The surrounding chatter died away at once.

Ke Lianshan's eyes flickered with interest. "Black or white stone?"

"Black," Gu Daoyin answered without hesitation.

"Sure." Ke Lianshan smiled, then added, "But first, let me see how much your Go has improved. If you disappoint me, the manual alone won't be enough."

Gu Daoyin visibly relaxed. He picked up a black stone and placed it on the board. "Senior Brother, please!"

Their exchange sounded like a simple trade, yet it immediately caused a stir among the crowd. Even Shi Ju's expression changed, and Luo Chen was also no exception. "A Woodrot Go Stone?"

Fu Qinglan looked just as startled. "It's one of our sect's core spirit treasures!"

That alone was enough to explain everyone's reaction. Any spirit treasure would attract the attention of a Sage, but the Woodrot Go Stones were especially important to cultivators like Shi Ju and Fu Qinglan, who were preparing to enter the pocket world.

According to Fu Qinglan, the Woodrot Spirit Treasure was not a single artifact but an entire set consisting of a Go board, three hundred sixty-one stones, and a legendary unfinished game. Together, they formed one complete treasure, though each component possessed abilities of its own.

In the hands of...