Qi Wanjie stared for a long time, still somewhat bewildered, as the position of this stone was vastly different from what he originally knew. Yet, being a Chess King in his own right, he held deep strategic reserves. Though he could not yet grasp the opponent's true intention, he sensed a potential for formation developing as the two stones above faced each other across the board. In a contest between masters, a hair's breadth means a thousand miles; Qi Wanjie dared not be careless. He tentatively placed a stone in the center, between the opponent's two stones, intending to threaten both sides or at least sever their connection.

Now, to see how Jun Moxie would respond next.

Unexpectedly, the opponent completely ignored it, placing another stone on the star point in the lower right!

Qi Wanjie grew more hesitant. The opponent’s opening moves were exceedingly strange, yet they seemed to harbor profound truths. Truly worthy of a Chess Master who could face the Chess Sage Hua Wucuo; his vigilance intensified.

Engaging with even greater caution, the two played back and forth, and in the blink of an eye, dozens of stones were laid. Black and white speckled the board in a balanced pattern. The situation seemed evenly matched. Jun Moxie calculated with lightning speed, placing his stones even faster. Each stone he placed seemed to arrive with the force of a raging storm, a clash of thunder and lightning, giving the observing Qi Wanjie a dizzying, peculiar sensation—as if the opponent’s speed was increasing, ever faster, as if all his responses were already within the opponent's calculations, allowing such effortless execution...

Driven by Young Master Jun’s overwhelming pace, Qi Wanjie, unwilling to lag behind, also quickened his tempo.

Jun Moxie sighed internally: “Though the opponent is distracted, his fundamental skills are not wasted. Relying purely on instinct, and playing entirely unfamiliar with my modern joseki patterns, he has managed to keep the board almost even, and even harbors the potential for an incredibly deep and stubborn counterattack...”

“However, the real contest has yet to begin...”

“Within the confines of the board, I have essentially pushed my play to its limit; further progress is difficult! What can truly decide the game now are the moves outside the immediate framework, and up to this point, the effect of those external maneuvers has been exceptionally favorable!”

“Qi Wanjie’s skill is high, but his weakness lies within his own grasp!”

With continuous sharp clicking sounds, the spectators watching the game grew increasingly tense. The dynamic of this match was completely contrary to their initial predictions. Everyone had presumed Mo Junye would certainly lose this game. But the current scene was...

That genius possessing the Ethereal Constitution had once again seized absolute initiative, just as in the previous match. Every move descended with the force of a thunderbolt, replete with unending ingenious tactics that lay entirely outside the scope of known chess strategies, yet achieved unparalleled elegance and endless wonder. In contrast, the young Chess King of the Phantom Mansion seemed perpetually on edge, walking on thin ice, forced into a purely reactive stance. While the immediate situation appeared equal, no one held an optimistic view of Qi Wanjie... Such an utterly unexpected turn of events truly stunned everyone!

Could there really be such a universally gifted genius? Could the Ethereal Constitution truly be this monstrously powerful?

Qi Wanjie, currently at a relative disadvantage, finally began to treat the current board state with seriousness. Being constantly behind and merely responding had left him deeply frustrated! It was precisely this frustration that sparked a sudden realization. Seeing the opponent's momentum building, Qi Wanjie pondered for a moment, then decisively abandoned the entanglement in the lower left corner, abruptly dropping a stone into the large empty space on the opponent’s right flank!

This move seemed to descend from nowhere. At first glance, it appeared irrational, but upon deeper thought, it was a move demanding an unavoidable defense from the enemy! Although he had wholly conceded the lower left, the opponent still needed three more moves to fully seal control. But if Qi Wanjie secured two stones in this open area, the opponent’s otherwise advantageous position would be completely shattered! No matter which exchange was made, the decision was agonizingly difficult!

The moment this stone landed, the entire dynamic shifted, drawing sincere murmurs of admiration and sighing appreciation from all the knowledgeable onlookers...

Jun Moxie scoffed inwardly: “So, he has finally awakened? But waking up now is a little late...”

The black stones continued to fall rapidly. Ignoring both the three-move kill in the lower left and the sudden intrusion into the large open area, the stone instead pierced a vital cutting point in the opponent White’s large group, launching a fierce offensive—an attempt to slay the dragon?

If Qi Wanjie continued to attack the large space on the right, the vital group that served as his foundation risked annihilation! But if he were to abandon that and immediately rush to rescue his foundational dragon, the opponent’s single stone could tie up his large group for at least five or six moves! Furthermore, once he relaxed his grip, the consequences would be unbearable, given that the opponent had secured the critical first move advantage.

Qi Wanjie’s body trembled. He picked up a stone but held it suspended for a long time, unable to place it.

The game had now reached the middlegame; every stone carried immense weight. Any slight miscalculation in any move would lead to a situation of irreversible ruin!

Qi Wanjie was in acute agony at this moment!

