“You just advanced?” 

Bai Zhi looked genuinely confused, then quickly switched to a dramatically shocked expression as she turned to Su Liqian. 

“Wait—Xiao Qian, you mean… you actually made it to the finals? No way…” 

Even as she said it, Bai Zhi sounded doubtful, and her confidence in that reaction was clearly fading. 

Although she hadn’t interacted much with Su Liqian, she knew that Su Liqian’s performance had never been great. She herself was practically invisible, and for someone participating for the first time to make it to the semifinals—let alone the finals—seemed like an impossible dream. 

Once the idea clicked, a flicker of mockery flashed in Bai Zhi’s eyes, though she quickly plastered on a sympathetic smile. 

“It’s okay, Xiao Qian. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about if you didn’t make it. Hardly any first-timers get into the semifinals, let alone the finals. Only super talented people like Brother Hao Lin can pull that off.” 

That comment not only suggested Su Liqian was lying, but it also served to flatter Bai Yu, who beamed with pride. 

“Haha, totally! Xiao Zhi’s right. It’s totally normal not to make it. I mean, when Hao Lin first competed, barely anyone his age could reach the semis like he did.” 

Su Liqian listened to them quietly, expression unreadable. “I did say I made it through, though.” 

“Huh? You actually made it to the finals?” 

Bai Zhi looked at her with disbelief, as if preparing to mock her as soon as Su Liqian admitted it. 

But before Su Liqian could respond, an energetic and passionate piece of music interrupted their conversation. Bai Yu and Bai Zhi’s attention was immediately drawn to the activity on the competition field, and they forgot all about their previous doubts. 

“Welcome, everyone, to the Fifth Star District Finals! The intense competition is about to begin, so let’s look forward to today’s match…” 

Hao Lin’s match was the first of the day. Not long after, a tall guy walked out from the right-side entryway. His looks were average, and he seemed a bit older than Su Liqian. This had to be the “genius cousin” she vaguely remembered. 

“Go, Brother Hao Lin!” 

Bai Zhi jumped to her feet excitedly, only to get told off by someone sitting behind her. 

However, this didn’t dampen her enthusiasm for cheering on her cousin. 

“Hey, Xiao Qian, aren’t you going to cheer for your cousin?” 

Su Liqian, who just wanted to watch the match in peace, turned to glance at her. “Mm, good luck.” 

Bai Zhi, who received a cold response, seemed unbothered. She pulled Bai Yu beside her and continued discussing the match with great enthusiasm. 

According to them, Hao Lin’s opponent was just a so-so card master. Decent in the earlier rounds, sure, but definitely no match for Hao Lin. 

Su Liqian was skeptical about this and quietly shifted her gaze to the competition field, waiting for the match to begin. 

From what she remembered, her cousin had always been the “golden boy” of the family. His debut in the card competition scene had won him plenty of praise and made her aunt’s side of the family proud. 

She only ever knew of him as a “genius,” but she had never actually watched him compete. 

Ignoring the noise coming from the left, Su Liqian looked toward Hao Lin’s direction. 

“Let the match begin!” 

With that signal, the two competitors sprang into action. Hao Lin pulled out two A-level cards, armed himself with a sleek black handgun, and suited up in a dark green mecha suit. His movements were sharp and confident. 

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

From the audience’s perspective, after a few rounds of intense clashes and a flurry of gunfire, it seemed like Hao Lin was gradually gaining the upper hand. 

“See? I told you Hao Lin’s amazing! That guy doesn’t stand a chance! I really think Hao Lin might make it to the Interstellar Tournament this time!” 

“Hahahaha!” 

Bai Yu looked thrilled, clapping Bai Zhi on the shoulder and beaming. 

“If Hao Lin really makes it to the Interstellar Tournament, I’ll treat everyone to dinner at Zhouyi Tower!” 

“Wait—seriously?!” 

“Of course I’m serious! Would I lie to you?” 

“Waaahhh, then I’m totally counting on Brother Hao Lin to come through!” 

“Haha, deal!” 

Make it to the Interstellar Tournament, huh… 

Su Liqian raised a brow. 

These two really believed each other’s words completely. 

Before coming here, she had checked Hao Lin’s results. He had already lost one match, and his chances of advancing to the Star Realm competition were slim. 

From what she could tell now, Hao Lin was maybe mid-tier at best among the finalists in Fifth District. Definitely not top of the class. 

Still, Bai Yu and Bai Zhi looked like they were already dreaming of glory. 

To be fair, making it to the Interstellar Tournament was no small feat. For both the card master and their family, it was a total game-changer. 

Although the card competition is divided into Star District competitions, Star Realm competitions, Planetary competitions, and Interstellar competitions, only card masters who make it to the Star Realm competition are considered to have officially stepped into the threshold of the card competition, becoming a “card master” admired by all. 

