Chapter 495: The Inconciliability of Light and Sin’s Cycle (8k)
[Dragon’s Inverted Scale: The Baby Blue-Eye Dragon shatters its inverted scale, entering a rage state, with its attack increasing by 50% to 100%, but becoming disoriented for three minutes.]
The ultimate skill effect of “Dragon’s Inverted Scale,” although powerful, comes at the cost of losing one’s mind.
In a rage state, the Baby Blue-Eye Dragon not only attacks all visible opponents but also poses a risk of self-harm.
However, under special circumstances like hypnosis, using the rage from “Dragon’s Inverted Scale” to override the hypnotic effect is a feasible tactical choice.
In reality, Dark had never tried “Dragon’s Inverted Scale.”
Initially, he rejected it outright due to lack of environment, and later simply forgot about it.
Nonetheless, despite sounding unreliable, today was the first time he commanded the Baby Blue-Eye Dragon to use “Dragon’s Inverted Scale.”
So far, the results were impressive!
Black marks resembling scratches spread across its face from the corner of its eyes, and fury accumulated in its blue eyes.
“Roar!”
Amidst the roar, the Baby Blue-Eye Dragon suddenly spread its arms, unleashing a black torrent from the shattered scales, spreading like spider webs to its limbs. The upper part wrapped around the dragon claws from the inner arm, covering them with a destructive energy!
This highly fluctuating energy granted the Baby Blue-Eye Dragon an additional 50% to 100% in attack power, enabling it to unleash terrifying force with 4500-6000 points of attack.
The Li Yuan Gigantic Demon, already lacking in defense as a mana golem, was instantly killed by the enraged Baby Blue-Eye Dragon’s claw strike.
“Ao!”
The Baby Blue-Eye Dragon stepped back with its hind legs, pressing its claw onto the rapidly dissipating body of the Li Yuan Gigantic Demon, roaring loudly!
The nobles on the ring corridor were awed by the aura, their hearts filled with shock.
Even some middle-aged nobles widened their eyes, faces filled with astonishment, unable to believe that this First-Year versus Fourth-Year mana duel was so intense right from the first round!
Ignoring Angus Jeffrey’s special techniques as a Fourth-Year student, Dark Di Mont summoned a stronger second-tier mana golem faster than Angus Jeffrey could.
Despite its youthful appearance, the Baby Blue-Eye Dragon displayed a ferocity comparable to an adult dragon.
This “rage-type” ultimate skill inevitably brings negative effects; one wonders how Dark will handle it.
Spectators whispered and discussed endlessly.
But the battlefield changed in an instant.
Angus Jeffrey did not panic as some imagined; instead, he calmly summoned a second mana golem before the end of the first round!
That mana golem quietly appeared in the red side summoning area, drawing little attention.
At that moment, spectators noticed that the mana from the Li Yuan Gigantic Demon, after death, had not dissipated but maintained a vague, complete form.
This familiar scene alerted Dark.
Yet, this type of “death cry” ultimate skill was hard to evade, especially with the Baby Blue-Eye Dragon in a chaotic rage.
When the round-switching “tick-tock” sound played, the mass of mana rushed toward the Baby Blue-Eye Dragon with a ghostly wail, then instantly entered it.
—Ultimate Skill: Necromancer’s Curse!
The Baby Blue-Eye Dragon’s body froze, its skin turning as pale as a corpse’s.
Ice crystals formed on its scales, and its limbs moved extremely slowly.
[Battle Phase (2) [30s]]
“Another ultimate skill of the ‘death cry’ type!”
Dark raised an eyebrow, yet his lips curled upward.
The “Necromancer’s Curse” of the Li Yuan Gigantic Demon clearly fused ice and ghost attributes, weakening the Baby Blue-Eye Dragon and freezing its movements.
Slowed movement meant even high attack power was useless if it couldn’t touch the opponent.
Yet, the Baby Blue-Eye Dragon was already in a chaotic state, making the “Necromancer’s Curse” perfectly timed!
Dark calmly drew two new mana cards from his deck.
Upon holding these mana cards, his gaze immediately fell on the red summoning area—Jeffery’s summoned mana golem!
Initially unremarkable, this mana golem floated like a snowflake.
