69novels Page 276
Page 276
Now, I'll stack my Level 4 Vengeful Vulture and Revolutionary Falcon! Yuuki raises his arm, the two monsters form an Xyz Network, Xyz Summon! Soar, Raptor-Blazing Falcon!
A falcon enveloped in flames joins the battle, standing shoulder to shoulder with Hope.
Activate the effect of Flamehawk, remove one Xyz Material, and destroy a face-down card in your backrow! Yuuki points at Lin Xiang's field, Flame Storm!
The falcon spewed flames, burning away Lin Xiang's trap's sacred protective shield - the reflective force -.
Battle Phase! Yuuki took a deep breath, and Hopeful Glory launched a direct attack! Hope Sword - Victory Slash!
The golden sword light went straight for Lin Xiang, and his health dropped sharply from 7200 to 4200.
The Flame Falcon attacks directly! The boy continues his attack, the Flame Falcon swooping down!
The second wave of attacks reduced Lin Xiang's health to 2200. The stands erupted in cheers; no one had expected such a dramatic turn of events.
Activating another effect of Flame Falcon allows you to Special Summon one Rush Raptor monster from your Graveyard at the end of the Battle Phase! Yuki said, "Come back, Satellite Cannon Falcon!"
The third raptor, Qi Shan, returned to the battlefield, and Lin Xiang's expression had become extremely ugly.
"The round is over," Yuki said. "The situation has completely reversed now."
Lin Xiang's hand was trembling slightly as he drew a card: My turn... Draw!
He glanced at his hand, a glimmer of hope in his eyes: Activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed! Return five monsters from the Graveyard to the Deck and draw two cards!
After replenishing his hand, Lin Xiang's expression relaxed a bit: He activated the Harmony Treasure Card, discarded the Blue-Eyed Girl from his hand, and drew two cards!
Next, activate the graveyard effect of Blue-Eyes Girl. When she is sent to the graveyard, you can Special Summon one Blue-Eyes monster from your hand! Lin Xiang loudly proclaims, "Descend, Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon!"
A silver-white jet-powered dragon appeared on his field, but it was much weaker than the previous lineup.
"Battle phase! Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon, attack Flame Falcon!" Lin Xiang commanded.
The Jet Dragon launched a missile, destroying Yuki's Falcon. Due to the Jet Dragon's effect, Hope's attack power decreased by 600.
"The round is over," Lin Xiang said, clearly waiting for a better opportunity.
Now it's Yuuki's turn. My turn, draw a card!
The card the boy drew made his eyes light up—Rapid Raptor-Assault Core! The perfect finishing card!
Activate the effect of Rush Core and Special Summon it and one Rush Raptor Monster from your hand! Yuuki plays two cards: Rush Raptor - Simulated Shrike and Rush Raptor - Painful Shrike!
Two small birds of prey joined the battle.
Stack the Level 4 Simulated Shrike and Painful Shrike! The boy begins the final unfolding, the two monsters construct an Xyz Network, Xyz Summon! Appear, Raptor-Revolutionary Falcon!
The familiar Falcon is back.
Now, I will stack the Satellite Cannon Falcon, Revolution Falcon, and Hope Ray Glory on the field! Yuki's voice trembled with excitement as the three monsters formed an Xyz Network, Chaos Xyz Transformation! Descend, No. 99 Hope Emperor Dragon Hopedragun!
Amidst dazzling light, the golden dragon knight descended upon the battlefield, its imposing presence silencing the entire arena. Even Lin Xiang's eyes widened, clearly not expecting the young man to summon such a powerful monster.
"Activate Hopedragun's effect, remove one Xyz Material, and it can attack three times this turn!" Yugi announced. "Furthermore, for each Xyz Material it has, its ATK increases by 500!"
The Dragon Knight's attack power soared to 4000.
Battle Phase! Yuuki points at Lin Xiang, Hopedragun attacks Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon! Hope Dragon Sword - Triple Slash!
The first attack destroyed the jet dragon, and Lin Xiang's health dropped to 1200.
A second direct attack!
Health points dropped to 0.
Chapter 304 Master of Overpower
A brief silence fell over the entire stadium, followed by a deafening roar of cheers. Yuuki, an unknown high school student, had defeated the national champion with an Xyz Deck!
Lin Xiang stood there for a few seconds, then stepped forward and extended his hand: "A magnificent duel. Your Xyz Spell deck has truly opened my eyes."
Yuki grasped his hand, still unable to believe it was real: Thank you... I just... stuck to the way I liked to play.
