“Is that Wu Yi one of O’Neill’s people?” 

Su Liqian still felt a bit uneasy about the match in the afternoon. 

“Yeah, just a dog O’Neill keeps around,” Ji Yanxi replied. 

“I don’t think it’s that simple. Wu Yi will probably seek O’Neill’s help,” Su Liqian said with a frown, unable to stop thinking about all the possibilities. 

O’Neill had been a participant in the Interstellar Card Tournament. Even just giving Wu Yi some guidance or handing him a high-level card could totally flip the situation around. 

Ji Yanxi stayed silent. 

Though he wasn’t exactly the most detail-oriented person, he had also considered these possibilities. 

“I was reckless,” Su Liqian admitted, feeling guilty about starting the match. 

“It’s not your fault,” Ji Yanxi smiled. “Even if it wasn’t you, I would’ve found him myself. I’ve been fed up with him for a while now. Whether it’s him or O’Neill, I’ll beat them one by one and ruin their reputations.” 

There was a rare determination and anger in Ji Yanxi’s eyes. The fire of revenge was burning bright. 

The memories of the past were still vivid in his mind. Whether it was for his best friend or his own grudge, a confrontation between them was inevitable. Sooner or later, he’d drag them both down to the abyss. 

“Don’t worry, I know Wu Yi’s strength. I’ve got it under control, I won’t be reckless.” 

Su Liqian nodded, silently cheering Ji Yanxi on in her heart. 

With her current abilities, she couldn’t help him much. All she could do was trust him. 

He had once made it to the Planetary Tournament. His talent and strength were no joke, and he probably had a few high-level cards in his possession. When it came to facing Wu Yi, the outcome wasn’t certain. 

Even if O’Neill interfered, Ji Yanxi might not lose. He was a battle-hardened card master and had once competed on the same stage as O’Neill. 

If it wasn’t for that incident, the person coming to the contestant exchange meeting as a guest today might’ve been someone else. 

The Zhouyi Tower had a spacious underground area, which was specially set up for contestants to fight and exchange skills. 

Although it was an indoor arena, it was just as good as any official venue. Not only were the facilities top-notch, but it was also decorated in the style of a boxing ring, with dim lights that set a competitive atmosphere. 

It was still early, but the stands were already packed with people. Most of them had come specifically for the match, and the discussions were already heated even before it began. 

“I bet on Ji Yanxi winning!” 

“Ha, you have no taste. Ji Yanxi has fallen to the district-level competition, and he even lost to a little girl before!” 

“I’m betting on Wu Yi! I heard he’s improved a lot this year, and got his hands on a rare card!” 

◇◆◇ 

Betting on the match was in full swing. Some people believed that Ji Yanxi’s skills hadn’t diminished, while others thought that Wu Yi had been biding his time and would crush Ji Yanxi this time. 

Su Liqian stood among the crowd, watching the flow of people, and stepped toward the betting area. 

“I bet 100 star coins!” 

“I’ll also bet 100 star coins on Wu Yi!” 

“I bet 50 star coins on Ji Yanxi.” 

“…” 

Clearly, there were more people betting on Wu Yi to win than on Ji Yanxi. 

With O’Neill backing him up, Wu Yi had abundant resources, and now he was a special guest at the contestant exchange meeting. Most people who didn’t know much about the past would naturally lean toward Wu Yi, who seemed to have the higher chance of winning. 

“I’ll bet 500 star coins on Ji Yanxi.” 

Su Liqian took out what little money she had left and pushed all her star coins toward Ji Yanxi. 

Her generous bet immediately drew attention from the onlookers, and some even tried to advise her to bet cautiously. 

“Not changing your mind?” 

Su Liqian thought for a moment, then added another 100 star coins. 

“Add another 100.” 

The noise around her was loud. Some people mocked her for being naive and rich, while others thought Su Liqian had sharp judgment. 

In any case, until the outcome was clear, everyone was eagerly awaiting the match to begin. 

At 2 p.m., the main figures finally appeared in the spotlight. 

Ji Yanxi walked onto the stage slowly, casting a cold glance at Wu Yi. 

The contestant exchange meeting had even arranged for professional judges and commentators for this match, and the atmosphere was just as intense as any official tournament. 

The stands around the arena were already packed, and Su Liqian chose a seat close to the front. She was filled with both excitement and anxiety about the upcoming match. 

“Let the match begin!” 

At the signal, Ji Yanxi made the first move. He pulled out an A-level Illusion card from Beastborne Chronicles, the Beastman Mo Yi’s divine armor. 

With the enhancement from the Illusion card, Ji Yanxi’s already tall frame became even more imposing. Underneath the beast-skin cloak, his muscular lines were visible. 

