My exclusive card pool

Chapter 293 Who's Afraid of Risking Their Life?
Just when everyone thought the dust had settled...

A slightly mocking and teasing voice suddenly rang out: "That was close..."

Pieces of flesh and blood re-condensed from the void, reconstructing organs, bones, skin... until Mark Van's figure fully appeared.

He was still dressed in his usual elegant attire, maintaining his graceful posture with a cane, and a smile on his face.

Above his head, a pitch-black wild card floated and spun endlessly.

This card casts the phantom image of an ancient warship that is constantly disintegrating and reconstructing, seemingly containing some kind of mysterious power.

"Mr. Wang Xi, those shots just now... were really powerful."

Mark looked into the black mist and laughed.

"They actually killed me outright."

His gaze pierced through the black mist, locking onto the revolver in the young man's hand, and he remarked with emotion:

"So this is your trump card, a pistol with 'guaranteed hit' properties? Trading a life for this crucial information isn't too bad."

Mark raised his hand and gently caught the black wild card, his smile turning into mockery:

"But I'm sorry... I also have a black card."

Wang Xi stared intently at the black card in his hand.

Under Caius's investigation, the information revealed:

"Ship of Theseus (Unknown/Black 3-Star/Unclassifiable/Unique): Inspired by the philosophical paradox of biographer Plutarch, this card embodies this paradox as a conceptual power, breaking the shackles between matter and spirit."

"The holder can actively trigger an unlimited reconstruction of their own or a designated target's body. Regardless of the degree of damage suffered by the body, as long as the core of consciousness has not collapsed, the origin of the soul has not been annihilated, and the mental anchor has not been erased, the reconstruction will be completed."

"This ability will consume a huge amount of energy. If the energy is insufficient, the process will be forcibly terminated. Please use it with caution."

The Ship of Theseus?
So this was Mark Van's trump card.

'He possesses the gold card "Philosopher's Stone," which is essentially a massive energy reserve that he never lacks mana, making it a perfect match for this "Ship of Theseus" card.'

Wang Xi's mind raced.

Mark Van is not known for his physical prowess; in fact, he is even weaker than Father Rogers of the Etching Crest Society, belonging to the category of a "fragile mage."

However, he can neutralize most attacks using his alchemical force field. Even if he suffers a devastating blow, he can reconstruct his body using the "Ship of Theseus" and become invincible.

'Is this the "Disaster Hunter" ranked 44th?'

Wang Xi was filled with emotion.

'As expected, none of those ranked high on the "List of Mountains and Seas" are weaklings...'

At this time.

Mark suddenly raised his hand.

A strange glass bottle, about the size of a palm, with chaotic mist swirling inside, appeared in his palm.

——"Little Man in a Bottle (Dark Purple 3-Star/Disposable Item Card)"

boo.

The cork was pulled out, and a terrifying suction force erupted.

hiss--

The tiny bottle opening, like a whale sucking in water, frantically devoured the thick black mist surrounding Wang Xi.

In just a few breaths, the black mist that had enveloped a hundred-meter radius vanished without a trace, revealing Wang Xi sitting upright on his throne with a slight frown.

“Mr. Wang Xi, I’ve finally managed to pry open your slippery and disgusting ‘turtle shell’…”

Mark smiled and poured another vial of thick, shimmering purple liquid into his mouth.

——"Invincible Hero Potion (Dark Purple Two-Star/One-Time Item Card)"

hum!
He was surrounded by a seven-colored halo, his eyes were incandescent, his muscles were bulging, and he exuded an imposing aura.

Clearly, the body received unparalleled enhancement from the drug.

But it's not over yet.

He brandished his cane, lightly tapping his forehead and the back of his hand.

hum!hum!
——"Human Alchemy (Deep Purple Seven Stars/Magnificent Chapter/Skill Card/Premium Edition)"

Complex and dazzling alchemical array patterns instantly lit up his brow and the back of his hand, and a terrifying aura of rage and ferocity erupted from his body.

The muscles became more taut, and the skin surface showed a metallic sheen. Strength, speed, and resistance were all enhanced to a terrifying level.

As the saying goes, there are no wrong titles, only wrong names.

After performing a series of "monkey tricks," "Alchemist" Mark Vane stacked up all his buffs.

"die!"

Mark's figure left an afterimage in place, and the head of the metal cane in his hand sprang out with a whoosh, transforming into a slender rapier with a chilling gleam.

