Chapter 6: The Tournament Ring
Gu Xue sneered with fury, “Looks like you haven’t learned your lesson from last time. Now, drag her to the bathroom!”
Jiang Tang asked, “Fighting is prohibited on campus. Aren’t you afraid of being expelled?”
Gu Xue’s expression turned arrogant, her voice dripping with malice. “Fighting? Who saw us fighting? If you get hurt later, it’s because you fell yourself.”
Her followers all nodded, wearing sinister smiles.
Jiang Tang sighed inwardly. So this was how the original owner had been bullied for two long years.
Gu Xue ranked fifth in the grade and had quickly become a B-level card master. Compared to a loser like Jiang Tang, it was obvious whom the teachers would favor.
It seemed inevitable that this conflict would escalate.
Jiang Tang glanced around, then suddenly said, “Gu Xue, you said you wanted to challenge me? I accept.”
Gu Xue was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing, covering her mouth.
“You? A loser, challenging me?” Gu Xue raised her eyelids disdainfully, sizing Jiang Tang up. “Jiang Tang, are you out of your mind?”
The commotion at the school gate drew a crowd, and upon hearing this, many began to mock Jiang Tang.
“Jiang Tang, are you crazy? Gu Xue is a B-level card master; you don’t even have a single card. What will you use to fight her?”
“I heard Gu Xue even resonated a gold card! She’ll be an A-level this semester, right?”
Jiang Tang ignored the jeers, calmly staring at Gu Xue, lips curling with provocation. “You’re not afraid, are you?”
“Who said I’m afraid!” Gu Xue raised her voice, then shifted her tone. “But if you lose, you have to drop out and break your engagement with Sheng Huaian!”
Sheng Huaian was one of Jiang Tang’s fiancés, a super genius ranked first in their grade.
The original owner had fawned over him for a long time, caring for him daily, hoping to marry him after graduation.
“I agree.” Jiang Tang answered without hesitation.
The original owner’s flattery was born out of desperation, hoping to rely on external support to hold on to Cangwu Star, as climbing to S-level seemed impossible.
But Jiang Tang was different. She could resonate cards and already possessed a purple card and a gold card. Her strength would only grow, and she didn’t need anyone else.
The engagement might well be a burden.
But that didn’t mean Jiang Tang would lose today’s duel.
Gu Xue was shocked by Jiang Tang’s swift acceptance, then ecstatic, fearing a change of heart. She hurriedly said, “Then let’s go to the arena!”
“Why the rush? You’ll lose soon enough,” Jiang Tang smirked slightly. “I haven’t even said what happens if you lose.”
Gu Xue scoffed, crossing her arms and raising her chin. “I will never lose to a loser.”
The crowd laughed at Jiang Tang’s wild dreams.
“The perennial last place is dreaming big now.”
“Well, everyone’s entitled to dreams!”
---
Jiang Tang calmly proposed, “How about this? If you lose, you also drop out and publicly apologize online.”
Gu Xue immediately agreed, brimming with confidence, never imagining she could lose to a loser.
The last-place loser challenging the fifth-ranked genius card master caused a stir even among the discipline director and their homeroom teachers.
They all arrived at the card master arena, where Jiang Tang and Gu Xue were already standing on stage.
Many students gathered below.
“Place your bets, place your bets!”
“I’m backing Gu Xue!”
“Me too!”
The giant screen showed a one-minute countdown, with odds updating in real time.
Betting was allowed at the arena to motivate students.
Jiang Tang suddenly turned and called out to a female student, “Hey, classmate, I want to bet too. Put your money on me.”
She tossed the girl a silver card and winked playfully.
The girl was startled, then blushed and nodded.
After placing Jiang Tang’s card down, she instinctively bet 200 star coins on Jiang Tang.
Her friends pinched her face in disbelief. “Are you crazy? That’s a guaranteed loss!”
“Sigh, it’s just 200…”
Gu Xue snorted coldly, turning to the crowd with a loud voice, “Six million star coins on Gu Xue’s victory!”
The crowd fell silent, then erupted in cheers.
“Goddess! Goddess Gu Xue!”
“Six million! Gu Xue must have bet all her savings!”
“I’m backing Gu Xue with five hundred thousand star coins!”
“This is ridiculous!” The discipline director, a tall, slender woman, frowned deeply.
The A-class homeroom teacher was indifferent. “It’s rare to have a competition at the start of school. Let the kids get excited.”
He glanced sideways at his colleague, Old Sun from F-class, and joked, “Hey Old Sun, want me to tell Gu Xue to go easy?”
Old Sun, half-asleep, pulled out a cigarette and lit it, hands in pockets. “Suit yourself.”
The A-class teacher sneered silently, cursing Old Sun’s ignorance.
A-class was the key class; F-class was the worst in the grade, filled with privileged brats and hopeless talents.
And Jiang Tang was the best among the losers.
---
With 30 seconds left on the giant screen’s countdown, a mechanical female voice echoed throughout the venue: “The duel is about to begin. Both contestants, please prepare.”
Gu Xue relaxed her posture, face full of confidence. “Jiang Tang, you’d better kneel and beg now while you still can.”
Voices from the crowd surged like waves:
“Kneel!”
“Beg for mercy!”
“Trash S-level, get out of the Nebula!”
The A-class homeroom teacher casually asked, “Director, is Jiang Tang really S-level? I remember she’s been here two years and hasn’t resonated a single bronze card.”
The discipline director didn’t answer directly. “We’ll find out at the final assessment.”
On stage, Jiang Tang smiled and mimicked Gu Xue’s words. “You still have time to beg, or I’ll make you soil yourself.”
Their voices were amplified so everyone could hear.
The crowd booed loudly, and the discipline director frowned even deeper, glaring fiercely at Old Sun.
She knew this free card master from a backwater star wouldn’t teach anything good!
The mechanical voice sounded again: “3, 2, 1 — Duel begins!”
As the words fell, the arena’s temperature plummeted sharply, with ice forming on the stage.
Gu Xue’s black hair turned white, fluttering in the icy wind.
Above her head soared a massive eagle.
The crowd gasped:
“No way, starting with a big move!”
“That’s the silver card Helraswegur! Nordic mythology remains dominant this season!”
The discipline director nodded approvingly. “Gu Xue is impressive.”
The A-class homeroom teacher glanced slyly and proudly at Old Sun.
A translucent white staff materialized in Gu Xue’s hand.
She pointed the staff at Jiang Tang and shouted, “Let the blizzard tear her apart!”
The eagle flapped its wings, sending a furious gale mixed with ice shards crashing against Jiang Tang’s face. She squinted slightly and pulled an antique pistol from her pocket.
[Golden Fire Eyes activated!]