[Large Chapter] Uncanny Valley Girl

How did I defeat artificial intelligence and a player with maxed-out chess skills?

Xiao Ran turned over, pushed open the door, and went out.

The door to the adjacent cabin was slightly ajar.

Sitting near the head of the bed was a figure with the same build and appearance as Xuan Ji, but draped in a dark, night-like Wraith Robe with dense white eyes, which made Xiao Ran's scalp tingle.

Before the Wraith Yan Automaton, there was a chessboard. The game had ended, a draw after three ko cycles.

Only by achieving a draw can one have any hope of winning.

Xiao Ran was basically certain that it was this amazing guy from next door who won the puppet game.

While Xiao Ran was selecting concubines, the room next door was still empty.

This indicates that the master had entered the puppet hut before him.

The latecomer wins...

What kind of deity is this? Xiao Ran looked around; there was no one in the restroom.

Only one person was sitting on the circular wooden chair in the hall.

He was an ordinary old man.

The old man was dressed in a gray long robe, holding a palm-leaf fan, wearing straw sandals, and had a long pipe hanging from his waist, his posture resembling that of someone carrying a long sword.

His features were somewhat gaunt, his figure thin, his back slightly hunched, and his deep eyes were dull and lifeless, giving him a sense of impending death.

He was dressed like a master, and the pipe at his waist always seemed like some kind of magical artifact.

Xiao Ran felt that the old man's temperament was similar to his own; both of them had an ethereal, otherworldly air about them, but upon closer inspection, they were actually just ordinary people.

Even so, after playing chess with the puppet, the old man was covered in sweat, and the palm-leaf fan he held wasn't for show, but genuinely to cool off...

A little girl was sitting next to the old man.

Puppet Girl!

It looked about five or six years old, with a chubby figure. Its features should have been cute, but its exaggeratedly large eyes and red lips triggered the uncanny valley effect, making it look like a ghost doll, as creepy as Thomas the Tank Engine.

A pair of chubby little legs swung back and forth in the air beside the bench, making a rhythmic creaking sound like a mechanical clock.

Xiao Ran felt a chill run down his spine.

From cosplaying a female puppet from the Wraith to a five- or six-year-old ghost child, does this old man have such heavy tastes? "Old man, even if it's a puppet, pedophilia is still illegal."

Copper smelting?

The old man gently fanned himself with a palm leaf fan, wearily raised his withered and wrinkled eyelids, glanced at Xiao Ran, and thought for a long time before he understood the meaning of copper smelting.

"No, this is my granddaughter. She died many years ago. I heard that the puppets of the Divine Martial Kingdom are very intelligent and can imitate the speech of living people, so I came here to have a puppet made for her. Isn't she cute?"

Is it completely unlikable? Xiao Ran turned his head and glanced at the puppet house.

"Is the female puppet you chose cute?"

The old man laughed:

"It seems that after spending a certain amount, the store also gave me a coupon, inviting this old man to try out the latest smart puppet. I didn't expect to have to play chess with it. It's exhausting for this old man."

Although it was almost certain, Xiao Ran still tentatively asked, "Did the old man win a game against Miss Puppet just now?"

The old man looked Xiao Ran up and down, his deep eyes devoid of any light, appearing quite dejected.

"The skill of puppet chess can evolve. In the same three games, I won the first game, but you won the second. The young man is stronger."

The old man won the first game.

The second game is unknown.

The third game ended in a draw.

Xiao Ran, however, lost the third game.

Because the puppet perfectly combined the skills of two god-level players, and its skills were evolving rapidly, the old man still gritted his teeth and managed to draw the game.

His chess skills are so high that it's unbelievable! "It's rare to see an old man with such chess prowess at his age."

Xiao Ran exclaimed in surprise.

The old man shook his head and smiled, a look of otherworldly refinement appearing on his withered face.

"My only advantage is that I am old and have no desire in that area, so I can play chess calmly without being affected by the female puppet."

Xiao Ran thought it made sense. If he hadn't been distracted in the third game and wanted to finish it quickly, he wouldn't have fallen for the AI's trick.

"Grandpa, you're lying. You won't calm down without me scaring you."

The ghost girl beside him licked a lollipop made of Spirit Stone while undermining the old man's efforts.

The old man looked rather unwell, and said with a stern face:

"Grandpa never lies."

The puppet girl said, "Then Grandpa, close the door and let's go back to the Dao Alliance."

Old man:

"..."

Xiao Ran was slightly startled and asked curiously:

"Is the old man a member of the Dao Alliance?"