In fact, it originally resembled a snow crystal.
Over time, every second added layers of ice crystals, transforming it into a spiky ice ball within seconds!
Then, a fierce wind arose!
The entire “Frozen Land of Li Yuan” environment was affected.
Cold air, controlled by mysterious forces, turned into whirlwinds, further lowering the temperature.
Half of the field, once reclaimed by the “Light Hall,” now re-emerged with layers of ice.
People on the ring corridor felt extreme cold.
Dark’s expression grew serious.
He immediately realized that the initial summon of the Li Yuan Gigantic Demon might have been a trap, and the true mainstay was the subsequent summon of the “Snow Crystal.”
“It seems you’ve figured it out.”
Jeffery’s voice came through the amplifier.
While taking two new mana cards, he said to Dark, “My Li Yuan Gigantic Demon has the ‘Necromancer’s Curse.’ Even if you defeat it, you’ll pay the price. Your baby dragon with blue eyes should be your latest ace, drawn at the start. You’re lucky. Unfortunately…”
Meanwhile, the “Snow Crystal” in the red summoning area continued to grow!
But Dark turned his attention to the two new mana cards in his hand.
[Greed III]
[Pride III]
With the acquisition of these two “Capital Sin III” cards, the mana cards in Dark’s hand seemed to come alive.
Whether using “Greed III” to evolve “Meow” into “Fat Cat,” or using “Greed III” or “Pride III” to evolve “Magical Beast: Ibut” into “Ice Ibut” or “Sun Ibut,” both were good choices.
Using “Greed III” to evolve “Magical Beast: Ibut” into “Ice Ibut” could also leverage the “Frozen Land of Li Yuan” field effect to enhance “Ice Ibut’s” ultimate skill—”Blizzard!”
However, unlike “Meow,” “Magical Beast: Ibut” could only evolve with “Greed III.”
If “Greed III” was used for “Magical Beast: Ibut’s” evolution, “Meow” would lose its chance to evolve.
Dark quickly glanced at his “Deoxys” card, abandoning the idea of using “Meow” and “Magical Beast: Ibut” as offerings to summon “Deoxys.”
Then, he pinched “Greed III” and lightly shouted, “Meow, it’s your turn!”
“Meow!”
Meow’s half-closed eyes opened slightly, a sardonic expression appearing on its face, then it swiftly obeyed Dark’s command!
Almost simultaneously,
Jeffery shouted, “Li Yuan Frost Sprite, let the gentlemen and ladies experience the blizzard above Li Yuan!”
“Woo—”
The howling wind grew louder.
The “Snow Crystal”—”Li Yuan Frost Sprite”—had transformed into a massive ice ball three meters in diameter!
Within nearly ten seconds, it expanded from a small snowflake to a huge ice ball entangled with countless ice thorns.
The entire “Frozen Land of Li Yuan” seemed under its control.
A massive blizzard rapidly formed around it.
Jeffery then flicked his fingers, beginning to summon the newly drawn mana card.
His gaze swept over the battlefield, feeling confident of victory.
Two types of field effects were in contention, but Dark’s ace was cursed, while his low-level mana golems guarded the Mana Guidance Ball. Another first-tier “Meow” was rushing from the blue summoning area to the red one.
Jeffery was deeply impressed by this “Meow,” knowing it had a unique “force multiplication” ultimate skill.
But it was clearly designed for physical attacks, whereas his “Li Yuan Frost Sprite” was a pure magical beast!
Without applying force, there was no way to utilize “force multiplication.”
[Card Name: Li Yuan Frost Sprite]
[Type: Elemental Card]
[Level: ????]
[Race: Elemental]
[Attribute: Ice]
[Mana: 3000]
[Attack: 1000]
[Defense: 1000]
[Ultimate Skill: Ice Elemental Heart, Blizzard]
Snowstorm, Frost Bramble Array, Frost Ray.
This Mana Spirit Card with four Ultimate Skills, despite being only four stars, is indeed a genuine gold card!
Above “Elemental Eye” is “Elemental Heart,” which allows the “Remote Frost Sprite” not only to be summoned without any sacrifices in environments with high ice element concentration, but also to continuously absorb surrounding ice elements for growth.
