The second game of the best-of-three National Champion match ended at a speed that no one had anticipated. After the game concluded, only a deep and eerie silence remained.

Then—

The pent-up emotions, like a broken dam flooding out, could no longer be contained and finally erupted completely!

The internet instantly exploded with activity, everyone venting their innermost feelings with abandon!

Shock!

Everyone was stunned by this game!

Some were amazed by every killing move made by the White stones in this match.

Others with keen perception sensed that this game by Yu Shao was different from before, shaken by the subtle yet earth-shattering changes!

Almost every moment online, people were sharing their own game reviews, dissecting every move from both Black and White!

Originally, many thought that Yu Shao, as a genius, might lose momentum after his first loss. They had seen too many similar examples.

But in this game, Yu Shao’s performance was without a single flaw!

This game, White played with extreme decisiveness, from the very start of the opening, sweeping through Black’s formation like a hot knife through butter, crushing it thoroughly without the slightest hesitation!

Network error, refreshing and retrying.

Every move was shockingly strong, and the battles in the most complex positions were so fierce they sent chills down one’s spine. Throughout the entire game, every move was permeated with a threatening pressure!

It was also an attack and kill, also pressing the opponent with calculated moves in complex situations, but this game seemed subtly unlike Yu Shao’s later matches!

Amid the cold commentary online, terms like “Seventh Game of the National Champion Match,” “National Champion,” “The Move that Fooled the Go God,” and other phrases quickly shot up the trending search lists like lightning!

By the seventh game, the two players were tied at one win each.

That meant in about a week, the final life and death match would take place!

The final match would be held at the Southern Go Academy in Jiangling!

That game would decide the final owner of one of the coveted National Champion titles!

What would happen in that game?

Though the seventh game had just started, discussions about the eighth game had already begun offline!

Meanwhile, a little later in the evening, Chu Jingfeng finally returned to the simple seven-star hotel arranged for him by the Go Academy.

Chu Jingfeng’s face was somewhat pale, and his expression was extremely grim. Before entering his room, he staggered a bit as he walked over to the bed and sat down.

“Huff...”

He took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself.

But the moves from this morning’s game—Bai Hong’s every move—still stubbornly surfaced in his mind, the sound of the stones hitting the board seeming to echo in his ears.

He was not someone who could accept losing lightly. He had lost many games before, but being forced into a corner by every move from the opponent and finally sealed with a single decisive strike, surrendering in such a way, was a profound humiliation!

Bai Hong tightly clenched his teeth and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, taking one out.

“Click.”

Jiang Changdong lit the cigarette with a lighter, taking a deep drag. The strong nicotine finally calmed his expression slightly, but even so, his heart was still tangled in chaos.

“Ring ring!”

At that moment, Jiang Changdong’s phone rang.

He frowned slightly, glanced at the caller’s name, and after a brief silence, finally answered.

“Hello? Teacher Jiang Changdong?”

On the other end came Chu Jingfeng’s voice.

He seemed to want to say something but hesitated, and the words never came out.

“What do you want to say?”

Jiang Changdong sensed this and asked.

“Teacher Jiang Changdong, I have reviewed today’s game.”

Chu Jingfeng hesitated again, seeming to carefully consider his wording.

“I lost.”

Jiang Changdong spoke directly, his tone surprisingly calm.

Hearing Jiang Changdong’s calm voice, Chu Jingfeng was obviously stunned and momentarily didn’t know how to continue.

“I don’t need your comfort.”

Jiang Changdong exhaled a smoke ring and slowly said, “It’s just one lost game. I can afford that.”

“I was just careless today;

my judgment was wrong.”

Jiang Changdong’s tone remained calm, but if Chu Jingfeng were in the hotel room at that moment, he would have seen Jiang Changdong’s jaw clench tightly again!

“It’s alright.”

As Jiang Changdong spoke, memories of the game flooded back. Facing Yu Shao, he was almost entirely beaten without any chance to counterattack—a wolf caught in a trap—with a fierce look flashing in his eyes!

