“Li Shi’an!”

Teacher Chen took two steps at a time to push through the crowd and grabbed Li Shi’an’s arm.

His face was flushed, the veins at his temples throbbing slightly, and he was panting heavily—clearly, he’d just jogged all the way over. “You! How could you agree to a bet like that?! You’re out of your mind!” 

His voice was filled with frustration at his protégé’s lack of progress. “What kind of background does that Zhao Zhiyong kid have? And besides… His card comes with ten white-card minions right off the bat. What about you? Not a single activated white-card character! Even if you have a purple talent, it’s only been a few days! Your cards haven’t absorbed much yet! How are you supposed to fight? Are you going to charge headfirst into his Ghost Head Blade?”

Teacher Chen grew more and more agitated as he spoke: “What if you lose? Are you really going to become his second-in-command? Take orders from his gang of good-for-nothing friends? Do you even care about your future anymore? The school… the school has finally found a promising student like you. They’re counting on you to excel on the college entrance exam and bring honor to Seventh High School…” 

He Bieshan and Hao Yun were intimidated by Teacher Chen’s intensity and didn’t dare interrupt for a moment; they could only look at Li Shi’an with concern. Li Shi’an stopped in his tracks, letting Teacher Chen grip his arm.

He could sense Teacher Chen’s heartfelt anxiety.

That kind of concern had been a luxury throughout his life as an orphan. He fell silent for a moment, then met Teacher Chen’s gaze with a calm expression.

“Teacher Chen,” he began, “thank you to the school. And thank you even more to you.” 

Teacher Chen was taken aback; his anger seemed to have been doused with a splash of cold water, and his intensity waned slightly, though his brow remained deeply furrowed: “Are you thanking me just to honor that bet? Shi’an, take a word of advice from your teacher—don’t be so stubborn! The cards are the foundation! No matter how high your talent, it still needs the cards to back it up. That ‘Beggar’ card… Sigh…”

He let out a heavy sigh, and his tone turned earnest. “As for the school, as long as you give the go-ahead, I’ll immediately put my reputation on the line and go see the principal! Although Seventh High School isn’t exactly top-tier, we’re still capable of pooling our resources to fully support a promising student with a purple-tier talent!”

He spoke rapidly, as if afraid Li Shi’an would change his mind: “You’re leaving your primary slot empty just for this white card? It’s not worth it! It’s a complete waste! We can immediately activate our contingency plan, tap into the school’s strategic reserve, and team up with a few friendly families to ‘targeted guide’ a powerful blue card to you! Or even… find a way to trade for a purple card’s contract fragment! That’s the right path! Card slots are precious, especially the primary slot—it carries the core power that connects you to the Holy Pool, influencing the activation, connection, and resonance of all subsequent cards! A white card, even a growth-type one, starts from too low a baseline; it’ll completely stifle the potential of your primary slot. It’s not too late to switch now!” 

He Bieshan held his breath as he listened.

A Directed Guidance Blue Card! And even a Purple Card fragment!

These were top-tier resources that ordinary students wouldn’t even dare to dream of. He instinctively glanced at the white card in Li Shi’an’s hand, his throat going dry and his heart pounding. 

To trade or not to trade?

Reason told him, “Switch! Switch it, and your future will be bright!” But… that was the card Li Shi’an had chosen himself! He was so certain… Hao Yun also pressed her lips together, looking at Li Shi’an with a complex expression.

Li Shi’an lowered his eyelids. But this card was Zhu Yuanzhang.

A name, a dust-covered chapter of history long forgotten by this world. A beggar-emperor who started with nothing but a broken bowl, brought an end to a turbulent era, and founded a glorious dynasty!

Was this really just an ordinary white card? That unanalyzable “???” potential rating, that cold annotation of “data anomaly,” and this strange resonance coming from the depths of his soul…

If it really was just a “beggar,” Li Shi’an would accept his fate and go along with whatever destiny had in store for him—even serving as Zhao Zhiyong’s deputy would be a price worth paying for his youthful years of recklessness.

But…

“Teacher Chen, thank you to the school and to you for your kindness. Resources are precious, and I appreciate the gesture.” He paused for a moment, his voice clear. “But the wager—it’s my choice. Those were my words.”

Teacher Chen’s lips trembled; he wanted to say something, but Li Shi’an’s next words cut him off.

“Cards… may have different tiers,” Li Shi’an’s eyes shone with an unusual intensity, “but people—not necessarily.”

Without further explanation, he gave Teacher Chen a slight bow, then turned around, took the still-dazed He Bieshan by the arm, nodded to Hao Yun, and walked straight toward the school gate.

