The Red Comet / Dignity and a New Pokémon

This effect normally requires 2000 life points to activate, but its third characteristic stipulates that when Overlord Demise evolves from a Ritual Spirit, it can activate its effect without paying life points.

You Zhi, not to be outdone, declared, "We'll also activate our ability and destroy all the Pokémon on the opponent's field!"

The Celestial Gold Knight held his sword upright before him, gathering a vast amount of energy, and unleashed a crescent-shaped Red sword beam in a direct attack.

The two energies collided, unleashing a fierce conflict that turned the entire arena into red and blue.

The strength of a spirit's effect depends only on its star rating and level, not its attack power. Both the Celestial Gold Knight and the Overlord Demise are Ten-Star spirits, but the former is of a lower level than the latter. Therefore, after a brief stalemate, the Cianwood Flame engulfed the Red sword light and continued to surge forward.

However, the Celestial Gold Knight did not catch his breath and unleashed a second Red sword beam.

The Cianwood Flame, having consumed most of their energy, were ultimately powerless to resist and were annihilated by the Red sword light. Overlord Demise had no choice but to raise his double-edged axe to block, but was knocked away by the Red sword light and sent flying. He was then struck in the chest and sent flying, a huge gash being cleaved in his black heavy armor, from which dense death energy emanated.

"No cooldown time!"

Palmer immediately understood the reason.

Overlord Demise's effect can only be used once per turn, which translates to a cooldown period in actual combat. You can only use it again after the cooldown period is over. However, the Celestial Gold Knight's effect does not have the restriction of only being able to be used once per turn. As long as she has enough health, she can use it as many times as she wants.

The Celestial Gold Knight did not miss this golden opportunity. He charged forward with his sword and engaged in a fierce battle with the Overlord Demise, who had hastily picked up a double-edged axe. The difference in their martial skills became immediately apparent.

Overlord Demise's martial arts skills were not bad; his power was immense, and he fully utilized the advantages of his double-edged axe. Each strike caused the air to explode, and the force of the blows tore through the ground. Moreover, the axe blade was covered with Cianwood ghostly flames, making it clear that it was not to be touched.

However, the Celestial Gold Knight never confronted his opponent head-on. He was agile and unaffected by his armor. He always used his shield to deflect the force of the double-edged axe from the side, and then used his silver longsword to swiftly strike the opening, making full use of the technique of avoiding the strong and attacking the weak.

The difficulty of a sword and shield combo is far greater than using a single weapon, but the Celestial Gold Knight wielded it with exceptional agility, as if he had mastered the art of ambidextrous combat. His offense and defense complemented each other perfectly, and with the dual advantages of skill and attack power, he firmly suppressed his opponent.

After a brief exchange, the Celestial Gold Knight seized an opening in his opponent's defenses, using a shield bash to knock the double-edged axe out of his hand. Then, aiming at the gaping hole in his opponent's chest, he thrust out his silver-white longsword.

Just as the sword was about to strike, a protective shield suddenly appeared around Overlord Demise, blocking it.

Palmer explained calmly, "When Overlord Demise is on the field, all of our Ritual Spirits gain absolute defense, immune to combat damage."

At the same time, the Netherworld energy surged around Overlord Demise, Cianwood Flame gathered in his palms, clearly indicating that he was about to use his special ability.

"I activate 'God-Binding Mound', the Ten-Star spirit will not be destroyed by the effect."

You Zhi was prepared and hurriedly activated his Spell Card to change the environment. He had only refrained from stopping the Celestial Gold Knight's attack to avoid being seen as having foresight. It was one thing for other spirits to be familiar with the effects and characteristics of rare spirits like Overlord Demise, but it was hard not to arouse suspicion.

Three pillars bound by chains appeared on the field, the sky was covered with dark clouds, and a divine power that favored the strong spread out.

Overlord Demise thrust his palms forward, unleashing a torrent of Cianwood Flame. But when they encountered the Celestial Gold Knight, they automatically veered to the sides like a stream meeting a rock.

Palmer wasn't surprised. It was only because his opponent didn't take precautions after learning about the characteristics of the Spirits that he became suspicious. He calmly said, "The effect of Overlord Demise is to destroy Pokémon Card and Spell Card. Although the Celestial Gold Knight is protected by the Field Spell, the Field Spell itself is not protected."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cianwood Flame scorched the three pillars, and the Spell Card of "God-Binding Mound" shattered with a crash.

Palmer followed up, saying, "For each card destroyed, inflict 200 points of true damage on the opponent's spirit!"

Cianwood Flame condensed into an arrow, ignoring all defenses and piercing through the body of the Celestial Gold Knight, causing him to let out a muffled groan.

