MTLNOVEL Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Six Years of Growth
"The wind blows away the sun, and the scenery flows westward. The prime of life never returns, as a hundred years pass in a day." —Cao Zhi,
"The wind blows away the sun, and the scenery flows westward. The prime of life never returns, as a hundred years pass in a day."—Cao Zhi, "Konghou Yin"
The Chess Match
Six years had passed.
In the viewing pavilion of the Crown Prince's residence in Tiandou City, noon sunlight streamed through the latticework eaves, casting intricate patterns across an ancient wooden Go board. The black and white stones lay in orderly formation, a battlefield of strategy.
Two young men faced each other across the board.
The black-haired youth—Wu Tong—sat with an air of quiet confidence. His deep eyes gleamed with contemplation, his short hair swaying gently in the breeze. Every move he made exuded a calm, unshakable certainty.
Opposite him, the golden-haired Crown Prince Xue Qinghe (in truth, the Spirit Hall's saint Qian Renxue) radiated noble grace. His blond locks shimmered like an angel's halo, and though his smile was composed, his brow furrowed in concentration as he sought an escape from Wu Tong's encircling forces.
The pavilion was silent save for the soft clack of stones being placed.
After a long pause, Xue Qinghe sighed and tipped his king. "Another loss. Brother Wu Tong, your mastery of this 'Go' game you invented remains unmatched. After all this time, I've barely scratched its depths."
Wu Tong chuckled. "You flatter me, Brother Xue. Your skill grows daily. Familiarity alone separates us."
Xue Qinghe—Qian Renxue—gazed at Wu Tong, her thoughts drifting. Even after six years, she remained grateful for recruiting this prodigy. The boy who once shook the continent's powers with his theories had blossomed into the renowned "Sage of Tiandou," a polymath whose name echoed across empires.
Noticing her distraction, Wu Tong sipped his tea. The flavor was exquisite—yet oddly reminiscent of the leaves from his own Wutong Garden. Did the Crown Prince raid my stash again?
Xue Qinghe snapped back to the present with a playful smirk. "Master Wu Tong, your fame now spans nations. What plans does the continent's foremost scholar have next?"
Wu Tong groaned. "Must you call me 'Master'? It reminds me of... another 'Master.'" (Somewhere, a certain rotund classmate sneezed violently.)
"Next," Wu Tong continued, rubbing his temples, "I suppose I'll finally help Grandpa Dugu with his family's poison affliction. He's pestered me half a dozen times already."
Xue Qinghe laughed. "Poor Senior Dugu. If you delay further, I fear he'll start rolling on your doorstep like a petulant child."
The image of the infamous Poison Douluo throwing a tantrum was absurd yet plausible. Dugu Bo had exhausted every method to cure his lineage's toxic curse. Only Wu Tong's genius offered hope—yet the sage's notorious single-mindedness (he refused to tackle multiple projects simultaneously) kept stalling him.
Not that anyone doubted Wu Tong's capability.
Who was Wu Tong?
The "Foremost Sage of Douluo", whose theories revolutionized spirit mastery.
A grandmaster of martial research, whose insights made even Spirit Hall's elders gasp.
The "Medicine Saint", whose treatments bordered on miracles.
Even Ning Fengzhi, the unflappable Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Patriarch, once declared: "He who wins Wu Tong wins the world."
As Qian Renxue opened her mouth to reply, a guard hurried in and whispered urgently. Her eyes widened.
"Brother Wu Tong, forgive me—an urgent matter demands my attention. Make yourself at home." With that, she departed in a flurry of robes.
Alone, Wu Tong stared at his tea, suddenly pensive.
Six years...
So much had changed.
The Turning Point
After acquiring his storage soul tool, Wu Tong had planned to quietly continue at Notting Academy. But when Wu Tu's team returned with news of Mu Lan's successful martial soul evolution, everything accelerated.
Elated, Wu Tong spent months compiling his Theory of Martial Soul Evolution—a manuscript he intended to publish post-graduation as his ticket to influence.
Fate, however, intervened.
One evening, Principal Charles stumbled upon the unpublished thesis. Astounded, he secretly submitted it to Spirit Monthly, the continent's premier academic journal, hoping to secure his pupil's fame.
The editors, dismissing it as fantasy, nearly relegated it to the children's section—until its implications ignited a firestorm. Overnight, every power on Douluo took notice of the "useless spirit" boy from Notting.
Wu Tong's quiet life shattered.
Facing relentless scrutiny (and potential danger), he needed sanctuary—fast. Only three factions could offer true protection:
Spirit Hall: Too risky. Pope Bibi Dong's infamous grudge against her ex-lover Yu Xiaogang made her unpredictable. Given Wu Tong's theories undermined Yu Xiaogang's "master" status, joining Spirit Hall might earn him a dagger in the dark.
Star Luo Empire: A realm where "might makes right." Without combat power, Wu Tong would be a pawn at best.
Tiandou Empire: The obvious choice. Close, stable, and—crucially—the first to extend an offer.
The recruiter? Crown Prince "Xue Qinghe" herself—Qian Renxue, Spirit Hall's undercover saint. By accepting, Wu Tong gained dual patronage: Tiandou's royal court and Spirit Hall's inner circle.
A perfect alignment of interests.
Now, six years later, as Wu Tong gazed at the Go board, he marveled at how far he'd come.
The game was evolving.
And he held more pieces than anyone realized.
"Thanks to SilverWolf for their support"
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