“Hey! You… you kid! Why are you so stubborn!”

Teacher Chen stamped his foot heavily. His anxiety turned to resignation and a hint of irritation at being defied, but he couldn’t vent it, so he could only let out a long sigh, feeling a throbbing pain in his temples.

“Teacher Chen, still got a headache?” A leisurely voice drifted over as Teacher Zhang, the homeroom teacher from the neighboring class, strolled over, patted Teacher Chen on the shoulder, his gaze following Li Shi’an’s retreating figure as he disappeared around the corner. “It’s just adolescence—they’re all like that. Their ambitions reach for the sky; they think they’re uniquely gifted, and that a single white card can move mountains. You just can’t stop them.”

Teacher Zhang pulled out a pack of cigarettes, handed one to Teacher Chen, lit one for himself, took a deep drag, and exhaled a cloud of grayish-white smoke: “It’s good for him to hit a few walls. Zhao Zhiyong might be a bit of a bully, but that Lord Card is the real deal. Once he loses a match, feels the pain, and gets knocked down hard, he’ll realize the limits of his abilities and understand your good intentions, Teacher. By then, if he brings up swapping cards again, he’ll be more eager than anyone else. For now, though… Hey, just let him be.”

Teacher Chen took the cigarette but didn’t light it; he clutched it restlessly in his hand, his brow furrowed into a knot. “That may be true… but one week! Just one week! A Purple Talent… What if he really ends up as that kid Zhao Zhiyong’s deputy? That… wouldn’t that be a waste?”

“It won’t be a waste!” Teacher Zhang waved his hand dismissively with conviction. “A Purple Talent is a Purple Talent—it’s gold no matter where it goes. If the Zhao family can truly win him over, that’s their skill, and it’s his choice. The school has done its utmost and given him a heads-up. Young people have to take responsibility for their own choices. Besides…”

He lowered his voice. “Why do you think the principal’s eyes were sparkling just now when he spoke? Do you really think he was just genuinely happy that the school has produced a talented student? If a student with a purple talent performs well on the college entrance exam, Seventh High School’s resource allocation for this year, next year’s enrollment quota, and even the funding from the Education Bureau will all rise accordingly! As long as this promising student, Li Shi’an, doesn’t die—even if he strays for a while—the school will find a way to set him back on the right path! Now that he’s determined to run headlong into a brick wall, let him crash into it. Once it hurts enough, he’ll naturally know to turn back. When that time comes, the school won’t withhold a single bit of the resources he deserves—after all… it’s an investment in the future.”

Teacher Chen listened in silence, feeling the fire in his heart burn even brighter, yet with nowhere to vent it.

“Let’s hope so… Sigh, let’s just hope he doesn’t hit it too hard…”

The setting sun bathed the long street outside the school gates in a warm golden glow. Students poured out like a tide at the end of the school day, their chatter rising and falling in waves. Li Shi’an, He Bieshan, and Hao Yun walked silently on the edge of the crowd, the atmosphere somewhat tense.

He Bieshan fidgeted and scratched his head the whole way, but finally couldn’t hold back any longer. He suddenly jumped in front of Li Shi’an, blocking his path, his face contorted in frustration as he demanded urgently, “Shi’an! My dear brother! What on earth are you thinking? Teacher Chen was right—the Blue Card with targeted guidance! That’s a Blue Card—something so many people dream of! With a Blue Card, that lousy village chief Zhao Zhiyong wouldn’t amount to a damn thing! Why are you so set on that… that…” 

He pointed at the white card in Li Shi’an’s hand. The words “worthless card” rolled around on the tip of his tongue a few times, but he didn’t dare say it, and the frustration made his face turn bright red.

Hao Yun also stopped in her tracks and whispered, “Shi’an, don’t be impulsive. Teacher Chen has your best interests at heart. A purple talent is too precious—your starting point really matters. Zhao Zhiyong’s card is highly practical in combat; you’re… taking too big a risk.”

She hesitated for a moment. “The stakes… are just a bit too high.”

“Bieshan, Yun Yun,” he said, “I know. The blue card is great, and the teacher’s plan is very sound.”

He paused. “If it really is just a ‘beggar’ card, I’ll accept it.”

He raised his hand, and the white card immediately appeared, resting in the palm of his hand.

The card’s surface glowed with a warm radiance in the setting sun. The ragged beggar depicted on it had deep, piercing eyes that seemed to transcend time and space, calmly gazing at the world before him.

Li Shi’an’s gaze fixed on those eyes.

“But… he is Zhu Yuanzhang.”

The voice was soft, like a sigh, yet it carried the weight of a thousand jun.

He Bieshan and Hao Yun both froze.

