People in Yu-Gi-Oh! The hyper-converged audience is also integrated

Chapter 354: BP Begins!

Time was seized by an invisible hand and suddenly dragged backward.

Everyone froze in place, not frozen in place, but stunned by the unbelievable sight before them.

The puddles on the ground quickly shrank and dried up.

In the distance, the collapsed abandoned factory, with rubble and steel bars flying back, reassembled into a brand new building, then rapidly "aging" back to its earlier dilapidated state, before disappearing completely and being replaced by an older brick and stone structure.

The whole world is like a videotape being played in reverse at an alarming rate, except for people.

"What...what is this..." Clutching Li Guanqi's temple, his voice was filled with shock and bewilderment, "Illusion?"

Xia Sheng looked up at the rapidly changing sky, his pupils reflecting the bizarre and fantastical scene: "Time is flowing backward."

"Hahaha... Hahahaha!" Imi X's laughter broke the deathly silence. She opened her arms wide, her face filled with manic joy, as if embracing the cataclysmic change that was sweeping across the world. "Do you see it?! This is—the greatest magic!"

She won her bet; it was the best magic ever.

The Pope's cloudy old eyes were fixed on the rapidly receding scenery around him. He had spent his entire life and made countless sacrifices, all he had ever sought was to reverse his own time and return to his youth.

But now, this madwoman has turned back time in all of Latia.

Li Guanqi was initially amazed, but quickly regained his composure. Although the scene changes hadn't stopped, he knew very well that this couldn't be a true reversal of time.

Only the world-destroying level of "Event Reversal" has the heaven-defying ability to turn back time. The "Time Magician" is merely epic level and cannot possibly achieve true time reversal. It should just be an illusion, and it will return to its original state once the spiritual energy dissipates.

Although it was just a past illusion, thanks to Immy X.

Qi Mengsi's expression was icy as she watched the traces of modern civilization being peeled away layer by layer, revealing an ancient and unfamiliar skeleton, which then slowly evolved, becoming mysterious and unpredictable.

"Thanks to the puppeteer, we may have the privilege of witnessing—"

The scene of time flowing backward suddenly stopped.

The wind stopped, the rain ceased, and the gray sky cleared into a bright blue. "Latia, a thousand years ago."

As soon as Qi Mengsi finished speaking, the clear "blue sky" above her head suddenly flickered, like a faulty light bulb. With a crackling sound, the blue sky and white clouds instantly shattered into countless pixelated blocks before finally going out completely.

Immediately afterwards, a cold, enormous "sun" shone in the very center of the dome, illuminating everything below.

Only then did everyone realize that what was above them was not the sky, but a huge, boundless metal dome.

The ruins and wilderness beneath my feet disappeared, replaced by a closed steel city with an iron gate on each side.

"What...what kind of place is this?!" Taiyang grabbed Li Guanqi's arm, his eyes full of confusion.

The Pope stretched out his withered hand and touched the pipe of the iron gate beside him. It was icy cold and smooth to the touch.

"I knew it." Immy X's maniacal laughter echoed in the air, sounding particularly jarring. "Haha...hahahaha!"

"As expected. There really was a prehistoric civilization!"

"A civilization that frightens even the gods!"

She opened her arms wide, her face beaming with joy, and shouted, "We're back! We're back!"

"Prehistoric civilization." Upon hearing this term, Qi Mengsi frowned.

The discussion about prehistoric civilizations has never stopped in Biantana because there is a huge bug in the history of this world.

It's often said that Bai invented the Duel Disk, 'creating' and 'defining' duels.

However, as everyone knows, the reason why Bai was able to mass-produce and create duels is ultimately because he brought back a duel disk from the Reptile Demon Ruins. He then mass-produced duel disks based on this duel disk template and defined the duel rules based on the source code inside.

Simply put, without the Duel Disk at the Reptile Ruins, there would be no subsequent five hundred years of dueling history.

Then comes the problem.

The Duel Disks in the back were created by Bai, but who created the Duel Disk in the Reptilian Demon's hand?
This is a huge historical inconsistency, and no one has been able to explain it clearly.

All the discussion led to the most terrifying and profound event in Biantana—the Divine Explosion.

This is the only predictable event where the argon fluctuation exceeds the extreme value of tens of millions, which is—a miracle.

Everyone knows the impact of this event; it left a deep enough memory to destroy and reset human civilization.

But no one knows why.

What triggers this 'mechanism', who initiates it, and why does 'He' initiate it?

The unknown is the most frightening thing.

The people of Biantana have lived in fear and awe for a thousand years, with a small minority fervently advocating for it.

