Card Duels: Start by deducing the Blue Eyes White Dragon!

The pure white energy bomb compressed and gathered once more, its light flickering ominously.

To the Deep Sea King and Deng Qilang, it was nothing short of a death sentence!

The energy coalesced rapidly.

Deng Qilang clenched his fists, his heart filled with dread and uncertainty. He had no idea how to counter this.

"No matter what, I can't lose this duel!" he gritted his teeth, thinking about his predicament.

If he were to be eliminated from the elite class, how could he ever hold his head high among his family and peers?

Moreover... his goal was to compete in the Academy League!

"Wait!"

He pressed the button for the duelist dialogue.

In this situation, only the two duelists could hear each other.

Su Chengyang: "Attack."

The Light Bomb from the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's mouth descended.

It was too fast for the Deep Sea King to dodge. All it could do was raise its remaining left arm to shield itself.

The exploding Light Bomb shattered its left arm, and its life points plummeted to 1,000. Its aura weakened to the extreme.

From the gaping wound where its arm had been, particles of light continuously spilled out, signifying that it was constantly losing its life force.

The life force of a magic card monster was equivalent to the mental energy of the magic card master.

Because of this.

The Deep Sea King wasn't just consuming its own life force—it was also draining Deng Qilang's mental energy!

The duelist platform replaced the mental energy consumed by summoning magic cards, but this value was limited by the duelist's actual mental energy reserves.

In other words, Deng Qilang now had only two choices.

First: Wait for the Deep Sea King to be destroyed. The defeat of his main combat magic card monster would mean the loss of the duel.

Second: Recall his main combat magic card monster. He could absorb 50% of the monster's remaining mental energy, but the mental energy he had left wouldn't be enough to summon another powerful monster!

Either way, he was doomed.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon showed no signs of stopping.

Its mental energy was overwhelmingly abundant.

Its emerald eyes fixed on the pitiful Deep Sea King, and its mouth opened once more, preparing to gather another Light Bomb.

"Wait!" Deng Qilang shouted again!

Su Chengyang had no intention of paying him any heed.

"Say what you need to say," Su Chengyang replied coldly.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon had already released two Light Bombs in quick succession. A third would require a brief cooldown period.

There was just enough time to hear him out.

"Su Chengyang, I admit that you're stronger right now. But even if you make it into the elite class, what then? Why not be more practical?" Deng Qilang's lips curled into a sly smile.

As long as Su Chengyang was willing to listen, he had a chance.

"What are you trying to say?" Su Chengyang frowned.

"Do you know what the elite class really means? In the past, it was just about extra resources and a boost in status. But this year is different. What we're aiming for is..."

He paused for a moment, his eyes burning with intensity, "The Global Academy League! A tournament hosted by the Supreme Rules. Just participating in the Global Academy League can skyrocket your strength, allowing you to rapidly improve and even become a top-tier magic card master!"

"I know that."

"No, no, you don't!"

Deng Qilang spread his hands and said, "You don't understand the Academy League. The Academy League requires you to advance from our academy to the national and then global stage in just a few dozen days. Each breakthrough will elevate your rank by a full tier.

The magic cards you use will also need to be upgraded in star level to adapt to the different stages of the competition. This requires the backing of a powerful family! Without that kind of foundation, how can you keep up with such a rapid pace? The sheer volume of magic cards needed is staggering."

"Let me tell you a secret. He Nuonuo's family is descended from one of the royal families of the early Magic Card Era. Although the dynasty no longer exists, their foundation is still immense."

"Zhang Mingyun's family is even more special. His family is one of the Five Supreme Outer Legions of Blue Star, standing tall across countless realms! They rule over numerous life planes, and he is the direct heir of his family. Did they ever tell you any of this?"

"No," Su Chengyang admitted without hesitation.

It was true.

He had never asked He Nuonuo or Zhang Mingyun about their family backgrounds.

And they had never volunteered the information.

Su Chengyang hadn't expected their origins to be so extraordinary. No wonder they had consistently dominated the top spots in their class and ranked among the best in the entire grade.

"See? They encouraged you, but they didn't tell you the whole truth. The Global Academy League isn't just a competition between students—it's also a battle between the families and forces behind them!"

"Although the Supreme Rules are absolutely fair, there are times when true fairness is impossible to achieve," Deng Qilang sighed.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Listen, Su Chengyang, the Deng family of the First Emperor's Immortal Island never forgets those who help us. You know what to do next, right?"

"I don't understand."

"How can you... Fine, put yourself in my shoes. Forget about the Academy League for a moment. Even within the elite class, there's internal competition to determine who will represent the academy in the league. Without the proper foundation, how do you expect to break through? Do you get it now?" Deng Qilang explained.

Su Chengyang suddenly laughed.

"You understand!?" Deng Qilang's eyes lit up.

"No, I'm laughing at your arrogance. How do you know I don't have the foundation you speak of?"

"Su Chengyang, don't boast. I know your family. While they're not weak, they're not on the same level as the ones I mentioned!"

Looking at Deng Qilang's confident expression, Su Chengyang couldn't help but feel even more disdain for him.

"You're the one who doesn't understand. I have the knowledge of a thousand-year legacy of magic card masters, combined with the teachings of the academy. That's more than enough. It's you who has a narrow view of what a magic card master truly is.

This conversation is over! The cooldown for the Light Bomb is complete. Blue-Eyes White Dragon—!"

He called out the dragon's name.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon's mouth began to gather light elements, and in a short time, a radiant Light Bomb formed.

"Wait! If you listen to me, I'll double whatever benefits you want..." Deng Qilang blurted out, but then he froze.

He stood stiffly on the duelist platform, realizing he had just committed a grave mistake.

Su Chengyang said calmly, "Attack."

The dazzling Light Bomb descended, striking the Deep Sea King's chest!

At the same time, a red beam of light descended from the sky.

It enveloped Deng Qilang.

The three judges witnessed this scene.

So did the many teachers and students present.

"How... how could this..." Deng Qilang's lackey, Wang Yin, was stunned, staring in disbelief.

Zhang Mingyun sneered, "This guy is even dumber than I thought. To try bribing and cheating under the watch of the Supreme Rules."

"Regardless, Su Chengyang has won!" He Nuonuo sighed.

Head Judge Zhou Hua watched as the Light Bomb obliterated the Deep Sea King.

The red beam of the Supreme Rules enveloped Deng Qilang.

He announced, "Su Chengyang is the winner and will advance to the next round."

"Additionally, Deng Qilang has violated the selection rules set by the Supreme Rules. From this day forward, he is banned from all competitions for life."

...

(End of Chapter)