Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Nan Gong was focusing on the go board on the stone table. The black and white go pieces had covered the whole board.
He didn’t have a go piece in his hand. He had no rival either. It meant he was trying to crack a game left by others.
Jiang Chen glanced at the board and found it was the Exquisite Composition. By using Life and Death, a go technique, the composition contained Kos inside Kos. There were both Impasse and Eternal Life. It was an ingenious design.
“The guy who deployed this composition was obviously showing off his technique,” Jiang Chen said after a few glances.
Nan Gong hadn’t paid any attention to him until then. He was surprised to see Jiang Chen there. He said, “Isn’t today your first day of classes?”
“I was expelled,” Jiang Chen said directly, with no intention of hiding it from Nan Gong.
Nan Gong smiled, and whether it was for Jiang Chen’s frankness or the fact that he had been kicked out of class on his first day, he didn’t know.
“You play go?” Nan Gong asked. He didn’t seem convinced.
This generation of youngsters had to devote their time to so many things, methods, martial arts techniques, concepts, and more…
Jiang Chen was a sword genius. Would he have spare time for go?
“I dabbled in go when I had a lot of time and energy,” Jiang Chen said.
“Yeah? So what do you think?” Nan Gong wanted to confirm whether he was telling the truth.
“Here.”
Jiang Chen didn’t waste time talking. He picked up a white piece with his index finger and middle finger and put it somewhere on the board.
When the piece was put down, energy erupted from the board and the black and white go pieces turned into two lights. They rose into the air and disappeared.
Nan Gong was struck dumb. He laughed loudly and said, “You cracked the newest composition of the Black White Go Club. I doubt whether people will believe me if I tell them about it.”
“Nan Gong, what go is this? Why can it fly?” Jiang Chen said in surprise.
“What a pity. You missed an opportunity. Otherwise, it would be very helpful to your creation of nature and martial arts techniques,” Nan Gong said.
“Creation of nature and martial arts techniques? Why can playing go help with that?” Jiang Chen asked.
“Why couldn’t it? Dao begets One, One begets Two, Two begets Three, Three begets all things. The creation of wind, creation of fire and other things you youngsters are after are all a kind of Dao. Did you know Dao also exists in meals and tea, painting and writing poetry? Of course, also in playing go,” Nan Gong said.
“Dao begets One, One begets Two, Two begets Three, Three begets all things?”
Jiang Chen felt like his soul had taken a heavy blow. He lapsed into a status beyond expression.
He took a deep breath fifteen minutes later. His eyes were clearer.
“Thank you, senior. I’ve got it.”
Jiang Chen knew many martial arts techniques and methods. He was skilled in tactical formations, medicine, and panaceas, but he still needed the instruction of seniors like Nan Gong for things he hadn’t been able to practice and comprehend in his previous life.
“Did you really get it?” Nan Gong was smiling at him. He was curious to know to what extent Jiang Chen had got it.
Jiang Chen smiled mysteriously. He picked up a black go piece and put it on the board again. This time, he was moving slowly but steadily.
There was a unique elegance in the way he held the go piece between his index and middle finger.
Pah!
Once again, he put the piece down. The silvery sound was echoing in the booth. Outside the booth, a wind was blowing with strong energy.
Jiang Chen smiled and said, “Creation of nature and martial arts techniques is a mix of being an integral part of nature and martial arts techniques. Martial arts techniques include wind, fire, and water. Playing go, painting, or even riding a horse, all these things will help to improve the creation of nature and martial arts techniques.”
This time, Nan Gong didn’t say anything, and he looked emotionless.
“You’re either a great con that is playing genius or the smartest disciple I’ve ever seen.”
“Thank you, Senior.”
“You achieved the status of being an integral part of nature with no knowledge of this. You must have experienced an adventure.”
“Exactly.”
“Now, you’ve achieved the status of being an integral part of nature for real.”
Jiang Chen nodded. This was the way to merge the status of being an integral part of nature into martial arts techniques.
Like rivers flow into oceans, all things return to oneness.
“Senior, the creation of nature and martial arts techniques is such a wonderful thing. You know who created it?” Jiang Chen was curious due to admiration.
“Hard to say. No matter who he was, we call him Martial Arts Saint.”
“Martial Arts Saint?!”
This was such a gorgeous name that no one in the Sacred Zone had dared use.
Names like Sword Saint or Sword Master were all right, since it was possible to determine their levels.
But Martial Arts contained too many things. With a Saint or a Master attached to it, it was like a provocation to the whole world.
He was surprised to know that there was a Martial Arts Saint 500 years later, and it was a name accepted by so many people.
This guy must be great.
“Since you got it, and you know how to play go, let’s play for a while, if it doesn’t bore you,” Nan Gong said.
“My pleasure!”
Jiang Chen knew Nan Gong was going to instruct him. Although he was happy to be called genius, he knew talent was different from experience.
He would greatly benefit from the instruction of Nan Gong.
They started to play.
On the other hand, Mifa had finished the day’s morning class and walked out of the classroom. She thought that short-term disciple should have learned a lesson and would change his attitude, but when she walked out of the door, Jiang Chen wasn’t there.
She was irritated when she realized what this could mean. She had always been a serious person. At that moment, her serious face darkened, which was terrifying.
…
….
Jiang Chen was brought to the dean’s office by the Department of Discipline after the game with Nan Gong.
As soon as he entered the room, Shui Yuechuan said, “You might think only the enhancement of state and martial arts techniques is practice, but in fact, after you achieve the Reaching Heaven State, there will be few fair fights. What you’ll frequently see is ruthless killing.
“There are many ways to kill, tactical formations, poisons, and so on. A sword genius could die of poison without getting the chance to draw his sword out.
“The things you can learn in the Heaven Grade and the Earth Grade of the Sacred Institute may not be able to help you achieve the peak, but at least you won’t be as ignorant as a newborn anymore.”
Yi Yuechuan thought Jiang Chen’s improper attitude came from his misunderstanding of the Sacred Institute’s courses.
Many short-term disciples had had difficulties in adapting to life in the Sacred Institute. They were eager to enhance their martial arts techniques and states.
“Dean, I know what you mean. Not just any group can train disciples like the Sacred Institute. However, the courses here aren’t very helpful to me at the moment.”
“The tactical formation knowledge taught today was very superficial to me,” Jiang Chen said.
Yi Yuechuan wasn’t very happy when she realized what he meant. She found him too arrogant.
“In the Earth Grade, besides tactical formations, we also teach pharmacology, medicines, poisons, spiritual weapons, the relation between Twelve Standard Meridians, and holy points.”
“If they are as superficial as what I learned today, they’ll be helpless to me too.”
“Do you mean your level is already above the level of the Earth Grade?”
“Or maybe even the Heaven Grade. Dean, the Sacred Institute can’t help me with these things,” Jiang Chen was neither too proud nor too humble, but everyone would think him arrogant.
Even the Sacred Institute couldn’t help him?
Shui Yuechuan laced her fingers and put her elbows on the table. She asked, “So what do you want?”
“The Time Palace,” Jiang Chen said.