The prevailing theory is that there was a prehistoric civilization that was so advanced that it terrified the "gods," who were forced to unleash a powerful attack to end it. After ending the civilization, the "gods" placed a cage on it to limit the upper limit of human technology.

This prehistoric civilization was likely a dueling civilization, and an underground one at that, in order to avoid the spying of 'gods'.

That dueling civilization was so advanced that even the Time Magician could be upgraded to Epic rank.

They have mastered a method for rapidly enhancing spirituality.

The question that has plagued humanity for centuries—how to elevate one's spirituality—may have already been answered a thousand years ago.

"Hahaha--"

Imi X's manic laughter sounded particularly shrill in the steel city.

She opened her arms as if embracing this lost world, her face flushed with a sickly pallor.

"We're back……"

She turned around abruptly, scanning everyone present with a look as if they were idiots.

"Hey! Don't just stand there!" She pointed deeper into the city, her voice trembling with excitement, "Go find it!"

"Go find that thing that even the gods fear! That thing that can rapidly elevate one's spirituality!"

Quickly enhance your spirituality...

These words were like a spell, seeping into everyone's ears.

The Pope's cloudy eyes narrowed sharply, and his breath caught in his throat for a moment.

If... if all cards could be easily promoted to Epic...

So what does it matter if he loses a [Light Barrier]?
If such a method truly existed, he could create countless epic-level [Light Barriers], and could create epic-level [Monster Resurrection] to save Li.
Is there really such a thing? Is there really something that can quickly elevate one's spirituality?

Normally, they would think the person who said this was a fool, but after experiencing a dreamlike thousand-year time travel and arriving in this highly technological underground city, and then recalling the famous prehistoric civilization speculation, they were truly impressed.

A bold idea arose in everyone's minds.

There might really be such a thing!

Only that kind of thing is worthy of God triggering the Great Explosion of Divine Will!
For the first time, a clear emotion appeared on Qi Mengsi's perpetually icy face as she thought about things further ahead.

If such a thing truly existed, the entire world order, the balance of power, and even the relationship between humanity and "gods" would be completely overturned.

The billions of people in Biantana fight every day, not just for fun.

It's been hundreds of years, I'm tired of it.

Ultimately, isn't everyone seeking some spiritual growth?

This is no longer a simple encirclement mission. If there really is such a thing, something that can upgrade the [Time Magician] to Epic rank, even bringing back just a little bit of information would be a major discovery worthy of being recorded in history.

Compared to this, rescuing Li Guanqi, or even capturing Shizhen, seems... less urgent.

People can be saved later, and the clock hands can be struck later.

But no one knows when this secret realm will disappear.

The tense, murderous aura in the air silently melted away in the face of even greater greed.

“My lord…” Taiyang subconsciously tightened his grip on Li Guanqi’s arm, turned to look at the Pope, and awaited orders.

Li Guanqi felt a sharp pain from being squeezed so tightly that she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Goodness, one second they were mortal enemies, and the next they're ready to team up for a dungeon?

Your face-changing speed is faster than even Sichuan opera.

Could you please consider the hostage's feelings?

"This illusion won't last much longer." Qi Mengsi's cold voice broke the silence. She wasn't discussing it with anyone; she was stating a fact.

These words, like a starting pistol, ignited a flame in everyone's hearts.

A fleeting struggle crossed the Pope's withered face, but it ultimately turned into decisiveness. He didn't look at Qi Mengsi; instead, he strode into the depths of the city.

His confidants immediately understood, surrounded him, and followed him.

"Hahaha, here I come!" Immy X laughed as she caught up with the Pope's procession.

Without a word, Chu Linfeng and Lin Chen, along with the other 'hyenas' lurking around, instinctively headed towards the Pope's team.

The interns, including Tang Xin, who were dozens of kilometers away, looked at the suddenly appearing steel city with complete bewilderment.

The Spirit Master and the Bell split into two large groups, east and west. Faced with the greater good of humanity, they put aside their struggles and entered ancient Tiraia to search for the thing that frightened the gods.

The steel city was silent, save for the distinct footsteps of people, some deep and some shallow, echoing in the empty passageways.

The hastily assembled expedition teams were clearly divided into distinct groups.

The Pope walked at the front, surrounded by six close confidants who cautiously took each step, their eyes scanning the seamless alloy walls around him with wary eyes.

Led by Qi Mengsi, the members of the Soul-Binding Division maintained a tactical formation, keeping a distance of several dozen meters from the Papal Council—neither too close nor too far—ready to launch a surprise attack at any moment.

Tang Xin and Lu Li, along with other interns in the distance, followed instructions and joined the dark team, chattering away as soon as they entered.

