Xu Fu was filled with doubts, but Zhang Liusun refused to let up, pressing forward step by step, saying, “What’s the matter, Old Monster Xu? You’ve been thinking about it for half a day already—well then, dare you or don’t you? Just give a straight answer!”
Xu Fu lowered his head and pondered for a long time, yet still couldn’t figure out what tricks Zhang Liusun might have. Thinking again, he recalled that his copper automaton had originally been crafted by a master cultivator and then refined by himself over many years. Though he wouldn’t dare claim it was unmatched across the land, he believed it was rare indeed. Since things had come to this point, no matter how many tricks his opponent had, in the end it would all come down to true strength.
With this in mind, Xu Fu roared angrily, “Fine! Let’s fight! Just watch my copper automaton smash your clone into pieces!”
Zhang Liusun chuckled and said, “Now that sounds more like a man with some spirit. But first, we must clarify the rules of the contest.”
“What rules?” Xu Fu sneered. “Just send your clone forward. Whoever has the stronger fists proves who has the greater skill!”
Zhang Liusun shook his head repeatedly and said, “I thought you were showing some improvement by agreeing to fight, but I see you’re still as shameless as ever… Don’t glare at me like that. Comparing whose fists are stronger? Old Monster Xu, don’t take this the wrong way, but is the strength of that automaton’s fists really your own achievement?”
Xu Fu was momentarily taken aback. After a pause, he muttered, “Though the automaton wasn’t originally forged by me, it was refined by me over many years. After all, rare treasures are often obtained by those with fate on their side, and then transformed for one’s own use. Isn’t that considered one’s own skill?”
At first, Xu Fu’s voice was somewhat low, but as he continued, growing more confident in his reasoning, his voice grew louder.
Zhang Liusun replied, “Old Monster Xu, you don’t need to shout. Indeed, if we say the automaton was refined by you for your own use, that’s not incorrect. But your refinement merely fused it with your spiritual awareness, allowing you to control it with your mind. As for the automaton’s strength and the hardness of its fists, that has absolutely nothing to do with you. Isn’t that right?”
Xu Fu retorted sullenly, “Then how do you suggest we fight? Are you expecting my automaton to compete with you in embroidery?”
Zhang Liusun shook his head and said, “I didn’t say that. Old Monster Xu, since we’ve agreed to this wager, what we’re really testing is each other’s abilities. If we end up relying entirely on others’ creations to fight, then what’s the point? Besides, you’ve already seen that my clone was forged based on your Zi Cauldron. If it really ends up broken in a direct clash with your automaton, it would only prove that your Zi Cauldron is inferior to ancient copper automatons. Do you really think that would be interesting?”
Xu Fu was momentarily stunned by Zhang Liusun’s reasoning. Though something about it felt off, he couldn’t find the words to refute it. He shook his head angrily and shouted, “Fine! Then tell me how we should fight to truly test our abilities! If your suggestion makes sense, I won’t object!”
“Great!” Zhang Liusun exclaimed. “Now that’s more like the dignified wandering immortal you are! In that case, let me humbly propose something. Since your automaton was refined by you for your own use, and my clone was refined as my own extension, the true test of our abilities would be to see whose creation is more responsive and easier to command. Therefore, we should test them on these two aspects, and the superior one will be clear.”
“Responsiveness? Ease of command? You actually make some sense there,” Xu Fu replied with a sinister chuckle. “But your clone clearly contains your second soul essence. Isn’t that right? If that’s the case, how can you dare to compare its responsiveness with my automaton? That’s nothing but a joke! Hmph, Zhang kid, don’t think I’m going to fall for another one of your schemes!”
Zhang Liusun scoffed disdainfully and said, “You’re judging a noble man by your own petty standards! You know full well that your clumsy automaton is no match for my nimble clone in terms of intelligence. But still, I’ll explain my proposed method to you. If you still think it’s unfair, just say I’m bullying you, and I’ll change it immediately.”
Zhang Liusun’s words sounded magnanimous on the surface but were actually quite provoking. How could Xu Fu, a wandering immortal, possibly admit to being bullied? But since he wanted to hear how Zhang Liusun intended to conduct the contest, he chose not to argue and allowed Zhang to have this small verbal victory.
Zhang Liusun extended his sleeve with a wave of his hand, and suddenly a go board appeared before them.
“I suppose you, Old Monster Xu, are familiar with the art of Go,” Zhang Liusun said, looking at Xu Fu.
Xu Fu gave a proud smile and replied, “Go originates from the Dao, and has been passed down since ancient times. Whether you learned the mortal version or the cultivation version, I suppose there must be some common ground.”
Zhang Liusun nodded. Suddenly, his right hand began to move as though plucking a pipa or a jade tube, and in an instant, a pile of white go stones appeared before him, hovering together without any container.
“In that case, how about we conduct a match of cultivation-style Go, with your automaton and my clone each holding a side?” he proposed.
After witnessing Zhang Liusun’s display, Xu Fu’s expression grew somewhat serious. Thinking for a moment, he suddenly grabbed the air with his large hand, instantly condensing numerous black water spheres, and coldly snorted, “Proceed!”
