Magic Card Era: Infinite Deck Enhancement — Chapter 185

Chapter 185: Dragon Inversion! The Undying of Dragon Valley!

“I lost!”

Si Kangcheng stood in a momentary daze as the spatial teleportation spat him out of the battle arena. The sheer, overwhelming force of the Earth Ring Dragon’s final attack—Earth Hell—still flashed behind his eyes. It had been a terrifying display of raw power, instantly obliterating his entire lineup of Magic Card Elves. Even his prized Netherworld Dark Tiger of the Abyss had only managed to hold its ground for a few agonizing seconds before crumbling into shattered light.

He hadn’t even found the time to react.

“I still vastly underestimated the destructive capabilities of Dragon-type Magic Card Elves.” Shaking off his stupor, a bitter smile tugged at his lips. “Sure enough, there’s a damn good reason why the Dragon-type sits at the absolute pinnacle of all races.”

He had never faced one before. He knew they were strong, but he assumed there were limits. Reality had just delivered a harsh slap to his face.

“Leaving aside the freshmen from the other Three Great Empires, just the two sent by Dragon Valley are absolute monsters. This is going to be a massive headache.” A shadow of genuine worry crossed his features. “If the final victory of the Trial Road slips through the fingers of our East Region freshmen and falls to outsiders, we’ll be completely humiliated.”

He hated losing, but he hated the idea of a total East Region wipeout even more.

While Si Kangcheng brooded over the regional pride, the teleportation arrays continued to flash. Dozens of defeated freshmen materialized in the plaza. Among the shimmering lights, Liu Yanran and Su Xueyi appeared simultaneously.

“Are you kidding me? Why do the two of us always end up running into each other!” Liu Yanran stared at the ice-cold girl beside her, wanting to cry but lacking the tears. It felt like she was cursed to be bound to this walking glacier for the rest of her life.

Tianfu didn’t recruit massive numbers, and after several brutal screening rounds, the pool was small, but the odds of them clashing yet again were still absurd. The result? Mutual destruction. Both of their Magic Card Elves had perished together, dragging them both into elimination.

Su Xueyi merely cast a quiet, sidelong glance at the complaining girl and kept her mouth shut. Internally, she was just as exasperated. She had wanted to prove her superiority over Liu Yanran, but a double knockout hardly settled the score.

High above the plaza, the observers watched the aftermath unfold.

“Si Kangcheng was one of the top four seeds in this year’s East Region College Entrance Examination. His Netherworld Dark Tiger of the Abyss is no weakling among Seven-Star Magic Cards. Unfortunately, going up against a purebred Dragon-type like the Earth Ring Dragon… the gap in raw strength is just a step too far.” Having witnessed the entire clash between Si Kangcheng and Zi Yao, Zhan Tai Mingyue finally shook her head, her voice tinged with regret.

“It isn’t just the Earth Ring Dragon. Zi Yan, the older sister, wields a Skywing Dragon that is equally terrifying,” Meng Ningdie added, her gaze fixed on the other Dragon Valley prodigy. Zi Yan’s opponent had been far weaker than Si Kangcheng, and she had crushed him with ruthless, stunning speed.

“Seven-Star Magic Cards…” Zhan Tai Mingyue sighed softly, the sound carrying a heavy weight. “Even in our entire East Region, the freshmen capable of producing them this generation can be counted on one hand. Yet Dragon Valley has sent nearly ten such prodigies this year. The people of Dragon Valley remain as terrifyingly formidable as ever.”

“Formidable or not, without a Supreme-level existence anchoring them, Dragon Valley is still confined to being a first-tier force. Compared to our Ancient Kingdom and the other Two Great Empires, they remain a step behind.” Wen Xiuyuan leaned back, his tone thoroughly unimpressed by the praise. “, their numbers are pitifully low. I visited them a few decades ago. Even if you drag out all the reclusive old fossils hiding in their caves, their entire population barely scrapes past a thousand. With a foundation that thin, it’s practically impossible for them to evolve into a true top-tier power.”

“Old Man Wen, your rotten personality hasn’t changed a bit over the years. You’re still as thoroughly obnoxious as I remember.”

A fourth voice suddenly echoed, slicing through the air and reverberating across the entire Trial Plaza. The space rippled, and an elderly man slowly stepped out from the void, coming to a halt before the group.

“Speaking ill of others behind their backs hardly matches the refined cultivation one expects from the Four Great Prefects.”

The sudden spatial intrusion startled both Meng Ningdie and Zhan Tai Mingyue. However, the moment they recognized the newcomer’s face, their tension melted away. They immediately lowered their heads in a respectful bow.

“Greetings, Elder Du.”

It was Du Tianzong, an esteemed Elder of Dragon Valley and a powerhouse at the Immortal Realm. His status alone demanded absolute respect from the younger generation.

“No need for such rigid formalities,” Du Tianzong chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. “By the way, Little Meng, be sure to pass along my regards to your teacher, the Night Queen, when you see her.”

“I will, Elder Du,” Meng Ningdie nodded obediently.

The relationship between Dragon Valley and the Ancient Kingdom was historically solid, but just as the Ancient Kingdom was split into Four Great Regions, Dragon Valley had its own internal factions. Du Tianzong’s faction maintained close, friendly ties with the East Region’s Night Queen.

“Bullshit. Did I say a single word that wasn’t true?” Unlike the two women, Wen Xiuyuan offered zero respect to the Immortal Realm Elder. He glared at the old schemer, regretting ever expecting him to act with dignity.

Du Tianzong’s eyelids twitched violently. If they weren’t in public, and if the Zi sisters weren’t about to enroll in Tianfu, he would have summoned a Magic Card and blasted the smug look right off Wen Xiuyuan’s face.

“Old Man Du, why the hell are you so late? I honestly thought your senile brain forgot about this.” Ignoring the murderous glare, Wen Xiuyuan casually scooped a handful of popcorn and tossed it into his mouth, looking more like a lazy spectator than a top-tier powerhouse.

Zhan Tai Mingyue and Meng Ningdie subtly covered their faces, deeply embarrassed by his complete lack of decorum.

“As if I would forget!” Du Tianzong snapped. He reached out, snatched the bag of popcorn right out of Wen Xiuyuan’s grasp, and began aggressively chewing on a handful himself. “Zi Yan and Zi Yao are the precious daughters of Lady Zi Yun. Since the Dragon Lord personally entrusted them to my care, I obviously wouldn’t neglect something so critical.”

Within the hierarchy of Dragon Valley, there were nine supreme powerhouses at the Undying Realm. Each of these titans commanded a Dragon Hall, ruling over their respective territories. These nine individuals were universally revered as Dragon Lords. Lady Zi Yun, the woman Du Tianzong spoke of, was one of these Nine Great Dragon Lords and the absolute ruler of his faction.

The crunching of popcorn stopped as Du Tianzong’s expression darkened. The ambient temperature around him seemed to plummet. “The reason I arrived so late… is because I was tracking the movements of Dragon Inversion.”

“Dragon Inversion?” Wen Xiuyuan paused. The casual, lazy demeanor vanished instantly from his eyes, replaced by a sharp, distant coldness. “I didn’t expect that after all this time, those Dragon Inversion fanatics still haven’t given up.”