But his tone stayed calm, as if today’s defeat had no effect on him at all.

“The National Champion match is best of three, currently tied. I am still the National Champion.”

“There’s still one more game.”

At this point, Jiang Changdong’s long-hidden emotions could no longer be suppressed, and a trace leaked out!

“I will win!”

“I will utterly annihilate that kid!”

Jiang Changdong’s tone grew heavy. Clenching his teeth, he spat the words out almost like a vow: “No matter what!”

.....

.....

The next day.

Jiangling, Southern Go Academy, in the lounge.

“This China-Korea exchange has come to a successful close. During this time, Teacher Zhuang Weisheng, thank you for taking care of things.”

An Hongshi put down his teacup and smiled at Zhuang Weisheng across from him.

“No need to be so polite. Playing against so many excellent young Korean players was quite beneficial for me as well,” Zhuang Weisheng smiled slightly and said.

“What benefit? In the end, only Xu Taiyang won a game. The others all lost.”

An Hongshi shook his head, laughing. “Besides, even though Xu Taiyang won, after that game his legs were weak—he could barely stand.”

“Although the others lost, they all played well.”

Zhuang Weisheng smiled and said, “Playing with them made me feel young again. Their moves often gave me a fresh perspective. More than that, the young Chinese players who challenged you said they also benefited a lot.”

“Ha ha ha ha, I didn’t expect it either. Originally, it was supposed to be a mutual contest between the young players from the two countries, but everyone eagerly challenged me.”

An Hongshi laughed. “That enthusiasm really startled me.”

“Who wouldn’t want to play against you?”

Zhuang Weisheng took a sip of tea and smiled. “Though they were afraid, they still summoned the courage to challenge you. After all, isn’t it said that anyone who can win a game against An Hongshi is a top player?”

“Does winning a game against Zhuang Weisheng not count as being a top player?” An Hongshi smiled and asked back without denying Zhuang Weisheng’s words.

Zhuang Weisheng chuckled quietly.

“So, you plan to leave in three days?” Zhuang Weisheng thought for a moment and asked again.

“Yes, probably three days later.”

An Hongshi nodded, lifting the teacup to sip again before continuing, “They’ve benefited a lot from this trip to China. The World Championships are coming one after another, so they’re all eager to return and summarize their experiences, hoping to shine in the World Championships.”

An Hongshi paused, then shook his head. “Except for Xu Taiyang, the others still need to sharpen their skills more. If they participate in the World Championships, it will probably just be a formality.”

“Xu Taiyang, huh…”

Zhuang Weisheng nodded thoughtfully. “He is indeed talented. Even though it was his first time facing foreign players, he was not timid and boldly fought me. I didn’t hold back, yet he still won in the end.”

“Let’s hope so.”

An Hongshi sipped his tea and smiled. “Xu Taiyang winning a game against you really surprised me.”

Zhuang Weisheng asked, “So, have you booked your flight?”

“No, not yet.”

An Hongshi shook his head. “I plan to book the ticket later when I return.”

Hearing this, Zhuang Weisheng fell silent.

After a moment, he suddenly asked, “Since you are already in Jiangling, aren’t you going to stay another two days?”

An Hongshi slightly nodded, looking up at Zhuang Weisheng.

“You saw the second game of the National Champion match yesterday, right? How did you feel? You probably, like me, were deeply moved?”

Zhuang Weisheng sipped tea, then looked at An Hongshi. “The third game of the National Champion match happens right here in Jiangling, no need to fly far away.”

“The Black side’s brutal defeat in yesterday’s game... knowing Jiang Changdong, I’m afraid he’ll pull out all the stops for the next game.”

“Though I’ve fought him half my life, I must admit sometimes when he goes all out recklessly, even I get scared.”

Zhuang Weisheng looked Jiang Changdong straight in the eyes and asked, “Aren’t you going to stay a few more days and watch this game through before you leave?”

.......

......

