My exclusive card pool

Chapter 252 Bluebeard, right?

The sky is bright.

A squad of playing card soldiers arrived at the underground prison.

Bang! Bang!
The cell door was violently flung open, and the lead soldier pounded on it twice, shouting, "Time's up, come with us!"

Wang Xi, who was sitting cross-legged in the corner meditating, opened his eyes and calmly stood up.

He turned his head and glanced at the cell next door, where the woman named Zoffy had also been taken out.

Despite facing imminent execution by beheading, the woman remained calm, which piqued Wang Xi's curiosity.

It's unclear whether the other party is bravely facing death or has something to rely on...

Noticing Wang Xi's gaze, Zoffy turned his head and met his eyes for a moment.

The woman smiled sweetly and opened her mouth.

Wang Xi was stunned.

Judging from his lip movements, he seems to be saying: Don't die.

As Wang Xi walked out of the cell, he saw the other imprisoned women lined up, walking forward with terrified expressions.

As the group of "death row inmates" left the underground prison area, the blinding sunlight shone down, and the women couldn't help but shed tears.

Sobbing could be heard from all sides.

Perhaps this is the last time they will see the sun.

"Woooo..."

"My parents must be very worried about me!"

"I don't want to die!"

"Lord Bluebeard! I'm willing to be your bride, please don't kill me..."

Amidst cries of grief and pleas for mercy, the group was pushed and shoved by the playing card soldiers towards Queen's Square inside the Red Castle.

A significant number of Poker County residents have already gathered here.

People of all ages and genders were present, along with many strange and colorful creatures from the fairyland who stopped to watch.

But most people wore expressions of grief and indignation, though they dared not express it.

The huge square was paved with red bricks, and a temporary wooden platform was erected here, on which a row of guillotines were placed.

Hundreds of poker soldiers stood in perfect formation, guarding the execution platform, their thin, long spears gleaming coldly.

Wang Xi stood in the line of death row inmates, his gaze sweeping across the room, searching for something.

Soon, he saw a familiar figure—

A girl in pajamas with a buzz cut was seen wearing shackles and being guarded by two playing card soldiers.

It was Alice.

She looked rather disheveled, her pajamas stained with mud, and her expression was tired, but her bloodshot eyes were still filled with resentment and determination.

Suddenly, Alice looked up unintentionally and saw Wang Xi in the line of death row inmates.

"?!"

She was taken aback at first, then her face lit up with surprise.

"Mr. Kai, why..."

Alice felt a pang of guilt and indignation.

She felt that she had harmed her benefactor.

If it weren't for escorting him to Wonderland, how could the other party have been captured by Bluebeard's poker army and sent here to be executed?

"I'm sorry..." Alice's tears welled up, and she bit her lip tightly.

She clenched her fists, hating her own weakness.

My sister hasn't been found yet, and I'm going to die here, and Mr. Kai is also implicated.

Just then, Alice suddenly heard Mr. Kai's gentle voice in her ear: "Don't worry, Miss Alice, I will get you out of here."

"Ok?"

Alice's expression froze slightly.

She quickly looked around, only to find that the playing card soldiers beside her were not reacting. She then realized that only she could hear Mr. Gai's words.

A surge of hope welled up in Alice's heart.

Could it be that……

Was Mr. Gai not captured, but came specifically to rescue her?

Thinking of this, the girl felt a surge of emotion.

She took a deep breath, the surrounding noise gradually fading away, her eyes filled only with the young man's reassuring smile.

"quiet!"

At that moment, a deep, hoarse voice rang out.

The sound seemed to possess a certain magic, causing the entire audience to fall silent without realizing it.

All eyes were on the high platform.

A shadow slowly emerged from the castle's archway, gradually enveloping the entire platform.

Earl Bluebeard walked out with steady steps.

This man was at least two meters tall, but his physique did not appear robust; instead, he was sickly thin. He wore a luxurious high-necked cloak, his face was pale, his eyes were sunken, and he had a thick, dark blue beard under his hooked nose.

'This guy... is incredibly strong.'

Wang Xi's eyes narrowed.

"Count Bluebeard Rice (Hostile/Title 4-Star/Elite)"

Bronze frame title, four stars...

This level of strength even surpasses that of most "Taisho" in the main world.

Behind Bluebeard followed two playing card soldiers—the Jack of Clubs and the Jack of Spades.

