Entertainment to the death, make a tokusatsu film that will crush the entire internet.

[Light Country Animation Studio - Hikaru] posted an update.

"Regarding the second season of 'Go Master,' after careful consideration, we have decided not to produce it for the time being."

The five-year promise between Jiang Liuer and Heimu remains the most beautiful image in everyone's hearts.

However, in response to everyone's enthusiasm, the Land of Light will hold a national Go tournament themed "Go Prodigy".

Could the harmonious coexistence of heaven and earth and the transformation of the celestial demons depicted in animation be staged in reality?

Hey chess players, wanna give it a try? [Registration link attached]

The format of this Go tournament is completely different from that of traditional tournaments.

A prize-based tournament system will be adopted.

The first champion is determined by drawing lots or preliminary selection.

After that, each challenger went up on stage to take on the challenge.

The defender will receive a 500 yuan bonus for each successful defense of the title, and the bonus can be accumulated indefinitely.

The defending champion has the right to leave the ring at any time with their current accumulated prize money.

If the defending champion fails, all currently accumulated prize money will be cleared.

The challenger who defeats him will directly inherit the accumulated prize money before it was reset, become the new champion, and continue to accept challenges.

Until a certain point when no one dares to challenge anymore, the final defender becomes the overall champion and wins all the accumulated prize money.

Should we choose to take our profits and secure them?

Or should we go all in and win everything?

This tests not only chess skills, but also human nature and decision-making ability.

At the same time, in order to raise operating funds for the competition and give back to fans.

Yang Qian specially made the official collection of "Go Master" setting book available on the Starlight Video official store.

The concept art collection includes a large number of exquisite concept art pieces, scene illustrations, and previously unpublished drafts.

Price: 29.9 yuan.

During the competition, 30% of the net profit from the sale of the art book will be directly injected into the competition's prize pool.

The news caused an instant uproar online.

"Holy crap! I was even fantasizing about a live-action 'Go Master' TV series, but I never expected Everbright to put together an even more exciting live-action competition!!"

"A tournament format with stacked prize money? This format is something else! If everyone agrees to each win a match and take the money, wouldn't Everbright be losing a fortune?"

"Young man, you're still too young. Can human nature withstand the test? With the ever-increasing prize money, who wouldn't want to take a gamble and be the one who wins everything? Negotiated? Forget about it!"

"I've already registered! Perfect timing, I'm in City A! Time to show off my 'ghost hands' that I've honed over the years!"

"Hehehe, my 'Heavenly Demon Transformation' is already itching for more! Tremble, mortals!"

"My starting move is 'Universal Harmony of Heaven and Earth'! Feel the mysterious power from the East!"

"Although I don't play Go, this competition sounds like a lot of fun! I'll definitely watch the live stream!"

Of course, doubts and pessimistic voices also arrived as expected.

"Tch, what's so interesting about Go matches? They're so slow, it's better to watch game streams."

"I told you the Land of Light was no good, right? They can't make good anime anymore, so they've started doing these crooked things to ride on the coattails of their own work."

"Are they just using the guise of 'nostalgia' to make money? They sell art books, and maybe even get sponsorships for competitions. Who knows how much they've actually invested?"

"Could it be that Ah Guang has run out of ideas and is afraid his new work will flop, so he's using this kind of event to maintain his popularity?"

However, the original art book of "Go Master" sold out instantly as soon as it was released, and it had to be reprinted three times in an emergency.

The enthusiasm of fans and collectors far exceeded expectations.

As the art book sold well, the funds injected into the competition's prize pool accumulated rapidly, exceeding 500,000 yuan in just a few days.

This money will serve as a base prize pool and operational guarantee, making the competition more attractive.

Perhaps it's because the bigger the tree, the more the wind blows.

Some veterans in the Go community and association staff couldn't sit still any longer.

An official from a Go association jumped out and made sarcastic accusations on social media.

"The fact that such a large-scale Go tournament was organized by private individuals without registration and guidance from the official Go association is irregular and undermines the seriousness of the sport of Go."

The implication is that they want a share of the pie, demanding that the Kingdom of Light pay a management fee or certification fee.

The Land of Light's response to this was...

The official account directly released a scanned copy of a document stamped with several official red seals.

