Book 6: Chapter 027: Rescuing Shangguan Hen
Book 6: Chapter 027: Rescuing Shangguan Hen
The Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Go Puzzle.
This Go puzzle was extremely complicated. Back at the Ten Thousand Sages Convention, Gu Hai’s Go skills had reached the level of the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Go Puzzle—but that was just barely. Unlike other forms of cultivation, the Go Dao required opponents. Since a person’s potential was limitless, the Go Dao required strong opponents to temper one’s Go skills.
Gu Hai had chosen Old Mister Guan Qi as his opponent.
Furthermore, Old Mister Guan Qi’s Go puzzles progressed sequentially from the Twenty-Eight to the Twenty-Nine, the Thirty, the Thirty-One, and the Thirty-Two. This allowed Gu Hai to face opponents of varying Go skills. a.21f89b5
Now that he had the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Go Puzzle itself, his Go skills could improve further.
The complete Thirty-Two was indeed profound and vast. Gu Hai studied the Go puzzle, simulating the match, and immediately became immersed in it.
The four hundred Go soul clones in Gu Hai’s forehead space studied the Go puzzle, slowly making some progress. Suddenly, four of the Go boards they sat on merged.
Clack!
Those four Go boards merged into a large Go board. The four Go soul clones sitting on them likewise merged into one. That Go board immediately became denser.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Boom!
Other Go boards started merging in sets of four at an increasingly faster pace. In just seven days, all the Go boards had merged into one hundred large Go boards. The Go soul clones had merged as well, leaving only one hundred.
Another five days passed with Gu Hai staring at the Go puzzle.
Gu Hai suddenly looked at a spot on the thirty-two line-pair Go board. “This position should not be like that?”
Buzz!
Gu Hai trembled, suddenly coming to his senses.
“Old Mister Guan Qi made a mistake? No, no, he is not wrong, but my change is not wrong, either. His move follows his style; my move follows mine. Previously, I did learn from his Go puzzles, but I did not lose my style. I have my own path. The Thirty-Two? This can only be used as a reference. He is only my opponent, not someone to imitate!” Gu Hai narrowed his eyes.
Clack!
The instant Gu Hai figured it out, one of the large Go boards in his forehead space suddenly shrank, eliminating some unnecessary parts and slowly forming a Go board with nineteen line pairs.
Although the Go board was smaller, it became even more complicated.
Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!
One after another, the one hundred Go boards shrank quickly as Gu Hai gained enlightenment. The one hundred large Go boards became one hundred small Go boards in just five days.
The one hundred Go soul clones also exuded hazy, white energy.
Gu Hai’s Go skills had improved again as he digested the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Go Puzzle. Although his Go Dao deviated from Old Mister Guan Qi’s, his skills had indeed firmly reached the level of the Thirty-Two.
“The Seventh Cycle? Haha! The Cycle Saber Technique can continuously improve. Unfortunately, my strength can support up to only the Fifth Cycle. Using the Sixth Cycle would do great harm to my body. How unfortunate!” Gu Hai revealed a faint, bitter smile.
Gu Hai’s Go skills determined how advanced the Cycle Saber Technique was. Now, his Go skills had improved again. However, he could not execute the improved version.
“Never mind. The improvement of my Go skills is a good thing. The Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Go Puzzle? I have fully grasped it. Old Mister Guan Qi’s Go skills are truly incredible. However, I wonder how he tempered his Go skills? The Go Dao requires opponents. Did he have an opponent?” Gu Hai felt bewildered; he could not figure it out, no matter how much he thought about it.
Having made no headway, he took out a diagram and carefully opened it.
“Previously, this would injure my mind since my Go skills were insufficient. Now, I am about there.”
This diagram was a map of the Thousand Islands Sea. One thousand islands were accurately indicated on this sea map.
To others, this was just an ordinary map. However, these islands seemed to jump around to Gu Hai. This map hid the rage of lightning and thunder. Boundless lightning, heavy rain, and sea waves surged around the map.
“The Thirty-Three Line-Pair World Go Puzzle?” Gu Hai narrowed his eyes.
The map of the Thousand Islands Sea was an incomplete Go match between Old Mister Guan Qi and the Six Paths Immortal.
Just as Gu Hai was about to study it, Chang Ming’s voice came from outside the palace hall. “Your Reverence, we are about to reach the Silver Moon Sea!”
Gu Hai gave the map in his hand another look. Then, he carefully put it away and stepped out of the palace hall.
The flying ship flew very high. The two could see a vast sea region from the clouds. However, many clouds hovered over this sea region, masking the place.
“Prime Shangguan Hen is on the island in the center. Your Reverence, should we fly over?” Chang Ming asked.
“Fly over? Hah! What you see is fake. This is the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Ritual Array—no, it’s just a simplified version.” Gu Hai narrowed his eyes.
“The Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Ritual Array?” Chang Ming’s expression changed.
“That’s right. This is just an illusion. Follow our directions and fly inside!” Gu Hai said solemnly.
“Yes!” a group of vampires answered.
The flying ship bypassed the surrounding clouds, avoiding a certain area.
Boom!
The Silver Moon Sea suddenly underwent an overwhelming change. Strong winds blew all around, heavy rain poured down, and waves soared into the sky.
“Your Reverence, did we trigger the ritual array? Did we get discovered?” Chang Ming asked worriedly.
“It’s just an illusion. Continue flying. Follow our direction!” Gu Hai pointed in another direction.
Whoosh!
The flying ship flew on.
Suddenly, the surrounding heavy rain vanished, and the weather cleared. However, heavy snow immediately followed.
“This is…? Is this really an illusion?” Chang Ming said in shock.