"Brother Chu, what's going on?"

"Instructor, have we wandered into some kind of place?"

"So many people from the Dark Guard, is it finally time for me to sacrifice myself?!"

"Offer your heart for the Soul-Binding Division."

Imi X, on the other hand, was like a headless fly, sometimes hovering near the Pope, sometimes running to the front, tapping and banging on the smooth, mirror-like wall while muttering incantations.

As for the lurking "hyenas," they also revealed themselves in twos and threes, hanging far behind the group, wanting a share of the pie but also afraid of being used as cannon fodder.

Li Guanqi was held captive by the sun's giant hand and forced to follow behind the Pope. As he moved his shoulders, which were numb from being squeezed, he looked around at this incredible underground city.

This place has an indescribable eeriness about it.

There was no dust, no rust, and even the air had a filtered, icy feel. The huge "sun" overhead emitted a constant light, without a trace of warmth.

“Hey buddy,” Li Guanqi couldn’t help but say to the sun beside him, “could you loosen your grip a little? I can’t run away. If you keep grabbing me like this, you’ll dismember my arm first.”

Sun snorted coldly, refusing to loosen his grip even slightly.

Just then, the lights in the entire steel city suddenly dimmed.

Everyone stopped and looked up warily.

A cold, emotionless, electronically synthesized voice rang out from all directions, echoing in everyone's ears.

[Redundant life form detected... System load too high, cleanup process initiated]

The sound made everyone present jump.

"Cleanup program?" Chu Chan frowned. "What do you mean?"

[Cleanup Mode - Duel]

The winner gets to pass.

[Losers will be removed]

"Elimination?!" Sun exclaimed in surprise, instinctively taking a step back.

"Too many visitors, is this how you're going to solve it?" Li Guanqi frowned.

He felt that this prehistoric civilization seemed to have a fighting mentality.

It's the kind of civilization where people resort to duels when in doubt.

Moreover, it seems that the dueling qualifications are ignored, and no special privileges are granted to individuals.

Imi X, as if he had heard something amusing, excitedly shouted towards the dome, "Hey! System! I'm the one who got you started! How about some VIP treatment? Be the referee, or just declare me the winner?"

The electronic voice paused for a moment, then responded in the same cold tone.

[Permissions confirmed...]

[Access Level: Redundant]

The smile on Immi X's face froze instantly.

"……Grass."

Before she could finish speaking, the black alloy floor beneath her feet began to shake violently.

"Rumble--"

Huge platforms rose from the ground, arranged in a staggered pattern, forming a three-dimensional dueling arena. A semi-transparent energy barrier rose up, dividing the entire Glatia in two, each shimmering with red and blue light.

The Pope and his six confidants, Immi X and the wandering forces, along with hostage Li Guanqi, are all trapped in the red zone and their movements are restricted.

Qi Mengsi, Xia Sheng, Chu Chan, and the other members of the Spirit Control Division were divided into the blue area.

The sudden turn of events changed everyone's expression.

"A duel? How do we have to duel?"

They all heard that half of the visitors would be driven away by a duel.

However, the rules of the duel were not mentioned.

Send one person from each side? Who can bear this responsibility?

This secret realm may hold humanity's greatest secret, and the right to visit it for the entire district will be determined by one person's duel.
The 'sun' high in the sky once again issued its cold report.

[Please begin the business proposal (BP) process.]

"BP?" Upon hearing this word, people from both sides reacted with different expressions.

Most of the people on the Pope's side looked completely bewildered.

"BP?" Sun frowned. "At this time?"

No one could answer him.

"Oh—it's a team competition." Immy X raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."

The Pope squinted, his emotions unreadable.

The red zone isn't all his people, which will cause problems with the draft and player selection.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Spirit Control was in an uproar.

"Instructor!" Tang Xin looked at Qi Mengsi excitedly, as if she had found an opportunity to show off. "I know this! I used to play in the league! It's Ban/Pick!"

“We all understand.” Qi Mengsi’s voice was cold, but her gaze was more serious than ever before. “However, the drafting and banning (BP) here seems to be different from that in the league.”

Tang Xin realized what was going on after being reminded by her.

In the league, the drafting and banning (BP) process involves both teams closing their doors and spending several hours in their respective war rooms to repeatedly study the opponent's data and engage in tactical maneuvering. The process is kept strictly confidential.

But what is this right now?
To broadcast the news in front of everyone? To publicly ban people from the election?
Moreover, it was a grand team competition that involved the entire city.

"What an advanced dueling civilization!" Li Guanqi couldn't help but marvel.