In just ten seconds, “Remote Frost Sprite” surged from 1000 mana points to the upper limit of 3000 mana points thanks to the “Ice Elemental Heart.”
Though unable to break through the 3000 mana point limit, before the energy of the “Frozen Land of Li Yuan” was completely absorbed, it could still quickly replenish its mana by absorbing ice elements.
If combined with the Mana Guidance Ball he was about to summon—the “Ice Core”—the “Remote Frost Sprite” would receive further reinforcement!
“Mew!”
An urgent meow sounded.
Jeffery watched the gray cat rush into the blizzard, smirking inwardly.
However, as his laughter almost escaped, he noticed an extremely deep blue light flash past his vision, forcefully inserting itself into the “Blizzard” created by the “Remote Frost Sprite.”
Then, from the increasingly violent blizzard, a dazzling white light burst forth!
“Mew mew, evolve—Cat Boss!”
Dark Demon’s voice rang out crisply.
The evolved Cat Boss stretched its elongated limbs, thick fur completely blocking the blizzard.
[Thick Fur Coat: Cat Boss’s thick and smooth fur reduces damage; when attacked in battle, the damage taken is halved.]
It shook off the effects of the blizzard, completely ignoring the attacks, and strode forward gracefully.
Both “Cat Boss” and “Remote Frost Sprite” are gold cards with four Ultimate Skills, but they focus on different aspects. If one had to compare…
Jeffery suddenly realized that this round-faced cat’s defensive capabilities were even stronger than the Baby Blue-Eye Dragon in the same blizzard.
His expression changed, and the “Ice Core” in his hand suddenly glowed!
…
Seeing Jeffery activate another Mana Guidance Ball, Dark merely said coolly, “Is that all?”
He did not activate “Pride III” and instead gave new orders to Cat Boss: “Stop playing around.”
“Mew—”
Cat Boss turned to look at him, the blue gem on its forehead faintly glowing, and its ω-shaped mouth curled up.
Then, it turned its head and accelerated abruptly!
Under the “Thick Fur Coat,” which could not be penetrated by the blizzard’s damage, Cat Boss was unaffected, rushing to the front of “Remote Frost Sprite” in no time.
This was the first time Jeffery had seen the evolution form of “Mew Mew,” and he had no idea about the Ultimate Skill of this round-faced cat.
He could only rely on his Mana Spirit Card: “Remote Frost Sprite, Ice Core, Frost Ray, Ultimate Freeze!”
In an instant…
The card face of “Ice Core” in his hand burst with glaring blue light.
The icy blue beam shot straight down, piercing directly into “Remote Frost Sprite.”
The three-meter-wide giant ice ball was rendered blue, with extremely cold fluid flowing inside.
The surrounding “Blizzard” came to a sudden stop, and “Remote Frost Sprite” unleashed the “Frost Ray” from the ice elemental energy injected by the “Ice Core.”
This Ultimate Skill, capable of freezing opponents, was strengthened by the “Ice Core,” increasing its intensity. Even a third-tier Mana Spirit could be instantly frozen!
Jeffery had previously used this combination to freeze a stubborn dungeon boss solid.
Originally, he planned to use this after Dark summoned a stronger Mana Spirit. However, Cat Boss’s defensive capabilities made him wary of this unknown Mana Spirit.
“No matter what special Ultimate Skills you have, once frozen, you can’t use them anymore!”
Jeffery thought, his gaze flickering as he looked past Cat Boss to the Mana Guidance Ball in the Blue Side Summoning Area.
Once Cat Boss was turned into ice, the reinforced “Frost Bramble Array” would descend from the sky, shattering the Blue Side Mana Guidance Ball’s Life Barrier!
“Cat Boss, hold the line.”
But Dark’s calm voice instantly reached Jeffery’s ears, causing his gaze to refocus.
Immediately afterward, he was shocked to find that the enhanced “Frost Ray,” capable of freezing third-tier Mana Spirits, was completely blocked by a thin light wall!
Cat Boss stood tall, fearlessly holding up the light wall, unmoved as the “Frost Ray” struck it.
The blue light of the “Frost Ray” splashed around like a torrent, making the ground even more icy.
But until its energy was depleted, not even a whisker of Cat Boss was frozen.
“This is impossible!”
