Elemental Card King.

Chapter 157 A Heroic Sacrifice! A Trivial Awareness
The first round of the 32-team elimination tournament is in full swing.

When the final day arrived, everyone had somewhat lost their mystique towards the first talent sequence holders.

On the one hand, of the 12 big bosses from the early stages, only 7 made it into the finals.

Secondly, neither Su Chen, who is in the lead, nor Tang Nianwei, who is close behind, are the so-called first-order individuals.

The most ridiculous thing is that Judge Gao Jun once again performed a shocking operation, changing the binding contract card again and performing the astonishing operation of sealing four cards.

This guy didn't come away empty-handed from the secret realm; at least his mental control improved significantly, allowing him to reliably continue blocking his opponent's fifth card.

"They've lost all sense of shame, focusing solely on internal conflict," some people complained.

Although everything was in accordance with the rules, the way they ate was extremely unsightly.

At the very least, their personal image and reputation are basically ruined.

In this round...

In the match between the meditator Mo Chenyi and Tang Nianwei, the top player of the Great Xia Province team was also eliminated. Who would have thought that the top cultivator, who was initially expected to be a contender for the championship, would only end up in the top 32?

Pei Xingcang, another first-tier talent sequence user and the younger brother of the limit-breaking twins, also encountered Xia He once again. Unfortunately, this was his fourth crushing defeat at the hands of the Qingyun Provincial Team.

"Failed time and time again, what a bitter pill to swallow!" The teachers of the Jiangnan Provincial Team were also wailing.

Apart from the team's top player who has always kept a low profile, their second and third players have not been able to gain any advantage against the Qingyun team.

"In the end, it all comes down to the team's eldest member."

Compared to his younger brother's violent and extreme fighting style, Pei Xingwei's fighting style is steady and unshakable, like a deep abyss with hidden undercurrents. Although it may not be spectacular, it can unleash deadly waves at crucial moments.

In the ranking defense match, the team's leader, despite having four contract cards banned, still calmly defeated Judge Gao Jun.

In retrospect, some provincial team teachers were also surprised by the other party's profound and meticulous thinking.

Because Pei Xingwei was highly skilled and daring, he dared to deliberately stall for time when facing Gao Jun. The opponent's original intention was naturally to protect Qi Hanhai in the team, but it also benefited the others.

After he successfully won the civil war title, the Judge himself suddenly realized that he was no longer a contender for the top ten arenas around him.

This is undoubtedly a crushing defeat in both intelligence and strength.

soon.

The first round of battles has officially ended, the top 16 contestants have been determined, and only 5 of the first talent sequence holders remain.

"The first match of the Round of 16 has officially begun."

As informed by the referee, the two remaining players in Group A, Su Chen and Ge Hao, will face off in a formal match.

"There should still be some interesting things to see."

No matter what, he is the third player on the Beiluo provincial team, and his strength is even greater than that of many provincial team's first player.

"It's definitely hopeless. If we can fight at 80% of Su Chen's strength, that would be a success."

On the field.

As two beams of teleportation light spread, Su Chen and Ge Hao arrived one after another on the main arena.

"Today we'll settle the score with Red Dragon," Ge Hao said indifferently.

He was tall and burly, and his silver-white driving gear made him look like a futuristic warrior. The tactical goggles under his helmet partially concealed his sharp, eagle-like eyes.

He still couldn't get over the fact that he had painstakingly injured the Red Dragon only to have his kill stolen.

However, if you hold a grudge too much, that would be double standards.

After all, the trio from Beiluo even stole someone else's heirloom.

"For the sake of the team, you must fall here."

The words had barely left his lips.

The armor covering Ge Hao's body began to shimmer with brilliant light, and intricate energy patterns emerged on the silver-white background. At its core, the power engine emitted a deep purple light.

As the various power engines were activated, a powerful aura erupted from Ge Hao, causing the surrounding air to tremble.

At this moment, the allure of the E-class power-driven weapon 'Defender' is fully revealed.

The so-called 'mechanical warfare' naturally involves highly enhancing and modifying the driving weapons worn by oneself, not only to maximize their effectiveness but also to push them to their limits.

In terms of sheer presence, it's more impressive than other warrior styles.