This efficiency, this model, has surpassed his understanding of dueling.

Granitea is definitely a city of dueling brains.

After half a minute of commotion, the 'sun' high in the sky lost patience and broadcast again: [It has been detected that neither side has decided on the first move; the system will randomly assign moves.]

【Ding--】

A beam of light shone down from the dome, projecting a giant virtual coin in the very center of the two areas.

The coin spun rapidly, its light and shadow intertwining, and everyone's hearts were in their throats.

The coin stops, heads up, with a blooming rose pattern on it.

[Blue side goes first in drafting (BP)]

As the voice faded, a huge, semi-transparent light screen appeared in the blue area, in front of the members of the Spirit Control Division.

At the top of the light screen was a blood-red countdown.

【14: 59】

Below the countdown is an input box emitting a faint glow, quietly waiting for them to type in their first command.

If the blue player enters a field, all players in the red area will be unable to add cards with that field to their decks; adding such cards will trigger an alarm.

"Fully automated ban/pick! And with a countdown timer!" Tang Xin couldn't help but exclaim, "They decide on bans and picks in just fifteen minutes?!"

This is too much pressure!

In league games, they can discuss draft picks and bans for hours, but here, it only takes fifteen minutes!
Moreover, this single banned spot will determine the fate of all the other candidates present.

All eyes were on Qi Mengsi.

Qi Mengsi frowned, quickly contacted Binaier, and asked anxiously, "Can you get here in time? Do you want me to help you snatch a hero?"

【no.】

At the other end, Binel was running fast, panting heavily.

I've been assigned to the red zone.

[Sorry, I can't support the Blue Zone. I have to keep an eye on the Pope, and you too—]

"Ahem!" Qi Mengsi coughed lightly to interrupt, "It's alright, we'll figure out a way to handle the duel."

After saying that, she hung up the phone.

Losing a hero or general is a real problem.

Qi Mengsi took a deep breath, the cold air filling her chest, but it couldn't suppress the heat in her heart.

On the light screen, the blood-red countdown relentlessly ticked.

【13: 48】

"Report everyone's deck." Her voice clearly echoed throughout the entire blue area.

In an instant, a cacophony of reports erupted.

"【Dessert】and 【Illusion】!" Tang Xin raised her hand and was the first to answer, afraid that she would be left out.

“Divine Skill,” Bai Shu’s voice was steady.

"[Weather]," Qiqi said succinctly.

Izuna: "[K9]!"

Chu Chan: "[Conquer the Fighting Spirit]!"

“【Mechanical Puppet】, 【Self-Playing Sacred Music】.” Xia Sheng named two.

Red Center: "[Heavenly Cup Dragon]!"

Chizuru Tsukishima: "[Priestess]!"

Luli: "[Demon God]..."

Hundreds of different voices merged into a chaotic wave of sound, but Qi Mengsi still clearly remembered their deck.

Each field represents a person's fighting style, as well as a trust and entrustment.

But now, that trust is weighing on her like a mountain.

There are essentially two approaches to banning: either ban the opponent's key players or pick your own ace.

But what are their core cards? The Pope, ImmiX, and that bunch of lurking hyenas—who knows what deck they're using?

Then the only option is to seize your own team's trump card.

But whose trump card should it be?
Who can carry this team game?

She had fifteen minutes to decide the fate of the hundreds of people present.

This is even more difficult than sending her to challenge the Pope one-on-one.

"Instructor, three minutes have passed!" Tang Xin urged anxiously. "Why don't you grab what you're best at first?"

“My deck’s axis is too mixed, so grabbing one field is useless.” Qi Mengsi shook her head, her brows furrowed. She is a plant-based deck with many fields, so banning one point is not enough to lock it down. Conversely, grabbing one point cannot guarantee strength.

We must secure a field that is both highly versatile and powerful enough!
A choice that can command respect!

But what is it?
Just as her mind was in a state of confusion, a clear, cold voice pierced through all the noise.

"【Carving Demon】." It's Qiqi.

"First to snatch the [Engraving Demon]."

These words were like a ray of light, piercing through the fog in Qi Mengsi's mind. She didn't even have time to consider the pros and cons of this choice; her body had already reacted before her brain could.

It was an instinctive trust.

She suddenly looked up, stared at the huge light screen, and shouted the name with all her might.

"【Carving Demon】, confirmed!"

hum-

The countdown on the light screen suddenly stopped.

In the blue team's banned area, a demon blacksmith's portrait carrying a coffin lit up; it was the [Engraving Demon Blacksmith].