"Ahem, yes."

The old man didn't hide anything. He nodded, put down his palm-leaf fan, took out his pipe from his waist, filled it with licorice, ran his fingernail across the tip of the pipe, lit the licorice from the inside, and began to smoke.

"I heard that someone killed a scion of a noble family at the Heaven's Chosen Assembly, causing internal strife and some unpleasant things to happen. I was curious and came to see what kind of young person would have such audacity."

Good heavens, the old man is a high-ranking member of the Dao Alliance! Xiao Ran didn't specifically use his Resonance Divine Sense to observe the old man's Cultivation Level, but without a doubt, he was definitely a powerful figure.

Unexpectedly, no sooner had the old man finished speaking than his puppet granddaughter, licking a lollipop, undermined him.

"Grandpa, didn't you say you came here to try out the latest model of dolls?"

The old man, unable to save face, quickly grabbed his granddaughter's forehead, snapped her neck 180 degrees so her back was facing him, and put the doll into sleep mode.

The skill, ruthlessness, and cruelty of their methods left Xiao Ran dumbfounded and his scalp tingling.

After turning off his granddaughter's cigarette, the old man also got up, tapped the cigarette ash against the back of the chair, picked up the little girl, and turned to leave.

"It's been so many years since I've had this much fun. Until we meet again, young man."

Xiao Ran somewhat strange.

"Didn't you come here to arrest me, senior?"

The old man smiled.

"We've already fought, and it's a draw."

After he finished speaking, he vanished into nothingness.

It didn't dissipate through a spatial portal, nor was it a dissipation of remnant souls or projections of light and shadow. It simply vanished into thin air as its physical body disintegrated into particles...

Xiao Ran stared in disbelief, his palms sweating.

Is this old man really that strong? So strong that he didn't even realize it. If it weren't a game of chess, but someone really wanted to capture him, could he stop them? Even if he used his Master's power, could he stop them?

Xiao Ran was still in shock; this was the first time he had ever been completely helpless.

Moreover, he had no idea of the old man's terrifying power; he only felt that the old man was very strong, but he did not dare to investigate just how strong he was.

Could it be the Nine Radiances? Xiao Ran wondered.

Fortunately, I followed the heroic path of saving the world and serving the people; if I had followed the path of turning evil and destroying the world, I might have already been reduced to ashes.

So being a good person does have its benefits.

Because the enemy of good people is bad people.

Bad people are ultimately a minority.

"Where did the female puppet go?!"

While Xiao Ran was talking to the old man, Ding Zhenzi crashed for a full quarter of an hour. After the old man left, he suddenly woke up and found that the Wraith Yan Automaton next to Xiao Ran had disappeared.

Xiao Ran turned his head and saw that the replica of the Underworld Maiden was indeed gone.

Was the old man taking the puppet back to study artificial intelligence or artificial bodies? "Probably some old man wanting an old tree to sprout new buds."

Ding Zhenzi was slightly taken aback.

"Where are the elderly people?"

"Nothing."

Ten thousand feet above Divine Martial City, a white cloud floats leisurely on the horizon.

An old man smoking a pipe stood on a cloud, his gaze deep and distant.

But deep down, he couldn't wait to go back and test the intelligence of the Wraith Puppet.

Behind them, Yan's granddaughter licked a cotton candy formed from gathered Spiritual Energy.

Before long, a blue-robed cultivator flew in from the horizon on a sword.

He was not tall, but handsome, with a pure and honest face that revealed a hint of cunning.

Wu Yu bowed deeply to the old man and said, "Master."

Then, smiling, he addressed the puppet girl who was licking a cotton candy, saying, "Junior Sister."

The old man was really just there to experience puppetry, not just the physical body, but also the soul.

But meeting Xiao Ran, and even playing chess with him remotely, was something he hadn't expected.

These bizarre coincidences usually occur in the presence of a single person.

"There's no need to call me Master. You haven't learned anything from me."

The puppet girl looked for a long time but couldn't find a matching character in her memory.

"Grandpa, who is he? I don't even recognize him."

Wu Yu smiled and patted the girl's head.

"But I see you all the time."

This gentle feeling unexpectedly brought a contented smile to the usually quiet girl's face.

"Grandpa, who is this big brother who patted my head?"

The old man simply said:

"He's a lucky guy, but I have nothing to teach him."

Wu Yu smiled and said:

"This disciple has not yet reached the level of stealing a master's teachings."

