The comment section under Ding Tong’s post was very lively, with many Chenya students coming to show support, creating a scene similar to the front rows of a celebrity’s comment section in a past life, where fans tried to “control the narrative.” 

【Go, little junior! Show Lanxi what we’re made of. They win one match and suddenly think they’re untouchable? Let’s see how long their luck lasts.】 

【Whoa, it’s Sister Ding Tong! Go crush it! Win this one back for Chenya!】 

【Chenya, let’s go! We accidentally let that trash of a school win one match, and these past few days, I couldn’t even hold my head high online! We’ve gotta get back at them!】 

【No way Lanxi actually thinks they’re better than Chenya, right?】 

【I’ll definitely be there to cheer you on at the competition! Chenya can’t lose momentum!】 

Of course, not all the comments were cheering her on. There were also a few voices of doubt: 

【…Is this comment section for real? Celebrating before the match even starts? You really think you’ll win for sure? 】 

【 Based on the current data of the two players, I’m betting on Su Liqian. Chenya, a first-rate school, doesn’t even have the guts to admit defeat. I’m really seeing it now. 】 

◇◆◇ 

These kinds of comments weren’t rare, but whenever they appeared, Ding Tong would delete them immediately. 

Meanwhile, Su Liqian’s inbox was filling up—some were encouraging new fans, others were haters from Chenya, and a few messages were from her own classmates at Lanxi, hoping she’d respond with a post of her own. They didn’t want the school to look weak. 

Ding Tong had already heavily promoted the battle between them online, turning it into the ultimate showdown between Chenya and Lanxi. 

So if Su Liqian didn’t say anything at all, people might assume she was scared or had already given up. 

After thinking it over, Su Liqian finally posted: 

Su Liqian: @DingTong I accept your challenge. 

Her reply was calm and neutral—not the explosive drama the onlookers had expected. 

On the other hand, many could feel a different meaning behind it. 

It showed the contrast between Ding Tong’s aggressive, almost pushy approach, and Su Liqian’s calm and composed attitude. 

In a way, both of their behaviors reflected the personalities of the schools they represented. 

But no matter how intense the online chatter got, the real result would come from the match itself. 

Before the big day, Su Liqian even took a quick trip to the Second Star District to see Ning Yishi for a check-up. 

Luckily, her spiritual strength seemed fine. The last incident must have just been from overexerting herself while crafting a card. 

Still, as she was leaving, Ning Yishi seriously reminded her to always keep an eye on her spiritual strength. 

To be safe, she stopped trying to finish the S-level card she’d been working on and instead took the time to rest and recharge before the two most important matches ahead. 

The challenge round was full of excitement, and since these were the final matches of the Star District qualifiers, the crowd turnout was huge—nearly every seat in the stands was filled. 

Su Liqian’s match was relatively early, and her friends Sen Ya and Ye Zilan’s matches were scheduled for the afternoon and the next day, respectively. 

But of course, good friends always show up for each other. And besides, one of the matches involved the pride of Chenya and Lanxi—no way they’d miss that. 

As students of Lanxi, they couldn’t afford to lose face either. 

Su Liqian looked around at the dozens of classmates sitting nearby and couldn’t help but feel the pressure. 

After watching a few other matches from the stands, it was finally her turn. 

Her first match was against Ling Xiang. 

After the applause, Ling Xiang stepped out slowly from the participant’s entrance. He had a very average-looking face, nothing that stood out. 

But Su Liqian didn’t let his ordinary looks fool her—she knew better than to underestimate him. 

Like Su Liqian, Ling Xiang had a record of three wins and one loss, and his strength should not be taken lightly. 

Su Liqian had watched his match videos beforehand, and in one sentence, she could summarize: Ling Xiang was a very solid player. 

Whether it was his use of cards, card crafting ability, or his adaptability in real battles, there were no apparent flaws, meaning this person had no obvious weaknesses, and in some sense, he could be considered very strong. 

Ling Xiang looked a bit older than Su Liqian and had even competed in a previous card tournament. Chances were, he’d studied her style just as she had studied his. 

Su Liqian stepped into the center of the arena, locking eyes with her opponent across the field. 

Both of them had that fire in their eyes, and neither wanted to lose this crucial match.

“Let the match begin!” 

The familiar announcement rang out, and the two players instantly sprang into action. 

As usual, Su Liqian started things off by bringing out her A-level gear card from Mecha Storm and her A-level weapon card from Oracle’s Legacy. 

The regular combination of the mecha suit and the Frost Piercer Sword was something anyone who had seen Su Liqian’s matches before would be familiar with. 