The Jack of Clubs wields a broad-bladed silver sword with intricate carvings, the hilt inlaid with a blood-red cat's-eye stone; the Jack of Spades holds a pure black spear, the tip of which is wrapped with dark green energy threads.

The two soldiers' faces were like replicas of playing cards, expressionless and etched with stiff mustaches. Their armor was jet black and gleaming, etched with the suits of playing cards, and they moved without a sound, like ghosts gliding along the ground.

"Red Queen's Royal Guard - Knight J (Hostile/Title 1-Star/Elite)"

Even the personal guards have reached the title level.

Seeing this, Wang Xi realized the situation was troublesome.

Bluebeard ascended to the center of the high platform, with two soldiers standing tacitly on his left and right.

"The subjects gathered here today will witness the majesty of Her Majesty the Red Queen..."

Bluebeard slowly raised his hand, brushing his beard with his fingertips gloved with black velvet. He looked down at the audience, his gaze sweeping across each person's face like a dagger.

The square was completely silent; no one dared to meet his gaze.

Bluebeard was very satisfied with this.

That's the kind of authority he wants.

“These bound traitors—traitors, spies, blasphemers… they disregard the law and desecrate the crown! Her Majesty the Great Beth’s Red Heart Law is our holy shield, and those who defy it deserve to die!”

Bluebeard's voice was still hoarse, but it carried a seductive rhythm, as if he were reciting a lament:
"They refused to kneel before the throne and spoke ill of the Queen's glory; they hid traces of demons and secretly colluded with the White Queen's rebels; they spread rumors in the streets and alleys, poisoning the innocence of Pokershire!"

"The pigeons intercepted at the border yesterday confirm that these scoundrels have colluded with that white-skirted false queen—Melana! If it weren't for Your Majesty's divine insight, Poker County would have already fallen into the hands of traitors!"

The crowd seemed to be stunned by these words.

They bowed their heads in unison and echoed, "By Her Majesty Beth!" But upon closer inspection, it was clear that the crowd did not buy Bluebeard's explanation.

Bluebeard strolled to the edge of the platform, looking down at the crowd as if surveying a flock of sheep:
"Today's execution is His Majesty's mercy! His blood washes away the filth and forges eternal loyalty... May the souls of the departed rest in peace, and may the living take this as a warning!"

wow-

As the speech ended, the playing card soldiers raised their weapons in perfect unison. The crowd bowed their heads numbly, and a strange sense of sorrow filled the air.

Powerless to resist Bluebeard's tyranny, they could only watch helplessly as the innocent people present were executed.

"Execute him."

Bluebeard smiled dismissively and waved his hand casually.

Alice and the other women were pushed onto the platform and forced to kneel before the guillotine.

The women panicked and cried out in despair, but Bluebeard showed no pity whatsoever; instead, a morbid glee lingered on his lips.

Bang! !

"what--"

The guillotine crashed down, and the crowd gasped in shock.

But just as the guillotine was about to sever the necks of these women, it mysteriously stopped a few feet away.

"Um?!"

Bluebeard, the group of poker soldiers, and even the entire crowd of onlookers were stunned.

Bluebeard's face immediately darkened, and a flash of eerie blue light appeared in his eyes as he saw that each guillotine blade was connected to a faint, invisible thread.

It was these threads that prevented the guillotine from falling.

Bluebeard suddenly turned his head to the side: "You have quite the audacity to obstruct the execution."

A young man dressed in black fine clothes slowly walked out from the line of death row inmates.

His shackles had somehow come off, and the poker soldiers on either side of him remained motionless, gun-holding positions, like statues.

"Rice, you're a damn bastard!"

Chapo climbed onto the young man's shoulder and cursed at the count on the high platform.

"With Her Majesty Beth absent, you've been committing atrocities in Poker County in her name! I must report this to Her Majesty—"

Bluebeard smiled faintly.

His gaze fell on the little red dragon, and a mocking expression appeared on his face: "Oh, so it's our mighty General Chabo... But how did you end up looking so pathetic?"

Bluebeard shook his head.

"When Peter Pan attacked, you recklessly rushed in and both of you fell into Wonderland... I thought you were dead, I never expected you to come back alive."

Cha Bo wanted to say something more, but Wang Xi raised his hand to stop him.

He took two steps forward and said calmly:
“Count Rhys, may I ask which article of Her Majesty the Red Queen’s law states that ‘a woman who refuses a count’s marriage proposal shall be punished for treason’?”

