Once again, the [Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall] of the Divine Convenience Store buzzed with anticipation as Liu Xiaoyu stood atop the arena stage, followed by the three students of the Red Lotus Academy who took their place at the other side.
For any other cultivator, the hall would always feel impressive in their eyes. The way it stretched beyond what should have been physically possible within the store and rows upon rows of elevated seating that lined the walls made even those who’d already been in this before glance in awe.
Not to mention the enormous arena stage that’s taking the center space. The array formation protecting it was capable of not only preventing fatal injuries when it comes to regular duels, but also the ability to repair and transform depending on what the store needed.
Above the stage and in the middle of the ceiling was a shimmering golden panel that was once again going to display the live feed of the arena as well as the necessary information for everyone’s convenience.
Grandmaster Lian and her entourage settled into the priority seats near the front. The professors adjusted their robes, their skepticism tempered by a flicker of intrigue.
The rest of the crowd; cultivators, mortals, and even Luo Ming along with a few of the Poison Demon Cult members, filled the remaining seats or stood along the walls.
Zhou Rui set up his betting stall near the entrance, his voice cutting through the chatter. "Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen! Liu Xiaoyu versus the Red Lotus prodigies! Odds are three-to-one on the academy’s finest. Don’t miss out!"
A few customers chuckled and approached, spirit stones already in hand.
On the platform, Liu Xiaoyu turned to the audience, her green-and-white uniform pristine as she twirled the [Celestial Duel Gears] between her fingers. The small bracelet-like artifact glimmered with a soft blue light, its intricate design drawing gasps from the uninitiated. She flicked her fingers and the golden screen up above once again showed the necessary information about the [Celestial Duel Platform] along with preview recordings.
After that, she then turned to the Red Lotus students.
"Alright, you three dear customers. Who will be up to the challenge first? Don’t worry, I’ll go easy. If you’ve watched the recording, you’ve seen how I was beaten by Boss Lin, right?" Her playful tone elicited a ripple of laughter, easing the tension in the room.
Those who were present that day sent jeers, which further lightened the atmosphere, relieving some of the tension that the three students might have been enduring.
Jiahao stood without hesitation, his broad shoulders squared and a confident smirk on his face. "I’ll take the challenge, Miss Liu. Let’s see what this platform can do."
Grandmaster Lian nodded approvingly, while Professors Wei and Chen exchanged a glance, their expressions unreadable. Mingzhu whispered something to Liying, who stifled a giggle, clearly anticipating the match.
Liu Xiaoyu clapped her hands together. "Perfect! Jiahao, it is! Gear up."
Upon saying that, she threw the other [Celestial Duel Gear] to him before saying, "Put that on your wrist and activate it with your spiritual energy. Then pick which preset deck you are going to use. At the moment, there are only four decks to choose from; [Celestial Beasts], [Celestial Idols], [Crimson Battle Spirits], and [Arcane Blossom Court]."
Jiahao caught the [Celestial Duel Gear] with a deft hand, his confident smirk widening as he slipped the bracelet onto his wrist.
A faint hum emanated from the artifact as it synced with his spiritual energy, the soft blue glow intensifying for a moment before settling into a steady pulse.
He examined it briefly, his curiosity evident, then turned his attention to Liu Xiaoyu.
"Four decks, huh?" Jiahao said, his voice carrying a hint of bravado. "I’ll go with [Crimson Battle Spirits]. Sounds like it suits me."
Liu Xiaoyu grinned, nodding approvingly. "Good choice! It’s got some heavy hitters but it also lost yesterday against Xiao Ya, you know? Either way, I’ll stick with my [Celestial Idols], let’s see how your warriors fare against my stars."
The golden screen above flickered, updating with the duel’s details:
[Initializing Celestial Duel Platform…]
[Deploying Celestial Duel System…]
[Celestial Duelists Detected: Liu Xiaoyu, Jiahao]
[Match Type: Exhibition Duel]
[Arena Type: Crimson Wasteland]
[Deployed Decks: Celestial Idols (Liu Xiaoyu), Crimson Battle Spirits (Jiahao)]
The arena beneath their feet shimmered, transforming into a rugged, ash-strewn battlefield dotted with jagged red rocks and smoldering fissures.
Even though they were only conjured through the [Celestial Duel System] the atmosphere was also simulated as the air grew heavy with the scent of sulfur, and faint echoes of distant war cries reverberated through the illusory domain.
The crowd murmured in awe, their eyes wide as the Divine Arena adapted seamlessly to the chosen deck themes.
