Chapter 579: The Dao of Heaven and the Dao of War: Piercing the Ruins of Niu and Dou!

{Start by playing at the celestial pivot!

{This move, though supremely domineering, appears as mystically awe-inspiring to outsiders as the unity of heaven and earth.

{Yet among go players, it is said: "Those who dare play the celestial pivot must also have the skill to win."}

{Otherwise, they become nothing but a laughingstock for idle chatter, adding only to ridicule.

{Playing first at the celestial pivot is equivalent to yielding half a move.

{According to go principles, this is a grave mistake: placed at the center, it gains no advantage from the corners, struggles to form life, and cannot effectively enclose territory.

{If likened to xiangqi, this move would be like moving the general or advisor on the very first turn—an unwise act.

{It brings no benefit to the game and merely wastes the initiative of the first move.

{True masters do not rely solely on superior skill to overpower their opponent; otherwise, who would dare play the celestial pivot so recklessly?

{Particularly worth noting is!

{Since Xie Xuan emerged, he has redefined the opening Zhidao of go with his unique insights.

{He overturned prior traditional theories; during the peak development of go in Yan and Tang, generations of elders had distilled the "Ten Principles," emphasizing the "small aim" in the opening, like celestial guidance steering the game's direction.

{Subsequent variations grew countless, with masters offering divergent views: aggressive players would "hang" at the corner to deny the opponent any breathing room; while strategic players seized the "empty corner," even creating the " Wuyoujiao," laying a solid foundation for later territorial struggles.

{Yet this Fourth Master of the Academy forged an entirely different path.

{He adhered to the principle of "plan thoroughly before acting," prioritizing the whole board over petty gains or losses.

{The game must focus on the entirety, not the parts.

{The Fourth Master won against all go players of the world; for nearly fifty years, the entire go world followed his path.

{Thus arose the popular saying in go circles: "Gold in the corners, silver on the sides, grass in the center."}

{When claiming territory, seize the corners first for stability, then the sides for expansion, and finally plunge into the center to fully control the board and subdue the opponent.

{Yet you did not immediately play, merely gazing at the woman's celestial pivot.

{Xie Xuan asked curiously: "Is go the Dao of heaven?"}

{Chen Jiuyan replied: "The night sky's stars are not clustered in one place, but scattered across the heavens—just as the Fourth Master said: do not fixate on local gains or losses, but on the whole board. Both paths lead to the same truth."}

{The woman seemed patient, her expression growing more solemn.

{"If go mirrors astronomy, then the stars across the sky follow patterns; to master their Dao is to walk the Dao of heaven."}

{You stared at the board, lost in thought.

{"The patterns of sun, moon, and stars in motion?"}

{Chen Jiuyan's voice echoed distantly: "All stars revolve around the North Star, also called Ziwei, Yao Guang, or Gou Chen. In ancient times, our ancestors observed this star, seeing in it the mandate of heaven."}

{"The celestial pivot on the go board corresponds to the North Star."}

{Xie Xuan stared at the single stone at the center—the celestial pivot, which, once placed, moves the whole board, with paths opening in all four directions and responses echoing from all eight sides.

{The woman said coolly: "He who claims the celestial pivot first holds the Dao of heaven."}

{Xie Xuan still looked bewildered, as if he had not fully grasped the woman's celestial pivot strategy.

{Su Yun was different; his brow was furrowed—he had already experienced the power of this celestial pivot move.

{Long ago!

{Chen Jiuyan had used this very go theory to defeat every expert in the Xie household, leaving several elders and senior family members still haunted by it—even now, seeing an opponent open with the celestial pivot made them uneasy.

{The woman suddenly shifted tone and asked Xie Guan: "What do you believe go is?"}

{At this question, Su Yun and Xie Xuan both turned their gazes toward you.

{This was no longer a simple discussion of the board—it touched upon the very principles of go.

{You gently pinched a white stone between your right fingers, rolled up your left sleeve to reveal long, pale fingers, and slowly placed the stone on the "lower-right corner's outside aim."}

{Your face remained expressionless: "Go is just go—it is no different. If I must liken it to something, it is merely the struggle of military strategy."}

{The woman shook her head lightly upon hearing this.

{"Go is not military tactics—it is the Dao of heaven."}

{She played the black stone at the celestial pivot, having never lost to anyone except the master who earned her reverence.

{The woman shook her head again; she had already established the center of all things—the North Star, the "Master of Life Numbers"—within the boundless "cosmos."}

{The woman played black first; you responded with white.

{Only the crisp sound of stones being placed remained in the room; Su Yun and Xie Xuan watched in silence, no longer speaking.

{This game progressed slowly, without haste.

{Your play resembled marching into battle.

{No matter the winds from all eight directions, you sailed steadily forward.

{To Su Yun and Xie Xuan, the celestial pivot emphasized seizing momentum; your dozens of moves amounted to surrendering that momentum.

{Yet even in disadvantage, you responded with ease.

{At this moment, Su Yun understood: your go skill had entered the First Rank.

{First Rank—entering the divine: transformations unpredictable, foresight innate, essence penetrating the divine—the highest form of go.

{In your eyes, the celestial pivot stone was merely a reckless, powerful army occupying high ground—not to be tolerated, but deliberately provoked to expose its weaknesses.

{Military strategy says: "When strong, prepare; when angry, provoke."}

{But!

{In the woman's eyes, your moves were like insignificant stars falling through the cosmos.

{Merely displaced from their proper positions.

{All things in the cosmos must revolve around the North Star—that is the Dao of heaven.

{She played, on the upper-left corner's outside aim.

{You continued, placing another stone adjacent to the upper-right, seemingly intending an exchange.

{Another dozen moves followed!

{Chen Jiuyan shook her head and chuckled: "You truly do not understand the Dao of heaven. The turning of stars is not fixed; holding the celestial pivot does not mean locking it in place."}

{She played again—not on the outside aim, but on the side.

{Xie Xuan's eyes lit up in awe: "Brilliant move—the group is alive!"}

{She defended the large space while simultaneously attacking the white stones.

{This single stone seemed like a star circling the North Star, drawing all surrounding white stones into its orbit.

{You continued playing.

{Again you launched several offensive moves; the black stones responded effortlessly, harmonizing with earlier stones.

{Xie Xuan watched with burning eyes—he finally understood what a Dao-of-heaven game truly was.

{This was the style he sought: once the formation unfolded, no matter how the opponent responded, they would ultimately be powerless.

{The woman said coolly: "The Dao of heaven's go conforms to heavenly principle; within the Dao of heaven, no stone is weak, no stone is isolated."}

{Another dozens of moves followed!

{The middle game had arrived.

{Black now dominated the lower board, forming a powerful black formation, elegant in structure.

{Like stars divided between Yi and Zhen, connecting Heng and Lu, coiling like a dragon's light piercing the ruins of Niu and Dou—the aura was complete.

{To Su Yun and Xie Guan, Chen Jiuyan had already secured a great dragon and was about to close the game.

{Your defeat was certain!

(End of Chapter)