Alex tilted his head slightly upward, looking at the words “Huaiyou: The Land of the Rising Dragon” displayed on the electronic screen.

“It sounds so unfamiliar,” Alex said. “Eastern history is always like this… obscure and full of incomprehensible metaphors. ‘Dragon’s Rise’?

Does that refer to the place where a certain emperor rose to power? It’s a pity, though—whichever emperor it was, his glory inevitably pales in comparison to the radiance of the ‘Sun King.’”

Standing beside him were two young men and women dressed in sleek black attire—the distinctive emblem of the Zhang family of the Yellow Heaven Military Headquarters.

The man, Zhang Hongyuan, merely replied indifferently upon hearing this: “You are mistaken. History has gaps; many glorious chapters lie buried in the dust. This scene is named ‘Huaiyou’ and bears the title ‘Dragon’s Rise.’ The card of the one who activates it must be closely tied to the origins of a lost dynasty, and its potential should not be underestimated. As for the ‘Sun King’…”

He paused, refraining from offering a direct assessment, and turned to the young woman beside him. “Qingyue, what do you think?”

Zhang Qingyue had bright eyes and a radiant smile; her demeanor was even more lively and spirited than Zhang Hongyuan’s.

She chimed in with a smile, “Brother Hongyuan, you’re just too serious. Who cares about dragons rising or snakes rising? Either way, it’s a good thing for us! A ‘time of chaos’—this is exactly the kind of stage where our Zhang family deck can really shine! Aren’t the talismans and warriors of the ‘Great Sage’ meant to quell exactly this kind of turmoil?”

Her tone was light and brimming with confidence, as if this scene were already their home turf.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Alex’s mouth: “A time of chaos is indeed the perfect setting to demonstrate power. Though my ‘Hall of Mirrors at Versailles’ excels more in stability and order, His Majesty Louis XVI also possessed the majesty to sign codes of law and settle turbulent situations. However…”

His gaze swept across the light screen once more, and he furrowed his brow. “The core card that triggered this scene seems rather peculiar. Its aura… differs from any imperial legacy I’m familiar with—it feels more… rustic.”

Zhang Hongyuan’s gaze sharpened slightly. “In any case, since this is the finals, we’ll have to rely on our own abilities. My main card is the Zhang family’s ‘Taiping Talisman Book,’ a blue card—perhaps I can harness the chaos of these turbulent times to gather the people’s will and perform the ‘Descent of the Yellow Heaven’ ritual.”

Zhang Qingyue nodded as well: “My main card is ‘Warrior Summon: Dou’! Who knows—maybe this time I’ll be able to summon an even more powerful Yellow Turban Strongman!”

As they spoke, they had already come to view this assessment as a stage to showcase their abilities.

“The Imperial Academy has struck gold again. Although Louis XVI’s card is a new discovery, it’s already a Purple Card to start with—its potential is limitless.” 

“The Zhang siblings aren’t bad either. Although they didn’t directly awaken the ‘Great Sage Mentor’ character card, these two cards align exceptionally well with the Zhang family’s legacy. Once they’ve grown, they’ll become the backbone of the Yellow Heaven Military Command.”

“That’s right. Most of the promising talent in this class still comes from the pre-enrollment lists of these prominent clans and top academic institutions…”

Of course, a few glances also fell on Li Shi’an and his two companions.

“That kid with the purple talent from Seventh High School made it to the finals too—Li Shi’an, right?”

“Mm-hmm. I heard his starting card was pretty unusual—a White Card Beggar—but his performance in the last round was astonishing. He actually advanced to a Green Card Lord and even triggered a special event.”

“It’s a shame. A purple talent is great, but his starting point was too low, and being an orphan, he lacks the resources to keep up. Just look at the way they’re dressed…”

The teachers’ gazes fell on Li Shi’an and his two companions as they made their final preparations, and their expressions immediately shifted to one of surprise—and even a touch of amusement. They watched as He Bieshan frantically stuffed one dusty white card after another—each devoid of any energy fluctuations—into his spare card slot.

