tian du city.

  the sword card master association.

  looking at xiaobai in front of him, lu ming was lost in his thoughts.

  obviously…


  he did not expect that the shortcomings of the spring of life was that she would never grow up! wait a minute, how could this become a shortcoming!?

  cough.

  something was not right.

  it was no wonder it was useless eating papaya everyday!

  “master?”


  xiaobai blinked her eyes.

  “it’s alright.”


  lu ming came to his senses and looked troubled. “go to bed now.”


  “okay,” xiaobai answered obediently.

  it was late at night.

  time passed quietly.

  …


  the next day.

  lu ming woke up, feeling refreshed.

  it had been very long since he had had a good rest. he had tasked zhou yun with working on the name list. his life could finally regain normalcy.

  buzz—


  energy surged around him.

  with the talent increase due to the sky water sword, lu ming could clearly feel that his cultivation speed was faster!

  he looked up. xiao-xiaojian and the shadow were working hard on their cultivation.

  ah…


  this was a day of hard work.

  lu ming felt very satisfied.

  zhou yun was working on the name list. before checking up on that, he had some other matters to attend to. for example, the study of the several cards that were close to completion!

  there was another card that could be created without him needing to study it, but lu ming had yet to create the card!

  it was a five-star card in the meltdown series!

  the four-star card in the series was the interruption card!!!

  the difficulty level was very high.

  although it might be difficult, it was only a top-notch four-star card. for lu ming who was a five-star and had started to work on top-notch five-star cards, this was not an issue.

  therefore, he could easily create this card.

  afterward…


  all he needed to do was integrate the card using the lightning original card and he would have a top-notch five-star card!

  however, should he create it or not?

  lu ming could not decide.

  he had studied almost all of the standalone cards. many of them had issues after being integrated. only a small number of them could be further researched and studied!

  for example…


  the demolition series or the summon series.

  wait a minute, the meltdown card had developed into a series as well.

  right from the start, it was used to absorb energy, it then evolved to melting down restrictions, and in the later stages, it was used to interrupt time. the difficulty level and power of this card had increased!

  this was because it was an advanced card!

  it was green.

  however, time was melted down when it was a four-star card. what would be melted down now? the meltdown series seemed to be trickier than the demolition series.

  after pondering deeply…


  lu ming made up his mind to create it!!!

  there were very few cards that could be developed into a series. he had no other choice.

  “hopefully, nothing will go wrong.”


  lu ming took a deep breath.

  shush!

  shush!

  he began to create cards.

  the difficulty level of an advanced four-star card was lower than a top-notch five-star card. given lu ming’s current abilities, although it would take a lot of time, he was still able to create it.

  after a long while, seven interruption cards had been created.

  swoosh!

  swoosh!

  lu ming cast seven interruption cards into the original card to integrate them without any hesitation.

  buzz—


  the original card flashed. the card surface and lines transformed.

  there was a flash of green.

  a new card was formed.

  the lines were just as mysterious. they were even more complicated than the few top-notch five-star cards that lu ming was studying. he reckoned he would not be able to create them for the time being.

  the card surface…


  lu ming looked at it. it was a very ordinary card surface. there were three flashes of lights on the card surface. they looked surreal. he could not tell anything from it.

  what the hell is that?!

  lu ming stared at it for a long while and could not decipher it.

  should he give it a try?

  lu ming walked instinctively to the testing area of the association. he pondered briefly, looking at the testing equipment at the association, before he sighed and turned around to leave.

  he had better go to the first academy.

  it was a formal testing agency and it was very strong. even if anything happened, they could withstand it. the dean had subdued the will-o-wisp card last time!

  that afternoon, lu ming went to the testing base of the first academy. he did not expect to see other people testing over there.

  “lu ming?”


  a person looked at him with some surprise.

  “hello.”


  lu ming greeted him.

  “hehe.”


  the person sneered. “you are merely a five-star. why didn’t you stay in your five-star testing area? what are you doing here? do you know that you are wasting public resources?”


  “who are you?”


  lu ming felt ridiculous.

  it’s summer and he is this hot-tempered?

  “xiao yuntian,” the man said coldly. “the vice president of the card creators association— tian du city branch.”


  oh?

  card creator…


  lu ming narrowed his eyes and he suddenly understood.

  in essence, sword card master was a division of the card creator vocation. however, after they moved to tian du city, the sword card master association became completely independent.

  not only that, as both of their vocation cores were the original card, there was some competition between the two vocations.

  for example, recruitment at the first academy.

  the sword card master association had recruited almost all of the talents. the card creator association was left with trolls or salted fish[1] who were not interested in combat!

  this had a huge impact on the tian du city branch!

  due to lu ming, their yearly enrollment had declined by 50%…


  no one could take it!

  forget it.

  lu ming could not be bothered.

