Shock

Qin Yuan and Zhao Ye sat opposite each other, one with white stones and the other with black.

The surrounding area was packed with disciples of the Chess Saint Pavilion and Go enthusiasts, all holding their breath, their expressions tense.

Everyone believed this match was a foregone conclusion; after all, as the Chess Saint's head disciple, Zhao Ye had already reached the sixth dan in the way of chess.

Yet, the result was that everyone's expression shifted from anticipation to surprise, then to shock, and finally to uncontrollable horror, their eyes wide as saucers.

What were they seeing? Less than a quarter of an hour into the game, Zhao Ye, holding the black stones, was already breaking out in a cold sweat, while Qin Yuan opposite him remained calm, showing no signs of pressure.

The placement of stones on the board had gone from frequent to increasingly sluggish, and by now, not a single move could be made in five minutes.

Of course, those five minutes were entirely due to Zhao Ye's agonizing deliberation, while Qin Yuan seemed to have no need for thought at all; the moment his opponent placed a black stone, he would immediately follow with a white one, relaxed and at ease.

Even so, as time passed, the black stones on the board were being surrounded and intercepted by the white ones, trapped in a dead end.

Even a novice just entering the way of chess could see that the black stones held by Zhao Ye were like a setting sun, their time running out.

Qin Yuan raised his eyes to look at Zhao Ye, who was pale as a sheet, drenched in sweat, and staring with trembling pupils, and said indifferently:

"You truly didn't lie to me; your way of chess can indeed only be considered 'passable'."

"Clack..."

This sentence was the final straw that broke the camel's back, and the black stone in Zhao Ye's hand fell with a tremor.

His body went limp, his wooden stool tipped over, and he collapsed to the ground, his once calm and bright eyes now trembling violently, bloodshot veins covering the whites of his eyes.

"No, impossible, how could it be like this..." Zhao Ye muttered with difficulty, his soul lost and his Dao heart seemingly shattered.

After a long while, he slowly looked up at the calm-faced Qin Yuan, his pale lips trembling slightly:

"You... can you tell me how long you have been studying chess?"

"Half a year," Qin Yuan said.

Whoosh—!!!

A sudden uproar erupted among the crowd. Upon hearing that Qin Yuan had only studied the way of chess for half a year, everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, dumbfounded and shocked to the extreme.

Zhao Ye was shaken to his core, his pupils suddenly contracting to the size of pinpricks, his mind reeling.

A bitter, strained smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He, who had prided himself on being a genius of chess, only now realized that in front of a true genius, he was not worth mentioning at all.

When the words "half a year" left Qin Yuan's mouth, the image of Qin Yuan in Zhao Ye's eyes instantly towered over him by an immeasurable degree.

Although the real Qin Yuan was merely a ten-year-old child, reaching only to his chest.

Yet that majestic image—standing at the peak of the way of chess, looking down upon the world—was truly and deeply branded into his mind, never to be forgotten for the rest of his life.

Qin Yuan had become his nightmare.

Glancing at Zhao Ye, who was slumped on the ground, Qin Yuan shook his head in disappointment and sighed inwardly:

"I had hoped the Chess Saint Pavilion would allow me to battle different masters of the way of chess to help me comprehend the heart of chess, but this is it? The Chess Saint's head disciple is just this?"

No, I cannot have made this trip for nothing... Qin Yuan seemed to have made a decision, stood up, and looked at Zhao Ye:

"I have heard that Wang Qingyuan is the Chess Saint of the Heavenly Dou Empire. I wish to experience the demeanor of the Chess Saint; is he currently in the pavilion?"

Hearing that Qin Yuan wanted to play against the Chess Saint, everyone was startled, but upon reflection, they assumed he simply wanted to catch a glimpse of the peak of the way of chess in advance.

Everyone firmly believed that Qin Yuan would certainly reach, or even surpass, the Chess Saint in the future.

Zhao Ye said nothing; he merely stumbled to his feet, cast a look of awe at Qin Yuan, left the crowd, and headed for the second floor.

Before long, the sound of messy, hurried footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

Turning his head, Qin Yuan first saw an old man with half-white hair, dressed in black and white robes, walking quickly downstairs, followed closely by two other old men, with Zhao Ye bringing up the rear, his expression complex.

The old man in the black and white robes walked over quickly, and the crowd automatically cleared a path, calling out "Teacher" and "Chess Saint" one after another.

Thus, Qin Yuan knew that the old man in the black and white robes was the number one master of the way of chess in the Heavenly Dou Empire, the Chess Saint, Wang Qingyuan.

Wang Qingyuan rushed to Qin Yuan, nearly unable to stop himself. He was visibly excited, and internally, his heart was a raging sea that refused to calm down.

He stared fixedly at Qin Yuan, who only reached his chest, his gaze burning as if he were looking at a rare treasure.

Soon, Qian Feng and Liu Yuan also rushed to Qin Yuan's side, both wearing the same burning expression as Wang Qingyuan, their breathing ragged and hot.

Li Fu, who stood silently behind Qin Yuan, frowned slightly, feeling that these three old men were too close to Qin Yuan and might pose a danger.

Thus, he released a trace of his terrifying Soul Saint aura, like an irresistible, invisible wave, forcing the three of them back two steps.

The expressions of Wang Qingyuan and the others froze, and they looked up sharply at the reticent Li Fu, their faces solemn.

It seems this child's status is not low... The same thought flashed through the minds of Wang Qingyuan and his companions simultaneously.

"Chess Saint Wang, please." Qin Yuan gestured to the seat opposite him; he did not want to waste time, as he had already wasted enough.

Wang Qingyuan looked down at Qin Yuan, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately said nothing. He smiled, nodded, sat down opposite Qin Yuan, and extended his aged palm:

"Please."

Qin Yuan sat down to play against Wang Qingyuan.

This was destined to be a match without suspense.

Wang Qingyuan's ninth-dan level of chess, when pitted against someone who hadn't even reached the seventh dan, was no different from a fully armed adult fighting a child who had just learned to walk.

Qin Yuan's expression finally turned solemn; he had become just like Zhao Ye moments ago, lost in deep thought for a long while before he could finally place his piece.

Although Wang Qingyuan could place his pieces with ease, as he watched where Qin Yuan played, the admiration and fervor in his aged eyes almost solidified into something tangible.

I must take this boy as my disciple!!!

Wang Qingyuan roared internally.

Qian Feng and Liu Yuan, who were watching the match from the side, looked at Qin Yuan with eyes full of heat and astonishment, while simultaneously lamenting in their hearts:

How tragic, with that old man Wang here, this boy is not destined for us!

Damn that old man Wang!

The two of them cursed silently; such a peerless genius, one seen only once in a thousand years, was someone they wanted to take as a disciple too!

Time ticked away second by second, yet no matter how long Qin Yuan pondered, Wang Qingyuan did not grow impatient or restless, waiting with extreme patience.

During the course of the game, he even offered pointers, his love for talent evident in every gesture.

However, Qin Yuan had only been studying chess for a short time, and he simply could not compare to Wang Qingyuan, who had been famous for many years.

In the end, he was defeated without any suspense.

Yet, it was an honorable defeat; no one present dared to look down on Qin Yuan.

Setting down his white piece, Qin Yuan sighed softly:

"I have lost."

"Hahaha, to reach such a level at such a young age—in these past thousand years, no one can compare to you."

Wang Qingyuan laughed heartily, his face glowing with excitement. He stared at Qin Yuan with burning eyes and said:

"Child, are you willing to take me as your master?"