Gu Hai looked coldly at the sky. The Go board on the platform had already changed. The earlier game had scattered, and that Go puzzle had reformed again, swapping the situation with the black Go stones and white Go stones.
Like before, Gu Hai played the black Go stones.
Shing!
Suddenly, a three-hundred-meter-long saber appeared in the clouds. A ferocious aura surged towards where it pointed, feeling like it wanted to tear Gu Hai in half on the spot.
“Thirty breaths of time is about to pass. Is the heavenly saber urging Division Master Gu on?”
“If Gu Hai still does not make his move, the heavenly saber will chop down. Follow the way Division Master Meng played earlier! Quickly make your move!”
“Quickly make your move!”
The crowd below cried out worriedly.
“Benefactor, quickly make your move! Hurry up!” Xiaorou yelled anxiously.
A killing intent pressed down on the platform, but Gu Hai’s expression remained cold.
Then, he stretched out his hand and picked up a black Go stone.
Clack!
Gu Hai made his move.
Buzz!
The heavenly saber’s killing intent scattered. Then, Gu Hai slowly shifted his gaze to above the Go board.
“Hey? That isn’t where Division Master Meng made his move earlier, right?”
“What is Division Master Gu doing? Did he make the wrong move?”
Many people revealed worried expressions.
However, Meng Tai, who was surrounded by the Elite Hall disciples, being protected by them, narrowed his eyes as he said, “The position Gu Hai placed his piece is at nine-five?
Clack!
A white Go stone instantly appeared, officially starting the Heavenly Saber Death Match.
Gu Hai slowly sat down, continuing to play a black Go stone without hesitation.
“Why did the division master not follow Meng Tai’s moves, playing something else instead?” Chen Tianshan asked anxiously.
Gao Xianzhi, who was at the side, shook his head and countered, “Those moves led to a loss. Why should he duplicate them?”
Frowning, Chen Tianshan argued, “However, while Meng Tai lost, he did achieve astonishing accomplishments earlier. Perhaps…”
“There is no perhaps. A loss is a loss. The division master does not care about repeating a play.” Gao Xianzhi shook his head.
“So, he is playing it from scratch? This is a puzzle left by Old Mister Guan Qi. Can the division master win?” Chen Tianshan asked skeptically.
“I think he can!”
Chen Tianshan looked at Gao Xianzhi as though Gao Xianzhi was crazy.
——
Outside Carefree Valley:
Thousands of animal spirits camped in the surroundings. Roiling dark clouds covered the entire Carefree Valley, making it a danger zone with no escape.
Many black-clad men stood on the adjacent mountain peaks, looking at the center of the roiling dark clouds, where water vapor gathered, forming a huge mirror.
The scene within the valley projected on the mirror. The horrified looks of everyone in the valley and Gu Hai placing Go stones on the Go board appeared before the black-clad men without any detail missing.
On one of the mountain peaks, a red-clad man stared with narrowed eyes at the Go board in the water-vapor mirror.
“Ninth Young Master, the elders did not send any instructions,” a black-clad man reported respectfully to the red-clad man.
Ninth Young Master said coldly, “Those old fogeys are finally willing to let me do something? Humph! Had it been like this long ago, my Heavenly Go Pavilion would not have lost so many treasures.”
“Ninth Young Master, the pavilion master instructed this back then, after all,” the black-clad man reminded worriedly.
“Humph! The pavilion master only instructed it, not ordered it. Furthermore, the pavilion master is already dead. If it were up to me, we would have taught the invaders from outside a lesson long ago!” Ninth Young Master retorted coldly.
The black-clad man’s respectful attitude suddenly changed. “Ninth Young Master, please be respectful. The pavilion master’s instructions are orders. This is so for everyone in my Heavenly Go Pavilion. Even though the pavilion master is dead, Ninth Young Master cannot be disrespectful to the pavilion master!”
“Huh? That bunch of old fogeys is not going to bother with me, but you want to manage me?” Ninth Young Master glared.
“This subordinate does not dare. This subordinate guesses that the various elders permitted Ninth Young Master to teach these outsiders a lesson not because they wanted to disobey the pavilion master’s wish but because Ninth Young Master cleared the Nine Palace Go Ritual Array and is qualified to leave. That is why the various elders are overlooking your unscrupulous behavior,” the black-clad man said gravely.
“You also know that I cleared the Nine Palace Go Ritual Array. Even so, you dare to speak to me like this?” Ninth Young Master said coldly.
“The Nine Palace Go Ritual Array is difficult to clear. However, I believe that some among the various elders can clear it. It is just that they want to remain by the pavilion master’s coffin. That’s why none of them are willing to clear it. Ninth Young Master, please watch your words,” the black-clad man said respectfully.
