Chapter 8

Sakamoto Kei had already seen the situation on the board clearly and couldn't help but look at Chen Anya with a pitying gaze.

At the same time, Sakamoto Kei muttered to himself, "As expected, the outcome is no different from what I had anticipated..."

"In the island nation's Go world, among peers, the only one who can consistently outplay Iryu is probably the child of the Tashiro family..."

Thinking this, Sakamoto Kei lost interest in the current game and planned to continue coaching other club members in Go.

On the other side, Miki Yuki finally waited for her father's move.

Without any hesitation, Miki Yuki directly placed a stone on the board that only she could see.

The position... the 8th row, 5th column on the lower right corner, a large knight's move!

As Miki Yuki's intention moved, a black stone appeared on the corresponding position on the board.

At the same moment, Chen Anya, who had already picked up a stone and was about to place it, suddenly heard a voice in his head.

This voice was telling Chen Anya a completely different move from what he had expected.

"Here it comes!"

Chen Anya couldn't help but shout excitedly in his heart, then his lips curled slightly, and he directly moved the black stone in his hand to the 8th row, 5th column position.

Chen Anya's movements in picking up and placing the stone were still clumsy, unable to compare with Iryu Shinji's fluid and aggressive actions.

However, this move by Chen Anya was the turning point for the black stones to turn the tide.

Due to Chen Anya's previous performance, Iryu Shinji didn't think much about Chen Anya's move, assuming it was another random placement.

At this moment, Iryu Shinji was only thinking about occupying the lower left corner.

The critical move had been made, and the gate of the black stones' territory in the lower left corner had been breached. Now, all that was needed was to lead the white stones to invade comprehensively to completely occupy the black stones' territory.

According to Iryu Shinji's estimation, it would take at most three moves to completely capture the black stones in the lower left corner.

Occupying the lower left corner was already a foregone conclusion for Iryu Shinji.

Therefore, turning the black stones in the lower left corner into dead stones was what Iryu Shinji truly wanted to do.

Without any hesitation, Iryu Shinji continued his strategy, placing stones in the lower left corner, trying to suffocate the struggling black stones.

To be honest, Chen Anya, who was still a beginner in Go, couldn't understand Iryu Shinji's intentions at all.

After that sudden flash of inspiration, Chen Anya didn't expect it to continue.

Therefore, Chen Anya directly picked up a black stone, preparing to place it where he wanted.

Just as Chen Anya's black stone was about to touch the board, the voice in his head sounded again, telling him a completely different move from what he had expected.

This voice that appeared again in his head made Chen Anya's right hand, which was about to place the stone, suddenly stop.

Once, twice, it could be considered a coincidence, a flash of inspiration, but after the third time, Chen Anya realized that the voice in his head was probably not just a simple flash of inspiration.

"Then, could this voice in my head be a golden finger?"

"If so, how do I trigger it?"

"If not, what is this voice?"

...

Various thoughts flashed through Chen Anya's mind, making his heart completely chaotic.

At the same time, Chen Anya's sudden pause in placing the stone made Iryu Shinji frown slightly, not knowing what Chen Anya was up to.

Not only Iryu Shinji, but also the surrounding Go club members were puzzled, not understanding why Chen Anya suddenly stopped.

Only Miki Yuki knew that Chen Anya's sudden pause in placing the stone was related to her.

Because Chen Anya's move was different from hers.

As expected, Chen Anya soon changed his move.

Just as Miki Yuki had anticipated, after a three-second pause, Chen Anya suddenly changed his move, placing the black stone at the 12th row, 4th column position.

At the 12th row, 5th column position, there was already a black stone.

Anyone who has studied Go knows that placing a stone next to an existing stone and extending it towards the edge is called a "stand"!

It was this "stand" that made Iryu Shinji's expression change slightly, his gaze filled with doubt as he looked at the board, and his action to place a stone in the lower right corner stopped.

In Iryu Shinji's eyes, after this "stand," the black stones' outer formation had subtly changed.

The two black stones placed side by side echoed with the black stone Chen Anya had placed at the 8th row, 5th column, forming a basic Go defensive formation—stand two and extend three.

The conventional stand two and extend three is on the third or fourth line near the edge, used to build a defensive fortress in the corner, utilizing thickness to enclose territory.

However, the stand two and extend three that Chen Anya placed was a high extension on the fifth line in the center, different from the conventional stand two and extend three.

However, once the stand two and extend three formation is formed, if not blocked, it can easily become a living group.

Iryu Shinji didn't know if Chen Anya's move was intentional or unintentional, but whether intentional or not, Iryu Shinji would not allow the black stones to live.

With a fierce look in his eyes, Iryu Shinji directly picked up a white stone, choosing to invade the stand two and extend three, aiming to destroy the black stones' chance of living.

This white stone, carrying Iryu Shinji's will and the aura around him, fell heavily on the board.

Whether it was an illusion or not, the club members watching from the side felt a sense of oppression when they saw Iryu Shinji's move.

In Miki Yuki's eyes, this sense of oppression was even more direct.

As the saying goes, "Before the storm, the wind fills the building." Miki Yuki knew that this white stone, like a divine soldier descending from the sky, heralded the coming of a great battle.

In another world, Miki Sōshi, holding the white stones, replicated Iryu Shinji's move on the board in front of him.

The white stone landed at the 10th row, 3rd column position.

Seeing this, Miki Sōshi couldn't help but say in a deep voice, "This is a good move, choosing to invade the high extension from the third line rather than the fourth or fifth line."

"However, choosing to invade now is too late..."

As he spoke, Miki Sōshi's eyes gleamed, and the aura he had been suppressing finally burst forth.

At the same time, Miki Sōshi continued, "Yuki, remember, the competition in Go revolves around two things: one is territory, the actual land occupied by the stones, and the other is influence, the outer formation built by the stones."

"Territory is important, as the final outcome depends on the amount of territory."

"But influence is equally important, as it can be used for battle, to build a large formation, to attack or defend."

"Those with influence can use it to attack and gain benefits, which can eventually be converted into territory."

"The more conversions, the more advantageous the side with influence."

"The fewer conversions, the more disadvantageous the side with influence."

As he spoke, Miki Sōshi slowly picked up a black stone with his right hand and continued, "In the current game, although the black stones have lost territory, the scattered black stones on the board are accumulating an influence that can change the outcome."

"However, this influence is like soldiers without a general, scattered and weak."

"What I need to do now is become the general of these soldiers, lead them, and turn them into an invincible elite force!"

Immediately, the black stone in Miki Sōshi's hand, carrying his will and aura, fell precisely on the board like a meteor.

*Plop!*

...