Piece Battle, the Court's Objective!

This kind of Literary Duel tests both sides' overall strategic vision, tactical Battle Formations, and ability to control their subordinates' strength.

Although it's not Go, the basic rules and gameplay are highly similar to Go.

It also emphasizes encircling and dividing the opponent.

As long as the opponent's connection is severed and they are isolated and helpless, while your own pieces are connected and growing in number, then your own health and mana can accumulate.

Meanwhile, the opponent's pieces are surrounded and cannot accumulate more health. When one's own pieces have more health than the surrounded pieces, it is time to capture them.

To break through, you need to take advantage of the opponent's insufficient number of connected pieces, decisively sacrifice some pieces, exchange them for pieces blocking your path, and then break through.

It's essentially a scenario highly similar to real-world warfare.

At this very moment.

On a hillside platform.

Two strategists, each holding a black or white chess piece, sat on a high platform, having others move the pieces around.

The black and white chess pieces were as large as millstones, comparable to large-sized mahjong tiles.

Many players climbed up the mountain to enjoy the spectacle from their vantage point.

Gao Linzhi was also there watching.

The two strategists appeared to be quite relaxed.

Military Advisor Liang smiled and said, "Brother Guitai, how have you been?"

"Brother Dengji, how have you been?" Military Advisor Liu replied.

As they talked, the two began their first round of competition.

Military Advisor Liu caught Hei Zi, and Hei Zi went first.

In ancient times, the white pieces actually moved first.

He placed a chess piece directly into the corner.

This is a corner piece of land.

Cornering areas are easy to manage and allow for defense of only two sides, but they are also vulnerable to being surrounded.

Therefore, it is necessary to grow the pieces in time and connect them with the pieces in the abdomen.

This is where it differs from traditional Go.

Even if your piece has two eyes, if it is divided and surrounded, and its internal strength is less than that of the surrounding piece, it will be captured.

Of course, during this process, you can exchange some of your opponent's pieces.

Each side has 180 pieces.

Whoever runs out of pieces first and occupies less space naturally loses.

At this moment, Military Advisor Liang also placed a piece, and his piece appeared in the opposite corner.

Neither side sought to engage in combat at the outset; instead, they first established a base before expanding outwards.

As time went by, many players still didn't understand it.

"Can someone from the senior class explain this?"

"Let me explain, I can wrap my waist!"

"This is actually Mutant of Go, but it also adds the element of Animal Chess, where each piece must be connected to other pieces."

"But sometimes, in order to occupy more territory and isolate the opponent, it is necessary to venture deep into enemy territory alone." "Because when it comes to determining the winner, in addition to how many pieces you have left, you also need to consider the area of territory you occupy."

Even if you have more pieces than your opponent, you lose if your territory falls behind.

At this point, someone asked, "But how do we determine which side that area belongs to?"

"That's a good question. It's very simple: only areas enclosed on all four sides belong to you."

"As long as there is a single line connecting this area to the outside world, then this area does not belong to you."

"I see."

"Then the complexity of this game is even higher than that of Go, because a single piece has three states: alive, dead, and its own strength."

"That's right. That's why both players have to be extremely careful when using pieces to capture each other's pieces, because those pieces might also betray them."

"What? Chess pieces can rebel?"

"Yes, there's another rule for Battle Formations here: a piece that's been surrounded for 20 rounds will be converted into an enemy soldier. Although their morale isn't very high, it's far higher than that of mercenaries."

"I'm sorry, this is much more complicated."

"Yes, there's another option. This needs to be taken into account in the calculations, and a rescue operation will be necessary, just like in real life."

Gao Linzhi nodded.

Actually, this kind of competition is quite good.

At least the main battleground is on the chessboard, so the soldiers don't have to sacrifice their lives unnecessarily.

And at this time...

Finally, Military Advisor Liang began to act.

He immediately used a piece to ruthlessly cut off Military Advisor Liu's chess formation.

Military Advisor Liu frowned, then smiled:

"Brother, you really can't wait."

"Okay, isn't this normal?"

Military Advisor Liu immediately played another black piece, ruthlessly cutting off the opponent's piece's escape route.

Everyone looked at it, and they were all somewhat puzzled.

They all seemed a little confused.

Gao Linzhi did notice the distinctive features.

Those are black and white chess pieces, and their strengths are different from each other.

Some pieces are strong, some are weak.

At this point, flexible allocation is necessary.

