Maiden Galaxy

Could she be that "the flowers are the same every year, but the people are different every year" Liu Xiyi?¹

Just as Chen Mo thought of this, the girl issued an invitation: "Is Fellow willing to play a game against Xiyi?"

"My chess skills are too terrible. Your Servant fears being looked down upon by you." Chen Mo laughed. He was relatively aware of his own abilities. He could see that the girl's chess skills were extraordinary, an unfathomable level. He himself merely relied on the Gate of All Wonders from his previous world to merely catch her off guard. If they actually competed, he would completely embarrass himself.

"To be able to break through the Lost Immortal game state, Fellow is too modest. If Fellow feels that I am insufficient to be Fellow's chess friend, I can understand." The girl faintly smiled, every word she spoke gentle as the breeze and clouds, vaguely mysterious.

Chen Mo felt that should he continue to decline her, that would practically be a sort of blasphemy against an immortal.

"If Your Servant is looked down upon, then so be it. To be able to discuss the ways of chess with Fellow Xiyi, it would be the good fortune of This Chen." Chen Mo flashed a smile. The Snow Fox at this time jumped into his chest, watching their game intently.

Chen Mo took white, and the girl hinted to him to make the first move. With practically no hesitation, he placed a piece upon the Origin of Heaven.²

Origin of Heaven?

This first move surprised the girl. He surprisingly took the first move on the Origin of Heaven?

The fact was Chen Mo had forgotten that ancient go rules paid particular attention to the position and order of pieces. First was to place two black and two white pieces on opposing corners of the board, dictating the first move. However, the girl did not mind. On the contrary, this kind of unique opener produced some interest, just like how a tranquil sea of clouds would suddenly stir.

Chen Mo's first move to the Origin of Heaven was considerably eye-catching.

Chen Mo's chess skills could only be described as amateur, but he had an advantage. That was that he had many modern chess sages' kifu. This first move on Origin of Heaven came from studying abroad Japan's go master, Go Seigen. His "Origin of Heaven, Star Point, Three by Three,"³ opener was once shocking and the reactions enormous. 

However, Go Seigen was a character born once every few centuries. Even if he understood go, he was not neck and neck with the ancient go sages. Chen Mo naturally was not at this level. His move on Origin of Heaven was completely without that much consideration, with only a little bit of thought behind it. To play on Origin of Heaven, although he did not take actual ground, it would affect the entire battle.

Chen Mo fundamentally did not want to drag out to endgame against this sage-like girl. His thinking was for a quick resolution, to end the fight during the middle stage of the game, so to have more or less ground did not enter his category of consideration at all.

Chen Mo's Origin of Heaven opening move roused the girl's fighting spirit. When the girl made her first move, without any warning, a majestic force bore down like the Five Sacred Mountains. The black and white pieces on the board were like stars. Chen Mo's fingers unexpectedly felt extremely heavy. He was unable to lift it and had no choice but to circulate all of his qi and blood to finally barely grab a piece.

This slight gesture was surprisingly more difficult than cultivating.

Chen Mo showed an odd expression as he stared at the girl.

After several dozen moves, the disparity in chess skill between the two very quickly became apparent. Although he relied on modern strategies, Chen Mo beforehand was able to repeatedly catch the girl off-guard, an unexpected advantage, but the opponent's perception was extremely high, easily adapting to Chen Mo's chess style. She was even able to grasp Chen Mo's komi style of chess in passing.

It was a cold, snowy winter, but sitting before the chessboard, Chen Mo nevertheless felt beads of sweat slide down his forehead.

The game state before his eyes was a battle between dragons, life and death.

The opponent's chess strength was very high. His own moves were simple yet carried slight provocation, unexpectedly eliciting such an intense counterattack, so much so that the situation had developed into three fronts. Whoever could slaughter the dragon would emerge victorious.

