"Senior, what are you saying? How am I acting strange?"
"Looking across the entire Xuanhuang Realm, is there anyone else willing to play a thousand rounds of Go with you besides me?"
The Holy Embryo smiled as he spoke, placing a Go piece while asking in return.
That first move landed directly in the Tianyuan position.[1]
The slovenly old man's expression changed slightly. He looked at the Holy Embryo, his face growing incomparably serious.
"You brat. Clearly you're only at the Nascent Soul stage, yet your deduction ability is frighteningly strong. And you didn't even bother hiding it, sitting right down beside me."
"You obviously came prepared!"
"At first, I was even happy. After all these years, I finally found someone to play with again. But halfway through, I realized—I'd fallen right into your trap!"
The old man sighed lightly.
La caméra dans le cercueil a filmé pendant deux ans et demi...SuiteThe Holy Embryo only smiled without replying.
The slovenly old man was named Daoist Qianxun, an old Dao Integration-stage cultivator who had fallen in rank due to injuries.
No one knew what kind of great merit he had once earned for the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, but he actually carried a Derivative Jade Token on him.
Of course, at this point in time, very few people in the world were aware of that.
In the eyes of most, this Daoist Qianxun was nothing more than a somewhat deranged, ordinary cultivator.
It was not until more than ten years later that a mortal named Xiao Shengke happened to encounter Daoist Qianxun.
After spending one thousand days begging alongside him, Xiao was gifted the Derivative Jade Token.
With a mortal body, he was granted audience with Law Derivative Jade, and received the Dao Integration cultivation method, from then on soaring upon the path of immortality.
This story later became a tale widely told among future generations.
The Holy Embryo sought out Daoist Qianxun naturally for that very same Derivative Jade Token.
However, a thousand days of begging was far too long, so he deliberately provoked the old man into playing Go with him.
Daoist Qianxun's name was closely tied to his cultivation method.[2]
Everything he did required the fulfillment of "a thousand cycles," and he always needed a companion to accompany him.
Playing Go with the Holy Embryo was, in truth, part of his cultivation.
The only restriction was that he could never take the initiative to explain this principle to others. And every time he completed a phase of "Thousand Searches" cultivation, his appearance and aura would change, becoming like a completely different person.
So everything depended purely on fate.
But Li Fan, the Holy Embryo, already knew this in advance.
When the final piece was placed, Li Fan was short by a single move and ultimately lost to Daoist Qianxun.
"You brat, at least you know to let me win one round."
Daoist Qianxun cursed angrily. Although he had won, he could not bring himself to feel happy.
He flipped the Go board once more, yet this time the black and white pieces dissolved into thin air.
From his body surged a rippling wave of energy.
"Congratulations, Senior. You're not far from reintegrating your Dao," Li Fan said with a smile.
"What do you want?" Daoist Qianxun asked directly, not wasting words.
"The Derivative Jade Token."
"Get lost!" Daoist Qianxun hurled the jade token over without hesitation.
Before Li Fan could even respond, the old man's figure vanished.
Li Fan put away the jade token calmly. After all, anyone who had lost nine hundred and ninety-nine games in a row—each time only by a single move—would naturally have a temper.
The fact that Daoist Qianxun did not strike him in anger already showed considerable restraint.
"With the Dao Deviation Stone assisting my divination, there are indeed few in this world who could defeat me at the game of Go," Li Fan murmured, shaking his head slightly.
He went to a secluded, deserted place and directly activated the Derivative Jade Token.
Beforehand, he had already settled his identity within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, so the entire process went smoothly without any surprises.
As usual, a cultivator appeared to guide him, and a door materialized from thin air.
However, after a wave of dizziness, Li Fan once again found himself at the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance Headquarters.
"Hm?"
Looking around, it was not the scene of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters.
Within a cluster of hazy light, several figures stood tall.
Faint, intermittent voices came from within.
Looking for someone in Antwerp today
"On this journey, how certain are you of success?"
"I will do all that I can and leave the rest to fate."
"That doesn't sound like something you would say."
"The difference in strength is too great. All I can do is fight with my life on the line."
"Enough. Go then. Whether it is fortune or calamity, none can tell."
…
One of the figures' voices sounded strangely familiar to Holy Embryo Li Fan, yet it did not exactly match anyone he knew.
He knew this was an illusion caused by entering the Alliance headquarters for the first time, influenced by the Immortal Ancestor.
But this time, for some reason, it was different from all he had seen before, whether with his true body or his clones.
"Among these figures… is one of them the Immortal Ancestor?"
"What does this mean?"
Before Li Fan could think further, the world shook violently, and the scene shattered layer by layer.
He left the illusion and appeared inside the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters.
The guiding cultivator, long used to such things, gave a brief explanation and led Li Fan toward the location of the Law Derivative Jade.
The journey was smooth, identical to his experiences in past lifetimes.
But when they entered the main hall of the Guardian Pavilion, a notification rang in his ears that left Li Fan completely stunned.
"Applicant for Derivative Jade Token: Fan Li."
"Number: 005. Permission level: Dao Integration."
"Please wait patiently. Estimated remaining waiting time: three thousand six hundred twenty-three days and six hours."
At first, Holy Embryo Li Fan thought he had misheard. But after listening again, he stood up in shock.
"How could it take so long?"
Startled and suspicious, he reacted accordingly and could not help but question the empty air.
"If you do not wish to wait, you may leave."
"Warning: Leaving will be considered a voluntary forfeiture of your right to use the Derivative Jade Token."
After a long silence, the voice finally responded.
"I am number 005, yet I must wait nearly ten years. How is that reasonable?"
"Do you think I have never used the Law Derivative Jade before? How long does it take to deduce a single cultivation method? Someone must be abusing their authority!"
Holy Embryo Li Fan showed no fear at all. Instead, he raised a noisy commotion, demanding an explanation.
Perhaps unable to tolerate his shouting, the voice spoke again, colder than before.
"Due to uncontrollable factors, the deduction function of the Law Derivative Jade has suffered severe interference."
"Therefore, the waiting time has been greatly extended."
"We ask for your understanding and cooperation."
"Warning: This matter is a top-level secret of the Immortal Alliance. You must not disclose it."
The voice issued the warning.
Li Fan's expression shifted slightly, but he did not restrain himself.
Instead, he exaggeratedly shouted, "What? The very foundation of the Immortal Alliance, the wondrous treasure of the heavens, the Law Derivative Jade—has malfunctioned?"
"What in the world is your Guardian Hall doing?"
"A matter this serious, and instead of fixing it, you choose to cover it up?"
"There must be a traitor among you!"
"No, I will make this public for all to see!"
…
As Holy Embryo Li Fan continued to shout, a figure slowly appeared before him.
Le jus qui apporte la mort : même le jus fait maison est strictemOuvert
Expressionless, the person stared at Li Fan as though looking at a corpse.
Li Fan, however, instantly became serious. "Let me take a look. Perhaps I can help."
Hearing this, the figure froze in surprise.