Just now, Military Advisor Liang used a Powerful white piece. To surround and capture it, you would need at least five ordinary black pieces.

At this point, the pieces in the players' hands can be divided into three categories: ordinary soldiers, elite soldiers, and generals.

The number of pieces in the three categories decreases sharply in that order.

The general chess piece that Military Advisor Liang just used was the general chess piece.

This general is tasked with ruthlessly cutting off the black pieces. It must survive to cooperate with other pieces and annihilate the surrounded opponent.

Instead of directly rescuing them, Military Advisor Liu employed a strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao".

He chose to attack the opponent's rear line, intending to bury this general on the board.

Some people have started explaining things to the players:

"The strength of these black and white chess pieces directly reflects the strength of the soldiers on both sides in reality."

"That's why we can simulate combat."

One player agreed, saying, "In that case, the weaker side will only become increasingly inferior in reality and eventually be eliminated through optimization."

"The stronger side has already created something extremely terrifying with these pieces; they can be invincible and no one can restrain them."

Another person asked, "How can we defeat the stronger side by using different methods of troop deployment?"

How can the stronger party convert its advantages into a winning position?

At this point, a player asked in confusion, "Since one side is strong and the other is weak, wouldn't it be easier to win by simply attacking one piece at a time?"

"It's not that simple. You also need to be efficient in your moves to gain an advantage by calculating the area you occupy at the end."

"Yes, you'll understand once you see it. The Battle Formations in this game is the same as in real life. The soldiers have to move in a certain formation, and this formation cannot be..."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Gao Linzhi also agreed; this person was good.

It seems there are still discerning people and experts out there.

The other party was able to quickly figure out the routine of the event after just one look at the photo; they're practically a living saint.

At this point, they discovered that the players' side was relatively weak in terms of morale.

The soldiers there were clearly in higher spirits.

On the chessboard, as the number of moves increased, the two sides fought more and more fiercely.

It started with one piece and continued for over 300 pieces; it was truly terrifying.

Most of the players finally understood the rule.

Both sides take turns placing pieces. The test lies in how to Battle Formations, how to accumulate resources, how to cut off the enemy's pieces, and how to connect one's own pieces into a large group.

The general rules here are also based on the rules of Go.

However, there are actually some differences in the details.

You could say one side surrounds the other, trying to cut off their life force; but you have to consider whether you're strong enough.

If you're not strong enough, then surrounding them is pointless and will only lead to your death.

If the enemy pieces cannot be connected to each other, you can group your own pieces together to kill the enemy.

This situation arises mainly because the enemy rashly invades, intending to launch an attack.

This can also be seen from their Literary Duel.

The side with the advantage should play steadily and surely, turning its advantage into a winning position.

The losing side can resort to risky or unconventional tactics.

With a bit of luck, you might be able to cut off the opponent's attack and turn the tide of battle.

This requires Gao Ming techniques.

Generally speaking, victory is decided before the battle even begins.

The side with the advantage, if paired with a good commander, will almost certainly win.

The side with the advantage is very likely to lose if they have a bad commander.

This is all perfectly normal.

Players quickly realized that Prefect Liu's strategist was far more Gao Ming.

The opponent used various methods to lure Military Advisor Liang, eventually devouring him bit by bit.

Accumulate small victories, and they will turn into a big victory.

Finally, the decisive battle to slay the dragon began.

The two sides began to fight over a large dragon with 100 pieces.

Both players moved their pieces with lightning speed.

In the end Military Advisor Liu defeated the dragon, thus securing victory.

I have to say, this guy is pretty impressive.

Prefect Liu smiled with satisfaction:

"Haha, it seems I'm still one step ahead."

"No, no, the person you found is quite capable, but he couldn't possibly defeat me." Prefect Liang felt there was something seriously wrong.

His pieces were clearly stronger than his opponent's on average.

However, the opponent repeatedly used the strategy of "Tian Ji's horse racing" to lure the weak and then surround and devour the strong, gradually shifting the situation.

This person didn't know where the other person came from.

After Gao Linzhi watched the game, the game indicated that his Battle Formations skill had been upgraded.

Advance from beginner to intermediate level.

That's really good.

In this way, he could be considered to have won.

From this perspective, Gao Linzhi himself did not lose out.

At this moment, Prefect Liang appeared very unwilling.

However, he still showed good manners and was willing to admit defeat.

He simply clapped his hands and said, "Alright, in that case, I'll give you half of the Longevity Water."

At that moment, all the players watching nearby held their breath.