Sometimes, it is this kind of perseverance that can create miracles. Lin Xiang smiled and said, "I look forward to seeing you again on the professional stage."
As Yuuki stepped down from the dueling platform, his classmates rushed up and surrounded him, their eyes filled with unprecedented admiration. The boy knew that from this day forward, no one would mock his Xyz Deck anymore.
Amidst the cheers, Yuuki looked at the deck in his hand and whispered, "Thank you, my comrades." The deck seemed to respond, glowing softly. This wasn't just a victory; it was the best proof of his unwavering commitment to himself.
The cheers from the stadium still echoed in his ears, and Yuki felt his heart pounding in his chest. He looked down at the deck in his hand; those cards, considered outdated by countless people, were now emitting a faint, almost imperceptible blue glow. This wasn't an illusion, he was certain.
You Ji! You're amazing! Li Hao, his classmate, rushed up and hugged him. "You actually beat Lin Xiang! You're the national champion!"
A group of classmates quickly surrounded him, their faces filled with disbelief. Just an hour ago, most of them had been mocking Yuuki for wasting his time using the Xyz Scaling deck. Now, their eyes were filled with nothing but admiration.
"Just lucky," Yuki said modestly, his fingers unconsciously stroking the Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon at the top of his deck. This ace card, which had been with him for three years, seemed to feel warmer than the other cards.
"No, it wasn't luck." A gentle voice came from outside the crowd. The students automatically parted to make way for Lin Xiang, who had already packed away his valuable Sky Striker deck. "Your tactical thinking is unique; you've maximized the advantage of Xyz Summoning. To be honest, it's been a long time since I've encountered an opponent who excites me this much."
Yuki felt his cheeks burning. "Thank you... I was just playing cards according to my own understanding."
Lin Xiang took a few steps closer and lowered his voice: Are you interested in participating in the professional league qualifiers next month? With your performance today, you are fully qualified for a wildcard spot.
These words exploded in Yuki's mind like a bomb. The professional league! That was a place he never dared to dream of. For the past few years, the professional arena had been completely dominated by Link Summoning and Pendulum Summoning, with Xyz users struggling to even get past the qualifiers.
Can I...?
"Of course." Lin Xiang took out a 897-card deck from his pocket and handed it to him. "Contact me when you've thought it through. Your deck... is quite unique."
After Lin Xiang left, You Ji was surrounded by his classmates as he returned to the classroom. All afternoon, he could feel the gazes from all directions—curious, envious, and even a few hostile. Especially the gaze from Zhao Mingkai, the president of the Duel Club, which almost burned a hole in his back.
The school bell rang, and You Ji declined his classmates' invitation to go to the card shop, walking alone towards the school gate. He needed time to process everything that had happened that day.
Hey, wait a minute!
A clear, crisp female voice came from behind. You Ji turned around and saw a girl with a ponytail running after him, carrying a card box with cartoon patterns on it. She wasn't in his class; You Ji was certain he had never seen her before.
"You're Yuki, right? The one who dueled Lin Xiang today?" The girl stopped in front of him, panting, her eyes shining brightly. "That was amazing! I've never seen anyone use an Xyz Deck so well!"
Uh, thank you... Yuki scratched the back of his head somewhat awkwardly.
"My name is Su Yuqing, and I just transferred here today." The girl generously extended her hand. "Actually, I also used Xyz decks at my previous school, so I was incredibly excited to see your match!"
Yuuki's eyes widened in surprise. In this era of rampant Link Summoning, encountering another Xyz user was as rare as finding a rare card. Really? What deck are you using?
"Let me tell you a secret first." Su Yuqing leaned closer mysteriously, "I saw your deck is glowing."
Yuki froze. You...you saw it too? I thought it was just me.
Sure enough! Su Yuqing jumped up excitedly. I knew I wasn't mistaken! This wasn't just ordinary reflection; it was real energy resonance!
Energy resonance? What is that?
Su Yuqing looked around and lowered her voice: This isn't the place to talk. Come with me, I'll take you somewhere.
Half an hour later, they stood in front of an inconspicuous little card shop on the edge of the city. The shop sign was faded, but it read "Old Chen's Card Shop".
"Where is this?" Yuki asked, puzzled.
"The only place in the whole city that still has a special area for overage cards," Su Yuqing said proudly as she pushed open the door and entered.
The doorbell rang, and the store was filled with the smell of old paper and ink. Unlike those glamorous chain card stores, this place felt like a corner where time had stood still. Behind the counter sat an elderly man with gray hair, studying a card while wearing reading glasses.
