Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Ning Zhu sucked in a breath of cold air, so excited she almost jumped up on the spot.

The mood she felt upon seeing this class schedule was probably even more exciting than picking up a [Star God Card]!

Li Leyang! A great good person!

Ning Zhu sent over a whole string of stickers, her gratitude impossible to put into words.

Li Leyang replied in an extremely pretentious way, saying lightly: “Just a small matter.”

The reality was that he was in the boys’ dorm gripping his fists in excitement, feeling happier than when the instructor in the preparatory class praised him!

Li Leyang sprang to his feet with a whoosh.

His roommate called out to him: “Brother Yang, come play simulation cards.”

Li Leyang: “There’s going to be practical combat class soon. Why play simulation cards? I’m going to the library.”

“What for, your mom looking for you?”

“I’m looking for her!”

“???”

Brother Yang, who usually hid from his own mother like a mouse avoiding a cat, was actually taking the initiative to deliver himself to the door!

Li Leyang truly felt that arranging a class schedule was just a small matter.

And he was destined to accomplish great things.

So, he planned to make use of his enormous advantage in the library to organize a detailed set of reference materials on [Ancient God Cards] for the Ancient God Card Master, helping her develop her own cultivation system!

Ning Zhu knew absolutely nothing about this. If she had known, she definitely would have tried with all her might to stop Li Leyang.

What [Ancient God Cards] even existed?

There was really no need to work this hard searching for materials!

Ning Zhu opened the class schedule. With just one glance, she could see the true value contained in this schedule.

The title was far too modest.

What “Best Class Schedule”?

This was clearly the one and only, peerless, unprecedented, incomparable, utterly unmatched Aries Department class schedule!

Ning Zhu’s eyes curved into crescents from smiling, then she suddenly muttered: “Oh right!”

She quickly asked Li Leyang: “Can I share this class schedule with my roommates? Just two people.”

Li Leyang replied to her: “No problem, but you all need to grab the classes quickly.”

Ning Zhu sent an earth-shakingly grateful sticker, then went to find Lu Xianle and Lin Ting.

Lu Xianle was currently sighing endlessly.

Lin Ting was also tightly furrowing her brows.

Ning Zhu: “I have an unbelievably amazing class schedule here!”

“What?”

“I sent it to you guys!”

The three of them simultaneously opened it on their computers. After one look, all their eyes lit up.

Lu Xianle: “Wow, so it’s actually this simple!”

Lin Ting: “It’s not simple. It’s just that the person who made this class schedule understands the course times and instructors too well.”

With this class schedule as a reference, they finally had some direction regarding course selection.

Although language, mathematics, and foreign language were compulsory courses, there was no need to take too many classes.

Spirit Card Academy was not as intensely competitive as ordinary high schools. As long as students could pass these three compulsory subjects, they would receive fixed credits. For some top students born as pure humans, one class a week was enough.

Then there were the six subjects: physics, chemistry, biology, history, geography, and politics.

There was no need to take all of them. They only needed to choose at least three classes.

Li Leyang made a chart for Ning Zhu, explaining in detail how these six subjects affected card making.

After reading it, Ning Zhu immediately said: “Let’s grab chemistry first. This is related to materials science and has a direct connection to card making.”

This class was extremely popular, so they had to act quickly.

Fortunately, the freshmen were all still confused. Forget grabbing classes—they did not even understand the courses yet.

The three girls swiftly secured the chemistry class.

Li Leyang strongly suggested that Ning Zhu choose history as an elective. This was because of the [Ancient God Card].

Ning Zhu had flipped through that book, History and Legends of Spirit Cards—a gigantic thick book full of illustrations, the kind that could kill someone if thrown.

She did not want to study it at all. She felt like she would definitely fail.

But...

Lin Ting also asked Ning Zhu: “You have to choose history, right?”

Ning Zhu helplessly said: “Right.”

She had no choice even if she did not want to. Everyone knew she was the Ancient God Card Master, and the “Ancient” in Ancient God referred to history.

If she did not choose “history,” people would become suspicious.

[Fate Conversion] had only barely managed to give her a new identity.

She had to be careful, careful, and even more careful.

As for the final elective, Li Leyang only gave Ning Zhu suggestions.

He wrote: “If you’re interested in technology cards, you can choose physics. If you’re interested in healing cards, then choose biology. As for geography and politics, those two will affect your employment direction after graduation. If you want more freedom and aspire to search for wild cards outside, then geography is pretty good. If you want to enter the system, then choose politics. Don’t underestimate it—there are a lot of jobs within the system. For example, the Special Affairs Administration and the Card Master Association. Of course, many departments related to pure humans also recruit Card Masters.”

