Cheng Yu wrapped up his first school opening speech with this final remark. 

Most of the lessons on the first day were focused on basic theories. 

For Su Liqian, it was her first full experience of the curriculum at an interstellar high school, and she realized it was quite different from her high school in her previous life. 

Although there were still theoretical lessons, many of the topics were related to cards and Illusion World. Su Liqian not only refreshed her knowledge of this new world but also got to learn more about things that piqued her interest. 

In the past, Su Liqian would often zone out during every class, but here, it was as if she were a sponge, eagerly soaking up every bit of knowledge and wanting to learn more about this fantastical world. 

Listening to the teacher on the podium talk passionately about the great card masters and the worlds they had created, it felt as though this class had been tailor-made for Su Liqian. 

The morning quickly passed, and just as Su Liqian was about to pack up and head to the cafeteria, she was unexpectedly called to the homeroom teacher’s office. 

Ye Zilan was standing next to her, and Cheng Yu stood up from his desk, giving them both a careful look. 

“You two had the highest entrance exam scores out of all the new students. The school has high expectations for you.” 

“So, how confident are you in making it into the top 20 in this upcoming preliminary exam.” 

Without much thought, Ye Zilan immediately answered, “Of course, I’m confident.” 

Su Liqian instinctively glanced at the person next to her, but when it came to her turn, she felt somewhat uncertain. 

Though she had unexpectedly ranked first in the entrance exam, she had no idea what the preliminary exam would entail, let alone whether she had a chance of placing well. 

“I… I’ll do my best.” 

Cheng Yu’s gaze lingered on Su Liqian for a few extra seconds, but he didn’t say anything more. 

“By the way, you’ve both signed up for the card competition, right?” 

“Mm.” 

“I’ve signed up.” 

“Well, the first match is this weekend, so make sure to prepare well. Alright, you can go eat now.” 

With a wave of his hand, Cheng Yu dismissed them. 

As expected, whether in the past or now, being called into the teacher’s office always made her nervous. 

As Su Liqian walked down the corridor, ready to head to the cafeteria, Sen Ya sent a message saying she had already gotten lunch for her. 

After finishing lunch together, they both returned to their dorms to rest. 

When Su Liqian opened the door to her dorm, she saw a girl she didn’t recognize sitting inside. 

Ren Yi, hearing the sound, turned and met Su Liqian’s gaze. 

“Hello.” 

“Hello.” 

Their first meeting as roommates was a little awkward, but Ren Yi suddenly seemed to realize something and said, “Oh, you’re Su Liqian, right? Nice to meet you, I’m Ren Yi.” 

“Yes, that’s me. You know me?” 

“You ranked first in the entrance exam, tied with Ye Zilan, and now you’re sitting next to him. It’s hard not to know you.” 

Ren Yi smiled. 

Su Liqian, however, wasn’t very good at socializing, so she didn’t really know how to respond in this situation. 

The room quickly fell silent again, and both of them began doing their own things without disturbing each other. 

The rest of the week was mostly just running back and forth between the classroom and the dorm. Sometimes Su Liqian would try crafting cards in her room, but after noticing Ren Yi sneaking curious glances a few times, she decided to stop. 

It still felt a bit strange having someone else in the room. 

A week quickly passed, and this weekend would be the preliminary round of the Sixth Star District Card Competition, which would also be Su Liqian’s debut as a card master. 

Thinking about seeing and even using those magical cards on the competition stage tomorrow, Su Liqian was so excited the night before that she almost couldn’t sleep. 

The competition arrived as scheduled the next day. 

The Sixth Star District card competition was held in the largest arena in the entire star district, with live broadcasts. 

However, as it was just a district preliminary, there weren’t many people paying attention, and the audience seats were not completely filled. 

Su Liqian arrived early at the venue and waved at Sen Ya, who was already sitting in the audience. 

“Qian Qian, over here!” 

The two of them sat in a front-row spot, where they could see a few familiar faces. 

Above the massive open-air arena were multiple broadcast screens, and several camera robots flew around the venue for live streaming. The central competition area was vast. 

The host was hovering in mid-air in a small flying vehicle, and the transparent room across from them was where the commentators were located. 

This truly was the most high-profile event in the entire interstellar world. Even though it was only a district preliminary, everything was arranged according to the standards of a major competition. 

When the time came, the host’s voice echoed through the venue via loudspeakers. 

Su Liqian sat in her seat, her gaze fixed on the central area of the arena, eagerly awaiting the first match to begin. 

“It’s Ye Zilan! I didn’t expect him to be the first to compete!” 

This was Sen Ya’s first time watching a card competition as a participant, and her lively personality made her even more talkative when nervous. 

On the competition stage, Ye Zilan was still wearing his Lanxi school uniform and calmly walked out from the waiting area. 

Perhaps it was fate, but Ye Zilan’s opponent turned out to be none other than a student from Chenya High School, Lanxi’s rival. 

