"Mr. Linn, hope all is well with you!"
Scott greets with a smile, exuding joy. Having accumulated wisdom for over five thousand years, he has finally advanced to a mid-level god, naturally in high spirits.
"Yes, everything is fine."
Linn smiles and nods, gesturing for Scott to sit, and pours two cups of tea from a purple clay pot as hospitality.
The tea refreshes their throats.
After a brief exchange, they quickly delve into deeper conversation…
"Mr. Linn's artistic mastery is truly awe-inspiring. These palaces and pavilions, with their layout and arrangement, evoke a sense of historical depth and time's passage. It's indeed remarkable, worthy of an art master," Scott comments as he stands with his tea near the pavilion's edge, admiring the grand and atmospheric architecture, genuinely amazed.
He's curious how Linn, given his background and experiences, could design such, almost like embracing a whole new way of thinking. Could this be what defines a genius?
As god-level thinkers, they rapidly engage in a game of Go.
Since Scott became a god internally without an external holy domain avatar and secluding himself for over a hundred years, he's completely unaware of Linn's first and second ascensions to godhood.
Like the countless possibilities on the Go board, only one path leads to survival. Despite the randomness, Linn has astonishingly chosen the right path, almost absurdly so.
Playing Go can also enhance soul deduction efficiency. Although minimal, it can still assist in cultivation, given the unlimited lifespan of a god.
Aisha turns pale, realizing interrupting someone's enlightenment is akin to an unforgivable betrayal!
"Sorry, I'll leave right away!"
Scott's words, if spoken in a past life's Go circles, would likely be ridiculed as naïve, regardless of age.
Scott makes the first move with black, pondering before placing his stone at the center.
Linn just smiles and shakes his head. He's merely leveraging the wisdom of a civilization giant.
Realistically, Linn's brother Lin Lei was almost certain to die! Even Hongmeng was shocked he survived, indicating the slim chances.
She's at a loss for words, not sure what to say.
The power of fate's rules converges around him, elusive and unpredictable.
Scott is intrigued, observing the Go board, "What game is this? I've never seen or played it before."
"Ha!? What?"
Gradually, the Go board fills up, mostly occupied by black and white stones...
Linn has an insight, but why it isn't water-related but rather the aura of fate's rules is puzzling.
Linn explains once, and Scott understands.
This, like design and sculpting, has similar effects. In this world of infinite power, all popular arts can nourish oneself, but Go has a higher potential.
"Headache!"
A sudden mental voice startles Scott, who quickly looks at Linn, seeing him frowning and breaking from his contemplative state, his gaze sharp and distant.
Go's exhaustive method… is merely a dream.
For two god-level beings playing Go, each move is genuinely a divine act, not juvenile, but truly profound…
Shortly, a green-haired woman arrives.
Initially skeptical, Scott gradually perceives the subtlety and falls silent. He closes his eyes to deduce, focusing not on victory but on possibilities, his brows increasingly furrowed, sweat forming on his forehead.
Linn feels a movement in his heart and conjures a chessboard on the table, with black and white stones arrayed in grid lines.
Calculating the 361 intersections on the board, each potentially in three states: black, white, or empty, the future possibilities reach 3 to the power of 361, even more considering captures and ko, surpassing the total number of atoms in the universe!
In summary: It defies the heavens.
Scott concedes, massaging his temples, somewhat longing, "This Go game is intriguing. Every move requires extensive calculations of future possibilities."
Suddenly, Linn's thoughts diverge unexpectedly.
"How about a game?"
Linn sips his tea, saying, "Certainly, Go is full of unpredictable changes. If we consider each outcome as a point, filling the entire Violet Material Plane wouldn't even come close to one in a billion."
"Scott, so you are here!"
Soft sounds of stones landing on the board.
Linn murmurs, his eyes slightly lost in thought, seemingly caught in a dilemma.
Linn raises an eyebrow, suddenly thinking, "The Divine Hand of a True God!"
Just then…
A mutation in the soul of the four elements…
"Because if you compare the board to reality, once your opponent makes a move, there's no time left for you to think!"
"Tap, tap, tap…"
"That's an exaggeration, right…?"
An undercurrent of fear ripples through his core.
Linn's eyes blaze with intensity as he deftly places a white stone at the pivotal center of the Go board.
Aisha, taken aback, feels the piercing chill from their indifferent gazes, a sense of unease washing over her.
He, too, shares this sentiment.
"Scott, you've ascended to a mid-level god!"
For beings of their caliber, grasping mundane knowledge is effortless. They understand and blend the mysteries of cosmic laws, making a mere game's rules trivial.
Scott, about to speak, restrains himself, his expression a blend of envy and surprise.
"It's called Go, with simple rules..."
He doesn't object but nods in agreement, "True, there's merit in that perspective."
Linn, surprised, then breaks into an amused smile. Perhaps influenced by his mastery of wind laws, he notes Scott's slight impatience, always chasing speed.
"This... this..."
Especially Linn...
Scott's eyes reopen, weary, he sighs deeply.
Thoughts weave and clash in his mind...
A statement reverberates through his soul, striking like thunder.
Scott exclaims in astonishment, eyes wide as he reexamines the board. The square board, composed of 19 lines each way, hosts 361 intersections.
Aisha Leyden.
"I've lost."
Though the world they speak of is but a fleeting moment in history, its knowledge and philosophies are unique and priceless in this vast universe.
They seem almost predatory!
Scott sighs, casting a sympathetic glance at Aisha, explaining, "Unfortunately, you just interrupted Linn's moment of insight!"
In this world, things are inherently different.
Linn is a mid-level god!
As is Scott, and they are related by marriage. Should they both act in anger, she, a mere lower god, wouldn't stand a chance, even with her family's bestowed artifacts.
Scott shakes his head, suggesting, "Rather than exhaust all possibilities, better to trust your intuition."
Linn chuckles, seeing Scott's state, "Even with all your effort, you couldn't exhaust that astronomical number of possibilities."
Their realm, too, has its own chess games, similar yet distinct from chess.
After a pause...
"This represents a possibility..."
Panicked, Aisha hastily apologizes and makes to leave.
"Wait."
Linn's voice is calm as he speaks.
Aisha tenses up, but Linn gently says, "Miss Aisha, you're here to discuss the faith war with Scott, right? It's fine, discuss it here."