Chapter 023: Ninth of the Top Sixteen Ancient Treasures, the Heavenly Go Stone

[TL Note: Like the translation of the Heavenly Go Pavilion, the Heavenly Go Stone also uses the same raws and should mean “playing Go against heaven stone.”]

“Oh? Eight centuries too late? Gu Hai, from how you strategized for the war between the Song Nation and the Chen Nation, I believe you should be a Go expert. I learned to play not too long ago. Will you play a game with me?” Long Wanqing smiled.

“Play Go with you?” Gu Hai frowned.

“What’s wrong? Are you afraid to defeat me? Rest assured, I do not require anyone to give in to me. If you can defeat me, I will heavily reward you!” Long Wanqing said confidently.

However, Gu Hai shook his head and smiled. “Still, let’s forget about it. Your subordinate has not played Go with others for thirty years already.”

“Huh?” Everyone felt stunned, showing skeptical expressions.

Had not played Go for thirty years? How could that be possible? Even Long Wanqing frowned as she looked at Gu Hai.

“Hall Master, this subordinate is not lying. I have indeed not played against others for thirty years already,” Gu Hai emphasized.

Long Wanqing nodded with a frown as she looked at Gu Hai. After all, there was no need to lie about this.

Venerable Liu Nian gave Gu Hai a meaningful look.

However, Song Qingshu’s eyes lit up with a hidden, cold smile.

“Hall Master, you mentioned that this Old Mister Guan Qi played Go against heaven earlier, right? I believe he is also a peak expert?” Gu Hai asked, feeling curious.

“That is natural. He was one of the strongest people in the world. Unfortunately, he died. The Heavenly Go Pavilion that he established was an upper-tier sect. All the factions in the world did not dare to cross it. The sect had countless experts and countless treasures, including a lifespan plant, the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree. Of course, the most incredible treasure would be Old Mister Guan Qi’s treasure, the Heavenly Go Stone!” Long Wanqing said, feeling rueful.

“Oh? The Heavenly Go Stone?” Gu Hai felt slightly stunned.

“I’ve heard my maternal grandfather say that the Heavenly Go Stone looks like an ordinary Go stone. Although it looks unremarkable, it is one of the sixteen ancient treasures, ranked ninth,” Long Wanqing explained.

“The top sixteen ancient treasures?” Gu Hai said, feeling confused.

“Those are the sixteen strongest treasures in historical records. Some vanished into the river of time, and some are in the hands of someone. There are sixteen in all, but no one knows exactly which is stronger. They were just ranked according to their past glory. This Heavenly Go Stone is ranked ninth,” Long Wanqing explained.

“The Heavenly Go Stone? What happened to the Heavenly Go Stone after Old Mister Guan Qi died?” Gu Hai asked.

“Gone. Some people say that Old Mister Guan Qi angered heaven, so heaven destroyed the Heavenly Go Stone. Others say that the Heavenly Go Stone just went missing, waiting for some lucky person to find it after countless years and forge another legend,” Long Wanqing said while shaking her head.

Gu Hai nodded, but emotions surged in his heart.

Gu Hai had a black Go stone in a space within his forehead. That black Go stone hovered in the air, looking down at one hundred thousand Go puzzles below like a sovereign. That black Go stone had brought Gu Hai to this place from Earth.

Gu Hai had known from the start that the black Go stone was extraordinary, as it had transmigrated him from Earth. However, based on what he heard today, was that black Go stone of his the Heavenly Go Stone?

Gu Hai did not show any strange expression or ask further about it. Instead, he just listened to Long Wanqing as she continued.

“That plan to fight against heaven ended with Old Mister Guan Qi’s defeat. Nearly all of the Heavenly Go Pavilion’s eight million disciples died from heaven’s wrath. It looked like the Heavenly Go Pavilion would be wiped out from the world. However, before Old Mister Guan Qi died, he found a path to survival towards the end of this situation,” Long Wanqing said seriously.

“A path to survival?”