“Hey, isn’t that the person who tried to steal from me that day? Why is it her?” 

Sen Ya seemed to recall the unpleasant experience and said angrily, “Hmph, running into Ye Zilan is her bad luck!” 

“Ye Zilan, beat her up!” 

Sen Ya’s voice was quickly drowned out by the noise of the crowd. 

“The match begins!” 

With the signal, both players immediately summoned their cards to start the duel. 

Ding Tong took out an A-level transformation card from Star Sea Odyssey and gently swiped it across her wrist. 

“Unlock.” 

As soon as the words left her mouth, the card instantly transformed into specks of light that enveloped Ding Tong’s body. When the light faded, she was dressed in a blue-black combat outfit that seemed to be adorned with a starry sky. 

“An A-level card from Star Sea Odyssey! Isn’t this just the preliminaries? She’s going all out from the start!” 

“Looks like she’s well-prepared! That card isn’t cheap!” 

“Wow, I just came here for a casual walk and ended up watching a match with A-level cards in the first round.” 

With the start of the match, the audience’s excitement grew. 

As Ding Tong’s opponent, Ye Zilan took out a B-level transformation card from Wings of Divine Light. 

“Unlock.” 

Ye Zilan gently called out, and after a flash of white light, he appeared in a white outfit with golden patterns, his cape fluttering in the wind from his shoulders. White feathers were faintly visible in his hair. 

“Ye Zilan, you’re doing well academically, why go to Lanxi? Isn’t that a waste of your talent?” 

“Stop talking nonsense.” 

Ye Zilan, too lazy to argue with Ding Tong, immediately drew out another B-level weapon card from Wings of Divine Light. 

The card transformed into a magnificent feathered bow, and Ye Zilan drew an arrow, aiming at Ding Tong. 

“Whoosh—” 

A white-feathered arrow shot out, but as it reached Ding Tong’s position, she blinked out of sight, dodging the attack. 

“How dare you use a B-level card to fight me? Hmph, Ye Zilan, today I’ll defeat you, the top student of Lanxi, on behalf of Chenya!” 

Ding Tong moved quickly, closing the distance between them. The glowing ring on her wrist expanded and shot toward Ye Zilan. 

The Star Sea Odyssey transformation card she used was a Star Speed Combat Suit, known for its speed. Ding Tong knew this advantage and used it for close combat right from the start. 

However, Ye Zilan was no simple opponent. The moment Ding Tong approached, he used the divine light to disrupt Ding Tong’s judgment, swiftly creating distance again. 

“I didn’t expect the first match of the year to be this exciting!” 

“Yeah, this isn’t just a battle between two people, it’s a fated match between the top high schools of the Sixth Star District!” 

The passionate commentary lifted the atmosphere of the arena to its peak, and the battle on the field soon had a victor. 

Ye Zilan threw his bow into the air. The curved feathered arrow stretched out and transformed into a spear. 

Even in close combat, Ye Zilan was calm. Facing Ding Tong’s fast and intense assault, Ye Zilan stayed composed. The moment Ding Tong exposed a weakness, he struck decisively. 

“Ah, it seems Ding Tong hasn’t quite mastered this A-level card yet! She couldn’t maintain her high-speed attacks and left an opening!” 

“Ye Zilan quickly capitalized on that flaw and, using two B-level cards, won the match! Let’s congratulate Ye Zilan for winning and earning two points!” 

“Ahhh, we won, we won!” 

Sen Ya excitedly shook Su Li Qian’s arm, as if she were happier than if she had won herself. 

“Hmph, I bet that Chenya will stop acting so arrogant now! Didn’t they lose to our Lanxi?” 

“Yeah, it really was exciting.” 

Su Li Qian, sitting in her seat, seemed unsatisfied, still immersed in the intense battle she had just witnessed. 

There were many participants in the preliminaries, and a points-based system was used. 

After watching several more matches, it was finally Sen Ya’s turn. 

“Good luck!” 

“Don’t worry, Qian Qian! I’ll treat you to something delicious after I win!” 

Sen Ya took a deep breath and walked into the competition arena. 

She was greeted by a young man who appeared to be much older than her. 

After the host announced the start of the match, the young man immediately used a Mecha Storm weapon card and charged at Sen Ya, while Sen Ya also drew her Mecha Storm card to counter. 

The two cards collided. The young man, with his experience on the battlefield, had the upper hand for a moment. However, Sen Ya quickly summoned another Mecha Storm weapon card, and after several rounds, she narrowly won. 

For a preliminary round like this, there usually wasn’t much to see. Most participants were either young newcomers or veterans who had participated in many tournaments. 

Competitors who had already qualified from past years generally skipped the preliminaries and directly advanced to later rounds. 

At this stage, having one or two powerful cards or simply getting lucky can earn a lot of points. 

Clearly, Sen Ya was having good luck today. Her opponent had many cards, but his fighting style wasn’t flexible enough, and he quickly lost.