Card Duels: Start by deducing the Blue Eyes White Dragon!

The white fluorescent lights cast a bright glow over the space, illuminating every corner. On the gray-tiled wall, a sign read: "One small step forward, a giant leap for civilization."

Yes.

Su Chengyang was currently in a bathroom stall.

The exhaust fan above whirred softly, its blades spinning with a faint hum. The air was fresh, devoid of any unpleasant odors. This level of cleanliness was something Su Chengyang wasn't used to. His previous academy's facilities were far from this pristine.

But then again, not every academy could be called Qingbei Academy.

Just look at the name—Qingbei. It carried an air of prestige, a name that set it apart from ordinary institutions.

"Ugh." Su Chengyang pressed his fingers against his temples.

His skin felt smooth and oil-free, a reminder that he was now a 17-year-old youth. More than that, he was a Card Master with formidable spiritual power, capable of wielding extraordinary magic cards.

"Card Masters… magic cards…" Su Chengyang murmured to himself.

He glanced down at his waist.

His belt was still fastened.

A specially designed card holder was clipped to the belt of his green school uniform pants. Though made of plastic, the white-and-blue card holder had a sleek, high-quality finish.

Inside the holder were Su Chengyang's current magic cards.

With a flick of his wrist, he opened the card holder like a folding fan, revealing five card slots arranged in a (fan-shaped) pattern. Only four of the slots were occupied.

Su Chengyang's gaze lingered on the four cards, his expression complex.

Coming to this world was something he had never imagined. Before arriving here, his knowledge of magic cards was limited to an anime he had watched, one that featured pharaohs, millennium artifacts, and powerful magicians summoned through cards.

In that world, magic cards could summon mighty sorcerers, demonic archmages, powerful dragons, and even gods beyond imagination.

It was a world brimming with creativity and wonder.

Now, having crossed the dimensional barrier, Su Chengyang found himself in a world where Card Masters were real. He had become one himself.

And perhaps, one day, he too would stand on the grandest stage, the most glorious battlefield, summoning his own Dark Magician, Omegamon, or even a god capable of crushing everything in its path.

He imagined his enemies trembling under the overwhelming pressure of his summoned deity, their efforts rendered futile as they were obliterated in a whirlwind of divine power.

The crowd would roar, cheering for his victory.

What an exhilarating moment that would be.

Su Chengyang's skin tingled with excitement. He truly loved magic cards—and everything they represented.

He pulled out three of the four cards from the holder, feeling their cool, jade-like texture between his fingers.

As soon as he touched them, faint lights and shadows flickered before his eyes.

Within those blurred images, he could make out the outlines of the monsters depicted on the cards.

The first card showed a petite, adorable little girl, about 1.2 meters tall. She had a flower bud on her head, a round, cherubic face, and large, dreamy eyes. Her tiny hands rested on her body, and she stood barefoot.

Su Chengyang glanced at the card's front.

At the top was the card's name: Angel Flower Sprite, written in blue font.

Below the name were three stars, indicating it was a three-star card.

The vivid image of the sprite was etched onto the card, giving the impression that it could come to life at any moment.

At the bottom of the card were its combat stats.

"Angel Flower Sprite, a monster card," Su Chengyang muttered, then turned to the next card.

This one was named Flame Heavy Knight, also a three-star monster card with blue font.

The third card was neither a monster card nor a magic card, but an equipment card.

Su Chengyang returned all three cards to the holder and looked down at the fourth slot.

Inside was an unfinished card.

Buzz. Buzz.

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

Pulling it out, he saw a series of WeChat messages.

After unlocking the phone with his fingerprint, he opened the app and read the new messages.

They were all from the same person.

[My handsome, good son, I miss you.]

[Today's the day for your second-year elite class selection, right? I heard it's super competitive—only three out of forty or fifty students make it! Tough!]

[My fair-skinned son, I won't tell you to be content with what you have or that it's okay to stay in the regular class.]

[You're at Qingbei Academy, one of the top institutions in the country that can unconditionally participate in the once-in-decades 'Academy League'!]

[Being able to join the Academy League is your greatest fortune, kid. You must fight for a spot in the elite class! Only elite class students can truly participate in the Academy League!]

[In the Academy League, you can grow stronger, meet the most talented and busty soft girls, and give me ten chubby grandchildren!]

Su Chengyang's expression grew increasingly strange, his nose twitching.

He typed a reply.

