A scream pierced the air.
The Rotten Axe Go Board, once a renowned Go treasure, perhaps even the most valuable in the world before the Shangjun Go Board's reappearance, was now crumbling.
The board, which should have been brimming with spiritual energy, was lifeless, like a dried-up riverbed.
Cracks spread across its surface.
Finally, with a deafening boom, the Rotten Axe Go Board’s world collapsed, the board itself returned to its normal size.
This dramatic transformation was caused by a single event:
Bai Shijiu had lost. A crushing defeat.
Huang Longshi, having played against her twice, had deciphered her style.
His victory was so swift that even he couldn't believe it.
But then he understood.
“That’s why Duke Jin wasn’t angry when I defeated him,” Huang Longshi thought.
“He deliberately arranged for me to play against the Chess Sage? Duke Jin’s methods are truly extraordinary!”
He was filled with admiration for Fan Li. As for Bai Shijiu, his defeated opponent, he felt nothing but indifference.
But he no longer held any sympathy for the Pure Land or its Sage Rulers.
A faint glow approached him.
Upon closer inspection, it was the Rotten Axe Go Board, its spiritual energy depleted, resembling an ordinary, worthless artifact.
It floated before Huang Longshi, trembling slightly.
Like a puppy wagging its tail, seeking its master’s approval.
Huang Longshi's face lit up with astonishment and delight.
“Rotten Axe?! My Rotten Axe! You… You abandoned me?!”
Bai Shijiu collapsed onto the ground, a broken woman. But her eyes were still fixed upon the Rotten Axe Go Board.
The treasure had changed masters!
Fan Li understood. A wise bird chose the best tree to build its nest. A loyal minister chose the best ruler to serve.
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Similarly, the Rotten Axe Go Board had abandoned Bai Shijiu and pledged its allegiance to Huang Longshi.
A brilliant light erupted.
The Rotten Axe Go Board, floating above Huang Longshi, bathed him in a gentle, jade-like glow.
His cultivation surged.
“Duke Jin, I’ve reached the first rank of the Divine Transformation Realm!”
Since joining Fan Li, his cultivation had progressed rapidly, even surpassing his progress over the past decade.
Fan Li was happy for Huang Longshi, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
This local, no system, and he was leveling up so quickly?
It was truly maddening.
But then he understood.
Aside from Huang Longshi’s natural talent, he had just defeated a Great Vehicle Realm expert.
It was like defeating a boss, a significant leap in experience.
Bai Shijiu was finished.
Despite her Great Vehicle Realm cultivation, she was now as helpless as an ordinary woman.
Her heart demon had taken root.
“Escape… I must escape… I must return to Elder Sister…”
Utterly defeated, she didn’t even dare to face Huang Longshi. She turned and crawled away, hoping to escape the Go board world.
But how could she possibly escape?
Unless the Shangjun Go Board’s world also collapsed.
“The Pure Land! I must return to the Pure Land! Elder Sister, save me!!!”
Huang Longshi, hearing her desperate cries, felt awkward.
He understood the principle of eradicating a threat. But he was a Confucian scholar, a man of virtue. He couldn’t bring himself to kill a defeated woman.
Fan Li didn’t force him.
It was his turn to face Danzhu. He raised his hand and placed a stone upon the board. A mountain, transformed into a Go piece, settled upon the blood-red expanse.
The nineteen lines, like raging rivers, flooded the world!
Mountains were swept away, valleys were submerged.
The flood subsided, leaving behind a vast plain.
Fan Li had devoured a large portion of Danzhu’s territory.
“You have lost,” Fan Li said calmly.
The outcome had been clear for a while now. The moment Danzhu abandoned his attacks, resorting to defense, he had already lost.
But Danzhu wasn’t a fool. He had hoped that Bai Shijiu would turn the tide. Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed. Her arrogance, her betrayal, her crushing defeat… It was a pathetic sight.
“The game isn’t over… Boy… How about a draw? Name your price! Any condition! I will agree to anything!”
Danzhu was desperate. He pleaded for mercy.
Fan Li shook his head. “I do not make deals with tigers.”
Danzhu’s rage reached its peak. He transformed into his monstrous, blood-red form.
Fan Li assumed he had a hidden trump card. He braced himself for an attack. But the next moment, Danzhu lunged towards Bai Shijiu!
Would the Shangjun Go Board, like the Rotten Axe, choose him as its new master?
As Fan Li pondered this, he realized something was amiss.
Danzhu’s target wasn’t him.
The Go board world began to crumble. Mountains collapsed, rivers dried up.
But strangely, Fan Li didn’t feel the Shangjun Go Board acknowledge him as its master. And Danzhu seemed unconcerned about the game’s outcome.
What was he planning?
With his Golden Core Realm cultivation, Fan Li couldn’t stop Danzhu.
“Your Majesty… Thank you… Thank you for freeing Shangjun…”
A familiar voice echoed through the collapsing world.
Shangjun’s spirit used its remaining strength to express gratitude.
“Will I become the board’s new master?” Fan Li asked.
“…I apologize, Your Majesty.”
Shangjun’s voice was fading.
“The board was crafted from my blood and bones. It is the reason I couldn’t find peace. Now that Danzhu has been defeated, I will finally be reborn. The board… it must be destroyed. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. My remains will finally return to the earth.”
Fan Li nodded. He had no interest in Go, especially not a treasure as sinister as the Shangjun Go Board.
“Shangjun, do you know what Danzhu is trying to do?”
Shangjun’s voice was filled with anger.
“Do not worry, Your Majesty. I will not allow him to succeed.”
Fan Li looked at the blood-red figure lunging towards Bai Shijiu. Finally, he understood.
The blood-red figure enveloped Bai Shijiu.
She struggled briefly, then fell silent.
The figure and Bai Shijiu’s body merged…