Book 06 Chapter 128: Half-Step Thirty-Five
The future had unfathomable variables. A minor change could cause a vast deviation in the future. However, the Yellow River Map and the Nine Palace Diagram could divine the future to a certain degree.
This was not the power of laws but an extreme sort of supernatural ability. The Yellow River Map and the Nine Palace Diagram could not perfectly predict everything. However, even a vague divination of the future was already like a compa.s.s to the wise.
Gu Hai and Old Mister Guan Qi closed their eyes and played Go against each other as they controlled the Heavenly Go Stones.
The orbits of the countless stars changed again. Earlier, Old Mister Guan Qi held the advantage because he had the Nine Palace Diagram. Even though Gu Hai employed numerous tactics and made several setups, Old Mister Guan Qi’s Go skill was no inferior. The ability to divine the future broke the balance, giving Old Mister Guan Qi the initiative.
Now that Gu Hai had consumed Hetu, the Six Paths Veritable Lord’s body s.n.a.t.c.hed Hetu’s divination ability. While Old Mister Guan Qi could divine Gu Hai’s setups, Gu Hai could also divine Old Mister Guan Qi’s setups.
The divinations were very vague, but they were sufficient for the two. The match using the Thirty-Four Line-Pair World Ritual Array continued for eight days and eight nights without a victor emerging.
On the ninth day, both Old Mister Guan Qi and Gu Hai opened their eyes.
“It repeats again and again. Aside from exhausting our minds, this is leading to nothing,” Old Mister Guan Qi said indifferently.
“The Yellow River Map and the Nine Palace Diagram? They are truly profound.” Gu Hai frowned.
Clearly, one match could not decide a victor between the two.
“Heavenly Go Pavilion Master, I have already experienced your esteemed self’s Go skills. I humbly and sincerely ask you to send me back to eight hundred thousand years in the future. I will not get in your way any further,” Gu Hai said.
Old Mister Guan Qi shook his head. “It’s useless. When we came, I was prepared never to return, so I did not leave any time-attributed energy behind. I no longer have a homing target.”
“A homing target?” Gu Hai frowned.
“Indeed. The time laws are mysterious and filled with variables. Even Heaven cannot fully understand it. Do you think I could fully comprehend it? If I could, I would have just traveled to before Heaven died. Wouldn’t that do? Why put in so much effort?” Old Mister Guan Qi shook his head.
“What if…what if I have a homing target?” Gu Hai asked seriously.
“Oh?” Old Mister Guan Qi narrowed his eyes skeptically.
“I have a homing target eight hundred thousand years in the future. Can you send me back with that?” Gu Hai asked seriously.
“That’s impossible. I have brought over all the time laws’ energy for today’s battle. As nothing must go wrong, I did not leave any behind.” Old Mister Guan Qi shook his head.
However, Gu Hai extended his hand and took out a half pen. This was the memory-erasing pen from Earth. Previously, he used this half pen to connect to the other half of this pen left eight hundred thousand years in the future to send Long Zhanguo’s consciousness over.
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“There is a wisp that connects to eight hundred thousand years in the future. See for yourself!” Gu Hai waved his hand.
Whoos.h.!.+
The half pen flew to Old Mister Guan Qi.
Old Mister Guan Qi caught the half pen.
Gu Hai did not put up his guard against Old Mister Guan Qi, as he could not use the time laws. The time-attributed energy in this pen was pitifully little, but he needed Old Mister Guan Qi’s help to return. There was no issue with letting Old Mister Guan Qi examine it.
Old Mister Guan Qi received the half pen and studied it.
After a while, he closed his eyes and sent in his consciousness to check.
“Oh? They really are the time laws? Huh? That’s not right. Your time laws are somewhat strange, slightly different from what I used earlier!” Old Mister Guan Qi said in shock.
“What is different about them?” Gu Hai asked, feeling curious.