“The Thirty-Two? It can already form an independent world. Be careful,” Gu Hai instructed.
“Yes!”
The flying ship advanced slowly.
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Silver Moon Island:
Shangguan Hen sat in a small courtyard with a tortoise-shaped barrier around it shining golden. Many black tortoises continuously operated the barrier. Currently, a group of black-clad men and black tortoises stood outside the barrier, apparently trying to break through.
“Shangguan Hen, open the barrier and follow me to the Heavenly Go Pavilion!” A cold shout came from outside.
It was Prime Feng Yue. He showed a sullen expression as he gazed at the tortoise-shaped barrier.
The black-robed men from the Heavenly Go Pavilion stood behind Prime Feng Yue. The many black tortoises with him kept attacking the tortoise-shaped barrier.
Shangguan Hen sat in the small courtyard. Miao Chen and some other black tortoise race elders stood beside him, frowning in worry.
“I’m doing fine in the Silver Moon Sea and don’t want to leave. You go. I’ll stay here!” Shangguan Hen said indifferently.
“You are waiting for Gu Hai, right? Haha! Gu Hai won’t come! The Han Imperial Dynasty has just advanced, and he still has many things to deal with. How can he come here? Furthermore, the black tortoises you sent have already defected to me. They will only tell Gu Hai that you are fine and do not need him to come. Gu Hai isn’t coming!” Prime Feng Yue sneered.
“Heavenly Go Pavilion’s tenth elder, back then, the black tortoises did everything they could, working for Old Mister Guan Qi. Our prime even fell, and the Black Tortoise Deity nearly got destroyed. Now, your Heavenly Go Pavilion plans to repay gratitude with evil?” Shangguan Hen said coldly.
Outside, a black-robed man beside Prime Feng Yue sighed softly, “Shangguan Hen, you misunderstand. We are not going to harm you. We just want to invite you to the Heavenly Go Pavilion. The pavilion master instructed this eight centuries ago. This will only benefit you.”
“Old Mister Guan Qi instructed it? What exactly did he instruct?” Shangguan Hen asked coldly.
“He instructed us to bring the Black Tortoise Deity into the Heavenly Go Pavilion before he revives and help the current prime regain the peak cultivation of the prime from eight centuries ago,” the tenth elder said.
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“Hah! What if I’m not willing?” Shangguan Hen said coldly.
“Your will is your choice. However, since the pavilion master instructed this, I must offend you,” the tenth elder said.
Shangguan Hen showed a sullen expression. “Prime Feng Yue, are you stupid or crazy? Can’t you tell what will result from going to the Heavenly Go Pavilion?”
“Result? Hah! You are the stupid one. Shangguan Hen, the black tortoise race is already bound to the Heavenly Go Pavilion. This was settled eight centuries ago. By going, our cultivation will return to its peak eight centuries ago. Why are you staying here foolishly? Come with me. If you don’t go, my increase in cultivation will also be limited,” Prime Feng Yue said.
“Go to the Heavenly Go Pavilion, recover the peak of the previous prime’s cultivation, then pit ourselves against the Six Paths Immortal? You might want to die, but I don’t,” Shangguan Hen said coldly.
“Humph! Have you outgrown me now? You reached the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm because of me. Now, you use the Profound Tortoise Ritual Array to block us? Shangguan Hen, you must go today, whether you want to or not! I will bring you there even if I have to break your Profound Tortoise Ritual Array!” Prime Feng Yue declared while glaring.
Shangguan Hen’s face sank.
“Also, the tenth elder has already laid a ritual array in the Silver Moon Sea, isolating everything inside from the outside. The Silver Moon Sea is already an independent world. Don’t hope for anyone to save you. You will have to go today, whether you want to or not! Continue attacking! There are weak points in the Profound Tortoise Ritual Array. Only I know about it. I will break it!” Prime Feng Yue called out.
“Yes!”
Boom!
The black tortoises, both inside and outside, immediately put their full effort into the Profound Tortoise Ritual Array. Those outside worked on destroying it, those inside worked on repairing it.
Shangguan Hen showed a sullen expression.
“Prime, we can’t send word out. The zither puppets are being blocked!” Miao Chen said worriedly.
“Break!” Prime Feng Yue aimed at a spot on the Profound Tortoise Ritual Array.
Boom!
Suddenly, a crack appeared in the tortoise-shaped barrier and gradually enlarged.
“Ten days! This Profound Tortoise Ritual Array will last for ten days at most. Let’s see if you will follow me or not then!” Prime Feng Yue said coldly.
At the side, the tenth elder looked at Prime Feng Yue and said, “This Shangguan Hen keeps refusing to obey. How about we reconstruct his body after we arrive at the Heavenly Go Pavilion, like we did to Gu Qin, making him loyal only to you?”
“This would be good. We’ll leave after another ten days!” Prime Feng Yue said with a cold smile.
As the experts worked on breaking the Profound Tortoise Ritual Array, they did not notice that Gu Hai’s flying ship had already stopped in the sky above them. Gu Hai stood on the flying ship, coldly watching everything below.
“Hah! I came at a good time. If another ten days had passed, Shangguan Hen would be in trouble,” Gu Hai said coldly.
“Your Reverence, why can we see and hear them, but they cannot see and hear us?” Chang Ming asked in surprise.
“That tenth elder’s understanding of the Thirty-Two Line-Pair World Ritual Array is only superficial. He knows how to lay it but not how to manipulate it. Naturally, he cannot see us,” Gu Hai explained indifferently.
“This subject is in awe at Your Reverence’s Go skills!” Chang Ming praised as he nodded.