Jeffery’s face showed disbelief, his fingers gripping the “Ice Core” tightly before he roared, “Use ‘Frost Bramble Array’ on the Blue Side Summoning Area!”
“Provocation!”
Dark’s eyes narrowed, issuing another command.
Cat Boss leaped suddenly, landing a foot on top of “Remote Frost Sprite.”
Sharp ice thorns pierced out from “Remote Frost Sprite,” but after being halved by the “Thick Fur Coat,” they couldn’t penetrate Cat Boss’s defense.
After landing, Cat Boss immediately used its Ultimate Skill “Provocation”!
[Provocation: Provokes the opponent, making them angry, allowing them to use only attack skills for thirty seconds and only attacking Cat Boss.]
“Remote Frost Sprite” was provoked, losing sight of Jeffery’s commands, its spines bristling as it wildly attacked Cat Boss.
But Cat Boss yawned, looking at the frenzied “Remote Frost Sprite” with a tired expression, its claws not letting up.
With “Remote Frost Sprite” having only 1000 defense points against Cat Boss’s 2200 attack points, even a normal attack was hard to withstand.
The ice thorns of “Remote Frost Sprite” shattered but quickly reformed under the influence of the “Ice Elemental Heart.”
Its mana value plummeted and surged like a roller coaster…
…
“Tik-tak!”
…
…
The second round passed unnoticed.
The familiar sound of the round switch reminded Jeffery that he shouldn’t be dazed now. He took a deep breath and reached for his deck.
And Dark, seeing the situation stabilize, immediately drew two new Mana Guidance Balls.
[Pride I]
[Solo Sword Sheath (Weapon Form)]
“The formula for victory has been written!”
Dark looked up at Jeffery and said, “Senior, if this is all, it’s hard to get excited.”
His voice, amplified by the device, became louder.
Though his tone was calm, there was a sense of arrogance that seemed natural.
Some nobles who knew something about the son of the Valkyrie couldn’t help but look shocked.
The handsome blonde youth, seemingly a textbook example of a noble, was not only elegant in his movements and composed in his demeanor but also exuded an inherent arrogance.
Nobles, especially older ones, did not reject “noble arrogance” but appreciated it.
Of course, their “noble arrogance” was that of a strong person, not a weak one showing off.
Previously, they had heard of the Valkyrie’s son’s recklessness and considered him a show-off.
But now, they found him to be the former!
Rumors were never as convincing as firsthand experience.
If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, even if others said the Valkyrie’s son had changed, few would believe it.
When more people discovered, witnessed, and confirmed his past, it might be seen as bias.
“It must be envy, right?”
Those who had only heard of him but never seen him might even doubt the person spreading the news.
Dark’s performance in these two rounds was enough to make people think this way.
…
Facing Dark’s arrogance and disdain, Angus Jeffery’s suppressed emotions gradually surfaced.
He sorted his Mana Guidance Balls, took a deep breath, and smiled, “Why rush? This is just the beginning!”
…
Both sides instantly launched their third round of actions.
“Cat Boss, attack the Mana Guidance Ball!”
Dark picked up “Pride I” and issued a command.
Though Cat Boss suppressed “Remote Frost Sprite,” its defensive-focused Ultimate Skills weren’t enough to destroy the “Remote Frost Sprite” with its “Ice Elemental Heart.”
Dark decisively shifted tactics, ordering Cat Boss to attack the Mana Guidance Ball to stall Jeffery.
Hearing the order, Cat Boss pounced towards the Red Side Mana Guidance Ball with determination.
And
The “Remote Frost Sprite” was still under the control of “Provocation,” and it swiftly flew towards it.
However, three seconds were enough for the summoning.
As Fat Cat was about to touch the Red Side’s Mana Guidance Ball, Jeffrey’s summoning was already complete.
He decisively chose to summon at the position of the Red Side’s Mana Guidance Ball, and the large summoning array instantly lit up.
Dark slightly squinted his eyes; even while maintaining his spell, he successfully activated “Arrogance I.”
Then, the dark gold orb that emerged from the card “Arrogance I” quickly shot towards the Blue-Eyed Dragon幼龙 entangled by the “Curse of the Undead.”
…
Fat Cat’s counterattack.
Jeffrey’s summoning.