  “i have been given permission.”


  he said plainly and walked toward the testing lane.

  seriously?

  xiao yuntian sneered, but he did not bicker with lu ming. instead he looked at him with indifference. he wanted to know what kind of card lu ming was going to test.

  at this very moment…


  lu ming walked to the testing area.

  he thought it was better for him to go to the private room where there was an enclosed testing area. however, upon second thought, lu ming did not dare to coop himself in a small room. if the card was exceptional…


  he might die inside the room.

  therefore, lu ming deliberately chose a testing area that was closer to the door. he checked the escape route before he got ready to test the card.

  xiao yuntian was speechless.

  what is lu ming doing, looking around but not testing his card?!

  after a long while…


  lu ming threw out a card.

  buzz—


  green lights flashed.

  xiao yuntian narrowed his eyes. is that an advanced five-star card?

  that’s understandable. for lu ming who was only a five-star, an advanced five-star is very rare. it is understandable to test it here.

  however, for him who had peak six-star combat capabilities…


  it was too weak!

  he had grown tired of those cards these days!

  shush!

  cold lights flashed.

  there was a flash of light in the testing equipment in the distance.

  afterward…


  there was nothing!

  the testing equipment did not even move. the light that indicated that the testing had begun did not light up! it meant that it might not have detected the card!

  lu ming was dumbstruck.

  w-what is going on?!

  right then…


  xiao yuntian who was in the distance seemed to understand something.

  “invented card!

  “this is actually an invented card!

  “hahaha, you actually spent time studying an advanced five-star invented card!”


  xiao yuntian was amused. “one must have a thorough understanding of a certain stage to be able to invent cards of that stage. you have just reached five-star. it is no wonder you failed…


  “tsk tsk.

  “you must be feeling smug after creating low-level cards like the fruits card, leviathan card…


  “bear this in mind, lu ming.

  “card creators are the professionals in terms of creating cards!

  “as for sword card masters…


  “all you need is to understand how to use cards,” xiao yuntian said coldly.

  lu ming took a few months to create a new card!

  as for the card creators association, they only needed a day to create a new card. why was it that lu ming was the genius and enjoyed all the glory!?

  they were naturally unconvinced.

  lu ming glanced at him, ignoring him.

  swoosh!

  swoosh!

  he tried to materialize the card again.

  however…


  the testing machine seemed to be spoiled. there was no response. lu ming threw many cards, but there was no response!

  in the end…


  lu ming could only give up.

  it seemed that…


  this was another card that could not be understood.

  this series…


  lu ming smiled bitterly.

  forget it.

  i should go back home first.

  “lu ming.”


  xiao yuntian stopped him.

  “shut up.”


  lu ming swept his cold gaze over him. “i cannot be bothered to talk to you.”


  with that…


  he left.

  xiao yuntian was dazed. he took a long time to come to his senses.

  after a long while…


  he narrowed his eyes.

  interesting…


  lu ming seemed to be different from what he imagined.

  he knew the situation between the card creators association and the sword card master association very well. since he happened to meet lu ming there, he wanted to provoke him and stir up trouble!

  then, people would coin him as young and arrogant. this would be a huge blow to the sword card master association!

  there was no other way.

  since they were the influencers, they had to bear the consequences of being popular.

  it was a pity…


  lu ming kept ignoring him.

  “unswerving determination, calm and collected…


  “he did not feel discouraged even when the testing failed…


  “he did not fly into a rage even when he was being mocked…”


  xiao yuntian was full of emotions. the president of the sword card master association was much more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.

  however…


  hehe.

  there was a trace of smile at the corner of his lips. he was after all too childish!

  he was still a child.

  he might have handled it well, but it was a pity that he underestimated the complexity of society. he would never think that he had a part-time job…


  shush!

  xiao yuntian switched on his communication device.

  a pinhole camera was blinking.

  buzz—


  xiao yuntian focused on the testing area in the distance and his expression became very cheerful.

  “i did it.

  “hey guys, if you liked it, send me some rockets.

  “in order to protect lu ming’s privacy as well as the secret of the card, i blocked the sound. but that’s alright, you should be able to tell from the screen?

  “that’s right! lu ming failed at testing his new card!

  “after all, he is too young. his card turned out to be useless.

  “here, i have a suggestion for all my young friends. one must ensure that the card is a success before going to a testing area. otherwise, it is a waste of money and resources,” xiao yuntian said with fake heartiness.

  there were comments saying that he was amazing and that he was indeed awesome.

