Guan Qi Hall, Heavenly Go Pavilion, Innate Puzzle World, Tengen Island:
Eighteen elders sat in the hall, with a coffin at the north end of the hall. A nineteen line-pair Go board floated above the coffin, and Go stones filled it.
Just at this moment, a black Go stone slowly changed color, turning into a white Go stone.
“Another black Go stone turned white?” One of the elders smiled.
“When the Innate Puzzle World opened a few years ago, there were two hundred white Go stones. After a few years, we have already reached two hundred eighty white Go stones. Eighty turned into white Go stones in just a few short years? Now, only eighty black Go stones remain. Does this mean that all the Go stones on this Go board will be white in a few more years?” another elder said excitedly.
“Eight centuries ago, all the Go stones on this Go board were black. Now, most of them are white. Back then, the pavilion master said that when all the Go stones turn white, it would be time for the Heavenly Go Pavilion to return to the Divine Continent. It will happen soon, just a few more years?”
All the elders looked excitedly at the first elder.
The first elder took a deep breath before saying, “More accurately, most of the transformations happened in the recent few months. Someone must have collected a large number of the pavilion master’s enchanted treasures and refined them, solving them in the process.”
“Huh? First Elder, what do you mean?”
“Someone is doing his best to collect all the enchanted treasures that the pavilion master scattered. Furthermore, that person solved and refined them very quickly. More than two hundred must have gotten completely refined,” the first elder said sullenly.
“More than two hundred? That’s impossible. Whose Go skill could be that strong? Only how long has passed? How could it be just one person? That’s impossible, right?” The many elders shook their heads.
“It might be possible. Perhaps…” The first elder frowned slightly.
“That Gu Hai?” Everyone looked at the first elder.
The first elder frowned as he shook his head, uncertain.
“That might not be so. Isn’t there anyone with stronger Go skills than him? Surely the nine inheritors of Guan Qi are not weaker, right? First Elder…” Everyone immediately shook their heads.
“Never mind. No matter what, it is not detrimental to us. It will be fine as long as all the Go stones on this Go board turn white.” The first elder shook his head while smiling.
Then, everyone looked at the Go board.
There were three hundred sixty-one Go stones—no, more accurately, three hundred sixty; there was one less. The Go stone at the nine-five position had exploded a few years ago.
Back when Gu Hai entered the Innate Puzzle Word, Old Mister Guan Qi’s puppet tried to extract all his Go skills and replicate all his one hundred thousand Go puzzles. Unfortunately, it overloaded, causing this Go stone to explode.
Everyone’s face sank as they looked at this blank spot.
“The nine-five position? Was its getting damaged something that surpassed the pavilion master’s plans?”
“Even a seer cannot definitively predict the future. What more the pavilion master? Back then, the pavilion master divined everything in the world. Everything should have gone as expected. Perhaps this was not a variable of the world?”
“That…”
“It doesn’t matter. The pavilion master should have made several backups. Even if the nine-five position’s white Go stone is gone, others can substitute for it. I already know of one backup.”
“Oh?”
“Nine-Five Island. As long as Nine-Five Island remains, everything is fine.”
“Nine-Five Island?” the other elders parroted in confusion.
“That’s right. Nine-Five Island, the Nine-Five Island of the Thousand Islands Sea. While other things can vanish, Nine-Five Island won’t, right?” The first elder smiled.
“Of course not. How could such a large island disappear?” The elders smiled.
Just at this moment, Gu Hai made his move on the seafloor—and the entire Thousand Islands Sea trembled. The floating Go board in Guan Qi Hall was connected and was also affected.
Boom!
All the Go stones on the Go board trembled.
“What?” Everyone’s expression changed.
The image of an island suddenly appeared at the nine-five position of the Go board.
“Is that Nine-Five Island?” one of the elders said in shock.
“Bring the diagrams of the islands!” The first elder’s expression changed.
