“Whoosh, whoosh—” 

Su Liqian could tell Ye Zilan was struggling, so she seized the opportunity and attacked first. 

She pulled out an acceleration card and instantly closed the gap between them at lightning speed. 

A blue glow covered her mecha suit, and she tapped the light spot on her right arm. A small gun barrel appeared, and in the next moment— 

“Zap! Zap! Zap—” 

Several beams of laser shot out in rapid succession, slicing through the air and heading straight toward Ye Zilan. 

Caught off guard and with both hands gripping his massive sword, Ye Zilan didn’t have time to dodge. With a swift movement, he raised the Sword of Judgment just in time to block. Sparks flew as the lasers collided with the blade, each strike accompanied by heavy, echoing thuds. 

Ye Zilan wasn’t an easy opponent by any means. He quickly responded to Su Liqian’s sudden attack. He swung the Sword of Judgment again and tried to regain control of the fight. 

“Judgment!” 

Ye Zilan’s voice seemed amplified a thousand times, and an invisible aura of authority enveloped the entire arena. 

A golden light burst from his sword and shot toward Su Liqian, locking her in place in an instant. 

The golden light wrapped around her like an invisible cage, pinning her where she stood. Then, without warning, it pierced into her mind—sifting through her memories, her past, and laying bare her every action. 

The light penetrated her forehead, and large, chaotic memories made Su Liqian’s head pound with intense pain. 

Maybe it was a moment when she helped someone, or a fleeting dark thought she once had—everything, big or small, got magnified a thousand times in her mind. 

The next moment, she was sent flying across the arena. Fortunately, her mecha suit activated its auto-defense system just in time, keeping her from crashing hard and allowing her to regain her footing near the edge. 

Su Liqian held her throbbing head and refocused the goggles to lock onto Ye Zilan’s position. 

That hit had definitely thrown her off. 

But Ye Zilan hadn’t come out of it unscathed either. 

That kind of attack wasn’t something he could pull off easily. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and yet he didn’t take his eyes off Su Liqian for a second. 

This was getting intense… 

The two stood on opposite ends of the arena, neither daring to make the next move hastily. 

Su Liqian still didn’t know what other tricks Ye Zilan had up his sleeve with that sword, but after this brief exchange, she knew it was far from an ordinary weapon. 

Compared to physical wounds, mental attacks were far more terrifying. 

Even now, her mind was still disoriented. 

And that was just the power of the Sword of Judgment when it wasn’t at full strength. 

In just a few seconds, Su Liqian’s brain was racing, trying to figure out a plan. 

She didn’t have many usable cards left. And even fewer that could counter what Ye Zilan was holding. 

Across the arena, Ye Zilan had steadied his breathing. He could strike again at any moment. 

Battles like these were unpredictable. The black mist began to swirl around his sword—then, almost instantly, a blade of light sliced through the air toward her. 

Su Liqian activated a teleportation card and vanished on the spot. 

She thought she had dodged the attack, but suddenly her mind shook. 

“Boom—” 

It felt like a bomb exploded in her head, and Su Liqian’s vision went black as she almost collapsed. 

This attack could even track her. 

Realizing this, Su Liqian’s breath grew heavier. 

If her match against Ji Yanxi had been a one-sided crushing battle, then Ye Zilan was undoubtedly the most evenly matched, troublesome opponent she had faced in the card competition. 

This wasn’t just a game anymore. 

This was war. 

Something inside her stirred—some dormant instinct awoke. Her eyes locked onto her target. 

She’d lost once before. That was enough. 

If she wanted to be the best Card Master out there, losing here was not an option. 

Su Liqian reached for a transparent card from her Star Moon Stone belt. She had to craft a new card—before Ye Zilan recovered and struck again. 

Ye Zilan knew what she was trying to do. 

He’d seen what she was capable of—and those bizarre, unpredictable cards of hers. 

So he wasn’t going to give her the chance. He had to stop her from completing the card! 

After a quick glance at the audience seats, Ye Zilan made his move. He withdrew the Sword of Judgment and swapped in a dual-pistol card. The goal: lay down some heavy fire and interrupt her. 

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” 

Bullets tore past her, grazing her mecha suit and leaving scratches in the air. 

Su Liqian was split between concentrating on the card and dodging the relentless storm of bullets. It was anything but easy. 

Beads of sweat rolled down her face as the bullets left fresh dents and scratches on her suit. 

Seeing that the dual pistols weren’t working as well as he’d hoped, Ye Zilan immediately switched to a lightsaber, closing in with incredible speed, attempting to engage Su Liqian in close combat and interrupt her card crafting process. 

Su Liqian was trying to craft a brand-new card, something that already demanded intense mental focus. With the chaos of battle swirling around her, it was taking even longer. 

