Everlasting Immortal Firmament

Book 5: Chapter 61: Five Hundred Recommendation Talismans

“Thank you for going easy!” Gu Hai said with a faint smile as he looked at Dan Wang.

“Huh?” Dan Wang raised his eyebrows and immediately lowered his head to look.

The Thirty Line-Pair World Go Puzzle? Dan Wang’s play seemed quite skilled at first. However, Gu Hai quickly grasped it. Dan Wang’s Thirty Line-Pair World Go Puzzle was overly stiff.

It was practically just following predetermined moves, not flexible in the least. He was far weaker than Mo Yike.

Guan Qi’s inheritors? Perhaps he obtained Old Mister Guan Qi’s inheritance, but he could not bring out variations while playing. The Go board before him only proved it. He simply did not have the Go skills; the game he played had only the form without its conception.

It was not just Gu Hai who figured this out. Ninth Young Master and Wu Yazi also could tell. The two just smiled faintly and no longer cared.

After Gu Hai declared his victory, Dan Wang even lowered his head to look with disbelief on his face.

“Hah! It looks like you are not one of Guan Qi’s nine inheritors,” Gu Hai said while shaking his head.

“Huh? I lost? Gu Hai, this game is not over yet,” Dan Wang said with a frown.

The game is not over yet. How have I lost?

The Azure Emperor raised his eyebrows and said indifferently, “Dan Wang, you have already lost.”

The Azure Emperor sent his voice directly to Dan Wang’s ears. The surroundings were very noisy, so no one noticed the Azure Emperor’s mouth moving.

However, Dan Wang’s expression changed.

Since the imperial lord said I have lost, that has to be correct. However, I clearly hold the advantage in this game. I should be winning.

“I don’t believe it. Gu Hai, continue. I don’t believe that I have already lost!” Dan Wang said.

Clack! Dan Wang played a move, looking at Gu Hai with hatred and fury.

This is such a good chance. Aside from the Qian Nation’s painting Dao cultivators, all the Dao cultivators are targeting Gu Hai. Even with such interference, the sages will recommend me if I win.

How could I have lost? How could I?

Dan Wang wanted to continue, refusing to admit defeat.

Gu Hai smiled faintly and played along, making his move.

Clack!

Gu Hai captured many white Go stones in the blink of an eye. This considerably changed the situation on the Go board. Dan Wang suddenly tumbled backward.

“You…you…” Dan Wang glared at Gu Hai.

“It looks like you relied on this Thirty Line-Pair World Go Puzzle for the past ten or so matches to win. It is about time you lost. Fortunately, your Go skills are insufficient, and you do not understand the Thirty Line-Pair World Go Puzzle. Otherwise, you wouldn’t just be on your butt, glaring at me.” Gu Hai shook his head.

“Gu Hai has won!” Ninth Young Master declared.

“Humph!” the Go Dao sages in the sky snorted coldly.

“Mister Gu won again!” many Qian Nation citizens in the surroundings said in pleasant surprise.

As Gu Hai stood up, the painting Dao cultivators started insulting the sages even more ferociously, enraging all the sages further.

“Mister Gu, what do you think? How is my painting?” Longevity walked over excitedly.

Illuminated by Longevity’s painting, Gu Hai’s body bloomed with dazzling, golden light.

Gu Hai felt speechless as he took in the painting of him sitting on the throne during the morning assembly.

“This is the morning assembly you drew?” Gu Hai said in wonder.

“Indeed. Look, to make you appear more incredible, I even painted in children for the sages!” Longevity pointed excitedly at the pregnant sages. In the painting, the pregnant sages were already carrying children.

Gu Hai: “…”

What do you mean by “to make me appear more incredible, you even painted in children for the sages”? What does their pregnancy have to do with me? I did not make them pregnant.

Gu Hai felt conflicted.

Then, he raised his head to look at the sages, speechless. These sages probably hated him to death by now.

“Painting Dao sages, are you ready to make your recommendations?” Venerable Liu Nian suddenly said towards the sky.

“Humph!” the painting Dao sages snorted coldly.

“Painting Dao sages, including Gu Hai, there is currently a total of thirteen thousand four hundred fifty painting Dao participants. All the painting Dao participants have already exhibited their paintings. Will the judges please make your evaluations and give your recommendations!” Venerable Liu Nian continued.

“Recommendations? You have angered this old man, and you want this old man to recommend you? Dream on!”

“Recommend Gu Hai? Humph! Even if I die, I will not recommend him! As for recommending these people? They called us wild beasts and spoiled our reputation. You can forget about it. Forget about getting my recommendation!”

“Don’t even think about my recommendation. I will not recommend a single one of this group. No one at all!”

The painting Dao sages glared and howled endlessly.

You want our recommendations? Forget about it!

“As the host, I now ask for the painting Dao sages’ answer. Painting Dao sages, are you sure you are not recommending anyone? Are you sure about that?” Venerable Liu Nian shouted.

“No recommendations. We all do not make any recommendations!” the painting Dao sages immediately shouted back.

The painting Dao sages were currently furious. How could they make recommendations? However, this made the surrounding observers’ expressions change.

“Oh no! The sages got tricked!” Emperor Kong’s expression changed.

“No recommendations? Is this the Qian Heavenly Dynasty’s trick?” The Azure Emperor’s face sank.

“Humph! An excellent plot by the Qian Nation!” The Grand Mohist’s face sank.

“Amitābha! The sages made a mistake,” the Future Budhha sighed softly.

“Haha! No recommendations? They let anger overwhelm them!” the Supreme Genesis said coldly.

