171: 7th level reward, [Mangyu] God

Chapter 171: Level 7 Reward, Divine Being of the [Mang Domain]

Even the Red Blade Maiden with [Crimson Liberation] activated couldn't withstand a single burst from the BOSS with 300 HP.

She took 120 damage from the first hit, leaving her at 180/300 HP. She took another 120 damage from the second hit, leaving her at 60 HP, directly triggering [Execution].

Moreover, it wasn't just the BOSS on the other side.

The power of its other regular cards was not to be underestimated.

It could be said that due to the presence of the Abyssal Goat Demon, this was the most aggressive 7-evolution Abyssal Kind he had ever encountered.

"I think it's worth a try."

But Shi Li wasn't intimidated by this setup; instead, he saw it as an opportunity.

So, he began to arrange his deck.

First, the front-row cards.

The Jumping Guard was the only one who could withstand the BOSS's attack.

It was no exaggeration to say that its Characteristic was comparable to a five-star mechanism.

Shi Li estimated that even if it Star-Upped to five stars, it would still have this Characteristic.

The Demon-Defeating Dark Hunter: The value of this card was basically fulfilled in the reveal turn.

Since they would all be instantly killed, it didn't matter who was placed.

Its role was to extend the Flower Cudgel Leader's strong period by one turn.

The Cicada Wing Patrol: Its value was also similar, with most of it fulfilled upon entry.

Second-row cards.

bo shan: This card was a bit awkward in this match.

To achieve fusion, it needed to take damage to Charge.

But if it was instantly killed before fusion, it would be completely useless.

The only way was to accumulate 40 energy on odd turns and then activate Barrier, which might allow it to withstand the BOSS's instant kills.

However, as mentioned before, the existence of other regular cards on the opposing side had to be considered.

Among those regular cards, there were some that could penetrate defenses.

So bo shan wouldn't be able to last too long either.

Lotus Succubus: This card had significant value.

And its main role was not to heal, but to Defection.

Defection could both deal damage and effectively control the opponent's cards.

It was an important guarantee for the early survival of the deck.

In the mid-to-late game, its role was to heal its own side.

However, given the opponent's output configuration, it would probably only be able to heal once or twice before being defeated.

cloud river: Its greatest role was to Charge for fusion.

If necessary, it could also go all-in for Revival.

However, if Revival was used, then fusion would basically be impossible for this match, as there would be no time to slowly Charge it again.

In the back row were the Red Blade Maiden and the Flower Cudgel Leader.

There was nothing to say about these two; they just had to output damage like crazy.

As for the ace card, he chose Tiao Tiao Mo.

With the deck arranged, the game officially began.

The opponent's deck had two more cards than his, and to be honest, the average strength of their individual cards was also higher than his, being 7-attribute cards after all.

Shi Li's only advantage was having multiple Fated Hand Cards.

Whether [Synchronization: cloud mountain] could be triggered was of utmost importance.

Triggering the other Fated Hand Cards was not an issue.

Throughout the early and mid-game, he played as if treading on thin ice.

Fortunately, there was no time limit in Abyss matches, allowing him to think slowly.

He considered all possibilities, made sure nothing was overlooked, and then made the optimal current move.

Ultimately, he successfully played [Synchronization: cloud mountain].

"OK, this game is stable."

When the heavily damaged bo shan reappeared with 200 HP and all strengthen attributes, Shi Li felt relieved.

In the face of the opponent's output, it still couldn't survive until the end.

But it could buy him more time, time to clear out the opponent's regular cards.

The final battle result was that all regular cards on both sides were wiped out, entering the ace card solo phase.

Once it came to the solo phase, Shi Li was completely fearless.

Tiao Tiao Mo

Balanced, 30 points, two-star attack 60, 150/150

[Timid Instinct - Characteristic]: Tiao Tiao Mo's maximum HP -50, re-covers at the start of each new turn (T0)

[Deep Sea Immunity - Passive]: Tiao Tiao Mo is immune to all delayed effects. It only needed one attribute to perfectly handle the current situation.

This was something Shi Li had verified in simulated matches before the official battle.

Even when Tiao Tiao Mo became an ace card in PVE matches, its Characteristic could still be triggered.

