Zhang Zhiwei had never imagined he could defeat an immortal. The closer he came to the Immortal Dao, the more he could sense that chasm. The difference between immortals and mortals was no exaggeration; the gap was simply too great.
All he sought was to preserve a little dignity for Mount Longhu.
Losing after only a few moves would be far too humiliating for Tianshi Mansion.
If he could last several dozen moves, then having crossed hands with an immortal would make the trip worthwhile.
If he could withstand several hundred moves and contend with him for a long while, it would surely become a tale passed down through the ages. Even in defeat, there would be honor.
Break the cauldrons and sink the boats; the Qin passes would ultimately belong to Chu. Sleep on brushwood and taste gall; three thousand Yue soldiers could swallow Wu.
An Old Celestial Master with little lifespan remaining arrived carrying the "Three-Five Male-Female Evil-Slaying Divine Swords" and the "Yangping Zhidu Gong Seal." With every step he took, his momentum rose another degree. By the time he reached the mountainside, his essence, qi, and spirit had reached the peak of his life—Ultimate Sublimation!
Then, the Old Celestial Master suddenly halted, for he discovered several people seated in the pavilion ahead, seemingly waiting for something.
There were several familiar faces in the pavilion, as well as several unfamiliar ones. There was even a foreigner.
"Junior Brother?"
Zhang Zhiwei slowly stepped forward and asked in confusion, turning his gaze toward Tian Jizhong in hopes of receiving a reasonable explanation.
"Senior Brother, you're out of seclusion." Tian Jizhong, seated in his wheelchair, laughed heartily and pointed at Baron. "This is the disciple I've just taken in. Don't you think he's gifted and clever?"
Old Celestial Master:?
"This is Quanxing's acting leader. He concealed his identity, disguised himself as a Daoist boy, and infiltrated Mount Longhu."
Tian Jizhong then looked at Xiaoyu, who lay on the ground, restrained and unable to struggle, with a gag in his mouth. He sighed. "This junior brother of yours has grown ever more muddle-headed. He actually managed to deceive me completely. Fortunately, Perfected Lin and my disciple stepped in to remove this hidden danger before Mount Longhu could fall into chaos."
Old Celestial Master:??
"That's right. This Perfected Lin is also the Divine Bridge Immortal of legend. He wishes to discuss the Dao with you over a game of Go, with one battle deciding victory and defeat."
Old Celestial Master:???
What exactly had happened on Mount Longhu during the three days he had been gone? The world had suddenly become so unfamiliar.
"Perfected Lin..." The Old Celestial Master sighed and was about to speak when he suddenly looked toward Feng Baobao at Lin Xian's side. Staring into her eyes, he said in surprise, "Divine radiance contained within."
One Divine Bridge Immortal was one thing, but how had another person with Heavenly Endowment appeared?
Had spiritual qi revived? Had the Inhuman World secretly evolved behind his back?!
"Old Celestial Master, please sit." Lin Xian smiled faintly and pointed at the Go board, inviting Zhang Zhiwei to take a seat.
Zhang Zhiwei gave him a meaningful look, then calmly sat down. After glancing at the board, he was surprised for who knew how many times that day. He remained silent for a long while before slowly uttering several words: "Opening at tengen?"
"Exactly!"
Lin Xian burst into laughter, and everyone in the pavilion laughed along with him. Their voices rang through the mountain pavilion and echoed across Mount Longhu.
He had not come to bully weak opponents. He had come to ask the Old Celestial Master to put on a show.
Lin Someone never played low-tier matches. He only played crushing matches, displaying an invincible Dao Heart.
At the Life Spring Peak, he had already been able to fight the Old Celestial Master. Yet out of caution and reverence for the Thunder Method, Lin Xian had delayed coming to Mount Longhu.
But now, he had broken through to the Divine Bridge Realm!
No matter how powerful Zhang Zhiwei was or how many methods he possessed, there was nothing to fear anymore, because Lin Xian's style surpassed that of the Heaven-Connecting Daoist!
The Inhuman World's system possessed its own unique qualities in Primordial Qi and cultivation of the mind. It was like Wang Chao from Dragon Snake, who, on a spiritless Earth, honed the human body and temperament to their utmost limits, reaching the realm of Shattering the Void and Seeing the Divine Without Decay, worthy of being called the foremost person of his era.
Yet there was no road ahead. Deep waters trapped the True Dragon. No matter if your state of mind rivaled Yuanshi's or your Dao cultivation resembled Tathagata's, you were ultimately still a mortal. Before modern weapons, you would still die.
Only when the greater environment changed could a trapped dragon ascend to heaven and become a sovereign patriarch.
