Su Liqian carefully put the contract away. “Mm, but I need a bit of time to craft the card. I’ll give it to you tonight.” 

“Alright.” 

Hao Lin replied grumpily. 

“We’re family, after all. Usually, people have to pay a deposit for custom cards, but since I trust Aunt and Cousin, I’ll let that slide. You can just pay me when you get the card tonight.” 

Su Liqian smiled sweetly, so much so that Bai Yu, who had been ready to haggle, ended up swallowing all her prepared arguments. 

“Hmph, it’s just an A-level card, isn’t it? I’ll just give it to you.” 

Hao Lin scowled and quickly transferred the money from his account. 

He was tired of dealing with his cousin, who clearly had no manners. 

So what if he needed her help today? His future achievements might not be any less than hers. Losing a valuable connection like him for some petty gain would be her loss. 

She’d regret it later. 

Seeing the large sum of money transferred to her account, Su Liqian couldn’t help but feel happy. The impatience she felt earlier vanished instantly. 

She had spent a lot on the simulation spheres earlier, and she was short on cash right now, so she welcomed the money gladly. 

“Since you’re being so generous, I won’t hold back then.” 

Su Liqian grinned and excused herself, saying she needed to prepare the materials for crafting the card. Finally, she escaped the tense atmosphere in the living room. 

She didn’t actually have any training sessions planned today, but since she was already out, Su Liqian decided to swing by the shopping mall in the Star District Center. 

Her funds were decent at the moment, and she planned to pick up a few more simulation spheres. 

This time, Su Liqian walked confidently into Jiuyao. 

It had been a while since her last visit, and the store had gotten a lot of new stock. 

She didn’t rush straight to the simulation sphere section but first wandered through the area where finished cards were sold. 

Since it was a weekday, the card section wasn’t too crowded. Su Liqian looked around the display cases — there were all sorts of cards from F-level to A-level. Most were lower than A-level, though A-level ones still took up three display cases. 

Su Liqian walked through the section, but she didn’t find any cards that resembled the “Dream” card with Yan Shuiyue’s image from last time. 

Last time she went to Ning Yishi, she hadn’t had the chance to ask much about that card since Gu Nianye was there. So she had put the matter aside for the time being. 

Even though she didn’t find anything this time either, Su Liqian wasn’t too disappointed. That card clearly had a deeper background, and she hadn’t really expected to get any clues here. 

“Do you have any S-level cards?” she casually asked a nearby robot. 

“We do! The S-level cards are in the central exhibition area. Would you like me to show you the way?” The robot’s voice was playful, and it made a cute expression toward her. 

“Sure.” 

Su Liqian nodded and followed the robot to the so-called central exhibition area. 

The area wasn’t far, but it was more luxurious, with more complete security systems hidden nearby. 

In the center of the exhibit was a huge display case, with three S-level cards floating inside. Even through the thick glass, the cards’ dazzling glow was still visible. 

There were quite a few people here — most probably came just to admire the brilliance of S-level cards. 

The price was outrageous, and probably only a handful of people in the entire Sixth Star District could afford them, but it didn’t hurt to look. 

Su Liqian lingered in front of the case for a while. The S-level cards were entirely golden, and just looking at them made them feel unlike ordinary cards. The power they represented was probably no small thing. 

In the competitive arena, an S-level card carried weight — even if the cards on display weren’t powerful weapons or summon types, as long as they had reached the “S” threshold, the price would skyrocket. 

After glancing at the price tags and seeing too many zeros, Su Liqian swallowed and quickly left the area. 

She did have an unfinished S-level card. If she could really craft an S-level card someday, would she never have to worry about money again? 

Holding onto that wonderful thought, Su Liqian wandered into the simulation sphere section without realizing it. 

There were more people here than in the card section. For most residents, buying simulation spheres to craft cards themselves was much more cost-effective than buying pre-made cards. 

The simulation spheres were lined up in a dazzling array, like crystal balls filled with all sorts of colorful hues, lighting up the entire hall. 

While simulation spheres didn’t usually have tiers, their prices varied greatly. For example, more common worlds, like Mecha Storm, had lower prices, while more complex and rare ones were much more expensive. 

