When the thirty men blocked Gu Hai’s group, Long Wanqing glowered at them and was about to break out in rage when Gu Hai stopped her.
It was not that Long Wanqing could not handle this. Instead, this was not the time to fight, as tens of thousands of cultivators were watching them. It would not be just thirty men fighting them but the others as well.
“Everyone, we would like to enter ourselves. Are you going to get out of our way?” Gu Hai said indifferently.
Gu Hai spoke very calmly but in an icy tone. He took a step forward and stared coldly at the thirty people.
The people across frowned slightly. After all, they knew a little of Gu Hai’s ferocious reputation.
A cultivator said coldly, “Mister Gu, we are disciples of Nine-Two Island’s Myriad Sea Sect. We—”
Gu Hai interrupted that person, his expression turning cold as he said, “I don’t care who you are. I’ll repeat myself; we would like to enter ourselves. Anyone who blocks us will share the same fate as all the disciples of four of Nine-Five Island’s five major sects!”
As Gu Hai spoke, he stared straight into the other party’s eyes. His eyes had a chilly glint as he took another step forward.
Four of Nine-Five Island’s five major sects? The same fate as all those disciples? Killed by Gu Hai? That was more than twenty thousand disciples, right?
Facing Gu Hai’s murderous gaze, that cultivator felt a chill in his heart as he recalled the fate of those four major sects.
Gu Hai stared icily at the frontmost cultivator and kept walking forward.
That cultivator now felt that he had been too rash. This was not a weakling he could crush at any moment. This was a murderous demon who had killed nearly all the disciples of Nine-Five Island’s major sects, and yet he had foolishly charged over?
Step by step, Gu Hai closed in on that cultivator. He kept his eyes fixed on that cultivator’s eyes, like a wild beast picking its prey.
That cultivator could not shift his gaze away with Gu Hai staring straight into his eyes. Every step Gu Hai took seemed to land on his heart. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, his earlier confidence instantly vanishing. He even forgot what he came to do.
As that cultivator watched Gu Hai walk over step by step, Gu Hai’s body seemed to grow increasingly larger.
Whoosh!
When Gu Hai reached that cultivator, that cultivator could no longer take the mental pressure. His foot moved back, and he made way for Gu Hai.
As the first person moved aside, the others did as well.
Gu Hai led Long Wanqing and the others straight through the middle of the thirty cultivators.
However, sweat covered the thirty cultivators. They no longer dared to block Gu Hai’s group. Instead, they seemed to stand respectfully in two rows to receive and send off Gu Hai’s group.
The thirty cultivators breathed only after Gu Hai left. They looked at each other, dazed from the tremendous pressure earlier.
Everything appeared calm and peaceful, but yet it felt very strange.
At the very least, this scene looked too strange to the other cultivators. Gu Hai had not done anything to this group of cultivators, but they seemed to have been frightened silly.
Some of the cultivators had been waiting for these thirty cultivators to start the fight so that they could join in. However, these thirty cultivators suddenly backed off. What were the restless cultivators to do about this?
Immediately, Gu Hai’s air alone seemed to have suppressed everyone’s temerity.
As Gu Hai’s group walked towards the peony flower, no one dared to step forward to stop them.
Long Wanqing looked at this scene in confusion, feeling at a loss. “Gu Hai, earlier, they rushed over ferociously. Why did they suddenly feel afraid?”
“They could charge over ferociously because there were many people in the surroundings itching to make a move. They felt like they were a part of the larger crowd, just that they were initiating the fight. With so many people, they felt confident, so they did not fear us. I stared straight into their eyes, straight into their hearts, to give them mental pressure. They felt like I was targeting only them, which made them feel isolated. Loneliness is one of the emotions that humans fear the most. They suddenly became afraid, so they naturally moved aside!” Gu Hai explained.
“Loneliness?” Long Wanqing looked at Gu Hai in surprise.
“The tens of thousands of cultivators here are not united in the first place. They guard against each other. I just amplified that emotion. Hence, that group felt that loneliness,” Gu Hai explained.
Long Wanqing looked at Gu Hai with a complicated expression. Is this taking advantage of weaknesses in human nature for his ends?
The group continued towards the peony flower. The surroundings remained silent for a while before a group of fifty rushed towards them, blocking Gu Hai.
However, by repeating the same trick, Gu Hai’s group walked through the middle of the fifty smoothly, confusing many of the watching cultivators.
“What happened? This again? They already charged over. Why did they suddenly step aside?”
“Are they stupid? Why did they also move aside?”
The surrounding cultivators appeared confused.
After the first time, there were still people who wanted to target Gu Hai. After the second time, everyone found it strange. On the third time, Gu Hai calmly walked through the middle of a group of one hundred like they were paralyzed, and the tens of thousands of people suddenly all fell silent.
No more cultivators dared to charge forward. They only watched the departing figures of Gu Hai’s group, feeling confused and conflicted.
Gu Hai’s group arrived before the peony flower.
The surface of the peony flower seemed to have boundless clouds and fog covering it, blurring the interior.
The group paused.
Gu Hai took a deep breath and stepped forward onto a peony flower petal.
After Gu Hai took the first step, Long Wanqing, Gu Qin, and the others followed suit.
Now, the surrounding cultivators were no longer in the mood to think about this. They could only watch patiently.
Nine-Five Island, at the former Clear River Sect:
After the destruction of the Clear River Sect, Gu Hai sent people to man the place. Over the past few months, the area slowly regained some vitality. A large number of ordinary soldiers camped there, operating the spirit stone mines once more.
Managers of the Gu Residence steadily audited the accounts at the summit where Long Wanqing stayed. Large numbers of spirit stones were mined every day.
The summit bustled with activity.
Buzz!
Suddenly, space rippled on the summit.
