Trading Kills / An Off-Meta Counter Card
You Zhi's first summons were his old subordinates, the Demon Lizard Yihao and the Goblin Attack Force. The former caused a stir in the audience, who were all looking forward to seeing Xyz Evolution again.
On the other side, Kao Ping adjusted his glasses and said, "As expected, your choice of these two spirits shows that you're trying your best to avoid leaking information, judging from past duels. Therefore, it's most likely that you summoned these spirits before starting. And whether it's the Demon Lizard Yihao or the Goblin, they both need to be paired with their exclusive Spell Card to maximize their effectiveness."
As he spoke, he slapped out two Pokémon Cards in his hand, summoning two spirits with completely different styles.
A creature dressed in an alloy bodysuit, wearing a strange metal mask, with its head exposed and veins bulging, resembling Frankenstein's monster.
[Android - Confusion Shocker (6-star) Dark]
[Genealogy: Electricity, Psychic]
[Level: 42]
[Attack Power: 2400 (2880)]
[Defense Strength: 1500 (1800)]
[Machine-Type, Effect: While this card is face-up on the field, neither player can activate Trap Card, and the effects of Trap Card on the field are negated.]
The other is a dashing warrior wielding a greatsword, wearing a forked helmet, and belonging to the same lineage as the Silent Magician.
[Silent Swordsman (4-star) Light]
[Genealogy: Fighting-type]
[Level: 40]
[Attack Power: 1000 (2000)]
[Defense Strength: 1000 (1500)]
[Warrior-Type, Effect: ① During your or your opponent's Standby Phase, this card gains 500 ATK; ② Once per turn, when Spell Card is activated: you can negate that activation; ③ If this card on the field is destroyed by battle or an opponent's card effect: you can Special Summon 1 "Silent Swordsman" monster from your hand or Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions.]
You Zhi glanced at the opposing Pokémon team and immediately understood Kao Ping's plan.
"One method blocks the accumulation of energy, and the other blocks instant casting; this is a blocking tactic against Spell Card."
"That's right. With the Spell Card sealed, your two elves are no longer a threat—that was my initial thought, but now you still have the means to break through."
Kao Ping adjusted his glasses, somewhat impatiently saying, "Let me witness the Xyz Form's performance firsthand."
Chapter 298 Swapping Heads
In You Zhi's opinion, it's possible to overcome the opponent's limitations without Xyz Evolution. The simplest way is to defeat the opponent's Pokémon head-on in battle.
Neither the Confusion Shock nor the Silent Swordsman are particularly strong. The Demon Lizard Yihao can exert pressure once it evolves into the Giant Divergent Lizard Form. The Goblin's attack power has always been its greatest strength, and it can easily kill a Pokémon by concentrating its firepower.
In addition, while Confusion Shocker can indeed completely block Trap Card, the Silent Swordsman's ability is limited to once per turn, so it can be bypassed by continuously activating Spell Card.
But after a moment's thought, You Zhi smiled and replied, "Since everyone is so excited, I can't do anything to spoil the fun. So be it."
It's true that he intentionally concealed information about other Pokémon, but this had nothing to do with Xyz Evolution. Rather, he was eager for everyone to discover more Xyz Form Pokémon and never had the intention of keeping his secrets to himself. That's why he publicly revealed them in the first battle of the elimination tournament.
"Have endured countless tribulations to rediscover your original aspirations, and transform yourself through trials and tribulations! Xyz Evolution, Awakened Warrior Yihao!"
Three illusory images appeared on the body of the Demon Lizard Yihao, eventually overlapping into one, his evil heart reversing into a heart of justice, and his whole body radiating holy light.
Kao Ping murmured with a hint of excitement, "Just like the publicly available information, Xyz Form isn't a specific evolutionary stage. All forms can Xyz Evolution, including the Megasaur and the Devilsaur."
"Don't get distracted, the battle has begun! Use Max Starfall!"
Warrior Yihao raised his hands, striking a pose similar to a Spirit Bomb. Powerful spiritual energy condensed into three glittering five-pointed stars in the sky, which plummeted towards the Silent Swordsman.
The Silent Swordsman has the ability to increase its attack power by 500 every turn, so it must be destroyed as quickly as possible. Otherwise, if time is delayed, its attack power may soar to a terrifying number.
Kao Ping clearly understood this as well, and immediately said, "Silent Swordsman, use Protect; Confusion Shocker, use Computer Energy Shock."
The Silent Swordsman held his sword horizontally, a protective shield appearing on his body, while the Confusion Shocker spread his arms wide, powerful electricity gathering between his hands and condensing into an Electro Ball —his unique skill.
[Skill: Computer Energy Shock]
[Spectrum: Electricity]
[Power: 75]
[Effect: Launches plasma balls to attack, paralyzing the opponent.]
The Max Starfall hit the Silent Swordsman. After its power was weakened by the shield, the remaining force exploded, blasting the Swordsman away and turning into pink mist that spread across the field.
Kao Ping adjusted his glasses and muttered, "Even 'Protect' which can block one attack can only weaken it; it can't completely block the damage from a Dynamax move."
