The game reached its conclusion.

Though White had exhausted every possible strategy in the latter half, the gap from the midgame proved insurmountable, culminating in a bitter defeat.

Yu Shao silently studied the board, unsurprised by the loss. When He Yu's midgame mistake had sent their position spiraling toward collapse, he'd already foreseen this outcome. While he'd identified one potential path to revival, the likelihood of successfully navigating it had always been slim.

Indeed.

He Yu had fought valiantly in the endgame, demonstrating remarkable skill. But the professional Go world remained merciless - not every moment of shame could be redeemed through courage alone. As professionals, they must endure hardship, pouring endless sweat and effort into battling despair throughout their careers, yet still potentially never achieving their desired results.

Yet despite the loss, He Yu's indomitable fighting spirit in those final moves had moved Yu Shao deeply.

"Fear and determination..."

Yu Shao glanced at the dejected He Yu beside him, emotions swirling. While He Yu's skills still seemed immature to him - flashes of brilliance notwithstanding, with shortcomings in positional judgment and value assessment - there were qualities in the younger player worth learning from.

As He Yu resigned, Zhuang Fei finally exhaled, bowing after a deep breath: "Thank you for the game."

After a pause, He Yu responded weakly: "Thank you for the game."

The four exchanged bows, packed the stones, and left the Go room. The day's Torch Battle had concluded.

Online, countless spectators gradually emerged from the game's spell.

"What a pity - that ending. I thought we might witness a miraculous comeback, but while I predicted the beginning, the ending surprised me."

"The intensity of this game would rank among the finest even in professional individual matches. For a Torch Battle to reach this level is extraordinary - I was completely absorbed."

"The game's brilliance actually emerged after White's mistake. All four players demonstrated remarkable skill with unconventional moves. Without that shoulder hit from White, the latter game might not have been so spectacular."

"So the question becomes: did that bad move create this masterpiece, or did it doom White's chances?"

"Well...that's..."

"Compared to Zhuang Fei, He Yu still falls short. Zhuang Fei truly lives up to being Teacher Zhuang Weisheng's son."

Observers reflected thoughtfully. While not a masterpiece that would stun between two high-dan players, the game's quality was undeniable - especially remarkable considering this was a four-player Torch Battle rather than a standard match. For a team game to reach such heights was unforgettable.

At the Southern Go Academy...

After the Torch Battle concluded, the four went separate ways. Su Yiming headed to the cafeteria while Zhuang Fei remained at the academy, leaving Yu Shao and He Yu to walk out together.

He Yu maintained silent, head-down focus throughout the walk. Yu Shao observed his clearly despondent companion but offered no comfort. Even performing far beyond one's normal level only to face crushing defeat was part of every player's journey - one He Yu needed to walk alone.

Yu Shao found himself lost in memories of his past life as they walked wordlessly toward the academy gates. Upon reaching the entrance, he prepared to part ways with He Yu and hail a taxi home.

Then He Yu suddenly spoke, still staring at the ground: "I'm sorry."

Yu Shao blinked in surprise.

"It's all my fault..." He Yu's head sank deeper. "I was too weak. I dragged you down."

"I thought...I could keep up with you. That together we could defeat Zhuang Fei and the others." He Yu's fists clenched. "How naive. After turning professional, I actually believed I could compete with players like you."

His voice grew faint: "We're not even on the same level. Your moves...I often can't even understand them. I'm...too weak."

"You played well," Yu Shao finally said after a long look.

"You're lying!" He Yu suddenly exploded, snapping his head up. "You weren't trying your hardest! From that suspension move onward, you kept leaving sente for me - moves the opponent must answer. Whenever I didn't know what to play, I'd take sente to avoid mistakes!"

"You had to play that way to accommodate me. Without me...you might have actually won!"

"It's all because of me..."

Yu Shao remained silent. He Yu wasn't wrong - concerned his partner might flounder in complex positions, Yu Shao had deliberately left forcing moves. If uncertain, taking sente at least prevented collapse. He'd thought He Yu wouldn't notice, but the younger player had seen through it.

"But that central pressure was brilliant, wasn't it?" Yu Shao offered after consideration. "Honestly, I never anticipated that move - it was uniquely yours."

"We still lost." A bitter smile twisted He Yu's lips. "Looking back, perhaps the best play was to reinforce and let you steer the game's direction."

"You probably wanted to attack Black aggressively. My move disrupted your plans - just me being clever for no reason." Self-reproach deepened on He Yu's face.

"Perhaps that's true," Yu Shao conceded. "Reinforcing might have offered better winning chances." Then he met He Yu's gaze: "But I believe that was the move a true Go player should make."

He Yu froze.

"That move's value lies not in its cleverness, but in revealing a player's determination to fight and refusal to surrender." Yu Shao smiled. "To me, it surpassed any move I made this game. That's something I need to learn from you."

