“He went straight for the corner?”

Yu Shao stared at the board, deep in thought.

There were plenty of ways to respond to the small knight’s approach to the corner. The most common was to respond with a small knight of your own—one side attacks, the other defends, move by move, and the battle stretches long.

Aside from the small knight, the pincer is also a sharp response. Instead of defending, you go straight into attack mode, treating the approaching white stone as isolated, aiming to surround and counter-kill.

Of course, ignoring the white’s attack and immediately approaching a different corner to pressure back is another bold and direct move.

But—

There was one more option. A move Yu Shao had just used not long ago.

After a moment of thought, Yu Shao reached into the Go bowl, picked up a stone, and slowly placed it.

Click!

Column 15, Row 3—Pointed Apex!

The moment the stone hit the board, everyone in the Go room shifted their gaze. All eyes locked onto the board.

“It’s here—the irresistible Pointed Apex!”

The recorder quickly suppressed the tremor in his heart and slid his mouse, syncing the move onto the digital board.

Seeing Yu Shao play that move, Jiang Changdong’s expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected it. He swiftly reached into the bowl and responded without pause!

Click! Click! Click!

On the intersecting lines of the board, stones began to scatter and multiply. The crisp sound of each move echoed through the room.

Su Yiming stared at the board just a few steps away, eyes locked on the two players trading blows.

“The National Hand Championship is a best-of-three. Whoever wins the first game gains a buffer. It’s a clear advantage going forward. But the one who loses the first match... the pressure is immense.”

Su Yiming couldn’t help but recall the game records he’d studied of Jiang Changdong. As one of the strongest players alive, Su had played through more than a few of his past matches.

“His calculations are deep. He excels at stirring up chaotic boards and then crushing opponents with precise sequences. The moment he spots a weakness, he strikes—clean and deadly.”

“Jiang Changdong is not someone to be underestimated.”

At that moment, Jiang Changdong placed another white stone.

Click!

Column 8, Row 5—Hang!

“White is going for the upper side. That means he’s confident in his ability to rescue isolated stones.”

Su Yiming focused up again, eyes glued to the board as he evaluated the developing situation.

“That means white’s formation is solid. This is the perfect moment to shift gears and throw things into disarray!”

As that thought emerged in Zhuang Weisheng’s mind, the next instant, a white stone landed—fast and sharp!

Click!

Column 8, Row 4—Touch!

Just as Su Yiming anticipated, black didn’t defend. Instead, he struck decisively into white’s territory, not giving an inch of breathing room.

“White needs to counter immediately. There are several valid spots for this move, but white’s strongest response should be…”

Su Yiming’s eyes gleamed as he murmured, “Extend!”

White stone played!

Column 9, Row 5—Extend!

Nailed it.

As Jiang Changdong placed his move, Yu Shao gave it brief consideration before following up quickly.

Click, click, click!

Black and white clashed fiercely in the upper left corner of the board. A brutal battle had broken out—already—when the game was barely in its opening stage!

“And this is just the opening... and it’s already this intense?”

Su Yiming’s expression grew more focused. Even though he was just watching, he felt immersed—caught up in the tension and razor-sharp brilliance of every move.

“White’s responses are excellent—aggressive and uncompromising!”

“But Yu Shao’s handling is flawless too. While entangling with white, he’s constantly eyeing its weak spots, always ready to pull back and launch a surprise strike. White can’t afford to overreach—it’s a delicate balance!”

Soon, it was Jiang Changdong’s turn again. He stared at the board, grabbed a stone, raised his hand high—and struck!

Click!

Column 7, Row 9—Jump!

“He jumped here?”

Su Yiming’s heart skipped. A trace of surprise flickered on his face.

“This move isn’t exactly bad… but it’s a bit soft. Black will definitely attack!”

“At this level, even a minor issue could be the key to victory or defeat.”

It wasn’t just Su Yiming—An Hongshi and Zhuang Weisheng both furrowed their brows slightly.

Yu Shao’s eyes glinted as he saw Jiang Changdong’s move. Without hesitation, he plucked a black stone and placed it.

Click!

Column 3, Row 11—Thrust!

“Such a fast read! No hesitation at all—he’s confident in his judgment!”

Seeing Yu Shao instantly seize on white’s slight opening and pierce straight through, An Hongshi’s expression grew solemn.

“That move completely bites into white’s formation. He’s diving right through the gap!”

The weakness white showed wasn’t glaring—the jump was only slightly clumsy. Definitely not a bad move. But at this level, even a hairline crack could be fatal.

Jiang Changdong looked at Yu Shao’s stone. His face remained calm.

After a while, he reached into the bowl.

“I know full well how risky jumping here is if I want to win.”

“My opponent is no amateur. Just look at the records—he only needs the slightest weakness, and he’ll strike like lightning and tear everything down.”

His fingers brushed the cold stones.

“But if you don’t lay out bait… you’ll never catch the fish.”

“I have to lure him into the most chaotic, deadly fight. Only in the murky waters of the unknown will my chance appear.”

“I can’t let the game go according to his plan. That jump—that’s my invitation into a landscape he’s never seen, something beyond all his expectations!”

“If I want to win, I have to bet everything. If I don’t survive long enough to see him slip, I lose the whole game!”

Finally, the white stone was placed!

Click!

“This game… it’s either you or me!”

The sharp snap of the stone echoed through the Go room, ringing in everyone’s ears.

Column 14, Row 11—Point!

“He played the point?”

