Chapter 1061: Chapter 1060: Playing Go on Wansong Mountain
"Old Pine Tree, look at this pine tree, isn’t it beautiful? If you like it, I can transplant it to Wansong Mountain. Perhaps in a few hundred years, it could become a spirit and keep you company." Si Lingxi said, holding a photo of the Welcoming Pine from Huang Mountain, to Wansong Daoist.
Wansong Daoist took the photo, smiled lightly, and asked, "How old is this pine?"
"Over thirteen hundred years."
"It’s still a young girl." Wansong Daoist shook his head and laughed, "Graceful and elegant, with a charming poise."
Si Lingxi raised an eyebrow.
Wansong Daoist glanced at Si Lingxi and Lu Zheng, who were holding hands, and shook his head with a smile, "The young girl is living well at home, don’t transplant it."
Si Lingxi raised her eyebrows with a smile, nodded, picked up a black jade chess piece, and gently placed it down.
...
After returning from the Lighthouse Country, Lu Zheng and his group traveled back in time, flying to the Southern Border Wansong Mountain with Si Lingxi and Liu Qingyan.
At this time, Si Lingxi was playing chess with Wansong Daoist, while Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan watched from the side.
The two were not very formal, so as they played and chatted, Si Lingxi recalled the photo taken during their trip to Huang Mountain and took out the picture of the Welcoming Pine to show Wansong Daoist.
"By the way." Lu Zheng suddenly remembered something, "A few days ago, I encountered Elder Song, and he mentioned wanting to come to Wansong Mountain to go into seclusion for cultivation..."
"In the cave halfway up the mountain," Wansong Daoist pointed towards the foot of the mountain, looked at Lu Zheng, and smiled lightly, "I remember now, Old Song said he owed you a huge favor and told me to be sure to call him when you arrive."
"Let Elder Song continue..."
"Swish!"
With a light sound, Song Kaichuan emerged from the ground not far away, as if surfacing from the water.
"Lu Xiaoyou is here!" Song Kaichuan chuckled and, with a whoosh, appeared beside the group, "Miss Liu is here too, why didn’t Miss Shen come?"
"Sister Shen had a premonition and is in seclusion at home," Liu Qingyan said with a slight bow.
Song Kaichuan nodded, turned around, saw Si Lingxi, and couldn’t help but narrow his eyes, "Sect Leader Si is also here?"
"I came with Lu Lang," Si Lingxi said calmly.
"Lu Lang?" Song Kaichuan’s pupils shrank, then he noticed the seats of Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan were right beside Si Lingxi’s.
"Hiss—"
Si Lingxi narrowed her eyes, "What’s with the gasp, do you have any comments?"
"Cough cough... no, no, no!" Song Kaichuan halted his gasp halfway, nearly choking, and after coughing a few times, he waved his hand repeatedly, "The Palace Master’s charm is peerless, and Lu Xiaoyou and she truly are a match made in heaven!"
Lu Zheng was momentarily speechless, feeling that Song Kaichuan’s recent remarks didn’t align with his usual persona.
Wansong Daoist placed a piece on the board, glanced at Song Kaichuan, his eyes brightened, "It seems you have gained quite a bit recently from cultivating the ’Taiyue Divine Mountain Painting.’ "
"Indeed!"
Even though Song Kaichuan, like Wansong Daoist, was calm and composed by nature, he couldn’t hide his joy, "This Divine Mountain Painting, worthy of being a legacy cultivation technique from the Upper Realm’s Ten Thousand Mountains Sect Leader, is profound and unfathomable. After just a month of cultivation, I feel my cultivation has subtly loosened."
Wansong Daoist nodded, aware of Song Kaichuan’s circumstances; he had average talent and limited potential, with only significant accumulation. But being able to unleash this accumulation proved the extraordinary nature of the ’Taiyue Divine Mountain Painting.’
With this as his backing, and with the Earth Travel Technique at his disposal, while ascension might be out of reach, few in this world could threaten him anymore.
"Congratulations." Wansong Daoist smiled lightly.