If I'm to slaughter a dragon, so be it. If you won't kill me, then I'll kill you. With things at the present stage, he already had no need to worry about anything else. If he did not survive mutual slaughter, then he would die under it. Retreating a step would only be a slow death, yet advancing would be half a chance at a swift and painful death.

The white pieces flew forth, sealing the way out for black. Of course, her own path back was also tightly closed by black in the next move.

The two giant dragons were entangled in a narrow space, their fangs and claws clashing. The next comparison would be whose planning abilities were stronger, or perhaps whose luck was better even if by a bit.

Defeat without any suspense.

With the game over, Chen Mo was completely drained, practically about to collapse.

A seemingly simple Origin of Heaven, dragon slaughtering game. Each move was like cultivation. In the end, he surprisingly did not have even a bit of Star Energy left.

"Fellow's chess style is strange and novel. In time, I will be far inferior." The girl gently spoke. Although she won, she was very impressed with Chen Mo's chess proficiency. 

"Senior's praise is mistaken. Your Servant does not deserve this." Chen Mo unwittingly used an honorific for the young girl in front of him.

The girl waved her hand. A jasper jade gourd suddenly appeared on the table. "Fellow has helped Me solve the Lost Immortal Situation. I shall bestow this bottle of ‘Qi Returning Dew' to Fellow."

Chen Mo opened the gourd. A sweet liquid leaked out out, and taking a drink, he swallowed a colorless, tasteless dew.⁴ His body's exhaustion was surprisingly swept clean away, and his originally depleted Star Energy and Qi And Blood were once again full.

"Many thanks to Senior." Pausing, Chen Mo said: "Could Your Servant be so bold as to make a request."

"?"

"Could Your Servant play a game with Senior everyday?" Chen Mo sincerely asked.

The girl who was named Xiyi had exceptional chess skills. When he played against her, every lost piece was more useful than any cultivation. Originally, he had no confidence to reach Qi And Blood Five or Six Turns. With the Qi Returning Dew as well as her, this was not impossible.

The girl absolutely had no interest in playing with other people, however, although Chen Mo's chess skills were very weak, his style was nevertheless fresh and new. None of Star World's chess saints ever showed this.

The girl slightly nodded, at last making a promise.

Chen Mo restrained his happiness, respectfully bowing.

After recovering his energy, Chen Mo recalled that he needed to train the Bagua Chant. The little white fox jumped out of his chest, sitting atop a rock. Chen Mo practiced the Bagua in the snow, moving with practiced gestures.

"The Bagua, huh."

Xiyi shut her eyes in contemplation.

…

Changluo City, Chen residence, study room.

"That trash has gone to Azure Dragon Mountain to cultivate?" Chen Qing could not help but tightly crease his brow upon hearing that report from his servant about Chen Mo.

"Yes, it is said that the little young master of Azure Dragon Town's Qing Family was also sorted out by him." The servant deferentially said.

Chen Qing was very fidgety. If this Chen Mo had just acted as the debauched trash young master, that would have been fine. If he was able to reach Qi And Blood Nine Turns, then with his powerful background, then Chen Qing could only be increasingly humble before him.

Soon, very soon, he would be qualified to control Chuan Province's Chen Family. Of all people, this Chen Mo was able to cultivate at such a crucial time. Thinking that he would have to lower his head even further in the future, Chen Qing was very unreconciled. 

No, he absolutely could not let him become fully fledge. But he could not be so obvious about it, otherwise, he would provoke the wrath of Lord Chang'an, resulting in the complete destruction of this Chuan Province Chen Family.

"What has Chen Mo gone to Azure Dragon Mountain to do. Do you know?" Chen Qing asked.

"Servant feared the tail would be too obvious and did not dare follow."

"Never mind. Continue to monitor him. I need his every movement and gesture." Chen Qing impatiently waved him off.

"As you command."

The servant left, and Chen Qing's eyes showed a terrible expression.

"Azure Dragon Mountain's beasts are fearsome. A trash young master like you going there is nothing more than seeking your own death.

Seven days later.

Azure Dragon Mountain.

