I'm Really Going to Become an Immortal Chapter 198 - 160: I’ll Be the Horse Right Now! You Be the M

Failure is not to be feared.

What’s frightening is the unwillingness to stand up after failing.

Ke Bao has lost before.

Although he is regarded as the world’s number one, in reality, players like Xiao Shen from the peninsula and Xiao Xuan from the dostic scene are close on his heels.

He often loses to these players.

Even such devastating defeats are sothing he experiences many tis a day against the strongest AI.

Therefore, he is not afraid of losing.

Instead, he is filled with excitent and anticipation for such thrilling defeats.

He sent a private ssage in earnest, "Please, play against again! Let see how far behind you I am,"

As he said this, he issued the invitation.

The opponent accepted once again without hesitation.

This brightened Ke Bao’s spirits, and after a mont’s rest with eyes closed, he revealed a serious expression.

This ti, it was not about winning.

It was enough just to see the taillights of his opponent’s car.

...

In Zhan Ying’s live stream room.

Seeing Ke Bao start to play again, Zhan Ying and three ninth ranks in the voice channel started to explain the ga once more.

Being able to comntate on such a duel at the Top of Forbidden City,

excited them all imnsely.

The live stream’s chat was boiling over, each comnt as if hitting their g-spot.

"Holy shit! Holy shit!!!"

"The world’s number one has really lost again."

"Today marks the coronation of the new Emperor!"

"Greatness needs no words!"

"This is the Go Emperor! Take this move of Heaven and Earth Unity!"

"Heaven and Earth Unity? Witness my Heavenly Demon Great Transformation!"

"If the match two days ago between the two players was like Ye Gucheng using a sword move not of this world, Heavenly Flying Immortal, just managing to edge out over Xin Chuixue, who ultimately held back his own hand and got hit by his own sword, leaving behind a winner that wasn’t quite a winner,"

"Then today’s first ga was like Hulk smashing Rocky, with Ke Bao, ninth rank, being pounded into the ground."

Although the second ga of today had started, Shi Liang, ninth rank couldn’t help but ponder over the previous ga.

The dominance shown by the black pieces throughout the ga was undeniable, almost taking the lead advantage to its limits, from beginning to end it was filled with forceful moves that compelled white to play defensively.

"What do you think about this ga, Shi Liang, ninth rank?"

As Zhan Ying watched the second ga swiftly progress to the midga, he felt his own Chess Ability was inadequate to understand it.

Ke Bao, ninth-rank’s black piece playstyle was too conservative.

In theory, since black pieces have the burden of giving up points from the start, the playstyle should be aggressive to make use of the starting advantage, trying to create more than a seven-and-a-half-point lead, so that after deducting seven and a half points there is still a lead.

But now,

It seems Ke Bao, ninth-rank isn’t playing like that.

"This ga..."

"It feels like he is consciously playing a handicap ga."

"After taking black and getting the first move, Ke Bao, ninth rank’s gaplay strategy is clearly conservative and avoiding combat, ignoring the fact that because of the black advantage he would need to overco a seven-and-a-half point komi."

"He’s placing himself in an inferior position, challenging with a heart full of reverence."

This was how Shi Liang, ninth rank put it.

The live stream viewers were also amazed.

The komi rule in Go competition is a system established to balance the difference between having the first or second move. Since black, which goes first, has a certain advantage, the komi is to offset this advantage to make the ga fairer.

Black needs to beat white by more than seven and a half points to win.

A ga where black, with the advantage of going first, doesn’t have to give komi is called a handicap ga.

This normally occurs only after the conditions for New First Rank are t, when playing against well-known ninth ranks.

These well-known ninth ranks usually take white and play a handicap ga against new first ranks.

This is akin to going easy on the opponent.

It allows these new first ranks to play a real ga and experience the strength of a true master without risking an overwhelming loss.

"A world’s number one with eight world championships, giving handicap to a net player? And the world’s number one is playing black?"

"What world’s number one? Still the number one after being trashed?"

"Greatness needs no words!"

"I’m afraid even giving handicap might be difficult."

"Indeed, the only ones who could win against Ke Bao, ninth rank in this situation are AIs!"

In the lively discussion of the live stream,

The match continued.

Ke Bao, playing black with the starting advantage and no komi, avoided conflict like mad, implenting a ga plan to minimize losses at every turn.

He tried to maintain his advantage all the way to the end of the ga.

Such a play, indeed, brought the ga into the endga phase.

In Go, the endga is when the match nears its end, where the major groups on the board are mostly settled, and both players fight for small gains around the corners and edges, aiming for precision in every move, trying to extract as many points as possible from the limited space.

It was rare for the Go Emperor to be dragged into the midga like this.

"Can he win?"

Zhan Ying couldn’t help but ask.

Even with handicap, can he win?

Could the forr world’s number one really not win a single ga now?

"The situation is complicated; I ran it through AI."

"If it were black’s move, they would be leading by twelve and a half points. Even with handicap, it’s a five-point lead; black almost has no chance."

"If it were a Tenth Rank AI calculating the endga, there’s basically no benefit left to gain."

Shen Lang Ninth Rank quietly said so.

At this mont,

It was essentially a lost cause.

In this battle of wits, white demonstrated extraordinary calculating power and Perception Ability. Facing the pressing threats from black, white skillfully used the opponent’s oversights, building an advantage step by step with a series of exquisite "forcing endga moves." These seemingly insignificant gains, in the hands of a master, beca like streams converging into a vast sea, gradually tipping the scales of the position.