The Path of Immortality: Starts With Creating Water Bear Gu-Chapter 466: Promoting the Nineteen-Line Go

Inside the Coffee Gu Specialty Store

At this moment, Long Xuan, unaware that he had inadvertently sidestepped a potential crisis, was leisurely playing Go with the Go Insect. Both sides were deeply engrossed in the match.

The Go Insect resembled a Go piece in appearance—small in size—perched at the edge of the table. Though physically motionless, pieces from the Go jar would float up and gently land on the board with elegant precision.

In the quiet little shop, the soft pa-pa sound of Go stones landing on the board echoed from time to time.

That day, once again, the store’s Coffee Gu and brewed coffee had been swept clean by the frenzied crowd. Helpless, Long Xuan had no choice but to close shop early and engage the Go Insect in a match.

The Go Insect was obsessed with playing Go. To refine it into a true Go Gu, there was a critical step: daily Go practice. Only by nurturing it in this way could it eventually evolve into a master of the game.

The variation of Go that Long Xuan used with the Go Insect was none other than the nineteen-line Go rule from his past life—played on the most expansive and intricate version of the board.

The Go Insect was enthralled by this novel variation. Its enthusiasm far exceeded its fondness for the traditional version—it had become thoroughly addicted to this form and insisted on daily matches with Long Xuan.

However, as nineteen-line Go had never existed in this world before, the Go Insect was entirely unfamiliar with it. Long Xuan, on the other hand, was an experienced player who had honed his skills for years. No matter how innately talented the Go Insect was, it could not rival him.

In every game, Long Xuan defeated the small creature mercilessly, crushing it without giving it the slightest chance of retaliation—which filled him with great satisfaction.

But the Go Insect, far from being discouraged by repeated defeats, grew increasingly obsessed with the idea of winning. The more it lost, the more determined it became. After each match, it would return to analyze and review every move—studying diligently day and night. It had become completely captivated.

Under such conditions, the Go Insect’s skill level advanced at a terrifying pace. Before long, Long Xuan began to feel mounting pressure in every match. Each move now had to be calculated with precision.

He couldn't help but marvel at the Go Insect’s terrifying talent. In such a short period, its improvement was staggering—surpassing even his own expectations. It was only a matter of time before it overtook him entirely.

To lose to an insect—he had to admit—was more than a little humiliating.

“Nineteen-line Go? You’ve really come up with something unusual,” said Zhu Jiuge, walking over, curiosity flickering in her eyes at the unfamiliar board. “But more lines don’t necessarily make a better game.”

Initially, she was skeptical. As a top student of the Holy Gu Academy, she naturally understood the Dao of Go. The standard Go board had always been sacrosanct—why alter something so fundamental?

But as she observed the ongoing match, her expression gradually became serious.

With her profound understanding of Go, she quickly realized that this larger board introduced far more depth, variability, and strategic complexity.

And since the very essence of Go lies in foresight, calculation, and intelligent maneuvering—if this new rule demanded even greater mental acuity—didn’t that make it a superior form? The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.

She suddenly saw the implications: if the nineteen-line Go were publicly accepted, the traditional seventeen-line format would become obsolete—erased from history.

Everyone would shift to nineteen-line Go. The old form would be abandoned.

Moreover, if nineteen-line Go truly offered a deeper challenge, then any Go Gu refined through it would be inherently stronger. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

When that day came, every Go Gu across the world would experience a leap in quality—and the creator of the nineteen-line rule would be forever remembered as a founder of a new school within the Dao of Go.

This would be a feat of immeasurable merit. Its impact would shake the entire cultivation world. She had a strong premonition—massive change was already looming.

“This was your invention? Are you planning to refine a more powerful Go Gu using this method?” Zhu Jiuge asked, staring at Long Xuan in disbelief.

Long Xuan’s lips curled into a small smile. Although he hadn’t invented nineteen-line Go himself, since no one in this world had ever heard of it, he brazenly nodded and replied with thick-skinned confidence:

“Yes. I came up with it through casual experimentation. I found the old board too small and not challenging enough, so I decided to create a format that was more demanding.”

“After countless days and nights of effort, I finally perfected this advanced Go format. The fact that this Go Insect loves it so much proves its value.”

Zhu Jiuge had no grounds for doubt. She nodded solemnly. “So, you plan to popularize nineteen-line Go in this world?”

Long Xuan gave a helpless smile. “To be honest, I don't enjoy fame. With fame comes risk. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t publicize nineteen-line Go at all.”

“But I have no choice. I must use this format to refine my Go Gu. Once it’s perfected, I’ll need to challenge various geniuses—and it must be done under these rules.”

“If no one knows how to play nineteen-line Go, then what’s the point? My Go Gu would become useless. Wouldn’t that render all my efforts meaningless?”

“So, I have no option but to spread it—let people learn it.”

“And what’s your plan? How will you go about that?” Zhu Jiuge asked, her tone now fully serious.

“No grand scheme,” Long Xuan replied. “I’ll just add a new rule at the Coffee Gu Specialty Store—anyone who wants to buy a peak-grade Coffee Gu must first play a game of nineteen-line Go against my Go Insect.”

“This way, the Go Insect continues to train, and the new format gains exposure.”

“I won’t need to do anything else. If nineteen-line Go truly surpasses seventeen-line, it’ll naturally spread on its own.”

Zhu Jiuge nodded in agreement. “Makes sense. True strength is self-evident. If it's really that good, it won’t go unnoticed.”

Long Xuan smiled and said, “Tomorrow, I’ll post the nineteen-line rules outside the shop and clearly state: anyone wanting to buy a peak-grade Coffee Gu must first play a game under these rules against the in-store Go Insect.”

His lips curled with anticipation. This was just the warm-up—step one: familiarize the city’s residents with the rules of nineteen-line Go.

The city was full of elite geniuses from the Holy Gu Academy, especially those qualified to cultivate on the ninth floor of the Black Tower—individuals considered among the brightest future stars of the Gu world.

These were the people on his “must-duel” list. But to get them to sit down and play Go, he would need to bait them with something irresistible—like the Coffee Gu.

He could only hope Zhu Jiuge would soon craft even more heaven-defying, peak-grade Coffee Gu. Just the thought of it filled Long Xuan with burning anticipation.