You Zhi's expression remained unchanged; this was within his expectations, which was why he didn't set more Spell Card on the field, and the 200 damage was insignificant.

The "God-Binding Mound" also has a second effect: when it is destroyed, it can restore the life force of Divine Attribute spirit, but this effect is currently ineffective.

The Pokémon's abilities had been largely revealed, so Palmer stopped pretending and revealed his strategy. "Demis will defend with all its might, and activate its ability as soon as the cooldown is over."

Overlord Demise has an absolute protective shield, making it immune to combat damage. No matter how the opponent attacks, the longer the battle drags on, the more advantageous it becomes, since activating its special ability comes at no cost, whereas activating the special ability of Celestial Gold Knight requires consuming life force.

This tactic was undeniably underhanded, but it was undeniably effective; at least You Zhi couldn't think of a way to counter it for the time being.

"I still don't have enough Spell Card. If only I had a powerful destructive Spell Card like 'Dark Hole,' or Spell Card that could negate the Spirit's ability..."

You Zhi glanced at his hand and saw a "Hammer Shot" card. Although it had a destructive effect, it was a joke against Ten-Star spirit; the opponent could easily smash it with a single axe swing.

"Dimensional Prison" is also a good way to deal with the tortoise tactic, directly banishing the enemy to another dimension, but unfortunately it has already been used.

As if sensing his opponent's predicament, Palmer laughed heartily, "Come on, go all out! This is my last tactic. If you can break it, you'll win this duel."

Chapter 175 Crimson Meteor

If this weren't an Official Duel, You Zhi would really like to personally step in and give it his all.

If I can't handle your Pokémon, surely I can handle you, the trainer?

Unfortunately, with everyone watching, I couldn't use my martial arts skills; I still had to honestly figure out a way to break through the opponent's turtle shell.

Fortunately, the opponent only had one resistance that couldn't be destroyed in battle, which made it troublesome only because it could destroy the opponent's entire field once per turn. If it were a card like Sleeping Giant Gudong with all resistances that were unaffected by other card effects, You Zhi would probably have already given up.

"I activate 'Goblin Thief,' restoring 500 HP to my own Pokémon and dealing 500 damage to the opponent's Pokémon."

As You Zhi activated his Spell Card, a fat, big-eared Goblin appeared on the field pushing a cart, throwing a healing potion at the Celestial Gold Knight and then a bomb at the Overlord Demise.

Overlord Demise moved his arm, trying to send the bomb flying, but Palmer stopped him in a calm tone. "Let him explode."

The Absolute Protection Barrier can only be maintained when stationary. Once action is taken, it must be withdrawn, and the resistance to combat damage will be lost. Although Palmer does not think the opponent can take advantage of this opportunity to do anything, a mere 500 points of damage is not a big deal and there is no need to take the risk.

The longer you delay, the more advantageous it is for you.

Overlord Demise stopped moving and obediently took the explosion. He wasn't seriously injured, only his armor had a few cracks and he looked a bit disheveled. It was nothing compared to the sword strike the Celestial Gold Knight had stabbed him with earlier.

"I activate 'Goblin's Secret Remedy,' restoring 600 health points."

You Zhi was not disappointed and continued to activate Spell Card that were better than nothing. Since the opponent was determined to defend, attack power was meaningless against the Celestial Gold Knight.

Of course, if Palmer felt there was an opportunity and instructed Overlord Demise to switch from defense to offense, he would be happy to see it happen.

"Use Pokémon abilities by restoring vitality?"

Palmer smiled slightly, placed two Spell Card face down on the field, and began to forge new Spell Card at the same time, showing great caution and not becoming careless despite having the upper hand.

You Zhi glanced at the Spell Card in his hand. There wasn't the crucial one among them. He still needed to buy time to refine the Spell Card, but he couldn't let the opponent notice and had to lower their guard as much as possible.

"I activate 'Final Assault Order,' all Pokémon on the field, enter battle mode."

A flash of red light appeared, and a rousing charge resounded across the arena. Overlord Demise's eyes turned Red, his breathing became rapid, and he gripped his double-edged axe tightly as he stood up, clearly ready to fight his opponent.

He cannot maintain Absolute Protection Barrier as long as combat is involved.

"I activate 'Mystical Space Typhoon' to destroy a Spell Card on the field."

Palmer slowly activated Spell Card from his hand; this was a versatile Spell Card that most professional trainers would need.

A small tornado appeared on the field, howling and hurtling forward. The "Final Assault Order" shattered instantly, the red light in Overlord Demise's eyes disappeared, and he crouched back down to continue his defensive posture.

You Zhi said in a somewhat anxious tone, "Celestial Gold Knight, activate your special ability!"

The Celestial Gold Knight roared, raised his sword, gathered energy, and once again unleashed a crescent-shaped sword beam.