In the end, Ning Zhu chose chemistry, history, and physics.

She truly chose history out of helplessness. She actually wanted to choose geography more.

Lu Xianle chose chemistry, geography, and politics.

She said: “Personally, I definitely want more freedom. Searching for wild cards sounds so cool, like being an explorer. But... my parents definitely hope I’ll enter the system. Anyway, I’ll just study both.”

Lin Ting chose chemistry, biology, and geography.

She said firmly: “I want to strengthen my body.”

Lu Xianle could not quite follow her train of thought: “Biology leans toward healing cards. Healing cards are... for strengthening other people’s bodies, right?”

Ning Zhu, however, understood why Lin Ting made those choices.

Lin Ting was too small and skinny.

She was the very typical kind of southern girl—short, with a tiny frame, looking soft and fragile.

Lin Ting’s parents divorced when she was very young. After her mother remarried, she left Lin Ting at her uncle’s house.

Her uncle and aunt treated her pretty well, but no matter how good they were, they could not compare to biological parents.

Having lacked love since childhood, Lin Ting deeply longed to be loved.

She got a boyfriend in middle school. Because he liked skinny, petite girls, she constantly kept her weight between seventy and eighty jin.

And then?

After her boyfriend learned that she was going away to study in another city, he immediately found a new girlfriend.

And in the [Scene Card], she had nearly been “killed” because she lacked physical strength.

If Ning Zhu had not stood in front of her, she might not even have had the courage to stay at Spirit Card Academy.

Lin Ting wanted to work hard to eat properly and train well, but no one could become fat in a single bite.

Moreover, no matter how hard she tried, her height and bone structure were difficult to change...

So, Lin Ting wanted to study “biology.” She wanted to know whether there existed a kind of card that could let her break free from the shackles she was born with and become strong and powerful!

Ning Zhu said: “We also have to study physical education. Student Li introduced that too.”

The two girls also looked toward their own class schedules.

Music, art, and physical education were all compulsory subjects as well.

But these classes were included within the professional courses.

For example, physical education was included in practical combat class.

Art was included in card making class.

Music was included in spirit energy class.

This led into the Card Masters’ professional courses.

Generally speaking, first-year students’ courses were relatively basic, similar to language, mathematics, and foreign language classes, and closer to high school courses in pure human society.

Spirit Card Academy used a six-year education system.

The first two years were equivalent to “high school,” while the last four years were the real “university.”

However, Spirit Card Academy did not have master’s or doctoral programs. After graduating in six years, if students still wanted to pursue academics, they had to return to pure human society and apply for graduate school and doctoral studies at other universities.

Because it was “high school,” Ning Zhu and the others’ professional courses were relatively simple.

There were three professional courses that both departments had to take: Basic Spirit Card Materials, Basic Spirit Card Production, and Basic Spirit Card Practical Combat.

The Aries Department and Libra Department also had their own professional courses. These were courses arranged specifically around the three cores.

These courses were not subdivided during first year. There was only one class.

For Aries, it was simply Introduction to the Aries Department.

For Libra, it was Introduction to the Libra Department.

Only in second year would the courses gradually split into more specialized branches. By third year, there would be much greater focus on improving and strengthening professional courses.

The only slight differences among Ning Zhu and the other two girls were their electives. All the other classes were exactly the same. They quickly logged into Spirit Card Academy’s academic affairs system and efficiently began grabbing classes.

Without much effort, all three obtained their own schedules.

Everything was clear and organized, balancing work and rest.

Lu Xianle was overjoyed: “This schedule arrangement is really great. At least we don’t have to wake up at five-thirty in the morning and finish school at ten-thirty at night!”

Lin Ting pondered and said: “There’s one tiny problem.”

Ning Zhu had noticed it too. She said: “The class locations are kind of chaotic.”

Lin Ting checked the map of Spirit Card Academy, fell silent for a moment, then said: “…Good thing we have [Slide Slide Cards].”

After the first day of classes ended, Lu Xianle was exhausted like a dog: “Oh my god, why can’t [Slide Slide Cards] go up stairs?!”

Their first class had been on the fourth floor of Building A, while the second class was on the sixth floor of Building F... Between buildings, they could sprint wildly using [Slide Slide Cards], but going up and down stairs was impossible!

