106: Envisioning the Future, Entering the Third Stage

"Congratulations on finding a treasure." Nickname, having waited too long, pushed him into the car.

"Where are we going?"

"Let's find a place to eat." Lu Yuan smiled, rubbing his stomach. "After a whole day of running around, my stomach is completely empty."

The two left the Provincial Government building in a hovercar. Nickname asked the driver to stop in the busiest commercial district of the city center. They found an elegant, high-end restaurant and sat at a window seat.

Outside the window, the city lights were just coming on, a dazzling display of colors.

After ordering, Nickname rested her chin on her hand, looking at Lu Yuan curiously: "What exactly was in the secret vault? That card you chose looked so tattered, like..."

Lu Yuan didn't hide anything, roughly telling her the attributes and damaged state of the gold card.

"A gold three-star support card [Life Drain]! And it can drain an enemy's Source Power?!" Nickname exclaimed, then immediately grew worried, "But... with such severe damage, can it really be repaired?"

"Hehe, guess."

After a satisfied burp, Lu Yuan looked out the window, his gaze distant:

"The road ahead will be difficult; the Prodigy Competition is just the beginning. I need to get stronger as quickly as possible to close the gap with those top geniuses."

"At least in terms of cultivation, the difference can't be too great."

Nickname listened quietly, a flicker of surprise in her eyes as she saw him, for once, reveal his aspirations for the future.

"Do you have any plans for the future?" she asked softly.

"To Kyoto University." Lu Yuan didn't hesitate. "That's the best academy in the Alliance, gathering the most resources and top-tier faculty. There's no reason not to give it a try."

Upon hearing this, the light in Nickname's eyes dimmed for a moment, a hint of regret flashing across her gaze.

The capital, Kyoto University... she also wanted to attend. Although the Yao Family was a top family in Canglan Province, it wasn't much in the entire Alliance. She knew that Lu Yuan's world was destined to grow larger and larger, and she... She quickly composed herself, forcing a smile: "Yes! Kyoto University is great! You'll definitely get in! Then... then..."

She trailed off mid-sentence, lowering her head, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Lu Yuan noticed the subtle change in her mood, and his heart warmed. He deliberately said: "The National Competition, Kyoto University, the Lost Water Realm... every stage requires full attention."

"Thanks to the Yao Family, I've made it this far. After the Lost Water Realm, I'll most likely be heading to the capital."

"My cultural scores aren't good; I definitely won't pass the College Entrance Examination, so I can only go through special admissions."

"Ah... then... then will we still be able to see each other often?" Nickname looked up, watching him with some nervousness.

"Of course." Lu Yuan nodded. "Miss Yao is my benefactor and my friend. No matter where I am, I won't forget that."

He suddenly leaned closer, lowering his voice:

"The Nine-Tailed Illusion Heart Fox card I prepared for you might just be enough to try for Kyoto University's special admissions."

"That's no ordinary gold card; if used properly, it's even stronger than my Little Turtle!"

Sensing the unique fragrance of the young girl, he sniffed and grinned.

"When I go to the secret realm, you'll return to Jiangcheng and retrieve that gold card. Just say it's at the old man's request."

"After I come out, I'll personally teach you. Gold cards—no one in the world understands gold cards better than I do!"

"Ah... Mm."

Nickname's face grew even redder.

Dinner concluded in a slightly ambiguous atmosphere.

Back at the Yao Family residence, the hovercar came to a stop. Lu Yuan and Nickname said their goodbyes and returned to their respective rooms.

The moment he pushed open his door, Lu Yuan froze.

His room, or rather, the guest room the Yao Family had prepared for him, now resembled a small treasure vault.

On the floor, boxes of transparent crystals were neatly stacked, emitting dense Source Power fluctuations—high-purity Source Crystals! The sheer quantity made him gasp.

Beside them, dozens of piles of beast cores, radiating powerful Source Power fluctuations, formed small mountains. There were third-tier ones, and even a few fourth-tier beast cores mixed in!

On the desk were several exquisite jade bottles containing transparent liquid, which were likely Source Power amplification potions, rumored to increase the speed of Source Power absorption and refinement in a short period.

It was like a source card plus version.

"Knock, knock."

A knock sounded at the door.

Yao Tianbi stood at the entrance.

"You're finally back, kid."

"These are what the family prepared for you." He gestured to the resources in the room. "The old man's intention is for you to raise your cultivation to the third-tier before entering the Lost Water Realm! Don't have any reservations; absorb it all with full effort!"

He patted Lu Yuan's shoulder: "The secret realm is dangerous. An extra bit of strength means an extra bit of survival. Just use these resources; if you run out, there's more."

"Thank you, Uncle Tianbi! Thank you, old man!" Lu Yuan bowed, "This junior will not disappoint!"

Yao Tianbi nodded with satisfaction: "Good! Then get to it. Less than three days, full sprint to the third-tier!"

He turned and left, leaving the space to Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan closed the door, looking at the mountain of resources piled throughout the room.

"Time waits for no one!"

Without the slightest hesitation, he sat cross-legged in the center of the room and began to circulate his breathing technique.

He grasped a high-purity Source Crystal, and a massive surge of Source Power instantly poured into his body.

As his cultivation technique ran, the Source Crystal visibly dimmed, eventually turning to dust. Lu Yuan picked up another one and continued to absorb.

He seemed to transform into a massive vortex, devouring wildly.

Boxes of Source Crystals rapidly diminished, and beast cores were also grasped by him... The upper limit of Source Power within him began to climb at an astonishing rate under this massive consumption of resources.

One day passed, two days passed... Lu Yuan was completely immersed in cultivation, sleepless. The Source Crystals and beast cores in the room rapidly decreased, but within him, a stronger, more condensed Source Power was gathering.

He could clearly feel that his accumulated Source Power had reached a bottleneck, a critical point for crossing the second-tier and stepping into the third-tier.

Just then, the cooldown timer for his [card Fusion] talent in his mind finally reached zero!

"Double happiness!"

Lu Yuan's heart swelled with joy. Disregarding the talent cooldown, he focused all his attention on breaking through his cultivation realm.

Under his guidance, the Source Power, like a surging torrent, repeatedly impacted the invisible barrier.

"Boom!"

A deep, muffled sound exploded within his body.

The shackles were broken!

An aura several times stronger than before erupted from Lu Yuan's body, instantly filling the entire room.

The upper limit of his Source Power surged wildly upward.

200!

213!

237!

259!

Finally, the Source Power upper limit settled at 259 points!

He succeeded! He had officially entered the ranks of a third-tier Card Master!

...