[Approval Regarding City A's Joint Organization with the Land of Light Animation Studio to Host the "Go Master" Themed Cultural Tourism Promotion Activity and Go Fun Tournament]

The document explicitly defines this event as a cultural and tourism promotion activity, rather than a simple sports competition.

This means that it falls more under the jurisdiction of the culture, tourism, and publicity departments.

Traditional sports associations have limited power to interfere with it.

This was precisely the contingency plan that Yang Qian had laid out beforehand.

When he first proposed this idea to Li Lin, he anticipated that it might infringe on the interests of certain established circles.

After Li Lin reported the event, the higher authorities realized the enormous potential of this activity in promoting traditional culture and boosting local cultural tourism.

Not only did they readily approve it, but they also promised to mobilize publicity resources to support it; their only requirement was...

The home games must be held in City A.

Yang Qian readily agreed.

He originally wanted to use the event to boost the popularity of City A and the Land of Light Park.

City A was delighted with this, as Go competitions typically last for several days.

A large number of athletes and tourists from other places flocked in.

Accommodation, dining, transportation, tourism expenses...

These are all real drivers of economic growth.

City A even took the opportunity to introduce preferential policies.

All participants and accompanying persons can enjoy a minimum 85% discount when making purchases at designated merchants in City A by presenting their participation certificate.

It looked like a fight was about to break out between the two sides.

In the end, it was the chess master Nie Weiping who personally stepped in to act as a peacemaker.

"It's a great thing that grassroots efforts are promoting Go culture in an interesting way and attracting more young people to pay attention! I personally support it very much."

"I have accepted the invitation to serve as the chief referee for this tournament."

The competition was held as scheduled at the A City Gymnasium and was broadcast live online.

Because the entry requirements were relatively lenient, the competition was a chaotic free-for-all.

Those who claim to possess the Heavenly Demon Transformation skill start by recklessly discarding their pawns;

Those who loudly proclaimed the unity of heaven and earth set up a layout that was neither fish nor fowl;

Some players even incorporated the rules of Gomoku (Five in a Row) into Go, euphemistically calling it "Secret Technique: Five in a Row"...

The unconventional methods kept popping up, making the viewers in the live stream feel like they were watching a meal.

The ratings have been rising steadily.

Nie Lao and Zhan Ying, who served as commentators, started with serious and professional commentary, but later they were also led astray and gradually let themselves go.

Master Nie would jokingly say that a player's bad move reminded him of one of his disciples back in the day.

Zhan Ying is witty and quick-witted, readily using various internet memes.

"This contestant's 'universe' is, in my opinion, 'vastly different'!"

"Is this move a legendary comeback?"

His relaxed and humorous commentary style has kept many netizens who were originally uninterested in Go engaged.

They discovered for the first time that Go competitions could be so much fun.

The economic data of City A has been steadily increasing as the competition progresses.

Hotels around the stadium are fully booked, restaurants have long queues, and tourist attractions have seen a significant increase in visitors.

Some businesses have roughly estimated that the revenue generated during these few days of the competition is equivalent to a month's worth of hard-earned income during the off-season.

Li Lin, who was in charge of coordinating this project, was beaming with joy as he looked at the data reported every day.

These are all tangible achievements, and they will all be attributed to him during the year-end evaluation.

In contrast, the relevant officials in City B could only stare helplessly at their screens.

What happened to our agreement to develop together?

City A's actions this time were truly a case of getting the meat but not even getting the soup.

As the competition entered its second half, true Go masters began to emerge, significantly increasing the excitement and suspense of the tournament.

Until one person appeared.

"Ke Jie has won 100 consecutive title defense matches, accumulating a total prize pool of 60,000 yuan! He is now the undisputed king of this ring!"

Zhan Ying exclaimed excitedly from the commentary booth.

Mr. Nie nodded in approval.

"Judging from the games over the past few days, Ke Jie is in a very relaxed state, but his chess sense is sharp, and he makes decisive moves, showing more composure than before."

"This kind of ring competition format really tests one's ability to adjust one's mindset during continuous battles, and he did a great job."

The live stream chat was already flooded with "666" comments:

"Jack is awesome! This is the real demon king!"

