Warm Jade
These are Nariren's cards.
From a card maker's perspective, it's fire-attribute, possessing multiple characteristics such as [increased power], [burning], [high temperature], and [weapon]. The card design is rounded and the artwork is exquisite, making it a very beautiful card.
Ning Xi was able to appreciate this card – as a C-rank card, there was so much for her to learn from it.
But beyond that, she couldn't see anything else. Where was its spirituality? Why did it reject Nariren?
She knew nothing.
Ning Xi returned the card to Naliren; there was nothing she could do for her.
However, the previously set plan can be carried out.
The academy's supply store notified her that the Spring Grass she needed to craft healing cards had arrived.
Grade D materials are not cheap, so Ning Xi did not plan to have them delivered directly, but instead prepared to go and select them herself.
The online store wasn't crowded, and the part-time staff seemed quite relaxed. He asked Ning Xi, "How much Yangchuncao do you have?"
"I'd like one... no, two... no, three, please."
Ning Xi's words made the other two card makers in the store chuckle softly.
One of them said to her, "Girl, I suggest you buy a few more portions. This herbal medicine isn't very effective."
The shop assistant took the student card and frowned almost imperceptibly: "Are you sure you want to buy Yangchuncao? As a freshman, you probably won't be able to handle this kind of material."
"Although Yangchun grass is a rare D-grade healing material with the property of [vitality], its energy is too violent and unstable, making it difficult to use."
Without saying a word, he took out a piece of Yangchun Grass from the locker and handed it to Ning Xi: "Feel its energy intensity before you decide whether you want to buy it."
Ning Xi had no choice but to accept it and release her mental energy to cover the material.
Although the name "Yangchun Grass" sounds like a plant, its shape is actually like gold and jade, and it makes a crisp, clear sound when tapped, just like a finely crafted work of art. The energy it contains is somewhat familiar to Ning Xi.
This intense, active state... is like the sun.
"How is it? Can you still control your mental power?" the shop assistant asked.
He should have kept quiet. But once he asked, Ning Xi completely lost control of her mental power. The familiar energy fluctuations caused her mental power to fluctuate violently, instantly burning the materials to ashes. However, the domineering energy belonging to the Yangchun Grass was firmly imprisoned within her mental power.
Ning Xi: ……
Aside from Ning Xi, the other three people present were all knowledgeable about card making, and they could now clearly see how Ning Xi was handling the materials. The card maker who had spoken earlier immediately handed over a set of simple card-making tools: "Make the cards quickly, don't waste materials!"
The shop assistant also said, "Just tell me what kind of ingredients you need. You're really lucky; your mental energy can perfectly cover the materials without leaking a single bit of energy—we can't waste this good fortune!"
Without a second thought, Ning Xi immediately recited the material formula she had already devised. Another card maker came forward, and the two of them surrounded her, naturally helping her process the auxiliary materials.
Five minutes later, the pale golden ink was successfully prepared. Ning Xi took a deep breath, straightened the blank card, and began to write.
She had mentally simulated the card's creation process countless times, and was intimately familiar with the card's patterns and designs. But as the energy of the Spring Grass collided with her spiritual power, she thought of something else.
This energy was fiery, active, and even a little domineering. Even when completely controlled by her mental power, it would never give up any chance to escape, as if it had a soul.
soul……
She seemed to have some understanding of what the spirituality of the [Crimson Lotus Fire] was.
"The card pattern is drawn very smoothly..." Seeing Ning Xi begin to draw, the card makers on either side of her breathed a sigh of relief. Judging from the smoothness of the initial strokes, the card maker must have put in a lot of hard work, and the success rate of the cards is also quite impressive.
There's a high chance this spring grass won't be wasted.
"Wait a minute." The card maker on the left looked at the card maker on the right in shock as if she had seen something unbelievable. She found that the other card maker had the same level of shock in his eyes.
The two dared not speak, lest they disturb Ning Xi's card-making process; they could only convey their opinions through eye contact.
That card pattern... something doesn't seem right, does it?
Does this violate the second law of card making?
How dare she connect the No. 3 card pattern to the No. 54 card pattern?
Oh no, this sudden change was so abrupt—thankfully, the card-making process wasn't interrupted.
This diagram is getting bigger and bigger. How does she plan to finish it?
The shop assistant wasn't a card-making specialist and didn't know much about card production. But judging from the constantly changing expressions on the two people's faces, he could guess the perilous nature of the card-making process.