"I must say, your luck wasn't great. The Spell Card you randomly got from 'Silent Magician Blast' were all very useful," Palmer said with a smirk, trying to provoke me. "I activated 'Phantom Sword'! Equipping it to Overlord Demise increases his attack by 800 points, and it can replace being destroyed once."

A trident sword with a skull hilt and entwined with numerous ghostly figures appeared in the hands of Overlord Demise.

Overlord Demise is not skilled at using this kind of agile sword. If he were to fight with the Phantom Sword, his actual combat power would probably decrease rather than increase. But at this moment, he is only using the effect of the Phantom Sword itself, so it doesn't matter.

The crescent-shaped sword beam swept across, shattering both the Phantom Sword and another covered Spell Card simultaneously.

If Palmer knew the specific effects of the Celestial Gold Knight's ability, he would probably realize something was wrong, because You Zhi's target this time was Spell Card, not a spirit. But he didn't feel anything was wrong at the moment, only that the Celestial Gold Knight's ability was the same as that of Overlord Demise, both of which destroyed all the spirits and Spell Card on the opponent's field. Overlord Demise had dodged one attack under the protection of the Phantom Sword.

Even after two responses and three uses of his special ability, the Celestial Gold Knight showed obvious signs of fatigue, with only enough life force left for one more use.

"It seems this is the limit; the effects of your two recovery Spell Card are rather weak."

Palmer shook his head, seemingly regretful that his opponent couldn't display his full strength, but he didn't hold back. After glancing at Overlord Demise's condition, he decisively said, "Now it's our turn to attack!"

The cooldown period has ended, Overlord Demise activates its ability again, unleashing a wave of Cianwood fire that destroys everything in its path.

"I'm issuing the 'Order to Retreat,' return, Celestial Gold Knight."

With a flash of light, the Celestial Gold Knight was bounced back to the Pokémon Card, and after the Cianwood fire wave subsided, it was summoned back onto the field.

Palmer said, "You've dodged another bullet, but the Overlord Demise's special ability doesn't require paying any price to activate. How long can you keep hiding?"

At that moment, the Spell Card in You Zhi's hand materialized, and he immediately shouted, "Now, let's decide the outcome with this one strike! I activate 'Ballista Squad'!"

Palmer perked up and saw a huge ballista appear on the opposite field, with the Celestial Gold Knight jumping onto the ballista arm to act as a bolt.

He exclaimed in astonishment, "You intend to use yourself as a crossbow bolt, dealing both combat and effect damage? You want to perish together with my elf with this attack?"

Looking only at the card effect, "Ballista Squad" undoubtedly belongs to effect destruction, destroying one card on the opponent's field by sacrificing one spirit. However, in reality, the spirit launched can attack just before hitting the opponent, thus also possessing combat damage.

If it were Goblin- level elf that was launched, Palmer wouldn't care at all. But now it's Celestial Gold Knight. He wasn't sure if Overlord Demise could withstand this attack.

Fortunately, the Spell Card in his hand had already taken shape by this time. Without having much time to think, he decisively played it. "I activate 'Booby Trap E', discarding a card from my hand to bring a cooldown Spirit-Accumulating Spell Card back to the field, and it is fully charged and ready to be activated immediately."

Seeing that the ballista had adjusted its direction and was about to fire at Overlord Demise, Palmer quickly discarded the "Half Shut" that had failed to activate earlier, then retrieved the "Phantom Sword" and re-equipped it to Overlord Demise.

Boom!

The trigger was pulled, and just as the Celestial Gold Knight was launched from the bow, You Zhi said, "I activate the Spell Card and equip it to the Celestial Gold Knight."

"It's useless! No matter how strong you make the Celestial Gold Knight, he only has one chance. The Phantom Sword will take his place and destroy everything."

No sooner had Palmer finished refuting than the red meteor, the incarnation of the Celestial Gold Knight, struck Overlord Demise, causing a massive explosion that sent dense spiritual energy scattering and raising dust dozens of meters high.

Chapter 176 Demeanor and the New Elf

As everyone held their breath and watched intently, the smoke and dust slowly dissipated, revealing that the Celestial Gold Knight and Overlord Demise were nowhere to be seen.

"Both spirits disappeared at the same time, did they perish together? Neither of the two players on the field took any action, it seems that a draw is very likely. Let's wait for the referee's decision."

This time, the commentator didn't rush to make a judgment. After all, he had been proven wrong once before. What if another characteristic emerged where the creature could be destroyed and reappear in a new form? Wouldn't he fall into the same trap?

"The referee is confirming with both fighters... We can see that both fighters are shaking their heads, which basically confirms it's a draw. Let's give a round of applause for this evenly matched and exciting duel."