And the rules for actively revealing an ace card were the same as in PVP.

1. An ace card in a covered state is in an [Invincible] state; taking enemy damage once will reveal it in the next reveal phase. 2. All of one's regular cards are wiped out, and the ace card will be revealed in the next reveal phase.

However, the Abyssal Goat Demon had no attack power on odd turns, and all DOTs were immune, so even if it attacked Tiao Tiao Mo, it couldn't trigger the reveal.

Therefore, the only condition that could trigger Tiao Tiao Mo's reveal was condition 2.

What Shi Li needed to do, besides clearing out the opponent's regular cards, was one very important thing.

That was to control the turns.

He absolutely had to ensure his regular cards were cleared on an even turn.

This way, [Instant Reveal] would trigger on an even turn, and it would be revealed on an odd turn.

Once revealed, the BOSS had no attack power, and Tiao Tiao Mo could hit the BOSS for 60 damage with a normal attack.

Then, after dealing damage this turn, when the next even turn arrived, it would be covered again at T0.

At the same time it was covered, it would automatically trigger [Instant Reveal] again because there were no regular cards.

It would continue to be revealed on the next odd turn to deal damage.

"It's simply perfect."

Looking at this situation, Shi Li was quite satisfied.

However, behind this, countless refreshes were made at a cost, until he finally found an opponent whose mechanism he could counter.

Even though the BOSS's HP would increase to 800/800 on even turns, it was meaningless to Tiao Tiao Mo.

Because it only dealt damage on odd turns, and the BOSS's HP was 400 then.

Dealing 60 damage per turn, 400 HP would take 7 turns.

7×2 = 14.

Grinding it down little by little like this, after 14 solo turns, he finally wore down the BOSS to death.

[Roar—!!!]

The BOSS, in an unwilling roar, gradually turned into shattered light.

"Congratulations, you have passed the 7th stage of Abyss No. 68."

"The number of 7-evolution kills in this stage has increased to 2 people."

"You will receive 150,000 cubic coins."

"You will receive 1 unique Rage System Star Ascension Token Card."

"You will receive 1 four-star high-quality random material card."

"You will receive 1 four-star random material card."

Lines of text popped up before his eyes.

"Comfortable."

Shi Li instantly felt a wave of satisfaction.

The last four-star material card he sold directly for 100,000 cubic coins.

This time, it would probably be around the same price.

However, after looking at the four-star high-quality material card, he decided not to sell it.

He conservatively estimated this material card to be worth at least 300,000.

However, at this level of material, it was easy to sell but hard to buy.

Perhaps he would need it later when he Star-Upped to [Jade], so he would keep it for now.

"But getting this Star Ascension Token Card is a bit awkward."

He would soon get the Lotus Succubus's two-to-three Star Ascension Token Card in the Rampage Trial.

Getting it directly now saved money.

But then there would be an extra two-to-three Star Ascension Token Card; who knew when he would get his next unique Rage System character card?

"Hmm?"

But upon closer inspection, Shi Li immediately noticed something was off.

[Star Ascension Token Card]: Can be used to perform a Star Ascension mission for 1 three-star Berserk character card (unique).

"It's actually a three-to-four Star Ascension Token Card, holy cow."

This item could also sell for around 300,000 in the market.

He was rich.

Of course, selling it was out of the question.

After all, if he sold it now, he would still have to buy it back later.

"The principal told me that the three-to-four simulation mission is actually just the first step.

After completing the simulation mission, one still needs to collect recipes or undertake real-world card game missions."

In other words, even if he completed this mission now, he would only be able to learn more about the path to Star Ascension to four stars.

Shi Li didn't want to Star Ascension to [Jade] so quickly, but he could certainly do the mission first.

Moreover, even if all missions were completed, he couldn't Star Ascension to four stars yet.

Because he hadn't reached the Platinum peak line of Platinum 10.

But it was good to plan ahead and prepare in advance.

Furthermore, holding the key to Star Ascension the Red Blade Maiden from three to four stars would give him more confidence.

Yes, this card would naturally be prioritized for the Red Blade Maiden, not the Lotus Succubus.

After all, the Red Blade Maiden was the main one, and she also had a four-star Fated Hand Card mission to unlock later, which sparked endless imagination.

