Eight of the ten Go puzzles in Gu Hai’s forehead space started merging in sets of four, forming two large Go boards that needed to be condensed. That required the unnecessary Go stones to be removed so they could shrink to small Go boards, reaching a qualitative change from a quantitative one.
Although this Go match had greatly stimulated Gu Hai’s Go skills, every remaining Go stone in his forehead space was the essence of one hundred thousand Go puzzles. They were not that easy to eliminate.
The elimination took place slowly, requiring a long time.
“What a great comprehension ability!” Old Mister Guan Qi said as he narrowed his eyes.
Although Gu Hai took his time in making his moves, his losses diminished. The growth of his Go skills inspired marvel in Old Mister Guan Qi.
To others, the two just sat in the air, pressing the Heavenly Go Stones down and making the surrounding stars orbit.
However, it was not that simple to Gu Hai and Old Mister Guan Qi.
The Go Dao could create a vague form of an independent world with the Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array. Now that it reached the Thirty-Four or the Thirty-Five, the Go Dao world had already been perfected to an exquisite level.
Others could not see it, but Gu Hai and Old Mister Guan Qi saw a Go Dao world. This world was distinct from an immortal firmament; however, they could see every detail of it.
Gu Hai and Old Mister Guan Qi were the creators of this world. As they controlled the operations of this world, they watched the battles between the various races and nations. Every life in the Go Dao world followed the fate the two chose for them.
Right now, the most apparent battle was one between two nations. They used armies, tactics, schemes, economy, espionage, and everything else that could be used, regardless of their importance. This was a perfect clash.
Both even sent a soul body they controlled to assist in the battle.
This Go Dao world had Gu Qin, Kong Xuan, Purple Subtlety, Longevity, Yan Qingshan, Ao Shun, Mao Tianyun, and even the various consumed sovereigns and sect masters.
They seemed to have lost their memories, only following Gu Hai’s or Old Mister Guan Qi’s instructions.
They split into two factions and participated in the battle between the two nations, continuously fighting using covert schemes and overt tactics.
At first, the nation that Gu Hai controlled suffered losses. However, as his Go skills improved, the losses decreased.
“Mister Gu, do you know that while you are using Gu Qin’s consciousness, he is loyal to me? Furthermore, it is subconscious, an instinct. To think you dare to use him?” Old Mister Guan Qi said indifferently.
After Old Mister Guan Qi spoke, the Gu Qin in the Go Dao world suddenly trembled. Then, he bowed respectfully. “Salutations, Pavilion Master.”
Gu Qin defected in the blink of an eye, leading his soldiers to attack the nation Gu Hai controlled. The situation changed because of Gu Qin’s betrayal, causing severe losses in Gu Hai’s nation.
Gu Qin led from the front, charging deep into Gu Hai’s nation with many soldiers. Gu Hai’s army suffered heavy losses.
“Huh? That’s not right!” Old Mister Guan Qi frowned slightly.
Why is Gu Hai’s nation losing so quickly?
“Gu Qin? It has been so long since I found him. Did you think I had not yet undone the seal on his souls?” Gu Hai suddenly smiled.
The soldiers that Gu Qin led into Gu Hai’s nation in the Go Dao world entered a large-scale encirclement, falling into a trap laid by Gu Hai’s army.
Killing ensued.
Gu Qin did not help Old Mister Guan Qi this time but changed sides again.
“Oh? Luring the sovereign into a trap?” Old Mister Guan Qi’s face sank slightly.
However, even after this trap, Guan Qi’s nation still occupied most of the territory.
After taking care of the attackers, Gu Qin led the soldiers to a large and narrow valley. Yan Qingshan brought an army to that valley and blocked them.
“You have already lost thirty percent of the battle. This mountain pass can stop a vast army, no matter how large!” Old Mister Guan Qi said seriously.
“Perhaps you are still unaware of a favor!” Gu Hai suddenly said seriously.
“Oh?”
