After Gu Nianye said that, he turned around and looked toward the center of the arena, acting like he was focused on the match. 

Although Su Liqian had a lot on her mind, she didn’t let it show. She also turned her head to look at the arena. 

Before long, it was her turn. 

Out of politeness—or maybe something else—Gu Nianye nodded to her as she stood up and said, “Good luck out there.” 

Su Liqian nodded back and quickly made her way from the audience seats to the preparation area. 

Even though Gu Nianye was sitting way in the back, he still stood out in the crowd, and Su Liqian easily spotted him. 

She couldn’t help worrying a little about their conversation afterward and whether it might take a weird turn, but with the match about to begin, she had to push those thoughts aside and focus. 

Deep breath… 

She heard the call for her to enter and took a deep breath to calm herself. 

Her opponent walked up—a woman slightly older than her, casually dressed and wearing a relaxed smile. This must be Shao Mi, her opponent for the match. 

“I’ve seen your profile. Looking forward to this match,” Shao Mi said brightly. Her voice had a cheerful tone that made her seem more energetic than in the match footage. 

“Me too,” Su Liqian replied with a smile, shaking hands with her. 

As soon as the match started, Su Liqian brought out her usual setup: an A-level gear card from Mecha Storm, and an A-level weapon card from Oracle’s Legacy. 

Shao Mi, just as Su Liqian expected, used her signature combo. 

One was an A-level card from Dream Ark—Captain Cullen’s Divine Gear, and the other was an A-level summoning card from High-Speed Fury—Morphing Motorcycle. 

Shao Mi wore a sleek blue-and-white uniform, and beside her was a flashy red motorcycle. 

Flames shot out of the back of the bike, making a loud roar. 

Captain Cullen, from the Dream Ark, had gear that boosted all kinds of vehicles. With the gear equipped, the Morphing Motorcycle got faster and more responsive. 

With a wave of her hand, Shao Mi sent the bike tearing across the field, speeding straight at Su Liqian. 

Su Liqian quickly activated the acceleration on her mecha suit to dodge, but instead of ramming into her, the bike started circling around her. 

The bright red motorcycle picked up speed, creating a spinning ring of fire that trapped Su Liqian in the center. 

She tapped her visor to try and track the bike’s location and break free. 

But Shao Mi noticed her move and played an acceleration card on the bike. 

The motorcycle got even faster. Even though Su Liqian tracker could lock on to it, the speed made it nearly impossible to escape the circle. 

But Su Liqian’s eyes shifted slightly.

She had an idea.

The sword in her hand wasn’t just a weapon. In cultivation terms, it was also a mode of transport. 

Just as Shao Mi was about to press the attack, Su Liqian tossed her Frost Piercer Sword to the ground and jumped onto it. 

Everyone watching was confused for a moment—until they saw the slim sword lift her clean off the ground and into the air! 

“???” 

Amidst the stunned stares of the audience, Su Liqian soared on her sword, quickly escaping the motorcycle’s circle and rising into the air, looking down at the entire arena from above. 

“What the heck?! Isn’t that just a sword? Why can it fly?!” 

“How is she even balancing on it like that?! She doesn’t even look nervous!” 

“Wait, is that really just a regular weapon card?!” 

“Damn, every card Su Liqian pulls out is something else! I thought that sword was just fancy for no reason.” 

“This is insane! It’s both a weapon and a ride?! Is that really just an A-level card?!” 

“Please, God Su, let us have those Illusion World simulation spheres already! I need them in my life!” 

Once again, the audience’s minds were blown. All eyes were locked on Su Liqian and the flying sword. 

Now that she was off the ground, Shao Mi’s motorcycle was basically useless against her. 

Shao Mi clearly hadn’t expected this, but she didn’t freeze for long. She quickly recalled her motorcycle. 

Click-clack— 

The once-sleek motorcycle transformed by her side, making mechanical shifting sounds. 

In under two seconds, the long motorcycle transformed into a heavy cannon, which she lifted easily. 

At the same time, she swapped out her gear card for another A-level card—Shelter, featuring the weapon master, Porter. 

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

Shao Mi casually lifted the cannon and fired several rounds at Su Liqian in midair. 

Su Liqian skillfully maneuvered her sword to dodge, and the blasts left scorched craters on the ground. 

Heavy artillery was no match for an agile opponent. Shao Mi quickly realized this and transformed the cannon into dual pistols. 

The rapid-fire attacks worked—Su Liqian had to lower her altitude and eventually landed back on the ground. 

