A Game of Go in the Ring

Chen Fan is a low-ranking outer disciple of his sect. His mother is gravely ill and urgently needs resources for treatment. To earn contribution points, he ventures into Blackwind Ridge, where a twist of fate leads him to a jade chess piece containing the remnant soul of an ancient cultivator. The remnant soul, Chu Yan, teaches him cultivation techniques and helps him escape danger time and again. But the power Chen Fan displays also attracts the attention of Song Mingjing, a sect steward. Song uses a magical artifact to examine him, secretly plants a tracking mark, and keeps him under close surveillance. After surviving a turbulent interrogation, Chen Fan returns to his wooden hut and senses something amiss with the jade chess piece. His trust begins to fracture. At last, he understands that Chu Yan is no selfless guide: the two are bound together in a relationship of mutual interest. With the sect's investigators closing in from outside and the remnant soul's secrets buried within, Chen Fan is forced to hide his abilities and bide his time. Caught between competing forces, he struggles to find a way to survive in a sect rife with danger.