"Congratulations." Si Lingxi nodded in acknowledgment.
"Congratulations." Lu Zheng cupped his hands and smiled.
"Congratulations." Liu Qingyan bowed slightly and laughed softly.
"Thank you." Song Kaichuan stroked his beard and smiled, returning the salutation. Then he waved his hand, and a burlap sack appeared in his hand. He said to Lu Zheng, "These are a few herbs I collected on my way from the Northern Domain; take them for use."
"How could I refuse?" Lu Zheng said while reaching out to accept the bag.
The group laughed together.
Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan were not lacking in spirit grass and medicine, not to mention that Phoenix Mountain, managed by Si Lingxi, served as their warehouse, and Liu Qingyan received plenty of spirit medicine from the old lady during her returns to Tushan.
Spirit pills and miracle elixirs were items that sufficed when they met the need; having excess would be wasteful, as each had their own resources. Besides, Liu Qingyan and Lin Wan occasionally used them, Lu Zheng and Shen Ying didn’t need them that much, let alone Si Lingxi.
But considering Song Kaichuan’s thoughtfulness, Lu Zheng naturally accepted the gift, making everyone happy.
Indeed, after Lu Zheng accepted the bag filled with Spirit Qi, Song Kaichuan seemed even more delighted, rubbing his hands together with interest, "The old pine now has a rival; shall we have a game?"
"Sure!" Lu Zheng replied with a smile.
As soon as Song Kaichuan heard this, he raised his eyebrows, and without moving, a table of earth and stone with two round stools appeared before him, on which a chessboard with lines materialized, with two stone jars on either side, filled with black and white chess pieces.
It was indeed Song Kaichuan manipulating his earth system cultivation technique, preparing everything within two breaths, comparable to top-notch 3D printing, and the black and white chess pieces were condensed from the essence of Wansong Mountain’s earth and stone.
The white pieces were jade, adorned with cloud patterns internally, with Spirit Qi swirling.
The black pieces were stone, with golden star-like dots, enveloped in mystical mist.
"Please!" Song Kaichuan extended his hand in invitation.
"Please!" Lu Zheng returned the gesture with a bow, then rose to switch places and sat on one of the stools.
"Don’t go easy on me." Song Kaichuan mentioned.
Lu Zheng nodded with a smile, "Certainly."
Si Lingxi couldn’t help but glance sideways at Song Kaichuan. She knew Song Kaichuan and had played chess with him, being familiar with his skill level. Additionally, based on what Lu Zheng said, Song Kaichuan was also well-matched.
Lu Zheng > Wansong Daoist > Si Lingxi > Song Kaichuan.
So, was it because his Dao Practice had improved, leading him to act arrogant?
Thus, before the game between Wansong Daoist and Si Lingxi had reached a conclusion, Song Kaichuan was already scratching his head, holding a chess piece.
On the other side, Liu Qingyan was not idle; besides preparing tea and water for the four, as the sky darkened, she took some vegetables and fruits from her bracelet, washed them clean, cooked a pot of seafood porridge, and prepared four small dishes, completing the dinner preparation.
Moments later, Song Kaichuan conceded defeat, while Si Lingxi also shook her head and put down her chess piece.
"Come and eat." Liu Qingyan suggested with a smile.
Then the five gathered around the cauldron, enjoying dishes and drinks, casually chatting from the trivial matters surrounding Wansong Mountain to Song Kaichuan’s discoveries on his travels across the world, and then about the recent activities around Phoenix Mountain.
"It’s said that people from Phoenix Mountain were searching for traces of demons." Wansong Daoist inquired, "Have you crossed paths with the Heartless True Desire Demon Ancestor?"
Si Lingxi nodded, about to speak, when Song Kaichuan interjected, "Oh? The Sect Leader is seeking the Heartless True Desire Demon Ancestor? I haven’t encountered his demon minions, but on my recent return from the Central Plains, I sensed demonic Qi beneath a spot in Pingdong Dao; I don’t know if it’s from the Heartless True Desire Demon Ancestor."