He transformed into a streak of light with incredible speed, breaking the sound barrier and hurtling towards Wang Xi with murderous intent, aiming straight for his heart.

The sword's blade is adorned with alchemical array patterns, capable of disintegrating any matter or energy it touches.

"..."

Wang Xi sat expressionlessly on his throne, raised his hand, and grasped the ancient wooden sword burning with golden flames.

He had entered the "Ancient Dragon Lord" state. He had dragon wings on his back, horns on his head, and golden armor that gleamed.

clang! ! !
The rapier clashed violently with the wooden sword, producing a piercing metallic clang. Sparks flew, and shockwaves swept through, shattering the ground beneath their feet.

Mark didn't hesitate at all after his attack was blocked. He spun around, and his rapier transformed into a curtain of deathly light, falling once more.

quick! allow! ruthless!
Each sword strike was cunning and deadly, its alchemical force field constantly stripping away and weakening the protective golden light and dragon scale phantoms around Wang Xi.

Mark Van was not only a master alchemist, but also a formidable swordsman.

The combination of the two made their momentum even more unstoppable.

Wang Xi finally stood up from the throne.

Roar! !

A lion's roar suddenly rang out.

Behind him appeared a three-zhang-tall white lion phantom, its entire body seemingly cut from the cold clouds of Kunlun, with a body of snow-white satin and bones of frost, its fur as lustrous as mother-of-pearl.

The lion's head is dignified and full, with a ruyi pattern inlaid in white jade on its forehead, and its eyes are like ice crystals, with a hidden, surging light. Its silvery eyebrows and whiskers hang down like frost needles, and its body is embroidered with cloud patterns, which are hidden in stillness and shimmer in motion.

The white lion resembles a celestial beast from the clouds, exuding elegance and otherworldly grace.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a "celestial ceremony".

Moreover, the sounds of gongs and drums and children's laughter suddenly rang out all around, as if to welcome the appearance of the white lion, creating a lively and welcoming atmosphere.

—"The Great Dance and Madness of the Beginning"!
Clang clang!
Deng Deng Deng!
Accompanied by the rhythm of gongs and drums, Wang Xi moved with mysterious steps, his body as nimble as a willow catkin in the wind, dodging the storm of assassinations with incredible agility.

Behind him, a white lion danced, keeping pace with Wang Xi's every move.

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo——

With graceful, agile movements, Wang Xi dodged nine out of the ten swords thrust by Mark by the slightest margin.

The only sword strike that hit his shoulder was precisely blocked by the wooden sword, which moved to the side in time.

when! !

—"Mind's Eye Sword (Mark)"

Wang Xi swung his sword backhand, striking upwards at an incredible angle, aiming straight for Mark's throat.

A mysterious sword light flashed, and Mark frowned and retreated hastily, the tip of the sword grazing his neck and leaving a bloody mark.

Cold sweat instantly soaked my back.

“Domain stripping”.

Mark's eyes flashed with even more ferocity. He let out a cold snort, and the "Philosopher's Stone" on the hilt of his sword burst forth with an unprecedentedly strong light.

hum-

An alchemical array spread out from him.

Within a hundred-meter radius of the two individuals, the air, free magic, elements, and even the spiritual energy of heaven and earth were instantly decomposed and emptied, forming an absolute "vacuum" zone.

Wang Xi felt suffocated as soon as he entered the room.

He can no longer use the "sleepwalker (brand)" ability to mobilize external energy for mana regeneration.

Its own consumption suddenly doubled.

In contrast, Mark, supported by the powerful energy of the "Philosopher's Stone," moves freely in the "vacuum."

He has inexhaustible energy, so of course he can reconstitute oxygen to replenish himself.

Wang Xi wielded his sword and exchanged blows with the opponent at high frequency, his mind growing calmer. He promptly used "Swimming Fish Marking Inkstone (Imprint)," and a yin-yang fish in ink quietly flew out from behind him.

Once the anchor point is in place, he can teleport away from this "vacuum" area.

However, Mark's perception was remarkably sharp.

Within the alchemy array's range, no small movement could escape his notice.

"Want to leave? It's too late!"

Mark approached with a cold smile, his rapier gripping Wang Xi tightly. At the same time, his free left hand suddenly shot out, a point of dazzling golden light shining from the tip of his index finger.

"The Midas Touch".

hum-

Golden light instantly enveloped Wang Xi.