Su Liqian walked down the aisle, watching the prices climb, and couldn’t help but feel a bit of a sting. 

She’d made a good amount of money, but it wasn’t enough to just splurge on these. 

She stopped where the prices were still within her budget. The simulation spheres looked unique, and she didn’t know which one to choose. 

Each ball had a brief description of its world. If she wanted more information, like the cards that could be crafted from that world, she could always ask the robot beside her. 

Su Liqian already had an idea in mind. She picked up a simulation sphere with a very familiar name — Shelter — and planned to choose one more from the rarer ones. 

Her gaze flicked back and forth between a few options: 

Wings of Divine Light — an Illusion World with a western-fantasy vibe, one she often saw Ye Zilan use. 

S Special Force — a sci-fi story set in a famous crime-ridden city, mostly producing high-damage weapon cards. 

Unknown Game — as the name suggests, the cards created here came with elements of unpredictability. This Illusion World leaned into horror and suspense, and the cards it produced sometimes retained the eerie traits of the world itself — things like Soul Phantom, which Hao Lin had used on his match before. 

And finally, Echo of Hope — a rare music-themed Illusion World. These worlds were uncommon, and usually weaker in terms of combat potential, so the price was often lower. But Echo of Hope was surprisingly expensive, which made Su Liqian take a few extra looks. 

“Is there something special about this world?” she asked the nearby robot. 

“Well, dear customer, Echo of Hope have a chance of crafting an S-level weapon card—Thoughtless Zither, which ranks tenth on the weapon leaderboard! It’s also a card favored by the renowned card master Chu Ji!”

“Furthermore, some cards from Echo of Hope have mental attack abilities, making them great companions for card masters in the competition!” 

Now it made sense, Su Liqian thought to herself. 

The simulation spheres themselves might not be worth much, but the fact that one of them is ranked tenth on the weapon card leaderboard is already a big draw. On top of that, some of the cards have mental attack abilities, which significantly increase the value of this simulation sphere. 

Now, the price of this simulation sphere, which was much higher than the ones beside it, seemed much more reasonable—perhaps even worth more than expected? 

Su Liqian didn’t hesitate much and grabbed the last Echo of Hope simulation sphere from the display to check out. 

After returning home and having a meal, Su Liqian went back to her room to start crafting cards. After all, she had made a deal and received money, so she had to keep her word. 

However, crafting a specific card was not an easy task. Card crafting had an element of randomness, and it wasn’t uncommon for someone to struggle with crafting a particular card. 

Su Liqian took a deep breath, pulled out a few transparent cards from her drawer, and got to work. 

She began to imagine the world of Journey to the West in her mind, focusing especially on the story around the Purple Gold Red Gourd.

Luckily, she succeeded on her first try. 

It was probably because, with her current spiritual strength, crafting a B-level card was no big deal. Plus, she was quite familiar with the story, which likely made her lucky. 

After finishing the card, Su Liqian immediately sent it off to Hao Lin, completing the transaction. She wasn’t too concerned with what happened next since it no longer involved her. 

What she needed to focus on now was preparing for her upcoming match. 

The next game was the day after tomorrow, and she had a practice match scheduled for tomorrow with Sen Ya and Ye Zilan. 

But with some time left before sunset, Su Liqian decided not to rest. Instead, she took out the two simulation spheres she bought earlier that day, ready to dive into them. 

Her plan was to familiarize herself with the two Illusion World today, without immediately starting to craft cards. 

The first simulation sphere, Shelter, was a common Illusion World seen often in competition arenas. Su Liqian was somewhat familiar with this story, which primarily followed the protagonist, Xielte, who grew up in hardship but possessed an extraordinary talent for weapon crafting. With the help of various life mentors, he grew and ultimately became a great weapon master. 

Because of this storyline, Shelter is known for producing a wide variety of useful weapon cards, making it a valuable resource for many card masters during competitions. 

The other simulation sphere, Echo of Hope, was a bit more niche in comparison. Although the card set contained powerful weapon cards, including one of the stars of the card world—a card often used by S-rank masters—Su Liqian had yet to see many people using cards from this Illusion World in competitions. 

What made this Illusion World special? 

This question piqued Su Liqian’s curiosity.  

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