Now… this round would determine who advanced into the semifinals.
As Luya entered the names of Keqing, Zhongli, Ningguang, and Xiao into the system, the drawing mechanism began to operate!
[Keqing vs. Ningguang]
[Zhongli vs. Xiao]
When the results appeared, Xiao's expression turned slightly unnatural. To Duel Zhongli was complicated for him. Xiao pondered how he should face his master—would it be inappropriate to challenge him?
Zhongli noticed Xiao's hesitation. He walked over and said with a smile:
"Conqueror of Demons, come at me with all your strength."
The audience shouted:
"Go, Great Sage!"
"You have to win the championship!!!"
"Charge, charge, charge!!!"
Seeing so many spectators cheering for him, Xiao's fighting spirit ignited.
"Mr. Zhongli… then I won't hold back…"
Zhongli nodded. "In a Duel, one must fight with full strength. That is the greatest respect for your opponent."
Xiao and Zhongli stepped onto the Duel Stage…
Meanwhile, Keqing and Ningguang looked at each other and both smiled. Holding a golden peony-patterned folding fan before her face, Ningguang said with a smile:
"To Duel with you will be quite entertaining. Martial combat lacks elegance and can only be a last resort. However, this Duel fully embodies wisdom and strategy. Let's begin."
Keqing smiled, nodded, and walked onto the Duel Stage.
…
The two groups for the finals were in place!
"Duel!!!"
Four voices rang out—the Duels began.
"I Normal Summon [Swordsoul of Taia]."
A dragon warrior clad in silver armor, holding an icy-blue Taia sword, appeared on Keqing's field.
[Swordsoul of Taia] Level 4│WIND│Wyrm│1800 ATK / 1500 DEF
When Luya saw Keqing Summon [Swordsoul of Taia], he already knew what kind of cards she had pulled. She had drawn some pieces of the [Swordsoul] archetype.
The Swordsoul Deck—its monsters are composed of Wyrms and Spellcasters. The Wyrms were natives of Lingfeng, while the Spellcasters were refugees from the Dragon Kingdom. The Wyrm monsters are modeled after famous ancient Chinese swords. It's a Synchro-focused Deck.
Even so… though Keqing had pulled some [Swordsoul] monsters, Luya knew she couldn't have built a full deck. This archetype required many different [Swordsoul] cards, and it was unlikely she could complete it with just fifty packs.
Keqing continued her turn: "I Set two cards. Turn end."
As expected, she was just using [Swordsoul of Taia] as a strong Level 4 monster.
On Zhongli's side, during his Duel with Xiao, his peripheral vision caught sight of Keqing's [Swordsoul of Taia]. The dragon warrior holding the Taia sword came into view. Zhongli froze for a moment… Even with his vast knowledge, it was his first time seeing a Wyrm—a humanoid figure with dragon traits! He quickly turned his head back and focused on his own match.
"I Set four cards… Set one monster face-down… Turn end."
…
Similarly, Ningguang Summoned a monster. "I Normal Summon [Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger]!"
With her words, a white tiger with diamond horns emerged from golden topaz. Golden light illuminated the surroundings!
"That Topaz Tiger suits Lady Ningguang so well!"
"Indeed, both have a yellow-and-white color scheme, and the gem looks noble…"
"Just like Lady Ningguang's wealth."
"Yet Lady Yuheng's [Swordsoul of Taia] has 1800 Attack…"
"Lady Tianquan's [Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger] looks beautiful, although its Attack seems a bit low…"
[Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger] Level 4│EARTH│Beast│1600 ATK / 1000 DEF
Ningguang waved her hand. "I activate an Equip Spell! [Horn of the Unicorn]!"
As the Equip Spell activated, the tiger's horn glowed, sprouting a new one on its forehead. Its Attack rose from 1600 to 2300!
Ningguang spun her long-stemmed pipe and smiled. "Battle Phase… [Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger], attack [Swordsoul of Taia]!"
The Topaz Tiger leapt into the air, maw wide, lunging at Keqing's [Swordsoul of Taia]!
Keqing smiled calmly. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell [Mystical Space Typhoon]! Destroy [Horn of the Unicorn]!"
A whirlwind blew from Keqing's hand, scattering the horn on the Topaz Tiger's head. [Horn of the Unicorn]'s effect activated—it would be returned to the top of the Deck when sent to the Graveyard, meaning Ningguang would draw it again next turn. The Topaz Tiger's ATK dropped by 700, back down to 1600… yet the attack pressed on.
