"Alright, ti's up."
A mont later, a referee raised his wrist, glanced at his watch, and said in a deep voice, "Each player has two hours, with a one-minute overti countdown. Black gives a 7.5-point komi. Let's determine turn order."
Yu Shao, against Le Haoqiang!
Su Yiming, against Feng Zhenzhong!
Among these four, the winners will advance to the main tournant!
Who will erge victorious?!
...
...
As the referee's voice fell, Le Haoqiang, having the higher rank, reached into the Go bowl first, grabbing a handful of white stones. Yu Shao then reached into his bowl, took out two black stones, and placed them on the board.
"Nine."
After counting the white stones, Le Haoqiang lifted his head, staring straight at Yu Shao with a tone that carried an almost oppressive weight. "I play as Black."
Hearing this, Yu Shao was montarily stunned. He raised his head to look at Le Haoqiang. Though Le Haoqiang was rely announcing the result of the turn determination, Yu Shao could sense sothing different in his tone.
"I play as White."
Yu Shao finally nodded, returned the black stones to the bowl, exchanged bowls with Le Haoqiang, then lowered his head and said first, "Please guide ."
"Please guide ."
Le Haoqiang lowered his head in return.
With the formalities complete, the battle to claim a direct spot in the main tournant had begun!
Le Haoqiang looked at the board, reached into his bowl, and swiftly played the first move!
Click!
Column 16, Row 4—Star Point!
After playing his first move, he raised his gaze and stared intently at Yu Shao, his eyes carrying a fierce sharpness as if he wanted to see through Yu Shao's thoughts and strike him down!
Yu Shao remained calm, lifting his gaze to et Le Haoqiang’s.
Even so, Le Haoqiang’s stare did not waver in the slightest. He continued to fix his piercing gaze on Yu Shao, his unmasked killing intent sending a chill down the spine.
"No wonder they say he's strong."
"He already carries that kind of presence."
Yu Shao remained composed as he looked at Le Haoqiang, detecting a hint of threat in his eyes.
"You want to kill …"
Yet, even as Le Haoqiang fixed him with such a gaze, Yu Shao did not feel offended. On the contrary, he saw it as an unparalleled form of respect.
Go... is the art of life and death!
"Then let's see who survives!"
Finally, a trace of cold sharpness appeared in Yu Shao’s eyes as well. He reached into his bowl, picked up a stone, and swiftly placed it on the board.
Click!
Column 16, Row 16—Star Point!
Seeing Yu Shao’s move, Le Haoqiang finally lowered his gaze to the board, imdiately reached into his bowl, and quickly played his next move!
Click!
Column 4, Row 3—Small Point!
Yu Shao followed suit, swiftly picking up another stone and placing it down!
Click!
Column 3, Row 16—Small Point!
"Their moves… carry such intensity…"
Watching this scene, Wu Zhixuan’s heart trembled slightly. Every move seed to carry a commanding presence, sothing difficult to put into words.
She couldn't help but lift her head to look at Yu Shao, only to find that at this mont, as he quietly gazed at the board, he seed like a completely different person—unfamiliar, even.
She had never played against Yu Shao in real life. During the Fla Inheritance Match, she had watched him play, but he had never shown such a chilling deanor before.
Even when playing against him online, though Yu Shao was incredibly strong, she had never felt any pressure.
But now, Yu Shao seed like…
A lion that had been resting for too long, finally opening its beastly eyes, coldly locking onto the lone wolf that had trespassed into its territory. It sent a chill down her spine—an overwhelming presence that made her unable to move.
The way Yu Shao calmly watched the board at this mont carried a sense of absolute control.
"So cool!"
Wu Zhixuan stared blankly at Yu Shao.
The first four moves from both players had established a classic Star-Small Point vs. Star-Small Point formation.
Now, it was once again Le Haoqiang’s turn.
Clack.
The sound of stones colliding echoed as Le Haoqiang picked up another stone and placed it down.
Click!
Column 3, Row 6—Large Knight's Enclosure!
"Large Knight’s Enclosure to defend the corner?"
Seeing this move, many in the crowd showed a trace of surprise. Le Haoqiang’s choice of a Large Knight’s Enclosure was sowhat unexpected.
Using a Large Knight’s Enclosure in the corner creates a loose formation, making it vulnerable to invasion—it lacks the solidity of a Small Knight’s Enclosure. While so players have tried it, it remains uncommon and is mostly used as a situational adaptation.
But despite this, Le Haoqiang still chose a Large Knight’s Enclosure. His intentions were clear.
"This is… an attempt to break free from established patterns and push the ga into a complex, fierce battle, even at the cost of slight inefficiency, to engage in a direct fight with White?"
The crowd was slightly shaken. "Le Haoqiang’s killing intent is overwhelming—he is determined to win!"
Yu Shao lowered his gaze, silently observing the lone black stone on the board.
"A Large Knight’s Enclosure?"
He was extrely familiar with this corner defense, but it wasn’t commonly seen in this world. It was sothing he often used himself, so seeing soone else play it suddenly was sowhat surprising.
