Cardholder's Free Duel

A-1 Arena.

Liu Yuan's figure appeared in the examinee passage.

Not long after, another figure emerged at the entrance for examinees.

A-102, Lin Han.

Numerous gazes from the spectator seats converged on him.

Somewhat coincidentally,

this person was also a transfer student from the Imperial Capital.

If the Imperial Capital's written exams were considered "heaven mode"—something everyone aspired to—

then its combat exams were "hell mode," something everyone wanted to escape.

Just think about it—even the half-ruined Yun family, by exhausting their resources, managed to nurture someone like Yun Huang.

Sure, there was excessive exploitation involved,

but without sufficient resources and heritage, could an ordinary family ever produce a seventh-tier powerhouse?

And what about the younger generation in the Imperial Capital?

Fifth-tier fighters were as common as dogs, sixth-tier ones roamed everywhere.

Only by reaching seventh-tier did one stand a chance to compete for the top spots.

But humans, after all, are creatures fond of vanity.

"How's my kid doing?" was a question many parents loved to bring up in conversations.

So, being ranked 20th or 30th in the Imperial Capital? That paled in comparison to the prestige of being the top combat examinee in Jiangxia.

Of course, transferring to a city like Jiangxia was about the limit for those people.

If they ended up in some remote backwater town, even becoming the top combat examinee wouldn’t bring much glory.

As for whether any Jiangxia examinees had transferred to even more remote cities...

who knew?

Life was all about flexibility and navigating social intricacies.

......

Lin Han wore a simple, custom-tailored black outfit, his face clean and refined.

Many noticed through the camera feeds that this transfer student walked with an unusually steady gait,

exuding a calmness that starkly contrasted with the surrounding clamor.

His demeanor suggested that this highly anticipated duel was nothing more than routine to him—

the outcome already settled in his mind.

"Now! Let me introduce the two contenders about to take the stage!"

As Lin Han stepped into the arena, a booming voice echoed through the speakers—a hired professional commentator, skilled at hyping up the crowd.

"First up, someone you might not be too familiar with! The dark horse from Jiangxia's Sixth Cardmaster Academy, who stunned everyone in the first round of testing with a staggering score of 4155, ranking 28th—one of Jiangxia's elite fighters, the prodigious student—Liu Yuan!"

The commentator’s arm swung emphatically toward Liu Yuan as she entered from the opposite side of the arena.

The moment the words left his mouth, cheers erupted from large sections of the audience.

"And Liu Yuan’s opponent today! A mysterious transfer student from Jiangxia’s Premier Cardmaster Academy—Lin Han!"

When Lin Han was introduced, the applause noticeably thinned.

After all, with little familiarity, the crowd naturally leaned toward cheering for the "local."

To put it bluntly,

Lin Han was just some "damn outsider."

He probably never expected that after years of calling others "damn outsiders," the tables would turn on him.

The commentator, aware of this, quickly raised his voice to build suspense:

"Lin Han’s test score was 5201, ranking third!"

"Let’s witness this marquee matchup together!"

Meanwhile, Lin Han, now on the platform, felt distinctly uncomfortable with this style of combat exam.

Especially after hearing that introduction, a faint sense of irony flickered through his mind.

With all this fanfare, one might mistake it for some esports championship or an underground fight club taking bets.

Typical of these "damn outsiders," turning the combat exams into such a "tasteless spectacle."

Even using a combat exam to milk money—how pathetically desperate.

After successfully hyping up the crowd, the commentator turned his attention to Liu Yuan, who had entered first.

At the same time, a massive screen above the arena displayed two clear options:

[Cardmaster Free Duel]

[Summoning Duel]

"The lower-scoring participant from the first round has selection rights."

Liu Yuan’s voice came through the microphone: "Cardmaster Free Duel."

Lin Han wasn’t surprised.

A Summoning Duel was another form of combat for Cardmasters.

Both participants remained outside the arena, barred from direct interference, and could only summon "character cards" through special-type cards, then use support cards to strategize.

It heavily emphasized the strength of the cards themselves and the Cardmaster’s tactical understanding.

But an underfunded, lower-ranked civilian academy like Jiangxia’s Sixth Academy? They clearly had no business dabbling in that.