Chapter 048: The Sickly Youth
“He is going to destroy the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree?
“Uproot and utterly destroy it, burning the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree to nothing?”
“Is he crazy? Is Gu Hai crazy? That is the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree. He is going to destroy it?”
“Ten days? If he does not see the Unborn Man in ten days, he will destroy the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree? What kind of sick joke is this?”
The various cultivators in the independent world clamored, envying the wastrel who was Gu Hai.
This was the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree. If it were outside the Innate Puzzle World, all the factions in the world would make a move upon hearing about it. A precious treasure like the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree was countless times more precious than the Century Lifespan Immortality Peaches. With it, one would have an endless supply of Century Lifespan Immortality Peaches. However, this wastrel was going to destroy it?
Can you not be so reckless? If you don’t want it, you can give it to me.
Countless people looked up with bloodshot eyes.
Chen Tianshan stared blankly at Gu Hai. At this moment, he felt that Gu Hai shattered his worldview. Why? Why is it that I cannot understand the division master?
“Gu Hai! How dare you?!” Ninth Young Master roared while glaring.
Gu Hai turned his head and looked at Ninth Young Master, revealing a faint smile.
Then, Gu Hai closed his eyes while touching the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree and taking a deep breath.
“Golden Go stone, you allow me to connect to the laws of this independent world. The strength of my Go skills dictates how strong the laws’ power is? Since that is the case, I shall use the power of this independent world’s laws to re-create a formation left by Old Mister Guan Qi!” Gu Hai suddenly opened his eyes.
Boom!
Suddenly, countless roiling white clouds arrived in the sky.
As the clouds covered the area, the vast army suddenly spread out and formed a huge Go board with twenty-eight vertical lines and twenty-eight horizontal lines.
Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!
The vast army on the Go board seemed to turn into Go stones, slowly vanishing into the roiling clouds.
This colossal Go board showed none other than the game demonstrated on the white crystal in Gu Hai’s forehead space a few days ago, that Go board game with twenty-eight line pairs.
However, this twenty-eight-line-pair Go board currently spread out formed a vast ritual array.
Rumble…!
Surging clouds encased the surrounding hundreds of kilometers in the sky, producing thunderous rumbles. Then, a strong might and pressure bore down on the region.
A Go Dao ritual array!
Chen Tianshan and Gao Xianzhi goggled, showing horrified expressions.
“How can it be like this? The division master came in with us. Only a short time has passed, so how can he…” Chen Tianshan muttered, feeling disbelief.
“Division Master is a talented person in the first place. All he lacked was an opportunity, something to support him. Once Division Master gained his opportunity, he could spread his wings and ride the wind, going very far!” Gao Xianzhi said, a trace of regret flashing in his eyes.
On the other side, Meng Tai gaped in amazement. “The vast army is actually not the strongest form of Gu Hai’s cloud beast? How can that be true?!”
“Laying a ritual array? Using the golden Go stone to drive the power of the world and lay a ritual array? How can that be? Where did this Gu Hai come from? Can anyone tell me that? Where is he from?” Ninth Young Master exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.
Roiling clouds covered the sky, preventing everyone from clearly seeing inside.
“Gao Xianzhi, Chen Tianshan, come in!” Gu Hai’s shout came from the roiling clouds.
“Yes!” the two answered.
The winged dragon flapped its wings and quickly carried the two into the clouds.
Countless cultivators below kept staring at the sky.
“Is he really going to defend for ten days and destroy the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree after that?”
“Who is Gu Hai? Can anyone tell me that? Who the heck is Gu Hai? When did someone like him appear?”
“He is searching for the Unborn Man? Who is the Unborn Man?”
It seemed like huge uproars broke out all over the place, making the independent world noisy.
——
At a plaza:
The first elder and Bodhisattva Lian Sheng stared at the sky.
“Haha! It looks like your Heavenly Go Pavilion is in real trouble this time.” Bodhisattva Lian Sheng smiled while shaking his head.
The first elder remained silent as he stared at the sky.
“First Elder, that madman said that he would destroy the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree after ten days. Are we not going to do something?”
“First Elder, the pavilion master personally planted that Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree back then!”
“First Elder, what should we do now? Who is the Unborn Man?”
Many anxious cries rang out.
“Inform Little Ninth to get over here and meet me immediately!” the first elder said, suppressing his anger.
“Yes!”
——
One day later, in a large hall:
There were two seats at the host’s position in the north of the hall.
The first elder sat on the left side, and a sickly youth sat on the right side.
The sickly youth wore white robes with a red peony embroidered on them. He looked handsome, appearing somewhat similar to that Ninth Young Master. At this moment, he sat next to the first elder but did not appear deferential to the first elder. Instead, he held a handkerchief and sullenly eyed Ninth Young Master, who stood across the two.
“Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!” The sickly youth coughed, covering his mouth with the handkerchief.
“First Elder, I already did my best!” Ninth Young Master said with a bitter expression.
The First Elder took a deep breath and said, “I know you already did your best. However, you still lost the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree in the end. This is not a minor matter!”
“That Gu Hai wants to meet the Unborn Man. We…” Ninth Young Master said in anticipation.
“Trash! Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!” the sickly youth shouted coldly. Then, he used his handkerchief to cover his mouth as he coughed.
Ninth Young Master showed an unsightly expression but did not dare to talk back.
“This matter is quite urgent. Otherwise, we would not disturb you. Are you alright?” The first elder looked at the sickly youth.
