CHAPTER 20: 020 DECK’S FIRST DUEL, ATTACK POSITION FORWARD, DO YOU KNOW HOW TO PLAY?_1

A card set, a perfect combination.

Two output cards, two support cards, one control card.

Chen Runyu ignored the longing and desire in Chen Xiaotu’s eyes, hastily grabbed the cards, and headed to the Mount Flower Association.

The Mount Flower Association occupied an entire building in the most expensive part of Imperial City. Of course, there were several other large Card Associations nearby.

Chen Runyu, carrying the cards, found his mentor, Tang Qian. She was currently the coach of the Mount Flower Association’s A-Level Spirit Card Master competition group.

Tang Qian, an astute and capable woman with simple long hair, was tying it up while talking with an expressionless woman in her office.

Seeing the visitor, Chen Runyu immediately stopped in his tracks and did not call out to his mentor right away. The woman speaking with his mentor was the current star of the Mount Flower Association, Sheng Hongying, the S Rank competition group captain and substitute.

Recently, there had been much talk about Sheng Hongying; her contract with the Mount Flower Association was expiring. She commanded a very high value, and everyone was watching to see whether she would renew her contract with the Mount Flower Association or if she had already found another association. After all, if Sheng Hongying were to leave the Mount Flower Association, everyone would understand. She had dedicated seven years to competing wholeheartedly for the association. To end up ostracized by all four teammates was a spectacle rarely witnessed in other associations.

"You should consider this matter carefully for yourself," Tang Qian said. She had also noticed her disciple standing at the door, excited yet not daring to enter rashly. Although curious about her disciple’s rare agitation, she still needed to clearly explain the situation to the woman before her, who appeared rather aloof.

"The recent issue was indeed a problem with the association’s management arrangements. That manager admitted to intentionally targeting you, and those staff members have all been reassigned... but this," Tang Qian sighed. "Everyone has seen the injustice you suffered this year. If you really want to leave, personally, I’m on your side. It’s just that... the leaders have now conceded. So, consider it well."

Chen Runyu, hearing these low words, was slightly stunned. He glanced at Sheng Hongying, deeply respecting the legendary senior. Not yet officially competing, he wasn’t clear on many details about the competition scene, yet everyone knew that the four team members of the Mount Flower Association’s S Rank competition group did not get along with her.

The outside world was full of speculation, but given Sheng Hongying’s formidable abilities, it was evident who was truly at fault.

Chen Runyu assumed Sheng Hongying wouldn’t say much with an outsider present. However, Sheng Hongying glanced at Tang Qian, then, without looking at the suddenly appeared Chen Runyu, a trace of interest flickered in her eyes. "Whether I leave or not, do you think the Association can recruit four teammates who are suitable for me?"

Tang Qian was taken aback. That was indeed the case. Even after kicking out the previous four, given the current strength of the Mount Flower Association, it wasn’t possible to recruit better S Rank Spirit Card Masters suitable for Sheng Hongying. The competition among players on the field was too fierce, and Spirit Card Masters were scarce. Each S Rank Spirit Card Master was a national treasure. This situation was extraordinary. It was precisely because those four were so outrageous, and Sheng Hongying was a legendary player, that an association would dare to kick out four S Rank Spirit Card Masters at once.

"The higher-ups should have a solution; after all, they made promises," Tang Qian quickly recovered her composure. "Just make your decision based on your own thoughts."

Sheng Hongying scoffed, glanced at Chen Runyu, then turned and walked out the door, brushing past him.

Chen Runyu felt a tingling at the back of his head; as Sheng Hongying passed by, her powerful aura sent a chill down his spine.

"Do you have some good news for me?" Tang Qian looked at her disciple, knowing from his expression that it must be something good.

"It is good news!" Chen Runyu was very excited. He stepped forward, "Mentor, let’s go to the card battle room. It would be best to find a few B-Level Spirit Card Master competition groups. I have a new card set for them to test its power."

"A new card set?" Tang Qian was a bit surprised. "A new B-Rank Card Set? That’s rare. It’s especially unusual for someone to create so many cards at once at this time. You look so excited; is it really that powerful?"

