In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 366 Master-Level Sub-Profession (Third Update, Happy New Year everyone!)
Considering that Gu Santong had just absorbed Tu Baichuan's power, essence, spirit, and martial arts using the "Absorption Technique," Gu Shaoan and Gu Santong ate something after entering Shuoyang Prefecture and then found an inn.

After bolting the door to the inn room, Gu Shaoan had a sudden thought and used the Saint-level secondary profession card he had obtained from opening the box earlier.

After a few moments, a notification popped up in front of Gu Shaoan.

Congratulations to the player who has drawn the secondary profession – Chess Master.

"A chess master?"

Looking at his new deputy position, Gu Shaoan raised an eyebrow.

The term "Yiqi" specifically refers to Go, which originated in the Warring States period in the book "Mozi: Commands". In the words of Gu Shaoan's previous life, it is Go.

Gu Shaoan wondered what his new deputy position would be along the way.
Unexpectedly, the secondary position he received this time was chess skills.

Before Gu Shaoan could think further, a massive amount of information flooded into his mind like a burst dam.

Its vast amount of information and intricate structure were in no way inferior to the master-level medical classic he had previously inherited. Countless chess principles, patterns, rules, variations, and even the astronomy, geography, yin and yang, and military strategies intertwined with them, all transformed into the purest understanding, surging and intertwining in his mind.

This infusion lasted for nearly an hour before Gu Shaoan could barely absorb and organize all the vast amount of information.

As the last insight sank into his sea of ​​consciousness, he felt a familiar, long-lost dizziness and throbbing pain.

[Congratulations to the player for advancing from Chess Master to Saint level.]

Gu Shaoan closed his eyes and concentrated, regulating his breathing for about a quarter of an hour before the discomfort in his mind subsided.

When Gu Shaoan opened his eyes again, the fierce and decisive aura that he naturally possessed due to the fierce battles and the killing of powerful enemies was now as if it had been washed away and subdued by invisible water, quietly becoming internalized.

Although her posture and appearance remained unchanged, she gave people a sense of tranquility, like a deep pool in an ancient well.

Exhaling a breath of stale air, a hint of undisguised surprise flashed across Gu Shaoan's eyes.

"Indeed, no matter what skill it is, once it reaches the level of a master, it sheds all its superficiality and reaches a transcendent and saintly state that is unimaginable to ordinary people."

Gu Shaoan previously only had a superficial understanding of Go, having played a couple of games. He wasn't particularly bad at the game, but his knowledge was limited.

This was because Abbess Juechen had seen Gu Shaoan cultivate too diligently before, and worried that it would backfire. So, under the pretext of "having nothing to do," she gave Gu Shaoan some entertainment and relaxation, so that he wouldn't be too stressed.

Otherwise, given Gu Shaoan's previous obsession with martial arts and strength, why would he have bothered to waste time playing chess?
Now, with Gu Shaoan having acquired this master-level chess skill, and through the system's almost "enlightening" inheritance, he has gained a profound understanding of the mysteries of the nineteen paths.

In Gu Shaoan's mind, the black and white chess pieces on that small chessboard were no longer just simple game pieces.

It corresponds to the movement of stars and constellations above, and to the scenic beauty of mountains and rivers below.

The game of black and white not only contains the essence of the five elements and the eight trigrams, but also the strategies of war, the flow of energy and momentum, the balance between giving and taking, and the dynamism of stillness and movement, which are the highest philosophies of life.

Furthermore, from Gu Shaoan's current perspective, many aspects are even connected to martial arts.

In Gu Shaoan's eyes, the way of chess is not just a skill, but a treasure trove of wisdom that encompasses everything.

Moreover, as Gu Shaoan reached the master level in chess, some special chess games also appeared in his mind.

Among them are special chess games that can help martial artists cultivate their skills and even enhance their strength.

"Not bad!"

Feeling the extra information in his mind due to his master-level chess skills, Gu Shaoan smiled with satisfaction.

Then, Gu Shaoan looked at the martial arts enlightenment card in the system backpack, and thoughts flashed through his mind.

At present, Gu Shaoan has mastered enough martial arts techniques.

Aside from "Emei Sword Manual", "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" and "Cloud Dragon Wandering in the Void" still have room for improvement.

The way of martial arts has always valued quality over quantity.

