Chapter 203: 203 Dual Card Battle_1
Having demonstrated her strength, Wen Jiang proceeded as she pleased.
Defeating Mountain Ghost was to be expected, and although it was regrettable, it would have been disrespectful for Wen Jiang to hold back at this point.
Fortunately, the Mountain Ghost Association banned the Four Heavenly Kings’ card set, and Mount Flower returned the courtesy by banning the Moon Palace Card Set, ensuring a matchup of equals. In the end, it was Wen Jiang who turned the tides with a Support Card.
It seemed their fortune was much better compared to Shaliye and the other major associations; even their defeat was one the fans could accept.
After this match, Mount Flower officially advanced to the top ten.
The closer they got to the end, the less room there was for error, with just one bout to determine victory or defeat.
This kind of card battle couldn’t sustain the consumption of several continuous rounds.
The matches progressed rapidly, and so did the outcomes.
After advancing to the top ten, the System finally displayed a prompt:
"DING! The A-Level World Competition has entered the top ten. Rewards are accumulating and will be distributed according to the final rankings at the conclusion of the competition."
Heh, this has the distinct feel of game data. I suspect the Heart of the World originated in the gaming industry, Wen Jiang thought.
This year in the A-Rank Group, from Yunxia, only Broken Heart and Mount Flower made it into the top ten. Mountain Ghost had the misfortune of falling to Mount Flower, while the other associations also encountered strong teams early on.
In any case, in every year’s competition, a few powerhouses always managed to get at least two of their number into the top ranks; otherwise, their luck would be considered truly rotten.
However, the most unlucky was Mount Flower, due to their early withdrawal from the S Rank competition this year. By comparison, the dominant display by their A-Rank Group felt somewhat less jarring.
Once the complete list of the top ten was released, this year’s competition held a few more surprises.
Divine Punishment and Temple of the Gods were pitted against each other.
These two had always been the biggest highlights of the World Competition. For the strongest associations of the two great Empires to meet in the top ten was exceedingly rare, though not entirely unheard of.
Wen Jiang was somewhat surprised. She said to Zero Egg, "I thought we would encounter one of them first."
I never expected these two powerhouses to start eliminating each other first.
It seems I’d be letting society down if I don’t win the championship this year.
Zero Egg was somewhat puzzled. "Why would you think you’d encounter one of them first?"
Wen Jiang paused, unsure how to respond. How should I explain my subtle thoughts to Zero Egg?
Ever since arriving in this world, many things had a way of finding her, even if she didn’t seek them out.
Besides, Zero Egg was a so-called ’tortured female protagonist Drawing System,’ and drama was bound to follow the heroine.
I had assumed I would take down either Divine Punishment or Temple of the Gods first before facing the other.
But the match allocation system proceeded in unexpected ways, which just went to show that the System’s pairings were truly random.
Indeed, once this match allocation was announced, the fans of Divine Punishment and Temple of the Gods were up in arms. It had been nearly a decade since the two titans clashed in the top ten.
Now, whichever team was eliminated early would face embarrassment, and naturally, the fans were at each other’s throats.
As for Mount Flower, they couldn’t be happier, especially Tang Qian, who breathed a sigh of relief, "The elimination of a strong team only increases our chances of winning the championship."
For them, this was a stroke of extremely good fortune.
Although Wen Jiang was very strong, advancing steadily was even better.
The match between Temple of the Gods and Divine Punishment was so significant that Tang Qian had everyone watch the live broadcast in the hotel; even Wen Jiang was compelled to attend.
Watching it proved to be a good thing, as it revealed an issue Wen Jiang had overlooked.
"Damn, a dual card battle?!"
Shi Qi’s shocked voice echoed throughout the hotel, instantly tensing the atmosphere.
Realizing it was a do-or-die situation, both Temple of the Gods and Divine Punishment brought out their trump cards, engaging in a dual card battle.
As the name ’dual card battle’ implied, it meant that every player, not just relying on a single Support Card, brought out at least two cards to fight.
In past tournaments, dual card battles weren’t unheard of, but one as outrageous as this was rare, much like the outcome of this particular match.
Without waiting for Wen Jiang to ask, Tang Qian proactively explained, "In past tournaments, various unexpected situations might occur, and it wasn’t always core teams like Divine Punishment and Temple of the Gods battling for the championship. When facing other teams, these two wouldn’t usually resort to dual card battles. This time is truly an exception."
Wen Jiang stroked her chin. "Didn’t they say there are quite a few talented players who use dual cards? When Shaliye fought against us, they wanted to win so badly. Why didn’t they use dual cards then?"
"Dual cards are generally used only when there’s a high assurance of victory."
Tang Qian continued, "In international tournaments like this, everyone’s strength is fairly similar, and the primary tactic is often to drag out the battle. If the player using dual cards can’t guarantee overwhelming their opponent, and the other side seizes an opportunity to prolong the fight, their spiritual power will be depleted faster. Moreover, they’ll be more susceptible to mental collapse, which can affect their professional career. Therefore, strong teams are actually less likely to use dual cards."
"This time, they’ve probably ridden the tiger and find it hard to dismount."
The top ten—it was too early for these two teams to clash.
For associations like theirs, losing now and failing to make it into the top ten this year would be an immense disgrace.
Therefore, this battle was even more crucial than the championship final.
"In this kind of head-to-head matchup, whichever association loses will be ridiculed by the opposing fans for a whole year." Shi Qi touched his nose. "I actually hope Temple of the Gods wins; I’m a fan of the Great Emperor."
"..."
The Great Emperor—the world-class star player from the S Rank Group of Temple of the Gods.
Mengyin. Aordes.
Regarded as an absolute genius. Wen Jiang had briefly looked into him before; such a title meant his strength was among the very elite. Their assessment was that he likely had no equal in one-on-one matches.
Players with strong competitive abilities often acquire various nicknames—a fairly common, somewhat juvenile phenomenon—but to be called the Great Emperor meant his strength was truly at the pinnacle.
Shi Qi’s hopes were realized: Temple of the Gods emerged victorious in a brutal match, with just one card left active.
Compared to the previous matches, watching this one finally ignited a spark of genuine excitement in Wen Jiang. She had to honestly admit that if it came to a dual card battle, with an opponent fielding nine cards, her chances of winning would be slim if she didn’t use her ’cheats’ and only collaborated with her team on their five cards.
Watching the match, everyone’s expression turned gravely serious. The battle had delivered a significant visual shock, allowing them to witness the current pinnacle of A-Rank Group competition. Chen Runyu felt as if he couldn’t breathe while watching, his face turning pale.
He hung his head and muttered, "I can’t even block a single card..."
The coordination within Temple of the Gods, their tacit understanding, was almost enough to drive one to despair.
Tang Qian also realized anew that Wen Jiang’s previous optimism about winning the championship had been too hopeful. Temple of the Gods hadn’t fought a dual card battle in a long time. Doing so now dealt a heavy blow to the A-Rank Group players, forcing them to witness the true capabilities of top-tier competitors.
A harsh reality lay before them: apart from Wen Jiang, no one from Mount Flower could engage in a dual card battle.
No matter how strong Wen Jiang is, she can’t possibly compensate for four cards all at once, can she? Tang Qian thought.
The optimistic scenario was that Temple of the Gods would not use dual cards when facing them. However, with Wen Jiang on their team, they doubted the opposition would make such a lenient call.