128: 【Crimson Liberation·True】

Chapter 128: Crimson Liberation: True

“Principal, what do you mean by that?”

A teacher didn't understand Principal Su's meaning.

“Just take a good look at the trump card he revealed.”

Principal Su didn't elaborate.

Actually, everyone had already seen Ouyang Huan's trump card.

There was nothing special about it.

Its projection was a smooth, roly-poly Daruma ceramic doll.

With thick eyebrows and large eyes, it looked completely unthreatening.

Not only its appearance, but also its card face was like this.

Red Daruma

Balanced, 30 points, 30 attack without stars, 200/200

Unyielding - Characteristic: Red Daruma cannot be destroyed

Entry: Empty

Entry: Empty

Entry: Empty

In reality, this was not a truly starless Character Card, but a three-star Character Card without entries.

If the literal meaning was understood correctly, this card's Characteristic was actually an out-of-field entry.

The so-called out-of-field entry meant that its effect range was outside the card table.

“Cannot be destroyed” meant that this Character Card could not be destroyed by means such as decomposition.

To be honest, besides occupying one more card library space, this card didn't seem to have any special meaning.

“The information gathered earlier mentioned that Ouyang Huan allegedly possessed two Characteristic cards, but I never expected the other one to be something like this.”

“Isn't this just a Waste Card (waste card), or a waste Characteristic? Even if it’s Star Ascension, this Characteristic is useless.”

“Why play this card? Is it a disguised way to save face?”

“That's not right, Principal, why did you say he's going to win?”

The teachers expressed their confusion.

“I think you've forgotten Ouyang Huan's background.”

Principal Su's brows furrowed.

The possibility he thought of was normal for the other teachers not to recall.

Because it had appeared too few times.

At the card table at this moment, Shi Li was also puzzled by this Red Daruma.

His expression was completely within his expectations, and Ouyang Huan smiled slightly.

“Do you know who my father is?”

He suddenly threw out this question with an arrogant posture.

His tone was somewhat unpleasant.

“How would I know? Didn't your mother tell you?”

Shi Li shrugged.

“What do you mean?! Be careful, I’ll sue you for slander!”

“You were the one who asked me first.”

“Anyway, just watch!”

Knowing that he couldn't win in a verbal spar, Ouyang Huan simply stopped fighting.

After the card determination phase ended, he flipped his wrist and pulled out his hand cards.

“From the beginning until now, you've played three LV1 Counter cards and one LV2 Counter card.”

Before playing his hand, Ouyang Huan said with confidence, “So, your Counter cards should be all used up, right?”

After speaking, he played the hand card he held.

“LV2 Loan: Destroy 1 of your three-star revealed cards and replace it with a fixed four-star card! (T0)”

The hand card transformed into light, enveloping the Red Daruma, and a new projection outline was rapidly forming.

“Summoning God Style!”

On the other end of the internet, someone finally shouted the name of this tactic.

Loan is a very rare hand card that allows a player to temporarily borrow another person's four-star Character Card into their own card game by destroying their own card as a hefty price.

LV1 is four-star for four-star, LV2 is three-star for four-star, and LV3 is two-star for four-star.

This type of hand card is usually only used by card players like second-generation card heirs or disciples of famous masters.

Because they lack neither resources nor targets for Loan.

To say this is cheating, it's not really.

After all, this is a genuine hand card effect, and its existence is reasonable.

However, Ouyang Huan exploited a loophole due to the Red Daruma's special Characteristic, allowing him to borrow a four-star card without paying the price of the card being destroyed.

And his Loan target was, without a doubt, his father.

The current head of the Ouyang family, Ouyang Jinhua.

At this moment, the light on the trump card gradually receded, and a humanoid mecha appeared on the card table.

Its body surface was streamlined, and the unpainted silver metallic luster exuded a murderous aura.

A knight's lance with rocket thrusters and a longsword with bleeding grooves were its weapons.