The old man nodded slightly and casually asked, "You've been doing quite well at the Academy, haven't you?"

"Yes, the atmosphere of the Academy suits me quite well."

"Then learn more. The Xiahou Family and the other three major families no longer exist. The old, young, women and children have all been renamed and settled. You don't need to get involved in the power struggle between the Wraith Punishment Bureau Palace and the Xing Tian Pavilion. Go ahead and do what you like."

Is it still possible to do what you love in this Dharma Ending Era? Wu Yu didn't say much, only smiled and asked, "Junior Brother Xiao, aren't you great?"

The old man took a long puff from his pipe, sparks flying from the fiery red bowl, and uttered a few words.

"Not quite as good as you."

Doll House.

Inside the new-style puppet experience room, Xuan Ji neatly put away the chessboard, her face slightly flushed, her shoulders still exposed, wearing only her undergarments.

"That old man was very strong."

The experience wasn't over yet. Xiao Ran sat upright on the edge of the bed with his hands on his chest, calming his mind and nodding slightly.

"Yes."

Xuan Ji's voice was soft and sweet as she covered her mouth and giggled.

"As the one who won the game, young master, may I request to take this concubine home so that I may serve you forever? Is that alright?"

Xiao Ran shook his head and said ruthlessly, "Just give me a discount. After all, you're only a beta version, and the features still need further improvement."

Xuan Ji's lips trembled slightly, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Does the young master still find me unworthy?"

Xiao Ran explained without any hesitation:

"It's not that I'm disgusted, it's just that I have a unique Bing Bing, while you have eighteen sisters, only their clothes and ways of speaking are different. When you become a unique woman one day, we'll do something fun."

Xuan Ji's eyes flickered, her tears dried, and she stared directly at Xiao Ran with a playful expression:

"Did you meet a unique woman last night and do anything interesting?"

Xiao Ran was stunned. Good heavens, even artificial intelligence is questioning my abilities? It beat me in a game, pushed me to the brink, and now it's questioning my manly nature? But it's pointless.

His heart belonged only to Bing Bing.

Xiao Ran changed the subject and suddenly asked Xuan Ji, "Was Gao Yao's personality and memories uploaded to the Paradise Tree? If, I mean if, she accidentally sacrificed herself, at least there would be a backup Goddess of War."

Xuan Ji sat upright with her hands folded, her face expressionless, and said meaningfully, "How can you know that she isn't someone else's backup copy if you don't have in-depth communication with her?"

That makes sense! Why can't Gao Yao be a copy of someone else? Her statement that her parents live in the countryside is very suspicious.

Maybe her parents were from a puppet factory!

Thinking about it this way, Xiao Ran suddenly became interested and felt that Gao Yao's charm had increased significantly.

The problem is, is this in-depth conversation... serious? Xiao Ran didn't continue the discussion on this topic, but decided to give her a thorough check-up tonight.

"Since your artificial intelligence is so intelligent, can it make some inferences?"

Xiao Ran asked again.

Xuan Ji said, "Even ancient immortals could not make 100% accurate deductions. I can only guess based on big data."

Big data is alright.

Xiao Ran said, "I plan to go and wipe out the Apostle for the next period of time, but many people are spreading alarmist rumors that the Apostle are extremely dangerous, which scares me so much that I'm hesitant to go... What do you think the outcome of my trip will be?"

Without hesitation, Xuan Ji replied, "Perhaps I will die and go to the Heavenly Kingdom, or perhaps I will rediscover this world."

"Can you speak human language?"

"In short, you won't lose out, young master. If you're still afraid, I have a suggestion: before you go to the Apostle, you can join the Divine Martial Kingdom's Paradise Tree Project. Even if you die, you'll still have—"

"Farewell!"

Before Xuan Ji could finish speaking, Xiao Ran slammed the door and left.

"How could I let a doll like you lead a pyramid scheme?" Ding Zhenzi, standing outside the door, asked him in surprise, "How did you get here so fast, senpai?"

Even you doubt my abilities? Xiao Ran felt a little sore in his lower back and knees.

"It's not that I'm fast, it's that the puppetry is too exciting."

With a look of longing and anticipation, Ding Zhenzi asked, "Could you tell me more about it, senpai?"

Xiao Ran waved his hand and strode away from the experience area.

"You should hone your chess skills more and experience it for yourself."

Xiao Ran arrived at the puppet factory.

Bing Bing has already been printed, and it contains advanced techniques for Fight the Wraith. Unfortunately, it's only covered by a factory-made protective film and hasn't been fully dressed or powered on yet.

