This trainer has no moral principles

"That's called adult maturity. For Phil, who's still a child, it's really a bit beyond his means."

After the two of them finished playing with each other, You Zhicai asked, "I heard that Du, one of the former Four Heavenly Kings, is also going to participate in the competition. Why haven't I seen him?"

Alyssa said, "Seed players like him don't need to participate in the preliminaries, including gym leaders. If they sign up, they will directly enter the elimination rounds. This is considered a preferential treatment given by the alliance to its own people."

Phil asked curiously, "Won't anyone protest that it's unfair?"

Alyssa said, "Those who are confident in their own abilities don't care, but those who are unconfident would love it. If Du participates in the competition, it means at least four more people will lose their qualifications for promotion."

"That's right... The alliance has come up with a rare good idea. It only takes a day and a half to eliminate four-fifths of the contestants. It's much more efficient than a one-on-one ring duel." Phil said with emotion.

You Zhi and Alyssa looked at each other, and the former said: “It’s not four-fifths, this preliminaries will eliminate at least 90% of the contestants.”

"Hey, why? Two stars per person, ten stars to advance, doesn't that mean one person will be promoted out of five?"

"That's the theoretical promotion rate. In reality, there's a lot of waste. For example, if someone hasn't collected all ten stars by the deadline, their stars will lose their value. Or, if someone collects all ten stars but continues to challenge others just to reduce the number of contestants in the elimination rounds, they'll be rewarded."

"The former is understandable, but what's the point of the latter? To have more duels just to reduce the number of people advancing to the knockout rounds is not cost-effective at all, right?" Phil was puzzled.

You Zhi thought about it and said meaningfully: "Maybe he finds it interesting."

Phil blinked. "It's too willful to do something that's detrimental to yourself just for fun."

Alisa spread her hands helplessly and said, "Unfortunately, real trainers are all a bunch of willful guys."

Phil said, "It seems that I made the right decision not to choose the path of a trainer."

The three of them looked at each other and smiled.

At this moment, the sound of explosions from the elves' skills colliding could be heard in the distance. Phil suddenly woke up from his dream and said hurriedly, "Oh no! We've been talking and forgetting the important things. You two should hurry up and act. Although there's still hope of advancing until the last moment, there's no need to take risks. Wouldn't it be safer to collect all the stars as soon as possible? If something unexpected happens, it will be too late to regret it!"

She quickly pulled the two unhurried people out of the arena, then looked around for players who were not strong and had not started fighting.

That’s right, although the competition has just begun, many players have already summoned elves to fight.

Since the referee did not specify the duel format, the dueling players discussed and decided the rules on their own. As long as both sides agreed, the duel could begin. In theory, even a four-person free-for-all would be fine.

Youzhi looked around and found that the outcome was basically decided in one match, and at most there would be no more than two elves.

This is not difficult to understand. After all, it is only the preliminaries, and no one is willing to reveal more information. Moreover, collecting ten stars within thirty-six hours means multiple battles, which is also a test of the team's depth. If six elves enter a cooling state in the first duel, they will not be able to cope with subsequent duels at all.

Therefore, everyone chose to fight quickly and decisively.

Phil suddenly had a good idea: "By the way, the competition location is freely chosen, which means that we can choose a terrain that is advantageous to us and then wait for others to come to us."

Alyssa said helplessly: "Others think so too, but the result is that they never wait for anyone. Generally speaking, only people who have no confidence in themselves will choose this conservative tactic. Of course, you can also use this mentality to calculate others, but it depends on luck."

"That's right...never mind. With your two strengths, you should be able to win even if the terrain is unfavorable. As long as you don't run into any particularly strong players, it'll be fine."

Phil was like a customer buying a melon for the first time. He looked around here and there, trying to pick a good melon that was crisp, sweet and juicy.

Suddenly, You Zhi said, "No need to look for it, my opponent is here."

