The sound of Go stones landing on the board continued without pause.
After observing five or six more moves, Sheng Ziyan’s peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of Tong Lecheng across from Yu Shao, and his expression subtly stiffened.
At this moment, Tong Lecheng was gritting his teeth tightly, staring at the board with a face flushed red.
Sweat beads densely covered his forehead and temples, as if the game had reached an incredibly difficult juncture, leaving him utterly lost on how to proceed.
Seeing Tong Lecheng’s expression, Sheng Ziyan felt confused.
"White’s moves are all quite standard—Black should be responding easily. So why does he look so trapped… almost like he’s suffering?"
"It’s as if every single move White plays is a tesuji!"
Suddenly, a realization struck Sheng Ziyan like lightning.
His pupils contracted sharply as he snapped his head back toward the board, staring at it intensely, afraid to blink even once.
Moments later, Tong Lecheng finally reached into his Go bowl, picked up a stone, and placed it swiftly on the board.
10th column, 14th row—Clamp!
Yu Shao observed the move for two seconds, then calmly reached into his own Go bowl and placed another stone.
"So that's it…! That’s what’s happening!"
Sheng Ziyan played through several more moves in his mind, confirming his theory.
A storm of shock and disbelief erupted in his heart.
"A normal test response is done in the opponent’s territory, but right now… these Black stones, after playing the Three-Star Formation, are…"
At last, he understood the source of the strange feeling he had before.
But the answer itself felt utterly absurd.
"It’s as if Black is letting White test its responses… in its own territory!"
Sheng Ziyan stared at the board, mind trembling.
"If White were attacking aggressively every move, it would be understandable—Black would have no choice but to counterattack recklessly, committing to an all-or-nothing fight!"
"But the strange part is—White isn’t attacking ruthlessly at all! And yet, Black is visibly suffering!"
As this realization crashed down on him, Sheng Ziyan suddenly jerked his head up, staring in absolute shock at Yu Shao.
Yu Shao remained calm and composed, eyes focused solely on the board.
"White doesn’t need to attack…"
"He’s forcing Black to make mistakes."
"Just by playing solidly, he can win through sheer precision."
There’s a saying—"The player inside the game is confused, while the observer sees clearly."
But in Go, that isn’t always true.
Oftentimes, only the player themselves can perceive the true intricacies of the board—outsiders simply can’t grasp its depth.
That’s why, despite Sheng Ziyan having far superior skill to Tong Lecheng, even he couldn’t immediately recognize the profound nature of this game.
Inside the Go bowl, stones clattered softly.
Tong Lecheng once again reached in, plucked out a stone, and dropped it onto the board at high speed.
12th column, 9th row—Block!
The sound of the move snapped Sheng Ziyan out of his thoughts.
He turned his attention back to the board, and the moment he saw the move—
His eyes twitched violently, heart pounding in alarm—
"Black just exposed a weakness!"
Almost at the same instant Black played, another stone was placed on the board with lightning speed.
Yu Shao had already picked up a White stone, and in a blur—
13th column, 8th row—Thrust!
The board suddenly exploded with tension.
The spectators froze, momentarily unable to react.
A split second later, they snapped out of their daze.
"This move… this move is different from before!"
The previously calm, steady rhythm of the game had just been shattered by this one move.
"White… has begun its all-out assault!"
The crowd watched in awe, hearts pounding with excitement.
"He wasn’t making a move before, but the moment he did—it's the most vicious killing move possible!"
"He’s attacking the very life of Black’s formation!"
"He’s not just trying to take territory—he’s forcing Black into a desperate fight to the death!"
Why did he suddenly change his approach?
Why was White playing so slowly before, only to unleash such a savage attack now?
Why not defend the previous move? Why invade Black's territory so aggressively instead?
Tong Lecheng’s face turned completely red as he stared at the board.
"I thought he’d continue responding to my Block, but instead… he suddenly changed direction and pierced into my formation!"
The sharpness of this move had completely exceeded his expectations.
"If I pressure him from above, he’ll likely connect his center stones into a strong formation."
"If I ignore him, his next thrust could cut through my shape and critically injure me!"
"Is there no way out…?"
Tong Lecheng’s eyes darkened, then flashed with determination.
He glanced at Yu Shao, then reached for another stone.
"If he’s going to invade my territory, then I’ll just attack the center!"
"I’ll sacrifice these stones and build a larger structure to crush him!"
11th column, 13th row—Diagonal!
The crowd gasped in shock.
