star Domain. In thestpetition, she nearly defeated Jing Tianrui, who had been the champion for three consecutive terms from the Tian Zhao Chess Institute. But it’s said that Jing Tianrui secluded himself for three years after thestpetition, and his chess skills have greatly improved. It’s difficult to predict the oue of thispetition!"


    Xue An was quietly listening on the side, but his expression turned somewhat peculiar whenever the surname Zhuge was mentioned.


    And he could also detect the full tenderness Gong Changyue held when mentioning the name Xuanqing.


    It was almost as if the words "secret love" were engraved on his face.


    Xue An smiled and lifted his teacup, "It sounds quite intriguing. I must give thispetition a try! If I could even secure the title of Chess King, that wouldn’t be too bad."


    Gong Xueman raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and was about to speak, but her brother sternly red at her, forcing her to feign a cough and cover it up.


    Then, with a worried look, Gong Changyue raised his cup and said, "In that case, I hereby wish Mr. Xue luck!"


    However, both from his words and expression, it was clear that Gong Changyue had little confidence in Xue An’s statement.


    Xue An did not bother to exin and simply responded with a smile.


    What followed was the tedious time of interster travel.


    Since the Trans-ocean Starship was faster than the Starship owned by the Gong siblings, the journey that normally took a month was nearlypleted in twenty days.


    During this time, the surrounding Starry Domain underwent changes.


    Traces of human settlement could already be seen on the stars passed, with somes even housing cultivator civilizations.


    Of course, these civilizations were not highly advanced, but they had at least moved beyond barbarism.


    "Mr. Xue,ing up is the Tian Zhao Star Domain!" announced Gong Changyue.


    Xue An stood before the porthole, silently observing as an invisible Divine Sense spread out, trying to probe the star domain.


    After bing a True Immortal, Xue An’s Divine Sense had expanded dramatically, now covering an area asrge as a Sol System in a single scan.


    Yet, as his Divine Sense barely touched the edge of the Tian Zhao Star Domain, an invisible barrier prevented further exploration.


    Xue An was not surprised.


    In a ce where the strategy game was prevalent, Divine Thought Cultivators naturally made up the majority.


    Hence, it was not strange to have Arrays that blocked the probing of Divine Sense.


    After the Trans-ocean Starship crossed that barrier,


    the surrounding environment changed once again.


    The previously silent void became bustling.


    Various kinds of flying ships and boats arrived in droves, even making the routes somewhat congested.


    "Mr. Xue, these are all participants in the uing monumental chesspetition!" Gong Changyue exined, his face growing even grimmer.


    He realized that the scale of this chess game was evenrger than thest.


    And the more participants there were, the bleaker his own chances of securing a high rank.


    Xue An seemed quite interested as he observed the surroundings and then said, "It looks like it’s getting more and more interesting!"


    At the center of the Tian Zhao Star Domain was the venue for the chesspetition.


    All the iing flying boats and ships were docking on severals not far from the central location.


    As Hu Ying hadmented before, in a bustling Star System, there would simply be no uninhabiteds.


    Theses were clearly already transformed by powerful beings, making their environments quite suitable for living.


    However, this also meant that theses’ Heavenly Dao had beenpletely obliterated, essentially turning them into hotels, suitable only for temporary stay.