Two SSR-Grade Cards? Is the Winner About to Be Decided!

"The match begins!"

Following the host's command.

The entire audience instantly held their breath.

On the arena stage, Lin Xia and Qin Tianyu did not hesitate, leaping toward each other immediately.

They had both been waiting a long time for this moment of "legally beating up someone they disliked!"

"Bang!"

Their fists collided, accompanied by a shockwave and a dull thud.

"Whoa! What an evenly matched punch!"

Shan Ming began his commentary: "As fellow Combat-type Awakeners, they have both chosen to test each other's limits with hand-to-hand combat first! It seems both Lin Xia and Qin Tianyu are being very cautious; they aren't as aggressive as I had anticipated!"

"Swish, swish, swish--!"

In the next second, Lin Xia and Qin Tianyu began a melee of punches and kicks.

Their attack speed was so fast that, to the eyes of ordinary mortals, the entire process was nothing but a blur of afterimages, making it impossible to see their movements clearly.

This was where the host's role became apparent.

"A hit! Lin Xia's left fist has connected with Qin Tianyu's right cheek!! Was Qin Tianyu careless? Or is it that--"

Shan Ming suddenly paused, his excited tone shifting, "Qin Tianyu is counterattacking! He has kicked Lin Xia in the abdomen!!"

"Ugh--!"

Gasps erupted from the spectator stands.

Meanwhile, the melee between Lin Xia and Qin Tianyu continued.

"Swish, swish, swish--!!"

The two of them were able to block almost every one of each other's attacks.

Only in very rare instances would a strike land.

But whether it was Lin Xia letting out a cry after being struck in the stomach, or Qin Tianyu getting hit in the face so hard that saliva flew, nothing could stop them from quickly returning to the fray.

"What is Qin Tianyu doing!" Principal Tao frowned deeply. "Is he even taking this seriously? How is he locked in such a stalemate with Lin Xia!?"

"Haha, it seems Principal Tao is getting a bit anxious."

Sitting in the opposite private box, Principal Yan saw Principal Tao's expression and the corners of his mouth curled upward. "We've barely started, and you're already losing your composure?"

"It seems this is his first time tasting one of Lin Xia's 'surprises'."

Teacher Xiao Ya gave a playful smile, her eyes filled with doting affection for Lin Xia. "Unlike us, we've long since been shocked into mental fatigue by Lin Xia!"

"Whoosh--!"

On the arena, Lin Xia and Qin Tianyu reached a tacit understanding, simultaneously pulling back their attacks and retreating to put a dozen meters of distance between them.

"Damn it... I really underestimated you!"

Qin Tianyu panted heavily, beads of sweat rolling down his slightly flustered face.

"Hoo..."

Lin Xia wiped away his sweat, adjusting his breathing. "You've actually got some skill."

"Hand-to-hand combat is extremely draining, especially when the opponents are evenly matched; stamina drops even faster!"

Shan Ming watched as both of them panted heavily with fatigue, then adjusted his sunglasses. "After this rest, will they choose to continue with melee combat, or will they switch to a different style of fighting?"

"Now this is what a match should look like."

General Liu Jie was all smiles, excitedly patting his adjutant on the shoulder. "What kind of garbage were the last two challenge matches? The Imperial University contestants were beaten by Qin Tianyu without any ability to parry; can you even call that a match? Anyone who didn't know better would think they were playing house!"

"Yes, yes, the General is right."

The adjutant nodded while feeling somewhat unaccustomed to the situation.

Because he had been with General Liu Jie for so long, this was the first time he had ever seen the General so excited.

Usually, General Liu Jie kept a straight face 24 hours a day, making him a formidable and intimidating figure.

However, setting aside the contrast in the General's attitude.

The adjutant also felt that this match was truly spectacular, and it was simply not on the same level as the previous two years.

At this moment, Lin Xia on the arena had recovered.

He loosened his shoulders, pinched his fingers, and a golden Card materialized.

Across from him, Qin Tianyu had also already drawn his own Card.

However, he pulled out two Gold Cards in one go.

"Whoa!" Shan Ming's voice was filled with excitement. "It seems these two also feel that hand-to-hand combat lacks spectacle; they are about to reveal their trump cards!

As expected of the top talents from their respective schools, they pull out SSR-rank Gold Cards as if it were nothing. Anyone unaware might think such high-grade Cards are easy to obtain!

According to statistics, only about 3% of people in the entire Great Xia Empire possess an SSR Card!

But then again, Qin Tianyu is clearly a cut above; after all, he pulled out two SSR-rank Cards at once!

Once he summons his partners, Lin Xia will inevitably fall into a disadvantage of being outnumbered!

Does this mean the scales of the match are about to tip?"

Hearing the host's words, which implied that Lin Xia was weaker than Qin Tianyu, Principal Tao grinned from ear to ear.

"Well done, don't give Lin Xia a chance, crush him directly!"

"This isn't fair, is it? Qin Tianyu awakened two years earlier than Lin Xia, so he naturally has more Cards... Shouldn't the challenge match have restrictions to be fair?"

"That's not the right way to look at it. Aren't you also two years older than Lin Xia—no, wait, you're three years older than him, right?

So, how many SSR-rank Cards do you have?

Not a single one, right?

Therefore, Qin Tianyu having more Cards is simply a testament to his strength!"

Fierce discussions erupted within the crowd.

Some felt the match was unfair, while others believed Qin Tianyu had not violated any rules.

"Damn it, this shameless Qin Tianyu is just bullying my brother Xia because he's a freshman!"

Xu Jian rubbed his face repeatedly, his expression full of worry.

"It really is unsportsmanlike. He clearly knows his opponent only has one SSR Card, yet he pulls out two..." Liu Yucheng said with disdain. "Even if he wins, it won't be glorious!"

"Ahem..."

Wu Ziyang coughed, recalling the SSR-rank Vegeta he had seen in the Otherworld. "I think the match is quite fair."

"How is that fair?!"

Zhu Tingyu glared fiercely at Wu Ziyang. "Do you really want Lin Xia to lose that badly?!"

Hearing this, Wu Ziyang shrugged and said nothing, instead wearing an expression that suggested, 'You'll see in a moment.'

Meanwhile, the smiles of the Imperial University leadership in the private box froze.

They knew exactly how powerful the characters summoned by SSR-rank Cards were.

Therefore, when they saw Qin Tianyu's two Cards, their previous excitement vanished instantly.

"Since when did this kid have a second SSR-rank Card!?"

Director Xie Feng was the first to ask the question on everyone's mind.

In their impression, Qin Tianyu only possessed one SSR Card, and his remaining Cards were at most A-rank.

No one answered Xie Feng's question.

The private box fell into a dead silence.

A sense of defeat hung over everyone's hearts.

Was Imperial University truly about to fall from its pedestal?

Was the script of Imperial University students being crushed in the challenge match about to play out once again?

"Is it ending just like this?"

General Liu Jie's smile froze.

SSR-rank summons are incomparable to SR or S-rank ones; they are several tiers apart.

When Qin Tianyu pulled out two SSR Cards, Lin Xia's defeat became a foregone conclusion!

This also caused General Liu Jie, who had been thoroughly engrossed, to lose interest in an instant.