“Humph!” Ninth Young Master snorted coldly.
Ninth Young Master turned his head and looked at the mirror once more. The ritual array played the white Go stones, and Gu Hai played the black Go stones.
Using the bowl of black Go stones, Gu Hai did his best to solve this puzzle.
The Go board on the platform captured Gu Hai’s full attention.
“Old Mister Guan Qi lives up to his reputation!” Gu Hai lamented as he placed Go stones. There was no anxiety in his eyes but excitement, a sort of happiness. He had not met his match in thirty years. This Heavenly Saber Death Match allowed Gu Hai to rediscover his love for Go, which had disappeared long ago.
The earlier match with Song Qingshu was just a pointless cat-and-mouse game.
As Gu Hai played the black Go stones, starlight encased him. He sensed that the starlight connected to his Veritable Energy, seeming to have merged with the ritual array.
Suddenly, Gu Hai felt like he sat among the clouds, playing Go against a white-haired old man.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Gu Hai had already played twenty black Go stones. However, neither black nor white managed to capture a piece.
“Indeed, Division Master Gu is not comparable to Division Master Meng. Division Master Meng already captured one of Old Mister Guan Qi’s stones on his eighteenth move. However, Division Master Gu has yet to capture a stone despite already reaching the twentieth move.”
“Division Master Gu should have just followed Division Master Meng’s moves!”
“Hah! It’s over for Division Master Gu! After this, it will be our turn to suffer. The killing will start again.”
“I still don’t want to die!”
As Gu Hai played more pieces, the emotions of the cultivators below turned anxious and horrified again. Many of them revealed expressions of despair.
Gu Hai continued playing. Eventually, he reached the twenty-sixth move.
Clack!
“He surrounded a white Go stone! He surrounded a white Go stone!” someone suddenly cried out.
The eyes of the cultivators, who showed despair, lit up at this exclamation.
Shing!
A heavenly saber descended from the sky, charging at Gu Hai.
Gu Hai ignored the heavenly saber, but the Veritable Energy in his body instantly connected to it.
“Roar!”
The Veritable Energy formed by the True Dragon Innate Cultivation Technique took the form of a dragon. A three-meter-long, purple, dragon-shaped Veritable Energy soared into the sky, charging at the heavenly saber with its jaws open wide.
Boom!
The small dragon instantly consumed the three-hundred-meter-long heavenly saber.
The small dragon immediately grew to about seven meters. Strands of saber qi appeared around it, and it looked like it suffered somewhat from indigestion. After all, Gu Hai’s Veritable Energy was weaker than Meng Tai’s.
However, Gu Hai’s little dragon managed to consume it in the end.
The little, seven-meter-long dragon opened its jaws wide and roared.
“Roar!”
The little dragon roared, rearing its head to the sky, facing the dark clouds.
“This move?” Outside, Ninth Young Master suddenly opened his eyes wide.
Inside the valley, Meng Tai’s face sank. “A chain play? This game…”
Clack! Clack!
A white Go stone landed, and Gu Hai immediately played a black Go stone, surrounding another white Go stone.
“He captured another stone? Furthermore, without pause in between?”
Shing! Roar! The dragon consumed another heavenly saber.
Clack! Clack!
“Again? Continuous captures? This is the third in a row already. Division Master Gu is capturing a stone with every move?”
“Earlier, Division Master Meng had to make a few moves to capture a stone. He could not capture stones in rapid succession as Division Master Gu did.”
“Look! Look! Division Master Gu is capturing another stone!”
The sound of Go stones being set down rang out continuously, combined with the sound of the dragon consuming heavenly sabers. Before everyone’s shocked eyes, the dragon consumed ten heavenly sabers, one after another, before the pace slowed down.
The game continued. This time both white and black suffered some losses.
White Go stones and black Go stones continued being placed on the board. The dragon above Gu Hai’s head was now three hundred meters long. After consuming so many heavenly sabers, it started to show some changes.
The scales on the dragon became heavenly-saber-shaped, standing vertically. This was no longer an ordinary dragon but a bizarre evil dragon covered in heavenly sabers.
The ferocious evil dragon coiled above Gu Hai’s head, radiating a surging baleful aura. The evil aura charged into everyone’s heart, shocking them and inspiring fear.
Meng Tai’s dragon had reached only two hundred meters, but Gu Hai’s evil dragon grew to three hundred meters. Now, a huge, mutated evil dragon covered in sabers roared while facing the sky.
The Go game continued, and the evil dragon continued to grow.
Hope appeared in everyone’s heart. All the cultivators tightly clenched their fists, excitedly watching Gu Hai place more Go stones.
“Roar!”