Take Tu Baichuan today as an example.

Although he was already a martial artist at the Celestial Realm, aside from the fact that the Celestial Realm could draw upon the power of heaven and earth, in Gu Shaoan's view, Tu Baichuan's accumulation and mastery of martial arts were not even as good as Pang Ban and Sun Baifa.

If Tu Baichuan could master one of the moves in "The Three Blades of Avici" to the level of "Transforming the Domain with Intent", or reach the level of "Man and Blade as One" in the way of the blade.

Today, it won't be so easy for Gu Shaoan to win against Tu Baichuan.

Therefore, rather than using the "Martial Arts Enlightenment Card" to research new martial arts, Gu Shaoan prefers to use this "Martial Arts Enlightenment Card" to extend all the martial arts he has mastered to the level of "Domain of Intent".

At that time, the improvement of his various martial arts skills will surely be able to elevate Gu Shaoan's strength to another level.

Moreover, on Mount Wudang, through Zhang Sanfeng's guidance, Gu Shaoan learned that the power of heaven and earth could help condense the three flowers of essence, qi, and spirit.

If the "Four Symbols of Heavenly Will" technique can help Gu Shaoan refine the power of heaven and earth, then mastering the "Four Symbols of Heavenly Will" technique as soon as possible will not only give Gu Shaoan a new trump card, but also accelerate the condensation of Gu Shaoan's own essence, energy, and spirit.

Having determined the purpose of his martial arts enlightenment card upon returning to the Emei Sect, Gu Shaoan took a deep breath to calm himself down. He then closed his eyes and, from an observer's perspective and with a critical eye, reviewed his previous battle with Tu Baichuan.

The next day.

During a break in their journey, Gu Santong curiously approached Gu Shaoan, who was eating dry rations while taking out a book to read.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that what Gu Shaoan was looking at was a chess manual.

"Hey kid, when did you start researching this stuff?"

In response to Gu Santong's question, Gu Shaoan replied, "I'll study it when I have nothing else to do."

Gu Santong rolled his eyes and said, "What? Are you planning to follow the path of that Goguryeo master of chess and swordsmanship, combining chess and swordsmanship?"

Gu Shaoan nodded slightly.

"The principles of chess are profound and extensive, and there are many aspects that are similar to and compatible with martial arts. If I could integrate the principles of chess with my martial arts, perhaps I could significantly improve my strength?"

Gu Santong was a martial arts fanatic, and he had fought with Sun Baifa before, getting beaten so badly that he could only sleep on his stomach for almost the entire night.

"By the way, Old Man Sun's 'Heavenly Secret Staff Technique' is also similar to Fu Cailin's 'Chess Sword Technique'. Tell me, if I were to face Old Man Sun with my current strength, how could I break his Heavenly Secret Staff Technique?" Gu Shaoan thought for a moment and then replied, "The staff technique calculates heavenly secrets, which coincides with the principle of chess that penetrates the layout. Every move seems ordinary, but in fact, it is all part of the layout."

"Senior Sun's 'Heavenly Secret Staff Technique' has reached the level of transforming the domain with intention. To break his 'Heavenly Secret Staff Technique,' one must either use brute force to overcome skill and turn the passive into the active with a more powerful attack, or be able to see through Senior Sun's layout in advance and anticipate the enemy's moves."

Gu Santong thought for a moment and said, "So, according to what you're saying, if I want to beat that old man Sun, I first need to study chess?"

Gu Shaoan smiled and said, "That's not wrong."

"Battles between masters are like chess players playing against each other. In addition to the competition of their own martial arts skills, there is also a psychological and strategic battle, just like the battle between black and white pieces on the chessboard."

After a pause, Gu Shaoan continued, "Moreover, the way of playing chess can also cultivate the mind. It is suitable for both movement and stillness, and its meaning is self-evident. For Uncle Gu, studying chess is also a good way to cultivate his mind."

Hearing Gu Shaoan's gentle voice, Gu Santong suddenly looked up at Gu Shaoan.

He then asked with a puzzled look, "Strange, why do you seem a bit different these days?"

In Gu Santong's perception at this moment, Gu Shaoan still gave people the feeling of being gentle and refined, but he exuded a composure from the bottom of his heart.