He had never anticipated encountering such a tenacious, clinging opponent in a battle today! The message was clear: “I’d rather sacrifice, as long as I can tear a chunk out of you!” If you strike my eye, I’ll choke your throat; if you attack my legs, I’ll stab your heart!

He played ruthlessly, regardless of whether the move was justified or not!

Fierce!

All of Qi Wanjie’s maneuvers proved futile. Since the opponent had seized absolute initiative from the very beginning, all of his probing moves in this passive state were met with direct opposition or outright disregard. If you play ruthlessly, I will play a killing move!

It was like a scholar confronting a brute—reason was useless against sheer force!

A look of fierce determination flashed in Qi Wanjie’s eyes, and the blood vessels in them began to show. The only way forward now was to preemptively deploy his winning blow, throwing the entire situation into chaos, and then relying on his own powerful, refined calculation ability to turn the tide. Only by taking such a perilous risk could he secure victory...

With that thought, he hesitated no longer. His hand moved, the stone dropped, and with a sharp pa, everyone present fell into a stupor!

Qi Wanjie’s move had also struck a cutting point in Jun Moxie’s large dragon!

The current state of the game resembled two gamblers, having lost everything, now drawing knives to kill each other! You stab me, and I won’t defend, but I will stab you just the same!

It was a contest to see who could hold out until the end!

Jun Moxie frowned, then lifted his face and let out a long breath. He had been fixed solely on the board until now, ignoring everything else. When he suddenly looked up, Qi Wanjie couldn't help but look up too. He saw an expression of deep memory on Jun Moxie’s face and his heart jolted: At this moment, was he not focused on the game? What could he be thinking about? What matter could be more important than winning or losing this match?

While he was guessing and hesitating, he heard Jun Moxie sigh deeply: “The reality is truly strange; the two games are so similar. I played exactly like this in that match too. Brother Wucuo’s play was like a dignified army, a righteous banner—steady and solid, showing no urgency, never seeking luck through peril. In the end, all my offensive efforts were nullified...” “Today, with a different opponent, the intensity is murderous. This state of mind is different. Fortunately, it hasn't devolved into the situation I dreaded most. Good. Let’s see who emerges victorious...”

Qi Wanjie’s heart clenched. He thought: I am indeed inferior to Hua Wucuo. He could remain calm and composed, facing the situation evenly. I am forced into this life-or-death struggle. Just this mindset alone puts me at a disadvantage...

As he pondered, he heard Mo Junye sigh deeply again, murmuring: “Heaven is the board, the stars are the pieces; who can play this game? With the heavens as the board and the stars strewn across it, how could one possibly play? What a brilliant connection, truly brilliant! Whoever can respond to this couplet will achieve fame nearly equal to the Chess Sage Hua Wucuo. But against such perfection... who could possibly respond?”

Qi Wanjie felt a heavy shock in his heart, as if a great hammer had struck him right on his chest! In an instant, his newly recovered clarity dissolved back into chaos!

I haven’t even managed to answer that opening couplet yet. “My chess skill is still far inferior to Hua Wucuo’s now,” he thought. “This Mo Junye is clearly implying I am not as good as Hua Wucuo; the contempt in his tone is obvious. He’s saying I am worse than him, but his actual skill in play doesn't seem that high either... If his skill isn't high, why have I been at a disadvantage throughout our entire exchange for so long? Have I been caught in his strategic web since the very first move, and he has merely been dragging the game out to see how I would play when forced into this corner? Is this person truly that brilliant? Am I really inferior to him?”

Once this thought arose, it became impossible to suppress!

Qi Wanjie looked helplessly at the board, feeling that any chance of winning had vanished. His long-held pride had been utterly shattered in an instant.

Just then, a sharp pa sound rang out. Jun Moxie placed another stone, still attacking! He continued to attack Qi Wanjie’s large dragon—a sharp capping move!

Qi Wanjie heard the crisp sound, but his mind was wandering; it sounded as if it came from millions of miles away, perhaps from millennia past... He felt a profound dislocation of time and space, an intense sense of unreality...

“What exactly are you thinking about? Can you hurry up? Whether you win or lose, just show some spirit! Always stalling like this, what’s the point? It’s just a game of chess, not a woman giving birth—I can’t stand it! Dragging things out like a woman, how did you even earn the title of Chess King?”

Jun Moxie’s uncompromising reprimand cut across from the other side...

Qi Wanjie’s heart suddenly jolted, as if violently awakened from a dream. He raised his head, staring blankly at Jun Moxie, his eyes filled with confusion, and... fear. Looking at the board situation now, he felt his position was critically perilous, like a crumbling fortress. If the opponent tightened the noose just slightly more, he would have absolutely no path to survival...

Thinking this, he strangely felt the opponent was magnanimous, granting him a chance to save face by not pressing for the kill immediately. Everything was his own fault for unnecessarily prolonging the game...

His state of mind was utterly broken!