Blood Meat Cutter

Rage, 30 points, four-star attack 70, 250/250

Discipline - Characteristic: When Blood Meat Cutter attacks a Rage card, attack power +20

Flagship - Passive: When Blood Meat Cutter serves as the trump card, attack power +10

Rare Metal - Passive: Blood Meat Cutter's maximum health +50

Quantum Wave Spear - Passive: Blood Meat Cutter's attacks come with Penetration effect

Bloodletting Shock Sword - Passive: Blood Meat Cutter's attacks come with 1 turn of Banish Healing effect (T2)

(Penetration: Ignores the target's Shield and barrier effects)

(Banish Healing: Target's recovery effects are nullified)

“One of Ouyang Jinhua's famous Character Cards! Blood Meat Cutter!”

“As a Rage card, yet possessing a super powerful anti-Rage Characteristic, I heard he relied on this card to climb to an astonishing 5-13 floor in the Rage Tower!”

“And it also has an additional 50 health points that exceed the limit! This level of strength is impossible to achieve unless it's a unique card!”

“The Characteristic and entry bonuses don't conflict, which means its attack power against the Red Blade Maiden even reaches 90 points!”

“Plus Banish Healing and Penetration, these two effects combined are equivalent to the hand card Isolation!

And the T1 Banish Healing attack also prevented the opponent's Movement from causing target loss!

This trump card can be said to completely block all of the Red Blade Maiden's tactical opportunities!

“Ouyang Jinhua must also be watching the match in real-time, otherwise he wouldn't have matched it with such a counteracting entry!”

“How despicable, these Ouyangs!”

At this moment, not only the teachers of Twenty-sixth High School, but many people were also expressing their indignation for Shi Li.

To this extent, it was already a bit much to consider it a 1v1 duel between card players.

Calling it Shi Li 1v1.5 wouldn't be an exaggeration.

But since Ouyang Huan chose to play the Loan hand card, he wouldn't worry about public opinion.

Moreover, although Blood Meat Cutter was his father's, this LV2 Loan was his own genuine hand card.

Where was the despicable part?

“Your Red Blade Maiden's Vast only deals 116 damage.”

“Two turns would be 232, which can't kill my trump card at all.”

“You need at least one turn of normal attack interspersed with two turns of skill release, dealing 302 damage to defeat me.”

“And if you release skills, your card's health will also lose 40 points, leaving only 135/200.”

“My trump card can deal 180 points of damage to you in two turns.”

“No matter what, I will definitely win against you.”

After analyzing these data, Ouyang Huan was already completely in a victor's posture.

“You calculate quite meticulously.”

After hearing these words, Shi Li expressed his approval.

“Heh heh, you flatter me.”

Ouyang Huan raised his head slightly: “Let me tell you this, I’ve calculated everything, you have no hope of winning.”

“However...”

Shi Li shook his head: “Cubic cards are not arithmetic problems.”

After the opponent's performance, it was his turn to show off.

He flicked two fingers and threw a hand card onto the card table.

“Hmm?”

Before Ouyang Huan could examine the hand card's effect, it transformed into a ball of red light.

“Unleash your power, bloodline hidden in the crimson.”

“Crimson Liberation: True: When Red Blade Maiden has accumulated 5 skill releases in this game, her skills become cost-free for 3 turns, and her health is reset to 300/300.”

“What?!”

Both Ouyang Huan at the card table and the crowd outside the card table exclaimed.

What did they just see?!

Extremely rare!

Absolutely extremely rare!

Cost-free skills are simply the dream effect for all Rage cards!

And the health bonus is super high, and it's a “reset” mechanism!

Even if it's only for three turns, that's still super powerful!

As the red light from the hand card shot into the Red Blade Maiden's body, she let out a cry of both pain and ecstasy.

“Ugh— Ah ah ah ah!”

Under the stimulation of energy, the dragon horns on her forehead seemed to be forcefully pulled up by two inches, as if by 'pulling up seedlings to help them grow'.

Along with the extension of the dragon horns, a large amount of blood-red liquid energy, like fresh blood, overflowed from the base of the horns and flowed down her face.

All the skin touched by the red energy grew tiny red dragon scales.

After the transformation was complete, her stat panel also changed.

Attack 70, Health 300/300

“How about it, do you need me to recalculate it for you?”