The Qian Nation officials around the Qian Heavenly Emperor immediately felt excited.

“Excellent!” Long Shenwu’s eyes lit up.

“Hahahaha! How funny! How funny! No recommendations?!” Lifespan Beiming immediately guffawed.

Even the Qian Heavenly Emperor softly released a bated breath.

“Oh no! You all said the wrong thing!” a sage suddenly called out.

“Huh?” The painting Dao sages felt slightly startled before their expressions changed.

Before they could say anything, Venerable Liu Nian held his palms together, then shouted towards the sky while pointing at Gu Hai, “Reporting to heaven, according to the Ten Thousand Sages Convention’s rules, the sages will make evaluations and give their recommendations in their various fields. Each sage has one recommendation talisman. Ten thousand sages mean ten thousand recommendation talismans. The victor of the Ten Thousand Sages Convention is determined by the number of recommendation talismans. Today, the painting Dao sages of the first round gave up their right to make recommendations. According to the Ten Thousand Sages Convention’s rules, when the sages give up their right to recommendations, the host has the right to assign the recommendation talismans. Today, the painting Dao host, Liu Nian, represents heaven in giving out the recommendation talismans, handing them all to participant Gu Hai. Gu Hai receives five hundred painting Dao sages’ recommendation talismans. Will heaven show your approval?!”

Boom!

Suddenly, Venerable Liu Nian released a white light that shot into the sky, entering the noble spirit sea.

The noble spirit sea trembled. Clearly, after Venerable Liu Nian was inspected in the Cultural Dao Sage Palace, he had gained some sort of connection to the Cultural Dao Sage Palace.

Since the sages did not make any recommendations, the recommendations were at the host’s disposal.

Five hundred white talismans immediately appeared in the noble spirit sea. These were the recommendation talismans. They took the shape of a “culture” character with many patterns around it.

The five hundred recommendation talismans instantly shot down, appearing like pillars of white light. Then, they rushed to Gu Hai from Venerable Liu Nian’s hand.

Buzz!

The light encased Gu Hai, making his body shine bright. The pillar of light did not vanish, remaining like lamps illuminating Gu Hai.

Gu Hai obtained five hundred recommendation talismans.

Five hundred recommendation talismans? That was equal to the five hundred painting Dao sages recommending Gu Hai.

“What?”

“Recommend him?”

“You bastard, Liu Nian! We do not recommend Gu Hai!”

“How audacious!”

Three hundred-odd painting Dao sages nearly fainted out of rage. After all their efforts, their recommendations ended up with Gu Hai. You are cheating! Cheating!

Some of the pregnant sages started to wake up. Then, they lowered their heads and saw that their recommendation talismans had strangely ended up with Gu Hai.

They went to that Gu Hai who got us pregnant?

“No!” After cries of despair and hatred, they fainted again.

The person that they did not want to recommend the most ended up with their recommendation talismans.

The painting Dao sages’ minds crumbled. The other sages also showed hatred on their faces.

“How dare you cheat?!” the Medical Music Sage roared furiously.

“We followed the rules of the Ten Thousand Sages Convention. Sages, how have I cheated?” Venerable Liu Nian retorted indifferently.

Indeed, as the host, Venerable Liu Nian had asked them to confirm, and they either did not reply or said they were not recommending anyone. This was just making use of a loophole, not considered cheating.

However, this thoroughly infuriated the sages.

On the other hand, the Qian Nation citizens cheered.

“Mister Gu is so incredible!”

“Hahahaha! To think that it turned out like this!”

“Mister Gu obtained all five hundred recommendation talismans of the painting Dao sages!”

Cheers came from the surroundings.

The Future Buddha showed a faint, bitter smile.

The Grand Mohist showed a sullen expression. The Supreme Genesis showed disdain on his face.

The Qian Nation officials cheered.

The Qian Heavenly Emperor sat calmly on his throne.

“Your Holy Eminence, it looks like Long Wanyu’s divination is correct. He got all the painting Dao’s recommendation talismans, even more than what Old Mister Guan Qi got previously,” Lifespan Beiming said with a smile.

However, Gu Hai showed a faint, bitter smile.

Why does it feel like the world resents me for gaining the recommendation talismans like that? Fortunately, the Qian Nation citizens stand on my side.

“Longevity got lucky?” Bing Ji smiled.

“Indeed. Had he not angered all the sages, the sages would not have let their anger get to their heads. It is all thanks to Longevity,” Mu Chenfeng marveled.

“It is all thanks to Longevity. Unfortunately, the following situation does not look good. There are ten thousand recommendation talismans. His Majesty only obtained five hundred so far. What about the remaining sages? Would they give up their recommendation rights like this?” Mo Yike said with a bitter smile.

Indeed, the angered painting Dao sages immediately asked the other sages for help.

“Music Sage Zhang, please don’t give your recommendation to that vile Gu Hai!”

“Go Sage Chen, please don’t let that vile Gu Hai get away with this! Make up for my loss!”

The painting Dao sages pleaded anxiously with the other sages.

Now, all the sages in the sky showed unhappy expressions as they looked at Gu Hai.

“Mister Gu, how was it? We won, right?!” Longevity reported happily to Gu Hai.

“Indeed. Many thanks, Mister Longevity,” Gu Hai said with a faint, bitter smile.

What could Gu Hai say at the moment? He had lost control of the situation already. Longevity got lucky this time.

“Alright! Final Go Dao match. Gu Hai and Wu Yazi, please take your seats!” Ninth Young Master said.