Old Chess King trembled as he placed a stone, his face as pale as paper. He had played chess for decades, yet had never encountered such a fierce attack. It was as if every stone carried a bone-chilling killing intent, striking straight at his vital points. He felt like a tiny boat adrift on the sea, liable to be swallowed by towering waves at any moment.
Xuan Mo remained expressionless, placing his stones faster and faster, until they even left afterimages. The sharpness in his eyes grew increasingly intense, as if a fierce beast that had lain dormant for years had finally bared its fangs.
"This... this..." Old Chess King's lips trembled. He pointed at the board, but could not utter another word.
The spectators around them were also deathly silent, cowed by the strange atmosphere. They had never seen such a Chess Game—so perilous, so... unreasonable.
Fang Xu's face was livid, and a trace of unease rose faintly in his heart. He felt that something was terribly wrong with Xuan Mo's condition today. It was not merely a change in his style of play, but more like a... complete transformation.
"Admit defeat." Xuan Mo's voice was cold and devoid of emotion.
Old Chess King let out a dejected sigh and nodded weakly. He knew that he had lost—lost completely.
In the several matches that followed, Xuan Mo maintained this terrifying state, sweeping through everyone in his path, unstoppable. Before they knew it, they had reached the semifinals. Xuan Mo had successfully won the first game, but it was already late, so the battles on Boards Two and Three were postponed until the next day.
That night, however, Xuan Mo showed no joy at his victory. Instead, he became even quieter. He often sat alone in his room, staring blankly