And just as Ye Zilan was about to reach her— 

A red flash burst from Su Liqian’s card. 

She did it. 

On the silver card back, an ethereal sword slanted across, and the words Oracle’s Legacy floated elegantly, occupying most of the card’s back. 

It was a card born from a game she’d helped design in her previous life—an epic tale blending ancient Chinese mythology and fantasy martial arts. The story followed a normal person’s journey through monsters, quests, and trials—rising, level by level, to become a god. 

The game world was massive, filled with complex characters and settings. 

Back then, she’d only worked on part of the design, but as a devoted gamer, she knew it inside and out. 

When it launched, the game became a huge hit—even Su Liqian herself had been hooked. 

To create the world in her mind and then experience the “grass and trees” she had crafted—this feeling was something Su Liqian loved. 

But to get back on track, creating such a large Illusion World wasn’t easy. Given her current level, completing the card crafting process on the competition stage could even be considered a gamble. 

But she succeeded. 

Because Su Liqian poured her entire heart into every world she created. She knew them intimately, like she’d once lived in them. Every imaginary realm meant something deeply personal to her. 

That’s why she succeeded. 

The card now shimmered with the image of a long, icy blue sword. In the corner, a bold letter A gleamed—marking it as a rare and powerful card. 

And this sword? Su Liqian knew it like the back of her hand—both as a veteran gamer and the designer who helped bring it to life. 

This is a rare drop from one of the toughest dungeons in the game—and a key item in the main storyline: the Frost Piercer Sword. 

“What?! Su Liqian just crafted an A-level card on the spot?! That’s insane!” 

Even the commentator, who thought he’d seen it all, couldn’t help but widen his eyes and double-check if this was really just a district semifinal match. 

“Another new Illusion World! Su Liqian always manages to surprise us, no, it’s even fair to call it a shock!” 

The second commentator practically jumped out of his seat, slamming the desk in disbelief. 

Since when were new Illusion Worlds as common as cabbages?! How can she casually create something like that?! 

Both the commentators and the audience held their breath; eyes locked on the card in Su Liqian’s hand. 

What would it be this time? 

Everyone waited with bated breath. 

What kind of card would the youngest Dream Caster in history pull out next? 

The previously deadlocked match now showed the first crack—like the tide was starting to turn. 

“Unlock.” 

“Unlock.” 

Almost at the same moment, Ye Zilan revealed his Sword of Judgment again. 

He knew her well—well enough not to let his guard down even for a second. 

Because if there’s one thing Ye Zilan understood, it’s that the real battle might have just begun. 

And, by pure coincidence—or maybe not—the weapon Su Liqian held was also a sword. 

But compared to the Sword of Judgment heavy and imposing form, Su Liqian’s sword looked much smaller and more delicate. 

It was like a tiny ant facing down a massive beast—so fragile it looked like it’d snap with the lightest touch. 

But thinking that would be a huge mistake. 

Despite its slim form, the Frost Piercer Sword was still an A-level weapon card. Small didn’t mean weak, and no one in their right mind would underestimate its power. 

Now, these two blades—one massive and black, the other slender and icy blue—became the center of attention, setting the stage for the match’s peak moment. 

The livestream, which had only a few scattered bullet comments earlier, suddenly exploded. 

【HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP SHE DID IT AGAIN—NEW CARD DROP INCOMING!!】 

【No way… How is this rookie Dream Caster still producing such high-quality cards? How many new Illusion World cards does she have left?】 

【Not gonna lie, that sword she’s holding looks weird AND fragile. Sword of Judgement is at least one of the top five A-level cards.】 

【No comment—I’ve already been proven wrong by this master before.】 

【??? Wait—she’s a Dream Caster?! What did I miss?!】 

【Woah, that sword looks so strange but also kinda pretty?? Nine Demons, release the merch! I’ll buy all of it!】 

【Still can’t believe that little sword can beat the Sword of Judgment, no matter how I look at it.】 

【“Oracle’s Legacy”? What even is that? That Illusion World sounds like a tongue twister.】 

【Let’s go, Master Su!! You got this!!】 

… 

Su Liqian held the Frost Piercer Sword in her hand—its icy blue blade sleek and elegant, the long tassel swaying gently with each movement. 

Yet, paired with Su Liqian’s futuristic mecha battle suit, it felt a bit out of place. 

Not that she had time to worry about aesthetics. 

Ye Zilan’s spiritual strength seemed to have recovered somewhat, and Su Liqian wasn’t completely confident in resisting the mysterious mental attack. 

So she chose to strike first. 

With a flick of her finger, the ice-blue long sword shot through the air, flying out of Su Liqian’s hand and leaving only a faint trail of light behind. 

“Boom—!”