From the valley came the seeming thuds of a drum. Each beat shook the surrounding trees, dropping snowflakes one after another. Below the tree, a youth was currently pounding a sturdy whetstone with his hands incessantly, brandishing his palms. Each strike left a deep palm imprint upon the stone.

The whetstone had the traces of many ferocious beasts, but compared to him, they were no more than scratches from a cat.

"One thousand eight hundred ninety-one."

"One thousand eight hundred ninety-two."

"One thousand eight hundred ninety-three."

"…"

"Two thousand."

Ha.

On the last one, Chen Mo's gaze was like torch-like, every pore of his body releasing hot air, as if boiling. His palms simultaneously struck. Under his powerful strength, the whetstone let out a sonorous crack. Surprisingly, it was dented by two giant palm prints, sending rock fragments flying.

Chen Mo took a deep breath, circulating his qi and blood to feel the boiling of his pores.

He did it.

Qi And Blood Five Turns!

After refining his qi and blood to his pores, every part of the current Chen Mo's body was brimming with power. With one punch, qi and blood moved through several hundred of his pores, enough to punch a tiger or panther to death in one strike.

From unable to learn martial arts to Qi And Blood Five Turns, Chen Mo had merely used one month's time. From an outsider's perspective, this progress was lightning-fast. However, that Chen Mo was able to cultivate this quickly was not from so-called talent. Thanks to the fact he never neglected his training from before, the muscles, bones, skin and flesh of his body already had very satisfactory fundamentals. It merely waited for the circulation of qi and blood. And add on Auntie's Servant Star imprint, guidance and myriad training methods, ascending to Qi And Blood Five Turns in one month felt completely too slow to Chen Mo. 

"But this is far from enough to be the great accomplishment of an Outer."

Chen Mo tightly clenched his fists, not satisfied at all. The Qi And Blood Nine Turns for a Human Star was split between Outers and Inners. The first Five Turns that trained up to the pores were merely the Outers, and the Turns starting from the cultivation of the organs were the Inners. Despite the one Turn difference, the fact was that the two were vastly different. To use qi and blood to train the organs was a threshold for Human Star martial artists. The majority of martial artists practically needed to spend several decades in order to cultivate their qi and blood into their organs to enter the level of Inners.

And the difference between Outers and Inners was the greatest. As an analogy, a Qi And Blood Five Turns martial artist's punch could utilize the energy outside the body, but once cultivated to an Inner, the greatest punch could come from the inside out, to release power from the bones to the skin. Compared to an Outer's strength, there was a whole other level. Furthermore, after a Qi And Blood Five Turns martial artist refines their qi and blood into their organs and bones, the strength of an Outer would be very difficult to lose against.

Therefore, although Chen Mo had reached Five Turns, if he wanted to be acknowledged during the Divine Warrior Examination, the greatest success an Outer could possibly have even a chance in was in the provincial examination. To enter the metropolitan examination or even the court examination, he would need to open Three Flowers Overhead to do so.

Only by entering the court examination could he proudly return to Chang'an.

"Wuu."

The young Snow Fox jumped into Chen Mo's chest. Chen Mo brought out several droplets of Qi Returning Dew to feed it. The little Snow Fox was sweet as syrup, resembling a child very much. Over the last few days, having not found the Snow Fox's mother, Chen Mo had looked after it, at some point treating the little Snow Fox as a partner.

As the proverb goes.

A black fox is reclusive, a white fox is sensitive.

To have such a little fox keep him company made Chen Mo's cultivation in the mountains not so lonely.

"After I finish that training at the waterfall, I'll go find Xiyi for some chess. This time, I've thought of a composition that's sure to shock her." Chen Mo craftily grinned.

The sound of footsteps came from the forest. A man suddenly walked out.

1. 劉希夷 ↩
2. 天元, the centermost black dot on the board. ↩
3. 天元、星位、三三 I have no idea what this strategy is. ↩
4. How can it be sweet and tasteless? ↩