Chapter 23 - Ninth Magical Equipment of the Sixteen Ancient Magical Equipment, The Celestial Weiqi Piece

"All beings as weiqi pieces, heaven and earth as a weiqi board? Quite courageous! I regret not being born eight centuries ago and being unable to witness the scene explained by Hall Lord!" Gu Hai murmured, shocked.

"Oh? Regret not being born eight centuries ago? Gu Hai, I have seen your previous arrangement during the Battle of Chen and Song; presumably, you are also a weiqi expert. I too have been learning weiqi for some time, how about you play a game of weiqi with me?" Long Wanqing said, smiling.

"A game?" Gu Hai said, frowning.

"How? Are you afraid that you will win? Don't worry, I don't need anyone to let me win; if you win against me, I will reward you!" Long Wanqing said confidently.

Gu Hai, on the other hand, shook his head and said, smiling, "Forget it, This Lowly One has not played with anyone for thirty years!"

"En?" Everyone was slightly surprised for a moment, they had looks of disbelief on their faces.

Had not played for thirty years? How was that possible? Even Long Wanqing looked at Gu Hai with a frown.

"Hall Lord, This Lowly One is not lying, I have indeed not played with anyone for thirty years!" Gu Hai stressed once again.

Long Wanqing frowned and nodded, staring at Gu Hai. After all, there was really no need to lie.

Grandmaster Liunian, who was nearby, took a meaningful glance at Gu Hai.

In contrast, Song Qingshu's eyes lit up suddenly as the corner of his lips showed a sliver of an unnoticeable sneer.

"Hall Lord, Elder Guanqi, who you just mentioned  played against heaven, presumably was also a top expert?" Gu Hai asked inquisitively.

"But of course, he was one of few strongest experts in the world. Unfortunately, he finally perished. The former Weiqi Empyrean Court created by him was a top sect! Among the various influences in the world, no one dared to challenge the might of Heaven. The Weiqi Empyrean Court had experts like clouds, countless spirit treasures, the longevity herb ‘Hundred Years Longevity Peach Tree', and most importantly, the strongest magic weapon of Elder Guanqi...The Celestial Weiqi Piece!" exclaimed Long Wanqing.

"Oh? The Celestial Weiqi?" Gu Hai was astounded for a moment.

"According to my grandfather, The Celestial Weiqi Piece looked no different than any ordinary weiqi piece, very inconspicuous; however, this weiqi piece was one of the sixteen ancient magical equipment, ranked ninth!" Long Wanqing explained.

"Sixteen ancient magical equipment?" Gu Hai repeated, surprised.

"From the annals of history, there have been sixteen strongest magical equipment since the ancient times. Some have disappeared in the long river of history, while some are still in the hands of someone in the world. A total of sixteen pieces of equipment! It's hard to say which are weak and which are strong. However, they have gradually been arranged according to their glory, and the Celestial Weiqi Piece is ranked ninth!" explained Long Wanqing.

"Celestial Weiqi Piece? What happened to the Celestial Weiqi Piece after Elder Guanqi fell?" asked Gu Hai.

"I have no idea! Some say, after Elder Guanqi drew the wrath of Heaven, the Celestial Weiqi Piece was finally destroyed under the wrath of Heaven; some also say, the Celestial Weiqi Piece wasn't destroyed at all, but has fallen somewhere in the world. Perhaps after waiting for countless years, it will be found by some lucky person and cast a legend again!" said Long Wanqing, shaking her head.

Gu Hai nodded, but tsunamis were raging in his heart.

After all, there was a black piece in the s.p.a.ce behind Gu Hai's glabella, floating in the air, and presiding over one-hundred-thousand endgames like a lord. In fact, it was that black piece that brought Gu Hai from Earth.

As the black piece had transversed him here, Gu Hai knew that the black piece was marvelous from the very beginning. But now it seemed... Is my black piece that Celestial Weiqi Piece?

Gu Hai did not show the slightest bit of abnormalities, and neither did he ask anymore; he just continued to listen Long Wanqing.

"In the game against Heaven, Elder Guanqi ended up being defeated, as a result, eight million Weiqi Empyrean Court disciples were almost completely annihilated under the wrath of heaven and the Weiqi Empyrean Court was about to be erased from the world. However, before Elder Guanqi perished, he forcibly made a final gambit and forced a ‘group alive’[1]!" said Long Wanqing solemnly.