Ling Xiang definitely did. He’d spent all night analyzing her match videos. 

He was already familiar with Azure Lineage from Mecha Storm and had a decent grasp of its combat capabilities. But that sword—Frost Piercer—even after watching a few of her matches, he still couldn’t figure out everything it could do. 

That’s the tricky part about facing a Dream Caster like Su Liqian.

Her cards could have entirely new traits—some even custom-made on the spot to counter her opponent’s moves.

She could literally create cards mid-match to respond to whatever you threw at her.

And that was terrifying.

Ling Xiang rarely encountered such a tricky opponent. Every step he took needed careful consideration. 

“Unlock.” 

He pulled out his own A-level Illusion Card from The Starry Sky She Watches Over the Sun Star Messenger. 

A flash of light covered him, and he was cloaked in a fiery aura, dressed in golden and white clothes resembling ancient Greek attire. His cloak was dotted with flickering flames. 

In his other hand, he wielded an A-rank weapon card from Mecha Storm— the Blue Electric Light Wheel. 

It was shaped like a circular disc, with flickering streams of data flowing over its surface. The whole thing glowed with a futuristic blue hue. 

He channeled fire element energy from his illusion gear into the weapon, then hurled it straight at Su Liqian. 

She immediately swung her sword to block it. The gears on the spinning Electric Light Wheel sparked violently against the Frost Piercer Sword. The immense force made Su Liqian retreat several steps. 

Clang! Clang! Clang! 

Once the Blue Electric Light Wheel locked onto its target, it would continue attacking Su Liqian unless the user called it back. 

But that sword of hers wasn’t just for show. 

“Go!” 

Su Liqian shouted and mimicked the way the protagonist in Oracle’s Legacy used their weapon—pointing two fingers forward. Instantly, the Frost Piercer Sword shot through the air and engaged in a battle with the Blue Electric Light Wheel. 

Now it was a full-on standoff: a guy and a girl, one electric light wheel and one sword, clashing repeatedly in mid-air. 

Seeing the fight stuck in a stalemate, Ling Xiang summoned the light wheel’s control interface, which floated in front of him. After tapping a few commands, the wheel nearby flickered a few times. Not only did its blue light become darker, but its rotation speed also increased, to the point where it almost vanished, leaving only a deep blue light sphere. 

Zzzzzzt! 

Sparks flew as fire and electricity clashed violently with the Frost Piercer Sword. The force was so intense, even the sword began to struggle. 

And yet, Ling Xiang found himself increasingly shocked by that weapon. 

Under normal circumstances, with the Blue Electric Light Wheel at full speed, nearly all tough weapons would be shattered on contact. Though the Frost Piercer Sword had a tendency to be pushed back, it remained intact after several rounds of collisions. 

On the other side, Su Liqian was already adapting. She pulled out two B-level function cards she’d crafted earlier during her free time: an acceleration buff and an attack buff.

“Unlock.” 

The two cards transformed into beams of light and merged with the Frost Piercer Sword. 

Now empowered by dual buffs, the sword’s aura completely changed. 

The previous retreating stance was slowly reversed, and now the Frost Piercer Sword could withstand the Blue Electric Light Wheel’s fierce attack. 

Ling Xiang shifted tactics. He spread his arms as the flames on his clothing roared to life, spreading outward and raising the temperature around him fast. 

Then, with a sudden burst of speed, he lunged toward Su Liqian. 

Even from far away, she could already feel the searing heat. He didn’t even need to get close—if he got within range, she’d probably be incinerated. 

So this is what the power of the Sun Star Messenger looks like? 

Su Liqian had a card with the Aquarius Star Messenger, which was supposed to counter Sun Star Messenger’s attributes—but it was a full rank lower. In a direct fight, it wouldn’t stand a chance. 

So… what now? 

Dodging Ling Xiang’s attacks while racking her brain for a counter, she asked herself: 

What could possibly beat the Sun’s flames? 

If you think logically, the answer would be—nothing. 

But card battles don’t follow logic. As long as there’s no overwhelming power gap, elemental counters should still work. 

From her Star Moon Stone belt, Su Liqian drew a transparent card. She focused, building an entire world in her mind and channeling her spiritual strength into the card. 

It all happened in just a few seconds. 

She had intended to craft a water dragon… 

But what appeared in her hand was an A-level weapon card from Journey to the West—the Jade Purity Bottle. 

Su Liqian stared at it in silence. 

“…Well, it’s still water-based. Maybe it’ll do the trick.” 

After all, this tiny little bottle held water from every major lake and sea—and it did put out Red Boy’s Samadhi True Fire in the legends. Maybe it could smother a “sun,” too. 

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