Flashes of memory ran through her mind. Su Liqian rubbed her aching temples and tried to steady herself. 

Right after that person left, someone else in the same black casual outfit came running from the same direction. 

But this one was different—he didn’t hide his face.  

With sharp features and striking looks, he was impossible to ignore. 

Gu Nianye came to a slow stop, a slight frown on his face as he scanned the area. His gaze quickly landed on Su Liqian not far away. 

“Hi, did you see someone in all black pass by just now?” 

“Ah, yes, I did. I think he went that way.” 

The moment he came closer, Su Liqian could feel the strong aura radiating from him. 

Gu Nianye gave a small nod, said nothing more, and sprinted off in the direction she pointed. His black figure turned into a flash of lightning and vanished in the blink of an eye. 

He was fast—probably using some kind of acceleration card… 

That brief encounter had completely disrupted Su Liqian’s excitement from winning the match. All she could think about now was that mysterious man in black. 

And the guy who asked for directions… He probably wasn’t just some random person either. Something about this whole thing felt way more complicated than it seemed. 

Lost in thought, Su Liqian didn’t rest after getting home. Instead, she opened up her smart computer and logged into the forum. 

As expected, searching for anything related to increasing spiritual strength came up empty—again. 

Su Lianqian kept refreshing the page when a discussion thread suddenly caught her attention. 

[Why are there suddenly so many cases of people losing control of their spiritual strength? And why is all the talk about it getting suppressed? What’s really going on?] 

She clicked on the post. There were only a few replies inside. 

Happy Hero: I noticed that too. One of my friends just disappeared out of nowhere. They said it might be related. 

I Love Fish: Don’t you guys know this is under serious investigation now? A lot of discussion threads have already been deleted. This one probably won’t last long either. 

Future Card Master: I’ve heard a bit of insider info, but it’s not convenient to say. Just don’t get too involved, or your account might be gone. 

Just Howling: That’s kinda scary… 

No Success No Card: It’s happening all over the galaxy. The Federation’s even sent investigators. This might be a big deal… 

There wasn’t anything too concrete in the thread, but at least it confirmed one thing—whatever it was, it was spreading across the entire interstellar. 

Su Liqian refreshed the page again, and sure enough—the thread was gone. 

Guess I’m not gonna find any real clues online for now. 

Just as she closed the forum, a message from Sen Ya popped up. 

Sen Ya: I slept in today and now I feel totally recharged! 

Sen Ya: How’d the matches go this morning? 

Su Liqian: Won them all. 

Seny Ya: Wow! Amazing! Then to celebrate, let’s go shopping this afternoon! 

Su Liqian: Already feeling that well-rested? 

Sen Ya: Hehe, of course! A good nap fixes everything. Besides, shopping is a form of self-care, right? 

Su Liqian chuckled and agreed. She needed to pick up some transparent cards anyway, maybe even scout out some good deals on simulation balls. 

After lunch, she said a quick goodbye to her parents and headed out. 

“This is the first time we’re hanging out outside school, huh?” 

Sen Ya walked beside her, her usual tired look gone. Her eyes kept wandering to the stores around them, drawn in by the flashy displays. 

“Look over there! That’s my goddess, Mu Xixi!” 

Sen Ya pointed excitedly at a massive holographic poster on a tall building. Su Liqian looked over too. 

The woman’s elegant figure and flawless features were displayed in vividly. Even the casual way she brushed her hair aside somehow captured everyone’s attention. 

“So pretty…” 

Su Lianqian couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. 

“Right? Xixi’s not just a pretty face either—she’s a seriously skilled card master!” 

As soon as Sen Ya started talking about her idol, admiration lit up her whole face. 

“Even during battles, she stays super graceful! She didn’t make it to the top ten last season, but she used to be the top female card master!” 

“The strongest, huh…” 

Su Lianqian looked at Mu Xixi with a bit more curiosity and awe in her eyes. That graceful figure left a deep impression on her. 

She couldn’t help but wonder— 
Would she ever be able to reach that level too? 

That thought crossed her mind, but she quickly brushed it away. 

After all, things like that felt far too out of reach for her current situation. 

“Oh right, today Jiuyao is releasing a special edition custom card and a matching simulation ball for Goddess Xixi. We need to get there early or they’ll be sold out!” 

Su Liqian knew Jiuyao was the biggest department store chain in the interstellar, famous for selling cards and simulation balls. But the whole “special edition custom card” thing was new to her. 

Was it something like character merchandise in a game or something? 

Before she could dwell on it, Sen Ya had already dragged her into the largest Jiuyao branch in the area. 

As expected of the biggest chain in the interstellar, Jiuyao had a huge variety of goods and a steady flow of customers. 