Su Chen ignored the provocations from others, having already automatically filtered out the pre-match trash talk.

"Better than 5 idiots."

After carefully observing the other side for a while, Xiaoling tilted her head and gave her opinion to her master beside her.

It held up seven fingers, but perhaps feeling that wasn't enough, it then gestured with eight fingers.

This is its classic unit of measurement for combat strength.

Under this formula, Pei Xingcang is equivalent to 5 idiots, and a Mech Warrior card player he once played against even earned the honor of being 0.1 idiots.

"How many clumsy guys can Xiaoling take down?" Su Chen asked curiously.

"6!"

Xiaoling answered immediately.

"wrong."

The little guy shook his head and corrected, "Little Ling is much stronger now. She can take on at least 10, no, even 20 of those idiots wouldn't be enough."

At this point, Xiao Ling, who was floating in mid-air, proudly put her hands on her hips, her face beaming with pride.

Su Chen was amused by its appearance. There was some truth to its statement. Once you break through a certain strength limit, simply increasing your quantity is indeed not enough to defeat your opponent.

"5!"

The referee had already started the countdown.

But I have to say.

The relaxed demeanor of the two pets, with their every word and smile, contrasted sharply with the tense and determined expression on the other side.

"Remember this smile." There was no anger in Ge Hao's eyes; instead, a hint of pity flickered within them.

The moment the match officially began.

hum!
Two surging energy waves erupted from this distant, opposing point.

[Core Upgrade]!
As soon as it was activated, the energy core engine on Ge Hao's chest emitted an even deeper purple light, its brightness increased exponentially, and the energy patterns on its surface flowed at a sudden acceleration, shimmering with a more complex and exquisite light.

With upgraded drivers and computing acceleration, all the built-in modules have demonstrated amazing performance.

Bathed in the energy light, each armor component seemed to come alive, trembling gently with its own breath.

A terrifying, pent-up energy gradually coalesced within Ge Hao's body, causing the air around him to surge and ripple in visible circles.

"Wow!"

But at this time.

The audience didn't pay much attention to the future warrior at all.

"A new form!"

"I've never seen anything like this before! They're going to come up with something new again!"

Under the intense gaze of the entire audience, Su Chen's eyes were filled with a dual color, with a subtle blend of yellowish-brown and golden luster.

Without separation, completely integrated.

The dual elemental attributes of earth and metal responded to the call from the elemental ruler, and began to intertwine and shine on Xiaoling's body.

next moment.

The Golden Soil Spirit Princess was born.

As if the earth itself were celebrating her birth, the surface trembled and cracked, and countless tiny golden rays of light emerged from the soil, converging into streams of golden light.

Xiao Ling's long, smooth hair reached her waist, its color subtly shifting between gold and tan. Her spirit armor, predominantly gold and adorned with tan patterns, exuded both magnificence and a dignified, composed aura.

hum!
The moment its aura was fully condensed, the dust particles floating around it froze in mid-air, and were even inexplicably coated with a dazzling golden light.

【Name】：Golden Soil Spirit Princess
[Quality]: Red

[Level]: ★★★★
[Attributes]: Earth, Metal, Spirit

[Category]: Summoning Cards

[Race]: Demon Slayer

【talent】:
True Spirit Body, Elemental Body, Spiritual Control, Metal Control, Gravity Control, Unforged Body, Forge Regeneration

【Skill】:
Vajra Barrier, Golden Dust Storm, Earth-Shattering Split, Earth Pulse, Metal and Stone Protection, True Spirit Liberation, Soul Impact, Mind Bullet, Mind Barrier, Refraction, Demon Seal, Five Elements Evolution

[Bond]: Golden Essence (When Golden Earth Spirit Princess takes damage, she can trigger a layer of sedimentation effect, instantly absorbing and converting part of the damage into her own armor bonus. With each layer of sedimentation, Golden Earth Spirit Princess's next attack will ignore part of the target's defense, up to a maximum of 20 layers.)
[Description]: Originating from the perfect fusion of the earth's spiritual soil and pure metal, it embodies the characteristics of stability and sturdiness.

The dual-attribute form, hailed as the strongest tank, has now made its debut.