"A living group?" He was familiar with the term.

"Right, that's also the place where we are going: the Tianyuan Island. It used to be the headquarters of Weiqi Empyrean Court. When the Weiqi Empyrean Court was being extinguished, Elder Guanqi used the Thousand Islands Endgame to open a small s.p.a.ce before his death, also known as Xiantian Endgame World. It opens once every century. Many treasures of Weiqi Empyrean Court were moved there, including the 'Hundred Years Longevity Peach Tree'. It was prepared to save the Weiqi Empyrean Court disciples, but unfortunately, he was too late. Only a few Weiqi Empyrean Court members could enter, and the rest perished under the wrath of heaven!" explained Long Wanqing.

"Xiantian Endgame World? Small s.p.a.ce? Opens once every two centuries?" Gu Hai repeated again, frowning.

"The Thousand Islands Endgame is what remained after Elder Guanqi fought with Heaven; its internal rules bears the weiqi skills of Elder Guanqi as well as the might of Heaven. The laws are extremely tyrannical and its most outrageous rule is that anyone who enters can only be at Xiantian Stage, or one has to suppress his or her cultivation to the Xiantian Stage, If even the slightest bit of aura surpa.s.sing the Xiantian Stage is leaked, he or she would suffer the punishment of the small s.p.a.ce and would be annihilated! n.o.body can survive!" stated Long Wanqing in a heavy voice.

"Xiantian Stage?" Gu Hai's eyes lit up.

"Once every two centuries, when it opens, countless powerhouses step into it continuously for the treasures of Weiqi Empyrean Court, which gradually have been robbed by powerhouses of various influences. However, a few of the most valuable treasures are still inside, including the Hundred Years Longevity Peach Tree," explained Long Wanqing.

"Does that mean every time it opens, countless powerhouses will come?" said Gao Xianzhi as the look on his face changed.

"No, not necessarily, because once anyone enters, their cultivation can only be at the Xiantian Stage. If a peerless expert enters, his entire body seems to be under restraints. Many powerhouses simply aren't willing to take the risks. Like Clear River Sect Chief and Song Jia Sect Chief; they are in the Nascent Soul Stage, why would they want to be suppressed to the Xiantian Stage and have a life-and-death struggle with a bunch of Xiantian Stage ants? If they win, that's good, but otherwise, their deaths would be unjustifiable!" Long Wanqing replied, smiling.

"Uh?" Gao Xianzhi's eyebrows twitched as he nodded in slow agreement.

"Furthermore, the Xiantian Endgame World also has natives, who used to be the members of Weiqi Empyrean Court. And as the outsiders have plundered their countless treasures, they abhor outsiders even more. They also surround outsiders to kill. In particular, at the end of each opening, the door of small s.p.a.ce will close for the next two centuries. No one knows what transpires inside. So long as one doesn’t leave the s.p.a.ce in time, he or she will be dead!" explained Long Wanqing.

Gu Hai's eyebrows twitched. "Hall Lord, are you planning to go, too?"

"Yes!" Taking a long, deep breath, Long Wanqing answered affirmatively.

"For the Hundred Years Longevity Peach Tree?" asked Gu Hai curiously.

Long Wanqing shook her head as she replied, "I want to find one person! He is a native!" 

"Oh? I wonder if This Lowly One can know?" Gu Hai asked inquisitively.

"Twenty years ago, my mother died. I have been investigating for twenty years, but could not find the murderer. The man has some special abilities. I want him to help me find my mother's murderer!" she replied as a grim look covered her face.

The nearby Grandmaster Liunian frowned slightly, a painful look flas.h.i.+ng across his eyes.

"A native? Does he know Hall Lord's mother?" Gu Hai's look changed.

"I heard, my mother used to have some friends.h.i.+p with him eight hundred years ago. At that time, the Weiqi Empyrean Court had not been destroyed. He has been inside for eight hundred years. If I did not have to, I also would not go look for him! I hope he will be able to help me find my mother's murderer!" answered Long Wanqing, a gloomy look appearing on her face.

"What is his name?" asked Gu Hai.

"Wei Shengren!" replied Long Wanqing.

"Wei Shengren[2]?" Gu Hai said, surprised by the strange name.

Long Wanqing nodded as she looked far ahead, her eyes flickering with determination.