Representing a star district brought not just fame and honor, but also tons of money and attention. They’d become rising stars in the card world, the talk of the town across the galaxy. 

The impact was on a whole different scale. 

To put it bluntly, no one from the Bai family had ever advanced to the Star Realm competition. If Hao Lin could make it this time, it would be “glory to the family.” 

However, this level was not something that could be easily crossed. The gap between the Star District competition and the Star Realm competition was a massive hurdle, and most people would fall short at the very last step, including many so-called “geniuses.” 

The audience was still lively, and on the field, Hao Lin seemed to sense his opponent’s weakness. He looked increasingly confident of victory, and the hint of nervousness on his face had long vanished. 

“Why don’t you just admit defeat early and save us both some time?” 

Hao Lin smirked and raised an eyebrow, glancing contemptuously at his opponent, who was hunched over and panting not far away. 

This match was both important and not. 

Hao Lin had gotten lucky—he was matched with a rookie in the finals whose strength was mediocre at best. As long as nothing unexpected happened, his chances of winning were high. A sure-win situation like this was nothing more than an easy victory for him. 

Which was exactly why it was perfect for showing off. 

His mom had invited a bunch of family and friends to cheer him on, and he had even brought along the girl he had a huge crush on to watch him in action. 

So yeah—he couldn’t just win. He had to look good doing it. 

With that thought, Hao Lin casually slipped one hand into his pocket, struck what he thought was a dashing pose, and looked down at his opponent with that self-satisfied air. 

“Hmph. In your dreams.” 

But the other person wasn’t about to give up easily. They threw down a card, ready to keep fighting. 

“Ahh!”

A burst of black flames came charging at him, and just as Hao Lin was about to dodge, his body suddenly got bound by chains. 

For a moment, he couldn’t move at all. He stood there, helpless, watching the flames come closer. 

“Don’t… don’t come any closer!”

The chains were wrapped tightly around him, restricting his movements, and what was once a relaxed attitude quickly turned into a tense state of panic. His mind went blank. 

He had let his guard down! 

In the final moment, Hao Lin quickly activated the defense system of his mecha suit to block some of the pain. But the flames still hit him, scorching his dark green mecha suit and turning it black. 

“Warning! Warning! Forest Wing is under attack, and some functions are damaged. Please repair it immediately!” 

The sharp alarm and mechanical voice in his head only made Hao Lin more frustrated. He glanced at the holes in his suit, and the anger in his eyes was impossible to hide. 

How dare this guy embarrass him in front of so many people! Who did he think he was? He wasn’t even a real opponent! How dare he hurt him? 

“Hmph, you’ll pay for this. I’m getting serious now!” 

Hao Lin’s gaze was locked onto his opponent, who was already struggling. He reached for a card and threw it. 

“It’s the Soul Phantom! I didn’t expect Hao Lin to pull this card at such a crucial moment!” 

The commentators were shocked as a small black mist appeared on the field, giving off an intense, intimidating aura. 

It wasn’t that this card was rare, but as an A-level summoning card with immense power, it was one of Hao Lin’s secret weapons. In a match that seemed to have no suspense, it didn’t seem necessary to bring it out. 

Usually, competitors try to hide their true strength, but this wasn’t typical of Hao Lin’s style. 

Even though they didn’t fully understand why, the commentators kept on excitedly explaining. 

“It looks like Hao Lin wants to end this match quickly!” 

As soon as they said that, the terrifying black mist flew toward his opponent, surrounding him from head to toe. 

“Ahh!”

The judge rushed forward to stop it, but it was too late. 

Once the black mist was cleared, the card master was seen kneeling on the ground, eyes wide with terror. His clothes had been torn to shreds by something, and he remained frozen in position, even as medics arrived to lift him. 

The attack of the Soul Phantom was known for being brutal and terrifying, and no one knew what happened to that person afterward. Now, everyone was cheering for the victor. 

Of course, there were some voices of doubt among the applause. 

“Isn’t Hao Lin being a bit too cruel? He was already going to win, so why go this far?” 

“He used the Soul Phantom! That was totally unnecessary!” 

“That guy’s gaze was so scary. I hope I never run into him.” 

“…” 

In the end, the roaring applause drowned out all other voices. Hao Lin saw the admiring looks in the crowd around him and curved his lips into a smile. 

“I knew it! Hao Lin would definitely win! That guy never stood a chance. Hmph, how dare he hurt Hao Lin, he deserved it!” 

Bai Yu, who had been looking gloomy after Hao Lin got hurt, now seemed to be cheered up by all the praise and applause around him. He smiled lightly and said, “He’s just too soft-hearted, always hesitating to hurt others, and that gives them a chance to strike. I’ll have to talk to him about that.” 

“Well, the match is over. I’ll go find Hao Lin, and we can all go grab a meal together.” 

“Great! I’ll come with you!” 

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