But that didn’t mean Shao Mi had the upper hand. 

Right as her feet touched the ground, Su Liqian whipped out another card and charged at Shao Mi. 

“Unlock!” 

A green card immediately turned into a beam of light and vanished into the Frost Piercer Sword—many people didn’t even catch a clear look at the card due to how fast it all happened. 

“Was that a function card? Looked like it might’ve been something to boost attack power!” 

The commentator made a guess and quickly pulled up the replay. Only then did they get a clear look at the card. 

“It’s actually an A-level function card from Oracle’s Legacy! Other than the Frost Piercer Sword, this is the first time Su Liqian has used a card from this Illusion World!” 

“That sword has already given us plenty of surprises. Could this card be hiding more tricks too?”

Both commentators kept their eyes on Su Liqian, not wanting to miss a single detail. 

Su Liqian was holding the Frost Piercer Sword, weaving around all of Shao Mi’s attacks with strange, almost dance-like footwork, step by step getting closer. 

Shao Mi quickly backed off, trying to switch her dual pistols into a weapon more suited for close combat. 

“Ah!” 

Before the transformation finished, Su Liqian was already right next to her, striking with her sword. 

Caught off guard by the sudden strike, Shao Mi couldn’t react in time and took a hit to the shoulder. 

In an instant, blood streamed down the blade—but the snow-white sword remained pristine, as if untouched by the stain. 

By now, Shao Mi’s dual pistols had finally shifted into a longsword. She tried to counterattack, but Su Liqian dodged again with those strange, fluid steps. 

“What’s going on?” 

Shao Mi was confused. Did she just use some kind of speed-boosting card? 

Clang! Clang! Clang!

While she was still thinking, Su Liqian swung her sword with elegant, flowing movements that somehow carried deadly force with each strike. 

At first, the audience thought she was just attacking, but there was something captivating about her footwork. 

“Hey, don’t you think Su Liqian looks like she’s dancing? It’s so beautiful!” 

“Whoa, am I really watching a match? This feels totally different!” 

“What is this? How can her movements look so soft but still land every hit?” 

“Is this another crazy card?” 

“…” 

Even the crowd was puzzled, and Shao Mi—right in the middle of the action—had no idea what she was up against either. 

It felt like wind was swirling around Su Liqian. Her moves looked graceful, but every strike was sharp and clean. 

Shao Mi’s body was already covered in cuts of all sizes, and she realized she couldn’t just sit there taking hits anymore. 

Su Liqian seemed to sense that Shao Mi was about to fight back. A few meters away, she suddenly picked up speed. 

Somehow, she looked lighter and faster with each step, like she was walking on air. 

Whoosh. 

A gust seemed to sweep past Shao Mi’s ear as Su Liqian struck again. Shao Mi barely dodged, but with a quick flick of the wrist, the sword came at her from another angle. 

Su Liqian’s movements were so unpredictable that Shao Mi couldn’t dodge in time. More wounds opened up across her body, and all she could do was barely block a few strikes using the shield formed from her motorcycle. 

She was completely on the defensive now. 

Desperate, Shao Mi tried to grab a transparent card from the Star Moon Stone belt at her waist, but just as she pulled it out, Su Liqian’s Frost Piercer Sword knocked it out of her hand. 

The card flew several meters away, and Shao Mi had to block yet another slash with her shield. 

“What kind of card is that?” 

She didn’t expect Su Liqian to answer, but she still couldn’t help asking. 

Shao Mi wasn’t weak—far from it. But right now, it felt like she had no way to break through Su Liqian’s relentless offense. 

Her footwork and sword style were just too strange, too hard to read. 

“This move is called Swift Clouds Swordplay. It’s a sword technique.” 

“A sword technique?” 

Shao Mi repeated the words softly, starting to understand a little. 

But it felt like the outcome was already decided—she was about to lose. 

Blood continued to seep from her wounds. She had to stay hyper-focused just to avoid the worst of Su Liqian’s strikes. 

In a match this exhausting—mentally and physically—it was almost impossible to fight back. 

Shao Mi looked at the girl in front of her, who seemed so young, like just another high schooler. And finally, she had to admit the truth. 

She was about to be defeated. 

The new generation really is something else… 

“I surrender.” 

Shao Mi raised both hands, and the judge immediately stepped in to stop Su Liqian. 

“Victory goes to Su Liqian!” 

The match was over. Su Liqian finally stopped her attack and instinctively glanced toward a certain corner of the audience. 

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