Old Mister Guan Qi frowned. After some thought, he shook his head. “They are indeed different—like a reflection in the mirror. It seems the same, but it is a mirror image. They mirror my earlier time laws. One front and one back, one Yin and one Yang? How strange! There is a second type of time law?”
“No matter what, can you sense the homing target eight hundred thousand years in the future? The other half of this pen is eight hundred thousand years in the future. Can you use it?” Gu Hai asked in antic.i.p.ation.
“Using it is not difficult. Indeed, this can connect to eight hundred thousand years in the future. Where did you get this?” Old Mister Guan Qi asked seriously.
Gu Hai shook his head, not willing to explain.
Since Gu Hai did not answer, Old Mister Guan Qi did not probe any further. Everyone had their secrets.
“Can you send me back?” Gu Hai asked seriously.
“Since I can sense eight hundred thousand years in the future, it means that history did not change. Hah! Send you back? Sorry!” Old Mister Guan Qi shook his head.
“What?” Gu Hai frowned.
“There is too little time-attributed energy in this half pen. You need a vast amount of time-attributed energy to open the doors of time. I no longer have any time-attributed energy, as I have burned them all, not leaving anything behind.” Old Mister Guan Qi shook his head again.
“That’s impossible! The time-attributed energy will not disappear into nothing, right?” Gu Hai said anxiously.
“The time-attributed energy? Naturally, it will not disappear into nothing. However, there is no more in this world. It is in the chaotic s.p.a.cetime. The time-attributed energy that I burn all fused into the chaotic s.p.a.cetime. The only way is if I open the chaotic s.p.a.cetime and extract the time-attributed energy before using your homing target to open the doors of time. However, unless a vast amount of time-attributed energy is burned, there is no way to open the chaotic s.p.a.cetime. There’s no way to return. Just give up.” Old Mister Guan Qi shook his head.
I can’t return?
Gu Hai’s eyelids twitched wildly as he stared at Old Mister Guan Qi.
After a while, Gu Hai raised his eyebrows. “That’s not right. You have a way to open the chaotic s.p.a.cetime and extract the time-attributed energy in there.”
“Huh?” Old Mister Guan Qi frowned slightly.
“I can tell from your earlier playing style. You take a well-rounded approach to everything. No matter how desperate the situation, you would have a backup plan. You never run yourself dry. This is your Go style. This should also be the way you conduct yourself. You always leave some maneuvering room. This is already instinct for you. You must have left a backup plan for that chaotic s.p.a.cetime, a secret only you know?” Gu Hai said seriously.
“That is just a guess,” Old Mister Guan Qi said.
“Indeed, a guess. But did I guess right?” Gu Hai stared at Old Mister Guan Qi.
Old Mister Guan Qi took a deep breath and shook his head. “You guessed wrong. I have no way. Furthermore, even if I did, I wouldn’t. Once I open the chaotic s.p.a.cetime, the heavenly deity body will come out, and my efforts will all be for naught. I cannot give up my loved one for yours.”
“If that is the case, our Go match has not ended yet. We will be continuing,” Gu Hai said.
“Oh? The Thirty-Four Line-Pair World Go Puzzle is not your limit?” Old Mister Guan Qi said, narrowing his eyes.
“The Thirty-Four Line-Pair World Go Puzzle is the limit of what I have completed. However, sometimes, completion is not the limit.” Gu Hai shook his head.
Then, Gu Hai pressed down with the black Go stone in his hand.
Buzz!
The surrounding stars suddenly started moving, orbiting faster and flaring with dazzling light.
“Thirty-four horizontal lines and thirty-five vertical lines? Hah! Indeed, your limit is not the complete Thirty-Four Line-Pair World Go Puzzle. Right now, your Go skills lie between the Thirty-Four Line-Pair World Go Puzzle and the Thirty-Five Line-Pair World Go Puzzle. Half-step Thirty-Five Line-Pair World Go Puzzle?” Old Mister Guan Qi narrowed his eyes.