“......”

Ouyang Huan remained silent.

Actually, he had already started calculating, but he just didn't say it out loud.

The Red Blade Maiden's burst only lasts for three turns, after which it will recede.

Theoretically, as long as he dealt 175 points of damage to her during this process, then by T5 at the end of the 3rd round, the Red Blade Maiden would directly withdraw after her health reset finished.

However, the opponent's Vast could now deal 130 damage, which would be 260 over 2 rounds.

He absolutely couldn't withstand that damage without Defense.

If he used Defense for 3 rounds, he would purely take 195 points of damage for free.

If he used Defense for 2 rounds and attacked for 1 round, he would be defeated directly and also wouldn't be able to deal 175 points of damage to her.

So, no matter how he calculated it, he couldn't win.

“I—I surrender.”

Ouyang Huan, knowing he had completely lost hope, lowered his head.

He had thought he had surely won by bringing out the Blood Meat Cutter, but he never expected the opponent to have a core hand card like Crimson Liberation: True.

The emotional rollercoaster he had just experienced, with its ups and downs in less than a minute, was simply too intense.

“You won this round, but I will continue—huh?”

However, when he looked up to speak, he found that Shi Li had already gone offline.

This kid!

The moment Shi Li went offline, he received a call from Principal Su.

By the time he hung up the phone and opened the door, Principal Su was already standing outside.

It only took him less than 3 minutes to get here from Twenty-sixth High School; one should never underestimate the physical fitness of a Jade card player.

“Excellent, excellent! Hahahaha!”

Principal Su immediately gave Shi Li a big hug.

“I'm dying!”

Shi Li was choked for breath; one should never underestimate the physical fitness of a Jade card player.

“You—you achieved Rage resonance?”

Releasing his embrace, Principal Su's expression suddenly turned a bit strange.

“How did the Principal figure that out?”

Shi Li was slightly stunned.

“You shouldn't underestimate the keen perception of a Jade card player.”

What followed for Shi Li was another round of intense praise.

After continuous pats on the shoulder, Shi Li felt like his shoulders were becoming uneven.

The two chatted for about 10 minutes before Principal Su received a call from the Education Bureau.

Principal Su, after finishing the call, was beaming again, but he had already stood up and looked like he was about to leave.

“Take this card.”

Before leaving, Principal Su handed him a card.

“The Principal is old now; perhaps it can truly shine in your hands.”

Leaving these words, he departed.

“Goodbye, Principal, I wish you a long life!”

Under Shi Li's grateful blessing, Principal Su's steps paused for half a beat before returning to normal.

The card the Principal gave him was definitely a good item.

Abundant River Essence: After completing the mission, it can allow the unique card Abundant's Characteristic to break its limit. So that's how the 50 HP bonus from Blood Meat Cutter came about.

He believed this card was definitely the Principal's most treasured possession.

To give this out as a reward, it seemed the Principal was truly very happy.

Thinking back, the Principal had indeed provided him with a lot of help along the way.

And now that he was about to graduate, he wouldn't be able to do anything for his alma mater in the future.

He could only mention his alma mater's name more often when he went out to make his mark.

“It's this mission…” Seeing the specific content of the mission, Shi Li frowned slightly.

Abundant River Essence: Carry the Abundant Characteristic when battling 300 types of demons, and keep the card at full health throughout.

(0 / 300)

300 types, not 300 battles.

He felt that from the time he first entered the Monster Training Ground to the later training base and then the last Foreign Land, the types of demons he had battled might not even reach 300.

Moreover, he wasn't allowed to take any damage, which meant the Red Blade Maiden couldn't use skills or be hit.

It felt a bit difficult.

Just as he put away this mission card, his phone rang again.

“Dean Hu.”

Since exchanging phone numbers, this was the first time she had called him.

“Hello, Dean Hu.”

“Congratulations, Shi Li.”

“Thank you, Dean, it's because you taught me well.”

Teacher Li, Xiu Qingshan: ? You only know that one line, don't you?

“Hehehe, I didn't teach you anything.

But I still want to congratulate you on becoming a member of Qingchuan University.

