Popularizing The Way Of Cultivation

Chapter 5: Playing Chess With Himself

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In the meantime, inside Avenue Bookstore.

The sky had just turned dark, but Avenue Bookstore had already closed.

The brightly lit bookstore was extremely quiet. Only the soft sound of chess pieces being placed on the chessboard could be heard from time to time.

Behind the counter, Luo Xiu, still wearing his black robe, was calmly looking at the chessboard. His thoughts were already thinking about the situation fifty steps later.

Opposite him, there was another Luo Xiu who looked exactly like him. He was wearing a white robe. His brows were tightly furrowed, and he couldn’t decide his next move.

Thud.

After a long while, the white-robed Luo Xiu placed the white piece on the chessboard. His eyes calmly looked straight at the black-robed Luo Xiu in front of him, “What do you think of this move?”

The black-robed Luo Xiu didn’t answer. He calmly took out a black piece and placed it on the chessboard without thinking. Then, he picked up the teacup and slowly sipped the tea while enjoying its fragrance.

Thud.

Seeing this move, the white-robed Luoxiu pondered for a moment and revealed a hint of surprise on his face.

After a long, long silence, he divided the chessboard pieces into black and white pieces and placed them in their respective boxes.

“I don’t understand. Why do you always win against me? You and I are the same people. How can there be a difference in our skill?” The white-robed Luo Xiu’s expression was still calm, but he could not help but ask the question that had been bothering him.

The black-robed Luo Xiu’s expression was calm as if beating the white-robed Luo Xiu was not something to be proud of.

“Because you are me, from an hour ago. And after an hour of growth, I am no longer the same person I was an hour ago.” The blacked-robed Luo Xiu put down the Teacup, quietly held the book in his hands, and looked at it seriously.

The white-robed Luo Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly, “It’s only an hour. What difference can there be?”

“There is.” Luo Xiu’s gaze shifted from the book back to his face, “Why do you think that when I was in the cultivation world, I was able to trigger the Nine Heavens Dark Thunder successfully? That was all accumulated little by little. If a person doesn’t cultivate and improve himself, anything in the world could kill you.”

The white-robed Luoxiu was silent for a moment. He was thinking about what the black-robed Luoxiu had just said.

Soon, the chessboard returned to its original state. The clone smiled and exchanged their chess boxes, “This round, it’s my turn to take the black piece.”

After saying that, the clone made the first move without hesitation. Then, he said, “Ever since you left the immortal cultivation world and came to this world, you seem to have often summoned me to appear. Why is that?”

Luo Xiu took out the white pieces from the chess box and placed the pieces without thinking. Then, he said, “Because I’m bored.”

“Bored?” The clone placed the pieces and looked up at Luo Xiu.

Luo Xiu nodded lightly, and a rare trace of desolation appeared on his face, “The Mystic Fire Continent is rich in spiritual energy. I can calm my mind and cultivate myself until I truly ascend. After coming to this world, I discovered that the spiritual energy here is too thin. I can’t cultivate at all. Since I have nothing to do, I can only summon you to play chess with me.”

The two quickly placed their chess pieces while talking to each other.

“The spiritual energy in this world is indeed too thin. It’s indeed impossible to cultivate. At the very least, it’s not as comfortable as when I was in the immortal cultivation world. There’s nothing I can do about it. It’s my fault for failing to ascend the last time and breaking the crack between worlds.”

The clone was silent for a moment.

In the immortal cultivation world, it was difficult to gather a large amount of spiritual energy in an attempt to ascend. However, as long as one was strong enough, they could do it.

However, in this world, it was utterly impossible.

This was because the spiritual energy in this world was simply not enough for Luo Xiu’s use. Not to mention ascending.

Even the slightest use of the Da Luo Technique could drain the spiritual energy in this world in an instant.

Finally, he said in a low voice, “So, we will never be able to return?”

“Yes.” Luo Xiu answered with a calm expression.

It was as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

The clone asked as he placed his chess piece, “Although the spiritual energy in this world is thin, the demonic energy is getting stronger and stronger. I can feel that in the northwest direction, there seems to be a revival of demons.

“So what?” Luo Xiu did not seem to care about this. “What is a couple of little demons running around compared to the large-scale revival of magical beasts that will appear in ten years? I’ve been in this world for more than three months, and I’ve only sold one book on cultivation techniques so far. If I hope that in ten years, a large number of local people will become immortal cultivators and fight against magical beasts, it’s no different from a fool’s dream. We might as well just accept what’s to come.”

The clone was silent for a moment. He was another Luo Xiu, so he naturally knew what Luo Xiu was talking about.

When he first came to this world, Luo Xiu had already sensed that the boundary between the demon world and this world would be broken in ten years’ time. When that time came, a large number of demon beasts would invade this world.

If he didn’t think of a way, this world would sooner or later become a barren wasteland.

At the same time, something called the “Immortal Cultivation Popularization System” appeared in Luo Xiu’s body.

As long as Luo Xiu sold the cultivation technique, he would receive rewards.

“Haven’t we already sold our first cultivation technique and received the [Five Thunder Fiend Suppression Talisman] as a reward from the system? Why don’t we use that to deal with these demons?”

Luo Xiu shook his head and said, “Borrowing from external forces is only a temporary solution. If we want a permanent solution, we must become stronger. In ten years, if the people of this world still can’t have a large number of cultivators…”

Saying this, Luo Xiu put down the white ball in his hand and sighed lightly, “At that time, even I won’t be able to save them.”

The clone nodded and sighed helplessly. Indeed, although Luo Xiu had the ability to protect himself, it was absolutely impossible to rely on this thin spiritual energy alone to save the people of the world.

Unless, of course, every one of them became a cultivator. Otherwise, the destruction of this world could only be said to be fated.

Thud.

The heavy-hearted clone placed another stone. However, he heard Luo Xiu say,

“This move is wrong again.”

When the clone heard this, he was a little surprised and looked at the chessboard.

Indeed, this move was simply a failure!

After Luo Xiu placed another white chess, he picked up the teacup again and took a sip.

At this moment, the clone finally revealed a puzzled expression and said, “It’s fine that I lost by a bit to you in the last game since you said there’s an hour’s difference in growth. But this time, how could I lose the entire game?”

He felt that he had made a mistake this time.

However, Luo Xiu gently shook his head and said, “Because you’ve been thinking about how to beat me, but your heart has been distracted by other things. As for me, I’m only thinking about the chess game in front of me.”

Only thinking about the chess game in front of him? The clone looked at the chess board in front of him in a daze.

Luo Xiu slowly stood up and walked out of the shop.

The clone said, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to check out the demonic energy in the northwest direction.”

“Didn’t you say that if this world wants to survive in the long run, they have to rely on themselves?”

When Luo Xiu heard this, he stopped and turned to look at himself, who was wearing a long white robe, and said, “Attempting to do something that you know cannot be done is the key to achieving great success. Sometimes, youjust have to do it.”

The clone looked at Luo Xiu’s back and opened his mouth. Then, he smiled and turned into a light spot, and disappeared from the bookstore.