Book 1: Chapter 39: Overloaded

“Play a game of Go with me, and this golden Go stone is yours!” the old man said emotionlessly.

Gu Hai looked at the old man before him quietly. Like before, he could not see the old man’s face as if white mist covered it. Inviting him to play Go? What did that mean?

Gao Xianzhi said that he did not sense anything wrong. Could this really be just guidance on Go? However, Gao Xianzhi could not remember the game. What is there to give guidance on?

Twenty-eight horizontal lines and twenty-eight vertical lines?

Looking at this Go board, Gu Hai could sense that this game would be even more incredible than the Heavenly Saber Death Match. He had already played on boards that surpassed nineteen of each. With every additional pair of lines, countless more variations appeared in the Go game, amplifying the difficulty countless times.

Feeling curious, Gu Hai picked up a black Go stone.

Clack!

Gu Hai placed the black Go stone at the centermost point, tengen.

Then, the old man picked up a white Go stone.

Clack!

The white Go stone landed on the Go board.

Boom!

Suddenly, boundless clouds surrounded Gu Hai, and a strange energy penetrated his consciousness’s illusory body.

The clouds passed through Gu Hai’s body and came out of the other side. Then, it formed various Go puzzles.

“Huh?” Gu Hai’s eyes widened.

A total of eighteen Go puzzles materialized when the clouds passed through his consciousness’s illusory body.

Gu Hai recognized these eighteen Go puzzles, as they were among the one hundred thousand Go puzzles below.

Is the other party replicating my Go skills from my consciousness through playing a Go match?

Gu Hai suddenly looked at the white-haired, old man across him.

“Please make your move!” the white-haired, old man said.

Gu Hai continued staring at the other party.

The eighteen replicated Go puzzles flew behind the white-haired, old man and spread out.

“You are not guiding me in Go but stealing my Go skills and Go knowledge?” Gu Hai glared.

However, the white-haired, old man seemed not to hear Gu Hai. He repeated, “Please make your move!”

Gu Hai narrowed his eyes, staring at the white-haired, old man in silence for a while.

“If I were in a daze and played Go with you, would you slowly replicate my Go skills and Go knowledge, stealing them away? Aside from me, you replicated Gao Xianzhi’s and Chen Tianshan’s Go skills and Go knowledge, right? Stealing one’s calculation ability that resulted from Go? What good does that do you?” Gu Hai said sullenly.

“Please make your move!” the white-haired, old man continued saying.

Gu Hai stared coldly at the white-haired, old man. Now, he was sure that the white-haired, old man would not answer him. The white-haired, old man would only urge him to continue playing to steal his Go skills and Go knowledge.

Is this the treasure that Old Mister Guan Qi left behind? Letting the outsiders snatch the treasures here and enter such dream realms so that the treasure can steal the Go skills and Go knowledge in this dream realm?

What was Old Mister Guan Qi doing?

“Please make your move!” the white-haired, old man continued urging.

However, since Gu Hai already came to his senses, such urging did not work on him.

As Gu Hai looked at the Go board, a cold smile flashed in his eyes.

“That’s fine. I have only repeatedly simulated a twenty-nine-line-pair board by myself and never played against someone. Old Mister Guan Qi? That’s fine. Let me see how strong the Go skills of this pre-programmed puppet you left behind are. Is your pre-programmed puppet more skilled or me?” Gu Hai revealed a cold smile.

Clack!

Gu Hai set down a black Go stone.

Clack!

The white-haired, old man placed a white Go stone.

A large amount of clouds immediately passed through the illusory body of Gu Hai’s consciousness, continually replicating the Go puzzles that he brought from Earth.

Eighteen…thirty…fifty…eighty… 

The two continued playing. Gu Hai stared hard at the Go board. Indeed, this game was different, allowing him to benefit greatly as well.

Outside, Gao Xianzhi and Chen Tianshan waited patiently. Gu Hai currently had his hand pressed to the circular jade Go board, immersed in the dream realm.

However, Gu Hai was awake within the dream.

Next move, next move, next move. His consciousness’s illusory body repeatedly placed Go stones. The Go battle between the white-haired, old man and Gu Hai continued.

Slowly, Go puzzles filled the area behind the white-haired, old man. He had already replicated close to one thousand Go puzzles but kept going.

The two continued playing.

——

At the same time, in Guan Qi Hall:

A group of elders sat within the dark hall when one of them suddenly exclaimed, “Look! Look at the Go board!”

Everyone looked at the Go board hovering above Guan Qi’s coffin.

There were two hundred one white Go stones and one hundred sixty black Go stones. One of the black Go stones flashed rapidly.

“That black Go stone? It looks like it met with a Go expert and is replicating the other party’s Go skills!” the first elder said with a smile.

“That is the nine-five position? Can the nine-five position black Go stone turn white with this opportunity?”

“Unlikely. It takes an extremely long time for a black Go stone to turn white. Even meeting with a Go expert might not completely fill the nine-five stone, right?”

“What intense flashing!”

The group of elders discussed this while staring at the black Go stone in the nine-five position.

——

At this moment in Carefree Valley:

Gu Hai’s consciousness continued playing Go with the white-haired, old man.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

The two sped up their play, setting down Go stones in rapid succession. Gu Hai became unprecedentedly focused. As Go stones filled the board, ten thousand Go puzzles spread out behind the white-haired, old man.

However, Gu Hai was like a bottomless pit. Even after the white-haired, old man replicated ten thousand Go puzzles, he still had not drained Gu Hai. Gu Hai’s Go knowledge seemed vast and endless.

