The work of the Go master

Chapter 85 The Cycle of Four Tribulations?

"Attack, attack to the left." Bamboo swordsmith's voice came coldly from the walkie-talkie.

This is the kind of language a normal person would use to instruct others on how to play chess, not using coordinates like "a number of a number". Most people don't actually count the squares on the chessboard.

As the new chess piece was placed, the Buddha statue outside also disappeared at the same moment.

The pressure, as if from the deep sea, disappeared, replaced by a new kind of power.

Those that lean towards penetrating power are like cutting through iron like mud, sharp as a blade, charging towards you with a pure offensive posture.

Although he could not see his symbolic spirit, Ke Zhiguang could feel his Asura-like power and determination.

Ke Zhiguang adjusted his breathing slightly, and the game entered a new phase.

The chess pieces fell like ice crystals, making a chilling sound like they were falling from an ice cellar.

As the clock struck midnight, the shops closed and the lights went out, but the only room on the top floor was still lit, and the sound of chess pieces was the only sound in the entire building.

Judging from the first impression on the board, Ke Zhiguang's three-stone advantage had already been reduced to zero after more than 150 moves. It was at this moment that Shi Xin handed the game over to Zhu Daoduan.

If things proceeded normally, the game would have been nearing its end after more than 150 moves, but there were still many complex aspects to the game, all of which were endgames left by Shi Xin's constant disengagement.

This is exactly the kind of situation that bamboo sword forging excels at: chaotic battle.

With his keen sense of chaotic battles, he defeated one powerful opponent after another and turned the tide of many unbelievable situations.

"From now on, it will be over in 10 minutes." Shi Xin lit an incense stick, and it burned out exactly 10 minutes later.

"Understood." Bamboo Knife Forging nodded.

These 10 minutes are shared time for both parties, and how they are used is entirely up to their own discretion.

If Ke Zhiguang is the kind of person who doesn't know why he's using basic attacks, then Zhudao Tuan is a complete rationalist. He clearly knows why he wants to win this game.

Only by winning this game can he wash away the shame of his previous cowardice!

His opponent at this moment is not only powerful but also has a strong personality. His brilliance once made him feel ashamed. It is precisely because of this that he needs to defeat his opponent in order to be reborn.

He will inherit this power and challenge opponents of even higher status; this is the way of life for the Asura!

The special effects on the chessboard are amazing!

A beam of light shot upwards, with flames and ice swirling together as it emerged, startling Ke Zhiguang.

What is that?

How did the atmosphere suddenly become so lively?

He originally thought that the chessboard would only show special effects when both players were face to face and in a serious game. How come now, even when people are thousands of miles apart, the effect is still visible when a woman with an awkward hand position makes a move?

But Ke Zhiguang could clearly feel that every chess piece that was forged from a bamboo sword was bursting with an astonishing obsession, as if it were about to transform into human form and launch a direct attack on Ke Zhiguang at any moment.

The woman seemed to sense something was wrong, and suddenly released a chess piece as if she had been burned.

Does that mean the chess piece has heated up?

this.....

The only explanation is that Zhu Daotong's competitive spirit exceeded a certain threshold, reaching an astonishing level, which ultimately caused changes in the moves he made in the distance.

Although it sounds very idealistic, it's at least an explanation, right?

Nonsence.

This is ridiculous! What's the difference between this and Yu-Gi-Oh! DM where someone spouts nonsense and manages to pull the Dark Magician out of the graveyard to block an attack?

After briefly finishing spraying the groove, Ke Zhiguang accepted the setting.

After all, he quite likes things that can liven up the atmosphere and make everything look exciting.

Ke Zhiguang calmed down and probed the power within his body.

For a fleeting moment, he did indeed feel something erupt, like a massive database suddenly bursting open, containing an amount of information as large as a civilization.

There were also familiar memories and sensations. I originally thought that a message would pop up at this moment to retrieve memory fragments, but it didn't.

Or rather, just as the dialog box was about to form, the process was interrupted by Shi Xin's departure, and the door closed again.

Sure enough, challenging Shi Xin in the second round was the right decision, as it made him realize that there was indeed some mysterious power within him.

So from now on, you'll have to rely on yourself; you are your own true magic weapon.

Make a move and launch a powerful counterattack against the opponent!

On the chessboard, two forces collided!

Who knows, maybe one day while playing chess, we'll accidentally create a nuclear missile...