Soon, someone brought over a stack of diagrams, and they quickly found Nine-Five Island’s. Then, they compared it to the image on the Go board.
“That’s right. This is a diagram of Nine-Five Island. Indeed. This Go board is connected to the various islands.” The first elder’s expression changed further.
“That… What is going on?” the various elders exclaimed.
“Bring the Spy Scope!” the first elder called out.
Whoosh!
Another enchanted treasure immediately appeared. It looked like a round piece of glass. When they faced one side of it to the small image of the island on the Go board, the other side of the glass showed a magnified image.
“Hurry, zoom in on the bottom of the island!” the first elder called out.
Buzz!
The image on one side of the Spy Scope quickly enlarged and shifted. Soon, the scene fixed on the bottom of Nine-Five Island.
“There are three people there?” one of the elders exclaimed.
“Miao Chen? It’s him? Is he destroying Nine-Five Island?”
“That’s not right. Look! It’s Gu Hai! It’s Gu Hai!” another elder immediately yelled.
The elders could not hear any sound from the Spy Scope. However, they could make out the respect that Miao Chen and the woman had for Gu Hai.
“Gu Hai is destroying Nine-Five Island?” One of the elders gaped.
“Fortunately, he destroyed only half of it. The other half is impossible to destroy. That is the Thirty-One Line-Pair World Go Puzzle,” the first elder said with a glare.
“Thirty-one?” The other elders inhaled sharply.
Most of the elders here could not comprehend the Thirty-One Line-Pair World Ritual Array. Only the first elder managed to recognize it.
“Indeed, they could not break it. The three of them flew back to the island.” The first elder released his bated breath.
Gu Hai’s group flew back to the Soaring Palace Hall’s entrance.
“Imperial Father, how did it go?” Gu Qin immediately asked anxiously.
“It looks like you will have to leave first,” Gu Hai said after taking a deep breath.
“Huh?”
“Nine-Five Island is connected. To make Nine-Five Island fly, we need to leave a substitute. That is to say, we will play another move to substitute ourself for Nine-Five Island. The Go board that is the Thousand Islands Sea will hold us down,” Gu Hai said seriously.
“Imperial Father will substitute himself for Nine-Five Island? How can that do?” Gu Qin objected worriedly.
Substitution meant that Nine-Five Island could leave, but Gu Hai could not.
“It does not matter. This is a Thirty-One Line-Pair World Go Puzzle. We can solve it after some time. You should go first!” Gu Hai said with a smile.
“We should go first? But…” Gu Qin appeared somewhat worried.
“Don’t worry. We have already given you the route. After this, you will take charge of the flight. Go on first. We will catch up soon,” Gu Hai instructed.
“Yes!” Gu Qin nodded.
“Should this official accompany Your Majesty?” Bing Ji immediately asked.
Gu Hai shook his head and said, “Go first. The substitution and solution of the puzzle will affect the ritual array covering the entire Thousand Islands Sea. If you are nearby, you might become a target of the rebound. Go first.”
“But—” Everyone appeared worried.
“No buts. This is a sovereign’s order!” Gu Hai said.
“Yes!” everyone answered.
“Dongfang Bubai, if you meet any unsavory people on the way, please make a move to assist my son, Gu Qin.” Gu Hai looked at Dongfang Bubai.
“Mister Gu, rest assured!” Dongfang Bubai nodded.
Gu Hai nodded before turning and saying, “Activate the sound amplification ritual array!”
Whoosh!
The surrounding sound amplification ritual arrays activated quickly.
“Citizens of Nine-Five Island, hear this. Nine-Five Island will soon fly into the air and head for the Divine Continent. Crown Prince Gu Qin will take responsibility for this operation. Everything is fine. Rest assured!” Gu Hai updated the citizens.
“Yes!” the Nine-Five Island citizens immediately answered.
After Gu Hai taught Gu Qin how to operate the Life Trapper Saber, he dived back to the seafloor.
