Grandmaster Lian leaned closer to Liying, her voice low but sharp. "Watch their movements, Liying. The Awakened mode ties the units to their duelists' spiritual energy. Every summon drains them, and every strike they land personally counts. You'll also have to manage yourself in this mode."
Liying nodded, her eyes wide as she tracked the duelists. "It's like they're fighting two battles at once. The units and themselves. Shopkeeper Lin wasn't kidding about this being a weapon."
On the stage, Yan Wei took the first move. He waved his rapier as he directed the Ironclaw Raptor forward. The beast lunged, its claws slashing toward Zhou Rui's Stormfang Wolf, which reacted almost instantly.
Zhou Rui sidestepped the clash as his saber flashed when he swung it in a tight arc. Not at the raptor but at Yan Wei himself. Crimson qi sliced through the air, forcing Yan Wei to leap back, his Celestial Field shifting with him.
"Trying to skip the beasts, huh?" Yan Wei taunted, playing a [Flamecoil Viper] card, a Level 2 unit. A coiling, fire-wreathed serpent appeared, wrapping protectively around him. Its body was as thick as a person's thigh and its length could wrap around Yan Wei multiple times and still have the ability to pounce at Zhou Rui. "Hmph! You'll have to get through my menagerie first!"
Zhou Rui interrupted his own charge and cautiously took a step back. In response to the summoning of the serpent, his spiritual energy dipped again as he summoned another Level 3 Unit, the [Thunderhoof Stag].
It's a massive male deer with antlers crackling with lightning, almost similar to the Stormfang Wolf.
Without a wave of his hand and a slight empowerment of his crimson-colored energy, it charged toward Yan Wei and Flamecoil Viper.
The young master gritted his teeth as he let the viper face the charge while he used [Azure Gale Steps] to bypass their clash and lunge at Zhou Rui,
As the two beasts clashed, sparks and flames erupted when the stag's antlers tore into the serpent's scales.
Zhou Rui didn't wait, darting forward with his saber aimed, meeting Yan Wei in the middle of the stage, his Celestial Field pulsing in sync with his movements.
Because of that, the Stormfang Wolf and the Ironclaw Raptor clashing at the periphery of their Celestial Field had to move in or they'd fall out of the Celestial Field. And like intelligent beasts, they switched to assisting their summoners, flashing away and charging at them.
At this spectacle, the crowd roared, the golden scoreboard updated in real-time: Yan Wei's spiritual energy dropped to 80% with those two summons and the use of his techniques. Meanwhile, Zhou Rui's spiritual energy dropped to 70%.
The Bulletin Board thread exploded with commentary:
[CloudSaberFan]: Zhou Rui's got the edge! Even without a Level 4 Unit, he could overpower Yan Wei!
[BeastTamer88]: Nah, Yan Wei's building a wall. That viper's gonna lock Zhou Rui down! And take note. This is more like a duel where both of them are summoners with close combat skills as cultivators.
[NorthernStar]: Wish I were there. This Awakened mode is insane. You can now charge into a battlefield alone and have trusted allies at your beck and call! The Divine Convenience Store is truly changing the game of our realm!
Liu Xiaoyu, catching the thread's heat on her Viewing Jade, grinned wider. "Keep it coming, dear customers! We're witnessing history here! Who's your pick?" She nudged Xiao Ya, who was also practically bouncing with excitement as she watched the match below. "Think you'd take 'em, Xiao Ya?"
Xiao Ya clutched her own [Celestial Duel Gear], her eyes sparkling. "Maybe! If I were as strong as they are. I'd use my [Arcane Blossom Court] deck. The Sakura Mist Princess can assassinate them unknowingly!
Her enthusiasm drew laughs from nearby spectators, easing the tension momentarily.
Back on the stage, Yan Wei's Flamecoil Viper fell to the Thunderhoof Stag's charge, disappearing into motes of light. Nevertheless, the raptor landed a grazing slash on Zhou Rui's Stormfang Wolf before it could bite at Yan Wei's ankle, drawing a snarl from the beast.
Yan Wei seized the moment, rushing forward with his rapier infused with wind qi, aiming a strike at Zhou Rui's shoulder.
Zhou Rui parried with his saber, the clash sending a shockwave through their respective Celestial Field. The scoreboard ticked down: Yan Wei at 78%, Zhou Rui at 68%.