Talented.
'Unforged Body' grants the user 60% damage reduction against damage of the same level and imbues them with steel-like resilience, effectively preventing control and mind effects.

'Furnace Regeneration' can better utilize the durability and reshaping properties of metals to inject restorative power into the target and quickly repair damage.

Within the skill set.

There is also a 'Earth Pulse' that guides the pulsating energy deep underground to strengthen its own armor and defense, and to provide a certain amount of vitality and physical recovery.

Not to mention the amazing 'Golden Stone Spirit Essence' synergy effect, which makes you stronger the more damage you take.

These interconnected passive characteristics are enough to create the strongest tank form.

What's even more ingenious is that the Golden Messenger panel, which was previously supported by 'Golden Source Absorption', has been perfectly inherited.

"Is this a defensive form?"

Far away, Ge Hao felt a sudden jolt in his heart as he sensed the abundant earth and metal elemental fluctuations, as if his little scheme had been perfectly exposed.

He didn't think much about it.

Everything is going according to plan.

hum! !

The deathly howl echoed across the sky.

The nanodrone swarm has already been activated!
The swarm of drones that haunted many in the Ancient Dragon's Nest dungeon is now surging forth like a tidal wave, hurtling toward their distant adversary.

'Clearance Agreement One, activated!'

Ge Hao put on the tactical goggles and gave clear instructions.

'Supplement to the Agreement: Joint Firepower Network.'

Under this protocol, whenever drones attack the same target together, a chain attack will be triggered, with a certain probability of triggering additional damage.

With the overwhelming force of these drones, even the smallest probability will be triggered repeatedly.

Loading initiated!

next second.

Ge Hao's external artillery unit transformed into a shoulder-mounted heavy cannon, directly mounted on the shoulders of the armor. When the [Rocket Device Module] was activated, the smooth armor plates on the back quietly cracked open, and a set of streamlined rocket launcher propulsion devices suddenly extended out.

Thanks to the core upgrade, all internal modules will be reinforced, to the point that micro-jet nozzles have been opened at the elbows and feet of the armor.

At last.

'Access Permission: Leap Module.'

Ge Hao placed another contract card into the card slot on his wrist.

'You have enabled the jump protocol.'

A strange spatial ripple spread throughout his body.

Immediately, he began inputting multiple spatial coordinate axes into the smart device on his wrist. Once the coordinates were finalized, the spatial structure of the site suddenly became unstable in multiple directions.

Under this incredibly miraculous leap deployment, the drone swarm had already crossed the center line of the field, but before it could unleash its laser beams, a terrifyingly powerful attack suddenly descended.

'Golden Dust Storm'!
Jinrang Lingji made her move. With a teleportation attack, she completed her casting range, and with a low murmur, a surge of earth elemental energy and metallic particles suddenly erupted in the center of the arena.

In the air, the originally invisible dust seemed to be endowed with surging power, intertwining and merging with countless tiny metal fragments to form a huge vortex.

in a blink.

The vortex rapidly expanded, transforming into a golden storm that blotted out the sky and swept towards the swarm of drones.

boom!
boom!
Explosions rang out one after another in an instant.

Dense flying sand and metal fragments intertwined to form a web of death, like thousands of sharp blades weaving a death zone in the air.

Occasionally, a laser beam would pierce through the storm and strike Xiaoling, leaving only a faint white burn mark.

"Layer upon layer!"

After being hit by several laser beams, Xiao Ling even felt her body's defenses gradually being strengthened.

Its aura gradually became as deep and imposing as a mountain.

"It feels good to get beaten up!"

A smile appeared on Xiaoling's pretty face. It already felt pain, but the defensive power of this form was so strong that the enemy's laser beams felt as easy as a tickle.

"Be aware of your surroundings!"

but.

When Su Chen reminded her from behind, Xiao Ling's ears perked up slightly, and her spiritual senses scanned her surroundings.

Sure enough, to the right, a portal suddenly opened in the air, and a heavily armed armored warrior rushed in.

hum! !

"Eat my punch!"

With a furious roar, Ge Hao activated the hydraulic muscle system, and his armored right fist swelled and slammed down, while his elbow spewed out powerful propulsion flames, providing unparalleled power support for this thunderous strike.

