Chapter 917: Black Star Character Card - [Indestructible Body]!

Chapter 917: Black Star Character Card—[Indestructible Form]!

In the competition channel, the Jiangcheng Team and the Battleguard Team both entered a battlefield on a plant-covered planet.

Towering trees stretched up to the sky, their dense canopy blocking the sun, leaving only a sliver of light to pierce through the thick foliage. The weak rays fell diagonally upon the ground, slicing through the swaying branches, casting dancing shadows across the forest floor.

The two teams appeared at opposite ends of the forest. Viewers on the competition channel could switch between different teams and players, their screens flooded with comments, most cheering for Jiangcheng.

"Go Jiangcheng, crush Battleguard!"

"First round against the eighth—wouldn't be easy to just breeze through!"

"Maple Moon-sister, go for it!"

The finals were best-of-five, each round consisting of five matches, each with a different combat style. The first was the team battle, followed by arena, flag capture, dungeon competition, and dungeon generation. Points were awarded based on performance, and the team with the most points won the round.

The countdown ticked down to zero. As the numbers faded to nothing, the first match of the finals began. On screen, both teams sprang into action. Jiangcheng's Maple Moon hurled a compression sphere, which condensed into a half-meter-tall tower-shaped base, shielding their movements and confusing enemy scans. Beneath the base gleamed the Black Star Legion emblem—products of superior quality, guaranteed performance.

On the other side, Battleguard employed similar tactics, using magical items. The team leader, the Viking Captain, withdrew a black scroll from his belt, its surface etched with blazing golden runes. He tore it open with both hands, releasing a dense, white mist infused with potent magic. The entire team became semi-transparent under its veil.

"Wow, is that an Ultimate Magic Scroll?" Han Xiao, watching from his forum, raised an eyebrow at the scroll's unique symbols.

Such scrolls were rare, capable of containing stronger spells, requiring meticulous craftsmanship. Han Xiao had seen one made by La Ji, inscribed with master-level magic—expensive, but Battleguard clearly had no qualms about using one to conceal their entire team.

"At the finals, every team has shown their trump cards," Han Xiao mused, intrigued.

In the international finals, no team held back. They unleashed everything they had, leading to unpredictable shifts in strength. Predicting opponents based on past performance was no longer reliable.

Team battles were the classic format, requiring tailored strategies for each environment. In this vast forest, guerrilla tactics were key: hiding and detecting the enemy.

After concealing their positions, both teams began searching for opponents. Jiangcheng relied on diverse detection radars, while Battleguard cast rune magic—"Perception," "All-Seeing Eye," and "Spirit Tracing"—enhanced by their leader's rune magic.

The two teams moved cautiously, the tension thick. The competition channel's announcers began explaining the match, energizing the audience.

"Both teams have entered. We can see the battlefield divided into sixteen zones—A1 to D4, labeled left to right. Jiangcheng is at A3, upper left; Battleguard at C1, lower right. Let's see their strategy... Oh! They're both using aerial maneuvers!"

One Battleguard player, a birdkin, spread his wings and soared above the canopy. Maple Moon launched several compression spheres, which formed floating scouts patrolling the skies.

For modern players, flight was simple, but in this forested terrain, its advantage was limited. Compression sphere technology made equipment more portable, and mechanical teams could deploy their gear at incredible speeds—a revolutionary change. In previous versions, Maple Moon couldn't carry dozens of machines, nor could she set up terrain so swiftly.

On screen, both aerial scouts spotted each other. Battleguard's flyer easily destroyed Jiangcheng's unenhanced scouts.

The announcers perked up. "Their scouts clashed briefly. Let's see their next moves... Battleguard's going on the offensive, charging toward the scout position. Jiangcheng... Oh, they're circling around! Maple Moon has laid countless underground mines and mechanical traps, turning the battlefield into their domain. With enough time, mechanical teams can expand their advantage. Battleguard's now on the defensive..."

Jiangcheng's strategy naturally favored mechanical units. Team leader Chongcao was himself a mechanist. With Maple Moon's addition, their tactics grew increasingly cunning. The most dangerous weren't just the sneaky players, but even those who could outgun you.

Battleguard quickly fell into their trap. Stepping on the mines, they were blown apart in a chain reaction.

The lush forest erupted into a blaze. In terms of environmental destruction, mechanical teams were unquestionably number one!

When enemies triggered their traps, Jiangcheng stopped hiding. They changed course, launching a direct ambush. Battleguard's members wore high-quality magical armor, but it paled beside Black Star Legion's gear.

Chongcao surged forward, wielding various mechanical close-combat weapons—swords, hammers, axes, guns, whips, and cannons—all whirling in a dazzling display. His teammates moved in perfect sync. After two sacrifices, they wiped out Battleguard, claiming victory in the team battle.

On the competition channel, Han Xiao's mood was high.

"Haha, I knew it—Jiangcheng would crush Battleguard. First-place in the regular season wasn't given freely."

"Battleguard's biology got destroyed—this is the taste of being face-slapped by the new version."

"With Maple Moon joining, Jiangcheng's strength isn't just a little bit—it's massive."

"Maple Moon-sister is strong and kind. I'm a fan—when's the photoshoot coming?"

"Jiang Yu-lu has become an old lady. Maple Moon-sister is young and beautiful. Sorry, I'm transferring my affection—her talent isn't the issue; it's my standards are too high."