Zhang Liusun chuckled and gestured. Mei Qing was pulled forward involuntarily. Glancing at Mei Qing, Zhang Liusun’s face briefly revealed a subtle smile before he turned back to Xu Fu and said, “Now that we’ve agreed to this wager, we should also set some stakes. Old Monster, do you dare to take the challenge?”
Xu Fu frowned and said, “What should we bet? I don’t have anything to wager with.”
Zhang Liusun laughed and said, “Don’t pretend to be poor, you old monster! You’ve got treasures like the copper automaton and the cauldron right beside you—each a rare treasure in the world.”
Seeing Xu Fu’s expression change, he chuckled again and continued, “Don’t worry, I won’t bet for those. If you lose and then refuse to hand them over, where would I go to argue about it? Since we’re wagering on the automaton and the clone, if you lose, you must give me your method of forging and refining it. If I lose, I’ll give you my method of refining the clone. How does that sound?”
Upon hearing this, Xu Fu was deeply intrigued.
Throughout their battle, Zhang Liusun’s refined techniques had repeatedly surprised him. How could Xu Fu not be tempted? Thinking further, he realized that he had been secluded here for over a thousand years, while the cultivation world outside had continued to evolve and innovate, advancing further and further. He had inevitably fallen behind.
Take Zhang Liusun’s clone, for example. Ever since its appearance, Xu Fu had repeatedly tried to investigate its secrets, both openly and secretly, yet he had never managed to uncover its true nature. As a wandering immortal who had himself refined a copper automaton, he naturally found this cultivation technique extremely fascinating.
Therefore, upon hearing that Zhang Liusun was offering this technique as a wager, Xu Fu thought for a moment and then nodded without hesitation.
Each swore an oath invoking Heaven and Earth as witnesses, reciting the names of their sects and invoking a gambling curse. This was the standard custom in the cultivation world for resolving disputes. Then, both stepped back, leaving the central area with the go board for Mei Qing and the copper automaton.
Mei Qing inwardly cursed his helplessness, but while secretly calculating how to escape, he already heard Zhang Liusun’s voice in his ear: “Don’t panic. Earlier, I seemed to have the advantage in words against this old monster, but the danger is real. Since we are in a perilous situation, there can be no room for error. I advise you not to act rashly for now. Though we’ve gained a slight edge at the moment, if you act out of anger and recklessly disrupt things, you might both end up falling into the old monster’s hands. We must prioritize the bigger picture and win this match first.”
Mei Qing nodded inwardly, afraid that Zhang Liusun might be watching him secretly. He merely feigned anger, while his body slowly moved forward. He extended one hand, slightly waving it, and instantly the cluster of white go stones flew into his hands.
Slowly stepping onto the board, Mei Qing lifted his head and locked eyes with Xu Fu. Suddenly, he smiled faintly.
A flicker of surprise appeared in Xu Fu’s eyes, but though he was not particularly cunning, he was after all an old hand in the cultivation world. He quickly regained his usual grim expression and summoned the copper automaton forward.
“You just place the stones. Leave the calculations of where to play to me,” Zhang Liusun said, not noticing Mei Qing’s subtle movements. Though Xu Fu appeared to be at a disadvantage, his scheming and cultivation were actually rare among cultivators. Thus, while Zhang Liusun seemed to be in control, he was in fact proceeding with extreme caution, like walking on thin ice. Each move required careful calculation before he dared to speak, leaving little room to observe Mei Qing.
Moreover, Zhang Liusun was confident that Mei Qing was now under his control. At this point, no matter how much Mei Qing struggled, he couldn’t pull off any tricks.
Standing on the board, Mei Qing finally realized that the immortal Go game was far grander than its mortal counterpart.
The immortal Go board was vastly different. Its grid, measuring 51 lines by 51 lines, formed a massive flat plane. And this board was slowly expanding. Standing within it, looking left and right, each intersection shimmered with floating lights, and faint pulses of spiritual energy stirred, forming a massive magical formation. No wonder Zhang Liusun had said that the calculations were his responsibility while the physical placing of the stones was left to him. In immortal Go, not only did one need to calculate the correct positions, but one also needed skill to actually place the stones accurately.
The formation beneath was a vast and complex algorithm. Each move required precise calculation and skillful execution.
No wonder Zhang Liusun had proposed this contest, and no wonder Xu Fu had agreed.
Both were calculating individuals, each believing the contest favored them. The only difference was that Mei Qing wasn’t actually a clone, but a fully living, independent person—a fact known to Zhang Liusun but hidden from Xu Fu.
In Xu Fu’s eyes, although Mei Qing possessed an independent soul, the art of Go required perfect mental synchronization. An independent soul would not only fail to provide much assistance, but might actually cause distractions at critical moments.
This was a simple matter: in the world of Go, two masters working together didn’t necessarily produce better results than a single player; in fact, disagreements and contradictions might arise.
Therefore, for Xu Fu, in a contest demanding unified command, controlling a mindless copper automaton was actually easier and more efficient than commanding a clone with its own thoughts.
The problem was that Mei Qing wasn’t a clone with a second soul essence—he was a completely independent person. As long as Zhang Liusun told him where to place the stones, he was fully capable of doing it himself. Zhang Liusun and Mei Qing were essentially working as a team against Xu Fu alone. This was a clear advantage.
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