CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32: WHERE’S MY CARD?

Dongye Youzai, the former number one Life Card Master in the world.

After winning the championship last year, half of his deck was banned, leading to his disappearance from the scene.

But if you really think about how miserable he is, some people are envious beyond words.

Because the compensation for the banned half-deck amounted to a whopping 300 million. This is because the banned card compensation amount is multiplied by the owner’s rank. For example, Shen Sui’s banned 13-star Life Card, if owned by a ninth-tier Life Card Master, the compensation would not be 150,000, but 1.35 million, plus additional championship compensation.

Due to the high cost of banned card compensation, the Life Card Association is very strict about banning cards; it’s not just someone reporting it and it gets banned. Once the compensation reaches a certain value, the Life Card Association sends a specific reviewer to duel you to determine if the card should be added to the Forbidden Card List.

Shen Sui was also surprised that his [Star Magic Array] was banned so quickly; the Life Card Association is truly generous.

It is said that the reason Dongye Youzai’s half-deck was banned is that he obliterated the reviewer during the review. Therefore, many people thought this guy did it on purpose for the retirement money.

But this year, with his kingly return, such rumors dissipated.

As soon as he heard that the opponent was using Dongye Youzai’s deck, Shen Sui immediately became interested.

"Great! Let’s duel then!" At this moment, winning or losing was no longer important to Shen Sui, nor was the 500,000 reward.

A world champion deck?

Let me take a look!

However...

"Why is it that even though I activated the spell card that nullifies effects, your effect still went through!" the young man named Bu Pei shouted incredulously.

"Um... that’s not an effect." Shen Sui already felt like this duel was a disaster. "That’s a cost..."

"What cost? Just look at the card—your effect is written right on it! Why did it activate even after I nullified it?" Bu Pei’s eyes widened.

"Why was my Follower destroyed by you?! Wasn’t it supposed to be immune to effects?"

"My card’s effect doesn’t target..."

"What do you mean it doesn’t target? I didn’t see that on the card?"

Forget it, forget it, not worth arguing.

Shen Sui rubbed his temples and played a spell card from his hand.

"I’m activating the Spell Card [Thunder Strike] to destroy your field’s... huh? Where’s your Follower?" Shen Sui looked at Bu Pei’s empty field, puzzled.

"No idea!" Bu Pei looked around in surprise, "Where’s my card? The card I spent a fortune on?"

So they called in the referee, checked the duel logs, and found Bu Pei’s mysteriously vanished Follower.

Turns out, that Follower’s effect was to activate at the beginning of the opponent’s main phase, banishing itself, and then its Spirit Value would double next turn.

"Oh... so it’s in the Exclusion Zone."

Shen Sui looked at Bu Pei and asked speechlessly, "Do you not even look at your Follower Card’s effects?"

"Nope," Bu Pei said matter-of-factly. "Once a card’s on the Forbidden Card List, shouldn’t it be invincible as soon as it’s played?"

"Not necessarily... there are many reasons a card ends up on the Forbidden Card List," Shen Sui said. For example, it could have been reported by its owner. "It’s not unconditionally powerful; it might also have a unique role in a system... At least glance at the effect when you use it."

Shen Sui suddenly felt like he was back to his childhood when everyone played games willy-nilly with bootleg cards, completely ignoring the rules, winning completely depended on who shouted the loudest, not even looking at the card effects.

"I spent a million per Forbidden Card; do I need to read the effects to use them?"

"Robbery?" Shen Sui was shocked.

"A million per card. I usually buy Forbidden Cards at that price," Bu Pei said proudly, raising his head.

"Why buy so many Forbidden Cards?"

"To show off."

Shen Sui staggered. Such a simple and direct reason.

"Did you buy Dongye Youzai’s deck at the same price?"

"Not really." Bu Pei admired. "A world champion is indeed a world champion, cherishing his Life Cards deeply. When I asked for a price, he told me that even though these cards were banned, they remained his inseparable comrades, friends as close as brothers."

Why does this rhetoric sound so familiar?

"Then did you pay more?"

"Yes, the price doubled," Bu Pei said smugly. "Forty million for half a champion deck, not too expensive."

I finally understand why this world’s dueling scene is so thriving.

There are real suckers, and there’s real money to be made here.

But on second thought, it’s not that bad, just half the price of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon card.

"I lost," Bu Pei accepted his defeat rather openly. "As expected from someone who can defeat a fifth-tier Life Card Master at the novice stage; even a champion deck can’t beat you."

If only you’d looked at the effect a little longer, I wouldn’t have won so easily...

Shen Sui really wanted to complain but couldn’t find an entry point, so he just exchanged pleasantries, "You’re too kind."

Bu Pei using this deck was like a baby wielding a sledgehammer, not even looking at the effects, just ended up dead because of it.

"I was actually hoping to win a tournament championship." Bu Pei said somewhat disappointed.

"Do you need this 500,000?"

"Championship! The point is the championship! I want to prove to my dad that I can become a strong Life Card Master, even as an amateur." Bu Pei punched the air.

"I think maybe this deck doesn’t suit your dueling style," Shen Sui suggested, eyes gleaming.

Bu Pei considered it, "I think so too. I’ll just put it back into the Collection Card Album when I get home."

"Let’s exchange contacts." Shen Sui grinned. "I might have some cards to offload soon, just need a buyer."

"I don’t want ordinary Life Cards; no boasting feeling."

"They’re Forbidden Cards."

"Sure! I’ll take them!" Bu Pei eagerly added Shen Sui as a friend.

He didn’t even ask for the price.

Nor the effect.

"Then here’s to a successful collaboration." Shen Sui was glad to find a stable buyer for his Forbidden Cards, as in his plan, Magic Class Forbidden Cards were to sell, while Follower Class were his collectibles.

After all, if a Follower Card is a girl card, trading it away always made him feel uncomfortable.

"I’m looking forward to seeing you on the professional stage," After becoming familiar, Bu Pei was actually very approachable, laid-back, and affable. "Someone who can defeat this deck surely has world-class potential as a Life Card Master."

No, facing a duelist who doesn’t even read his card effects, anyone could win, right?

On second thought, Bu Pei seems to have been a nine-win streak in the preliminaries too.

Oh well, it seems the amateur level is generally not high.

After Bu Pei left, Shen Sui sat there waiting for the preliminaries outcome.

He achieved a perfect ten-win record, which, according to the organizers, should ensure a place in the elimination rounds.

Of course, there is an exception; if more than eight Life Card Masters achieve ten wins, a tiebreaker will be held.

Therefore, Shen Sui still needed to wait for the result.

Soon enough, the result came out, and he unsurprisingly entered the elimination rounds.

"See! I said Yuan Youxin would be here, right? How could this amateur Duel King miss a competition with a 500,000 prize?"

Yuan Youxin?

Shen Sui felt like he’d heard that name before.

Seems the 500,000 prize is quite attractive.

Shen Sui wasn’t worried at all.

Even if the opponent is a very famous duelist, there wouldn’t be a trace of panic in him.

Everyone’s here for the prize, who’s nobler than whom?

Heard this amateur Duel King could actually apply to be a third-tier Life Card Master.

The examiners in the dueling exams get their decks nerfed, so even if someone claims they’re third-tier, they won’t show full third-tier skill.

Let me test the full power of a third-tier Life Card Master in this world.