The puppet factory master said to Xiao Ran:

"You're not very old, but you have quite the taste. This Bing Bing is the latest intelligent puppet, half of which is flesh and blood, so don't be too rough with it."

With half a body of flesh and blood, Xiao Ran got excited.

"Good."

"As for this Zhehui, it still uses the old architecture and materials, and its intelligence is a bit lacking, but it's cheap, so you can mess with it however you want."

"Oh, I bought this for a friend."

With the strategy guide provided by Xuan Ji, Xiao Ran arrived at the front desk and easily took away two female puppets after getting a 20% discount on the total price.

Ding Zhenzi followed behind Xiao Ran.

Because the number of new Giant Yan Armor is limited, Ding Zhenzi Gao Yao, and has plenty of time during the day to take Xiao Ran for a stroll around the city.

The two ate and drank, and the day passed by.

Night.

Xiao Ran returned to Gao Yao's mansion.

Starlight falls, the moon shines through the mist and clouds.

A cool breeze was blowing from the rooftop observation deck.

Xiao Ran sat on Gao Yao's rattan chair, holding a glass of Goat Milk Wine, thinking of his fat goat Master.

Without his Master by his side, Filial Piety Points remained unchanged, Xiao Ran missed him dearly.

Looking at myself now, I'm sleeping with women to earn money to support my Master, just like Xuan Ji...

Xiao Ran was almost moved to tears by his own words.

He opened his sketchbook, conceived the next part of the story of "Horse Breaks the Sky," and began to save drafts.

The following plot is—

Yun Yun and Xiao Yan secretly pledged their love in a mountain cave, then returned to the Cloud Mist Sect to get married openly. From then on, they lived a happy and carefree life of having children.

Xiao Ran's draft ends here.

The later plot will reveal Yun Yun's background, such as her ancient family having extraordinary connections.

Then, when the child was five years old, Yun Yun was summoned back by her family...

What follows is all just routine.

Xiao Yan, with a child in tow, rampages through ancient clans.

As a result, killing the young led to the old, and eventually even immortals escaped. Enraged, Xiao Yan awakened an epic-level hidden strange fire, annihilating immortals and slaughtering gods, crushing all who dared to defy him, and finally winning the heart of the beautiful Yun Yun. The whole family was together, reunited...

The plot is very cliché.

It smells very good too.

"Sigh, if only the Dharma Ending Era were this simple."

Xiao Ran closed the book and muttered to himself.

He was probably so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Gao Yao had returned.

Gao Yao sat at the table, crossed her slender legs, picked up the Goat Milk Wine that Xiao Ran was drinking, and took a sip without any hesitation.

What are you drawing?

Xiao Ran hurriedly put away the sketchbook, saying only:

"Just design some Spirit Runes."

Gao Yao smiled without saying a word. She had actually seen Xiao Ran drawing a busty woman, but she didn't care.

What kind of woman Xiao Ran likes is his personal preference. As long as he also likes money, that's fine. In this Dharma Ending Era, only a fool would talk about love.

"Since your Spirit Runes technique is so good, could you help me improve the Spirit Runes on my vertebrae?"

Xiao Ran asked curiously:

What's wrong with your Embedded Vertebrae?

Gao Yao spoke frankly.

"My excessive pursuit of synchronization made me feel very uncomfortable in my daily life, so I used racing, a relatively exciting form of entertainment, to numb myself."

Xiao Ran said, "I took a look last night. There are hundreds of millions of Spirit Runes in your Embedded Vertebrae. It would be very troublesome to modify and improve them. It would be better to rewrite them."

Gao Yao put down the milk cup and sighed deeply.

"Rewriting won't work. The military's Yan Armor factory and combat system are all compatible with mine. Even the military can't afford the cost of rewriting the Spirit Runes."

"Modifying Spirit Runes is tiring, but it's not impossible. It depends on how much money you're willing to pay."

"Would one million Spirit Stone be alright?"

Xiao Ran had been wanting to give Gao Yao a thorough medical check-up to see if she was actually someone else's clone, and this was a golden opportunity.

After pondering for a long time, Xiao Ran pretended to make an extremely painful decision, hesitatingly said, "This is something that requires in-depth communication and is very energy-consuming, but I got to take advantage of you for free last night, so I'll give you a friendly price tonight."

Chapter 201 The King of Lewd Talk:

The Ancient Young Master Hun Dun is asking for monthly tickets! A donation of 1500 will automatically generate a ticket, dear!