All at once, Yan Qingshan waved his hand from the city gate towers. “Open the city gates!”
Creak!
The gates to the valley immediately opened, and Gu Qin’s army charged in. Soldiers swept through the place, quickly recovering lost territory.
“Yan Qingshan?” Old Mister Guan Qi narrowed his eyes.
Suddenly, Yan Qingshan bowed in Gu Hai’s direction. During the Ten Thousand Sages Convention, Gu Hai met Yan Qingshan in the Human Path Secret Realm. At that time, Gu Hai helped him solve a Go puzzle, resolving the danger for him. He owed Gu Hai a favor. Fortunately, he remembered it subconsciously. When Gu Hai sent someone to approach him, he was actually willing to defect.
A slaughter took place.
Gu Hai’s nation recaptured its lost territory, regaining a balance with Old Mister Guan Qi.
At the same time, two loud sounds rang out in Gu Hai’s forehead space.
Boom! Boom!
The two large merged Go boards finally shrank into small Go boards. Gu Hai’s Go skills immediately reached a whole new level.
Now, only four small Go boards remained in his forehead space. Each of these small Go boards had a Go soul clone sitting on them, looking solid and tangible.
Now that the Go puzzles had condensed, he could execute the Tenth Cycle.
Furthermore, the merger of the Go boards meant a qualitative increase in Gu Hai’s Go skills.
“I have already taken this step. Many thanks, Heavenly Go Pavilion Master!” Gu Hai smiled.
Outside, the countless stars suddenly trembled. As they trembled, their initial trajectory changed before they again stilled.
Everything calmed. Gu Hai’s Go skills and Old Mister Guan Qi’s Go skills had returned to equilibrium.
“The Thirty-Five?” Old Mister Guan Qi frowned slightly.
“Thanks to luck in the Go puzzle world, we returned to equilibrium. Now, my Go skills have also reached the Thirty-Five. Heavenly Go Pavilion Master, you were right. Comprehending Go alone is indeed different from two people playing Go. Many thanks for your pointers. Let’s continue now!” Gu Hai said seriously.
However, Old Mister Guan Qi did not continue. Instead, he looked at Gu Hai. “Mister Gu, what if I have the Thirty-Six? Will you continue?”
“The Thirty-Six?” Gu Hai’s face sank.
“Indeed. I was at the Thirty-Five while you were at the half-step Thirty-Five. You refused to give up and persisted, which allowed you to take this step. However, what if I have the Thirty-Six or even the Thirty-Seven? What if you can’t comprehend that? What if you can no longer do anything more? What will you do then?” Old Mister Guan Qi stared at Gu Hai.
“No longer able to do anything? Haha! If that happens, I will still fight to the death. Everyone has their own obsessions, giving meaning to their existence, don’t they? Just like how you obsess over Murong Yan?” Gu Hai did not feel dejected. Instead, stubbornness flashed in his eyes.
“Even if you die in the process?” Old Mister Guan Qi looked at Gu Hai.
“Even if I die ten thousand times, I will not feel regret!” Gu Hai’s eyes hardened with resolution.
“Even if you die ten thousand times, you will not feel regret? How similar to me! A replica is just a replica. Even if you accept the replica, what about the real one? She is also a living person; am I to just abandon her?” Sorrow flashed in Old Mister Guan Qi’s eyes.
Gu Hai stared at Old Mister Guan Qi for a while before frowning. “Old Mister Guan Qi, have you ever thought that even if you replicate history, the newly born Murong Yan would also be a replica and not the original one?”
“Shut up!” Old Mister Guan Qi suddenly glared, and the countless stars in the surroundings moved violently.
“So, you know that too? The Murong Yan of your replicated history is the same as the Murong Yan you manifested using a ritual array. They are both replicas. You are just unwilling to accept it!” Gu Hai said.
“I said shut up!” Old Mister Guan Qi spewed fury as he waved.
Boom!
The myriad surrounding stars immediately flickered.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless stars exploded.