With Taia's 1800 ATK against the Tiger's 1600, the Topaz Tiger would be destroyed!
The spectators grew anxious:
"Oh no!"
"With [Horn of the Unicorn] gone, this is like throwing it away!"
The Topaz Tiger's attack pressed on.
Ningguang raised her hand. "I activate [Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger]'s effect! During the Damage Step, it gains 400 ATK!"
The Topaz Tiger's ATK rose to 2000, now surpassing Taia's 1800.
"Whoa!"
"So Lady Ningguang's Tiger has a hidden effect like this!"
"No wonder she included it even though it only had 1600 base ATK!"
"Lady Yuheng's [Swordsoul of Taia] is finished!"
Yet Keqing only shook her head with a smile. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell [Rush Recklessly]!"
A red aura surged behind Taia, empowering him!
[Swordsoul of Taia, ATK: 1800 → 2500]
Facing Ningguang's 2000 ATK Topaz Tiger, Keqing's Taia stood unfazed. He swung his icy-blue sword, cleaving the Tiger in two! The destroyed [Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger] crystallized into a topaz gem, taking a slot in Ningguang's Spell/Trap Zone. This was the Crystal Beast's trait—they become Continuous Spells when destroyed.
Keqing calmly explained: "[Rush Recklessly] targets one face-up monster. That monster gains 700 ATK until the end of this turn." With 2500 ATK versus 2000 ATK, Taia's blade felled the Tiger. Ningguang took 500 Battle Damage.
The spectators commented:
"Looks like Lady Yuheng was superior this round…"
"Indeed… Lady Yuheng plays in the shop every day; her skills are polished!"
"She works hard whether it's in Duels or governance."
After the Battle Phase, Keqing held a significant advantage. Ningguang ended her turn by setting one card.
Keqing drew her next card—and couldn't hold back her grin. "Hahaha! I activate the Spell Card [Harpie's Feather Duster]!"
A green light burst forth—Keqing wiped out all of Ningguang's set cards!
"Heck!"
"What a draw!!!"
"Lady Yuheng truly is the queen of topdecks…"
"With no defenses left, we don't even need to guess the outcome now."
On Zhongli's field, things were as underhanded as ever. He relied on [Marshmallon]'s indestructibility and his arsenal of burn Traps to chip away at Xiao's Life Points, leaving Xiao helpless. In the end… Zhongli slowly burned Xiao down.
"As expected of Mr. Zhongli…"
"He plots from the shadows, winning with trickery!"
"What trickery? That's called strategy!"
"Strategy, you hear?!"
"Hahaha, I want to play like Mr. Zhongli too—it's so fiery!!"
Having lost, Xiao cupped his hands respectfully. "Mr. Zhongli… your skills are truly unmatched. I am not your equal. My loss is well-deserved."
Zhongli smiled. "Your strength is not weak either, Great Sage. This win was mere luck on my part."
After exchanging courtesies, both stepped down from the stage.
…
With Keqing's [Harpie's Feather Duster] clearing all of Ningguang's backrow, the Duel was swiftly decided in Keqing's favor.
"As expected of Lady Yuheng…"
"She always discusses strategy with the shopkeeper—no wonder her Duel skills are so refined!"
"Indeed… practice makes perfect."
"Mhm… if you're weak, then practice. The past is the past, the present is now."
Keqing's victory over Ningguang came easily. Her abundant practical experience was her edge! Although she didn't Duel often on stage, she had played the Duel Game Machine in Luya's shop to exhaustion. And this time, most of the cards were ones she was familiar with. She had seen nearly every archetype at least once through the machine.
Nevertheless, with only on-the-spot packs, she couldn't assemble her ideal deck. The [Swordsoul] archetype intrigued her, albeit she had no idea how to properly build it. Too many pieces were missing for it to be a complete system.
…
Seeing both Duels conclude, Luya announced:
"Now… it's time for the final match! A battle between man and god!!!"
Yet most present still didn't know Zhongli's true identity as the Geo Archon.
"All right! Next is… the final match of the Lantern Rite Duel Tournament!!!"
The spectators grew excited. To them, both Zhongli and Keqing were regulars at the shop. Everyone eagerly awaited the start of the final Duel.
Under their anticipation, Keqing and Zhongli stepped onto the Duel Stage.
The finals had officially begun!
...
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