Heavenly Yin City:
At the end of the Ten Thousand Sages Convention’s first round, Wu Yazi had left, returning to Emperor Kong’s side.
Earlier, the five hundred sages had given their recommendation talismans to Wu Yazi. However, Wu Yazi transferred the recommendation talismans to Gu Hai, allowing Gu Hai to gain five hundred recommendation talismans.
“Imperial Lord!” Wu Yazi greeted with a bow.
“Mister has worked hard.” Emperor Kong nodded.
Wu Yazi said with a bitter smile, “This humble one is here to beg forgiveness. Earlier, I gained the favor of heaven and five hundred recommendation talismans. However, I transferred them to Gu Hai.”
Emperor Kong looked at Wu Yazi and shook his head. “You are not to blame. It was all because of Old Mister Guan Qi.”
“No matter what, I promised Imperial Lord. Yet, the results…,” Wu Yazi said bitterly.
“Mister, there’s no need to worry about it. Furthermore, even if you had not transferred the recommendation talismans to Gu Hai, the Qian Heavenly Emperor had made too many preparations.” Emperor Kong shook his head.
“Yes!” Wu Yazi nodded.
Emperor Kong continued watching. Then, he suddenly looked towards Bing Ji.
Wu Yazi stepped aside, behind Emperor Kong. No one noticed that he inwardly let out a bated breath.
Bing Ji, Mo Yike, and Mu Chenfeng were standing together, celebrating Gu Hai gaining one thousand nine hundred recommendation talismans when Bing Ji heard a voice, causing her expression to change.
She turned her head in Emperor Kong’s direction.
In the next moment, her expression changed again as she looked in the Supreme Genesis’s direction.
Apparently, the Supreme Genesis and Emperor Kong had projected their voices to Bing Ji at nearly the same time.
Bing Ji’s expression changed dramatically as she stepped back, moving behind Mo Yike and Mu Chenfeng.
“What do you want?” Bing Ji showed a terrified expression.
The Supreme Genesis and Emperor Kong turned their heads to look at each other, seeming to have noticed each other projecting their voices to Bing Ji.
The Supreme Genesis revealed a cold smile while Emperor Kong’s face sank.
“No! I won’t go with you!” Bing Ji said with an unsightly expression.
“No! Before Master issues an order, I cannot do that!” Bing Ji said again.
Emperor Kong and the Supreme Genesis returned to looking at Bing Ji, apparently projecting their voices to her.
Bing Ji’s expression changed dramatically, revealing great shock and horror.
At the center of the plaza:
The sages made things difficult for Gu Hai, not letting Gu Hai use Ensnaring Performance, Longevity, and Purple Subtlety. This was like chopping off Gu Hai’s left and right arms.
“Never mind. Ensnaring Performance, Longevity, and Purple Subtlety, you can withdraw first. Send Bing Ji, Mo Yike, and Mu Chenfeng over,” Gu Hai said.
“Mister Gu!” Sima Changkong, who had left earlier, called out.
“Yes?” Gu Hai looked at the returning Sima Changkong.
As the first round had ended and there were two hours until the second round, the plaza was not tightly guarded. Furthermore, Sima Changkong was a Qian Nation citizen, so Gongyang Sheng would not stop him.
“Mister Gu, you don’t have to pick your three assistants from the people you brought. In fact, you are welcome to command any of the civil officials of the Qian Nation. Furthermore, His Holy Eminence has also arranged for some cultural Dao experts for you to pick from,” Sima Changkong said.
“Oh?” Gu Hai frowned slightly.
“There is my father, Sima Zongheng, who created the Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture. He can be your assistant. Furthermore, His Holy Eminence also prepared a holy Dao scripture for you to use in the second round,” Sima Changkong advised.
Gu Hai frowned slightly and said, “Mister Sima, this humble one does not understand something. Would you explain it to me?”
“Oh?” Sima Changkong said in puzzlement.
“I remember you saying that Old Mister Guan Qi took first place in the previous Ten Thousand Sages Convention. How did he get recommendation talismans in the second round? How many did he obtain?” Gu Hai asked.