The injection of “Arrogance I.”
These three events occurred almost simultaneously, creating a massive amount of information.
The spectators were momentarily unsure where to look.
Moreover, the two contestants in the duel were even more bewildered.
Jeffrey paid no attention elsewhere; immediately after completing the summon, he injected mana into his fingertips and pointed sharply downward toward the Red Side’s Mana Guidance Ball.
The Red Side’s Mana Guidance Ball was remotely controlled by the mana, wobbled slightly, and tried to jump.
But Fat Cat’s claws had already grabbed it. Three very clear scratch marks suddenly appeared on the life barrier of the Red Side’s Mana Guidance Ball, and the guidance ball itself was knocked outward by this blow.
[8000-5666]
So far in the duel, the Red Side’s Mana Guidance Ball was the first to be damaged.
But Jeffrey reacted quickly enough, controlling the Mana Guidance Ball to soar high into the sky.
Although Fat Cat was agile and had impressive jumping power, he ultimately did not have wings and could not further pursue the Mana Guidance Ball.
By then, Jeffrey’s third summoned Mana Guidance Golem had just appeared from the summoning array.
However, this summon was not a special cross-tier summon. Instead, a Mana Guidance Golem of the first tier appeared — a round-headed white bear!
Bears, as one of the naturally powerful races among the Avian-beast Kin, are often seen in dueling competitions.
But the white bear summoned by Jeffrey was only half a person tall, standing upright like a doll, causing Diana outside the arena to light up with excitement.
Jeffrey summoned it below the Mana Guidance Ball to prepare for any contingency.
But since the Red Side’s Mana Guidance Ball had successfully escaped, there was no longer a need for the white bear to intervene.
Thus, he immediately commanded: “White Bear Sleeve, Snow Conceal.”
Instantly, pure white snowflakes fell around the “White Bear Sleeve.”
The small white bear with its entire body covered in snow opened its arms, its whole body suddenly turning transparent and rapidly disappearing into the snowflakes.
As the figure completely vanished, the snowflakes fell to the ground, leaving a wet trace behind.
This was clearly a Mana Guidance Golem with the ability to become invisible!
Younger students generally lack permanent means to reveal invisibility.
Dark had included a “Revealing Powder” in his deck, but obtaining it immediately was not easy.
…
Before the “White Bear Sleeve” could go into hiding, the orb from “Arrogance I” had already been injected into the Blue-Eyed Dragon幼龙’s brain.
Dark noticed its expression struggle for just a moment.
“As expected.”
Dark was confident and immediately said: “Blue-Eyed Dragon, Dragon Egg Transformation!”
A moment of clarity was sufficient.
The Blue-Eyed Dragon幼龙 awakened from its chaotic state almost instinctively, triggering the ultimate skill “Dragon Egg Transformation.”
This was a typical response for species with skills like “Nirvana” when faced with fatal danger.
Its energy fluctuations rapidly receded after activating “Dragon Egg Transformation,” and its entire form quickly contracted in a flash, returning to its egg shape!
The cooldown for “Dragon Egg Transformation” was long, so it could not be used repeatedly in a short time.
When the light faded, a huge egg about one and a half meters tall was revealed to everyone’s gaze.
Dark then picked out “Arrogance III” and silently noted the cooldown.
In just three seconds, he immediately began a regular summoning spell to activate “Arrogance III”!
However, the target of the spell was not the 【Magical Beast: Eevee】 that could evolve with “Arrogance III,” but the “Primordial Dragon Egg”!
After transforming into a dragon egg, all the abnormal states and damage the Blue-Eyed Dragon had suffered were completely erased, as if it had returned to its initial state.
With the infusion of “Arrogance III,” it was tainted with the original sin of “Pride”!
The rebirth of the Blue-Eyed Dragon was unstoppable!
…
The duel was intensifying.
The transformation of the Blue-Eyed Dragon back into an egg was shocking.
Considering its appearance through “Hatching,” it was easy to imagine it would soon be fully revived.
Jeffrey clearly noticed this and felt a sense of urgency.
Once the Blue-Eyed Dragon with wings capable of flying was reborn, he would find it difficult to maneuver the Mana Guidance Ball for evasive maneuvers.