“Unlock.” 

Another A-level card, this time from The Sky She Watches Over, one of the Star Messenger weapons—the Water Condensation Dual Guns. 

On the other side, Wu Yi quickly responded, pulling out two cards. One was an A-level card from Mecha Storm, the Solar Flare Extreme Armor worn by one of the protagonists, Siya. 

The other was an A-level weapon card, the Winged Shadow Spear from Shelter. 

Wu Yi wore a gorgeous light-blue battle armor and held a black pistol with sharp, wing-like edges. 

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

Both sides almost simultaneously started their barrage attacks. Facing the dense rain of bullets, Ji Yanxi maximized his physical enhancements, using the cloak behind him to block the bullets while quickly moving to find an angle to attack Wu Yi. 

On the other side, Wu Yi, a seasoned card master, immediately activated his battle armor’s defense shield, blocking the water-congealed bullets outside. 

Both players had played two A-level cards, and their combat experience and reaction speed were impressive. They quickly became locked in a stalemate. 

But Ji Yanxi wasn’t the type to stay put; he liked controlling the situation. 

“Burjia, come out!” 

A summoning card in Ji Yanxi’s hand flashed, and a massive creature with bat-like wings flew out from it. 

It was one of the beasts from Beastborne Chronicles known for its fierce and aggressive nature. Once released, it immediately joined the fight with great enthusiasm. 

Wu Yi could barely handle Ji Yanxi on his own, but adding a summoned beast to the mix made things much more difficult. 

“Cage!” 

Wu Yi decisively drew a function card—Cage. 

A flash of light, and a steel block appeared in his hand. 

Just as Burjia charged towards Wu Yi, he took his chance, throwing the block into the air. The block expanded massively above Burjia’s head and began to fall. 

“Burjia, dodge!” 

Burjia sensed the danger above and flapped his wings, trying to dodge the falling cage. 

But Wu Yi wasn’t backing down. He remotely controlled the position of the cage, and in the next second, it was about to trap Burjia. 

Bang!

Ji Yanxi moved. Of course, he wasn’t going to wait around and let this happen. He seized the opportunity to attack Wu Yi himself. 

Wu Yi’s warning radar blared just in time. Although he caught Ji Yanxi’s powerful punch with one hand, he was forced to stagger back several meters. 

The beastman’s armor could enhance physical abilities, but its limits were still tied to the user’s own strength. 

Ji Yanxi’s punch had far more impact than Wu Yi had anticipated. 

Wu Yi’s heart sank. 

He had just been mocking Ji Yanxi for being stuck in low-level matches and had even let his guard down. 

He hadn’t seen him in a while, and had gotten too relaxed. But now, he almost forgot one thing—Ji Yanxi was a genius. And a reckless one at that. 

In the time Wu Yi had slacked off, Ji Yanxi had been making progress. It was terrifying! 

What if they fought again in the future? Would he be crushed? 

Wu Yi couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

No. He couldn’t lose to him! He’d already boasted too much! Losing to a low-level contestant in a setting like this would be humiliating! 

Wu Yi sneered internally, his gaze locked on Ji Yanxi. 

Luckily, he still had a secret weapon given to him by Master O’Neill. He wasn’t going to lose. 

Wu Yi originally thought he could defeat Ji Yanxi just with his cards. That secret weapon was only meant to be his last resort. 

But he had clearly misjudged Ji Yanxi’s strength. 

Now, Wu Yi just wanted to finish this quickly, beat Ji Yanxi, and beat him hard. 

“Unlock!” 

A golden card appeared in Wu Yi’s hand, and the crowd instantly erupted. 

“It’s an S-level card!” 

“Can’t believe we’re seeing an S-level card here!” 

Even the commentators seemed excited. 

All eyes were on that golden-backed card, eager to get a glimpse of this rare, high-level card. 

Some in the crowd were seeing an S-level card live for the first time! Normally, these high-level cards only appeared in Star Realm competitions. 

Wu Yi enjoyed the attention. 

The card in his hand was an ultra-rare card from Mecha Storm—an S-level summoning card: the First Sun Mecha! 

This towering battle mecha, as tall as two people, was a key character in Mecha Storm, one of the most advanced technological achievements of the Alliance. Its combat power and design were top-tier, making it worthy of an S-level card. 

In the card ranking system, the difference between S-level and lower-ranked cards wasn’t just significant—it was almost overwhelming! 

This was the first time Su Liqian had seen a real S-level card in person, especially a rare summoning card. 

She couldn’t help but feel nervous for Ji Yanxi. 

That mecha, which was nearly a head taller than Ji Yanxi, could easily crush him with a finger. Given the current situation, the outcome of the match seemed pretty clear. 

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