Don't forget me, the Vice Dean of the Po Shi Academy, when that time comes.”

Hu Lan seemed to have a hidden meaning in her words, which Shi Li didn't understand for now, only hastily expressing that he wouldn't.

“Also, I heard about the Torch Raising Ceremony this time. Cherish it; it's a rare opportunity.”

“Torch Raising Ceremony?”

It was clear that Hu Lan was very well-informed.

“It seems you haven't been notified yet. It's fine, it should be soon.”

“Also, I hope you don't slack off this summer.”

“Qingchuan University has a tradition: in the first semester of enrollment, a ranking match will be held among freshmen.”

“I look forward to you achieving good results.”

“Ranking match…”

Shi Li was slightly stunned.

But isn't that how a card player's life is, one card game after another?

“That's right. At that time, you will face talented classmates from all over the country, and even from abroad.”

“I can tell you in advance that even now, at least 10 of them have already reached the Platinum 7 rank.”

“Who knows how much they will improve after a summer vacation.”

For Shi Li, Platinum 7 was indeed very strong, allowing for a 6+1 deck.

His chances of winning against them now were very small.

But it would be hard to say once school started.

After giving some more instructions about registration, Hu Lan hung up the phone.

What Shi Li found a bit regrettable was that the scholarship would only be received after enrollment.

And the 1,000,000 cubic coins would be subsidized over four years.

However, these had all been explained in the agreement beforehand, and he wasn't just finding out now.

After ending the conversation with Hu Lan, the next call quickly came in.

This time it was his homeroom teacher, Teacher Li.

First, he reiterated the times for the college entrance exam's written test and card-making segment.

Shi Li actually wasn't too concerned about this anymore.

Because according to the agreement with Qingchuan University, as long as he took first place in the college entrance exam duel, he could already enroll.

But things didn't go as planned; Teacher Li conveyed that both Twenty-sixth High School and Durian City hoped Shi Li would take the subsequent two exams seriously.

Because with his current scores, there was a 99% chance he could become the top scorer in the entire province.

One should know that not to mention Twenty-sixth High School, even the entire Durian City had never produced a provincial top scorer.

It seemed Principal Su had already announced his resonance achievement.

In the college entrance exam, whether one resonated with one system or multiple systems, the bonus points were the same.

Teacher Li then informed him about the Torch Raising Ceremony.

This allowed Shi Li to learn about this event, which would be held in two weeks.

Playing cards with foreign races should be quite interesting.

Moreover, going to the foreign realm should make the Red Blade Maiden's Characteristic enhancement mission easier to complete.

Finally, of course, there was the mandatory reward segment.

This was also the first time Durian City had produced a top scorer for the college entrance exam duel.

And this time, the Education Bureau offered even more generous rewards than for the top scorer of the two cities.

Although they roughly knew Shi Li's final answer, they still offered 3 plans.

1. 200,000 cubic coins.

2. 100,000 cubic coins, plus a complete set of Star Ascension materials for a two-star Character Card.

3. 150,000 cubic coins, plus 1 Star Ascension token card for a two-star Persistence Unique Character Card.

Don't think that the first option only offered 50,000 more than the previous two-city top prize; in reality, if Shi Li included the previous unified exam, the total rewards from these three times, converted to pure cubic coins, would already be around 500,000.

Without a doubt, Shi Li chose the third option.

Among his current unique cards, only the Bouncing Guard had not yet reached three stars.

Now that he had reached the Platinum rank, he began to consider his future path as a card player.

Holding the refresh cheat, if possible, it would be best if every three-star card from now on was a Unique Character Card.

After all, cultivating a Unique Character Card itself required a large amount of resources.

Why waste resources on non-unique three-star Character Cards when they would most likely be eliminated by him anyway?

Of course, this was just an initial idea.

As his rank increased, his understanding also increased; unique token cards were not that easy to acquire.

The Education Bureau's efficiency was high; the reward was delivered to his doorstep within an hour.

Rubbing his hands like a fly.

Time to get to work.

Shi Li's Card Game Quotes: 4. Cubic cards are not arithmetic problems.