Many students were still waiting downstairs for the game to end. None of the familiar faces had left. Bai Meng and a group of classmates were praying for milk, while Saito was drinking a little wine and humming a tune, enjoying the refreshing night breeze.

Harushima Shika looked up at the room where the game was in progress, and extended his palm to shake hands with it from a distance.

It all sounds like a fantasy. Just a month ago, he was a beginner when he knocked on the door of a Go room, and now he's challenging the world's strongest player.

"The next time I see you will probably be on the field, right, Kojiro?" The starlight reflected in Shizuka's eyes, and Kojiro's three Chinese characters were pronounced quite fluently.

The camera slowly rises, returning to the room where the game was being played...

The game is progressing at breakneck speed!

180 hands!

210 hands!

240 hands!

270 hands!

Normally, at this point in a game, the endgame would be incredibly close, but this game turned out to be an unexpected result.

"This is... the Four Tribulations Cycle?" Bamboo Blade Forging clearly saw the change.

The two kos in the upper left and lower right corners of the board form a four-ko cycle, which determines the life or death of the two dragons.

This situation is called a draw.

In the era when komi was implemented, draws were extremely rare. A draw could only be declared if there were three or more ko cycles. Such a game would be recorded in history every time it happened. And this time, the fact that four ko cycles were played in one go is even more rare.

Although the change had not yet been played, Bamboo Blade had already calculated it. Stone Heart watched the game indifferently from the side, remaining calm and composed.

Ke Zhiguang also calculated it.

Everyone was just waiting for him to take this crucial step, complete the four-knock cycle, and then celebrate in style, celebrating that he had managed to emerge from such a rare game.

Only a small section of the incense stick remained stuck in the jar, the embers about to go out. At that point, Shi Xin would probably declare a draw.

Bamboo swordsmith was also thinking, but seeing that time was almost up, he took a deep breath and relaxed a lot.

"A draw is a victory in itself, a win-win situation for both of us," he sighed softly, without relaying it to the other end of the walkie-talkie.

Bamboo swordsmith has accepted this outcome.

Ke Zhiguang is also considering whether or not to accept this result.

Chapter 86 Cherry Blossom Strike, Perfect Closed Loop

A mix of emotions welled up inside me.

Although Ke Zhiguang calculated the result of a draw, he also calculated another result.

That is to abandon one of the cycles and redirect the main conflict to the lower right, which can create a slow-moving conflict. If successful, it can wipe out the dragon with 22 bamboo sword forgings in one fell swoop.

However, this is a slow-burning tribulation, which means that if Ke Zhiguang wants to win this tribulation, he needs one more tribulation material. And after calculating all the tribulation materials, he is indeed missing just one more.

If this calamity fails, the entire game will end in defeat.

Taking a step back and choosing a draw, while advancing further, although there is a good chance of winning, will ultimately result in defeat with the smallest difference of just one ko threat.

An incredibly difficult choice.

"It's almost over, please make your moves quickly," the woman coldly reminded him from the side.

There's not much time left to think.

He turned his head irritably and fiddled with the folding fan in his hand.

But as I fiddled with it, my gaze suddenly fell on the end of the folding fan.

There's a cherry blossom pendant hanging there; it's very cute and was probably a decoration that Shireshima Deer added for it.

Although Ke Zhiguang had noticed the existence of the ornament long ago, this time his gaze lingered on it for a long time.

It's a pity that when he came to this world, the best time to see cherry blossoms had already passed, and he could only see some withered cherry blossoms.

If I have the chance, I definitely want to see the cherry blossoms properly next year.

Just as they were about to call a draw, Ke Zhiguang's hand holding the piece froze in mid-air, his eyes suddenly widening as if he had suddenly realized something.

He immediately seized every second and began to re-examine the chessboard.

He... found it.

The location of that last piece of loot.

That game-changing weapon!

"You're something else, Harushima Kashima, to be able to give me inspiration even at a time like this." Koji Hikaru let out a helpless yet gratified wry smile.

Then, he placed his piece.

The sword broke at the weakest point on the right side of the forging process.

The bamboo knife forging process was as sober as if it had just finished a hangover.

—The fact that he made this cut means that he doesn't intend to draw and has chosen to slow down the ko fight.

Bamboo Knife Forging had naturally calculated the changes in this ko fight and knew that if he played it this way, he would win the game with the advantage of one ko threat.

what's the situation?

Didn't he calculate it correctly?

Without a second thought, the bamboo swordsmith immediately ate it!