Especially since the time between classes was so tight. They had to dash up six floors at the speed of a hundred-meter sprint. It was absolutely life-shortening!

Ning Zhu suddenly had a thought and searched for Li Leyang’s Six Pillars Chart on the school forum.

Good lord...

Brother Yang was an iron-blooded Aries person.

Li Leyang had completely maxed out the three Aries cores, while the three Libra cores were practically scraping bottom.

Ning Zhu suddenly remembered the itinerary Li Jin had given her in the Land of Spirit Resonance, the one that had even planned out the shortest routes.

Forget it, forget it!

Something that was too “perfect” might not necessarily be suitable.

Li Leyang’s class schedule happened to train the Aries Department’s “explosive power.”

Thinking of it that way, Ning Zhu suddenly had more energy climbing stairs.

It was not until Tuesday that Ning Zhu and the others finally welcomed their first class related to spirit cards.

—Basic Spirit Card Practical Combat.

Instructor: Professor Li Suwen.

Class time: 13:30–15:30.

Class location: Practical Combat Building, Classroom 111.

Lu Xianle’s eyes lit up as she said: “Is it on the first floor?”

After an entire day of climbing up and down stairs, Lin Ting had already adapted quite a bit. She had even eaten an extra half bowl of lunch, so she was feeling pretty energetic now as she said: “Hard to say. Maybe it’s the eleventh floor.”

Lu Xianle: “Ptooey ptooey ptooey!”

Ning Zhu comforted her: “The academy is built on top of a mountain. There aren’t buildings that tall.”

Lu Xianle beamed with joy: “Right! The highest is only seven floors, so this time it’s definitely the first floor.”

Their practical combat class really was on the first floor, and it was an enormous classroom capable of holding nearly a hundred people.

Li Suwen was the head of the Aries Department and also one of Spirit Card Academy’s senior professors.

The practical combat class she taught was one of the popular courses. The students who managed to get in were either preparatory class students or students with extraordinary judgment or some connections. Ning Zhu’s group of three also counted as the latter type.

The practical combat classroom was different from ordinary classrooms.

At the center was a square arena roughly ten meters wide, equivalent to half a basketball court.

Surrounding the square arena was a ring of meditation cushions. Red cushions were on the left side, blue cushions on the right side. Aries and Libra remained as clearly separated as rivers and wells.

Practical combat classes were not divided by department. Aries Department and Libra Department freshmen would compete to enroll in the same class.

When Ning Zhu and the other two entered, quite a few people were already seated on the cushions one after another.

She spotted a familiar face at a glance.

Ye Jianrong was sitting on the blue cushions. Her Libra Department uniform made her look as straight and upright as a green pine tree. Her cute face, paired with her serious expression, appeared icy cold, as though the surrounding temperature had dropped several degrees.

Beside Ye Jianrong were several Libra Department students. One of the boys was exceptionally handsome. His hair color was somewhat light, and his clothes were neat and orderly. The gold-rimmed glasses on his face concealed his narrow eyes, giving his somewhat frivolous features an elegant and noble air.

He noticed Ning Zhu immediately and gave her a slight smile.

People always said not to hit a smiling face, yet Ning Zhu instinctively disliked him.

Bai Ze commented: “That brat looks secretly rotten at first glance. He’s got at least eight hundred schemes in his head.”

Ning Zhu understood now. No wonder her first impression of him had been bad.

Lu Xianle lowered her voice and said: “That’s Shen Guan, right!”

“Divine Officer?” It was not Ning Zhu’s fault for mishearing. Lu Xianle’s dialect habits made her pronunciation easily rise upward.

“The Shen with the three-dots water radical, and Guan from Guanyin! He’s also a preparatory student. His family is very famous in the spirit card world too... Oh right, the school forum gave him a nickname: Shen Number Two.”

“Is he the second child in his family?”

“Pfft!” Lu Xianle laughed first before lowering her voice again. “He does have an older sister, so he really is second in birth order. But the reason they call him Shen Number Two is because in the preparatory class final assessment, he got second place in card making and second place in practical combat.”

In the preparatory class, first place in card making belonged to Li Leyang, while first place in practical combat belonged to Ye Jianrong.

And Shen Guan got two second places.

Ning Zhu objectively said: “That’s still very impressive.”

Lu Xianle loved stirring up trouble while watching the excitement. She chuckled and said: “It is pretty impressive, but unfortunately he’s always being suppressed by someone else.”

Ning Zhu really could not laugh.

Her first impression of Shen Guan had even improved a little.