“This is an old illness. It will act up every two centuries. I will recover very soon.” The sicky youth shook his head.
After that, the sickly youth stared at Ninth Young Master.
When facing the sickly youth, Ninth Young Master lowered his head.
“You were the one who lost the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree, so you are responsible for getting it back. The Heavenly Go Pavilion disciples cannot interfere; this is the pavilion master’s rule, even for the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree,” the sickly youth said coldly.
“But I—” Ninth Young Master protested with an unsightly expression.
“Aside from the Heavenly Go Pavilion disciples, you can command any of the others. As for the outer sect disciples that just joined the Heavenly Go Pavilion, we’ll strip them of their Heavenly Go Pavilion identity first and consider them ordinary citizens. You may make use of them as well!” the sicky youth said coldly.
“Yes! I’ll definitely do my best!” Ninth Young Master guaranteed.
The sickly youth stared at Ninth Young Master and asked, “What are you planning to do? Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!”
“I will properly organize the outer sect disciples and launch a focused attack to break through the ritual array’s defenses. Then, I will snatch back the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree!” Ninth Young Master guaranteed through clenched teeth.
“How stupid! Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!” the sickly youth said coldly.
“Huh?” Ninth Young Master felt slightly stunned.
“Acting rashly will not work. Can’t you use your brains? Now that the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree is exposed, we are not the only ones who want the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree; all the outsiders want it too. The outsiders are a powerful force. To think that you don’t know how to make use of them. Manipulate the outsiders to attack the ritual array. Even the outer sect disciples of my Heavenly Go Pavilion are extremely precious. How can we send them to death so easily? Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!” the sickly youth said coldly.
“Yes!” Ninth Young Master’s expression immediately changed in incomparable embarrassment.
“Alright, go on!” the sickly youth ordered gloomily.
“Yes!” Ninth Young Master could only leave the hall after being dismissed.
Now, only the first elder and the sickly youth remained in the hall.
“With such a big commotion, will the Unborn Man learn of it?” the first elder asked, frowning.
The sickly youth shook his head and replied, “I don’t know. Given the Unborn Man’s capabilities, no one can conceal anything from him if he wants to know about it. However, he rarely concerns himself with what happens in this world. I do not know if he is paying attention this time. Furthermore, we are the ones who lost something. Why should we ask him for help? However, who is this Gu Hai? Why does he know how to control the laws of this independent world?”
“He is just an ordinary person. He is seventy years old now and just joined Elite Hall. I do not know anything else,” the first elder said, still frowning.
“The explosion of the Go stone in the nine-five position of the Go board accumulating power above the pavilion master’s coffin might have something to do with this person. After all, it is too coincidental. We should thoroughly investigate him!” the sickly youth said seriously.
“Oh? It has something to do with him? In that case, we need to capture him and question him!” the first elder said.
The sickly youth shook his head and countered, “No, don’t ever touch him!”
“Why?”
“Not touching him is the best way to maintain the status quo. Wait until all the Go stones are filled up. If it was not him, then it would be pointless to do anything to him. If it was him, he is already involved. Touching him would be a bad thing instead,” the sickly youth explained, his voice sinking.
The first elder remained silent for a while before nodding.
——
The third day:
All the outsiders were suddenly shocked to find golden Go stones.
The golden Go stones were rare and hard to find. Previously, close to ten thousand people had found golden Go stones. However, way more than ten thousand people had entered this independent world.
Who knew how many factions of the Thousand Islands Sea had come, bringing large numbers of outsiders? The ones who found the golden Go stones were merely ten percent or even less.
However, it seemed that the Heavenly Go Pavilion intentionally arranged this. More and more people found golden Go stones.
Soon, the number of people who controlled cloud beasts increased.
Tens of thousands of golden Go stones appeared, possibly even one hundred thousand. As the number of cloud beasts in the sky increased, the cultivators who were initially shocked by Gu Hai’s vast army grew excited.
Gu Hai has a vast army. However, we have many cloud beasts as well. With tens of thousands of cloud beasts, we are already capable of destroying that vast army.
However, the many cultivators did not soar up together despite feeling impatient. The cloud beasts soared up one by one and moved around Gu Hai’s ritual array. They seemed to be searching for openings or weak spots.
Chen Tianshan, Gao Xianzhi, Gu Hai, and Xiaorou stood inside the ritual array and watched the world outside.
While the outside world could not see in, the people inside could look out. At the sight of the increasing number of cloud beasts, Chen Tianshan could not help gulping.
“Division Master, the situation is not good. Only a few days have passed. How did so many golden Go stones appear?” Gao Xianzhi asked with an unsightly expression.
Gu Hai looked at the outside world coldly and replied, “Ha! The Heavenly Go Pavilion is finally interfering!”
“The Heavenly Go Pavilion caused this?” Chen Tianshan exclaimed in shock.
“The Heavenly Go Pavilion is manipulating these one hundred thousand outsiders to attack our ritual array. Although not all one hundred thousand will be manipulated to do so, there will be at least tens of thousands of them. Ha! The allure of the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree is simply too great, after all. The Heavenly Go Pavilion finally learned this time?” Gu Hai said coldly.
“Doesn’t that mean that we will have to face tens of thousands of cultivators after this?” Chen Tianshan gaped in shock.
Four people fighting tens of thousands? That is just seeking death, right? Is there a need to play so big?