: Battle against Li Weihuan, Spirit Sword Deck

Star River Realm, Planet 0856.

This place belongs to Lianxing University and is usually quiet and deserted, but today it is bustling with people and filled with heat.

The entire Federation's attention was focused on this highly anticipated arena duel.

Gu Ye's figure slowly solidified in the teleportation light pattern. As soon as he landed, he was directly assigned to the designated battle arena by the system.

The air trembled slightly, and a cold and authoritative system voice suddenly resounded throughout the entire arena area.

"Attention both fighters in arena number 69, the duel is about to begin, please prepare yourselves."

Gu Ye looked up and saw a tall, slender figure standing on the opposite stage.

He was slightly surprised the moment he saw who it was.

"It was him."

He was not unfamiliar with this person.

Previously, during the [Ascension to Godhood] trial, the opponent was Li Weihuan, one of the core combat forces against the extraterrestrial forces.

The capital city is a place where geniuses gather and strong people emerge in large numbers, and Li Weihuan is able to maintain his second place among countless prodigies. His foundation and strength are beyond question.

Although Gu Ye had never personally witnessed the true strength of the candidates from top federal cities like Shanghai and Ancheng, he knew with a grain of salt that none of them who had made it this far were ordinary people.

"We meet again."

Li Weihuan's gaze fell heavily on Gu Ye, his eyes deep and undisguised, his tone flat yet carrying a condescending air.

In his mind, his impression of Gu Ye remained that of a "student from a small rural town".

Even though Gu Ye later achieved first place in the Federation's college entrance examination and even led the Yanxia Federation to victory in the inter-domain battle, it could not change the prejudice in his bones.

Just as the two were facing off, the system notification sound interrupted their thoughts once again.

"Initiating random selection of battle arenas."

A huge virtual screen appeared simultaneously in front of the two of them, with countless scenes spinning and flashing rapidly, a dazzling display of light and shadow. A few seconds later, the screen suddenly froze, and a line of large characters appeared clearly.

"Lava volcano!"

The moment the arena was chosen, the ring beneath their feet suddenly changed.

The crimson rocky ground, the rolling heat waves, and the gushing lava flows in the distance instantly enveloped the entire battlefield.

Gu Ye felt a wave of scorching heat hit him, making him feel unbearably hot all over, as if even the air itself was on fire.

The stands were already packed.

The vast majority of people came because of Gu Ye, this commoner who suddenly became the top scholar.

Apart from a few people in the Federation's high command who knew that he had a mythical-level powerhouse behind him, ordinary students and examinees still regarded him as a "miracle of a comeback," but they also questioned his true combat strength.

"He's going to run into Li Weihuan in the first game. This is going to be interesting. This year's top scorer is probably going to fall from grace."

"I wonder what deck Gu Ye is using."

"Li Weihuan definitely possesses the Spirit Sword system that has been passed down in the Li family for a long time, combining offense and defense."

"He's the top scholar after all; he should have some real talent."

Amidst the murmurs and discussions, the system finally issued its final instruction.

"Battle... Begin!"

At a command, two streams of light burst forth from the two men's hands simultaneously, and several cards floated in the air, their light surging.

In an instant, Gu Ye's front was filled with all sorts of lively and adorable pet spirits.

Opposite him, in front of Li Weihuan, stood six humanoid sword puppets formed from pure sword energy. Their auras were cold and sharp, exuding a chilling killing intent.

The moment the audience saw Gu Ye's card, they fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha... What a bizarre deck this is!"

"Trying to beat him with these little things? Are you trying to kill your opponent with cuteness?"

"So cute...I really want one!"

Li Weihuan frowned, his gaze towards Gu Ye filled with mockery, his tone cold and disdainful:

"You think you can beat me with these cute pets?"

Gu Ye's lips curled up slightly, his expression calm and composed, without the slightest hint of panic.

"With them, that's enough."

His gaze shifted to the boy in front of him wearing the iconic baseball cap, his tone calm and trusting.

"Ash, it's your turn now."

The boy whose name was called raised his hand and steadily adjusted the brim of his hat, his eyes sharp and confident, his smile hearty.