He must complete the summon before that moment or before the opponent’s rebirth and action.
Jeffrey looked at his Mana Guidance Card, his expression serious.
“White Bear Sleeve” successfully hid itself using its ultimate skill “Snow Conceal.”
“Remote Frost Sprite,” although provoked, could still hold its ground for a short time.
“I have one Mana Guidance Golem of three stars and one of four stars. The seven-star sacrifice is complete!”
Upon the three-second cooldown for regular summoning ending, Jeffrey immediately began the sacrificial summoning spell!
The limit time for sacrificial summoning was also three seconds.
But even Jeffrey could not compress it to the three-second limit.
However, usually, a few seconds’ difference would not make a decisive impact on the outcome.
Jeffrey’s mana burst, placing his fate on the final Mana Guidance Golem!
The randomness of Mana Duels could affect the outcome.
Jeffrey was not without stronger Mana Guidance Golems, but in his current hand, the seven-star Mana Guidance Golem was the strongest!
“The victory or defeat lies in this… ”
Just as Jeffrey attempted to bolster his confidence, he suddenly noticed that Fat Cat’s “Provocation” effect had ended, and “Remote Frost Sprite” regained its freedom.
Without being provoked, the “Remote Frost Sprite” with “Ice Point of the Boundary” could summon a “Frost Bramble Array” covering half the field, dealing a devastating blow to Dark’s Mana Guidance Ball.
Even if it couldn’t completely shatter it, it could wear away a layer!
Jeffrey’s mind raced, and he decisively interrupted the sacrificial summon, shouting: “Ice Brambles, Form Array, Shoot! Target, Blue Side’s Half Field!”
“Beep—”
The “Remote Frost Sprite” emitted a sound like a bug, rotating and rapidly ascending.
Fat Cat stomped his foot and squinted, scanning the surroundings.
The giant dragon egg absorbed the light of “Arrogance III” and suddenly cracked open.
A “Blue-Eyed Dragon幼龙” with dark gold stripes on its body crawled out of the shell and took flight!
“Sinful Blue-Eyed Dragon, release your power, cleanse the world!”
Dark issued commands to the successfully hatched “Sinful Blue-Eyed Dragon.”
“Roar!”
A more arrogant and irritable dragon roar than the “Blue-Eyed Dragon” abruptly sounded.
The “Sinful Blue-Eyed Dragon” did not hesitate to activate “Sin World.”
It was currently in the Red Side’s area, with “Frozen Land of Li Yuan” forming the icy ground beneath its feet.
The “Remote Frost Sprite” floating in the air continued to crazily absorb the ice elemental energy of the “Frozen Land of Li Yuan.”
None of this affected the unfolding of “Sin World.”
The dark golden light bursting from the “Pride” emblem on the inside of the dragon wings instantly illuminated the “Frozen Land of Li Yuan.”
After absorbing too much ice elemental energy, the “Frozen Land of Li Yuan” could no longer withstand the erosion of “Sin World.”
The ice on the ground melted into water.
The cold air vanished in an instant.
The temperature began to rise.
The entire half-field was enveloped in the light of “Sin World.”
From above, looking down.
At this moment, the duel field was half “Light Hall” and half “Sin World,” just like light and darkness, good and evil, reflecting each other.
And in the sky, one after another, cold vortexes continuously emerged and rapidly increased, densely packed.
The tips of the ice spears protruding from the cold vortexes shimmered with cold light, their momentum astonishing.
The “Remote Frost Sprite” rotated at high speed, forming a small storm to protect its surroundings.
In just the third round, the duel field had undergone a dramatic change.
“Ice Bramble Array!”
Jeffrey suddenly shouted.
All eyes focused on him.
Dark’s pupils constricted, yet he remained extremely calm, pointing his finger to gather mana into a line, remotely controlling the Blue Side’s Mana Guidance Ball, making it suddenly fly toward the Red Side’s half-field.
Eevee, guarding the Blue Side’s Mana Guidance Ball, struggled to run toward the Red Side’s half-field.
Fat Cat rushed over like a gust of wind.
The “Sinful Blue-Eyed Dragon” flying in the air suddenly targeted the “Remote Frost Sprite” fully casting spells.
Countless ice spears adjusted their direction and rained down like a deluge!