Keng!
A muffled sound suddenly rang out.

The punch that unleashed his anger landed squarely on a shield.

"Fuck!"

The people outside the venue were stunned.

The Holy Shield of Light, radiating holy white light, almost blocked Xiao Ling's petite body. Yet, this very shield withstood Ge Hao's extremely violent punch, and her figure remained completely unmoved despite the vast difference in their sizes.

"Is this level of defense really that exaggerated?" Many people began to question their own existence.

Why didn't the parry effect trigger? Xiao Ling was a little frustrated. Her master was playing quite well, but it didn't successfully block the attack.

"Angry."

Xiao Ling pushed her weight forward with a sudden burst of power, which surged from her feet to her arms. The small figure holding the giant shield suddenly gained immense strength and pushed the armored warrior in front of her more than ten meters away.

hum!
A deathly howl followed.

That was the drone, after altering its protocol and changing its flight path, launching a suicide attack on Xiaoling.

"Let's explode!"

Xiao Ling's bright eyes swept across the sky. Under her control of the metal, seven or eight attacking suicide drones were immediately pulled by an invisible force, collided with each other uncontrollably, and then exploded completely.

As for the drone that managed to escape the force and explode in front of Xiaoling, it was all in vain.

The little guy just shook his head and walked out of the fireworks as if nothing had happened.

Ge Hao, who had been pushed aside earlier, attacked again.

boom!
With a surge of energy, the heavy shoulder-mounted cannon on its shoulder unleashed an intensely blazing beam of destruction.

This single shot was powerful enough to split mountains and shatter the earth, and it also contained a powerful repulsive force.

boom!
The little guy holding the shield was hit and couldn't help but take a few steps back. Well, it was only a short distance back. The extremely high output only caused the temporarily activated golden stone shield to break.

"Come again!"

Even with the help of the propulsion device, Ge Hao still followed closely, his hydraulic muscle system surging wildly, like battering rams blasting straight ahead.

Despite a series of powerful attacks, they were unable to shake the Golden Mound Spirit Princess.

in contrast.

After stacking the synergy effect to ten layers, Xiao Ling's own defense stat and armor increased, making Ge Hao feel that the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable.

"Grass!"

Ge Hao cursed inwardly.

The Golden Soil Spirit Princess's defensive capabilities far exceeded his expectations.

Like a miniature earth dragon compressed into a cylinder, its small body contains astonishing physical defense.

"Ge Hao's burst damage is still a bit lacking, but we respect him as a true man." Many players and teachers in the spectator seats also noticed this.

At the same time, they understood to some extent that the opponent's contract with some support-oriented cards was entirely for the team's main carry to do chores. If it were another provincial team, such a sacrifice would be absolutely impossible.

But these reserve soldiers on the frontier are willing to dedicate themselves.

"Wait, why are there two more people next to the arena?"

Vice President Li, who was standing on the sidelines, seemed a little listless, but suddenly sat up straight because he realized that one of them was Instructor Beiluo.

There is a problem!!

"it is good!"

Seeing that he couldn't break through the stalemate, Ge Hao stopped wasting the core engine's energy.

Since that's the case, let's proceed according to plan.

He steeled his resolve and advanced instead of retreating. Just as Jinrang Lingji seemed to be about to smash the person opposite him, the figure rushing towards him at high speed disappeared completely in a beam of light.

Swish!
Ge Hao suddenly launched a surprise attack on Su Chen in the rear.

Previously, some drones had broken through the barriers and harassed this elemental ruler. Now, this figure, resembling a futuristic warrior, has initiated a leap and is heading straight for the card master.

A hint of madness had already flickered in his eyes beneath his tactical goggles.

Its various furnace engines and internal modules all gleamed with a dazzling light, and its energy output surged, exceeding the corresponding critical values.

That's the limited-effect card [Overload] taking effect.

"I'll fight you!"

Ge Hao let out a hoarse roar.

hum!
The heavy cannons mounted on its shoulders also began to show another side besides repulsion: attraction.

A deep, black hole-like ball of light suddenly burst forth, and under the overload power, an exceptionally powerful gravitational field erupted completely.