"I told you, as long as Jebo doesn't get obsessed with the Golden Spatula and four-star Jhin, he's invincible on the board!"

"I'm suddenly really looking forward to what that mysterious limited-edition championship merchandise that Guangda mentioned will be! With Ke Jie's skills, isn't he a shoo-in?"

"With the prize money, limited-edition merchandise, and this wave of hype, it's a huge win! None of those Korean players who use underhanded tactics can beat Ke Jie in official matches right now."

"Ke Jie: The future champions may belong to the younger generation, but for now, I still call the shots in this ring!"

There are very few challengers left who have not yet taken the stage.

Everyone, including Ke Jie himself, believed that the outcome of the championship was no longer in doubt.

Ke Jie himself also relaxed a little.

He glanced at the audience, preparing to welcome the final victory.

"Next challenger, Li Dazhu!"

The host called out the name.

The challenger who stepped onto the stage was a middle-aged man.

He had a stubble beard, looked haggard, and was still wearing a pair of old-fashioned liberation shoes.

He walked onto the stage somewhat reservedly and bowed slightly to Ke Jie and the judges' table.

"Hello Ke Jie, my name is Li Dazhu."

The game begins.

After just a few moves, commentators Nie and Zhan Ying both realized that Li Dazhu's chess skills were quite amateurish.

His foundation is weak, his techniques are rusty, and he is not on the same level as Ke Jie at all.

"It looks like Ke Jie is going to win the championship smoothly."

Zhan Ying remarked from the commentary booth.

She herself had thought about trying it out, but she estimated that it would create another meme.

After thinking about it, I decided to give up.

However, the course of the game took an unexpected turn.

Ke Jie slowed down his move speed noticeably, especially in places where he could easily secure victory.

He chose a gentler route.

In the middle game, Ke Jie made a mistake in a local area.

Li Dazhu seized the opportunity and reversed the slight disadvantage in one fell swoop.

In the final score, Li Dazhu won by a narrow margin.

The entire audience erupted in uproar! The live stream chat was instantly flooded with question marks.

"????"

"What happened? Ke Jie lost?"

"Am I seeing things? How could Jebo possibly lose to this old man?"

"Did you make a mistake because of too much pressure?"

Are there really hidden masters among ordinary people?

The host's voice was excited: "Congratulations to challenger Li Dazhu for successfully challenging the champion!"

"He chose to...take away the accumulated prize money of 60,000 yuan! Congratulations!!"

Did Ke Jie lose?

Even Nie Lao and Zhan Ying in the commentary booth were stunned.

With their professional insight, they could naturally see that Ke Jie was clearly distracted in the second half of the game, and it could even be said that he deliberately revealed his weaknesses.

But why? The championship is within reach.

Why would he voluntarily give up the prize money and honors that were within his grasp?

As the loser, Ke Jie calmly stood up, shook hands with the still somewhat dazed Li Dazhu, and then left the stage first, heading backstage.

His assistant hurriedly followed, looking puzzled.

"Brother Jie, that last plate, you clearly... why did you..."

He couldn't understand the deeper strategies, but Ke Jie's play in the latter half of the game was clearly different from his previous aggressive style.

Ke Jie didn't stop walking; he glanced at his assistant.

"Go easy on me? How could that be? I just suddenly got bored and didn't want to play anymore."

Just then, the two happened to pass by the side window of the athletes' tunnel, where they could see the podium.

Li Dazhu, who had just received a cash check for 60,000 yuan, was excitedly squatting on the ground, rapidly gesturing to an eight or nine-year-old girl in sign language.

The girl looked at her father with eyes full of admiration.

Ke Jie's gaze lingered on the father and daughter for a moment before he looked away.

"How could I possibly win over a father like that?"

Just as the two were about to leave the passage.

A figure rushed over and blocked their way.

It's Su Xiaoran.

"Teacher Ke Jie, please wait a moment."

"Director Yang has prepared a special gift for you to thank you for your continued support of the Land of Light and the promotion of Go."

"He's waiting for you in the VIP lounge. Would it be convenient for you to go there?"

The assistant looked at Ke Jie, asking with his eyes.

Ke Jie: "Since it's Teacher A-Guang who invited us, let's go."