Yu Shao looked at the board, evaluating the situation. Countless variations flashed through his mind. After some quick calculations, he made his move.

Click!

Column 14, Row 10—Block!

“What a powerful move!”

Jiang Changdong’s expression turned grim. The situation was growing dangerous, and now, in his eyes, nothing else existed but the board before him.

“Even if I force my way out, white could be in trouble. If I hold the line, I can survive—but I’ll get shredded by white’s relentless squeezing!”

“He only paused for one move and already pushed in with such force… not even giving me a second to breathe!”

“Then I have no choice—I have to push in too and get tangled with white!”

“This will be a battle of calculations. If he reads fifty moves, I’ll read fifty-one. If he goes a hundred, I’ll go a hundred and one!”

“If I calculate it clearly, then even though white’s in danger after that jump, it won’t collapse!”

After a pause, Jiang Changdong made his next move.

Column 6, Row 12—Push!

...

Elsewhere—

“There—”

A young man watching the livestream froze when he saw that move. He stared at the screen in disbelief. “He pushed?!”

And he wasn’t alone. The moment Jiang Changdong played that move, the internet exploded. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the game.

“Jiang Changdong actually chose to push here!”

“Isn’t white afraid of black’s cut-and-smash?”

“If black cuts through, white might have a follow-up wedge—but it’s too complex. I wouldn’t dare play it. Did Jiang really calculate all that? No way!”

Against black’s fierce attack, white not only refused to back down—but struck back. It shocked everyone.

This push carried the huge risk of a cut. If black cut through, white’s entire backbone might get shattered!

Sure, there was a wedge possibility—but the variations were beyond intricate, too many branches to track. Just thinking about it gave people headaches, and even whether the line worked was questionable.

But—if the wedge did hold up—this was the most ferocious move white could make. It would attack black’s weaknesses and drag the board into a deadly brawl!

Yu Shao stared at the board and swiftly placed his next move.

Click!

Column 5, Row 11—Cut and Smash!

Jiang Changdong’s face grew heavy. He immediately followed up, grabbing a white stone.

“I have to strike while black’s formation is still loose—mess everything up and force an attack!”

“If I wait too long and black stabilizes, the game will be out of reach. I have to clamp down the gap right now. If he insists on stabilizing, then I’ll make him pay a price he can’t afford!”

“Otherwise, I won’t escape this alive!”

Stone placed!

Click!

Column 10, Row 15—Thrust!

“He didn’t wedge—instead, he used a thrust to tangle?”

Seeing the white stone, Yu Shao blinked, frowning.

The wedge seemed like the obvious move, with solid counterplay against black. And although the variations were tricky, he had already read them—they wouldn't work for white.

What caught him off guard was the thrust.

At first glance, it seemed like a defensive move, but it was actually a disguised first move, turning the tempo later and snatching initiative!

He had seen the thrust—but never expected Jiang would see it too!

Most pros wouldn’t even consider that line.

Because its effects wouldn’t show up immediately—it would bloom ten, maybe twenty moves down the line!

To find a move like that, you needed more than reading ability—you needed deep intuition. Without that, even perfect calculation wouldn’t help.

After a moment, Yu Shao placed his response.

Click!

Column 12, Row 10—Seal!

“He didn’t respond with a small knight? Instead, sealed from the center?”

The recorder and two referees were stunned. They couldn’t understand it at all.

To them, white’s wedge was the obvious move—but white didn’t go for it. Instead, he played that baffling thrust. And black didn’t respond with the expected small knight either, but sealed?

The recorder turned his head to glance at Zhuang Weisheng and the others—only to see Zhuang, An Hongshi, and Su Yiming staring intently at the board, expressions calm.

As if white’s thrust, and black’s seal, were all completely logical.

The recorder felt his mind reel. He turned back to the board and thought for a long time before his pupils suddenly shrank.

“So that’s it!”

“White’s thrust… it’s a disguised first move!”

He looked at the game, heart pounding.

“That move doesn’t shine right away. You need to taste it slowly to see the brilliance within!”

“And black’s seal—though it looks like it lands in a useless spot—is actually a response to that future thrust!”

“Their battle isn’t happening now—it’s crossing time. A clash from the future, already playing out in the present!”

“Amazing!”

“I’m nowhere near their level. As a professional 2-dan, I can’t even understand what I’m looking at!”

Meanwhile, more and more viewers began to understand what had just happened thanks to the commentary from professional players—and the chat exploded.

“Holy sh*t!”

“That’s insane. Without the commentary, I’d be completely lost.”

“What kind of galaxy-brained line is that? That thrust looks like a passive move. I’d never even think of playing it—and it turns out to be the right one?! And it got played??”

“Black’s response was just as deadly. Yu Shao barely even thought before sealing—he saw that thrust coming way in advance!”

“Are they even human? Feels like a whole different species…”

As both sides kept dropping stones, the watchers felt their blood begin to boil.

The crisp sound of every move seemed to echo through the screen, ringing in everyone’s ears!

At that moment, Jiang Changdong played again.

Click!

Column 7, Row 15—Large Knight’s Move!

Clack!

As the white stone landed, the next second, the sound of stones clashing in the bowl echoed. Yu Shao grabbed a black stone and responded immediately.

Click!

Column 18, Row 13—Cut!

“He cut!”

Jiang Changdong locked his eyes on the board, expression tense. In his mind, black and white stones kept falling as he simulated every possible variation.

“He’s threatening to push me out. If I don’t escape, he’ll kill those three white stones. But if I do escape, he might use the chance to flip the whole game in his favor!”