[Matched with an 'Out-of-Scope Opponent']

Su Qi: "???"

"Is this it?"

He felt somewhat cheated out of his 220,000 points.

What a scam.

Weren’t they supposed to be at a 0.01% discount?

Does this look like a card worth 200 million Pleasure Points?

Was this some kind of reverse discount?

And there weren’t even any negative effects?

...

"Here."

Su Qi walked out of the bedroom and handed [Eternal Slumber Dragon: Abyss] to Liu Yuan.

Liu Yuan carefully took the card, feeling its slight weight. A chilling sensation spread from her fingers through her entire body.

She blinked, looking at Su Qi with a hint of confusion.

"Brother, this card... feels so familiar."

Hum!

The card transformed into a streak of light and merged into her body.

"Familiar?"

Su Qi found it even stranger now.

No, he had to test it.

Otherwise, spending 220,000 points without knowing what he got would leave him uneasy.

"Can I try the card’s effects?"

Liu Yuan tilted her head slightly. Though she didn’t fully understand, she nodded obediently.

"Mm, whatever Brother says."

Her trust in Su Qi was almost blind.

Condition ③: 'Su Qi' must actively awaken it.

But how?

"Come forth, my trump card?"

"I choose you?"

Fortunately, it wasn’t that complicated.

Su Qi sensed a faint, thread-like connection.

He willed his soul energy to tug at it.

The next moment—

An indescribable, terrifying pressure abruptly descended!

Not from the outside, but erupting directly from within Liu Yuan’s body!

The temperature in the room plummeted by dozens of degrees in an instant, the air so heavy it felt suffocating.

The surrounding light seemed to freeze in an eerie stillness.

Under Liu Yuan’s feet, intricate frost patterns silently spread across the floor, radiating a soul-numbing chill.

This wasn’t just energy-induced oppression—it was an absolute, hierarchical suppression!

As if some supreme existence had slowly opened its eyes, indifferently surveying this insignificant world.

When [Abyss]’s aura fully manifested, Su Qi felt as if an invisible hand had clenched around his heart.

Terror.

Unspeakable terror.

It was the kind of power that could freeze time and space, annihilate all existence!

Su Qi had no doubt—if this force were unleashed completely, not just their neighborhood, but the entire Jiangxia would be wiped out in an instant!

[Name: Abyss]

[Type: Special]

[Rarity: Primordial]

[Energy Level: ? (1-Star)]

[Unique Passive: Dragonblood Lineage (Possesses most draconic traits)]

[Active Skill: Frost Flash]

[Active Skill: Gale Slash]

[Active Skill: Lament of Blood]

...

[Active Skill: Before Me, Will You Grovel... or Die with Dignity?]

[Active Skill: I Shall Rise from the Abyss of Death—None May Defy Me.]

Over three hundred skills nearly blinded Su Qi.

He had never seen such an absurd card before.

220,000 points...

Worth it.

So worth it!

This was practically a fire sale!

Su Qi quickly severed the mental link, stopping the awakening.

Based on his understanding, such a summoning effect likely lasted only briefly before requiring months or even years to recharge.

No point wasting it here.

Still, one thing puzzled him...

Every skill seemed excessively serious.

Where was the "Pleasure" effect?

You know, if not for his fear of Pleasure-related side effects, Su Qi wouldn’t have saved up so many points in the first place.

The terrifying pressure receded like a tide.

The frozen air resumed its flow.

The eerie dimness faded, and light returned to normal.

The frost patterns on the floor vanished like illusions, as if nothing had happened.

Su Qi then thought of another issue—didn’t this power defy basic energy conservation?

"Yuan’er, do you feel any discomfort or—"

"Nope~"

Hm?

A familiar yet unfamiliar voice.

Su Qi turned his gaze back to Liu Yuan.

She stood in place, her eyes still clear and bright, her voice soft and sweet as always.

But alarms blared in Su Qi’s mind.

Something was off.

Very off.

Though the overwhelming pressure had faded, it hadn’t disappeared entirely.

A faint trace still lingered within Liu Yuan.

"Yuan’er?" Su Qi tested cautiously.

"Mm?"

Liu Yuan tilted her head. "What is it, Brother?"

Her behavior seemed unchanged—still his silly little sister. But...

"Wanna spar?"

She leaned close, her warm breath brushing his ear. "Since Brother’s already played with one of my cards, why not try another?"

Su Qi tried to step back but found himself bound by invisible chains.

Was this the true manifestation of "Pleasure"?

Not a skill effect, but the sheer delight of its existence?

"Brother, what do you think are the traits of a dragon?"

"So hard to guess~"

...

In the living room, the light remained bright.

Perhaps this was retribution for Su Qi’s earlier forced sparring.

This time, he was the one being forced into a match.

Legends spoke of spearmasters reaching their peak by fighting their way in and out seven times.

Today, Su Qi shattered that record.

After eight close-quarters clashes, his pride—the 7th-tier weapon, [Path’s End Spear]—was ground beneath Liu Yuan’s foot, impossible to retrieve.

Su Qi felt like he was dying. Utterly defeated, his vision blurred.

Then, a trickle of icy, refined energy flowed through the spear into his body, replenishing his losses from the fight.

"Hmph, stupid Brother. Still dare to bully me?"

The jingling of bells declared the victor.

Su Qi suffered a 'fatal strike'—his soul sea trembling violently for a full twenty-three waves before finally calming.

[Dawn · VII · Pride: With newfound power, you crave a worthy opponent. A one-sided match holds no meaning.]

[‘Overwhelming Opponent’ Located (Completed)]

...

Everything was ready.

Now, all that remained was to wait for the Martial Exam to officially begin.