  “today.

  “let’s show everyone what a real six-star card is!”


  xiao yuntian walked to the testing area.

  why did he do a live broadcast!?

  this was because he was there to test his cards as well. as a peak six-star card creator, the cards that he took great pains to study had extraordinary effects.

  to be honest, ever since qiu shuyi had started the craze of doing live broadcasts, many people joined her to earn some extra money.

  the more powerful one was, the more one would earn!

  as such…


  one had to do a live stream of testing new cards! it could easily garner some hype and they could advertise new products. of course, there were many moments when he could advertise the products.

  for example, before testing, one could have a glass of nutritious and healthy milk if one did not have enough energy.

  even if he was tired of the taste, all he needed to do was say that it tasted great.

  right then, a number of netizens were watching his stream.

  “i heard that the president of the sword card master association was just here?”


  “look at the playback. haha. lu ming failed at creating cards. he looked like an awful sight.”


  “is it real or not?”


  “amazing. it is so cool to have melons and fruits in summer.”


  “a sword card master and card creator in one place. this is very interesting.”


  everyone was delighted to watch.

  most of them were not interested in card creators or sword card masters and they did not really have any understanding of them. they were just delighted to watch the fun…


  therefore, xiao yuntian’s live stream became a big hit!

  as a small broadcaster who had just started out, he made into the top ten within a few minutes!

  it was all thanks to lu ming.

  xiao yuntian secretly chuckled.

  haha, lu ming.

  he might never know that he had inadvertently helped me succeed!

  “come on!”


  this was a good chance for these people to know the difference between lu ming and him.

  hence…


  xiao yuntian walked to the testing area. in order to ensure fairness, he also deliberately went to the machine where lu ming had tested his card.

  shush!

  a green card was released.

  six-star! advancement!

  one could tell the abilities of the card from its aura alone.

  right then…


  everyone held their breaths.

  buzz—


  the card dissipated.

  the machine detected that there was a surge of energy and was activated instantaneously.

  ——


  the testing of the card was activated.

  card detection…


  …


  ——


  suddenly…


  the data displayed on the machine stopped abruptly.

  eh?

  just when xiao yuntian thought that there was a delay in the data, the display panel of the machine suddenly flashed. there was a strange vibration.

  this is…


  oh no!

  xiao yuntian turned around to run, however, it was too late.

  bang!

  a deafening sound could be heard.

  a mushroom cloud suddenly rose from the testing base!

  the ground trembled.

  the first academy was overcome with strong tremors.

  the students and teachers in school woke up in shock.

  swoosh!

  swoosh!

  many beams of light charged toward the testing base.

  at this very moment…


  lu ming who had already left the first academy and had reached the gate of the college suddenly turned around, staring at the mushroom cloud that rose into the sky at the testing base…


  what is happening?!

  lu ming was somewhat in a daze.

  he received li haoran’s message in the next instant. “master, xiao yuntian mentioned you in his live stream.”


  a live broadcast?

  lu ming surfed the internet and watched the playback, an odd expression on his face.

  this situation…


  “should we take a look at it?!”


  xiao-xiaojian was very excited.

  “damn!

  “how dare a six-star act arrogantly in front of you!

  “let’s go!

  “let’s go back and ridicule him.”


  “no,” lu ming said decisively. “let’s go back to the association!”


  eh?

  xiao-xiaojian was dumbfounded. this was unlike lu ming’s usual behaviour!

  “wait a minute.”


  xiao-xiaojian suddenly came to its senses. “are you saying that card…”


  “that’s why i kept mum.”


  lu ming stared at the sky.

  it was xiao yuntian who caused trouble with his testing! it had nothing to do with the new card!

  hence, the man and the card returned to the association, keeping a low profile.

  well….

  they pretended that nothing had happened.

  however, the internet exploded with all kinds of comments.

  the appearance of lu ming at the testing base, xiao yuntian’s disdain as well as the effect caused by the card had caused a huge uproar on the internet! according to the first academy, half of the testing base had been leveled.

  according to the investigations, the energy that caused the explosion was from the testing machine.

  obviously, xiao yuntian’s card had failed and it caused an adverse reaction, destroying the machine and detonating inside the testing base!

  in the end, xiao yuntian was detained for causing danger to public safety.

  as for lu ming?

  this had nothing to do with lu ming!

  nothing at all!

  lu ming had merely created a waste card!

  who had said that?

  xiao yuntian.

  where was the evidence?

  xiao yuntian’s video and the playback.

  xiao yuntian had said so in his live broadcast. he had made it clear that lu ming’s card was a waste card and hence cleared lu ming of all suspicions.