He was “Shen Number Two,” while she was “Iron-Headed Sheep.”

As fellow victims of the school forum, the eldest brother should not laugh at the second brother.

Li Leyang had obviously chosen this class too. The moment he entered the classroom, he looked around everywhere, but after spotting Ning Zhu, he immediately turned his head away again.

Ning Zhu did not even have time to smile at him.

As for going over to talk to him... forget it. There were too many people around Li Leyang.

Li Leyang was popular and also a top student from the preparatory class. The boys from the Aries Department all crowded around him.

Li Suwen arrived at the classroom exactly on time. She walked with forceful energy, her dark red robe swaying behind her and revealing her straight long legs. After her leather boots stepped onto the square arena, she turned around with a powerful motion and revealed her signature smile.

The head of the Aries Department was sharp and capable, while also possessing the warmest smile.

Especially those little dimples, which made her appear even more approachable.

“Hello, students.” She greeted everyone, her gaze sweeping across the crowd one by one. When she saw Ning Zhu, she smiled at her.

Ning Zhu had a very favorable impression of Professor Li Suwen as well, and she returned a bright smile.

Li Suwen did not even bring a textbook, nor did she carry a roll book. She bluntly said: “Practical combat class is free-form. You can even choose not to attend class, as long as you can independently defeat a three-star [Character Card] during the final exam.”

The moment those words came out, the classroom was filled with sharp gasps.

Defeat a three-star [Character Card]?

This was the content of the practical combat final exam?

Li Suwen truly deserved to be the head of the Aries Department. Her style of doing things was sincerely frank and straightforward.

She directly told the students the exam content an entire semester in advance.

But the problem was—who would dare skip class?

They absolutely had to study properly!

Forget a three-star [Character Card]; the scenes of them getting chopped apart like melons and vegetables by a one-star [Warrior] were still being replayed repeatedly on the school forum!

Li Suwen raised her left hand, and a dark red card was pinched between her fingertips as she said: “Let us first understand [Spell Cards].

“Could one student come up and demonstrate for everyone?”

The moment her words fell, the classroom became completely silent.

Ning Zhu straightened her back immediately, suddenly feeling the same nervousness as “playing around all summer vacation, then getting called on by the teacher in the math class you’re worst at right after school starts.”

“Ye Jianrong Ye Jianrong Li Leyang Li Leyang...” Ning Zhu muttered quietly in her heart. “If nothing else, there’s still Shen Guanyin... cough, I mean Shen Guan!”

Li Suwen swept her gaze around once before saying: “Student Ning Zhu, you come.”

Ning Zhu: “…………………………”

Bai Ze said disdainfully: “Why the hell are you being cowardly over one tiny [Flame Card]?”

Ning Zhu forced herself to stand up and, under the gaze of countless classmates, walked toward Li Suwen.

Li Suwen smiled at her and said: “This is a [Flame Card]. You only need to place it into the card ring, sense the card’s power, and then inject the spirit energy inside your body.”

Ning Zhu heard every word clearly and also knew Bai Ze was right.

It was only a [Flame Card]. She had even used the more difficult [Arson Card] before, so this was not a problem.

But the situation was different!

Being asked to solve a math problem she had never done before on the blackboard in front of everyone—even if it was very simple—would still make her nervous, okay?!

“Begin!”

“O-Okay...”

Ning Zhu took the [Flame Card]. She took a deep breath and tried hard not to feel nervous.

It was just a card.

She could do this.

Ning Zhu placed it onto the card ring and followed Li Suwen’s instructions to sense the [Flame Card]. A mass of blazing fire appeared in her mind. She knew this was the sign before releasing the card. Next, she only needed to guide her spirit energy into it...

One second...

Ten seconds...

Thirty seconds...

Someone suddenly snorted with laughter and said: “Isn’t she the ‘Ancient God Card Master’? How come she can’t even release a [Flame Card]!”

Boom!

An explosive sound rang out. Ning Zhu only felt intense pain from her wrist, followed immediately by Li Suwen’s shocked cry: “Ning Zhu!”

The students in the practical combat classroom were all horrified by the shockwave.

Fortunately, the arena was a [Scene Card], so the spirit energy did not spill outward. They only saw the shockwave instead of being struck by it.

Li Suwen was protected by an [Armor Card], so only her clothes were blown by the violent wind with fluttering sounds.

Looking at Ning Zhu again, her face was pale, and her wrist was a bloody mess.

The [Flame Card] had failed to activate.

Her card ring had exploded!