“That’s right. That is the place we are going to, Tengen Island. That was the headquarters of the Heavenly Go Pavilion in the past. As heaven destroyed everything of the Heavenly Go Pavilion, Old Mister Guan Qi used the Thousand Islands Go puzzle to open a small, independent space called the Innate Puzzle World. This space opens every two centuries, and it contains the many treasures of the Heavenly Go Pavilion, including that Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree. Old Mister Guan Qi wanted to save the Heavenly Go Pavilion disciples, but he was too late. Only a few of them managed to enter; the rest died from heaven’s wrath,” Long Wanqing explained.

“The Innate Puzzle World? An independent space? Only opens every two centuries?” Gu Hai frowned.

“The Thousand Islands Go puzzle is a remnant of Old Mister Guan Qi’s battle with heaven. The laws in it contain Old Mister Guan Qi’s Go abilities and the firmament’s might. These laws are extremely strong, one of which is an extremely unreasonable law. Only Innate Realm cultivators or people who suppress their cultivation to the Innate Realm can enter. Otherwise, if one leaks an aura that surpasses the Innate Realm, the heavenly wrath of the independent space’s laws will destroy them. No one can avoid this,” Long Wanqing said.

[TL Note: The laws mentioned here are not rules written by mortals but refer to laws that govern how the world works, kind of like Newton’s Laws of Motion. As typical of cultivation novels, these laws can be manipulated when one reaches a certain level of strength or comprehension.]

“Innate Realm?” Gu Hai’s eyes lit up.

“The Innate Puzzle World opens every two centuries, and countless experts entered in the past. The experts of the various factions brought out the old treasures of the Heavenly Go Pavilion over time. However, the most valuable treasures are still in there, including the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree,” Long Wanqing explained.

“Won’t that mean that countless experts enter every time it opens?” Gao Xianzhi said with an excited expression.

“No, that is not necessarily so. Once one enters, one can only remain in the Innate Realm. When powerful experts enter the Innate Puzzle World, they will feel restricted. Many experts would not want to take the risk. People like the Clear River Sect Master and the First Song Sect Master have reached the Nascent Soul Realm. Why would they suppress their cultivations to the Innate Realm and fight to the death with a bunch of Innate Realm ants? It would be fine if they win. However, wouldn’t they feel very wronged if they died?” Long Wanqing smiled.

“Right.” Gao Xianzhi nodded while raising his eyebrows.

“Furthermore, the Innate Puzzle World has its natives. Those are the people of the Heavenly Go Pavilion. Since the outsiders came and snatched their treasures, they feel incredible hatred for the outsiders. They will work together to kill the outsiders every time, especially after the Innate Puzzle World closes. Who knows what happens in there over the next two centuries? However, those who failed to come out all died,” Long Wanqing explained.

Gu Hai frowned slightly as he asked, “So, Hall Master is planning to enter?”

“Yes!” Long Wanqing replied with a deep breath.

“For that Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree?” Gu Hai asked out of curiosity.

Long Wanqing shook her head and explained, “I’m going in there to find a person, a native of that place.”

“Oh? Might this subordinate know why?” Gu Hai asked out of curiosity.

“My mother died twenty years ago. Even after searching for twenty years, I could not find the murderer. That person has some special abilities. I want to ask him to help me find my mother’s killer!” Long Wanqing said with a ferocious expression.

Venerable Liu Nian frowned slightly, some sorrow darkening his eyes.

“A native in there? He knows Hall Master’s mother?” Gu Hai said, changing his expression.

“I heard that my mother had a friendship with him eight centuries ago. At that time, heaven had not destroyed the Heavenly Go Pavilion yet. However, since he entered the Innate Puzzle World, eight hundred years have passed. If I didn’t have any other choice, I would not go to find him. I hope that he can help me find my mother’s murderer!” Long Wanqing said with a cold and gloomy expression.

“What is his name?” Gu Hai asked.

“He is known as the Unborn Man!” Long Wanqing said.

“The Unborn Man?” Gu Hai exclaimed. What a strange title.

Long Wanqing nodded, determination on her face as she stared into the distance.

