The Path of Immortality: Starts With Creating Water Bear Gu

Chapter 305: Chess Gu

The God of Gambling naturally noticed the glances from the crowd, and sneered internally—did they truly think he was a fool? Knowing full well that this type of gamble would lead him to lose, why would he bet again?

The creatures capable of threatening this type of Gu, like the Dark Night Mantis and Boundary-Breaking Gu, had nearly all died from consuming prohibited drugs. If this kid didn't change the rules and kept using this betting method to leech him, then all the treasures he possessed would eventually be drained dry.

Thus, this gambling method had to be banned—he had no choice but to prohibit it.

"Alright, all Gu capable of carrying formations are now banned. No one is allowed to use them to bet against me anymore!"

He then looked directly at Long Xuan, speaking in a firm tone, "You! Across countless millennia, you’re only the second person to ever beat me. You'll have plenty of stories to tell when you leave here."

"But I have no Insect Armor, which makes this method of gambling unfair to me, so I must forbid it. If you wish to gamble with me further, we’ll have to change the rules."

Hearing this, Long Xuan was taken aback—was the God of Gambling really prohibiting the game? Was he unable to handle losing?

Long Xuan had intended to keep using the same rules to bet against the God of Gambling and win a few more rounds. However, the God of Gambling was not giving him any opportunity.

Others in the crowd also showed expressions of disappointment, secretly cursing the God of Gambling for not being able to handle a loss.

"This round, you won; I'll give you the Repair Insect. Now, do you wish to continue gambling with me?"With a wave of his hand, the God of Gambling summoned the Repair Insect, which floated toward Long Xuan, enclosed in a bubble.

At that moment, everyone looked at the Repair Insect with eyes full of greed, wanting to seize it on the spot.

While the Repair Insect might be dispensable to the God of Gambling, to an ordinary Gu cultivator, the world's only Repair Insect was by no means negligible.

The power of the Repair Insect was incredible. Just by dividing a Breakthrough Pill into a hundred portions, the Repair Gu could regenerate one hundred complete Breakthrough Pills. Such a miraculous power—could it truly be called dispensable? Even if the Repair Insect only repaired Breakthrough Pills, it was enough to transform any force into a first-rate power in a short period.

No exaggeration, this treasure was enough to incite any Gu King’s greed, attracting countless Gu Kings in a frenzy of competition.

Any one of the world’s top ten heavenly spirit insects could cause a worldwide scramble among the strongest.

Otherwise, how could such spirit insects truly be called "heaven-defying"?

Long Xuan also noticed the greed in the crowd's eyes, feeling a twinge of concern.

But he remembered that everyone would lose their memories of the inner city after leaving, so he paid their gazes no mind.

Ignoring those looks, Long Xuan took the Repair Insect with great care, quickly placing it in his Gu bag without stopping to admire it.

"Of course, I want to gamble. This time, I want to bet on your Mandrake Grass, and I'll use Living Wood as my wager. Will you accept?"

Long Xuan conveyed his message through soul transmission, directing his gaze toward a peculiar-looking herb floating in midair.

He didn’t choose the most valuable item—just what he needed most.

This herb was of a heavenly grade; though it wasn’t the most precious of the 300 treasures in the sky, it was the most useful to him.

Mandrake Grass was rich in life energy. When refined into an elixir, it would likely enhance or replenish life energy.

After opening the fifth gate of the Life and Death Door—the Star Gate—he would lose a significant amount of life energy, which was difficult to restore.

This herb might help alleviate the side effects of opening the fifth gate, making Mandrake Grass essential for him.

The God of Gambling nodded and said, "Alright, so how will we bet this time?"

“You can’t use the previous method. I suggest you come up with a new game if you want a chance to beat me again.”

The God of Gambling smirked inwardly. Devising a method to beat him was already a miracle—could there possibly be another?

If Long Xuan dared to bet with him again, he would undoubtedly lose, and the God of Gambling would make sure that he returned every last thing he had won.

"I've already thought it through. Don’t worry; this game will be absolutely fair." Long Xuan grinned mischievously.

Using the same strategy as before, he knew the God of Gambling had lived for countless thousands of years and was adept at every known game. No one could defeat him in something familiar.

To beat him, one had to go beyond the known; only the unknown could outsmart him.

And Long Xuan had plenty of unknowns from his previous life.

Walking over to the table, Long Xuan placed a chess set on it and said with a smile, "This time, I’ll challenge you to a game of chess."

[TL:- This is the real chess unlike previous one which was more in the broader sense a board game of Go]

"I’ve already written the rules on the box, and I’m imposing additional restrictions: you cannot use any powers or interfere with me in any way, and each move must be made within ten breaths."

With previous lessons learned, he was not about to omit a time limit.

Long Xuan chuckled inwardly; the game he had presented was chess from his past life, something this world had never seen.

Back then, he was a master-level chess player; he couldn’t imagine the God of Gambling, a beginner, could beat him.

Honestly, playing chess against someone who didn’t even know the rules felt almost unfair.

The God of Gambling’s intelligence-enhancing Gu could grant him phenomenal intellect, but in chess, experience mattered far more than intelligence.

Even with an IQ of 800, a novice wouldn’t stand a chance against a seasoned player.

Victory was all but guaranteed.

The God of Gambling quickly reviewed the chess rules, a serious expression crossing his face.

This was a game he had never encountered before, and its gameplay was innovative, piquing his interest.