Phil looked closely and saw a young man who looked like a minion walking towards them. He stood in front of Youzhi with a solemn expression and said in an extremely solemn tone: "I have been waiting for you to fulfill our fateful battle. This is the first and final duel!"

Phil and Alyssa looked at each other in shock, feeling that one cannot judge a person by his appearance. This guy obviously looks very weak, but he is actually Youzhi's nemesis!

You Zhi's luck is so bad that he faced the most difficult duel right from the start.

The two looked at each other in silence, the atmosphere suddenly became tense, and a battle was about to break out. Phil and Alyssa swallowed subconsciously.

At this time, You Zhi said, "I'm sorry, I've been in special combat training for the past three months. I've seen too many people and I'm a little face-blind. May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Harlem! Harlem! This is the starting point for your life's turnaround. Did you do this on purpose?"

The young man was so angry that he stamped his feet.

Chapter 276: Duel Reappears

You Zhi only had temporary face blindness, and his memory was still normal. He immediately remembered who Harlin was, so he said with certainty, "You can't be Harlin!"

"why?"

The young man almost went crazy.

"The Harlin I know doesn't have the ability to obtain eight badges." You Zhi said firmly.

There is no need to mention Achun of the Yanmo Gym in Johto District. The current owner of the Tokiwa Gym in Kanto District is called Qinglu, who is a strong rival of the strongest duelist, Red. If you don't deliberately let him win, even professional trainers can't hope to get the badge from him.

"..."

The young man was silent for a moment, then continued, "The entry requirement for the Quartz Tournament is eight badges, but they don't have to be from the same region. So, you can definitely challenge the more approachable gym leaders in Kanto and Johto."

"Is that right?"

Youzhi turned to ask Alyssa.

"No, they have to be eight badges from the same region, but the organizing committee intentionally favors local trainers, so only Kanto and Johto are considered the same region. There's also a formal explanation for this, after all, the two regions have shared the same Champions League for a long time."

You Zhi nodded, looked at the young man and said, "Now I believe you are Harlin."

"...You are as good as ever at precisely triggering other people's anger points."

Harlin took several deep breaths, finally suppressing his wits that threatened to go haywire. He forced a smile and said, "You actually tried to use psychological tactics to influence my emotions. It seems you don't have confidence in your own abilities."

Feeling that continuing the conversation would be a waste of time, You Zhi simply showed his bracelet and said, "How many stars do you want to bet on?"

Harlin was stunned for a moment, then said viciously, "Two! One match will decide our fate. If you can't defeat me, your journey in the tournament ends here!"

You Zhi had no objection and asked, "What are the rules of the game?"

"In single combat, a maximum of two elves can be used."

The two looked at each other, neither of them adding anything, and each drew a Pokémon card from the void.

"Duel!" X2

A small dueling barrier automatically unfolded, enveloping the two of them—the Quartz Alliance had set up a dueling device on Champion Road in advance.

With a flash of light, two elves appeared on the field. They were Bingzhubu and Molizard Yihao.

Seeing this, Harlin smiled slightly: "As expected, you also want to recreate that first duel, when you and I summoned these two spirits."

In fact, Youzhi had no such idea at all. From a purely intelligence perspective, using the Demon Lizard Yihao would leak the least information, after all, it was a blank Pokémon with no characteristics.

"But I am a completely different person now than I was then. Go ahead, use the water jet!"

The kappa-looking Hyozubu had water flowing out of his body. He turned around, creating a wave on the spot, and pounced on the demon lizard Yihao at lightning speed.

The water jet is not very powerful, but it is a preemptive skill, and its speed is so fast that the figure of the main soldier cannot be caught by the naked eye.

However, the Demon Lizard Yihao stood still, looking as if he was in a daze because he had lost the trace of his opponent. Suddenly, he flicked his tail, and with a "snap", he pulled Bingzhubu out of the air.