What was this—【Chipped Iron Pot】, 【Crooked-Handled Iron Ladle】, 【Worn-Out Shoulder Pole】… and even a 【Half-Bag of Coarse Grains】?

Hao Yun, meanwhile, was taking inventory of her 【Spring Water】, 【Aged Brown Rice】, 【Durable Firewood】, and the one-time-use construction card 【Simple Shack】. As for Li Shi’an himself, aside from Zhu Yuanzhang in his main slot, he seemed to have chosen a completely unremarkable white card from the daily life category for his backup slot as well. Is… is this really the lineup coming to compete in the city-wide elite finals?

Anyone unaware might think a logistics and catering crew had wandered onto the wrong set!

Teacher Chen happened to squeeze his way over just then. When he saw this scene, his vision went black, and he nearly choked on his breath.

He grabbed Li Shi’an by the arm and exclaimed frantically, “Shi’an! For heaven’s sake! What are you guys doing? This is the finals! Everyone else is bringing either offensive spell cards or defensive shield cards—at the very least, reconnaissance or support cards! What’s the deal with this pile of pots, pans, firewood, rice, and cooking oil? It’s not too late to switch now! The school might even be able to arrange for you to borrow a few green cards on short notice!” 

Li Shi’an steadied Teacher Chen, who had nearly fainted.

“Teacher Chen, don’t worry. We’ve got this covered. Pots, pans, and kitchen utensils… sometimes they’re more useful than swords and knives.”

Teacher Chen looked at his confident gaze, then glanced at He Bieshan and Hao Yun standing beside him with expressions that said, “Whatever Shi’an says goes.” He felt his blood pressure skyrocket, and his lips trembled as he stammered, “You’ve got it under control… You call that having it under control… Sigh!” 

At this point, there was no use in saying anything more; all he could do was beat his chest in frustration and worry himself sick. Just then, the PA system at the assessment center came on.

“Attention all candidates participating in the second round of the joint practical exam! Please proceed immediately to the designated teleportation area! The scenario ‘Huaiyou: Land of the Rising Dragon’ is about to begin!”

The crowd immediately began to surge.

Li Shi’an cast one last glance in the direction of Alex and the Zhang family, his gaze lingering for a moment on the card slots belonging to Zhang Hongyuan and Zhang Qingyue.

“Just as I suspected—talismanic scrolls… turning beans into soldiers… they’ve actually taken the ‘myth-derived’ path? No wonder their foundations are superficial and they haven’t grasped the essence…” 

He shook his head, looked away, and turned to lead his two companions into the exam hall. As the realm opened, Li Shi’an opened his eyes.

“Huaiyou: Land of the Rising Dragon.”

The name of the scene was grand, but all he saw at the outset was desolation.

Right at the start, Li Shi’an, He Bieshan, and Hao Yun all activated their cards simultaneously without hesitation. A beam of light gathered in front of Li Shi’an.

【Red Turban Nine-Man Commander · Zhu Yuanzhang (Intermediate Green Card · Lord Type)】 materialized solidly.

He was still wearing that coarse, battle-worn robe, washed until it was almost white; the bright red Red Turban on his head was the only splash of color. Behind him, nine formidable figures materialized in unison!

Wearing red tunics patched all over, spears in hand, and with sharp gazes, they stood guard behind Zhu Yuanzhang, as solid as a rock.

【Directly Subordinate Bodyguards: Red Turban Elite Soldiers x 9】

【Rank】: White Card (Peak)

【Traits】: Unquestioning Obedience (Benefits from Zhu Yuanzhang’s Lord Trait: +10% command execution efficiency), Red Turban Resolve (Weak: +3% Attack Power). Almost simultaneously, He Bieshan and Hao Yun completed their movements as well.

He Bieshan activated 【Battlefield Forging: Basic (Intermediate Green Card)】.

The phantom of an Energy Forging Hammer hovered in the scene, and he swiftly fed several White Cards he had prepared in advance into it.

