Chapter 35: The Forging of a New Game

The two months following Jian Feng's return were a period of unprecedented calm and prestige for the Azure Dragon Clan. The story of his exploits had solidified into legend, and the clan's influence swelled accordingly. But while the clan celebrated, Jian Feng once again retreated from the public eye, immersing himself in the quiet solitude of the Palace of the Tranquil Mind.

His new status as the undisputed primary heir granted him access to the clan's most profound secrets—the archives reserved only for the Patriarch and the Grand Elder Council. He spent weeks within, not studying cultivation arts, but devouring the political histories of the Empyrean Realm, detailed profiles of the Imperial Family, and the tactical analyses of every Celestial Selection held in the last five hundred years. He was not just preparing for a tournament; he was studying the board, the players, and the rules of a game that had been played for centuries.

One evening, his father came to his study. The air between them was no longer just that of father and son, but of two strategists preparing for a campaign.

"The Shadow Guard finished their interrogation," Jian Tianlong said, his voice low. "The prisoners' souls were protected by a powerful seal that self-destructed when we pressed too deeply. But we learned two things before we lost them. The 'Great Awakening' of the primordial beast is very real. And the Umbral Hand is far more influential than we believed; they have agents in nearly every major power, including the Imperial Court itself."

He placed a series of scrolls on the table. "This is our latest intelligence on your primary contenders in the Selection."

For the next hour, they spoke of the giants of their generation. The Crown Prince, Long Aotian, who cultivated the Imperial Dragon Art and was said to be blessed by the realm's destiny. The Phoenix Maiden, Feng Jiuwu, a true Child of Destiny from the south whose every step seemed guided by fortune itself. And a nameless, shadowy prodigy from the Void Serpent Temple, a rival sect known for its mastery of assassination and spatial arts.

"These are not brutes like Hu Jin or simple defenders like Gui Ren," his father warned. "They are dragons and phoenixes, each with their own profound abilities and powerful factions. They will see through simple tricks."

Jian Feng nodded, his mind processing the new data. "Then I will require new tools."

The next day, he entered the Dragon's Heart Forge, a place deep beneath the palace powered by the planet's geothermal fire, a forge only the Patriarch was normally permitted to use. He spent a week inside, surrounded by the rarest celestial metals and spirit jades from the clan's treasury. He did not forge a weapon of war. He forged a game.

He emerged with a beautiful, antique-looking Go board and two bowls. Inside one bowl were 181 perfectly polished white stones, each one cool to the touch. In the other were 180 jet-black stones that seemed to absorb the very light around them. To any observer, it was a mastercraft Go set. In reality, it was an array of terrifyingly sophisticated formation disks.

Each white stone was a surveillance node, capable of being silently attached to a surface to monitor sound and spiritual energy. Each black stone was a disruption node, able to create localized illusions, warp spiritual sense, or interfere with other formations. The Go board itself was the master control unit, allowing him to see and direct his "pieces" from miles away.

On the eve of his departure, his retinue assembled before him. Jian Liwei stood at the front, his posture straight and his gaze respectful. His pride had been reforged into a steely loyalty. He was now Jian Feng's public shield, a powerful warrior to handle any straightforward challenges. Beside him stood Jian Qiao. Her quiet observational skills and uncanny luck had been formally recognized, and she was assigned as his personal aide, tasked with information analysis. They were the first two pieces of his inner circle.

The grand, diplomatic Sky-Ark of the Azure Dragon Clan waited for them, its banners snapping crisply in the wind. This was no mere transport; it was a declaration of intent, the traveling embassy of a great power.

As they boarded, Jian Feng looked out towards the distant heart of the Empyrean Realm. The provincial trials were over. The local conspiracies were resolved. The "tutorial" section of his new life was complete. He casually tossed a single, jet-black Weiqi stone in his hand, its surface cool and smooth against his skin.