Harlin wasn't surprised, instead, he looked as if it was natural: "As expected, you've become much stronger than you were back then. Only now are you qualified to be my lifelong enemy!"

Phil and Alyssa exchanged bewildered glances. Why was this Harlin so arrogant? The Pokémon he'd summoned was clearly ugly and weak. Could it be an ugly duckling Pokémon that would undergo a drastic transformation once it evolved? Just like how the ancient White Stone evolved into the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?

As if he had guessed their thoughts, Harlin said proudly, "It seems that this form alone is not enough to strike fear into your heart. Then evolve. Your terrifying form will stir up waves in the deep sea and devour the land mercilessly. Roar, roaring sea serpent!"

In the shining blue light, the kappa-like Hyozubu evolved into a huge, ferocious-looking sea snake.

At the same time, Harlin activated the spell card he had just refined: "Lions must gallop on the grasslands, eagles must soar in the sky. Every elf has its own suitable combat environment. I activate 'Sea'!"

【Site Magic: Sea】

[Effect: Increase the ATK and DEF of face-up Fish-Type, Sea Dragon-Type, Thunder-Type, and Water-Type monsters on the field by 200. Decrease the ATK and DEF of face-up Machine-Type and Fire-Type monsters on the field by 200.]

A large amount of water suddenly seeped out of the surrounding ground and was trapped by the duel barrier, reaching above the waists of the two men.

The sea serpent raised huge waves and slapped towards the demon lizard Yihao. Although the spell card "Sea" only increased the attack and defense power by a mere 200, the power of the water skills was greatly enhanced, just like fighting in a rainy environment.

You Zhi said: "I have seen this form before, and the Demon Lizard Yihao is a water element, so the current environment is also favorable to it."

Looking at the waves coming towards him, the Demon Lizard Yihao was not afraid at all. He lowered his waist and took a posture of drawing his sword. At the moment when the waves were about to hit him, he swung his hand knife with all his strength. The water attached to his arm turned into a high-frequency vibrating blade and shot out. This was the skill "Water Wave Knife".

The water wave knife directly cut through the waves, exposing the sea snake hiding behind it. The magic lizard Yihao took the opportunity to pounce out and kicked the opponent in the head with a flying knee, kicking it away fiercely. With a "plop" sound, a huge wave splashed up.

You Zhi kindly reminded him, "Use whatever trump cards you have now, or you might not have another chance."

"I made a mistake. Facing a formidable foe like you, I shouldn't have held back. So continue evolving. Awaken your ancient memories, activate the wild power engraved in your genes, dominate the ocean with the power of the spiral, and transform, Spiral Dragon!"

【Spiral Dragon (8 Stars) Water】

[Lineage: Water]

【Level: 40】

[Attack power: 2900 (3100)]

【Defense Strength: 2900 (3100)】

[Sea Dragon Tribe, Description: Sea dragons are rumored to create sea dragon whirlpools to attack people. The spiral waves released by their huge fins can devour everything.]

The originally slender sea snake turned into a plesiosaur-like appearance. Its body became huge and fat, with webbed wings on its two front limbs and a long neck. Its head was not much different from before the evolution, and it was just as ferocious and ugly.

Harlin laughed and said, "See? This is the strongest form of the Hyojubu, with a comprehensive racial value that surpasses the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

The Spiral Dragon opened its mouth and spit out a thick stream of water towards the Demon Lizard Yihao. It was a powerful water cannon. Once it hit, the Demon Lizard Yihao, who was only 4 stars, would definitely have his health tank emptied instantly. After all, the opponent was also enhanced by the environment.

"Get out of the way!"

Yuzhi covered the next spell card while giving the order for the Pokémon's magical move.

The demon lizard Yihao was not hindered by the sea water at all. He jumped to the side with his agility to avoid the attack.