The name was unfamiliar; it had never appeared in the card compendium or history textbooks.

“It all began with a bowl.” Li Shi’an’s gaze seemed to pierce through the card, seeing far beyond it. “And it ended… with a nation.” 

He Bieshan’s mouth fell open; he hadn’t understood a word.

A flicker of pensive surprise crossed Hao Yun’s eyes.

“Zhu… Zhu Yuanzhang?” He Bieshan repeated. “Who… who is that? Shi’an, what… what are you talking about? Why have I never heard of him? He’s not in the card encyclopedia, and he’s not in the history textbooks either! Starting with a bowl? Ending with a nation? How… how is that even possible?!”

He spoke faster and faster: “Shi’an! Are you under too much pressure? A purple talent is great, but… but you can’t just make up a historical figure out of thin air! This… this is ridiculous! Snap out of it!” 

Hao Yun thought one step further than He Bieshan.  Her breathing quickened, and she looked up abruptly: “Shi’an… are you… have you… ‘entered a dream’?!”

The words “Entered the Dream” seemed to hold a magical power, instantly causing the air around them to grow still. “Entered the Dream?”

He Bieshan remembered! 

This was a description that existed only in the corners of textbooks, mentioned by teachers in a tone of awe! It was a near-miraculous ability belonging solely to the legendary Red and Orange-talented individuals!

The history of card development in the Xia Kingdom—and indeed, the entire history of human card civilization—cannot be discussed without mentioning those legendary figures who stood at the pinnacle. Among them, the rise of some of the most brilliant names was often marked by a common, irreplicable starting point: Entering Dreams!

History textbooks have obliquely mentioned that a hundred years ago, when the Xia Kingdom was in turmoil, it was also the era of the rise of the Zhang clan’s ancestral patriarch—the very man who single-handedly founded the current military giant “Yellow Heaven Military Government.”

Rumor has it that when he awoke, crimson clouds filled the sky, the Holy Pool resonated ceaselessly for seven days, and his talent rating was a legendary red. Even more incredible was that on the very first night after the awakening ceremony, he fell into a deep slumber that lasted for several days. In his dream, he encountered a strange Taoist priest wrapped in a yellow headscarf who called himself “Zhang Jue”!

The Daoist revealed to him the vast, ocean-like Way of Talismans, the power to summon wind and rain, and the deafening, earth-shaking grand vision: “Azure Sky Is Dead, Yellow Sky Shall Arise!”

Upon waking, the Zhang Clan Patriarch, drawing upon what he had gained in his dream and combining it with his newly awakened, formidable innate talent, single-handedly created something from nothing—a feat that stunned the world.

The “Yellow Turban Warriors” series of summoning cards and the “Taiping Talismans” series of spell cards ultimately laid the unparalleled foundation for the Yellow Heaven Military Government!

As a result, the Zhang family rose to become one of the foremost card-collecting clans in the Nation of Xia, a status that remains unchallenged to this day! 

Textbooks offer only vague descriptions of “Entering the Dream,” emphasizing only that it is a “Divine Revelation” triggered with extremely low probability by red- or even orange-tier Talent Bearers—a guidance from the river of history to the true Chosen One.

It allows the Awakened to communicate directly, on a soul level, with the legendary spirits long lost in the fractures of history, gaining the most direct and primordial inheritance of power and wisdom!

This is “Inheritance”!

Precisely for this reason, “Entering the Dream” is regarded as a priceless treasure—an exclusive “cheat code” reserved for top-tier gifted individuals.

It allows a newly awakened individual to leap over countless stages of accumulation in an extremely short period of time, directly mastering the card development path best suited to them—one with limitless potential!

The Zhang Clan Patriarch’s “Yellow Turban Lineage” is the most successful example of this!

“Entering the Dream… Shi’an… you… could you possibly be…”

He Bieshan’s voice trembled uncontrollably as he suddenly looked at the card in Li Shi’an’s hand.

All the clues suddenly fell into place, pointing to a possibility that He Bieshan had never even dared to dream of before!

“Oh my God!!” He Bieshan let out a startled cry. “Shi’an! You… you really did ‘enter a dream’ during the Awakening Ceremony?! You dreamed of this… this ‘Zhu Yuanzhang’?! So… so that’s why you chose this white card with such certainty?! Because it wasn’t just an ordinary white card at all—it was… it was guidance from the ‘Apocalypse’?! 

The massive flood of information left He Bieshan’s thoughts in disarray, and he could barely form coherent sentences.

A purple talent paired with a Historical Spirit card seemingly obtained through “entering a dream”—this combination… is practically the standard starting point for a legend!