"I just don't know how much the refresh fee for this simulation mission will be.

Cubic cards are indeed money pits.

I came to make money, but the deficit is only getting bigger."

He smiled wryly and put the card away.

However, what Shi Li didn't know was that his successful challenge had already caused a huge stir outside.

"Wang Defa! Wang Defa is back in action!"

"Platinum 8?! Platinum 8 actually managed to challenge the 7th floor?!"

"It seems we have a genius in Abyss No. 68. Whether he can challenge the 10th floor is up to him!"

Outside the leaderboard, the people who remained gasped in surprise.

"Squad Leader! Squad Leader! Breaking news!"

"Hm?"

Wu Tianzuo, who was drinking with a Succubus in a tavern, had his mood disturbed by a rushing squad member, and he couldn't help but frown.

"I told you, stay calm.

No matter how big the matter, remain calm, don't shout and yell."

He slightly displeasedly picked up his wine glass.

"Wang, Wang, Wang Defa successfully challenged!"

"Pfft!!! What?!"

Wu Tianzuo, who had just blamed his subordinate, directly dropped the glass in his hand, shattering it into several pieces on the ground.

"Esteemed guest, any damage to our establishment, big or small, requires compensation of 10,000 cubic coins."

The Lotus Succubus next to him activated her standard dialogue.

"Damn it, a black market!"

Wu Tianzuo slammed a money card onto the table and rushed out.

He knew that the Abyss had its rules.

Once he violated the rules of these NPCs, he would be expelled from the Abyss and not allowed to enter again.

Although 10,000 cubic coins made him incredibly distressed, at this moment, Wu Tianzuo couldn't care less.

He had to meet Shi Li in person.

The three-year-once Mangyu was about to open, and their pioneering squad urgently needed to invite strong reinforcements from all sides.

Undoubtedly, Shi Li was an excellent candidate.

However, what Wu Tianzuo didn't know was that Shi Li had already left the Abyss directly from the independent space.

He immediately went to the Show Card Hall and sold that four-star material card.

With the official subsidy, his personal assets instantly reached 650,000.

No sooner had he left the sales area than Director Hou—no, he should be called Hall Master Hou now—arrived.

However, in Shi Li's heart, the other party was still that kind Director Hou.

Hou Wai Da: What, is my path to promotion ending here—

Director Hou immediately smelled the scent and rushed to greet Shi Li.

"Brother Hou, long time no see."

Originally, Shi Li also wanted to go say hello and congratulate him, which saved him some trouble.

"You kid, you didn't even give me a heads-up before coming."

Director Hou patted him on the shoulder.

When a person encounters a happy event, their spirits are refreshed; Shi Li felt that the other person's entire aura was different.

Then the two went to the office and exchanged greetings about their recent situations.

"My personal suggestion is that you should not be promoted to Emerald before the New Star Cup."

Hearing that Shi Li had obtained a three-to-four Star Ascension token card, Director Hou then said, "I wonder if you've heard of Mangyu, a level 4 foreign domain."

"Never heard of it."

"It's a recognized harmless, periodic foreign domain."

"Periodic means—"

"It means that its entrance and exit only open at intervals, usually around three years.

Calculating now, it should be around your summer vacation."

"So you're telling me not to be promoted to Emerald, just to wait for this foreign domain?"

Shi Li wasn't even sure if he could be promoted to Emerald by summer vacation.

"That's right, the 'Mang' in Mangyu refers to the 'luster' of treasures.

It's an exceptionally rich world, and every time it opens, many Card Masters can encounter opportunities and return with a full load.

I know your deck is mainly composed of unique cards, and their demand for resources is greater than that of ordinary character cards.

Perhaps it will be very helpful to you."

It sounded like a good place, perfectly suited to Shi Li's needs.

"The most crucial thing is, there's a rumor—"

However, at the end, Director Hou's expression became somewhat mysterious: "A rumor, just a rumor, I'm only responsible for telling, and you're responsible for listening."

"If you keep me in suspense, I'll ask you for a 25-cent refund."

"It's rumored that in Mangyu, it's possible to encounter gods."

"If you encounter a god—what will happen?"

Shi Li immediately became interested.