[Your sister!!!]

[My fair and handsome son, how can you curse? Did you learn that from that troublemaker Zhang Mingyun?]

[Get lost!!!]

[Alright, I'll stop teasing you, haha!]

On the other end of the conversation, a cute girl bit her thumb, trying hard not to burst out laughing. If not for the solemn occasion, she would have lost it.

Back to Su Chengyang.

His fingers flew across the screen as he typed.

[Su Chengyang: Just wait till I get out!]

[He Nuonuo: Oh, come on, little egg, can you even do it?]

[Su Chengyang: Just wait and call me 'Daddy'!]

[He Nuonuo: Hmph, someone's hiding in the bathroom, too scared to come out! Open the door, take fifteen steps to the left, and you'll see me.]

[He Nuonuo: Daddy~ come out~]

[Su Chengyang: Just wait, I'll deal with you.]

[He Nuonuo: (playful emoji) Just a reminder, don't do anything stupid. Even though you can't beat me, you still have a chance to get one of the three spots. Do something dumb, and you'll lose everything!]

[Su Chengyang: I know, I'm not an idiot.]

[He Nuonuo: (smiling emoji) If you don't make it into the elite class, I won't play with you anymore.]

Su Chengyang fell silent.

He knew He Nuonuo wasn't joking.

In his previous life, inter-school competitions were about glory and prize money.

But in this world of Card Masters, the Academy League was one of the three major promotion events in the world!

Countless people dreamed of participating but never got the chance.

Once you entered the Academy League and advanced, you could become a powerful Card Master in an incredibly short time.

"The Academy League," Su Chengyang mused.

"A thousand years ago, the collective will of all humanity on Earth gave birth to an indescribable entity known as the Supreme Rules, which established this event."

"As long as you keep advancing, you can obtain evolution fruits, and your strength will grow accordingly…"

Su Chengyang thought of some examples and couldn't help but feel excited.

The champion of the last Academy League was from the United States, a student named Musk.

At 17, he was a third-tier Card Master when he entered the competition. By the end, still 17, he had become an eighth-tier Card Master!

An eighth-tier Card Master was a being capable of easily annihilating a small world, with a lifespan exceeding 500 years.

Decades had passed since the last Academy League, and rumors said Musk was now a ninth-tier Card Master, a true prodigy.

In his previous life, what had Su Chengyang been chasing? Financial freedom, upward mobility.

Frankly, compared to a 17-year-old eighth-tier Card Master, financial freedom and upward mobility were nothing!

In this world, countless prodigies across the globe dreamed of participating in the Academy League, but most were born at the wrong time, missing the opportunity.

After all, the Academy League wasn't held regularly. Sometimes it occurred every decade, other times every sixty or seventy years. Many prodigies never got the chance to participate in their lifetimes.

But Su Chengyang had that chance now.

"I can't miss this!" A glint of determination flashed in Su Chengyang's eyes.

He had to secure a spot in the elite class!

"Magic cards!"

Su Chengyang's hand brushed over the card holder at his waist.

He pulled out the fourth card—the unfinished one.

The monster depicted on the card was incomplete, but its outline was clear.

It was a dragon.

Dragons were one of the most powerful races among magic card monsters.

The weakest dragons, like wyverns or land dragons, were at least four-star monsters, requiring a fourth-tier Card Master to control.

True dragons, with wings and claws, were at least five-star monsters, and only a handful of fifth-tier Card Masters could wield them.

The unfinished card in Su Chengyang's hand depicted a dragon with emerald-green eyes—a white dragon.

It didn't have a name yet.

"With this, I can win."

"As long as I can complete it." Su Chengyang clenched the card tightly.

He wasn't a god.

He couldn't create a three-star dragon monster.

But what if he used a workaround?

"Creating a blue eyes white dragon using the cartoon trait method—what a genius idea!"

Su Chengyang was mistaken about one thing.

In this world, Earth had a thousand-year history of Card Masters.

Countless Card Masters had thought of this idea before.

The real genius was him—he was actually close to completing a Blue Eyes White Dragon!

"Just a little more, and it'll be complete."

Su Chengyang exhaled deeply.

He was determined.

Even if it meant exhausting his spiritual energy before the competition, he would complete it!

But before he could finish the card, Su Chengyang decided to use an ability granted to all Card Masters on Earth by the Supreme Rules.

"Open the personal information panel."

He needed to check his current status.

...

(End of Chapter)