101: Champion crowned, billionaire

"Clang!"

The Blaze Prison Warhorse Saber, burning with dark gold flames, flew from his hand, its flames suddenly extinguished, falling to the ground with a mournful cry.

The sturdy blade was covered in fine cracks! Under the extreme recoil and lightning impact just now, even this Origin Card suffered heavy damage!

"Cough... cough cough..." Sun Ke coughed violently, the blood gushing from his mouth staining his chest.

He struggled to support his body, but felt a tearing pain in his limbs. The Source Power in his body had long been exhausted under the extreme activation of Blood Burning Frenzy and Extreme Armor Break.

Even worse, the lightning power that had penetrated his body was still raging, paralyzing his nerves, making it incredibly difficult for him to even lift a finger.

The side effects of Blood Burning Frenzy surged like a tide, an extreme sense of weakness enveloped him, and his vision blurred.

He struggled to raise his head and looked towards the center of the arena.

The Raging Waves Sea Soul still stood like a mountain, the wave patterns on its turtle shell slowly flowing, as if the earth-shattering blow just now was nothing more than a gentle breeze.

The injured Heavenly Thunder Light Falcon had also recovered. Although its aura was somewhat weak, it still circled above the giant turtle, its sharp eagle eyes locked onto him.

A bitter, incredulous look first flashed across Sun Ke's face, then, that bitterness gradually melted away, turning into a relieved smile.

"Such strong defense... I lost." He coughed up blood, yet felt a sense of relief.

Lu Yuan's mind stirred, and the Raging Waves Sea Soul and Heavenly Thunder Light Falcon transformed into two streaks of light, disappearing into the cards in his hand. He stepped forward to Sun Ke, extending his hand.

"You are very strong."

Sun Ke was slightly stunned, looking at Lu Yuan's outstretched hand. A moment later, he grinned, gripped the hand tightly, and slowly stood up with its help.

Although his body was still weak, the fire in his eyes rekindled, filled with an indomitable fighting spirit.

"Next time," he gasped for breath, his voice exceptionally firm, "I will definitely break open your turtle shell!"

The referee, as if waking from a dream, jolted, rushed onto the stage, grabbed Lu Yuan's arm, raised it high, and with all his might, almost roared his announcement:

"The match—is over! The ultimate champion of the Canglan Province Prodigy Competition—Lu Yuan!!!"

The entire Dome of the Heavens erupted into a true storm of cheers!

"Oh oh oh oh oh—!!!"

"turtle emperor is awesome!!!"

"Lu Yuan! Lu Yuan! Lu Yuan—!!!"

"See you in the next life, brothers!"

...Countless spectators leaped from their seats, waving their arms wildly, offering the most enthusiastic applause and shouts to the newly crowned champion.

Above the light screen, dense congratulatory bullet comments streamed like a waterfall, almost obscuring the view.

In the VIP section, Yao Xiao could no longer control her emotions, jumping up excitedly, tears streaming down her face. She cried and laughed, shouting incoherently: "He won! Lu Yuan won! Grandpa! He won!"

Yao Tianbi and Yao Zhenchuan exchanged smiles, their eyes filled with relief and pride.

That brat Tian Xiao got lucky.

Not far away, in the center, Zhou Wanxiong seemed out of place, hands clasped across his chest, quietly watching the cheers below the stage.

He won't be arrogant for long, this Lu Yuan must die!

Meanwhile, in Deyun Hall's recovery room, De Xiner, watching the scene via broadcast, had an even more venomous look in her eyes.

But within it, besides the deep-seated hatred, there seemed to be a hint of an indescribable, unusual emotion.

Only she herself knew what it was.

Just as the entire venue was in an uproar, Provincial Governor Duan Yue of the Region, with a gentle smile, personally walked onto the stage.

He walked up to Lu Yuan, shook his hand, his eyes filled with approval: "Congratulations, Contestant Lu Yuan! Your performance was outstanding, you are the pride of our Region!"

Saying this, he took a crystal-clear trophy from a staff member, as well as an exquisitely crafted card shining with gold light, and solemnly presented them to Lu Yuan.

"This is the glory of the champion."

Duan Yue cleared his throat and addressed the entire audience:

"Now, I announce that the champion of this Canglan Province Prodigy Competition—Student Lu Yuan—will receive the following rewards!"

"First, he will receive the precious opportunity to enter the Canglan Secret Vault, the treasure land of our Region, and choose a treasure once!"

"Second, he will represent our Region as the sole representative to participate in the individual competition of the National Card Master Prodigy Competition a few months later! At the same time, the top eight contestants of this competition will all qualify to represent the Region in the National Prodigy Team Competition!"

As these two rewards were announced, the entire venue once again erupted in gasps of surprise. Both the Canglan Secret Vault and the qualification for the National Competition were honors and opportunities that countless Card Masters dreamed of!

Duan Yue smiled slightly, paused, and continued: "And finally, the most exciting reward—as per tradition, the champion will receive five percent of the total prize money from this competition's betting!"

The host took the microphone at the opportune moment, his voice excited:

"According to the final statistics from the backend, the total betting amount for the finals of this Canglan Province Prodigy Competition broke—three point five billion star coins!"

"Whoosh—!!!"

Three point five billion! This number was a new record! Everyone in the audience was shocked!

The host took a deep breath and shouted with all his might:

"Congratulations, Contestant Lu Yuan! After deducting relevant taxes, the final prize money you will receive is—"

He deliberately drew out his voice, keeping everyone in suspense.

"One hundred and eight million star coins!!!"

One hundred and eight million!

Lu Yuan's mind buzzed.

He... overnight, from an ordinary student, became a true... billionaire!?

In an instant, the overwhelming cheers and champion's accolades made him feel a little dizzy.

"Lu Yuan! Look here!"

"turtle emperor! Can I get an interview? What are your thoughts on winning this championship?"

"Contestant Lu Yuan! May I ask what grade your mysterious card is?"

Countless reporters swarmed him, various questions bombarding him like a barrage. If the Yao Family hadn't been prepared, and the security personnel experienced enough to forcefully clear a path, he probably would have been swallowed by the surging crowd.

Lu Yuan was surrounded, struggling to move through the crowd, his mind still echoing with that astronomical prize money.

One hundred and eight million... he became a billionaire? Just by fighting a few matches?

This world, sometimes, was truly more magical than the cards themselves.

The Yao Family's hover car was already waiting at the exit.

The car door closed, and it drove into the sky, isolating the outside noise.

Lu Yuan let out a long sigh and leaned back in the soft seat.

Yao Tianbi handed him a bottle of water and smiled: "You'll get used to it. In the future, such scenes will only become more frequent."

Lu Yuan gave a wry smile, took the water, unscrewed it, and took a gulp.

It was sweet!

...