——

Three days later, in a large palace hall in the White Cloud flying ship:

Gu Hai sat down cross-legged with the True Dragon Innate Cultivation Technique’s bamboo scroll manual placed in front of him. Then, he cultivated according to the cultivation technique.

Roar!

A dragon roar came from Gu Hai’s dantian. As he cultivated the True Dragon Innate Cultivation Technique, some of his Veritable Energy transformed into dragon-shaped Veritable Energy that surrounded that drop of Veritable Essence. The dragon-shaped Veritable Energy helped compress the rest of his Veritable Energy, slowly merging it into the Veritable Essence and accelerating the Veritable Essence’s congealment process.

“Dragon form!”

Gu Hai quickly spread his arms out.

Roar!

Veritable Energy immediately covered his body’s surface, forming a faint, purple, dragon-shaped mist. The Veritable Energy that covered his hands took on the shape of dragon claws, appearing very sinister.

“The True Dragon Innate Cultivation Technique? It not only can accelerate the rate at which I absorb Spiritual Energy but also gives me the aura of an evil dragon when I attack. What a great cultivation technique!” Gu Hai praised as he looked at the Veritable Energy on his hands.

Whoosh!

Gu Hai stopped and gradually returned the Veritable Energy into his dantian. The dragon-shaped Veritable Energy resumed circling the Veritable Essence, helping to compress the surrounding Veritable Energy.

Then, Gu Hai stood up slowly and walked to the entrance.

Creak!

When Gu Hai opened the doors, he saw Gao Xianzhi standing outside respectfully.

“Many thanks, Division Master!” Gao Xianzhi suddenly bowed to Gu Hai.

“You broke through?” Gu Hai smiled at Gao Xianzhi.

“Yes. Many thanks to Division Master for asking Senior Chen Tianshan to infuse energy into me. This subordinate already broke through to the Innate Realm. I did not require much Spiritual Energy. Unfortunately, Division Master had to use his superior-grade spirit stone,” Gao Xianzhi said bitterly.

“It is just one stone. We can earn it back in the future. Chen Tianshan would only assist you with his full power with that spirit stone.” Gu Hai smiled.

“Many thanks, Division Master!” Gao Xianzhi repeated gratefully.

“There’s no need to thank me. We are about to enter the Innate Puzzle World. Now that you’re in the Innate Realm, you will be of greater help to me. Memorize this True Dragon Innate Cultivation Technique and quickly start cultivating it.” Gu Hai took out that bamboo scroll.

“The True Dragon Innate Cultivation Technique? I…I heard Senior Chen Tianshan said that this is the Elite Hall Master’s main cultivation technique. The hall master cultivates this, and she passed it on to Division Master. That means that only Division Master is qualified to cultivate this cultivation technique,” Gao Xianzhi said, changing his expression.

“It does not matter. It is just an Innate Realm cultivation technique. Use it to build firm foundations. I do not want to see you holding me back in the future.” Gu Hai smiled.

“Yes. Many thanks, Division Master. This subordinate will put in my full effort. I will not disappoint Division Master!” Gao Xianzhi said seriously as he showed a stern expression.

Gu Hai patted Gao Xianzhi’s shoulder after he handed the bamboo scroll to Gao Xianzhi. Then, he headed to the bow of the flying ship with a smile. Long Wanqing and Venerable Liu Nian stood there.

Clutching the bamboo scroll, Gao Xianzhi showed an uncertain expression as he watched Gu Hai walk away. He was also a smart person. Gu Hai used a superior-grade spirit stone and also gave him the best cultivation technique. Gu Hai clearly was trying to win him over.

If it were another person, even Long Wanqing, trying to win him over, Gao Xianzhi would only temporarily submit for the benefits and avoid trouble. It would just be a stopgap measure that would not place much of a psychological burden on him.

However, this was Gu Hai. Gao Xianzhi’s heart was in turmoil for a while.

After some silence, Gao Xianzhi let out a long breath and carefully put away this cultivation technique. Then, he bowed respectfully to Gu Hai’s leaving figure.