  …


  at this very moment…


  zhang yang, the internet celebrity, started a discussion in his social networks titled “should a safety mechanism be considered for card creation?”


  in the article, he stressed the main reason why lu ming’s new card was ineffective. it was due to the ‘safety mechanism’. tt detected that the card had failed and directly destroyed the lines. since xiao yuntian did not use any safety mechanism, regardless of whether it was successful or not, it still exploded. which type of card was better?

  although the article was mainly written to discuss cards, the outcome was that xiao yuntian was done for.

  he was completely done for.

  of course, the internet was indeed the internet. people who liked to argue for the sake of arguing were everywhere.

  there were people who supported lu ming, and there were people who suspected lu ming. there were also some online media outlets who were used to increasing popularity and had started to clean up the mess. they did not care if it was right or wrong, popularity was the only thing that mattered!

  hence, there were all kinds of conspiracy theories!

  “i have the feeling that something is wrong.”


  “would xiao yuntian be that foolish? i think he was fooled by lu ming!”


  “exactly! lu ming used several cards!”


  it was to the extent that the dean of the first academy was implicated as well.

  the reason was—


  it was lu ming again!!!

  “ahhh.”


  the dean sighed deeply.

  why is lu ming always related to such incidents?

  although no matter how he looked at the live broadcast, lu ming was innocent and being ridiculed and lu ming’s waste card did not even activate the testing machine…


  he had a hunch that something was not quite right.

  “tell me.

  “this incident and lu ming…”


  the dean was silent.

  the assistant sighed. he could not be bothered to respond.

  the dean was in a pickle as well.

  did this incident have anything to do with lu ming?

  “look into it.”


  he asked the administration staff of the testing area to come back immediately to his office to investigate.

  …


  right then…


  the sword card master association.

  lu ming who had already gone back to the association saw everything that happened on the internet.

  “master, someone is vilifying you on the internet.”


  li haoran was furious.

  these people are too much!

  is master that kind of person?!

  it is impossible that master demolished the testing base!

  “you will get used to it.”


  lu ming was very calm.

  he had already gotten used to all this in his previous life.

  some people liked to attack things that others liked, so as to increase their popularity.

  for example, everyone liked to watch “the wandering earth” but these people disliked the movie.

  they not only disliked the movie, they criticized it and said that it was a lousy movie. despite not even knowing superficial knowledge about the movie, they began to bad mouth it, commenting that the masses did not know how to appreciate good work…


  another example was—


  the film, “ne zha”.

  lu ming remembered that when “ne zha” premiered, a taoist friend criticized the film for portraying a dragon as a villain and that the movie must be under the bad influence of european and american culture. he said that it was an insult to the dragon in chinese mythology. he wrote a long article to criticize the movie and it was one of the widely searched topics…


  therefore, the thing about the internet was that it was only for casual reading.

  xiao-xiaojian cast lu ming a doubtful look and said softly, “well, i understand the principle, but what has this got to do with you!?”


  it felt puzzled.

  it was true.

  what did he have to do with the fact that others were being misunderstood?!

  he should know whether the new card was effective or not?!

  “shut up!”


  lu ming shoved xiao-xiaojian back into the card bag.

  damn it! you’re too talkative!

  anyway, he was used to being vilified. he was too outstanding.

  of course, lu ming was very troubled over this card.

  explosion?

  a time bomb?!

  however…


  just when lu ming was making guesses, the investigation of the first academy was released.

  many parts were missing in the testing machine and this was why there was an error! the energy leaked and caused an explosion. therefore, they highly suspected that in order to go against lu ming, xiao yuntian reduced the number of parts in the testing machine beforehand, causing lu ming to fail in the testing of his new card, and creating the wrong impression that sword card master was useless!

  men were vicious!

  at this moment, those who suspected lu ming hurried to apologize.

  even the dean of the first academy was apologetic for suspecting lu ming once again. why did he constantly misunderstand the child…


  the results were out!

  it had nothing to do with lu ming! it was xiao yuntian who had misunderstood lu ming!

  this child…


  he kept quiet despite being wronged.

  he was too kind-hearted.

  “lu ming, i’m sorry.”


  the dean took the initiative to call lu ming. “since this happened in the first academy, we owe you an explanation!”


  “huh?”


  lu ming ended the call in a daze. what is going on?!

  therefore…this incident really had nothing to do with him?

  the problem was…


  he did not believe it!

  this card…


  he looked at the original card in his hands that had just materialized and was lost in his thoughts. what exactly were its functions?!

  …


  [1] salted fish: chinese internet slang for a boring and idle person with no ambitions.