Under the tense gaze of everyone present, the white stones hesitated to be placed, clearly indicating that Su Yiming’s move was also beyond Fu Shunan’s expectations.

“How should one respond here?”

Seeing Fu Shunan delay his move for so long, someone finally shifted their attention back to the board and started discussing.

“It’s a difficult choice. The push-and-extend joseki has been played countless times;

no one would think to try a different move. Su Yiming’s variation here makes the board incredibly complex.”

“Here, White might consider cutting along the side. Since Black is advancing with such impressive momentum, aiming to fight towards the center’s vast space, White should play firmly and secure their own side territory.”

“Or maybe place a stone high up as well and entangle with Black?”

Unlike before, when the crowd discussed the game casually as mere spectators, now everyone’s expressions had turned solemn.

Clearly, Su Yiming’s large knight’s move facing the central open space had shaken everyone profoundly.

Time passed minute by minute.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Fu Shunan finally placed a white stone.

Click!

At column 7, row 4, a knight’s move!

“A knight’s move?”

Yu Shao looked at the TV screen, then quickly placed a white stone simultaneously. He wasn’t surprised by this knight’s move.

“A very calm move.”

Yu Shao made his judgment. Although if it were him, he wouldn’t play this knight’s move, it did not prevent him from thinking it was a good move.

Cutting along the side looked the strongest—it would contest the corner and claim the side space. However, cutting too fast allowed a strong counterattack, making stone connections empty, and Black might have ways to break in.

“But this knight’s move not only keeps the possibility of seizing side space but also supports the other white stones in the corner, making Black’s break-in extremely difficult!”

“This move appears weak but is actually an absolutely strong response—soft on the outside, hard inside!”

Yu Shao kept his eyes fixed on the screen.

“So, facing this knight’s move, where would Su Yiming place his next stone?”

Soon, another white stone was placed on the TV screen.

Click!

At column 12, row 17, a pincer move!

“A real pincer move!”

Yu Shao was shocked by this move.

This pincer was the way he expected, but it seemed greedy—after the large knight’s move facing the central open space, this move stubbornly focused on the side corner, seeming inconsistent.

The surrounding crowd’s faces were filled with confusion upon seeing this move.

“So, a pincer again?”

“The previous large knight’s move was in the sky, but this one returns underground?”

“Not continuing the high placement? From the big picture, the game has reached this stage;

it can only rely on central influence to contend with White in the middle area?”

Hearing the crowd’s discussion, Yu Shao looked at the screen and finally spoke, “No, that’s not it.”

Everyone was stunned and turned to look at Yu Shao.

“Black’s previous high placement was not a feint, but it also wasn’t a real move because the large knight’s position was so excellent it seemed effective. However, it’s hard to say how much impact that move will have later.”

Yu Shao said without hesitation, “From the big picture, White should indeed continue with the previous plan and develop the central influence.”

“But if you look further ahead, it’s different.”

“If you can see farther, continuing to place stones high up is equivalent to cutting off your own retreat, and it might even fix the role of that large knight stone!”

“Here, Black is tangled with White in the corner, so the future influence of that large knight stone is uncertain!”

“The unknown is the strongest because its uncertainty holds infinite possibilities!”

Yu Shao said with absolute certainty, “This might be... the best move on the current board!”

Hearing this, everyone instinctively followed Yu Shao’s train of thought, trying to look further ahead to reconsider the game with a broader perspective.

Gradually, a trace of emotion slowly appeared on everyone’s faces!

Silence.

The entire room suddenly fell into an eerie quiet.

Xu Zijin looked at Yu Shao, who still stared at the TV screen, opened her mouth but could not say a word.

“From the sky’s perspective...”

Xu Zijin glanced at Yu Shao’s profile.

“From the big picture, without a doubt, everyone would think continuing in the sky is better, but if you look further ahead, beyond the big picture...”

“Is what we always thought of as the big picture really the big picture?”

“The usual big picture is based on experience, judging future gains and losses.”

“But...”

“But is it possible that the true big picture doesn’t judge by future gains but by understanding the development of momentum?”

“Even if there might be no gains in the future, if you know the momentum and direction are correct, then in the farthest future no one can see clearly, the answer will come!”

Xu Zijin looked at Yu Shao, overwhelmed with complex emotions.

“Or rather, what we’ve always thought was the big picture is not the true big picture. It might even be...”

“Completely the opposite!”

Yu Shao focused intently on the TV screen, not noticing Xu Zijin and unaware of her thoughts. When Fu Shunan finally placed another white stone, Yu Shao placed his stone in response.

Seeing the fierce battle between black and white intensify, everyone gradually focused their minds, following the board and pondering the situation.

However, the atmosphere in the broadcast room was noticeably different from before. Everyone watching the game seemed somewhat distracted.

Like Xu Zijin, Yu Shao’s earlier explanation left an indelible deep impression, shaking their hearts.

Click!

Click!

Click!

Time passed second by second, and as more stones were placed, the fierce black-and-white confrontation gradually revealed its brilliance.

Soon, another black stone appeared on the TV screen.

Click!

At column 9, row 10, a central pressure move!

“Central pressure?”

Seeing this move, everyone was shocked, finally abandoning their distractions and drawn back into the game.

Click!

Click!

Click!

After seven or eight consecutive moves, everyone’s faces showed expressions of surprise!

“The momentum is astonishing!”

Someone exclaimed in awe, looking at the TV screen, “He’s not pursuing any easy gains here. Every move floats in the air, grand and magnificent!”

“Every black move feels like it carries celestial energy, so ethereal, almost floating in the air, unbelievably graceful!”

Someone nodded, eyes glued to the screen, unwilling to blink, their face marked by persistent shock!