"How would I know? I said it's just a rumor."

Director Hou waved his hand and changed the subject: "By the way, take this."

He handed over a savings card.

"Oh, that's too kind."

Shi Li's body honestly took it.

"You seem quite 'kind' to me."

Director Hou smiled: "There's not much money in it, 200,000."

"You just became Hall Master and you're already embezzling funds?"

"Don't talk nonsense! This is the Card Hall's money."

"Isn't that embezzlement?"

After Director Hou's explanation, Shi Li finally understood.

The money he received was called Abyss Special Fund.

It was specially allocated by the main hall to invest in local Card Masters with potential to complete Abyss missions.

This sum of money was certainly more than 200,000, but Director Hou could only give Shi Li this much for now.

There were two reasons for the compensation.

First, this money could be regarded as a "small official subsidy."

Since it's prefixed with "small," it shouldn't exceed the official subsidy.

Otherwise, it would be a bit like stealing the show.

Second, this money was not only used to invest in top-tier Card Masters like Shi Li.

For example, 10,000 slots for 4th evolution, 1,000 slots for 5th evolution.

These large-scale missions required more Card Masters to complete.

Of course, for this part of the Card Masters, the Card Hall adopted an interest-free loan model.

After successfully completing the challenge, the borrowed amount needed to be deducted from the official subsidy.

What was given to Shi Li, of course, was free.

After all, for Director Hou, Shi Li being able to challenge the higher levels of the Abyss would ultimately add to his achievements.

So, the first moment he learned that Shi Li had successfully challenged the 7th floor, he had already ordered someone to prepare the money.

After thanking Director Hou, Shi Li left the Show Card Hall.

Now with 850,000 in assets, he decided to rest up at home.

After all, at school, either someone was showering, or someone was attending classes, eating, and sleeping on time, or someone was constantly complaining about the unfairness of the world, which was somewhat distracting.

He happened to run into Shi Yuan, and after giving him a good scolding for not being able to compensate, Shi Li's emotional value was also satisfied.

"Now there are still about ten days until the foreign domain practice, so I don't have much time left."

He looked at the several cards in his hand and murmured, "Which one should I start with first?"

After thinking for a moment, he decided to approach it from two aspects.

The two-to-three Star Ascension of Jumping Guard, and the life-bound mission of Demon-Defeating Dark Hunter.

The Star Ascension token card for Lotus Succubus hadn't been obtained from the Rampage Trial yet, so there was no hurry.

Mainly the Jumping Guard; although its current card effect is special, it's not very useful yet.

Its shortcomings have been summarized before.

He wondered if the new entries after upgrading to three stars could make up for the shortcomings.

Purchasing the Star Ascension token card for Jumping Guard still required some time, so Shi Li decided to start with the Demon-Defeating Dark Hunter's mission first.

"This mission is named: Forbidden Bloodline."

"After resolving the misunderstanding with Nia, A Liu decided to continue studying by her teacher's side."

"It was also because of the strength she displayed last time that she gained Nia's approval."

"'The hidden forbidden bloodline of the Baimo clan has awakened within you. When you are ready, come to me anytime, and I can help you unlock your bloodline.'"

"The teacher's words made A Liu fall into deep thought."

"Please help her make a choice."

"A. Unlock it now."

"A Liu yearns for more power at all times, but given the current situation, she is likely to face grave danger."

"B. Go out and gain some experience, and face the unlocking in a stronger state."

"Staying by the teacher's side for a long time may not be the best strategy; sometimes combat can help break through bottlenecks."

"C. Ask Bogus for his opinion."

"Bogus is just a doll; what does he know?"

"Just pick one randomly."

Only 5 minutes later, the text popped up.

"This mission has ended."

"Can be restarted after 30 days."

"Yes/No to reset this mission for 22,000 cubic coins."

"It doesn't seem very difficult."

Although the mission failed, Shi Li was somewhat surprised.

So he continued to operate, and two days later, it finally bore fruit.

"This mission has ended."

"Can obtain card [Magic Siphon] x1"

"Can be restarted after 30 days."

"Yes/No to reset this mission for 22,000 cubic coins."

"Comfortable."

Shi Li couldn't wait to see the effect of this life-bound card.