Though Large Knight’s Enclosure had been played before the AI era, it was rarely used because traditional thinking dictated that the corner must be solid—otherwise, it was considered a weak shape. But that wasn’t necessarily true.
While a Large Knight’s Enclosure is weaker than a Small Knight’s Enclosure, it is more efficient, allowing for rapid expansion and outer influence. From a whole-board perspective, it isn’t a loss—it can even be considered highly effective.
Of course, this doesn’t an that Small Knight’s Enclosure is bad—both are excellent choices.
Yu Shao reached into his bowl once more, gently placing another stone down.
Click!
Column 5, Row 16—Single-Space Extension to Secure the Corner!
Le Haoqiang glanced at the board, then quickly picked up another stone from the bowl and placed it down!
Column 17, Row 6—Small Knight’s Enclosure!
"Another corner defense?"
Seeing this move, the crowd tensed up.
Black and White were clearly setting up an intense clash, as if wielding a spear in one hand and a shield in the other. Even if Black’s third move had been a direct diagonal approach to launch an attack, no one would have been surprised.
And yet, Black played an incredibly steady move, continuously reinforcing the corner without any offensive intent!
But precisely because of this, the pressure and tension in the room grew even stronger!
Because—
Before the storm breaks, there is always an eerie calm!
Since a fierce battle was inevitable, this current stability felt more like a buildup, storing energy for the impending clash. When the blades were finally drawn, they wouldn’t falter but would instead decide life and death in an instant!
Yu Shao reached into the bowl once more, picked up a stone, and slowly placed it down.
Click!
Column 17, Row 14—Small Knight’s Enclosure!
White, also securing the corner!
"This… are they setting up a large frawork battle in the center?"
The crowd vaguely sensed sothing coming. "A large dragon fight?!"
Sure enough, the next mont, Le Haoqiang imdiately reached into the bowl and quickly played his move!
Column 10, Row 4—Two-Space Extension!
Seeing this move, Yu Shao almost instantly placed his next stone!
Column 10, Row 17—Two-Space Extension!
"As expected!"
With these moves played, everyone started to grasp the situation.
Neither side had yet to invade the opponent’s territory. They were rely positioning their forces, moving their troops, with Black forming a large frawork in the upper half and White in the lower half!
The next stage would likely be a decisive battle for central dominance!
As White’s stone landed, Le Haoqiang’s gaze sharpened. He reached into the bowl, picked up a stone, and swiftly placed it down!
Click!
Column 4, Row 11—Two-Space Extension!
As the stone landed on the board, it carried an undeniable killing intent!
"Black is… starting to press into the lower half!"
The crowd instinctively held their breath. This move by Black was like the solemn call of war horns summoning the army—it was finally advancing downward to claim key territory!
"Since Black has now expanded the upper side into a massive frawork, White will likely respond by expanding the lower right side."
Everyone remained silent, their eyes locked on the board.
"But, Black has the initiative. If White extends on the right to connect its positions, Black could then place a stone at Tengen, triggering an all-out battle in the center!"
The slaughter was upon them!
Yu Shao stared at the board, then finally reached into the bowl once more and picked up a stone.
The next mont, the stone landed!
Click!
As the crisp sound of the move echoed, the stone was placed.
But instead of an expected extension—
It was sothing no one had imagined—
Column 5, Row 5—Suspended Placent!
As soon as the stone landed, everyone was montarily stunned.
Then, in unison, their eyes widened, all staring at that visually shocking White stone!
On the board, amid the vast encirclent of Black’s forces, a single White stone had boldly invaded deep inside Black’s frawork, as if declaring—
"Even if ten thousand stand before , I shall advance!"
"Here?!!"
Everyone stared in disbelief at this Suspended Placent at Column 5, Row 5.
Even Le Haoqiang, sitting across from Yu Shao, was montarily frozen, dumbstruck as he stared at the lone invading White stone on the board!
"What kind of invasion technique is this? A Suspended Placent?"
Amid the crowd, Dou Yiming looked at the board in complete bewildernt. "Is this even Go?!"
It was true that White didn’t necessarily have to extend its groups. If worried about Black’s frawork growing too large, White could indeed invade.
But even if invading—shouldn’t it be a simple One-Space Jump?!
"How is it even possible to invade here?! Doesn’t this just help Black solidify a massive territory?!"
The commotion around Table Two instantly caught the attention of those watching the match at Table One.
They turned their heads toward Yu Shao and Le Haoqiang’s ga, and upon seeing the board position, they hesitated for a mont—
Then their eyes widened in shock!
At this mont, Su Yiming also couldn’t resist turning his head toward Table Two, but his view was completely blocked by the crowd.
Su Yiming glanced back at his own board, reached into the bowl, picked up a stone, and placed it down.
Click!
Column 3, Row 3—3-3 Invasion.
Then, under Feng Zhenzhong’s stunned gaze, Su Yiming stood up from his chair, squeezed into the crowd at Table Two, and looked at the board.
When Su Yiming saw the current board position of Yu Shao’s ga, he, too, froze slightly, his brows furrowing.
Then, without saying a word, he remained standing among the crowd, sinking into deep thought.
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