An alchemical force acted upon him, aiming to completely transform him from a material being into a golden statue.

Wang Xi's skin hardened rapidly, even his hair turned gold, and his body became increasingly stiff as if it were no longer under his control.

In just a few seconds, he will be completely unable to move.

at this time.

Wang Xi's body was covered in shimmering dragon scales, and golden flames soared into the sky, shattering the golden parts.

Wow! !

— "God is invincible (brand)"

His invincible body made him immune to this terrifying alchemical control. Wang Xi broke free from the golden light's restraints, his black steps flashing, and he instantly appeared a hundred meters away.

"Ok?"

Mark frowned, staring at the young man in the distance.

Even the "Midas touch" can be forcibly broken...

Just how many tricks and trump cards does this guy have up his sleeve?

Mark's eyes hardened, and he raised his sword with both hands, causing the "Philosopher's Stone" on the hilt to shine once more.

bass--

He brandished his sword from a distance.

The sword light distorted space, cutting out dark cracks, and like the Grim Reaper's scythe, it ignored distance and instantly appeared behind Wang Xi!
This is a deadly strike combined with alchemy!
Wang Xi felt a chill run down his spine; the "divine inspiration" was a strong warning.

Without turning his head, a flash of black light appeared under his hand.

hum! !

The deadly dimensional slash behind him suddenly stopped.

To be precise, it was trapped in frozen time and space. It continued to move forward, but in this instant it was stretched infinitely, never able to truly touch Wang Xi's body.

—Zeno's Tortoise

"Another black card?!" Mark's pupils contracted sharply, and his breath hitched.

He was furious, almost to the point of vomiting blood. The opponent's methods and trump cards were endless, each one more powerful and disgusting than the last!
"Let's see how many times you can dodge!"

Mark, wielding a cane-sword, closed in again with a few quick movements.

Wang Xi calmly raised his hand and pointed at Mark in the distance.

—"The Arrow Remains Immovable (Mark)"

Mark felt an irresistible force of spacetime acting on him, and the scenery in front of him rushed backward.

In the blink of an eye, he was back in the same spot.

"Um?!"

Immediately afterwards, Mark suddenly felt a terrifying pressure descend upon him, like a mountain pressing down on him.

boom! !

His knees gave way, and he immediately collapsed to his knees.

click-

Centered on Mark, the ground caved in and cracked, forming a giant crater with a radius of tens of meters!
"Ho ho!"

He knelt down in a disheveled state, barely managing not to fall completely, but his face was flushed red and his veins were bulging.

"This...this is a gravity field?!"

Mark's pupils contracted sharply; he was incredulous.

He saw it; the black-haired youth was leisurely holding a bright red apple, casting an indifferent gaze in their direction.

—"Newton's Apple"!
"A black card?! The third black card!"

Mark felt his bones groaning and his internal organs cramping. He roared through gritted teeth, "Impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible."

Wang Xi shook his head, and a dark light flashed in his hand again, revealing a deep-set razor.

— "Occam's Razor"!
He waved casually.

An invisible blade swept across Mark.

hum-

Instantly, the amplification effects of both the potion and the alchemical array vanished as if erased by an eraser.

Mark has been exposed for what he truly is!
"Uh ah ah!"

Having lost his immense physical strength, the pressure of the gravitational field caused Mark to let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"puff--"

Mark, overwhelmed by the weight, collapsed to the ground like a toad crushed by a great stroke of luck, coughing up blood.

The bones crackled and popped.

Wang Xi, having gained power, was ruthless.

Behind him, the phantom of a white lion roared to the sky, its power unmatched, while a black dragon circled past, its dragon might overwhelming the world.

A lion and a dragon, with earth-shattering momentum, simultaneously charged toward Mark Van, who was being suppressed by gravity.

Rumble, rumble——

The dazzling flames engulfed everything.

The earth churned and cracked like waves.

The violent shockwave expanded the crater again, causing the spectators to gasp and retreat in alarm.

The blue ring barrier trembled violently, and even developed fine cracks.

Wait until the dust settles.

Pieces of flesh and blood reassembled and reconstructed, transforming into the image of Mark.

He was not afraid of the incurable effects of Wang Xi's "Incurable Burning (Branding)" because "Ship of Theseus" was a conceptual reconstruction, not a treatment.

Combined with the gold card "Philosopher's Stone," he gained a near-immortal body.

"Hahaha! It's no use, you can't kill me!"