As Old Mister Guan Qi spoke, he pressed down with the white Go stone in his hand.
Boom!
A vast fog instantly burst out from the countless stars, covering the stars and the two and preventing anyone from seeing in.
“To think the Thirty-Four Line-Pair World Go Puzzle is not the limit?” the Scarlet Emperor exclaimed in shock.
Within the fog, Gu Hai also appeared shocked. He had already reached his limits, and the Go match had become significantly more complicated. However, Old Mister Guan Qi immediately caught up.
“Just how far do your Go skills go?” Gu Hai asked in astonishment.
“Won’t you know when you take a look? Your Go style is deviating even further from mine. What an excellent half-step Thirty-Five!” Shock flashed in Old Mister Guan Qi’s eyes.
“The Thirty-Five? You have taken that step?” Gu Hai said in awe.
Gu Hai had spent one hundred million years improving his Thirty-Four to Thirty-Five. Even so, he failed to take that step, only reaching the half-step Thirty-Five. To think that Old Mister Guan Qi had succeeded. This dealt Gu Hai a deep blow. My Go Dao talent is that much weaker than Old Mister Guan Qi’s?
“Of the cultural cultivations—music, Go, calligraphy, or painting—Go is different from the other three. Go cannot be played alone. I’m also very shocked that you can reach this level by comprehending alone. The Go Dao requires an opponent. Only an opponent can push you to become stronger, allowing you to break through. My opponent was my future self. What about you? You comprehended on your own? Hah! You already display a horrifying talent by reaching this half-step!” Old Mister Guan Qi marveled.
“Talent? Hah! What use is talent if I cannot win?” Gu Hai said sullenly.
“Just accept defeat in this Go match. You were able to wait for more than two hundred million years in the eighteenth layer of h.e.l.l. Waiting another eight hundred thousand years is not difficult. You can see your family eight hundred thousand years later, right?” Old Mister Guan Qi said while shaking his head.
“Eight hundred thousand years later? Hah! Are they still my family? Until today, I—Gu Hai—have faced countless opponents and difficulties. What I relied on was not my talent but my character. I refuse to admit defeat. So what if you are capable of the Thirty-Five Line-Pair World Go Puzzle? I must win this Go match!” Gu Hai said seriously.
After Gu Hai spoke, he ignored Old Mister Guan Qi and concentrated on the Go match.
At this moment, Gu Hai was highly focused, reaching an unprecedented level of seriousness. He calculated every single possible change of the Go puzzle in his mind.
Half-step, just half a step, and that put Gu Hai at a disadvantage.
The black side started losing again.
“There are only so many black Go stones. How long can you last? When I capture all your black Go stones, you will have no more moves to make,” Old Mister Guan Qi said seriously.
However, Gu Hai ignored Old Mister Guan Qi. He pondered each move for a long time.
Indeed, the Go Dao required an opponent. In mere moments, Gu Hai had already reached his limits. However, he gained boundless revelations as he played against Old Mister Guan Qi, which honed his Go skills.
With every move, Gu Hai’s Go skills improved.
The one hundred thousand Go puzzles in the forehead s.p.a.ce of Gu Hai’s true body continuously merged until only ten Go puzzles remained. Furthermore, these ten Go puzzles, which were already extremely complex, suddenly trembled.
With the stimulation from Old Mister Guan Qi’s Go skills, eight of the Go puzzles trembled and started merging in sets of four.
On the fifth day of playing Go against Old Mister Guan Qi, Gu Hai had already lost many of his black Go stones.
“Huh? Your Go skill improved?” Old Mister Guan Qi suddenly said in shock.
Boom! Boom!
Eight of the Go puzzles in Gu Hai’s forehead s.p.a.ce turned into two large Go puzzles, continuing the merging process.
Although Gu Hai was losing, the improvement of his Go skills made his losses less clear, slowly reducing the rate of his losses.