98: Crispy Gold Card Support

On the commentator's stand, the two commentators exchanged glances.

"This... the result of this match is completely beyond everyone's expectations!"

"That's right! De Xiner was actually... actuallyfront defeated by Lu Yuan! And it was instantaneous! That power just now..."

"The data shows that Lu Yuan only has two gold cards! Could it be... that was his third card?!"

"Mysterious! Too mysterious! Lu Yuan, this turtle emperor youth, has once again refreshed our understanding of him! How many trump cards does he still hide?!"

They racked their brains but couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation, only able to describe Lu Yuan with terms like "unfathomable," "super-standard power," and "son of destiny," further whetting the audience's appetite.

Player waiting area.

Sun Ke looked at Lu Yuan's figure on the light screen, his body trembling slightly; that wasn't apprehension, but pure excitement and fighting spirit!

"Good! Too good!" he muttered, clenching his fists.

In a one-on-one fight, he indeed couldn't defeat De Xiner; her poison was too insidious!

But Lu Yuan was different; he believed in his saber, believed in his strength!

Even if that giant turtle came, he would dare to fight it!

"This is a real challenge! Lu Yuan, I look forward to fighting you!"

His eyes burned like the scorching sun; facing a powerful enemy would be his best chance to break through his own limits!

...Deyun Hall headquarters.

The situation was critical; De Xiner was urgently sent back and received combined treatment from several elders.

The light of seven or eight blue healing cards flickered on her body, barely stabilizing her injuries. Her whole body was charred, the frost unmelted, especially her head; her originally dark and lustrous long hair had been completely burned away by the Frost Flame Power, revealing a bald scalp.

"Xin'er, how do you feel?" The old woman looked at her with heartache.

The adrenaline had worn off; De Xiner trembled as she opened her eyes, feeling the intense pain from her body and the crushing coolness on her scalp.

"My hair..."

She reached out, touched her bald scalp, and tears instantly streamed down her face.

"Lu Yuan! I want you dead! I want you to suffer a fate worse than death!" She let out a shrill scream, her hatred soaring, "My hair! My face! I won't let you off!"

Complete recovery would take time; at least until her hair grew back, she couldn't present herself perfectly. This humiliation and pain brought her hatred for Lu Yuan to its peak.

Men! They all deserve to die!

...The focus shifted to the contestants of the other semi-final match.

Both sides were making their final preparations.

Sun Ke, a powerhouse who rose from a second-rate family to the peak of his life.

He had no prominent background, nor top-tier cultivation resources, but he possessed diligence and tenacity far beyond ordinary people.

His Origin Card was a purple four-star equipment card—the Blaze Prison Warhorse Saber. Although its grade wasn't high, this saber and Sun Ke had long become one.

Player lounge.

Sun Ke was shirtless, revealing his toned muscles, sweat dripping like rain. Before him, a giant saber phantom wreathed in flames hovered, radiating a scorching aura.

Day after day, he wielded the training saber in his hand; each slash carried a fierce saber wind.

"Man and saber as one! Faster! Stronger!"

Even though the match was about to begin, he still had to seize the time to cultivate!

He roared, his saber intertwining with the phantom, as if merging into one.

This was not a simple swing of the saber, but a deep resonance training with the card.

The Blaze Prison Warhorse Saber not only possessed extreme Sharpness and Frost Flame Power, but its more important ability was—fusion! It could fuse with Sun Ke's body, injecting flames and saber intent into him, greatly increasing the power of his saber techniques, making him both offense and defense, transforming him into a human battle saber.

He believed in ultimate power, believing that the blade could cut through all illusions. Skills? Beast taming? In his eyes, they were all unorthodox methods... The second semi-final match: Sun Ke versus Duan Mo, the Provincial Governor's son.

Duan Mo, the only son of Provincial Governor Duan Yue of Canglan Province, came from a prominent background and also had military connections.

He appeared relaxed and casual, a perfect smile on his lips, as if this match was just a friendly sparring session.