“There it is!” 

Sen Ya spotted the most crowded display case and quickly pulled Su Liqian into the growing line. 

“If we’d come any later, we probably wouldn’t have gotten any!” 

“You planned this all along, didn’t you?” 

Su Liqian couldn’t help but tease her. 

Sen Ya looked a little embarrassed for once and chuckled. 

“Hehe, you caught me. I hadn’t been checking the Star Net while we were at school, and only found out yesterday that there was a Xixi event today! Good thing we made it!” 

She affectionately tugged on Su Liqian’s arm. “Thanks for coming with me! I’ll treat you to lunch later. Don’t worry, even though the crowd’s huge, the line’s actually moving fast!” 

“No problem, I didn’t have anything going on anyway. I was planning to pick up a few things too.” 

“Looking for transparent cards? I’m getting a whole set later, I’ll give you a few. You have no idea—this custom card is seriously gorgeous…” 

Once Sen Ya started talking about her idol, she couldn’t stop. Before they knew it, they were deep in conversation again. 

Just like she said, even though the line looked long, they reached the front pretty quickly. 

Inside the display case, transparent cards spun gently, catching the light in all kinds of dazzling colors. But unlike regular clear cards, the backs were decorated with flowing lines that formed a glowing image of Mu Xixi. 

The whole card shimmered like crystal, with elegant patterns winding around the corners. 

“So these are the custom cards? They’re stunning…” 

Even Su Liqian, who was used to flashy in-game designs, couldn’t help but be impressed seeing the real thing. 

“Whoa, they look even better than the pictures online!” 

Sen Ya had already been itching to buy a hundred sets, and now that she’d seen the real ones, she immediately grabbed two sets without hesitation. 

“Oops… totally blew my budget. Looks like I’ll be living on plain food for a while… but it’s worth it! My spiritual nourishment is more important!” 

Watching her mood swing from dramatic despair to total excitement was classic fangirl energy. 

Su Liqian smiled as she tried to comfort her, but her attention drifted toward a different section of the display. 

“Wanna check that area out?” she said. 

Sen Ya followed her gaze and immediately lit up. “Oh right! I almost forgot—they’ve got simulation balls too! Let’s go!” 

“Ahh, this one! This is the Illusion world Xixi’s best at!” 

“And that one! She used this Illusion World to land a one-hit victory in the finals on Katya Star!” 

… 

As Sen Ya listed off her idol’s achievements, her eyes sparkled with excitement—she practically knew every detail by heart. 

“Oh, right! Look at this—a simulation ball for Star Sea Odyssey! There’s a discount today, and the world inside isn’t too complex. It’s perfect for you.” 

Su Liqian glanced at the ball Sen Ya pointed out—a small, crystal-clear sphere that seemed to hold a swirling nebula of pink and blue light, glowing like a mini universe. 

If this thing were sold in her past life, its aesthetic alone would give it a massive market. 

She snuck a glance at the price tag and winced. 

Even with the discount, it wasn’t cheap. 

If she bought it now, she’d probably be stuck living off scraps alongside Sen Ya for the rest of the month. 

But she hesitated.  

After all, the further into the competition she went, the tougher things would get. The more card sets she had at her disposal, the better her odds of winning. 

She’d seen someone use this set during a match before—it was definitely solid. 

“How about… we split the cost?” 

Sen Ya seemed to notice her hesitation and made a suggestion. 

“Do you still have money left?” 

“I, uh…” 

Sen Ya opened her mouth to respond, then gave an awkward little laugh. 

“It’s okay. I’ve already got two simulation ball, and that should be enough for now. I’ll just grab a few more transparent cards.” 

“All right then.” 

… 

By the time they headed home, both of their backpacks were stuffed. Thanks to the extra cards Sen Ya gave her, Su Liqian was pretty set for a while. 

Once home, she pulled out her older simulation ball and started focusing her spiritual strength on it again. 

Rather than getting a new one, it made more sense to fully master the two she already had. 

Even though she was just starting out as a card crafter, Su Liqian understood one thing—no matter what you’re doing, you’ve got to take it one step at a time. 

“Phew…” 

Withdrawing her mind from the simulated world of Mecha Storm, Su Liqian glanced at the time and pulled out a transparent card to begin crafting. 

Up until now, she hadn’t successfully created anything above a C-level Mecha Storm card. But after repeated attempts, her understanding of the Illusion World within the set had deepened. 

Maybe this time she would have a breakthrough. 

Su Liqian slowly channeled her spiritual strength lifting the transparent card until it was level with her eyes. 

The card spun in the air, gradually shedding its transparent surface and taking on a new color.