The competition continued, and the battle resumed.
About twenty minutes later, the second round concluded, and Ye Xuan, as expected, advanced to the top 250.
And so it went…
Top 125!
Top 63!
Top 32! Top 16!!
Finally, after the sixth round, Ye Xuan broke into the top 16. Ye Pengfei and Chen Xiaowan's smiles brightened by another notch.
"That guy…"
Luo Tianyi watched her man with a hint of astonishment. Top 16?
It was important to note that the lowest ranked players among the top 16 were at least professional third dan. She hadn't expected this fellow's Go skills to be even more formidable than she had imagined.
"Good kid!"
Chen Bingyan stroked his beard as he observed his grandson's achievements, a look of surprise appearing on his face. Top 16 was already an excellent ranking.
Amidst the discussions, the seventh round had already begun.
"Next, for the seventh round matches: Table 1, Pluto vs. Gong Juren!"
"Table 2, Baxia vs. Xiang Zhuang!"
"Table 3…"
As the host announced the pairings, the 16 contestants took their positions. Ye Xuan faced a professional fourth dan player. This professional fourth dan, in turn, dared not underestimate Ye Xuan, who had no listed dan rank, as his skill was clearly on par with his own.
*Pa~*
Gong Juren, playing black, made the first move, placing a stone on the Tiansuan. It was a conservative, standard opening. After this move, Gong Juren's gaze never left the board.
For he was facing Pluto, and he dared not be careless.
*Pa~*
As soon as Gong Juren placed his black stone on the board, Ye Xuan picked up a white stone and placed it on a star point. It was very fast, less than half a second after Gong Juren's move.
"Is this guy trying to overwhelm me with momentum?"
Gong Juren's expression turned serious. Facing Pluto's aggressive approach, he let out a slight breath and picked up a black stone, placing it on another star point with a *pa*.
The white stone followed closely, and Gong Juren's eyelids twitched.
As the stones were placed one by one, fine beads of sweat appeared on Gong Juren's forehead. By the 56th move, Gong Juren's position had fallen into absolute disadvantage.
"Hiss…"
Gong Juren gasped, and his gaze towards Ye Xuan changed. "This guy's Go proficiency… How is this possible??"
"So strong!!"
What was most terrifying was that the other player's playing speed had not diminished at all from start to finish.
"I… resign!"
Gong Juren knew that this guy's Go skills were definitely superior to his own, and even a professional fifth dan player might not be this formidable. The champion of this Go tournament would likely be him.
"Seventh match, Arena 1, Pluto wins!"
As the host's announcement echoed, the crowd erupted in a murmur. Winning the seventh match meant Ye Xuan had advanced to the top 8.
And Ye Xuan's match against Gong Juren was the first to conclude.
"Top 8 now."
Ye Pengyu watched his nephew's performance and couldn't help but smack his lips. He had never imagined his nephew would reach this stage, let alone advance to the top 8.
"Impressive, my cousin!"
Ye Xiaodao's eyes were filled with admiration and awe as he heard the host's words. Honestly, his cousin was too amazing.
However, Ye Xuan's performance wasn't just limited to this. After all, the system's mission was to win first place in the Go tournament.
Then…
Top 4!
Top 2!!
Finally, under everyone's gaze, the Go tournament reached its final showdown. The finalists were Ye Xuan and another young man known as Baxia.
Although less than thirty years old, he was already a professional sixth dan player.
Even so, the young man nicknamed Baxia dared not underestimate Ye Xuan.
What a joke!
It wasn't that he *didn't want* to be careless, but he *couldn't*. Firstly, the person in front of him possessed true skill. Secondly, this match was for the championship title and was crucial to him, so he had to give it his all.
*Pa~*
*Pa, pa~~*
The sound of stones being placed on the board echoed throughout the venue, amplified by the sound system. This was the final match, and Baxia was a sixth dan master, while Ye Xuan, in the previous rounds, had defeated his opponents with astonishing speed.
Although his exact skill level was unknown, one thing was certain: the match between these two would be incredibly exciting!
It was for this reason that the host decided to live-stream the game onto the big screen, and a Go board soon appeared.
"Is that young man named Pluto really that powerful!?"
Among the tens of thousands present, many were proficient in Go. Being able to play so quickly against a professional sixth dan player already indicated his extraordinary talent.
However, soon, their thoughts changed.
Because… they discovered that the professional sixth dan player, Baxia, was rapidly falling into a disadvantage. Baxia, as the player, was completely bewildered by Ye Xuan's tactics.
How could this be?
How had this guy's Go skills suddenly improved so much? Could it be that his skill level was actually higher than his own, and he was a professional sixth dan player pretending to be weak?
Meanwhile, in a corner of the audience stands, an elder with white hair stroked his beard and observed the game. "That kid named Ye Xuan is quite the bully."
The elder shook his head with a slight bitter smile. This elder was none other than Sun Mingyang, who had traveled from Yangcheng specifically.
Others might not know, but he was well aware that the young fellow's Go skill was astonishingly high. He could even defeat someone as skilled as himself, a professional eighth dan. His skill level was likely already at professional ninth dan.
Although a professional ninth dan at the age of twenty was hard to believe, this was the truth!
Fifteen minutes later!
The board was filled with stones, and the outcome was decided. Baxia, having lost by eight stones, chose to resign, as further play would only lead to a greater loss.
"Very well, next, I announce!"
"This year's Tianhai Go Tournament champion is: Pluto, Ye Xuan!"
*Boom…* As this was announced, the venue erupted in a clamor. All eyes fell on the figure on the stage. This person was Ye Xuan.
A dark horse!
The biggest dark horse of this year's Go tournament!
At only twenty years old, he had defeated a prodigy of professional sixth dan skill. His Go prowess was evident, at least professional sixth dan!
"That guy… won?"
Luo Tianyi watched the scene in the arena, and a hint of astonishment, as expected, welled up in her beautiful eyes.
Ye Pengyu's mouth twitched. The scene before him felt like a dream. However, unlike him, his son Ye Xiaodao jumped three feet in the air with excitement. "Cousin, you're amazing, well done, hehehe!!!"