“Old Mister Guan Qi? He gained five thousand two hundred recommendation talismans,” Sima Changkong explained.
“Oh?” Gu Hai appeared puzzled.
“During the first round, Old Mister Guan Qi gained one thousand two hundred recommendation talismans. During the second round, he gained four thousand, taking more than half the recommendation talismans and first place in the Ten Thousand Sages Convention. This allowed him to enter the Cultural Dao Sage Palace.”
“The second round? How does one obtain recommendation talismans there? The eight thousand sages will just give the recommendation talismans to the holy land they used to belong to. What competition is there?” Gu Hai asked with a frown.
“The three holy lands revolve around holy Dao scriptures: the Supreme Ascendant Scripture, the Supreme Genesis Scripture, and the Future Scripture. Actually, each holy Dao scripture is a law, forming its own world. The world of the law contains countless minor laws. Similar laws can fight each other, just like leading an army of laws into battle. When scriptures clash, it is a clash of the worlds’ laws. In a clash, there will be injuries and death. To protect their scripture’s laws from being destroyed, they have reached a compromise, using recommendation talismans to substitute for damage to the scripture. That will determine the final result,” Sima Changkong explained.
“That is a battle of culture, and the ones fighting are the holy Dao scriptures?” Gu Hai said quizzically.
“Yes. Strictly speaking, the Supreme Genesis Scripture is written by the Supreme Genesis. However, it is not finished yet. It is continuously being improved, with all of the Supreme Genesis’s comprehension of the world’s laws being written in. As time passes, it grows increasingly stronger. It appears once every one thousand years to clash with the Supreme Ascendant Scripture and the Future Scripture.”
“Oh? How’s your Sima Clan’s Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture?” Gu Hai asked.
“The Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture? Haha! My father created it, and my clan has been working hard to perfect it. However, it is somewhat weaker compared to those three holy Dao scriptures. It cannot compare to them as a whole. Nevertheless, it has some minor laws that surpass their minor laws. We just need to obtain recommendation talismans from them,” Sima Changkong explained.
“There are many minor laws in the Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture. The strong laws can force the other party to hand over recommendation talismans. However, wouldn’t the weaker laws end up being destroyed along with that section of the scripture? We cannot possibly hand out recommendation talismans to them. In that case, wouldn’t the Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture be significantly crippled after the competition?” Gu Hai said.
Sima Changkong nodded.
Gu Hai’s face sank slightly.
“Mister Gu, there’s no need to worry. This time, the Qian Nation is pouring all its resources into you. The Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture is nothing. His Holy Eminence even prepared a holy Dao scripture that he collected. Furthermore, there is the holy Dao scripture that Gongyang Sheng and I obtained in Major Metropolitan City. His Holy Eminence has already organized many cultural Dao experts to restore it; it can be considered a quasi-holy Dao scripture. You can use that too,” Sima Changkong explained.
“One holy Dao scripture, one quasi-holy Dao scripture, and one Yellow Springs Absolute Quiescence Scripture? Hah! The Qian Heavenly Emperor has thought of everything. Then, what about the music Dao, painting Dao, and Go Dao?” Gu Hai asked.
“We have already prepared the corresponding pieces, painting, and Go game records. All we need is for Mister Gu to write them, and they would be considered Mister Gu’s work,” Sima Changkong explained.
“This is very thorough. Did Old Mister Guan Qi also do this back then?” Gu Hai looked at Sima Changkong.
“He did not. He used another method,” Sima Changkong said with a bitter smile.
“Oh?”
“Old Mister Guan Qi directly challenged the sages.”
“Challenged the sages?”
“Yes. He first challenged the Go Dao sages. Using his Go skills, he defeated all the Go Dao sages and snatched the recommendation talismans from them.”
“Snatched?” Gu Hai raised his eyebrows.