Such changes could be heaven and earth spiritual qi, natural vital qi, life essence qi, or even gene serums and life energy extracted through technology. Together, they were called Acquired Essence.
Inhumans tempered Primordial Essence, replenished their life force, achieved Feathered Ascension, and gained Immortality. This was the finest essence of their system. But when it came to using Acquired Essence, the One Person Method was not even worthy of carrying the Shrouding Method's shoes.
Because the defining trait of the Shrouding the Heavens Universe was combat!
Shrouding the Heavens people, Shrouding the Heavens souls—everyone in Shrouding the Heavens was hardheaded. Either I beat you to death, or you beat me to death.
On the Emperor Path, heroes contended as countless races rose together. Bodies of Undying and Immortality clashed, and amid slaughter of blood and tears, innumerable Dao arts, divine abilities, divine arts, and Immortal Scriptures were born.
This was a dimensionality-reduction strike.
From the moment he broke through to the Divine Bridge, the outcome had already been decided.
"Celestial Master, have you ever been defeated?"
Lin Xian spoke calmly, pinched a white stone between his fingers, and placed it at the tengen in the center of the board. A vast aura of the Divine Bridge Realm erupted forth. The silvery-white rune between his brows faintly gleamed, outlining Dao law Divine Runes. In a daze, it seemed as though a supreme divine figure stood behind him, walking across a bridge, seated high above the clouds, gazing down upon the mortal world and scorning all living beings!
Opening at tengen—dogs wouldn't even play there.
There had always been a saying in Go: gold at the corners, silver at the sides, grass in the belly. The closer one played to the center, the harder it was to develop, and the faster one died. Even national champions dared not play tengen.
Yet victory and defeat on the board were often decided off the board.
Who played Go without a helmet on?
"Han Jingdi, the Go Sage of the Great Han."
A thought flashed through the Old Celestial Master's mind. He decisively conceded, clasped his hands, and bowed. "Senior, your skill is superior. Zhang has lost."
"Lost? Good. Since you've lost, let's discuss how to build the stage for the Luotian Grand Ceremony..."
Lin Xian laughed heartily, preparing to pull the Old Celestial Master into discussing how to create a grand iconic scene that would make tomorrow's Luotian Grand Ceremony go down in history and be praised by countless people.
But as an ethereal voice rang out, Lin Xian stopped moving.
[Main Quest: Defeat the Old Celestial Master of Mount Longhu] [Progress: Completed] [Evaluation: Ordinary] [Reward: Tranquilizing Mind Divine Spell]
"An ordinary reward, the Tranquilizing Mind Divine Spell. Can this boss be farmed multiple times?"
Lin Xian's eyes lit up as though light shone within them. Looking at the Old Celestial Master as if he were a great treasure trove, he abruptly changed his tone. "Celestial Master, we... should still have a fight!"
Old Celestial Master:????
How did this person change his face faster than turning a page?
"Senior Brother, perk up! Good man, don't lose face! We both came from Mount Longhu, so what are you afraid of?" Tian Jizhong shouted from the side, delighted to stir up trouble. Then he instructed his newly accepted disciple, "Baron, remember to record it and send a copy to Old Lu."
Since the Divine Bridge Immortal had shown no hostility and Zhang Zhiwei's life was not in danger, everything was negotiable.
Tian Jizhong also wanted to see how his senior brother, invincible for a hundred years, would be beaten up, so that he could have a taste of defeat as well!
"Fight! Fight!" Feng Baobao also shouted while waving her arms, looking as though she were eager to watch the show.
"Then come!" The Old Celestial Master retreated several hundred steps, took a deep breath, and, with a do-or-die mindset, pushed his life and cultivation to their limits. Golden light burst from within his body, instantly shrouding Tianshi Mansion atop Mount Longhu in boundless radiance.
"All flash and no substance!"
Lin Xian gave a sharp shout and met him with a palm strike. Unprecedented life essence qi erupted forth, and his physical body instantly reached its peak state. Infinite divine power surged from his arm, like a divine elephant swinging its trunk or a heavenly dragon whipping its tail—irresistible and unstoppable!
Ultimate strength, ultimate physical body, ultimate power—crushing everything in its path and destroying all divine abilities and spells.
One force breaks ten thousand laws!
Rumble...
He smashed through everything. The protective golden light shattered like glass, fragments dancing through the air. Zhang Zhiwei flew away like a bullet and crashed into another cliff, sending rocks tumbling and dust billowing.
The Old Celestial Master in his normal state was instantly defeated in one move. There was nothing more to say.
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