This realization made Jiang Ming feel a bit restless.
Even if the 108 pages of the Classic of Mountains and Seas were all skill cards with various attributes, they could still make him overwhelmingly powerful.
But something still felt lacking.
What he needed was the kind of power that gave him peace of mind.
So Jiang Ming reopened the Classic of Mountains and Seas in his mind and began to study it more carefully.
He started from the first page: Zhulong.
In truth, Jiang Ming had only obtained his natal card from the Classic of Mountains and Seas three days ago. He hadn't yet studied all the entries on the strange beasts in detail.
He only remembered the spiritual point costs when choosing his first beast.
"The god of Zhongshan is called Zhuyin. He sees day as day and closes his eyes as night. He exhales cold as winter and breathes warmth as summer. He neither drinks, eats, nor rests. His breath becomes the wind. He is a thousand miles long. He lives in the east of Nothingness, with a human face and a snake's body. He is red in color and resides at the foot of Zhongshan."
After carefully reading Zhulong's entry, a sudden clarity dawned on Jiang Ming.
"This is my destiny!"
He felt it in his core. This was a natal card.
Next, he looked at the entry for Si.
"The Si is located east of Shun's burial place and south of the Xiang River. It looks like an ox, dark gray, with one horn."
Compared to Zhulong's detailed record, the entry for Si was brief. Yet after reading it carefully, three words formed in his mind.
"Skill card."
So that was how it worked.
With growing understanding, Jiang Ming continued reading through all the remaining strange beast records in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, categorizing and recording each one clearly as either a natal card or a skill card.
Looking at the densely packed entries on the ancient pages, his goal for the next card became clear: he needed a physical-type natal card.
Still, Jiang Ming didn't regret unlocking Si first.
Thanks to his high spiritual point reserve, his physical capabilities already rivaled those who had chosen physical ability cards. Now, with the addition of Si, he was essentially a Card Master with a physical-type natal card and an epic-grade physical skill card.
By the time he finished sorting through everything, it was already late.
He stood up, prepared some mashed potato rice, took a quick shower, and went to sleep.
—
The next morning, Jiang Ming got up early.
He washed up and prepared a simple breakfast, eating while browsing the forums.
Every day, the forums were flooded with new information, guides, and game strategies.
Now that he understood the difference between natal cards and skill cards, he turned his attention to weapon and armor cards.
He still had one rare material in his possession.
As for the [Fine Gold] he had asked about before, someone had finally replied with its price.
One million federal coins.
Jiang Ming simply responded with a polite thank you.
Ridiculously expensive.
He currently only had 50,000 coins in funds. Buying another premium material card to pair with [Twin Snake Skin] was clearly unrealistic at the moment.
Just then, a message popped up in the class group chat.
"Classmates, classes will officially begin at school the day after tomorrow."
It was from the homeroom teacher. Jiang Ming replied with a quick "received."
In the private class group, however, chaos erupted.
"Why do we have to go to class even though we have superpowers?!"
"Yeah, aren't the college entrance exams supposed to be changing? We have powers now. Why do we still have to become office workers?"
"Everyone, calm down!"
This last message came from the class monitor, Lan Fangyu.
"I heard there will be more Card Master courses this semester."
"For real?"
"Squad leader, you're so annoying!"
Though the class banter was chaotic, what Lan Fangyu said aligned with some news Jiang Ming had seen before. The content was almost identical.
Then the tone of the conversation suddenly shifted.
Lan Fangyu posted a picture of himself holding a card.
[Whirlwind Fight]
Level: Apprentice
Quality: Ordinary
Effect: Quick Combo – The user can unleash three consecutive strikes in rapid succession. Each strike deals low base damage, but combined they provide stable sustained output.
Jiang Ming's mouth twitched.
That familiar tone again.
"Classmates, I crafted a skill card this morning. Can anyone help me evaluate it?"
"Squad leader, aren't you a Card Master with physical abilities?"
"Yes, I am."
"Whoa, then this card is a perfect match for you!"
"Haha, I thought so too! Though the quality is a bit low."
Jiang Ming closed the group chat, no longer interested.
Just another boring show-off.
He looked at his fingers. An idea sparked.
Between his fingers, a card materialized: [Si].
It was a discovery he made last night. The illuminated pages of the book could be transformed into physical cards and summoned at will.
If he photographed this card and sent it to the group, it would no doubt silence everyone.
But Jiang Ming wasn't that childish.
After finishing breakfast, he prepared to find a quiet place to better understand the power of the Si Shadow Rift.
Only by testing it in real combat scenarios could he grasp its true effect.
He tucked his knife into his schoolbag and wrapped a cloth around the exposed handle.
With his bag slung over his shoulder, he opened the door and stepped outside.
The girls next door hadn't returned yet.
As he descended the stairs, he noticed lingering signs of unrest in the community from yesterday's events.
Two families were loading bags into their cars, clearly preparing to leave.
It had nothing to do with him.
Jiang Ming planned to move out after the college entrance exam, whether the education system changed or not.
He wanted to move somewhere better.
He walked to the nearby bus stop, the only one in the area.
Today's destination was a small stream in the old district.
Before the Card Master game became widespread, this place had been peaceful, visited only by a few fishermen.
Given the current state of things, Jiang Ming doubted anyone would still come here to fish.
He boarded the nearly empty bus and took a seat.
Public transport in the old district had always been like this. The economy was stagnant, and few people took the bus.
They said most citizens had escaped poverty and were living better lives now.
Unfortunately, Jiang Ming wasn't one of them.
Half an hour later, the sun was shining bright.
He got off the bus and sprinted along the narrow path leading to the stream.
Running full-speed through the real world, beneath a city skyline, felt strangely invigorating.
As he arrived at the stream, it was just as he expected.
Not a single person in sight.
The only surprise was that the stream had swollen into a river.
What was once barely half a meter deep now reached nearly two meters.
But this didn't affect Jiang Ming's plan.
He found a few large stones, arranged them in a row, then lay flat on the ground, raised his hands toward the stones, and activated Si Shadow Rift.
A black column erupted from his palm, surging toward the rocks with terrifying speed.
There was no sound of impact. No crashing stones. No falling debris.
Seven or eight stones vanished without a trace.
At the end of the impact zone, a small crater marked the ground where the energy had dispersed.
Jiang Ming stared at the path of destruction. There wasn't even a single fragment of rock left.
So this is what "physical damage" meant in the skill description.
Could it really disintegrate objects entirely?
To test it further, Jiang Ming raised his hand again, this time pointing toward the water's surface.
Another blast.
Silence followed, but now he saw it clearly—a pillar-shaped void appeared in the water, the dark riverbed beneath now bubbling faintly.
Jiang Ming narrowed his eyes.
Was this some sort of burning effect?
He stepped closer to inspect the bubbling water.
And then it happened.
"Crash—"
A massive splash erupted.
A looming shadow surged up from the depths, casting darkness over Jiang Ming.