As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

The group of women, who looked like lambs to the slaughter, also stared at him in shock.

In reality, everyone was well aware of Bluebeard's tyranny, but no one dared to speak out.

Bluebeard narrowed his eyes, and the smile on his lips turned dangerous.

Wang Xi shook his head: "How many of the girls here were labeled 'spies' because of your personal desires? Is this how you defend His Majesty's dignity?"

He turned to look at all the residents, stretched out his arms, and said loudly:

"People of Poker County! The greatest spy, traitor, and blasphemer is none other than Earl Rice!"

These words resonated with everyone.

The onlookers were discussing the matter animatedly, their faces showing grief and indignation.

Bluebeard didn't seem to care, and simply roared, "Quiet!!"

boom--

The fierce magic caused an elemental upheaval.

A terrifying hurricane swept around, blowing everyone off balance and causing them to scream in alarm.

"Go! Kill this insolent outsider on the spot!"

Bluebeard, his face cold, waved his hand.

wow-

The twelve playing card soldiers immediately formed a line, their red and black patterned armor glowing with magical light, creating a barrier that pressed down on Wang Xi.

The four soldiers in the front row simultaneously hurled their flaming spears, which traced fiery trails through the air.

Wang Xi remained unfazed and immediately activated the "Crown of the End." In an instant, a crown burning with pale flames appeared above his head, and a blazing white cloak cascaded down his shoulders like a waterfall, fluttering in the gale.

He lifted off the ground and soared into the air.

They narrowly escaped the attack of the flaming spear.

Boom!

The moment the flames exploded, the residents of Poker County gasped in surprise.

"Fire...that's not how you use it."

Wang Xi raised his right hand, spreading his fingers and then closing them.

As the magic surged, countless snowflake-like flames suddenly fell from the sky. The seemingly gentle snow flames exploded instantly upon landing on the playing card soldier.

The soldiers were stunned for a moment, then screamed in agony and turned to ashes in the pale firelight.

'Unfortunately, they're all just low-ranking nobodyes, barely even a white card.'

Wang Xi sighed secretly.

Beneath the snow and flames, only the Jack of Spades and the Jack of Clubs, two elite warriors, could barely hold on. Their small mustaches stood on end, their faces contorted with ferocity, and they leaped into the air.

A jet-black sword and spear came hurtling upwards.

shhh-

Wang Xi calmly drew out a seemingly ordinary wooden sword, which emitted a clear, childlike laugh the moment it was unsheathed.

——"The Playful Sword"

He casually slashed downwards, the sword light cascading through the air like a waterfall, the chilling aura condensing into a shimmering icy rainbow. *Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The ice rainbow suddenly shattered, turning into countless sharp ice crystals.

Two of the largest ice crystals pierced the chests of two elite poker soldiers like arrows, sending them flying backwards.

With two sharp thuds, they were nailed to the execution platform, right to the edge of Bluebeard's gleaming leather boots.

The two elite soldiers were not yet dead. Their thin bodies struggled and twitched as they tried to break free, but they were unable to do so.

Bluebeard frowned in disgust and stomped on the Jack of Spades' head until it was crushed.

“Useless!” he muttered, his blue beard trembling slightly with rage.

With a crisp metallic clang, Bluebeard pulled a giant chain wreathed in eerie blue flames from the void.

slam-la-

The chains moved through the air as if they were alive, each link carved with a distorted relief of a young girl who was now emitting silent wails.

"You, a foreign wizard, are quite capable."

Bluebeard sneered.

"Even the young prince of the Barn royal family knows swordsmanship... Could it be that you are a spy they sent?"

Before the words were even finished, the chains were already winding their way in.

Clang! !

Wang Xi parried with the sword of the childlike wonder, and a piercing clang rang out in mid-air.

clang clang clang!!

—"Mind's Eye Sword (Mark)"

With each parry Wang Xi unleashed an even stronger sword strike, but Bluebeard paid no heed. He stood upright on the high platform, and two chains suddenly appeared from the void behind him, shattering the sword's edge.

Boom! !
Blinding blue and white sparks flashed, and the shockwave shattered the glass of the buildings surrounding the square, causing the crowd to scatter in panic.

click-

Another chain whip shattered Wang Xi's "Ice Heart Shield." He was forced to retreat repeatedly in mid-air, the ice crystal steps beneath his feet constantly crumbling.

'This guy's magic power and skill are even greater than mine; he's not easy to deal with...'