All that could be seen ahead—dust, drone wreckage, dazzling flames, all light, even the beam of light that had tried to warp away and escape—was ultimately dragged toward the outer edge.

At this moment, even Ge Hao, who was ejected backward from the armor, was not able to resist the pull of gravity.

He closed his eyes.

Even if it meant dying a heroic death, he was willing to accept it.

The Contract Card [Automatic Robot Deployment] has been activated. Under its possession, a layer of exoskeleton automated armor begins to envelop the entire body, but Ge Hao knows very well that this measure is unlikely to withstand.

At close range, the Defender Drive Armor in front of them had already self-destructed due to the activation of the self-destruct program, and multiple upgraded core energy engines had completely exploded.

boom! !

With a deafening roar, the armor was torn apart from the inside by an irresistible and terrifying energy.

in a blink.

A terrifying burst of light erupted, like a miniature sun rising in the field, completely enveloping everything in a blinding, scorching light.

"Fuck!"

At this moment, everyone was stunned; no one expected the situation to become so outrageous.

"Is this person courting death?"

in a blink.

The boundary of the right-hand arena area, and the domed barrier covering it, faced a severe test.

The energy fluctuations that broke through to the six-star threshold in a short instant caused visible ripples to appear on the surface of the invisible barrier.

"This"

Some people swear that they saw fine cracks spreading throughout the body just a second before it was completely repaired.

"Ah Hao, you!"

Cao Zheng, the copyist on the sidelines, was already in a state of collapse, his pupils wide and bloodshot. At this moment, most of the members of the Beiluo Provincial Team even closed their eyes in extreme fear.

This is truly a case of mutual destruction!

He died a heroic death!

The other party was truly determined to drag Su Chen down with them, even at the cost of their own lives.

"This idiot," Tang Nianwei sighed and lowered her head. In order to fully exert its destructive power, the other party had even deployed and opened multiple spatial portals in the field in advance through the warp protocol.

Before activation, the jump channel is in an invisible, unactivated state.

However, if the jump portal is not closed correctly, or if there is an error in the operation, it may even cause a small-scale spatial tremor effect.

obviously.

Ge Hao, who had dug a hole in advance, wanted to further amplify the destructive power; the self-destructive damage even spread throughout the entire area.

Therefore, this idiot didn't even have many defensive measures, and was completely focused on exchanging blows one for one with the other.

at this time.

This scene even alarmed Yao Yi, the vice president of the Card Masters Association.

"As an instructor and teacher, how could you allow him to do such a thing?" Yao Yi, who had suddenly teleported in, was furious.

The major who was reprimanded remained expressionless. In fact, he had noticed that something was wrong with Ge Hao, which was why he rushed to the sidelines immediately.

"but."

"Unfortunately, all our efforts have been in vain. There will be no result of both players being eliminated in this match. The organizers reserve the right to pursue legal action against this dangerous behavior."

Yao Yi said.

At that moment, Han, the referee with the skill of a master card player, made his move on the sidelines. An unshakable, absolute protective effect immediately acted on a body that was almost completely destroyed.

He should have intervened to save both of them at the same time.

To Han's surprise, the tall figure located 30 meters away from the center of the explosion was completely unharmed.

True.

The beam of light that had just leaped away was pulled closer by the black hole-like attraction.

But the other party actually possessed some kind of invincible technique.

"Holy Light's Protection."

Isn't this a damage immunity skill that only a perfect-level Sun Observation technique can comprehend?

What's happening here!
Even more outrageous is...
"This Golden Soil Spirit Princess!"

To Han's utter bewilderment and astonishment, the little demon spirit swiftly teleported to its master's side and created a 'Diamond Barrier' that extended outwards.

On this barrier layer filled with golden light, the continuously surging energy turbulence was like a raging storm in the deep sea, and for a time it could not shake this rock.

As the barrier continuously fractured, it also absorbed the essence of the earth's energy and released layers of gold leaf, allowing this diamond-like barrier to withstand the relentless turbulent energy currents.

"Just how much metal treasure has it absorbed?" Judge Han saw the problem; that burst of golden light was clearly priceless.

(End of this chapter)