Liu Xiaoyu raised her hand, her Duel Gear glowing as her deck slotted into place. "Ready when you are, Jiahao!"
Jiahao mirrored her gesture, his own gear humming as his deck materialized. "Let’s do this."
[Celestial Duel Start!]
A floating scoreboard materialized overhead, displaying Celestial Energy: 5,000 for each duelist.
The golden screen pulsed, signaling the [Round 1: Setting Phase]. Four glowing cards appeared in front of each duelist, floating gently in the air for the audience to see before settling into their hands. After that, two more were added.
Liu Xiaoyu took the lead, her playful grin unwavering. "Alright, let’s set the stage! I summon Sapphire Melody and Harmonic Backup Dancer!"
Her luck seemed to be fairing for her as her familiar duo materialized on the crimson battlefield.
Sapphire Melody floated gracefully, her celestial microphone gleaming, while Harmonic Backup Dancer twirled beside her, ribbons of light trailing in her wake. The audience, especially the younger cultivators, cheered at the dazzling display.
"And I’ll set two Spell Cards face down," Liu Xiaoyu added, laying down the cards.
Jiahao’s eyes narrowed as he assessed her setup. "Not bad, Miss Liu. But let’s heat things up. I summon Crimson Warlord and Bloodfang Spearman!"
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A towering figure clad in jagged red armor emerged on his side, a massive war axe resting on his shoulder. The Crimson Warlord’s presence radiated raw power, his eyes glowing like embers. Beside him, a lithe spearman in crimson leather appeared, twirling his weapon with deadly precision, its tip stained with illusory blood.
"I’ll set one Spell Card face down," Jiahao said, a golden rune appearing before him.
The crowd leaned forward as they looked at the units debuting in their eyes. Yesterday, Xue Yuan pulled and summoned other units from the [Crimson Battle Spirits] deck and before everyone could see how strong they would be, Xiao Ya defeated him in two rounds.
Grandmaster Lian watched intently, her fingers tapping her knee, while Professors Wei and Chen exchanged a subtle nod. Impressed, but still reserved. Liying and Mingzhu whispered excitedly to each other, analyzing the opening moves while also fiddling with their now-activated Viewing Jades, reviewing the posted recordings to learn more about the game before their turn.
Watching it through the recording and watching it live was an entirely different experience. Grandmaster Lian had her eyes peeled to pick up more insight about how great those [Celestial Duel Cards] are. She was wondering how they could summon those figures as if they were real.
Her curiosity towards them bubbled up further. Her other objective for coming to the store directed by someone from the Royal Capital had been set aside for now. The immortal-grade artifacts could wait. It’s not like they would be sold right away. For her, everything about the [Celestial Duel Platform] was more valuable.
Liu Xiaoyu clapped her hands. "Alright, Jiahao, let’s dance! [Battle Phase] begins!"
[Round 1: Battle Phase. Start!]
—
Sometime later, Jiahao lost after Round 4. Liu Xiaoyu learned from her experience against Lin Mo. She made sure to use her Spells at the right moment and not attack as aggressively, which Jiahao failed to understand.
As for the other two students, Liying and Mingzhu, they were eager to step up after watching Jiahao’s defeat.
The crowd’s energy had only grown, fueled by Zhou Rui’s betting stall and the spectacle of the duels. The Poison Demon Cult members, including Luo Ming, remained in their seats, their expressions a mix of fascination and calculation as they observed the platform’s potential.
Liu Xiaoyu wiped a mock bead of sweat from her brow, grinning at Jiahao as the simulated wasteland vanished. "Good try, dear customer! Your Crimson Warlord almost had me in Round 3, but my idols are tougher than they look."
Jiahao chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I underestimated those spells of yours. That [Celestial Idol Transformation] caught me off guard." He glanced at his Viewing Jade, already replaying the duel’s highlights. "This platform… it’s incredible."
"Well fought, Jiahao. You adapted quickly for your first attempt." Grandmaster Lian said before her gaze shifted to the other two students on the stage. "Who’s next?"
Liying stepped before Mingzhu could, her sharp features set with determination as she took the [Celestial Duel Gear] from Jiahao. "I’ll go, Grandmaster! I’ve been itching to try this."
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Just like this, the betting stall of Zhou Rui continued to rake in profits.
Lin Mo, who was watching from outside, nodded approvingly. He didn’t need to step up there anymore. Liu Xiaoyu could handle the demonstration all by herself.
In the meantime, he was monitoring the Store Bulletin Board that was gradually gaining more and more users.