Chapter 939: The Deduction Jade Malfunction
Chapter 939: The Deduction Jade Malfunction
"What kind of talk is that, senior? Is there something wrong with me?"
"Across the entire Xuanhuang Realm, who else would be willing to play a thousand games of chess with you? I doubt there's another soul."
The Sacred Embryo smiled, placing a stone on the board as he posed the question.
For his first move, he placed his stone directly on the Tianyuan—the center point of the board.
The disheveled old man's expression shifted. He glanced at the Sacred Embryo, his demeanor turning intensely serious.
"You boy," he began, "you're clearly only at the Nascent Soul stage, yet your deductive prowess is frighteningly strong. And you don't even try to hide it, just plopping yourself right down next to me."
"You clearly came prepared!"
"At first, I was quite pleased. After all these years, I thought I'd finally found someone to scratch my itch for a real game. It wasn't until we were halfway through that I realized I had walked right into your trap!"
The Sacred Embryo merely smiled, offering no reply.
The disheveled old man was known as Daoist Qianxun, a veteran Dao Integration cultivator whose realm had fallen due to a past injury.
It was unknown what great deeds he had once performed for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, but he somehow possessed an Audience Jade Token.
Of course, at this point in time, very few in the world were aware of this fact.
To most, Daoist Qianxun was just an ordinary, slightly crazed cultivator.
It would only be over a decade later that a mortal named Xiao Shengke would chance upon Daoist Qianxun.
After joining him in a life of begging for a thousand days, he would be gifted the Audience Jade Token.
With a mortal's body, he gained an audience with the Deduction Jade.
He obtained a Dao Integration cultivation method, and from that day forward, his path to immortality was set.
This story would often be told with great relish by later generations.
The Sacred Embryo had sought out Daoist Qianxun for that very same Audience Jade Token, one that granted access for a Dao Integration technique.
However, a thousand days of begging was far too long. So, he deliberately used words to provoke the man into playing chess with him instead.
Daoist Qianxun—his name was intrinsically linked to his cultivation method.
Everything he did had to be completed in a set of a thousand, and always with a companion.
His game of chess with the Sacred Embryo was, in fact, a form of cultivation.
The only restriction was that he could not voluntarily explain the reason behind his actions to anyone. Furthermore, upon completing a cycle of this "Thousand-Seek" cultivation, his appearance and aura would transform, making him seem like an entirely different person.
Therefore, everything depended on fate.
But Li Fan's Sacred Embryo knew all of this in advance.
When the final stone was placed, Li Fan's Sacred Embryo lost by a single move, conceding the game to Daoist Qianxun.
"You damn brat. At least you finally had the sense to let me win one."
Daoist Qianxun cursed, but even in victory, he couldn't muster any joy.
He flipped the board over again, but this time, the black and white stones simply vanished into thin air.
A surging aura emanated from the old man's body.
"Congratulations, senior. You are not far from returning to the Dao Integration realm!" the Sacred Embryo said with a smile.
"What do you want?" Daoist Qianxun asked directly, wasting no words.
"The Audience Jade Token."
"Get lost!" Daoist Qianxun snapped, tossing the jade token to him.
Before Li Fan could even respond, the old man's figure disappeared.
The Sacred Embryo tucked the token away, unbothered. Anyone who had lost nine hundred and ninety-nine consecutive games, each one a "narrow defeat" by what seemed to be a single move, was bound to be in a foul mood.
The fact that he hadn't lashed out was a testament to Daoist Qianxun's self-control.
"With the Dao Transformation Stone aiding my deductions, there are truly few in this world who can best me in the art of chess."
The Sacred Embryo shook his head slightly and found a remote, deserted spot.
He activated the Audience Jade Token without delay.
Prior to this, he had already established a proper identity for himself within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Thus, the entire process went smoothly, without any unexpected complications.
Just as before, a cultivator arrived to guide him, and a doorway materialized out of thin air.
However, after a wave of dizziness, he once again found himself at the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters...
"Hmm?"
He looked around, but this wasn't the Alliance headquarters he remembered.
Several figures stood within a blurry orb of light.
Fragmented snippets of conversation drifted from within.
"How certain are you of success on this journey?"
"I can only do my best and leave the rest to fate."
"That doesn't sound like you."
"The disparity in strength is too vast. Risking my life is the only option."
"So be it. Go, then. I cannot say whether this will bring fortune or disaster."
...
The voice of one of the figures sounded vaguely familiar to Li Fan's Sacred Embryo.
Yet it didn't perfectly match anyone he could recall.
He knew this was a hallucination, an effect of the Dharma Transmitter's influence that occurred upon first entering the Alliance headquarters.
But for some reason, what he was seeing this time was different from the visions his true self and other avatars had experienced.
"Was one of those figures the Dharma Transmitter?"
"And what does this mean?"
Before Li Fan had a chance to ponder it further, the world seemed to shake, and the vision shattered into countless fragments.
He left the illusion and found himself standing inside the Alliance headquarters.
The guiding cultivator, accustomed to such occurrences, offered a brief explanation before leading Li Fan onward toward the Deduction Jade's location.
It was a familiar path, exactly the same as in his previous lives.
It wasn't until he stepped inside the Law Enforcement Hall headquarters that an announcement echoed in his ears, leaving him utterly stunned.
"Deduction Jade applicant: Fan Li."
"Number: 005. Authority Level: Dao Integration."
"Please wait patiently. Estimated remaining wait time: three thousand, six hundred and twenty-three days, and twelve hours."
At first, Li Fan's Sacred Embryo thought he had misheard. After the announcement repeated, he shot to his feet in alarm.
"Why is the wait so long?"
Alarmed and suspicious, he put on a matching expression and couldn't help but call out into the empty space.
"If you are unwilling to wait, you may leave."
"Warning: Leaving means forfeiting your right to use the Audience Jade Token."
After a long pause, a voice finally responded from the void.
"My number is 005, yet I have to wait nearly ten years? How does that make any sense?"
"Do you take me for a fool who's never used the Deduction Jade before? How long could it possibly take to deduce a single technique? Someone must be abusing their position and using it for personal matters!"
Far from being intimidated, Li Fan's Sacred Embryo began to raise a ruckus.
He acted as if he was determined to get an explanation, no matter what.
Seemingly unable to tolerate his clamor, the voice spoke again after a moment, its tone icy.
"Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Deduction Jade's deductive capabilities have been severely compromised."
"Therefore, the waiting time has been significantly extended."
"We ask for your understanding and cooperation."
"Warning: This matter is a top secret of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. You must not, under any circumstances, disclose it to outsiders."
The voice warned.
The Sacred Embryo's expression flickered, but he didn't back down in the slightest.
Instead, he shouted dramatically, "What? The Deduction Jade, the very foundation of the Alliance, a Heavenly Wonder, has malfunctioned?"
"What in the world is your Law Enforcement Hall doing!"
"Something this serious happens, and not only are you not thinking of a solution, you're trying to cover it up?!"
"There must be a traitor among you!"
"This is unacceptable! I will make this matter public!"
...
As the Sacred Embryo continued to shout, a figure slowly materialized before him.
Its face was devoid of expression, its gaze fixed on the Sacred Embryo as if looking at a dead man.
Li Fan, however, instantly became serious. "Why don't you let me take a look? I might have a solution."
Hearing this, the figure froze on the spot, utterly stunned.
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