In response, Gu Shaoan chuckled and said, "It's nothing more than a change in mindset after defeating a powerful enemy and testing my own strength."

Upon hearing this, Gu Santong had no doubts.

"That's true. If I could defeat a Celestial Realm expert when I'm at the Qi Condensation stage, my mindset would probably be different."

Gu Shaoan did not continue on this topic, but instead asked, "How are you feeling after absorbing the power and energy overnight?"

Gu Santong smiled when this was mentioned.

"It's even better than I expected."

Under Gu Shaoan's gaze, Gu Santong explained: "The reason why it took fifteen years to completely integrate the essence, energy and power that I absorbed from others using the 'Absorption Technique' into myself in the prison was mainly because I was injured at the time."

"Now that my injuries have healed, my blood and qi have condensed into a seed, and I have also entered the twelfth level of the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill. With the help of the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill's holistic energy, I have also improved my efficiency in refining the essence, qi and spirit in my body."

"I originally thought it would take ten years for these vital energies to completely integrate with myself, but now it seems that five or six years may be enough."

Gu Shaoan smiled and said, "That was indeed a pleasant surprise."

After saying that, looking at Gu Santong in front of him, Gu Shaoan suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

He thought of passing on the first move of the "Four Symbols of Heavenly Will" to Gu Santong.

Gu Santong's current strength, when compared to top-tier masters, can only be considered upper-middle level.

The reason it's better than before isn't because the ancient three-way connection is stronger.

It's because among the world's top masters, there are no more Pang Ban and Zhu Wushi.

The status of the ancient three passages naturally rose accordingly.

In fact, Gu Santong's defense was indeed exceptional, but other martial artists weren't fools. Knowing that your defense was high, they wouldn't fight you head-on.

Let alone facing Gu Shaoan, even against masters like Sun Baifa or Lang Fanyun, Gu Santong would only be a target.

As for the "Emei Sword Manual"
The reason why Gu Shaoan did not pass it on to Gu Santong before was because the "Emei Sword Manual" was created by Gu Shaoan by combining the sword techniques of the Emei School with his own insights and martial arts enlightenment cards.

Even for people like Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan, who have practiced Emei martial arts since childhood and have a foundation, practicing the "Emei Sword Manual" still presents considerable difficulties.

Not to mention the ancient three passages.

Instead of spending a lot of time on the "Emei Sword Manual", it would be better to devote yourself to studying your own martial arts.

However, the "Four Symbols of Heavenly Will" is an exception.

Although the "Four Symbols of Heavenly Will" technique consumes a great deal of a martial artist's vital energy.

But it does involve martial arts that utilize the power of heaven and earth.

Even if Gu Santong only mastered the first move, it would greatly enhance his strength.

Considering Gu Santong's relationship with the Emei Sect, Gu Shaoan felt certain.

Late May.

Just as Gu Shaoan and Gu Santong were approaching the territory of the Emei Sect, in the mountains of the southwest of the Great Wei Kingdom, on a lake backed by a solitary cliff, there were bamboo houses scattered on the water.

Between these bamboo houses, people constantly move in and out, walking briskly on the bamboo bridge, making a "creaking" sound.

If there were people from the martial arts world here, they would immediately recognize that the people walking across the bamboo bridge were all wearing the attire of the Hundred Knowledge Pavilion.

Meanwhile, in the very back of the bamboo hut, Bai Xiaosheng sat quietly before a desk.

Sunlight streamed in from beside the bed, illuminating half of the desk.

Slips of paper lay flat on the desk.

If other people from the martial arts world were standing nearby, they would surely notice that the slips of paper, large or small, on this desk recorded the events encountered by various martial arts forces and some well-known martial artists in the Great Wei and Great Yuan kingdoms over the past month.

Bai Xiaosheng, still dressed in a white cloth robe, was now like an ordinary schoolteacher grading students' homework, occasionally raising a red cinnabar pen to mark and draw on the slips of paper.

Just then, a gentle breeze suddenly drifted in from the doorway.

The next instant, a figure was already standing beside the desk.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the person who came stood in a spot where the sunlight streamed into the bamboo house through the window.

The pure white robe seemed to radiate a soft and pure glow under the light, as if bathed in holy light, yet her graceful figure unconsciously stirred up endless fantasies.

　Third update! Happy New Year everyone!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)