He slowly walked to the center of the arena and stood still.

"Brother Sun Ke, please enlighten me," he said politely, cupping his hands.

Sun Ke nodded, without any unnecessary words.

"I'm ready!"

The referee announced the start of the match.

Duan Mo smiled slightly, and with a thought.

"[Heaven-Reaching Ancient Tree]!"

A gold card appeared in his hand, then transformed into a gentle life aura, merging into the ground.

Buzz!

The phantom of a towering ancient tree rose from the ground, its branches and leaves luxuriant, covering the entire arena. A pure and gentle life aura permeated the air, as if even the air became much fresher.

[Heaven-Reaching Ancient Tree]! A gold support card!

Strictly speaking, it couldn't be considered a tamed beast, but it wasn't like a skill or equipment either.

It was more like an origin item card!

Its ability was a wide-ranging buff and debuff. Under the canopy, allies (including the Card Master himself and his summoned creatures) would receive all-around enhancements in defense, attack, speed, etc., while the enemy's various attributes would be weakened.

Duan Mo stood under the phantom of the ancient tree, feeling his body filled with power. His other cards—a purple four-star [Earth Guardian] and a purple three-star [Gale Archer] also appeared beside him, bathed in the ancient tree's radiance.

Sun Ke looked at this formation, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"Flashy nonsense."

He believed in absolute power, in the ultimate Sharpness of the blade. This combat system, built up by relying on external forces, was nothing but a paper tiger in his eyes.

"Break!" he roared, his battle saber instantly igniting with raging flames.

"Man and saber as one!"

The phantom of the Blaze Prison Warhorse Saber merged into Sun Ke's body; his figure was instantly enveloped in flames, transforming into a scorching blade light!

"Blazing Sun Slash!"

He chose not to attack the external objects, but directly locked onto Duan Mo's main body under the ancient tree phantom!

His speed was extreme, carrying the might to incinerate everything!

Duan Mo's expression changed slightly; he hadn't expected Sun Ke to be so direct!

"Ancient Tree Guardian! Earth Guardian, stop him!"

The light of the [Heaven-Reaching Ancient Tree] instantly solidified, forming a thick energy shield. The [Earth Guardian] also roared and charged forward, attempting to block Sun Ke with its body.

"A mantis trying to stop a chariot!"

The blade light that Sun Ke had transformed into did not dodge or evade, carrying irresistible power, and slashed fiercely onto the [Earth Guardian]!

"Boom!"

The sturdy [Earth Guardian], under this blow, was directly cut apart like tofu! Turning into countless specks of light!

Instant kill!

The blade light's momentum did not diminish, continuing to slash towards the ancient tree's energy shield!

Crack!

That seemingly indestructible shield also began to crack under the extreme Sharpness and Frost Flame Power of the Blaze Prison Warhorse Saber!

Duan Mo's face grew paler and paler; he could feel the power of the [Heaven-Reaching Ancient Tree] rapidly draining away. Sun Ke's attack was too pure, too powerful! His support system simply couldn't completely offset such extreme burst power!

He was originally a support player, and it was already very difficult for him to reach the semi-finals.

There was no need to force it!

"I admit..."

Just as Duan Mo was about to concede, Sun Ke's blade light had already penetrated the shield, directly slashing onto the phantom of the [Heaven-Reaching Ancient Tree]!

"Rumble!"

The giant ancient tree phantom let out a mournful cry, collapsing with a crash, turning into countless specks of light and dissipating!

Duan Mo lost the protection of the [Heaven-Reaching Ancient Tree], his face instantly turned pale, and he had no more fighting spirit.

The Provincial Governor's eyes flashed with a hint of disappointment, and he snorted coldly at his son.

The referee's voice sounded in time: "Duan Mo concedes! Sun Ke—wins!"

Sun Ke sheathed his saber and stood, the flames receding, returning to his original appearance. He glanced at Lu Yuan in the distance, and thumped his chest with his hand.

See you in the finals!

...