The stars that exploded were the stars that Gu Hai manifested, the black Go stones.
Blargh!
Due to the connection, Gu Hai spewed a mouthful of blood when the stars exploded.
“You…the Thirty-Five is really not your limit?” Gu Hai said, wide-eyed in shock.
When Gu Hai vomited blood, Old Mister Guan Qi seemed to awaken from his rage.
“Hah! Hahahahahaha! Hahahahahaha!” Old Mister Guan Qi’s laughter sounded very bleak. Two streams of tears flowed down as he laughed.
“Husband!” The distant Murong Yan also cried, feeling even more upset.
“Heavenly Go Pavilion Master?” Gu Hai called out worriedly.
After laughing sorrowfully, Old Mister Guan Qi said bitterly, “You are right. Perhaps I had lost from the start. I was just unwilling to admit it.”
“Heavenly Go Pavilion Master, although this Murong Yan is manifested by your ritual array, she is indeed Murong Yan. Rejecting her? It means that you fell in love with her too. Since you love her, why avoid her? If the real Murong Yan knew about it, she would certainly hope that you two would live on properly,” Gu Hai consoled.
“Stop! Stop talking. Hah! I’ll send you back!” Old Mister Guan Qi seemed physically and mentally drained in an instant.
Like before, he did not dare look at the nearby Murong Yan.
“You will send me back to eight hundred thousand years in the future?” Gu Hai’s eyes lit up.
“You ruined my dream, preventing me from reuniting with Yan`er. Nevertheless, I’m sending you back to eight hundred thousand years in the future to reunite with your family? Hah! Hahahaha! I must be crazy!” Old Mister Guan Qi said sorrowfully.
“Many thanks, Heavenly Go Pavilion Master!” Gu Hai felt immensely grateful.
Old Mister Guan Qi’s emotions fluctuated. He only calmed down after a while.
Old Mister Guan Qi looked around and smiled bitterly. “No matter what happens in the future, I will remain here as the Six Paths Veritable Lord. I will continue this identical future. Thus, anything different in this world has to be corrected.”
“Anything different has to be corrected?”
“The Primal Chaos Bell and the Cross Annihilation are in your hands?” Old Mister Guan Qi looked at Gu Hai.
“Yes. Although they are broken, they are currently being mended.” Gu Hai nodded.
“Then, I’ll leave the Solar Divine Palace to you!” Old Mister Guan Qi said after shaking his head.
Gu Hai felt slightly startled. Then, he nodded and said, “Alright. Many thanks, Heavenly Go Pavilion Master!”
The two could not continue their Go match. However, Gu Hai gained something better than victory: Old Mister Guan Qi agreed to send him back.
Gu Hai pressed down with the Heavenly Go Stone.
Boom!
Countless stars in the surroundings quickly gathered and arranged themselves into a giant cluster with thirty-five vertical and horizontal lines.
“Indeed, it is the Thirty-Five Line-Pair World Go Puzzle.”
Gu Hai extended his hand and pressed down.
Suddenly, vast, dense purple energy appeared in the Thirty-Five Line-Pair World Go Puzzle, coalescing in the center.
Buzz!
The purple energy slowly manifested something.
Far away, Sect Master Supreme Ascendant narrowed his eyes. “Is he using the Go Dao ritual array to manifest someone?”
“Previously, Gu Hai manifested Zhang Sanfeng, Ximen Chuixue, Dugu Qiubai, and Dongfang Bubai with the Thirty-Three Line-Pair World Go Ritual Array. Now, this is the Thirty-Five. It should be even more powerful, right?” Heavenly Access frowned.
Caw!
Just as everyone frowned, a loud crow cry came from the center of the purple energy. A three-legged golden crow suddenly emerged from the purple energy, flapping its wings as it flew out. Its body erupted with surging Solar True Flame, lighting up the surroundings.
“The Eastern Monarch, the Supreme Singularity?” Heavenly Access exclaimed.
