Chapter 48: Can 048 summon two cards at the same time? yes
An Fuxue’s match began before Wen Jiang’s.
In her first match, An Fuxue faced a Spirit Card Master from a small association in Country Rhein. Using a pure rabbit-type animal card, she won quite easily.
After her match, An Fuxue wiped the sweat from her forehead, a product of her nerves. "Even though I was confident, I was still very nervous."
Having spent the morning with Wen Jiang, she felt their relationship was quite good and looked at Wen Jiang with an encouraging smile. "You too, good luck."
Wen Jiang nodded. "I will."
Many Spirit Card Masters would leave the venue after their matches, but this time, since Wen Jiang’s match began at noon, many stayed around.
It wasn’t until Wen Jiang took to the stage that the Spirit Card Masters began whispering among themselves. "Her first opponent is a Spirit Card Master from Xiben Third Card Association. That should give us a glimpse of her strength. I wonder if she’s really strong."
"Are those her fans online? They’re great at attracting negative attention for her."
Zero Egg’s comments had already caused quite a stir online. After all, not just anyone can boost their own comment to the top using backdoor methods.
This remark instantly sparked a wave of contrarian sentiment among many.
What the hell?
Mount Flower, you’ve never even won a regional league, and here you are, a newcomer, speaking so arrogantly!
Has the Broken Heart Association said anything? Has Mountain Ghost? Has Holy Beast?
Even though everyone knew such remarks might be from malicious commenters deliberately trying to create a negative narrative around Wen Jiang, they indeed succeeded. Coupled with the recent controversy surrounding Wen Jiang, this B-Rank match still drew significant public interest. The instant Wen Jiang’s match started, a surge of people flooded into the official live broadcast room for the regional competition.
The Yunxia Empire’s most formidable asset was its sheer number of people. As they poured in, they flooded the official broadcast with a barrage of messages.
[Is Wen Jiang’s match starting?]
[It’s started, it’s started! Wen Jiang is on stage!]
[I really want to see just how arrogant this newbie is.]
[To be fair, she was just an unexpected addition; it’s not like she committed some heinous crime. If you think about it, Mount Flower, no matter how crazy, wouldn’t field someone without skill. She’s facing so much negativity right as she starts competing; I can’t help but suspect someone is intentionally trying to cause her trouble.]
[She’s been trashed so much right from the start, it makes me want to go against the grain and support her. I actually feel for her.]
[Damn—setting aside everything else, she’s *that* beautiful?]
In the video, Wen Jiang had already walked onto the stage.
In July, Border City wasn’t as consistently cool as Imperial City. Despite the air conditioning in the venue, it was still scorchingly hot outside. Today, Wen Jiang wore a white blouse and casual shorts, her long hair tied back in a ponytail, with just a simple lock of bangs framing her forehead.
Her cool and lofty aura instantly captivated everyone.
People are pragmatic. Good looks indeed engender goodwill. Although Wen Jiang had released her information for public viewing, many were too lazy to check and simply went with the flow. Now, seeing Wen Jiang’s delicate and pretty features, they honestly began to drool over their screens.
[Damn, a goddess in a white blouse and ponytail! That’s exactly my type!]
[And that aura, so cool! Oh, those long, pale legs... I’m getting a nosebleed! *drools*]
[Dominate me, goddess!]
[Now I believe she’s truly being slandered. Someone who looks this good and is a Spirit Card Master—would she need to resort to such shady tactics?]
[LMAO, you see a pretty face and lose all sense of direction? Looks don’t mean anything on the battlefield; strength is what talks!]
[Being pretty just makes it easier to get involved in messy situations, I guess...]
[Some people in these comments are so malicious towards good-looking people! Are you projecting because you’re too ugly to show your face in real life?!]
There were plenty of attractive Spirit Card Masters, and although not everyone was as distinctively beautiful as Wen Jiang, skill was still what mattered most in this profession.
Wen Jiang stepped onto the stage, and the judge instructed her to select her cards.
In single-player matches, each contestant could bring only five cards per match. These would be revealed to both players, who would then each ban one card based on the situation. The match would then be played with cards chosen from the remaining four.
Famous players often had their preferred Card Sets, which made them easy targets for counterplay.
As a new contestant, Wen Jiang had the advantage of others not knowing her playstyle.
Actually, her opponent had an advantage too: she had no idea who they were.
She only knew he was a male Spirit Card Master with a somewhat tanned complexion, reminiscent of the coastal folk from Country Xiben.
When her opponent saw Wen Jiang, he didn’t show any disdain but instead appeared serious.
After all, Mount Flower was a powerful association in the Yunxia Empire, and anyone representing Mount Flower in a competition was not to be trifled with.
Wen Jiang revealed her Card Set.
It consisted of the five Dual-Change Cards she had crafted herself.
Once the cards were revealed, the venue’s host began to describe their origins. While the Spirit Card Masters in the audience weren’t surprised, they were filled with shock.
She’s in a single-player match, and she’s bringing a Card Set with three cards that have minimal offensive power—is she just using them to activate a bond?
This new B-Rank Card Set from Mount Flower had already made a name for itself domestically. Its beautiful card art, powerful B-Rank cards, and tricky Dual-Change style had already driven many fans wild. Since the set hadn’t been officially launched during the competition period, its merchandise hadn’t been released yet. However, pre-order numbers were reportedly climbing steadily, and it was destined to be an incredibly popular set among B-Rank Card Sets.
As for the origins of this Card Set, Mount Flower hadn’t managed to uncover much information. It was said that even their own members didn’t know where it came from.
However, rumors online suggested that a Dual-Change Card identical to the Rabbit Demon had appeared in a popular thread. Many suspected that this Card Maker had created the set. Unfortunately, despite numerous messages subsequently sent to the Card Maker, there was no response.
The trickiest part of this Dual-Change Card Set was its two offensive cards: the Rabbit Demon and the Child Demon.
The opposing player was also up-to-date with the Yunxia Empire’s latest news and, unsurprisingly, his expression turned grim upon seeing the Dual-Change Cards.
After weighing his options for a while, he banned the Rabbit Demon card.
The Rabbit Demon was an assassin-type card, far too fast. The Child Demon, on the other hand, was a long-range attacker, at least its targeting was straightforward.
Moreover, recent news had emerged that the Child Demon card was rather special. Spirit Card Masters who used it experienced a significant drop in spiritual power and extreme discomfort. Even within Mount Flower, the Child Demon card wasn’t favored, as it apparently required a particular type of Spirit Card Master to control it.
When Wen Jiang had first given this card to Chen Runyu, she had clearly explained its drawbacks.
This card was not suitable for most Spirit Card Masters to use.
Wen Jiang looked at the opponent’s Card Set with slight disdain.
All five cards were bizarrely combined beast cards, each ugly in its own way. Wen Jiang banned the ugliest one to avoid mental contamination.
In the end, Wen Jiang unsurprisingly chose the Child Demon, while her opponent selected a card called the Burrower Beast, which resembled an insect.
As the match began, Wen Jiang suddenly asked the judge, "I recall that there’s no limit to the number of cards one can use in a duel, correct?"
The judge paused for a moment, then replied, "That is correct. However, both Card Spirits must be summoned simultaneously."