“It is even bigger now! The evil dragon grew even bigger. What a horrifying aura!”
“This is great! Bigger! Bigger!”
“Bigger! More! Bigger!”
Everyone muttered excitedly.
Xiaorou felt so excited, her snake body tensing as she stood up vertically, praying for Gu Hai.
Chen Tianshan and Gao Xianzhi appeared extraordinarily excited.
As Gu Hai captured more Go stones, the evil saber dragon grew to about seven hundred meters.
“Roar!”
Boom!
——
When the evil dragon roared, an overwhelming air seemed to penetrate the water-vapor mirror outside the valley and reach everyone’s hearts.
Whimper! Whimper! Whimper! Whimper!
Outside the valley, the thousands of animal spirits suddenly prostrated themselves. The might of the evil dragon seemed to reave them of all fighting spirit. They all strangely felt horrified and frustrated. While most lay prostrate, others fled in horror.
“Ninth Young Master, this isn’t good. What should we do now?” a black-clad man called out to Ninth Young Master in fear.
“Ninth Young Master, that person is going to solve the Heavenly Saber Death Match soon. What should we do? Are we really going to let them go?”
“Ninth Young Master, it’s going to be solved. That person is going to solve it. Are we going to let them go?”
Ninth Young Master showed an uncertain expression. Then, his expression turned sinister and ferocious. “Solve it? Humph! That is only my excuse for torturing them. Since that will not work, then let them die together! Heavenly Saber Fatal Blow Ritual Array!”
As Ninth Young Master spoke, he extended his hand to control the ritual array.
——
Inside the valley:
Rumble…!
The dark clouds suddenly surged intensely. Then, beams of white light appeared in the ritual array. Dense saber qi slowly materialized saber blades in the dark clouds.
“What? Oh no! Look up!”
“Why are there so many new heavenly sabers forming?! What should we do!”
“Division Master Gu is about to win, but they are going to go back on their word?”
“You bastards! You’re breaking your promise!”
“I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!”
Everyone in the valley stared at the sky in horror. Their hair all stood on end as the threat of death filled their heart.
Chen Tianshan appeared panic-stricken. Xiaorou also looked at the sky in fright.
However, Gao Xianzhi and Meng Tai stared firmly at the Go board, tightly clenching their fists.
Gu Hai played at an increasingly faster pace, continuously placing Go stones. As the evil dragon consumed more heavenly sabers, its eyes turned crimson, and it exuded an increasingly intense evil air.
Suddenly, a cold shout rang out in the clouds, “Die!”
Boom!
A heavenly saber suddenly appeared and charged at Gu Hai. This time, it was not for the evil dragon to consume. Instead, it wanted to chop him down.
Shing!
The saber appeared ferocious, looking like it would tear the sky. It flew at Gu Hai with overwhelming killing intent, looking like it would soon strike him.
“Roar!”
The evil dragon roared and suddenly charged over.
Boom!
A loud sound rang out, and the heavenly saber shattered and disappeared.
“Huh?” Outside, Ninth Young Master’s expression changed.
“He blocked it so easily?” a black-clad person exclaimed.
“That evil dragon has consumed two hundred heavenly sabers and is already one kilometer long. It is already very strong!”
Ninth Young Master’s face turned sullen. “Humph! So what if you can block a heavenly saber? I can send ten, one hundred, or one thousand. Let’s see how you are going to block them!”
With this cold shout, dark clouds immediately churned above Gu Hai.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
One hundred sabers slowly appeared in the dark clouds. The aura of a powerful killing move instantly encased the entire valley. Many cultivators got goosebumps; the threat of death seemed to freeze their blood, causing them to reveal expressions of shock and horror.
The one hundred heavenly sabers pointed at Gu Hai.
As the evil dragon blocked the aura, Gu Hai felt somewhat better. However, it still startled him, interrupting his play. Then, he raised his head to look at the sky. The evil dragon faced the sky and roared, facing the looming one hundred heavenly sabers.
Gu Hai narrowed his eyes and revealed a cold smile. “You are trying to kill me only now? Isn’t that a little too late?”
As Gu Hai spoke, the black Go stone in his hand suddenly landed on the tengen position on the Go board.
Clack!
The moment Gu Hai placed the Go piece, he seemed to infuse boundless energy into the evil dragon.
“Roar!”
The evil dragon let out a shocking roar as the evil air it gave off suddenly intensified. It felt like a strong wind blew and knocked the surrounding cultivators to the ground.
When the evil dragon roared, it no longer defended above Gu Hai’s head. Instead, it soared up with a ferocious expression, flying to the one hundred heaven sabers and biting at the roiling dark clouds. It now attacked the entire Heavenly Saber Death Match ritual array.
“Roar!”