Time steadily moved forward.

Discussions about the National Champion match never ceased online, especially with the decisive final battle approaching. Everyone was eagerly awaiting to know who would claim the National Champion title this year.

Many had repeatedly reviewed the first two games and were especially looking forward to the third game, curious about how the last game would unfold.

Several days passed, but the match’s popularity remained sky-high, occupying top spots on various trending lists.

Though several days had passed since the second game ended, the excitement only grew as the final match drew nearer!

“If the second game was Yu Shao’s revenge, will Jiang Changdong be able to get his revenge in the final?”

“The ultimate showdown at the peak, currently tied—who will claim the National Champion title?!”

“When rivals meet on a narrow path, the brave win! Yu Shao wielded his sword to slay the dragon in the second battle with overwhelming sword qi. Will Jiang Changdong show his prowess again in the third battle?!”

“The final match set in Jiangling! Will Yu Shao, at seventeen, seize the National Champion title in one go to achieve a stunning feat, or will Jiang Changdong, the seasoned champion, spill Yu Shao’s blood on Jiangling soil?”

......

Major media outlets were hyping up the event relentlessly, with endless reports and coverage. They painted the last game as a pinnacle duel akin to the legendary Mount Hua Sword Discussion, stirring everyone’s curiosity!

Three days after the second game of the National Champion match ended, Yu Shao flew back to Jiangling.

Though he returned to Jiangling, with the match imminent, Yu Shao didn’t go home. He stayed in the luxurious hotel arranged by the Go Academy, waiting for the day of the match.

One week passed in the blink of an eye!

With everyone anxiously awaiting, the final game of the National Champion match was finally about to begin!

Early that morning, Yu Shao got up, dressed, and after a simple wash, left the hotel to take the special car arranged by the Go Academy toward the Southern Go Academy.

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the academy’s gate.

Yu Shao got out and entered the academy’s main hall, following the corridor until he reached the lobby.

“If Yu Shao wins this game, he’ll be the National Champion at seventeen. My god, that’s terrifying.”

“Do you think Yu Shao can win today?”

“How would I know?”

“There are so many people today, I feel like even the non-professional players have come. The lounge and broadcast rooms are probably packed to the brim.”

......

The lobby was originally bustling, but the moment Yu Shao appeared, all voices abruptly stopped, and everyone turned their gazes toward him.

Yu Shao scanned the lobby and quickly spotted several familiar faces.

The closest was Zheng Qin, standing at the front desk. Seeing Yu Shao, he turned his head to look but didn’t come forward to greet him, only watching from afar.

Today, Zheng Qin wore the same sportswear Yu Shao had seen him wear when they first met.

Suddenly, Yu Shao’s memory was pulled back to the past, when he had just transmigrated to this world and Zheng Qin had brought him into the Mountain Sea Go Club. There, he played his first game after transmigrating.

Now, he had fought his way to the title match and was facing the final decisive game.

Everything felt like another lifetime.

Not far from Zheng Qin, Xu Zi wore a long white dress, quietly watching Yu Shao.

At the vending machine, Wu Zhixuan held a freshly dispensed coffee in her left hand. Seeing Yu Shao look her way, she clenched her right fist near her face and mouthed “Good luck.”

There were also Le Haoqiang, Jiang Xiahua, even Chen Shan... almost all the players Yu Shao knew or had faced in the Southern Go Academy had gathered in the lobby.

Yu Shao’s gaze swept over these familiar faces, finally settling on a clean-cut young man on the far left side of the hall, wearing a white shirt and with short, neat hair and clear eyes.

“Su Yiming...”

Their eyes met in midair.

The High School Go League, the Ranking Tournament, the Yingjiao Cup, the China-Korea-Japan team competition...

Everything that had happened since coming to this world, every game played, was now connected and gathered together through these familiar faces!

After a moment, Yu Shao finally withdrew his gaze.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he walked straight ahead, passing by familiar faces, and finally strode toward the battleground of the title match—

The Go room!