------

After three days, inside a large hall on the flying s.h.i.+p, White Cloud...

Gu Hai was sitting with his legs crossed, placed before him was the bamboo slip of [True Dragon Xiantian Exercise]. Apparently, Gu Hai was training in accordance with the aforementioned exercise.

ROAR!

In Gu Hai's dantian, a dragon roar resounded. Whenever Gu Hai exercised using the True Dragon Exercise, a lot of True Qi would transform into a dragon-shaped True Qi that circled around the drop of True Yuan, while suppressing the rest of his True Qi. This gradually fused with his True Yuan, increasing the growth of his True Yuan by accelerating the condensation of True Yuan.

"Dragonize!" Gu Hai waved his hands.

ROAR!

The True Qi surfaced around his body and suddenly congealed into a purplish dragon-shaped mist. Meanwhile, the True Qi attached to his hands also took the shape of dragon claws; an evil and foreboding aura emanated from his hands.

"True Dragon Xiantian Exercise? Not only can it let me absorb the heaven and earth Spirit Qi multiple times faster, the force behind my every attack also carries the aura of an evil dragon. Very good exercise!" praised Gu Hai as he looked at True Qi on his hands.

Puff!

Slowly, Gu Hai stopped cultivating while his True Qi was withdrawn back to his dantian. The dragon-shaped True Qi circled around his True Yuan, helping his True Yuan in transforming the surrounding True Qi.

Gu Hai gradually stood up and walked to the entrance.

Kuang! Gu Hai opened the large door. 

At the entrance, Gao Xianzhi stood respectfully.

"Thank you, Throne Master!" Gao Xianzhi suddenly kowtowed to Gu Hai.

"Did you break through?" Gu Hai looked at Gao Xianzhi and asked, smiling.

"Yes! Throne Master, thank you for asking Senior Chen Tianshan to help This Lowly One also have a breakthrough to the Xiantian Stage. The Spirit Qi consumed is not much. Unfortunately, Throne Master's high-grade spirit stone is gone!" Gao Xianzhi said as he forced a wry smile.

"It's just a stone, that's all! You can repay me in the future, yeah? Chen Tianshan fully helped you because of that spirit stone!" said Gu Hai, smiling.

"Thank you very much, Throne Master!" repeated Gao Xianzhi gratefully.

"No need to thank me! Since you have broken through to the Xiantian Stage, you can help me greatly when we enter the Xiantian Endgame World. This is True Dragon Xiantian Exercise, memorize it quickly and cultivate thereafter!" Gu Hai took out the bamboo slip and handed it over to Gao Xianzhi.

"True Dragon Xiantian Exercise? Acc-according to Senior Chen Tianshan, this is the main exercise of Ascendant Hall, used by Hall Lord as well and given to Throne Master by the Hall Lord. Isn't only Throne Master eligible to practice this exercise?" Gao Xianzhi asked, his complexion changing marvelously.

"Might as well. It's just a Xiantian Exercise, nothing more. You better have a firm foundation, I don't want you dragging my legs in the future!" replied Gu Hai, smiling.

"Yes! Thank you, Throne Master. Your subordinate will go all out and not disappoint Throne Master!" Gao Xianzhi swore with a solemn look on his face.

Having given Gao Xianzhi the bamboo slip, Gu Hai patted Gao Xianzhi's shoulder and walked towards the bow of the flying s.h.i.+p with a smile, where Long Wanqing and Grandmaster Liunian were standing.

Clutching the bamboo slip, Gao Xianzhi's eyes flickered with both happiness and sadness while looking at the back of Gu Hai. Gao Xianzhi was astute; he knew Gu Hai gave him a high-grade spirit stone and the best exercise in order to buy him.

If it was others, even if it was Long Wanqing who was buying him, with Gao Xianzhi's arrogance, he would seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. He would temporarily wors.h.i.+p just as an expedient measure and would not have any psychological burden at all.

However, this was Gu Hai, after all. Gao Xianzhi's heart was in turmoil for a moment.

After remaining silent for a while, Gao Xianzhi heaved a long, deep breath and carefully received the exercise before respectfully saluting towards Gu Hai's back.

[1] A living group or alive group is a situation in weiqi or Go, where the pieces cannot be captured by any party. For more info you can visit here. 

[2] Wei Shengren, Wei is the surname, and Shengren means stranger.