But what truly concerned him was that the chess rules were remarkably perfect, demanding significant strategic thinking from its players. In chess, he saw traces of the Dao.

The concept of Dao was profound and elusive, and not all games contained it.

The birth of Go and the Chess Gu occurred precisely because Go embodied the Dao; the Chess Gu was born of it.

Now, he saw faint traces of Dao in chess as well. This suggested that the appearance of chess might lead to the emergence of a new type of Chess Gu.

This revelation left him utterly astonished.

If chess could truly bring about a new type of Gu, it would surely become popular worldwide, becoming a game second only to Go.

The person who invented this chess would become the founding patriarch of a new Gu style, forever etched in history and revered by future generations.

How could he remain unmoved?

"Did you create this?" the God of Gambling asked Long Xuan in astonishment.

"That's right, I created it!" Long Xuan shamelessly replied.

At this moment, he didn’t yet realize the immense impact chess would have on this world; otherwise, he would have humbly denied it. Little did he know that a simple game could one day stir up so much chaos.

The God of Gambling couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath, his gaze at Long Xuan now tinged with something different.

This young man would become the progenitor of a new Gu insect lineage—a noteworthy figure in the future. How could he not take a second look?

"Interesting! Interesting! Every time the Sky Island ruins opens, I always ask those who enter to create a set of game rules and gamble with me."

"But no one has ever invented an entire game for that purpose."

"You’re the first to create an original game to challenge me."

"Your game is quite intriguing. I believe one day it will spread across the world and be passed down for generations."

"I've played countless games of Go over millennia; I’m sick of it. Today, I'll play this chess with you!"

The God of Gambling’s interest was fully piqued as he sat down eagerly.

However, Long Xuan took immediate advantage by launching a direct attack.

As experts know, in chess, going first offers a major advantage—an advantage he couldn’t afford to pass up.

When others learned that Long Xuan had invented a new game just to win against the God of Gambling, they all gathered around with curiosity.

They wanted to see what kind of game could excite the God of Gambling so much.

Upon seeing it, many couldn’t help but find it fascinating.

This game, where victory was achieved by killing the opponent's general, was indeed an interesting twist. In this world, it was certainly an innovation.

Many felt an urge to play as well.

Amateurs watched the excitement, while experts saw the depth.

To those skilled in the art of games, this chess was extraordinary.

At that moment, the group of Go masters from the Qi Clan exchanged solemn glances after understanding the rules of chess.

They shared the same view as the God of Gambling. They immediately sensed the profound nature of this gameplay, as if it held traces of "Dao."

And games that embody Dao are capable of refining Chess Gu.

This realization made the Qi Clan's Gu cultivators' eyes shine with excitement.

If this world truly produced a new game capable of refining Chess Gu...

Then the biggest beneficiaries would undoubtedly be those with the highest skill level—namely, the Qi Clan.

If a new Chess Gu emerged, it would be a great boost for the Qi Clan, possibly even enabling them to soar to new heights.

Unable to resist, the Qi Clan's Gu cultivators swiftly withdrew from the crowd, produced a chessboard, and excitedly started playing, studying the game’s tactics.

Unlike Go, a game of chess is quickly completed.

What’s more, Long Xuan feared that the God of Gambling might cheat again, so he imposed a time limit, making it a fast game.

As a novice, the God of Gambling had only just learned the rules; how could he adapt to such a fast pace?

In no time, his pieces were wiped out by Long Xuan, leaving him with only a lone general moving back and forth.

Long Xuan was elated. He shouted, "Checkmate!"

With a decisive move, he finished off the God of Gambling general.

The God of Gambling’s face turned dark.

"My apologies, but thank you for the match!"

Long Xuan cupped his hands with a loud laugh.

The onlookers were all stunned—he had beaten the God of Gambling again, winning two matches in a row.

Amazing! The God of Gambling, who had only lost three times in countless millennia, had now lost twice to him. This would be something to boast about once he returned.

The God of Gambling narrowed his eyes, silently cursing his carelessness.

He had assumed that chess was something Long Xuan had hastily invented to win against him.

He considered himself a genius, assuming that he could rely on his intellect to dominate if both started on an equal footing.

But now, it was clear that Long Xuan was a seasoned chess player, with years of experience under his belt and extensive knowledge of countless games.

Without familiarity with the rules, how could he expect to win?

Against such rich experience, his pride in his intelligence was useless.

With a dark expression, the God of Gambling gestured to the sky. A bubble-wrapped mandrake herb flew swiftly toward Long Xuan.

Overjoyed, Long Xuan eagerly received the herb with both hands.

Without taking much time to admire it, he quickly tossed it into his storage ring.

"Set up another game! Another game!"

As he excitedly arranged the pieces on the table, his eyes darted greedily among the three hundred treasures in the sky.

He pondered which one he should aim for next.

But then, the God of Gambling slammed the table in anger and roared, "Who said I’m playing another game with you?!"

"Did I agree to a rematch?"

"I’m banning this game. I won’t play chess with you anymore; you'll have to use a different game if you want to gamble."

The God of Gambling had reached his limit. This kid actually intended to exploit him endlessly with this game! Did he think the God of Gambling was a fool? If they continued like this, he would end up losing all the treasures in the sky.

So this game had to be banned—no other option.

Even if he played a hundred games, he’d never beat a veteran like Long Xuan, who had honed his skills for years.

Long Xuan was stunned. Had he really banned the game because he couldn’t stand losing?