The three-star formation indeed aims to build a large framework, but building such a framework is extremely risky, as every move tends to be too empty and elusive.

It’s like occupying the star point corner—although the corner is small, it’s difficult for the opponent to attack the side or corner. The three-three point is even more so;

once placed, the opponent can hardly shake the corner.

Similarly, the more space you try to enclose, the easier it is for the opponent to attack. Because of this, the closer to the middle, the larger the enclosed space seems, but in reality, often it encloses little space at all!

That’s why there’s a saying in Go: “The high position is in the belly.” The center is the hardest area to manage, and the three-star formation is difficult because it aims to control the center!

But in this game, Black advanced with overwhelming momentum, each move expanding a vast open space, playing in places no one dared to imagine!

These moves are not attacking techniques but carry the momentum of swallowing mountains and rivers!

Su Yiming’s moves are not hard to understand, but every move reaches too far, with grandeur so overwhelming it shocks and bewilders.

“This kind of play...”

Zheng Qin stared blankly at the TV screen, uncontrollably recalling a figure in his mind.

He had never seen this person;

this person became a legend before he was born.

But through those timeless game records, a voice echoed from more than a hundred years ago to more than a hundred years later, still lingering in the Go world!

“Shen Yi!”

Yu Shao quietly watched the TV screen without speaking.

In fact, by this point, others were already somewhat impressed, but in his view, while Su Yiming’s layout was wild and had astonishing momentum, it wasn’t extraordinary.

It was just... not bad.

Indeed, several moves in this game had grand momentum, and the majestic imagination and heroic passion impressed even him. But some moves, he felt, were not so good.

However, Yu Shao did not show any disdain;

on the contrary, his expression grew even more focused!

He knew clearly that Su Yiming’s true strength lay in his midgame pressure—unparalleled attacking power and jaw-dropping entanglement!

At this moment, it was Su Yiming’s turn to play.

But he delayed placing his stone for a long time.

...

Inside the Go room.

Su Yiming lowered his gaze to the board, hesitating for a long time without placing a stone, immersed in deep thought.

“Long thinking here? Black has the advantage!”

Seeing Su Yiming deep in thought, the female recorder and referee beside him both felt puzzled.

“How will Su Yiming play? He only needs to hane here, right?”

The female recorder frowned, thinking for a long time but still confused.

Suddenly, her peripheral vision caught Fu Shunan sitting opposite Su Yiming. Fu Shunan’s face was extremely grim, even slightly pale.

“Teacher Fu Shuju was completely overwhelmed by Black’s momentum in the first half, right? It’s simply... unbelievable.”

The female recorder thought silently, then looked at the game record on the computer screen. Seeing Black’s every move filled with wild imagination, she still felt a deep shock.

Just then, the sound of a stone being placed suddenly rang out.

“Is he going to play?”

The female recorder withdrew her thoughts and immediately looked at Su Yiming: “It should still be a hane, right?”

After long thought, Su Yiming finally reached into the stone box and slowly picked up a stone. The black stone between his fingers seemed to shimmer with light.

Looking at the board in front of him, an image flashed through Su Yiming’s mind like a shadow—the last game Yu Shao played in the National Hand Championship.

Su Yiming’s expression changed, and the next moment, under the world’s watchful eyes, he finally placed the stone!

Click!

At column 5, row 15, a five-five shoulder hit!

The stone dropped like a pebble into a lake, sending endless ripples across the entire board!

Seeing this move, the female recorder was slightly stunned, and the two referees were also dumbfounded.

Immediately, the intense discussions online and offline about the game and its situation all abruptly stopped, vanishing into thin air after this move was placed!

Even Yu Shao was momentarily speechless upon seeing this move.

“This...”

“This is...”

At this moment, everyone in the world widened their eyes, staring at this move in shock!

Zheng Qin stared at the board, uncontrollably recalling the five-line shoulder hit he once played against Yu Shao in the National Hand Championship qualifiers!

How similar this scene was to that one!

On this nineteen-by-nineteen grid of intersecting lines, this black stone at column 5, row 15 shone like a star sprinkled across the boundless dark night sky, dazzling and brilliant!

Currently, Black had several choices because Black had already sealed off White’s initiative. The simplest method was to hane and completely suppress White’s potential!

Even if Black didn’t continue sealing, cutting down from below and launching a fierce attack could deal White a heavy blow!

But none of those methods were used.

Instead, this move was played—

The five-five shoulder hit!

This move walked on thin ice, defying Go principles. Shoulder hits are always on the fourth line, but the five-five shoulder hit was an earth-shaking move, beyond anyone’s imagination!

In the National Hand Championship qualifiers before, Yu Shao once played a five-line shoulder hit, and almost everyone thought he made a mistake.

Even after reviewing the game, they believed that five-line shoulder hit was valid, but nearly everyone still regarded it as a special move only fitting that particular position.

In actual play, no one would consider or even think of the five-line shoulder hit because it’s too beyond comprehension, completely overturning Go theory!

Previous Go theory held that the third and fourth lines were the balance line—third line for territory, fourth line for influence. Even shoulder hits were on the fourth line. The five-line shoulder hit could only be valid when supported by surrounding stones...

But still, it shouldn’t be played!

Because this move is like a celestial fairy descending, beyond human control!

No one can grasp the follow-up variations of the five-line shoulder hit;

it’s too complex and unpredictable, practically a forbidden zone. Moreover, the conditions for the five-line shoulder hit to be valid are rare!

Many believed that even if Yu Shao played it again, he could not reproduce that five-line shoulder hit;

only that particular game was special!

Yet now, in this game,

Since the National Hand Championship qualifiers, the five-line shoulder hit has reappeared!

This time, by Su Yiming’s hand!