Wang Xi said inwardly.

Seizing the opportunity, he subtly activated the "Dance of Fish and Dragons in the Sleeve." An invisible force swept across the execution platform, lifting up the innocent women, including Alice, and gently carrying them to the safe area at the edge of the square.

"Ok?"

Alice felt a blur before her eyes, and in a dizzying moment, she found herself standing next to a stone sculpture at the edge of the square.

She looked up in astonishment, gazing at the black-haired youth in mid-air who had stood up for her. Her heart pounded in her chest, and an indescribable emotion welled up within her.

“Mr. Kai, thank you…”

Alice murmured to herself, her fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of her dress.

After their initial shock, the other women realized that they had been saved by the mysterious young man and thanked him with tears in their eyes.

"Damn guy!"

Bluebeard was furious when he saw this.

His meticulously planned execution was disrupted in public. If he didn't kill the other party with lightning speed, all the prestige he had painstakingly built up would be lost.

Blah blah blah...

More chains surged from the void, weaving together in the air to form a steel throne. Seated upon the throne was a crowned skeleton.

The skeleton was five stories tall, with eerie blue flames flickering in its empty eye sockets, and a deafening shriek emanating from its jawbone as it opened and closed.

Bluebeard snorted and raised his arm.

Boom——

The giant hand of the skeleton pressed down like a mountain.

Wang Xi swiftly wielded the Childlike Sword, and snow flames condensed in the air to form a miniature ice crystal castle, with lifelike spires and walls.

Bang! !

However, when the skeletal hand struck, the castle instantly cracked, and ice crystals scattered like falling stars.

Wang Xi's body sank down, he groaned, feeling as if he had been hit hard in the chest, and his magic power was instantly depleted by one-third.

He glanced at the terrified crowd below and Alice's worried face out of the corner of his eye, knowing that Bluebeard didn't care about the lives of these civilians. If he dodged, one blow from this palm would mean they would all be dead.

"Try that one..."

Wang Xi narrowed his eyes and began to chant incantations.

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo——

Countless threads of magic shot out from his ten fingers, weaving a giant "spider web" in the sky above the plaza. The giant skeletal hand was instantly trapped in the web, its speed visibly reduced.

——"The World of Looms (Branding)"

"hiss……"

Taking advantage of the moment, Wang Xi took a deep breath, his chest bulging. As he opened his mouth, a pale dragon's breath erupted, colliding head-on with the skeletal hand.

— "Dragon's Breath"

Boom! !
The violent explosion triggered a hurricane.

Queens Square was in a mess.

"what!"

"Run!"

"leave here!"

"Too dangerous!!"

The crowd screamed and scattered, but Alice clung tightly to the stone statue and remained there.

She bit her lip and stared intently, her eyes filled with worry.

The two forces locked in a stalemate in mid-air, and the resulting shockwave cracked the exterior walls of the buildings surrounding the plaza, creating a spiderweb-like pattern. Ultimately, Wang Xi was pushed back to the ground by the recoil, his feet carving two deep furrows into the red bricks.

"Mr. Kai!"

Alice was startled and rushed forward despite the danger. Her blue eyes were filled with worry as she quickly took the young man's arm.

"Are you...are you alright?!"

Wang Xi turned around and shielded Alice behind him, smiling and shaking his head, his voice steady: "Don't worry about Alice, I said I would get you out of here."

In the sunlight, the lines of his profile were particularly dazzling.

This young man, whom she had only known for a short time, actually faced such a terrifying enemy for her sake...

Do I deserve this from the other person?

After experiencing the disappearance of her parents and sister, and the betrayal of her aunt's family, Alice felt a long-lost warmth and care from the young man.

She couldn't help but drift off into a daze.

Bluebeard looked at his magic being blocked, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a cold killing intent.

He stroked his meticulously manicured beard and suddenly revealed a fake smile: "Your magic is strange, but not bad... Her Majesty the Red Queen is in dire need of a powerful ally. If you surrender, I am willing to recommend you and forgive all past transgressions."

Wang Xi calmly replied, "Count Rice, even if you don't pursue this matter, I will... This is not over."

Bluebeard's face darkened.

He said no more, and gave a cold laugh.

On the skull throne, twelve chains twisted like giant pythons, attacking Wang Xi, each chain igniting with ghostly blue flames.

Wang Xi took a deep breath.

He suppressed his magic and instead channeled his magical power.

