Invincibility Begins with a Super Fairy Manny

Chapter 994: Chapter 994: The Competition Begins, Strategizing (1st Update)

This was also the common thought among many Tian Zhao chess masters present.

In the eyes of these ever-arrogant and self-important Tian Zhao chess masters, apart from the Zhuge Family, there simply was no entity capable of competing with them.

As for Xue An, he was merely lucky, having fortuitously defeated the Ghost Chess Grandmaster Zhu Fei.

Moreover, many people believed that Xue An had already expended too much energy in his previous ascension to the ninth rank, so it was unlikely he would be able to accomplish much in the upcoming match.

In the face of these unusual gazes, Xue An just smiled indifferently and couldn’t be bothered to pay them any attention.

The competition finally officially began.

This chess tournament employed a single-elimination system, meaning that losing one game would result in direct elimination.

This extremely ruthless rule compelled the participating chess players not to dare slacken in the slightest.

For each of them, every game was a battle of life and death.

Thus, the atmosphere of the entire venue became solemn.

Countless people widened their eyes to watch the giant screen set up in the sky by the powers of Divine Sense.

It was divided into several small squares, each depicting the live situation of the chess games of the various competitors.

Since it was a single-elimination tournament, everyone’s opponent was random.

Xue An’s opponent was a middle-aged woman with a proper appearance.

The woman showed delight on her face upon seeing that her opponent was Xue An.

Because she too felt that Xue An was already at the end of his tether, she thought her first match was in the bag.

In response, Xue An just smiled faintly and, without wasting words, began the match.

The chessboards used in this chess tournament were specially made, stacked with as many as one hundred and seventy layers, and each was a gigantic chessboard measuring 72 by 72.

Such chessboards would make an ordinary person dizzy with just one glance, not to mention playing on them, due to their intricate complexity that was simply astonishing.

Although this middle-aged woman was not famous, anyone who could reach the ninth rank of chess mastery was no pushover.

At the start of the game, she revealed her strong chess cultivation level, and her style of play was extremely steady, with each move resembling a textbook standard.

This kind of steady and methodical approach, though lacking in spectacle, was the most secure and the most headache-inducing style of play.

Unless the discrepancy in chess skill between the players was substantial, it would be difficult to break through such tactics in a short period of time.

Because of Xue An’s previous astonishing performance, many people turned their attention to his match, but after seeing the opening, many of them couldn’t help but shake their heads, thinking that Xue An’s chances of winning were very slim.

Because it was clear that the middle-aged woman had set her sights firmly on Xue An’s currently overtaxed energy, planning to wear him down bit by bit with this methodical approach.

It might sound somewhat boring, but it was the most effective.

However, to everyone’s surprise,

Xue An did not show any signs of impatience or restlessness in the face of this situation, but calmly began to tangle with the middle-aged woman.

She was methodical step by step, and Xue An also mounted his defenses layer by layer.

As a result, the style of this chess game began to deviate once more.

Both sides seemed overly cautious, like generals who had secured all their soldiers without making any actual attacks.

As time dragged on, the game became so dull that it almost made people want to yawn.

Many of the spectating chess masters felt somewhat stupefied.

”This Xue An is quite clever, probably thinking of using this tactic to prolong the game and recover his energy quickly!” someone guessed.

Others, however, shook their heads, ”This is just a temporary measure, I don’t believe the two of them can continue this stalemate indefinitely.”

But the reality was just as this person had said, the situation remained at a standstill.

Even when other matches had reached the mid-game, with some fast players having already ended the fight and eliminated their opponents,

Xue An was still defending unhurriedly.

This led many chess masters to unavoidably show a look of disdain.

Such a style of chess, although not wrong, seemed to many that Xue An had clearly lost his nerve.

And a person who had lost their nerve simply did not deserve to be called a chess master.

The atmosphere grew more and more oppressive.

Xue An still wore a face of indifference.

But the middle-aged woman he was playing against could barely hold on any longer.

Her complexion turned slightly pale, and her moves became hesitant and uncertain.

Finally,

After another period equivalent to the burning of an incense stick had passed,

The middle-aged woman couldn’t contain herself anymore and launched an offensive.

Because of the overly perfect arrangement before, this attack was, once initiated, extraordinarily fierce.

Many of the spectators who were almost dozing off from watching the game snapped to attention at this scene.

Had it finally begun?

However, contrary to these people’s expectations, Xue An, in the face of such an attack, made no changes at all, instead he continued to methodically advance his battle line.

In front of such a nearly impenetrable defense, all the middle-aged woman’s attacks became futile.

In the end,

It was through such an almost rascally tactic that Xue An suffocated the middle-aged woman’s momentum and won the game.

The game concluded.

The middle-aged woman, her face ashen with anger, gave Xue An a resentful look and turned away, leaving the chess platform.

The entire venue was first stunned, then burst into a buzz of discussion.

”This style of play is too shameless!”

”It’s really unexpected to win over an opponent in this manner!”

Many people expressed disdain for Xue An’s approach.

Xue An sat there, his face calm, showing no emotion whatsoever.

That’s just how a chess game is; a loss is a loss, with no excuses to be had.

At this point, the first round of competition had ended.

That round had eliminated half of the competing chess players.

Looking back, Gong Changyue, unsurprisingly, had won her first game and advanced to the second round.

As for Zhuge Xuanqing, he was the first player to defeat his opponent and advance to the second round.

Jing Tianrui followed closely behind.

The time taken to complete their games also reflected the strength of each individual.

Compared to them, Xue An was almost the last one to finish, so Jing Tianrui snorted dismissively and let go of his concerns.

In his view, Xue An’s victory was purely due to luck, and it was unlikely that he would not be the first to be eliminated in the second round.

Such a weak player was, of course, not worth his attention.

After a short rest, the second round of competition finally began.

This time, Xue An drew an opponent who looked very simple and honest.

Even after sitting opposite Xue An, the man gave a few honest laughs, ”Hello there!”

However, many in the audience were taken aback upon seeing this man, then showed odd expressions on their faces.

Some couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

”Now, Xue An is really in for a treat!”

Someone curiously asked, ”Why do you say that?”

”You don’t recognize this man? This guy is a ninth-rank chess master from the Greedy Wolf Star Domain. He might look honest, but he has a nickname, called... the Chess Lunatic!”