【Ding--】

The system notification sounded, announcing the end of the blue team's first selection. Immediately afterwards, the red area's light screen lit up, and a fifteen-minute countdown began.

"A single snatch of the [Engraving Demon]?"

On the other side, Li Guanqi watched with great interest, subconsciously immersing himself in the story.

"You've got some skills. You just pick a versatile system and reserve a spot for yourself, regardless of whether you use it or not, to make things difficult for the opponent."

He stroked his chin and began to plan.

"So what should we grab here?... How about the [K9]? It's quite useful..."

He became more and more engrossed in his thoughts and turned to discuss it with his "teammate" next to him.

“You’re a hostage.” The sun gave him a cold glance, interrupting him. “Who’s talking to you about ‘us’?”

"..." Li Guanqi's expression froze.

Oh yes.

He forgot he was a prisoner and acted as if the other side were his teammates.

This is a bit embarrassing.

Meanwhile, within the red zone, the atmosphere became delicate.

The Pope, Immi X, and the newly arrived "hyenas" exchanged glances, but none of them spoke first.

They are not a team.

Nobody wants their fate to be decided by someone else's duel, but the number of BPs is limited, and the number of players who can participate is also limited.

The countdown is passing silently.

"Mr. Hostage, could you give me some advice?" Immy X sidled up to Li Guanqi, put his arm around his shoulder, and smiled ingratiatingly. "I trust you."

"Help us win the duel," she whispered.

"I can get you out of here."

"You know I'm a very fair person when it comes to business."

"Heh." Li Guanqi scoffed, "You overestimate me a bit. Even if I really agreed, they wouldn't dare let me play."

“That’s not necessarily true,” Immy X said with a meaningful smile.

Just then, a cold laugh rang out: "Let's pick K9 first."

Immi X, Li Guanqi, and the Papal Council were taken aback and looked toward the source of the sound.

The speaker, dressed in a red suit, was none other than Chu Linfeng, the leader of the Hyenas.

Seeing everyone's silence, Chu Linfeng smiled and said, "They have K9, which is strong enough, and the creator of this series, Izuna, is right on the other side."

Li Guanqi frowned.

Although he had just suggested grabbing K9, his reason was simply that this field is strong and versatile.

I never said that the Soul Reapers had K9, and I don't even know if Izuna himself is on the other side.

How did this clown in red get the information?
Not only him, but the Pope also had this doubt, and asked in a deep voice, "Are you sure?"

"Of course," Chu Linfeng chuckled. "We're in the same boat now, I wouldn't lie to you."

"They not only have K9, they also have [Conqueror's Soul], [Mechanical Puppet], [Divine Art], [Heavenly Cup Dragon], and so on. I know them all."

"Leave this draft to me."

The Pope looked Chu Linfeng up and down, his deep eyes narrowing, before finally falling silent and choosing to acquiesce.

"Thank you for your trust." Chu Linfeng bowed gracefully to the Pope, then looked up at the screen in the sky and said in a deep voice, "K9, confirmed."

【Ding--】

The system notification sounded, and the [K9 Ripper] icon appeared above the red team's BP area.

Immediately afterwards, the blue area's light screen lit up, displaying a 15-minute countdown, with 12 minutes remaining.

"They... snatched the K9?!" Izuna exclaimed incredulously, staring at the BP area.

"How...how could this be?"

The opponent has locked in the K9 field, which means she can't play it in subsequent duels, or she has to switch decks.

"They have intelligence on our deck?" The Dark Squad leader gritted his teeth, turned to look at everyone, and said fiercely, "Who is it?!"

“When the decks were being announced just now,” Xia Sheng said coldly, “no one made any underhanded moves.”

"The people who betrayed us either gathered information about our card decks long beforehand and passed it on."

“Either—” He raised his hand and pointed to the red zone on the opposite side.

"On the other side."

The commander of the Dark Guard suddenly widened his eyes, his chest heaving violently: "You mean—Li, Li Guanqi!"

"No way!" Tang Xin was the first to jump out and loudly argued, "Myna would never betray us!"

“Indeed,” Qi Mengsi agreed, lowering her head. “He had no reason to betray us.”

"The Pope is going to kill him, how could he possibly help the Pope?"

“Li Guanqi certainly wouldn’t betray us.” Xia Sheng stared intently at the person opposite him. “But I’m afraid he might not.”

"He's not Li Guanqi? What do you mean?" Qi Mengsi pressed.

Xia Sheng sighed softly, "It's nothing, maybe I'm overthinking it. Let's hurry up and do our BP."

"If I had to choose between the two, I'd recommend grabbing the 'No' field."

"If we don't take it, the other side will likely take it."

(End of this chapter)