Instantly, a makeshift stove materialized in the open space of his scene, complete with an iron pot, an iron spoon, and other essentials. Though it looked worn, it exuded a reassuring sense of “practicality.”

Hao Yun took a deep breath and cast a card. The gentle radiance of 【Basic Holy Light Healing (Green Card, Low Grade)】 spread out, but instead of healing anyone, it resonated with the white cards she had retrieved—【Spring Water】, 【Aged Brown Rice】, and 【Fire-Resistant Firewood】, among others.

The power of the Holy Light was skillfully transformed into the concepts of “purification” and “nourishment,” infusing these basic materials to ensure they retained their vitality. Finally, she activated the single-use 【Simple Shack (White)】 construction card!

A flash of light appeared, and a thatched shack—barely capable of sheltering from the wind and rain, with drafts seeping in from all sides—materialized beside the hearth. Though it was extremely crude, in this particular setting, it inexplicably conveyed a sense of “shelter” and “stability.”

A stove, a shack, purified water, brown rice, firewood… and an officer with nine elite soldiers.

This combination seemed completely out of place—even… absurd!—in the fast-paced, high-stakes opening moments of the final match.

“What… what are they doing?!”

The audience erupted in an instant.

“That Li Shi’an—isn’t he a Purple-tier talent? Instead of rushing out with his troops to seize resource points or scout the enemy at the start, what’s he doing conjuring up a pot over there?”

“And that girl! Using Holy Light Healing to purify water and rice?! What a waste! Wouldn’t it be better to use that card to heal or dispel negative effects instead?”

“Oh my God! They even built a makeshift shelter! Are they here for a picnic or for the competition? This is the city-wide finals! Everyone else is giving it their all!”

“Look at Alex! His ‘Sun King’s Guard’ has already formed a formation and started patrolling, clearing out nearby bandits!”

In one corner of the projection screen, Alex was flanked by four Blue Card Guards in striking armor.

“And look at the Zhang siblings! Zhang Hongyuan has already set up an incense altar and begun using the ‘Taiping Talisman Book’ to communicate with heaven and earth, summoning the ‘Yellow Turban Warriors’ to descend.”

“That’s it! Zhang Qingyue is also scattering beans to set up a formation.”

Zhang Hongyuan’s expression was solemn as the blue talisman book fluttered on its own, without a breath of wind.

Zhang Qingyue, on the other hand, playfully used her cards to scatter handfuls of golden beans onto the ground. As soon as they hit the ground, the beans sank into the soil, faintly forming a strange formation.

In contrast, Li Shi’an and his two companions were crouched in front of a ramshackle shack, tending to a battered pot—pouring in rice, adding firewood, and topping up the water… It was as if they’d wandered onto the wrong movie set! Teacher Chen’s face had turned the color of a pig’s liver; he wished the ground would swallow him whole as he muttered, “It’s over, it’s over… It’s all over now… Shi’an, Shi’an, what on earth were you thinking…”

Even Sui Yang furrowed his brow, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

After clearing out a wave of enemies, Alex took a moment to glance at the display screen and happened to see Li Shi’an and the others lighting a fire to cook porridge. His face froze for a moment, then he broke into an undisguised sneer: “Look over there—a bunch of little kids playing house.”

Zhang Hongyuan also noticed the commotion over there. He merely gave it a casual glance before turning his attention away, saying to his sister in a flat tone, “It’s just a ploy to draw attention and waste card energy. Don’t pay it any mind. Focus on our ritual—the proper path is to elicit a response from the ‘Divine Envoy’ or the ‘General of the People.’”

He was aiming for a core character card from Zhang Jue’s faction that held a higher rank.

Unfortunately, when he awakened, no key character cards were available, so he had no choice but to select skill cards.

Zhang Qingyue, however, took a closer look and giggled, “Bro, that porridge they’re cooking smells pretty good, doesn’t it? But cooking at a time like this—did they get kicked in the head by a Yuan army horse or something?”