Chapter 863: The Final Opponent
Chapter 863: The Final Opponent
The entire audience: "..."
An almost awkward silence filled the air.
As the representative of the freshmen, challenging the Duel King, the symbol of the academy and the aspiration of countless students, this duel was more of an exhibition than a battle with an expected outcome.
After all, no one would believe that Li Hua could win. Even if she was a genius maiden, even if she had skipped grades to enter the Duel Academy, it was still unimaginable.
A newcomer, fresh out of orientation, defeating the Duel King? Even in fantasy novels, such a scenario would be deemed too bold.
Of course, the result was predetermined, but the process and the way the victory was achieved still opened the eyes of the new students.
This might not necessarily be a positive thing.
As the first duel they witnessed after enrolling, it would undoubtedly leave a psychological shadow on the impressionable minds of the younger students. In contrast, the upperclassmen remained relatively composed.
Calm and collected, they had seen it all before. In the past two years, they had witnessed even more devastating defeats.
Many of the upperclassmen, who had experienced similar or worse situations, sat in the stands, cheerfully watching as the new students, clueless about what was happening, endured the torment they themselves had faced in the past two years at the hands of the Cloaked Master.
At most, they would sigh and acknowledge the Cloaked Master's prowess, recognizing that even against such a cute little girl, he could be so ruthless.
But this girl was also to blame. Why play a risky game like 'Head-Butting Bull' in front of the Cloaked Master? It seemed only natural that she would be turned into a helpless mess by her own foolishness.
On their very first day, the new students deeply understood the darkness of the Duel World.
To be fair, in their eyes, Li Hua had already proven herself to be formidable.
Putting aside everything else, just her final lineup was impressive. Three immovable Love-struck Maidens served as shields, while the backfield, fortified by the Soul Barrier Trap, ensured damage reduction. Nine out of ten freshmen would find this turtle-like formation extremely challenging.
Moreover, the backfield also boasted the powerful effect negation 'Effect Seclusion' against monster effects, along with the strategy 'Dust Cyclone' to counter traps and spells.
Such a formation was not impenetrable, but breaking through and achieving a kill in one turn was undoubtedly a daunting task.
However, the Duel King's solution to this puzzle was straightforward:
"Bring it on!"
In a single turn, two Sacrificial Fiends leaped and bounded, instantly turning the opponent's once-impregnable formation into a helpless mess.
Setting aside the terrifying strength of the King, this tactic also exerted immense psychological pressure. The poor girl, her maiden heart likely shattered into pieces, would probably relive this nightmare for the next week, haunted by the specter of Sacrificial Fiends.
"Thank you so much, You Xuan!" Li Hua suddenly bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle, her long hair cascading like a waterfall.
Spectators: "?"
Huh?
Is this girl a masochist or something? After being defeated so badly, why is she thanking him?
Li Hua continued earnestly, "I understand now. Through this duel, You Xuan wanted to teach me something, and he did.
When I first arrived at this academy, subconsciously, I felt inferior due to my young age and gender.
But not anymore!"
She proudly patted her flat chest.
"Age and gender are irrelevant. Now that I'm at Duel Academy, I am a proud duelist! Even in defeat, I will stand tall and proud as a duelist!"
A moment of silence filled the arena.
Then, Chancellor Jiao Island stood up, his shiny head reflecting the bright lights of the arena.
The principal slowly extended his hands.
Clap, clap, clap, clap—
A vigorous applause erupted.
With the principal leading the way, more and more students stood up from their seats, raising their hands to clap. The applause swelled like an ocean, soon mingling with shouts of enthusiasm.
Some were passionate fans calling out You Xuan's name, while others were applauding Li Hua's performance, giving their approval.
The Jiaozhou Chancellor narrowed his eyes and nodded slightly.
Hmm, truly a wonderful atmosphere for the new students.
Although You Xuan's demonstration battle had set a somewhat twisted precedent for the new first-year students, it was clear that this batch of newcomers would soon be heading down a darker path. But who cares?
At the beginning, the principal and professors had struggled with this trend.
When the students' styles started to be increasingly influenced by You Xuan, a group of conservative professors found it particularly hard to accept. The students' deck building and tactical styles were deviating further and further from traditional teaching methods, causing the professors to shake their heads in disapproval.
However, as time passed, the professors realized that with the Cloaked Master's growing influence and remarkable achievements, the trend was unstoppable. They finally gave up their resistance.
Even some of the conservative professors began to entertain the idea of breaking tradition—
—Why not give it a try?
Just a try, to explore new possibilities in dueling.
After tasting the forbidden fruit of the dark side, the professors also gave up.
Well, let it be. The students' practical skills were improving, and they were giving professional duelists a tough time in the GX Tournament. This had earned the academy a lot of recognition and respect, with numerous articles in duel magazines praising the students' performances.
Thus, the Jiaozhou Chancellor no longer said anything. He just smiled, feeling invigorated by the bright future of the Duel Academy, or perhaps a dark future?
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
It didn't matter. In the cheers of the juniors, You Xuan slowly walked down from the stage, leaving behind only a waving silhouette.
As he was about to leave, You Xuan glanced around.
Professor Cobra, are you watching?
But it didn't matter. Cobra needed the students to wear his special energy absorption wristbands to absorb energy and awaken Yubel. Without the wristbands, he couldn't absorb the energy.
Cobra, who was temporarily hiding in the shadows, looked somewhat serious.
"The Duel King is indeed unfathomable," he muttered to himself.
"Just an elite freshman isn't even enough to test him, is it?"
For the King, this was probably just a casual duel, perhaps an opportunity to educate the new juniors. Such a duel revealed nothing.
"Indeed, we need a more professional duelist to step in."
Cobra paused, glancing towards the darkness behind him.
"You've had a brilliant record, but you haven't been on the professional stage for many years. Is there a problem?"
A coughing sound echoed.
A man in a loose blue uniform stepped out of the shadows, adjusting his glasses.
"I am very grateful to Professor Cobra for this opportunity."
He adjusted his glasses again and said softly,
"Fighting the Duel King as my final opponent isn't a bad way to end my career."
(End of Chapter)
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