"New love, old wife forgotten. Younger, prettier ones make old ones seem dull."

Amidst the chaos, both teams rested and prepared for the arena battle. Battleguard sent a regular player ahead, while Jiangcheng's selection electrified the audience—Team Leader Chongcao stepped forward.

Having won the team battle, Chongcao entered the arena first, making it clear he intended to dominate through sheer force. The audience sensed Jiangcheng's confidence and dominance.

The announcer's voice boomed, rapid-fire: "Arena Battle Round One—Jiangcheng's Team Leader Chongcao enters! Though he didn't make the top sixteen in the finals, he ranked eighteenth in the regular season. With a bit of luck, he might've advanced. Let's see... Of course! Chongcao dismantled his opponent effortlessly. A mechanist-warrior combines mechanical and martial strengths. In this mechanical-heavy version, their advantage is immense."

On screen, Chongcao attacked head-on, unfazed. He launched compression spheres, forming mechanical traps, electric arcs, and controlling his opponent's movements. His control surpassed pure martial artists.

Closing in, Chongcao unleashed a flurry of attacks—swift, fluid, and devastating. His mechanical weapons whirled in a blur: swords, hammers, axes, guns, whips, and cannons, each strike seamlessly transitioning to the next. This high-difficulty combo flowed like poetry, dazzling and swift. In under a minute, he drained his opponent's vitality.

He was truly powerful, and undeniably cool. Though no longer a martial artist, Chongcao had found new vigor.

Battleguard couldn't wait. The Viking Captain charged in next, facing Chongcao—team versus team.

The Viking Captain, a martial artist, shed his heavy armor, activating a bare-handed rage buff. His bare skin bore vibrant blue runes, enhancing defense and regeneration. He wielded dual legendary orange-grade enchanted axes.

"Roar! Blood and glory!" The Viking Captain struck his axes together, shouting at Chongcao.

Chongcao stood across from him, speechless.

"His pride is unbearable... Martial artists take role-playing to heart."

Suddenly, a muscular man's silhouette flickered behind the Viking Captain—gone in an instant. Then, the Captain's muscles ballooned like balloons, his martial energy flame solidifying into a gasoline bomb, which exploded outward.

A thunderous boom echoed.

On his status bar, a new buff appeared: [Viking Clan's Rage]. The announcer's face paled. "Legendary Clan's Frenzy! +50% melee attack, +30% physical resistance, +400 strength, +200 agility, +20% max HP, +40% movement speed, +300 frost damage per hit, lasting five minutes! This character card is incredibly powerful!"

The comments erupted.

"They used a character card—this is over!"

"Chongcao better have a strong character card, or this match is lost."

Character cards were rare, stronger ones harder to obtain. Pros kept them as last resorts. In the finals, no one held back. The Viking Captain had played his ace.

Cards like [Black Star Legion Emblem—Evolution] were banned, but character cards weren't. Any player could obtain them, their effects varying. Rules stated that character card effects couldn't carry over to the next match in a round. Even if the Viking Captain won the arena, the buff would expire upon death.

Pros' character cards were rarer still, showcased in matches as a spectacle to entertain audiences. This rule balanced excitement and fairness. Each round was best-of-five, at least fifteen matches. Cards couldn't be traded, so bringing fifteen top-tier cards was a skill in itself. Others had their own cards, after all.

Seeing his opponent's shift, Chongcao's eyes narrowed. A tall, dark-haired man's silhouette materialized behind him, towering above all. The crowd instantly recognized him, their excitement surging.

"Wow, Black Star!"

"Of course! Chongcao wouldn't go in without a character card!"

"I recall he used a Black Star card in the previous season..."

"Black Star is top-tier now—effects are incomparable."

Fans of the Black Star Legion erupted with curiosity. Han Xiao's panel had always been a mystery, but they could gauge his strength through dungeon battles and character cards. Their interest was now piqued.

On Chongcao's status bar, a new buff appeared: [Character Card—Black Star: [Indestructible Form]]—When receiving attacks, you negate and absorb 25% of damage. The remaining damage, after resistance, converts 60% into stamina. Stamina can be converted to HP at a 1:9 ratio, restoring up to 35% HP per second. Effect lasts ten minutes.

The comments fell silent, then exploded.

"Damn it, what the hell kind of twisted ability is this?!"

"No wonder Black Star holds that title across the universe… who the hell can withstand this?!"

Amidst the countless army legion players, eyes widened in disbelief.

Though the Viking Captain’s character card was formidable, it at least remained tolerable, whereas Black Star’s character card effects far surpassed their comprehension, leaving the onlookers utterly stunned!

—This is the standard of Super A-grade? Just a single ability is so terrifying!

High damage output, numerous subordinates, and his own body had become a meat shield…

With such abilities, Black Star could probably prevent such terrifying bosses from being stacked in the future, let alone now!

"Hey, how does he have my character card?" Han Xiao blinked, recalling that he hadn’t released any tasks like this.

Upon reflection, Han Xiao realized it was likely the Demonic Blade who had obtained a blank character card and replicated his abilities, merging the two specialties into his own alias—[Indestructible Form].

"Well then, after upgrading his specialties, I hadn’t even used them much myself, but he got to enjoy them."

Han Xiao shook his head and chuckled.