Chen Runyu nodded. "You’ll understand when you see it."

They went to the B-Level competition group. As an A-Level coach, Tang Qian found it quite easy to find people there. Soon, they gathered a team of B-Level Spirit Card Masters scheduled to compete this year. Chen Runyu simply had to authorize it for these people to use the cards. After they each made a Copy of a card, he found another team using an old card set to battle against them.

At this moment, Tang Qian’s spiritual power had not merged with the card set, so she was unaware of the specific functions of these cards. When she saw the display wall of new cards, revealing five neatly arranged girlish figures, she couldn’t help but gasp.

"’Humanoid cards? And five of them?’ Tang Qian was a bit shocked. ’Whoever did the modeling is skilled. They’re so beautiful—can a card set like this actually be formed?’"

In the competition arena, humanoid cards this beautiful were typically either top-tier in strength or purely decorative. Specific examples could be found in the Sanctuary Empire Angel Card Set. However, those were SSR Rank Card Sets. This set was B-Rank...

The Spirit Card Masters who received the new cards were shocked once their consciousness merged with the cards’ Skills. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing and glanced at each other, then quickly began familiarizing themselves with the card Skills.

They were up against established B-Rank card sets, featuring a poisonous plant strategy. The poison Skills couldn’t achieve rapid kills. Instead, they focused on releasing poison gas first, then stacking Skills to quickly disable the opponent’s cards, followed by an attack from output cards to "harvest" (eliminate all remaining cards). Furthermore, the poison deck had various annoying abilities, such as slowing down Card Spirits or blinding their Card Spirits’ sight.

When the competition started, the Spirit Card Masters’ consciousness and their Card Spirits merged. If a Card Spirit was blinded, it was as if its Spirit Card Master was also blind. Ten Spirit Card Masters fought from fixed positions in the battle room. If a card was disabled, its Spirit Card Master would be teleported out.

The competition began. The Spirit Card Masters’ spiritual power fused into the cards, and they all summoned their Card Spirits.

The poisonous plant Card Spirits were also quite pretty, resembling common flowering plants. But their appearance still wasn’t as shocking as the sight of five young, girlish figures being summoned.

When the Rabbit Demon bounced out first, one of the opposing Spirit Card Masters’ eyes twitched. This looks like the card I saw in that online post last night?

The most eye-catching among them, however, was the Flower Demon. Compared to the subtlety of the other four cards, the Flower Demon made an entrance with an innate charm buff. She walked out gracefully, her voice both tender and seductive, "My lords, it’s a pleasure to meet you..."

That sent shivers down everyone’s spine.

But their opponents were experienced Spirit Card Masters who had competed before. They knew that no matter how beautiful Card Spirits were, they possessed killing power. No sooner had she spoken than the blinding Card Spirit plant made its move. The large, peach-pink flower Card Spirit twisted its body, and a puff of pinkish peach mist sprayed into the air, visibly hindering everyone’s sight. Its target was none other than the Flower Demon in front of it.

The peach mist was an area-of-effect attack capable of blinding a large area, but it had one drawback: the mist was too obvious and could also affect the judgment of teammates’ cards. However, they were old teammates, already in sync with each other. Besides, the mist was only a temporary hindrance; if the opponent’s Card Spirits were caught, they would lose their combat ability for a few seconds.

The Flower Demon, not fast enough to dodge, seemed somewhat surprised as she tilted her head. "Oh my, how crude!"

The typically shy Bamboo Demon was suddenly maneuvered forward. As the pink mist rushed towards the Flower Demon, it also obscured everyone’s vision. Some noticed a card was missing but couldn’t pinpoint its location. The Bamboo Demon flashed past the Flower Demon from behind, and a vibrant green bamboo shoot appeared. The next second, the peach mist dissipated. The Flower Demon, temporarily blinded, couldn’t execute her control Skill in time.

But the scene turned chaotic.

Because a card identical to the opponent’s main output Card Spirit appeared right next to the peach-pink flower Card Spirit.

The peach-pink flower Card Spirit cocked its head. Huh? An output card is moving forward? Don’t you know how to play?