As he landed a distance away from Zhou Rui, Yan Wei's lips curled into a confident grin. He's enjoying it.
"Not bad, Zhou Rui. You truly are this young master's rival!" He flicked another card, summoning a Level 2 Unit – [Glimmerwing Drake].
A sleek, iridescent dragonling the size of a hawk materialized, its wings flapping loudly as it darted toward the Stormfang Wolf, aiming to end it before it could recover.
And to ensure that, he played another card. A Spell Card this time. [Tempest of Primal Qi]!
His Celestial Field glowed in rusted color as the aura of his raptor and drake surged upward, which put the wolf and stag under an overwhelming pressure.
Yan Wei lunged forward, his rapier flashing with his spiritual energy as he activated another one of his techniques, targeting Zhou Rui's shoulder.
Zhou Rui's smirk didn't waver but he could tell that he was in danger this time.
He glanced at his current hand, and none of the cards were ideal to play yet.
Due to that, he twisted his body before his Celestial Wind Saber carved a crescent of crimson light that aimed to deflect Yan Wei's strike. At the same time, he commanded his units to fall back and gather around him.
"Your game? You're just throwing beasts at me, Young Master."
As his arms rattled from the strength of Yan Wei's attack, he played a [Starclaw Lynx], a Level 1 unit. Its lithe form shimmered with what appeared to be astral energy as it pounced on the Glimmerwing Drake.
The two clashed in a flurry of claws and wings, leaving the Stormfang Wolf and Thunderhoof Stag free to lunge at the Ironclaw Raptor. Sparks flew as their claws met and the arena trembled with the impact.
The crowd was already in a frenzy. If this was the preview of combat they could achieve upon becoming a Celestial Duelist, then they'd close their eyes and pay for that activation fee.
Meanwhile, the betting stall of Liu Xiaoyu continued to receive more bets. Xiao Ya's small hands moved in a blur as she sorted the bets with a gleeful grin, occasionally glancing at the stage with wide-eyed awe.
"Sister Xiaoyu, they're so fast! Do you think Zhou Rui's gonna win again?"
"Who knows, Xiao Ya? Yan Wei still hasn't lost steam. This match is far from over." Liu Xiaoyu answered without her usual playful flair. After all, she's also witnessing the potential of that gear. Lin Mo's announcement or the explanation of its use truly understated how godly it was.
In the VIP seats, Grandmaster Lian's eyes narrowed as she heard the other Professors of the academy discuss the match below.
Unlike her who focused more on the fundamentals of the Celestial Duel Cards because of her profession, they're more on the technicality of the platform. They mentioned how it could raise a new generation of cultivators far from the traditional ones.
She only listened to them then leaned close to her student, "Liying, notice how Zhou Rui balances his summons with his own attacks? He knew the limitations of those summons. They're helpers at most and so he's using them to create openings. If all Summoning Talismans could replicate such an advanced illusion technique, it could change the nature of wars and conflicts. As for Yan Wei. He's too focused on overwhelming his opponent with numbers. That might be a rookie mistake in Awakened mode. If I have to guess… he has those candies ready to replenish his energy."
Liying nodded, scribbling notes on a jade slip. "It's like a talisman array, isn't it? You have to time everything perfectly, or it falls apart."
"Exactly," Grandmaster Lian replied, her gaze flicking to the scoreboard. "And they're burning spiritual energy fast. Whoever falters first loses."
Meanwhile, amidst the chaos inside the multipurpose hall, Lin Mo was still following the monk's movements inside the store. He couldn't help but shake his head as he watched him truly pick one product at a time and inspect it thoroughly. He's like those old folks in a grocery store trying to read the ingredients or nutrition facts of the products. They're meticulously checking if it would be harmful to them or not.
As he was lost in his thoughts, Sword Fairy, who took her time filling at least four baskets, reached the counter.
"Shopkeeper," Jiang Jianxin said as he began scanning her items. "It's quite rowdy inside there, isn't it? The Awakened Celestial Duelist mode. You said it draws on cultivation and spirit stones to summon real units. Could it counter the creatures in the Anchor?"
Lin Mo's eyes flickered with interest. So, the Sword Fairy wasn't entirely immune to the platform's allure. He thought she was just forced to pick up the gear bundles because of his suggestion. She's also paying attention to the current trending topic on the board.