“I have one hundred thousand Go puzzles. Continue. Old Mister Guan Qi’s pre-programmed puppet? Let’s see how capable you are!” Gu Hai revealed a cold smile.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

——

As Gu Hai stared at the Go board, the eighteen elders in Guan Qi Hall stared at the black Go stone in the nine-five position.

“First Elder, half of it already turned white. What kind of expert did it meet this time?”

“It might not be one person. Perhaps this is the result of many people’s Go skills added together?”

“This is too fast, too strange!”

The first elder said after some silence, “This is a good thing!”

Everyone nodded.

——

At Carefree Valley:

The illusory body of Gu Hai’s consciousness continued playing Go. After one day passed, the white-haired, old man had replicated twenty thousand Go puzzles behind him.

However, the white-haired, old man seemed to be approaching his limits. The Go puzzles the clouds replicated were significantly blurrier.

Gu Hai stared at the Go board, completely immersed in the game.

He had learned many things in this game. As he continued to place the pieces, the two tussled against each other, the game intensifying.

——

Outside, a red light suddenly appeared at the circular jade Go board that Gu Hai’s palm rested on.

“A red light? What’s going on?” Xiaorou exclaimed.

“There was no red light with you earlier!” Chen Tianshan also revealed a shocked expression.

Gao Xianzhi also edged over, feeling apprehensive.

“It is really hot. Is this circular jade Go board slowly heating up?” Gao Xianzhi exclaimed.

“What’s going on?” Chen Tianshan exclaimed.

“Is Benefactor alright?” Xiaorou asked worriedly.

Gao Xianzhi appeared uncertain as he shook his head, unable to answer her question. At this moment, they did not dare to disturb Gu Hai; they could only watch quietly.

——

Inside Guan Qi Hall:

Buzz!

The black Go stone at the nine-five position turned completely white.

“Hahahaha! That’s another white Go stone! This is great!”

“We gained a lot this time!”

“If only the rest could go like this!”

The group rejoiced. However, the first elder said in a heavy voice, “Something is not quite right!”

“What’s wrong? Isn’t this great?” The rest looked at the first elder.

“The nine-five position Go stone already turned white, yet it has not stopped?” the first elder said, appearing confused.

“Hey! That’s true. It still seems to be turning white, rather, turning brighter. What’s going on?” Everyone felt shocked.

“Who did it meet this time?” the first elder wondered gravely.

——

Carefree Valley:

Gu Hai played at an increasingly faster pace. Soon, he got a carefree feeling of being able to play to his heart’s content. He had not felt such comfort in such a long time.

The white-haired, old man continued to replicate the Go puzzles. Soon, he had replicated thirty thousand Go puzzles. However, he seemed to have reached his limits at this point.

There no longer seemed to be sufficient clouds for him to form Go puzzles. As he replicated more Go puzzles, the clouds turned increasingly fainter. Now, the white-haired, old man’s body had even turned translucent.

However, Gu Hai continued playing, not giving the white-haired, old man a chance to stop.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

As the pieces fell into place, Gu Hai displayed an increasingly ferocious battle hunger. After fighting an intense battle for such a long time, he finally showed a confident smile when the white-haired, old man replicated forty thousand Go puzzles.

“From this move on, this game will finally show a victor. What a pity! I’m going to win!” Gu Hai said confidently.

Clack!

Gu Hai set down his Go stone. The white-haired, old man suddenly paused while replicating a large number of Go puzzles. The old man’s figure trembled and nearly crumbled.

Clack!

The white-haired, old man continued playing, still replicating Go puzzles.

“The advantage is already in my favor. If you keep playing, you will only lose. It is a pity that you are not Old Mister Guan Qi himself, just a pre-programmed puppet. I am going to win. If you continue playing, the Go puzzles you replicated earlier will crumble, leaving nothing to show for your efforts!” Gu Hai said sullenly.

Clack!

Gu Hai continued playing.

Clack!

A white Go stone landed on the Go board.

——

Outside:

Crack!

A crack suddenly appeared in the circular jade Go board that Gu Hai had his palm on.

“What? Isn’t this a treasure forged by Old Mister Guan Qi? Bodhisattva Lian Sheng said that this is a ritual array diagram. Why did it crack?” Chen Tianshan exclaimed.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

More cracks appeared on the circular jade Go board, which looked like it would completely shatter.

Gao Xianzhi, Xiaorou, and Chen Tianshan goggled.

——

At the same time in Guan Qi Hall:

The eighteen elders stared at the white Go stone in the nine-five position. It gave off an increasingly brighter light, slowly becoming like a lightbulb illuminating the hall.

“First Elder, what should we do? Something is wrong with this Go stone!”

“However, we cannot do anything about it. Who knows where these Go skills and Go knowledge came from. Who exactly is it? We can’t stop it even if we want to!”

“This is surpassing what this Go stone can endure. It is overloaded. What should we do?”

“Quickly stop! It’s enough! It’s enough!”

The group of elders appeared anxious. The white Go stone had already turned extremely bright.

Bang!

The Go stone at the nine-five position suddenly exploded, turning into vapor.

The eighteen elders immediately stood up, gaping at the Go board.

“It exploded?! It exploded?!”

“How could it be like this?”

“What should we do now?”

Everyone felt flustered. One of the three hundred sixty Go stones on the Go board had exploded. It exploded from being overloaded?

“Something major is going to happen!” the first elder said with an unsightly expression.

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