A terrifying fluctuation suddenly erupted from the mind platform—

With a clear, dragon-like roar, a dark figure twenty or thirty meters tall appeared behind him—the very same external manifestation of Wang Xigang, "Xuanlong Zhenren" (Mysterious Dragon True Man).

This image radiates a mysterious light, wearing a crown and magnificent robes, holding a jade book in its left hand and a golden pen in its right.

The ink dragon and jade python, each over ten meters long, coiled around the Dharma image's arms, one on the left and one on the right, radiating a suffocating pressure.

"What kind of magic is this?"

Bluebeard frowned, his expression becoming even more gloomy.

Before he could think any further, Xuanlong Zhenren's Dharma Image shook its left arm, and the black dragon coiled out, forming a sphere in the air, forcefully blocking all the chain attacks.

Clang clang clang clang clang!!

The chains grazed the black dragon's body, sparks flying.

——"Ink Heaven Seal (Branding)"

Faxiang immediately swung his right arm, and the jade python opened its blood-red maw, smashing open the skull's hand and biting precisely into the skull's neck with a cracking sound.

The two sides reached a stalemate.

Bluebeard's expression grew increasingly grim.

His body surged with magic, and the ghostly blue flames instantly reduced the entire platform to ashes.

Seeing this, Wang Xi's expression turned serious.

He knew very well that Bluebeard's current strength was definitely not at its full potential. Defeating him at this stage would be extremely difficult.

Swah——

He decisively reached out and grabbed, and a jet-black revolver appeared in his palm.

— "Chekhov's Gun (Ultimate Edition)"

Wang Xi locked his gaze on the gaunt man, his hand behind his back as he pulled the trigger.

Bang bang bang bang!

Six shots in a row!
Just as Bluebeard was preparing to fully control the Skull Throne, six dazzling golden lights flashed by.

His expression changed slightly, and a deep blue flame burst forth, enveloping him in countless chains into a sphere.

But the six golden rays seemed to have no physical form, and they actually pierced through his defenses out of thin air.

"Ho!"

From inside the chain sphere came a muffled groan from Bluebeard.

Six bursts of blood erupted from his body.

—"Sacred Surgery (Branding)"

Wang Xi put away his revolver and chuckled to himself.
How about some real damage?

boom! ! !
Suddenly, the chain sphere burst open.

Bluebeard was covered in blood, his face contorted, and his aura was terrifying. He had clearly suffered considerable injuries... yet he was still alive.

"Die—huh?!"

Bluebeard flicked his wrist, about to manipulate the omnipresent chains, when his pupils constricted slightly.

Not far ahead, the young man had vanished without a trace, along with the girl behind him.

A glint flashed in Bluebeard's eyes, and he instantly divined the two figures fleeing several kilometers away.

"Want to run?!"

Bluebeard roared and spread his arms wide.

slam-la-

The intertwined chains formed a dizzying spiral corridor behind him.

The corridor seemed to have no end, with countless door frames arranged in a row, rotating endlessly like a kaleidoscope.

"Come back here!!"

Bluebeard roared.

Several kilometers away, Wang Xi, who was flying through the air with Alice, frowned.

A long, winding corridor seemed to stretch from the horizon, and in the blink of an eye, it was behind us.

'This magic…'

Wang Xi was shocked.

The character "福" (fortune/blessing) flashed in his mind, clearly a warning. If he were caught in the corridor, escape would be difficult.

"Luckily I have this."

Wang Xi suddenly flicked his finger.

A jet-black card flew out.

—Zeno's Tortoise

A black turtle the size of a palm appeared above Wang Xi's head, slowly swaying its four short legs.

A bizarre scene then unfolded—

No matter how far the corridor extended, it could never catch up with Wang Xi, always maintaining a constant distance of nearly one meter from him.

Taking advantage of the moment, Wang Xi picked up Alice and flew away like a shooting star, disappearing into the distance in a few breaths.

The corridor stopped halfway, seemingly having exceeded its limit and making further pursuit impossible... But in Bluebeard's eyes, the corridor seemed to be deliberately letting them pass, slowly watching them disappear into the distance.

"Damn it!!"

Bluebeard's sinister roar echoed in the wind:
"You...can't escape!"

As Wang Xi carried Alice away into the distance, he faintly heard Bluebeard's curses, but smiled faintly, thinking to himself:

'Bluebeard, huh... Next time we meet, you'll have plenty of juice.'

(End of this chapter)