In the deep pit, Mark struggled to his feet, his eyes flashing with a crazed light.

He gripped the "Philosopher's Stone," crimson beams of light emanating from between his fingers: "Four black cards! I really underestimated you!"

Mark suddenly opened his arms.

He radiated a blinding light, his body resembling a small sun about to explode, emanating destructive energy fluctuations.

"Lucifer's smile..."

Mark grinned and stomped his foot.

He teleported to Wang Xi's side using the alchemy array: "Mr. Wang Xi, I regret to inform you that I did not originally intend to go to this extent."

Wang Xi narrowed his eyes, realizing the other party's intentions.

Mark Van extracted a large portion of the energy from the Philosopher's Stone and poured it into his body, using human alchemy to transform himself into a "human nuclear bomb" in an attempt to stage a "mutual destruction" attack.

Of course, Mark's confidence stems from the fact that he can reassemble the Ship of Theseus.

Do you think I'm afraid of dying?

Faced with the impending explosion, Wang Xi remained unusually calm, even with a hint of mockery.

"Since you want to play, I'll play with you to the very end."

He slowly raised his left hand, palm facing up.

The red apple he held aloft collapsed into a deep, cold, tiny singularity that seemed capable of swallowing all light, silently appearing above his palm.

— "Cosmic Embryo (Imprint)"!
"Ok?"

Mark immediately felt a terrifying suction force that made his very soul tremble.

"This, this is..."

"You madman!!" Mark's madness was instantly replaced by shock and anger, and he instinctively detonated himself.

boom! ! !
"late."

Wang Xi grinned.

The smile appeared particularly sinister in the instant of the explosion's light and the black hole's expansion.

hum-

Mark exploded.

His body transformed into blinding light and heat, but the explosion lasted less than a fraction of a second before everything rushed frantically toward the ever-rotating, collapsing black hole.

Space is distorting.

The light is meandering.

The sound was swallowed up.

The black hole, which started as small as a sesame seed, rapidly expanded to a radius of several meters, tens of meters, hundreds of meters, and thousands of meters!

It greedily dragged in all the destructive energy that Mark had detonated, devouring, collapsing, and ultimately annihilating it.

The red light of the "Philosopher's Stone" flickered wildly at the edge of the black hole, attempting to resist, but ultimately it was like a candle flickering in the wind. The so-called immense energy was like a drop in the ocean within the black hole, being frantically extracted.

The light dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Just as the power of the black hole was about to swallow Wang Xi as well—

hold head high! !

A clear and melodious dragon's roar resounded.

Wang Xi transformed into a semi-transparent form, and amidst the black dragon's embrace, traced a black line as he escaped the black hole.

—"Eternal Life (Imprint)"

He used this brand to complete his escape.

The Xuanlong quickly dissipated and will take a long time to recover.

Buzz! !

The silent, enormous black hole horrified those who observed it up close.

The high-ranking members in the stands couldn't help but retreat, even the "Taiyu" and "Zaishou" were secretly sweating.

Wang Xi...

What terrifying thing did they create?

The miniature black hole stopped expanding after reaching a radius of one kilometer, seemingly reaching a critical point.

Soon, it rapidly collapsed into an unobservable point and eventually disappeared.

All that remained was a huge, mirror-smooth, hemispherical crater.

"..."

The entire venue fell into dead silence.

The bystanders didn't dare to utter a sound.

"Wang Xi... won?"

Finally, someone spoke up, albeit tremblingly.

"probably."

"And... what about Mr. Mark Van?"

No one answered.

But most people already had their own guesses.

Even the powerful "Disaster Hunter" Mark Van would likely have little chance of survival against this unsolvable black hole...

Wang Xi stood quietly at the edge of the giant pit.

His face turned pale; this black hole had almost drained all his magic and power.

But the results are good.

Mark is dead.

The energy of the Philosopher's Stone was drained by the black hole, and he was no longer able to use the Ship of Theseus to reconstruct his body.

In short, Mark messed up.

He never imagined that someone could forcibly drain the energy from the "Philosopher's Stone"...

Unfortunately, all of Mark's cards were sucked into the black hole and can't be retrieved.

Wang Xi sighed secretly.

"The target has been killed!"

"Does it possess the ability to capture 'Mark Van'?"

'Yes. '

A glint flashed in Wang Xi's eyes.

next second.

He then saw a golden light flying in from the void.

(End of this chapter)