But the Spiral Dragon immediately used its huge body to ride on the waves and crashed into him. It was the skill of Water Split. The Demon Lizard Yihao hurriedly fought back with a million-ton punch, but he could not offset the powerful impact of the opponent's own weight and was directly knocked away.

Chapter 277 Martial Arts Sect Lizard

"Well done, Spiral Dragon! That's it, keep attacking and use your strengths to completely overwhelm the opponent!"

Seeing that he had the upper hand, Harlin was very excited.

The spiral dragon also let out a strange cry, gathered the water on the surface of its body again, and rushed straight forward.

You Zhi leisurely cast a D-rank spell card: "I activate 'Dimensional Boundary'. As long as I don't have an instant spell card on cooldown, neither side's elves can fight."

The spiral dragon, which was halfway through its charge, suddenly braked hard and stopped.

The Demon Lizard Yihao took the opportunity to rush forward and gave the opponent a flying knee kick, making him dizzy.

"Didn't they say that the elves on both sides can't fight?" Harlin said in surprise.

Yu Zhi explained generously, "It has a hidden effect. When the Demon Lizard Yihao is on the field, only the opponent's Pokémon cannot fight."

The only thing that is not good about Demon Lizard Yihao is that he has too many associated cards.

There are many spell cards that can block the opponent's attack, but at the D-level level, there is only "Dimensional Boundary". After all, this card has great limitations, and it can only be unilaterally blocked by activating the hidden effect.

"What a troublesome card."

Harlin sighed and had to give up the "Undersea Assault" he was refining and instead refine a targeted spell card.

The Demon Lizard Yihao took the opportunity to attack the Spiral Dragon with all his might, using various powerful fighting skills to hit the opponent's huge body with a bang, like a heavy hammer hitting a drum.

Now at level 48, its attack power is as high as 3145. If the Spiral Dragon's defense power was not high enough, it would have exploded on the spot with just this one attack.

Harlin was extremely anxious, fearing that the Spiral Dragon could not hold on. Fortunately, he was going to refine an E-level spell card, and he had refined it before the Demon Lizard Yihao launched the second round of attack.

"I activate 'Storm', destroying all Spell Cards on my field, and then destroying an equal number of my opponent's Spell Cards."

A dragon tornado appeared on Harlin's field, crushing the environmental spell "Sea". The sea water in the duel barrier then receded. Then the tornado grew rapidly, sucking in the "boundary line of the other dimension" and crushing it together.

Seeing this, You Zhi praised him for the first time: "Amazing! It's amazing that you could think of this card in a split second and break the game with the highest efficiency."

Harlin held his head high and puffed out his chest, humming twice. "Of course I did. I spent a lot of money and enrolled in a crash course for special training. The phrase 'now is different from the past' is tailor-made for me now."

You Zhi recalled that he had also summoned a bunch of meaningless E-level cards to fill the card library, and couldn't help but sigh: "It can be seen that you are very poor."

"This, this has nothing to do with poverty, okay?" Harlin was furious. "Don't try to divert my attention. Spiral Dragon, continue your attack!"

The Spiral Dragon, which was beaten all over, roared angrily, creating a wave of air that pushed the Demon Lizard Yihao back. It turned its anger into strength and used Water Stream Split again to launch an even more violent attack.

You Zhi instructed: "Without the blessing of the environment, the water flow is not unstoppable. Evolve, Demon Lizard Yihao."

Upon receiving the order, the Demon Lizard Yihao immediately burst into the light of evolution, and in the blink of an eye evolved into a stronger Qilizard form. Bio-modified armor appeared on his body, and he opened his arms to face the impact of the Spiral Dragon head-on.

The two sides collided with each other, making a sound like a car accident, and the remaining force swept around. Qixi Yihao was ultimately inferior in strength, and was pushed back step by step, unable to stand.

Harlin laughed happily and said, "Hahaha, it's useless! The evolved Spiral Dragon is a Pokémon on the same level as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. It can't be resisted by a mere big lizard."