Soon, Gu Hai arrived at the place with sixty-two veins again.
At Guan Qi Hall:
“First Elder, look! Gu Hai is back!” someone immediately called out.
“Huh? Gu Hai? Why is he back? He does not know how to solve the Thirty-One Line-Pair World Go Puzzle. What is the point of returning?” the first elder sneered.
Clack!
Back at the seafloor, Gu Hai tapped another junction of the veins.
Whoosh!
All the veins connected to Nine-Five Island suddenly retreated from Nine-Five Island.
The elders at Guan Qi Hall: “…”
Rumble…!
The mass of golden veins that left Nine-Five Island suddenly formed a large net, half-covering Gu Hai.
After Nine-Five Island lost its restraints, it floated upwards with a loud rumble.
The Han Nation citizens on Nine-Five Island immediately goggled.
“I feel the ground rising. It’s flying!”
“Look! The sea in the distance is sinking. We really are flying!”
“We floated up! We floated up!”
Countless citizens felt incredibly excited.
However, Gu Qin appeared anxious. Indeed, churning dark clouds soon curled over from a distance.
This did not happen to just the skies of Nine-Five Island. Great changes took place all over the Thousand Islands Sea.
The dark clouds that represented heaven’s wrath surrounding Tengen Island billowed up all of a sudden and spread out in every direction. In mere moments, they covered the vast Thousand Islands Sea.
“All black tortoises, bring up the surrounding ships and enter the island. Immediately enter the island!” Gu Qin shouted.
“Yes!”
The surrounding black tortoises and ships left the sea and entered Nine-Five Island.
“Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!” Gu Qin appeared anxious as he made Nine-Five Island float.
Boom!
Nine-Five Island suddenly leaped out of the sea.
Boom!
When Nine-Five Island left the sea, waves soared into the sky.
“Hurry! Hurry!” Gu Qin appeared anxious.
Before Nine-Five Island could fly into the clouds, it had already started moving above the sea. It took an entire day to leave its original position.
It had been danger after danger. The dark clouds in the sky immediately sent down countless lightning bolts.
Rumble…!
The lightning bolts struck Nine-Five Island’s original location. It seemed like heaven’s wrath at Tengen Island had transferred to Nine-Five Island’s original position.
As everyone stood on Nine-Five Island and looked at the torrent of lightning bolts striking the surroundings, everyone’s expression changed.
“Oh no! His Majesty!” Bing Ji’s expression changed as she dived into the sea.
Lightning bolts flashed everywhere in the sea.
When Bing Ji approached, a large amount of electricity flowed into her body. However, she endured the pain and quickly found Gu Hai.
Gu Hai seemed to be sitting on a circular platform of light covered by the golden veins on the distant seafloor. When the lightning bolts approached, they scattered.
Gu Hai remained safe on the platform. He sat there cross-legged, and he played Go stones on a Go board before him.
“Your Majesty, are you alright?” Bing Ji asked worriedly.
Miao Chen also swam over from behind, appearing worried.
“I’m fine. Go first!” Gu Hai smiled behind the light barrier.
“Yes!” Miao Chen and Bing Ji released their bated breath and swam out of the sea.
Then, they flew back to Nine-Five Island and reported Gu Hai’s safety. Gu Qin inhaled deeply and nodded.
“Nine-Five Island, fly up at full power!” Gu Qin said as he operated the Life Trapper Saber.
Rumble…!
Nine-Five Island slowly flew into the sky, rising increasingly higher. Soon, it broke through the dark clouds, going even higher.
Countless citizens goggled as they watched the land they stood on fly above the clouds. Perhaps they would never forget this scene.
Everyone showed smiles on their faces, except the eighteen elders of the Heavenly Go Pavilion.
Nine-Five Island had already disappeared from the Spy Scope. It had left the ritual array entirely. The elders were silent for a long time.
Some time later, the first elder finally exclaimed hatefully with conflicting feelings, “Gu Hai!”