"Learn from me?" He Yu looked bewildered. "National Champion Yu Shao lacks fighting spirit?"

"No, I have it." Yu Shao chuckled. "Just not...the all-or-nothing, must-win-at-all-costs kind."

"What's the difference?" He Yu frowned in confusion.

"Hmm." Yu Shao pondered before explaining: "One is believing you might lose but remaining confident you'll win - that's wanting-to-win spirit."

"The other is knowing victory seems impossible, yet still chasing with reverence, swearing to defeat your opponent."

He Yu needed time to process this before his lips twisted wryly: "So...National Champion Yu Shao, are you saying you're too strong?"

Yu Shao merely smiled.

"Damn it!" He Yu looked like he'd swallowed something foul, suddenly unwilling to speak further.

Yu Shao recognized the misunderstanding - or partial truth. He'd never faced an opponent who seemed beatable yet would require tremendous effort, not even Su Yiming. But more importantly, there was one opponent he believed nearly impossible to defeat - and against whom he'd lost that reverent, must-win determination.

Or perhaps simply stopped believing victory possible.

That opponent stood atop Go's Mount Sinai, radiating blinding brilliance - inspiring awe yet too dazzling to behold directly. These thoughts, however, he couldn't share with He Yu.

"The World Championship approaches, doesn't it?" He Yu continued after reflection. "You've faced most domestic players, but international competition is a hundred times fiercer! Even Teacher Zhuang Weisheng keeps falling short."

"The World Championship?" Yu Shao had heard many accounts of its brutality. The prospect excited him in this Go-obsessed world. "Perhaps."

"'Perhaps'? Definitely! It's the World Championship!" He Yu's face shone with longing. "Kimura Go, Honinbo Shinwa, Hans...where all legends worthy of the name compete!"

Yu Shao smiled faintly, his own anticipation growing. Currently, his understanding of attack and defense had deepened tremendously, his life-and-death instincts honed to razor sharpness - completely diverging from his past life's path. Even by his previous world's standards, his fighting strength now stood formidable.

Yet Yu Shao clearly sensed room for growth in judging critical moments - still short of his past life's top combat specialists. How to progress further remained unclear.

Perhaps in this Go-enamored world, the World Championship would offer experiences - and surprises - beyond anything from his previous life.

"You really are strong though. Every stone you placed felt overwhelming." He Yu finally smiled too, then inhaled deeply, clenching his fists with renewed vigor: "I'll become a player like you, National Champion Yu Shao! I'll compete at the World Championship too!"

"Work hard." Seeing He Yu's revived spirits, Yu Shao smiled.

"I hope soon we can meet again as opponents across the board!" The fourteen/fifteen-year-old's earlier dejection had completely vanished, replaced by fiery determination.

"I won't hold back then," Yu Shao laughed.

This Torch Battle had given him genuine hope for He Yu - the younger player's balanced style, sharp instincts, and ability to create complex positions through sacrifices and efficient use of thickness and attack showed promise. With time, if he could master profiting from thickness and attack to first-rate levels, his endgame control and tenacity would become formidable - though he still needed work handling disadvantageous situations.

"Of course!" He Yu declared firmly. "Today's game taught me so much. Though we lost, I feel much stronger. Soon, I'll defeat Zhuang Fei and avenge this!"

Yu Shao regarded him with a faint smile.

Torch Battle indeed.

Passing the torch.

The older generation hands the flame to the next - and now he'd become one of those passing it along.

"I'll look forward to that day."

After exchanging a few more words, Yu Shao finally bid He Yu farewell and took a taxi home.

...

When Yu Shao arrived, Yu Dongming and Cai Xiaomei were still at the hotpot restaurant, leaving the house empty. After changing shoes, he went straight to his computer and exhaled softly.

"The World Championship."

"Aside from the China-Korea-Japan team event, I haven't faced many foreign players - and that was a youth tournament. But the World Championship..."

His eyes suddenly brightened with an idea. Powering up his computer, he logged into the long-unused "Nineteen" online Go platform.

Technically, besides the international team event, he had faced foreign opponents here - though online play's inconsistent levels meant encountering mostly amateurs alongside the occasional strong player.

"A few online games to prepare for the World Championship," he mused, preparing to match.

Then he noticed a new "Recommended Games" option below the matching menu.

"Did they update the platform?" Previously, viewing games required searching a player's ID. Curious, he clicked the new feature.

A match list appeared showing player IDs and spectator counts:

[dhusg (303 wins/24 losses) vs. ailken (701 wins/50 losses/1 draw)] (Spectators: 97,921)

[su (921 wins/73 losses) vs. hahah (191 wins/0 losses)] (Spectators: 137,942)

[shiau (158 wins/1 loss) vs. chen (201 wins/0 losses)] (Spectators: 68,204)

As Yu Shao scanned the list preparing to exit, a familiar ID froze his gaze.

shiau!