Yu-Gi-Oh!: Ultimate Duelist

Lin Hao had just found a place to sit down when he heard a unique sound of footsteps approaching from afar.

Looking up, he saw a young man with a very non-mainstream hairstyle and clothing walking towards him. The exaggerated hairstyle seemed like a cloud that had been tossed around by the wind, and the colorful clothes were shining with a strange light in the sun.

The young man sat next to Lin Hao carelessly, looking at Lin Hao with curious eyes.

"Hey, brother, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time here?" The non-mainstream young man asked tentatively, with a hint of unruly in his voice.

Lin Hao nodded slightly, his eyes flashing with longing and desire, and he slowly said: "Yes, this is my first time here, and I want to see if there is any hope of becoming an official duelist."

Upon hearing this, the non-mainstream young man immediately acted familiar, as if he had found a kindred spirit. "Well, you're lucky to have met me today. As a senior, I have a wealth of experience."

His face was radiant with confidence, as if he were a master in this field.

Lin Hao asked weakly, "Senior, have you come here many times?" His tone was full of curiosity.

A hint of pride crossed the non-mainstream youth's face, as if he were reminiscing about his glorious past. "I've been coming here every day to do simulation challenges since two years ago," he said, his voice filled with determination and perseverance.

"What the hell?" Lin Hao widened his eyes, his face full of shock.

He really couldn't imagine that someone could come here every day for two consecutive years to conduct a simulated challenge. The key point was that the young man in front of him didn't even have a duel disk, which clearly showed that he had failed the challenge.

The non-mainstream youth seemed a little embarrassed. He scratched his unique hairstyle and explained, "I'm always just a little bit away from passing the challenge, so I have to persist in coming here every day to challenge. After all, what if, just in case, I pass one day, then I'll be a full-fledged duelist."

There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes, as if that day was just around the corner.

Lin Hao didn't want to insult the other party too much, so he changed the subject and said, "But it's remarkable that you were able to put together a deck so quickly. I only just managed to put together a 40-card deck recently."

The non-mainstream youth was shocked when he heard this, as if he had discovered a new world. He said, "No way, there are so many cards you can buy. Shouldn't it be easy to put together a 40-card deck?"

His expression was full of confusion, and he seemed unable to understand Lin Hao's difficulties.

Lin Hao's eyes widened in disbelief. "At the card shop, a small pack of random cards costs five thousand yuan. How could anyone afford that?"

Lin Hao's voice was full of helplessness and emotion.

As if remembering something, Lin Hao continued, "Brother, are you the son of some wealthy man?"

The non-mainstream youth slapped his forehead and said helplessly: "How is that possible? If my family had money, would I need to come here to pass the challenge to get the duel disk?" His tone was full of self-mockery and helplessness.

At this time, the non-mainstream youth seemed to suddenly understand something and explained: "The reason why I said there are many cards is because there is a place where many discarded cards are placed. If the number of cards is not enough, just go there and pick up a few cards." A mysterious smile appeared on his face, as if he had mastered an unknown secret.

Lin Hao asked curiously, "There's actually a place like this? Cards are so precious, how could anyone throw them away?"

Upon hearing this, the non-mainstream youth immediately revealed an all-knowing air and continued, "That's because some students from the Duel Academy used to throw their extra, weak cards there. Over time, the place became littered with useless cards, turning it into a waste card graveyard."

Lin Hao's expression changed, and he continued to ask, "Then where is this waste card graveyard?"

The non-mainstream youth didn't intend to hide it and said directly, "It's in the forest behind the old campus of Shonan Duel Academy. However, it's been abandoned for a long time and is said to be haunted. Many duelists who go there are cursed by card elves, so they don't dare to go deep. I only pick up cards in the outer areas."

Lin Hao nodded thoughtfully, expressing his understanding.

After a conversation, Lin Hao learned that this non-mainstream youth was named Zhang Shujie.

Zhang Shujie opened a barber shop locally, but unfortunately the business has been lukewarm.

However, despite not making much progress in his career, Zhang Shujie is full of yearning for card duels.

He often dreamed that one day he would become a majestic duelist, show his skills in the dueling arena, and win the cheers and admiration of everyone.

The two chatted casually, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

At this moment, a sudden commotion erupted from the previously quiet second floor. Loud shouts shattered the silence, and people began to rush in one direction.

Zhang Shujie's curiosity was instantly ignited, and he immediately rushed forward like an arrow to find out what was going on.

Not long after, Zhang Shujie came back panting and said to Lin Hao excitedly, "Someone is here to challenge Ji Changming! Let's go and take a look."

Lin Hao was slightly stunned and asked doubtfully, "Who is Ji Changming?"

Zhang Shujie's eyes revealed admiration, and he slowly said, "Well, Ji Changming is a formidable duelist. In the two years I've been here, I've seen him duel five times, and he's easily won every time; he's never lost."

After hearing this, Lin Hao felt a little curious and nodded, saying, "That's really amazing. Let's go and take a look."

Zhang Shujie quickly said, "Come this way, follow me closely, don't lose me."

Lin Hao nodded and followed Zhang Shujie closely.

They made their way through the bustling crowd and soon arrived at a place that looked like a gymnasium.

The venue was surrounded by rows of terraced seats, resembling a small arena, with a spacious and open space in the middle, the size of a basketball court.

When Lin Hao arrived, many people were already there, chatting excitedly with anticipation on their faces.

It can be seen that Ji Changming must be very famous, otherwise he would not have attracted so many people to come and watch.

At this time, Zhang Shujie pointed to a middle-aged man in a black suit in the square below and said, "Look, that's Ji Changming, the most powerful duelist I've ever seen."

Lin Hao looked in the direction of the voice. Although the distance was a bit far, he could still barely make out the serious expression on the other person's face. Ji Changming stood tall and straight, with a firm gaze, giving off a sense of calm and confidence.

He held the duel disk tightly in his hand, as if it were his weapon, ready to accept the challenge at any time.

Opposite Ji Changming stood a burly man with well-developed muscles and dark skin. He looked more like a fitness trainer than a duelist.

There was a hint of provocation in his eyes, and he seemed to be full of confidence in his own strength.

Soon, the duel began.

The atmosphere in the venue suddenly became tense, and people held their breath, looking forward to this exciting showdown.

Ji Changming and the burly man looked at each other, their eyes full of fighting spirit.