“Huh?” The surrounding peoples’ expressions changed.
Then, everyone saw a figure wearing black-and-white robes—black on one side and white on the other—step out of the rippling space and land on the plaza of the summit.
An old manager’s eyes lit up as he immediately put down his brush and walked over.
Then, the old manager bowed to the person who suddenly arrived. “This humble one is a manager of the Gu Residence. Greetings, Senior Unborn Man!”
“Huh?” said the Unborn Man, the person who stepped out of the ripple. When he spoke, two voices rang out: one juvenile and one aged.
“Senior Unborn Man, my master, Gu Hai, stationed me here. He told me to inform you that Venerable Liu Nian has returned, and the hall master, Long Wanqing, is fine. They have gone to the Peony Sect together. My master is at the Gu residence and welcomes Senior at any time,” the old manager said.
“Oh?” the Unborn Man said indifferently.
“Oh, by the way, this information was from eight days ago. Master sends the latest information every ten days. This was the same for eight days ago,” the old manager said respectfully.
The Unborn Man stared at the old manager for a while before eventually nodding.
“Where is the Peony Sect?” the Unborn Man asked indifferently.
“Ah! That’s right. Master left me a map of Nine-Five Island. Senior, please wait for a while,” the old manager said respectfully.
Soon, the old manager found the map and was about to step forward to give it to the Unborn Man.
“Don’t come over!” The Unborn Man extended his hand and waved.
Whoosh!
What seemed like a strong wind blew, knocking the old manager to the ground. The map also fell on the ground.
“Senior, this humble one did not mean to offend you!” the old man said in confusion as he sprawled on the ground.
“You did not offend me. I have a ghost by my side. Your living aura will harm her,” the Unborn Man said indifferently.
“Ah?” The old manager appeared confused.
I see only the Unborn Man in front. There is also a ghost?
A suction came from the Unborn Man’s hand, and the map on the ground flew over. Then, he tossed a small porcelain bottle to the old manager.
“This medicinal pill is for you,” the Unborn Man said indifferently.
Thud! The old manager caught the bottle.
The old manager then saw the Unborn Man look at the map and take a step.
Buzz!
The Unborn Man suddenly vanished as if he had never been there.
The old manager looked at the medicinal pill in his hand, then at where the Unborn Man had been. He immediately stood up and bowed. “Many thanks to Senior for bestowing me this immortal pill!”
The Peony Sect:
Tens of thousands of cultivators watched from the periphery as Gu Hai entered the peony flower world.
“Another group of people entered. The people who entered before this either died at the life puzzle or fell into the death puzzle with no further news of them. No one knows what happened to those people.”
“Gu Hai possesses extraordinary Go skills. Perhaps it will be different for him?”
“However, do you see that? That is Old Mister Guan Qi’s puppet! It’s Old Mister Guan Qi! No matter how strong Gu Hai’s Go skills are, could they be stronger than Old Mister Guan Qi’s?”
“A dragon vein? Only in the Thousand Islands Sea would there be so few experts fighting over it. After all, the Thousand Islands Sea is barren in the eyes of the people from the Divine Continent. How could they imagine that there would be a dragon vein here?”
“Although the Divine Continent has many dragon veins, the experts are very terrifying there. To fight for a dragon vein, one would need to be in the Nascent Soul Realm at the minimum, unlike here where any Innate Realm cultivator could try.”
“Gu Hai is an Innate Realm cultivator. Can he obtain the dragon vein?”
“I think he is just seeking death!”
The tens of thousands of cultivators discussed the dragon vein. Some respected Gu Hai, some felt envious, some remained neutral. However, most people wanted the dragon vein, so they waited outside for an opportunity. Perhaps they might get their wish.
Countless cultivators waited patiently. Gu Hai’s group now reached the peony flower’s stamen.
“Once we enter, we can’t come out!” Long Wanqing looked at Gu Hai worriedly.
“It does not matter. Didn’t you come out before?” Gu Hai smiled.
Long Wanqing bit her lip. Then, she took out a golden hoop the size of a bangle and proffered it to Gu Hai. “Gu Hai, I implicated you. This is the Dragon Fixing Hoop. It can help you escape. Here, take it. If you cannot solve the Go Puzzle, flee by yourself!”
Gu Hai looked at Long Wanqing in surprise. “If you give me the Dragon Fixing Hoop, what about you?”
“This is my fault. If I can’t get out, then so be it. I implicated you all,” Long Wanqing said with a bitter smile.
Gu Hai stared at Long Wanqing for a while before showing a faint smile. “Don’t worry. I have never lost at Go before!”
“You must take it!” Long Wanqing shoved the Dragon Fixing Hoop to Gu Hai.
Gu Hai looked at Long Wanqing for a while. Although Long Wanqing was occasionally muddled and made mistakes, she was still a person who acted according to the situation.
“Alright. I’ll take it first. However, don’t worry. Since I dare to enter, I definitely can bring you out!” Confidence flashed in Gu Hai’s eyes.
“Alright!” Long Wanqing nodded while biting her lip.
Gu Hai turned his head and looked at the large Go board, the white Go board of the life puzzle.
A white-haired, white-clad old man sat on the other side of the Go puzzle. Gu Hai recognized that person with a glance, as he shared the same appearance as Old Mister Guan Qi’s pre-programmed puppet that had entered his forehead space.
“I have been waiting for you for a long time. Sit down, then!” the white-haired old man on the other side said with a faint smile.
“Huh? He knows Adoptive Father?” Gu Qin exclaimed with a frown.
Long Wanqing shook her head. Then, she said with a strange expression, “No, he says that to everyone. The venerable said that this puppet might be waiting for a certain person to arrive all the while, but it does not know who. However, it says this to everyone.”
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