Snap snap snap snap...

The audience didn't hold back their applause. After all, this duel was much more exciting than the previous one, which was a complete rout. They even got to see a legendary Pokémon. For that reason alone, the trip was worthwhile. Many people secretly memorized You Zhi's name, believing that even if he wasn't famous now, he would definitely shine in the future.

"Viewers, please don't rush to the restroom. With the permission of both fighters, we will now replay the battle in slow motion, especially the last scene. Let's see what exactly happened."

The large screen at the scene immediately began playing the battle footage. From the moment You Zhi summoned the ballista, both sides launched a series of Spell Card to interfere with each other. When the Celestial Gold Knight was fired from the ballista, the scene slowed down.

Just as the Celestial Gold Knight was about to collide with Overlord Demise, her hand, which was holding the shield, suddenly extended into a lightsaber, striking her opponent beforehand. Then, the two collided, and a burst of intense spiritual energy erupted, raising dust that obscured the view.

"What kind of equipment is that?"

Although he knew that getting to the bottom of things was a major taboo for trainers, Palmer couldn't resist his curiosity and asked the question when shaking hands with You Zhi. Otherwise, he would have lost in a bad way... Well, he didn't lose, but drawing with a newcomer he considered promising was not a pleasant experience.

However, despite asking the question, he didn't actually expect to get an answer. He anticipated that the other party would just smile slightly and then turn and leave, but You Zhi's behavior was far more magnanimous than he had imagined.

"It's the 'Light Eradicator Sword,' which only Light Attribute Warrior-Type elves can equip. Its effect is to banish the elf who fights it to another dimension."

You Zhi not only provided a detailed answer, but also showed the Spell Card.

Palmer was both surprised by the card's effect and impressed by the other party's generosity. He sighed, "Another banishment to another dimension. It seems I'll have to find a way to obtain Spell Card that can bring elves back from another dimension in the future. In any case, your performance is worthy of this result. I look forward to the day you surpass me."

The two talked as they walked off the field, making room for the next performance.

According to the schedule, there was one last exhibition match, but You Zhi did not stay to watch it. Instead, he rested in his room and checked on the Pokémon.

In this duel, the Demon Lizard Yihao failed to secure a kill and was banished to another dimension along with his opponent. The Silent Magician also failed to secure a kill and was defeated by his opponent. The Celestial Gold Knight secured a kill, but all three spirits leveled up by 1.

Defeating opponents and absorbing spiritual energy particles is the most efficient way to level up, but it's not the only one. Fighting powerful spirits can also increase your level.

"Now the level gap between the elves is widening even further. Not to mention the Celestial Gold Knight who joined at level 40, the Demon Lizard Yihao is already level 37, while the Laundry Dragonmaid is only level 22. We can't really make her a dedicated mount, can we? It seems we'll have to spend the rest of our time training lower-level elves. 'The rich helping the poor' can't just be a slogan."

You Zhi doesn't want to achieve common prosperity by releasing low-level Pokémon.

Just then, he faintly heard cheers coming from the stadium. You Zhi felt it was time to leave, otherwise it wouldn't be comfortable to leave after the competition ended and the crowds poured out. It would remind him of his holiday trips in his previous life.

But as he pushed open the door and stepped out of the room, he saw Palmer rushing over.

"Great, you haven't left yet."

"Mr. Palmer, is there something you need from me?"

"You accepted my invitation to participate in the open tournament and put in so much effort; you should at least show your appreciation."

"But you've already paid me. My request at the time was simply to fight you."

"That's hardly a reward. Besides, your performance in the competition far exceeded my and the organizers' expectations, especially summoning a legendary Pokémon, which will undoubtedly bring even more excitement to the Battle Frontier. It's neither reasonable nor ethical for us to let you go back empty-handed, otherwise people will laugh at us."

These words were not mere politeness. Scott, the owner of the Battle Frontier, was a shrewd man. Of course, he would try his best to win over a talented and young trainer like You Zhi, making him feel at home, so that he would be invited again in the future.

However, Scott's original plan was to give a generous bonus and a considerable amount of battle points, but Palmer was impressed by You Zhi's magnanimity and had a better idea, so he took over the matter.

"Even if you're going to refuse, you should at least see what the reward is," Palmer said, handing Yuzhi a Pokémon Card without giving You Zhi a chance to refuse. "This is a Pokémon I caught along with Demis when I met him. He has potential no less than Demis's, but he's very stubborn and doesn't want to follow the same trainer as Demis. Besides, he doesn't even look down on trainers who aren't capable. It would be a waste for him to stay with me. You might as well take a look first. If you're satisfied, you can take it. If not, I'll find something else."

The spirits captured along with Demis?