"Don't worry, leave it to me and my teammates!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Ye calmly stepped back, handing over complete control of the battlefield to Xiao Zhi.

This scene made Li Weihuan frown even more, completely unable to understand Gu Ye's intentions.

Xiao Zhi turned around, his gaze fixed on Li Weihuan and the six spirit sword figures, his fighting spirit soaring.

"Let's go!"

Without any hesitation, his seasoned combat instincts kicked in instantly, and his commands were clear and concise.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack to get close, then follow up with Iron Tail for a direct hit on Li Weihuan!"

"Gardevoir, deploy Psychic Field!"

Xiao Zhi's damage reduction is increased by 10%.

The moment the command was given, the two elf figures moved simultaneously.

Gardevoir was enveloped in a soft yet extremely oppressive aura of spiritual energy, triggering its two abilities on the spot.

The [Copy] feature takes effect instantly!

[Synchronization] Feature: Locks onto the Winter Spirit Sword and binds it directly!

On the other side, Pikachu's body surged with electricity, and it shot out like a golden lightning bolt. Its tail instantly turned into a hard and cold steel color, and with a whooshing sound, it swiftly pounced on Li Weihuan.

Gardevoir's red pupils glowed with a pale pink light, and its invisible spiritual domain suddenly expanded, enveloping the entire lava arena.

Li Weihuan reacted extremely quickly, his figure suddenly retreating, and at the same time, a flash of light appeared at his fingertips, and a card was summoned in mid-air.

"Autumn Spirit Sword, [One Leaf Shield]!"

"Xia Lingjian, lock onto Gu Ye, [Blazing Sun], unleash a powerful attack!"

A thick shield formed from condensed yellow leaves instantly blocked Pikachu's path.

Xia Lingjian's sword blazed with fire, its sharp edge aimed directly at Gu Ye behind her, and she slashed out fiercely.

In the blink of an eye, Pikachu had already rushed over.

Iron Tail slammed down with tremendous force onto the Yellow Leaf Shield.

"clang--!"

With a deafening roar, the Yellow Leaf Shield held out for only a moment before being shattered by the Iron Tail, which then slammed into the Autumn Spirit Sword with undiminished force.

The ear-piercing sound of metal clashing continued incessantly. Qiu Lingjian's body trembled violently, and she was directly smashed away by a tail, her spiritual light dimming slightly.

A sudden uproar erupted in the audience.

"How is this possible! How could that yellow-skinned rat be so strong?!"

"As expected of the Federation's top scorer, he certainly has the skills!"

On the arena, Xia Lingjian saw that Pikachu's offensive was unabated and was heading straight for its master. The sword that was originally aimed at Gu Ye subconsciously paused, and she wanted to turn around and defend.

"Continue the attack! Do not retreat!"

Li Weihuan's icy shout suddenly rang out, leaving no room for argument.

Xia Lingjian paused, then immediately obeyed the order, her fiery sword energy surging once more as she slashed wildly towards Gu Ye.

Gu Ye's eyes narrowed slightly. Just as Pikachu was about to hit Li Weihuan, a jet-black sword shadow suddenly appeared, forcefully blocking Pikachu's full-force tail attack.

"Pikachu, come back!"

Xiao Zhi immediately gave the order.

But at that moment, Xia Lingjian's flaming longsword struck like lightning.

All the people saw was a flash of fire.

"Pfft—!"

The sharp longsword pierced through Gu Ye's chest without any resistance.

Blood gushed out from the heart area.

This sudden scene shocked everyone in the audience, causing their pupils to shrink in shock.

The once noisy and bustling audience seats suddenly fell into a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone froze in place, their faces filled with astonishment and disbelief.

Li Weihuan also frowned, his eyes filled with confusion as he looked at Gu Ye.

He could clearly see that, given Gu Ye's reaction speed, he could have easily dodged that sword strike.

Yet he endured the fatal blow.

Gu Ye looked down at the long sword piercing his chest. Blood dripped slowly down the blade, landing on the scorching lava ground and rising in a wisp of white steam.

He didn't scream or panic. Instead, he slowly raised his head and looked at Li Weihuan, a faint smile still on his lips.