In Pokémon Yugi, "Protect" allows a Pokémon to block all damage for one turn. In reality, however, it can only block one attack, and if the opponent's attack power is strong enough, it can be forcibly broken. But right now, Warrior Yihao has not received any enhancements and has not yet reached the level of absolute difference.
The two sides attacked in unison. At the same time as the Silent Swordsman was hit, the plasma ball fired by the Confusion Shocker also struck the Warrior Yihao, and a series of blinding arcs of electricity burst out.
The Silent Swordsman, who had been blasted away, got up from the ground, panting heavily. Although he had used a protective shield to reduce most of the damage, Fairy-type is super effective against Fighting-type, and he was a Four-Star weakling with only 1500 Defense. He was left with only one breath left after taking a Max Starfall.
Before he could even rest, the Goblin Attack Force surrounded him, howling and wielding their metal spiked clubs, and began to beat him mercilessly.
Kao Ping paid no attention to this, focusing on the battle with the Xyz Spirit, and instructed the Confusion Shocker to use Psychic to attack the Warrior Yihao.
In response, You Zhi simply replied, "Use Max Darkness!"
Warrior Yihao swung his hands forward, each unleashing a jet-black energy wave like a dragon, directly shattering the opponent's Psychic. Upon hitting the Confusion intimidator, the energy waves transformed into semi-circular shockwaves, severely injuring it.
Kao Ping asked in surprise, "Why didn't you fall into paralysis? Can the Xyz Form exempt you from abnormal statuses?"
You Zhi pointed and kindly reminded him, "Take a look at the venue yourself."
Kao Ping then noticed that the ground was covered with a thin pink mist, clearly a Fairy-type Misty Terrain. He immediately understood. "It's the effect of the Max Starfall from earlier! It turns the environment into Misty Terrain, which protects Misty Terrain from status conditions."
You Zhi only revealed the details of Xyz Evolution online, and only mentioned in passing that Pokémon will have new and powerful moves after evolving, without providing any detailed explanation.
Kao Ping continued his analysis, "It seems that Dynamax moves likely all have secondary effects, and combined with their inherent power, Xyz Form is indeed the most suitable burst form for battle."
You Zhi advised, "Before worrying about other people's Pokémon moves, worry about your own Pokémon first."
The already critically wounded Silent Swordsman was surrounded and attacked by the Goblin Attack Force. Even with the advantage of lineage, he was no match for them and was defeated in no time.
Kao Ping calmly said, "When the Silent Swordsman trait is activated, it will appear in another form regardless of the conditions when it is destroyed!"
In an instant, the scattered spiritual energy particles reassembled and regained their original shape, appearing virtually identical to before.
[Silent Swordsman LV7 (7-star) Light]
[Genealogy: Fighting-type]
[Level: 40]
[Attack Power: 2800 (3000)]
[Defense Strength: 1000 (1071)]
[Warrior-Type, Effect: While this card is face-up on the field, negate the effects of Spell Card on the field.]
You Zhi already knew that the Silent Swordsman had a resurrection effect, so he wasn't surprised. But after seeing the opponent's characteristics, he realized that this form of the Silent Swordsman, combined with the Jinzo, was the true way to completely seal off Spell Card.
"But the solution remains the same. As long as there is no resistance to battle destruction, the Pokémon can be defeated using the simplest battle. Warrior Yihao, continue using Max Starfall!"
"The biggest weakness of Xyz Form is time; we just need to stall for it. But the Silent Swordsman cannot be sacrificed in vain. Use the Silent Sword!"
[Skill: Silent Sword]
[Genealogy: Fighting-type]
[Power: 90]
[Effect: Attacks all enemy Pokémon with sword energy, with a high chance of hitting critical hits]
The Silent Swordsman LV7 wielded his greatsword, unleashing a dense barrage of sword energy.
Warrior Yihao possesses Fairy-type and Fighting-type skills with halved damage. In addition, his defense exceeds 3000, so this move did not cause much damage. However, Kao Ping's target was not him in the first place.
Due to the negative effects, the Goblin Attack Force lay on the ground slacking off, and You Zhi couldn't use Spell Card to eliminate the threat to them. He could only watch helplessly as they were hit by the sword energy and all exploded.
Meanwhile, the Silent Swordsman LV7 was hit by Max Starfall. This time, there was no "Protect" to reduce the damage, and it was also instantly defeated!
Chapter 299 Targeting Unconventional Cards
In You Zhi's view, a one-for-one trade is not a loss. Once the Silent Swordsman LV7 dies, a huge gap is torn in the opponent's sealing tactics.
Spirit Duel are not Card Duel. In the latter, the deck is fixed and cannot be changed midway. If it is a red pit deck that mainly uses Trap Card, it will naturally be helpless against Confusion Shock. However, in the former, you can simply give up Trap Card and only craft Spell Card.
Just as You Zhi was thinking this, he saw Kao Ping draw a new Pokémon Card from the void without the slightest hesitation. Then, black Flame descended from the sky and burned fiercely on the ground, and a large silver-white bird flapped its wings and landed.
[Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8 (8-star) Flame]
[Genealogy: Flight, Fire]
[Level: 40]
[Attack Power: 3000 (3000)]
[Defense Strength: 1800 (1800)]
[Dragon-Type, Effect: While this card is face-up on your field, you can negate the activation of a Spell and destroy it.]
Upon seeing the description of the Pokémon's effect, You Zhi immediately realized what was going on and looked at Kao Ping, saying, "Are you really going to take this blockade to the extreme?"
In terms of blocking Spell Card alone, this Horus the Black Flame Dragon is even stronger than the Silent Swordsman. It has no limit of once per turn and can perform one-way blocking, only negating the opponent's Spell Card.
Kao Ping adjusted his glasses, a hint of smugness in his eyes, and said, "There's just too little information about your elf. I can't devise a targeted tactic beforehand, so I'll have to change my approach and start with Spell Card."
"No wonder you were in such a hurry to summon the new spirit; it seems you didn't want to give me a chance to activate Instant-Activation Spell Card."
Normally, trainers would assess the battle situation and choose the most suitable Pokémon based on the circumstances, but Kao Ping's performance clearly indicated that he had a pre-planned strategy to have Silent Swordsman disrupted.
"It's not over yet. Right now, I've only blocked your Charge Spell in one direction. Next, I'll activate 'Computer Amplifier.' This card can only be equipped by 'Jinzo.' Once equipped, its characteristic will also become one-way blocking, and my Trap Card won't be negated!"
Kao Ping slapped out an equipment Spell Card, and a high-tech helmet was placed on the bald head of the Confusion Shocker, further enhancing its properties. He then eagerly commanded the elves to launch an attack.
In singles battles, if both Pokémon are defeated, the referee will ask both trainers to decide on their next Pokémon before continuing the battle. This is to prevent one side from deliberately dragging out the battle and waiting for the opponent to summon their Pokémon before choosing a Pokémon with a super-effective ability.
However, in doubles matches, the referee will not intervene unless all of your Pokémon are defeated. You can choose to wait for your opponent to summon their Pokémon first and then target them, at the cost of having two Pokémon on the field.
Conversely, summoning spirits first carries the risk of being targeted, but it allows you to take advantage of numbers to launch a strong attack, so you can't waste time.
Dark Flame Dragon and Confusion Shocker launched their attacks simultaneously. The former spewed out jet-black Flame, while the latter used Thunderbolt. Since the Misty Terrain still existed, the exclusive move "Computer Energy Shock" lost its greatest value.
While pondering a way to break the deadlock, You Zhi commanded, "Use Max Rockfall!"
The Warrior Yihao roared, and the earth rumbled. Gradually, sand gathered and formed a tower, summoning a stone wall tens of meters high to block the combined attack of the opponents, and then smashed forward.
Kao Ping hurriedly said, "Get out of the way!"
In reality, there is no such thing as a 100% hit rate. The stone wall collapsed too slowly, and both the Dark Flame Dragon and the Confusion tremor managed to dodge it in time. However, the stone wall that crashed to the ground exploded into a sandstorm that blotted out the sky.
After using this move, only one Spirit Core remained surrounding Warrior Yihao's body.
"Although I want to learn more about Xyz Form, if you keep letting your Demon Lizard Yihao continue, I'm doomed to lose this duel. That won't do. I want to challenge more powerful opponents. A warrior has no intention of giving up."
Kao Ping played Spell Card: "I activate the Equip Spell 'Plague Virus Black Dust'. The equipped target cannot attack and is destroyed after two turns. The equipped target is naturally your Demon Lizard Yihao!"
A toxic cloud of smoke spread around the Warrior Yihao, and purple spots immediately appeared on his body. He looked pained and could no longer use his skills.
Faced with this situation, You Zhi was powerless. Normally, a single "Spell Removal" would have been enough to break the deadlock, but now that Spell Card were completely blocked, he had to find another way. Fortunately, he had already thought of a way to break the deadlock during the battle just now, and immediately summoned the Angel of Destruction Lu Yin.
"A new spirit not mentioned in the intelligence."
Kao Ping frowned slightly. He had no corresponding information in his database, had never seen this elf before, and did not understand its effects.
You Zhi gave his opponent no time to think and immediately commanded Angel Luin to Ritual Evolution, transforming her into Ruin, Goddess of Destruction —the current Luin no longer needs to rely on ritual Spell Card to evolve.
"Instead of directly summoning the evolved form, you took an extra step. It seems the previous form possesses characteristics that influence the evolved form. But whatever your intentions, as long as you prevent the evolution, that's all that matters."
Kao Ping hurriedly ordered the two elves to attack Luin, intending to forcibly interrupt them, but the Warrior Yihao took the initiative to protect Luin and blocked all the attacks—not being able to attack did not mean not being able to act.
With the protection of her companions, Luin successfully completed her evolution and immediately leaped into the air, wielding her staff to unleash the skill Moonblast to attack the Dark Flame Dragon, while the Dark Flame Dragon retaliated with Fire Spin.