They were all eager to see the Longevity Water.

Gao Linzhi smiled; he had already gotten his hands on it.

It's really nothing special.

Then, a trusted aide brought out six bottles of gentian violet, all contained in jade bottles, which looked extremely expensive.

And at this time...

A game notification appeared.

"Ding! Congratulations to the players of Island 3081, you have collectively discovered the Longevity Water."

"Add 50,000 points to the group!"

"Haha, I hit the jackpot!"

"One hundred thousand points equals one Revival Stone, this is awesome!"

"As expected, this treasure hunt mission is only suitable for casual observers and loafers."

"This is much better than the previous events."

Seeing the Longevity Water and being able to get 50,000 points right away is naturally very satisfying.

Of course, this was just a drop in the ocean for Gao Linzhi.

Suddenly, the three players who had appeared earlier—the female player in ancient costume and the two tengu—reappeared.

"These things are the Longevity Water?" The female player in ancient costume had a gleam in her eyes.

"Yes, the game has been decided. This position will be held by the virtuous," Tengu One stepped forward and said.

"That's right," Tengu Two chimed in.

"In that case, you shouldn't keep them; hand them over."

Prefect Liu, enraged, retorted with a laugh, "Then who can be considered virtuous?"

These three guys were causing trouble over there, making it impossible for them to continue their fight normally.

Fortunately, his team was quite capable, which led to their eventual victory.

"Of course it's us. We save the weak, so we are naturally the most virtuous people," said Tengu One.

"That's right, my name is Li Quande, with too many virtues!" Tengu Two added.

The female player dressed in ancient costume remained silent, seemingly concerned about her image.

However, with two tengu acting as her mouthpiece, there's no need to say such awkward things.

Gao Linzhi smiled at the same time.

Yeah, that's what a player should be like.

She may be called a saint, but deep down she's still driven by self-interest.

The benefits that a saint typically pursues are for the purpose of self-realization and emotional fulfillment.

This is a higher level of benefit.

Soon, the other players also became restless.

"That's right, these Longevity Water should belong to us!"

"My name is Quanjude, and my virtue is the greatest!"

"My name is also Delengtai, and my virtue is the highest!"

A group of players actually started making jokes about names.

It's truly both laughable and frustrating.

At this moment, Prefect Liu retorted sarcastically:

"Haha. Since that's the case, and there are only a few bottles of the Longevity Water, who does it belong to?"

"Of course it's for us!"

The three players' eyes gleamed with intense desire.

It's not that they weren't interested, but rather that the items weren't valuable enough.

Other players naturally wanted to grab it too.

This is the Longevity Water, which can increase lifespan! You must drink it to definitively extend your lifespan.

Finally, one player couldn't resist any longer and rushed forward to grab it.

The three of them showed no mercy and killed the player without hesitation.

Gao Linzhi noticed that at this moment, both Prefect Liu and Prefect Liang smiled simultaneously.

He immediately understood.

So that's how it is. The purpose of this so-called "Longevity Water" and the treasure hunt event was actually to weaken the players' strength.

This is to kill the players with potential.

This Longevity Water Immortality not for their own sake.

It was a decoy.

So these guys are really clever at manipulating power.

Unless the player uses brute force to overcome skill, victory is very difficult.

In this way, they can take control of the situation, ultimately achieve victory, and force their opponents to admit defeat.

This wave of attacks is specifically designed to thoroughly weaken the players.

Three powerful players thus stood on the opposite side of their fellow players.

Without the imperial court expending a single soldier, they successfully instigated infighting among the players.

Just like the once-powerful Taiping Rebellion, what ultimately defeated them was not their enemies, but their own internal strife.

Such mistakes are made without a long-term vision and a strong organization.

And it's easy to become discouraged and give up.

Clearly, the game's official treasure hunt event was being exploited by the imperial court.

Gao Linzhi immediately understood.

The game's operators must be incredibly stupid; no wonder they couldn't beat the imperial court in several invasions.

Although the imperial court was corrupt, it was also more astute and adept at assessing the situation.

They will use the game company to attack the players.

From this perspective, Gao Linzhi gained a lot this time.

He saw through the weaknesses of the game operators.

That means being unable to think too deeply about things.

He only knows how to do a few simple activities.

It's quite obvious that the person in charge of this game is probably a shut-in, or one of the few who aren't particularly bright.

That's why they were repeatedly deceived and defeated by the imperial court.

This is similar to how the Qing Dynasty defeated the Taiping Rebellion.