"Grandpa Chen! I've brought a friend!" Su Yuqing exclaimed happily.
The old man looked up, his gaze lingering on You Ji for a few seconds before he gave a meaningful smile. "Oh? This young man is the one who defeated the national champion today?"
Yuji's mouth dropped open in surprise. How did you know?
Although my shop is small, I'm well-informed. The old man slowly stood up, especially interested in news about over-users. "Come on, let me see your deck."
Yuki hesitated for a moment, then took out a deck from his backpack and handed it over. The old man took the cards, but didn't immediately check the deck's construction. Instead, he closed his eyes and placed the deck flat in his palm. After a moment, he opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.
Interesting...very interesting. The old man returns the deck to Yuuki; your Galaxy Eyes are calling to you.
A call? Yuki took the deck in confusion. Just then, the Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon at the top emitted a faint blue light again, this time more noticeably than in the stadium.
Su Yuqing gasped: See! I told you it wasn't an illusion!
The old man nodded and turned to walk deeper into the shop. "Come with me, young man. It's time to tell you something about soul resonance."
You Ji and Su Yuqing followed the old man to a small room at the back of the shop. In the center of the room was an old wooden table, and the walls were covered with card posters from various eras, many of which were discontinued Xyz series.
The old man took a small wooden box from a locked drawer and gently opened it. Inside lay a slightly worn card—No. 39 Hope for the Royal Hopp.
This is my companion. The old man gently stroked the card, his eyes filled with nostalgia. Twenty years ago, it too shone like your Milky Way Eye.
Yuki felt a tightness in his throat. What was going on? Why were the cards glowing?
In the world of professional dueling, they call it Soul Resonance. The old man slowly explained that when the bond between a duelist and a card reaches a certain level, the card responds to the duelist's will. This phenomenon is extremely rare; every duelist in history who has reached this level has become a legend.
Su Yuqing's eyes lit up: Just like Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba?
The old man smiled and nodded. "Exactly. However, in the last decade, as the dueling environment has become increasingly commercialized, and decks focused on quick wins have proliferated, true soul resonance has almost disappeared." He looked at Yuuki, "Until today, I saw your match on the news."
Yuuki looked down at his deck, his heart pounding. So... my deck is glowing because...
Because you genuinely love these cards, not just use them as tools to win. The old man said seriously, "This connection is very precious, young man. Don't give it up easily."
It was already dark when they left the card shop. You Ji and Su Yuqing walked side by side on their way home, both still immersed in the information they had just heard.
"So you really plan to participate in the professional qualifying tournament?" Su Yuqing suddenly asked.
Yuki stopped and looked up at the night sky. "I don't know... this is too sudden. The professional scene is full of meta decks; my victory today might really just be luck."
"It's not luck!" Su Yuqing exclaimed excitedly. "I saw your play; every step was calculated precisely. And you have Soul Resonance! That's more powerful than any mainstream deck!"
Yu Ji couldn't help but laugh. "You seem more confident than I am."
Because I believe in the power of Xyz Summoning! Su Yuqing pulled a card from her deck and showed it to Yuji—it was Radiant Dragon Stardust. The card shimmered with an eerie glow under the streetlights. "Look, my partner is special too. Let's practice together! You need opponents before a professional tournament, don't you?"
Yuki felt a warm current surge through his heart. The loneliness he had endured alone for so many years seemed to find solace at this moment. Okay, let's practice together.
Just then, You Ji's phone rang. It was a text message from Lin Xiang: "How's your decision? The deadline for qualifying registration is the day after tomorrow. Looking forward to your reply."
Yu Ji took a deep breath and replied: I'll participate. Thank you for the opportunity.
The moment he pressed the send button, he felt the deck in his pocket get slightly warm, as if it were responding to his decision.
The next day, when Yuki stepped into the school, he immediately felt the atmosphere was different from before. The students in the corridor all stared at him, and several members of the Duel Club who had ignored him the day before even nodded to him.
Look, it's You Ji! He's the one who defeated the national champion! I heard Lin Xiang personally invited him to participate in the professional qualifying tournament...
Whispers continued to reach his ears, and You Ji quickened his pace toward the classroom. Just as he turned the corner of the corridor, a tall figure blocked his way.
"Good morning, Xyz Master." Zhao Mingkai crossed his arms, a fake smile on his face. As the president of the school's dueling club, he had always been a fervent supporter of Link Summoning and had often mocked Yuki's decks in the past.