“Yes. Before the sages could give their recommendations, the host spoke up to let Old Mister Guan Qi challenge the sages. Old Mister Guan Qi’s Go skills surpassed one thousand five hundred Go sages; he obtained one thousand five hundred recommendation talismans. Then, like earlier, he used his Go skills to manifest the music Dao’s Teacher Yinyue to defeat all the music Dao sages and obtain one thousand more recommendation talismans. Then, he used his Go skills to manifest a painting Dao master to defeat all the painting Dao sages and obtain one thousand five hundred recommendations. With that, he secured first place in the Ten Thousand Sages Convention,” Sima Changkong explained.
“To think that this could be done?!” Gu Hai exclaimed in shock.
Sima Changkong nodded.
“What about the calligraphy Dao? Old Mister Guan Qi did not use his Go skills to manifest a Go Dao expert to deal with the sages?” Gu Hai wondered aloud.
“The calligraphy Dao is the foundation of the cultural Dao. There is no way to manifest a calligraphy Dao expert. However, even if he could, he would not be able to write a new holy Dao scripture. After all, every holy Dao scripture takes a vast amount of time to comprehend,” Sima Changkong said with a bitter smile.
Gu Hai raised his head to look at the sages.
After some silence, Gu Hai said, “Since that is the case, I would like to challenge the sages.”
“Ah?” Sima Changkong felt slightly startled.
“What’s wrong? Is that not possible?” Gu Hai asked.
“Mister Gu, you want to play Go against the sages?” Gongyang Sheng felt shocked.
“That’s right. Since Old Mister Guan Qi could do it, let me give it a try as well. I noticed that these sages are only heavenly souls. They are nothing much now,” Gu Hai said with a deep breath.
“Alright.” Gongyang Sheng nodded.
Gu Hai started making plans with the others.
“Everyone can bring three assistants. In that case, Mo Yike and Mu Chenfeng don’t have to come. Bing Ji has the calligraphy Dao’s artistic conception. Send Bing Ji to me to assist me. As for the remaining two spots, you can decide among yourselves. I’ll deal with the Go Dao and give the calligraphy Dao a try,” Gu Hai said.
Gongyang Sheng and Sima Changkong felt slightly shocked. Then, they nodded.
Ensnaring Performance, Longevity, and Purple Subtlety left the plaza.
“Bing Ji, Master called you over to help him!” Ensnaring Performance called out.
“What? Me?” Bing Ji’s expression changed.
Emperor Kong and the Supreme Genesis suddenly narrowed their eyes.
Emperor Kong did not say anything, but the Supreme Genesis showed a cold smile and moved his lips as though projecting his voice.
Bing Ji’s expression changed dramatically. “I don’t want to!”
Ensnaring Performance and the others did not notice anything strange with Bing Ji.
“Don’t want to? Bing Ji, don’t worry. We did not do anything earlier, either. Don’t be nervous. There is nothing to fear with Master around,” Ensnaring Performance said.
The horror on Bing Ji’s face intensified as though she was afraid of something.
Everyone comforted her for a while.
“Alright.” Bing Ji struggled in her heart for a long time before she nodded. Then, she walked towards the plaza.
Watching Bing Ji walk into the plaza, the Supreme Genesis showed a cold smile.
After Sima Changkong left Gu Hai, he quickly made his way to the Qian Heavenly Emperor. Then, he repeated Gu Hai’s plan to the Qian Heavenly Emperor for approval.
“This Gu Hai is very confident. To think that he wants to challenge the sages?” Lifespan Beiming smiled.
The Qian Heavenly Emperor looked at Gu Hai.
“Let him do as he wants. Sima Zongheng!” Long Zhanguo said indifferently.
“Present!” Sima Zongheng answered respectfully as he stepped forward.
Sima Zongheng was just about to say something when a voice came from behind the Qian Heavenly Emperor.
“Old fogey, I’m up! Didn’t you say that you would wake me up before the Ten Thousand Sages Convention started? Why didn’t you wake me up? How’s the situation now?”
“Huh?” The officials turned their heads to look.
They saw Long Wanyu jump onto the platform.
Upon seeing Princess Wanyu, everyone immediately lowered their heads. “Old fogey”? You are the only one who dares to shout that. We did not hear anything.