"A diagonal approach?!"
"Instead of defending the weak spot, he’s seizing the center—prioritizing future influence over immediate survival!"
"Wait, wasn’t he supposed to secure his weak points before expanding?!"
"Instead, he’s boldly ignoring White’s attack and pressing forward—!"
Among the spectators, Wu Qian took a deep breath, staring at Tong Lecheng.
Despite his wariness, a hint of admiration flickered in his eyes.
"What a forceful move."
"He could’ve simply secured his group… but instead, he’s charging forward without hesitation."
"No wonder he dared to play the Three-Star Formation…"
"Turns out, he really does have the skill to back it up!"
On the other side of the board, Yu Shao’s gaze remained lowered, his eyes quietly reflecting the black-and-white stones before him.
"This diagonal move… He's sacrificing the lower black stones to solidify the ones above, thickening his position in the center."
"A brilliant move—he’s using the loss in one area to secure long-term gains elsewhere."
"But… I’ll gladly accept it!"
At last, Yu Shao reached into his Go bowl, plucked out a stone, and swiftly placed it on the board.
14th column, 6th row—Extend!
"An extension—tightening the liberties of my black stones."
Seeing this move, Tong Lecheng wasn’t surprised at all.
After all, the lower black stones were already discarded pieces—what truly mattered was his hold over the central board!
The Three-Star Formation was never about short-term territorial gain.
It was a grand strategy, built upon deep influence and aggressive battle, even if it meant sacrificing small edges.
Sometimes, blood needed to be spilled.
But these sacrifices weren’t in vain.
These losses were what forged the sharpest blade of the Three-Star Formation—
A sword so dazzling, no ordinary weapon could match its brilliance!
Tong Lecheng once again reached into his Go bowl, pulled out a stone, and placed it swiftly on the board!
Yu Shao responded immediately, matching him move for move.
The lower-right section of black stones was completely captured by White!
A huge victory for White!
But at the same time—
The upper black stones thickened, and the central area began taking shape!
Now, it was Yu Shao’s turn.
He studied the board carefully, then reached for another stone.
7th column, 6th row—Invasion!
Tong Lecheng had just reached for his next move when he froze mid-motion.
His eyes trembled as he stared at this lone white stone on the board.
"White just… invaded my upper black formation?!"
At this moment, that single white stone shone brilliantly on the board!
The spectators held their breath, eyes locked on that daring move.
Somewhere in the crowd, someone swallowed nervously.
The room was so silent that even the sound of breathing vanished.
A single needle could be heard if dropped.
"The upper black stones are already so thick… and yet he dares to invade this deeply?"
Tong Lecheng felt an overwhelming mix of shock and disbelief.
His jaw clenched so tightly, his teeth nearly cracked.
"This move is insane!"
"Does he seriously believe he can survive in such a cramped space?!"
If White failed to establish life here, then Black wouldn’t even have to kill the group—White would be forced to resign!
Tong Lecheng lifted his gaze toward Yu Shao.
Yu Shao’s face remained calm.
There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in his eyes.
Tong Lecheng gritted his teeth, then reached into his Go bowl and played a move—
"Fine! Show me how you're going to survive!"
7th column, 7th row—Extend!
The tension peaked instantly.
The spectators leaned in closer, afraid to blink.
There was no turning back.
White had invaded too deeply.
Black had too much to lose.
One side had to fall!
The stones rained down in rapid succession.
The crowd held their breath, unable to look away.
As the game progressed—
The expressions on everyone’s faces began to shift.
Wu Qian swallowed nervously, his voice trembling—"A bitter… bitter struggle!"
"White launched an invasion, but now… Black is the one suffering!"
"Unbelievable… Black can’t seem to deal with White at all!"
Hong Shengchen bit his own thumb unconsciously, his hands trembling slightly—
"In this battle of life and death…"
"Yu Shao… is one step ahead!"
The battle continued fiercely—
But something changed.
Black’s moves slowed down.
Each stone took longer and longer to be placed.
Black finally made a move.
Yu Shao had already seen the result.
He picked up a White stone and gently placed it onto the board—
2nd column, 8th row—Push!
Sheng Ziyan’s eyes lit up—
"With this move… no matter how Black blocks… White will live!"
The outcome was clear.
Sheng Ziyan exhaled sharply, staring at the board with awe—
"White… has achieved 'Mutual Gain'!"
In Go, "Mutual Gain" referred to a position where, no matter how the opponent played, one side was guaranteed to win something.
White had secured victory.