He quietly left the counter, closed the shop door, and activated a shield card.
Ning Xi was completely immersed in the card-making process.
Her research on E-level cards in the first semester made her thoroughly familiar with basic card patterns and basic graphic models. Even card patterns that are generally considered difficult to connect can be handled with ease.
Card-making rules entered her mind, only to fade away immediately. Cards that followed the rules were good, but her pursuit went beyond that.
She wanted to express the nature of energy: heat, activity, dominance, and that spirit of not wanting to be bound, that loyalty to freedom...
The energy of the materials surged into the card, filling every inch of its patterns. Ning Xi was unaware that the card's function was drifting further and further away from "healing."
After the last card pattern was drawn, Ning Xi also stopped writing.
To her surprise, she discovered that she had consumed all the energy in the materials, leaving not a trace. The newly created card shimmered, possessing both the warmth of sunlight and the luster of jade.
The card maker beside her asked eagerly, "Could I take a look at this card of yours?"
"Of course, thank you for your help." Ning Xi stood up, intending to find a clerk to pay. The inspiration came too suddenly; she hadn't planned the materials well, resulting in a budget far exceeding her expectations.
"Fifty, fifty thousand star coins...?"
The shop assistant quickly added, "We offer credit, as long as you're willing to sell this card on the Mingxin Academy website. The profits from the sale will be used to cover the cost of making the card."
"No need for that." Ning Xi shook her head, reluctantly paying 50,000 star coins.
This cost is... not too high for a D-grade card, it's just that she's too poor, so it seems relatively high.
Hopefully, this card's quality justifies its cost.
Ning Xi turned to look for the other two card makers and saw them huddled together, studying her cards and behaving intimately. She was surprised to find that they were a young couple.
The male card maker frowned: "I still don't understand. She clearly violated the rules of card making, so why was she still able to create a card?"
The female card maker shook her head, looking at him with a "you're hopeless" expression: "Have you forgotten what Director Song said? Rules are meant to restrict ordinary people, not geniuses."
"Materials that ordinary people cannot control, geniuses can control; creases that ordinary people cannot mend, geniuses can mend. Therefore, geniuses are often unrestrained and do whatever they want."
"Only by perfectly superimposing these three sets of diagrams can she achieve such a perfect healing effect!"
“By the way,” she put her arm around Ning Xi’s shoulder, “what’s your name, classmate? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.”
"My name is Ning Xi."
Hearing the card maker's evaluation of its healing properties, Ning Xi breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, chatting with the two of them.
"So you're Ning Xi! Did you offend someone? There are always people on the forum saying bad things about you."
"Did you make this card for the school war? Don't worry, we won't reveal the information."
"Keep it up! Make more cards and show those who don't believe in you what they're capable of!"
"By the way, what name are you planning to give this card?"
Ning Xi thought for a moment. She had originally planned to choose a name related to spring or plants, but after seeing the finished card, another idea came to her mind.
"This card is called [Warm Jade]."
Before leaving, the two card makers added Ning Xi as a friend, saying they wanted to come watch her next match. The shop assistant also expressed the same sentiment.
Ning Xi looked at the shop assistant, who was clearly a student working part-time: "Are you also in the card-making department?"
The shop assistant shook his head: "I'm an accounting major."
Does Mingxin College have an accounting department?
Seeing that Ning Xi remained silent, the shop assistant lowered her voice: "You... be careful these few days, don't wander around, and don't reveal any information. I have a feeling... someone is following you."
...
Moze, the captain of "Golden Compass," received a new communication.
He glanced at the person on the other end of the line, his expression indifferent: "Have you found anything new?"
"Ning Xi went to the academy's shop. According to the shop assistant, she just bought D-grade material Yangchun grass and some auxiliary materials. It seems she wants to make new cards."
"Among their existing cards, [Musician] is a multi-functional support card that can weaken enemies or transform into different forms to assist the user. The [Knight's Emblem] deck is mainly for defense and also has an unstable taunt ability. As for [Crimson Flame]... you should know more about it than I do."
"Ning Xi probably wants to make up for the lack of a healer in the team. If they can do that, their endurance will indeed be greatly improved."
"Moze, I want to..."
"Don't even think about it." Moze interrupted him decisively. "We're going to use underhanded tactics against a team that's mainly composed of freshmen and uses D-level cards? We can't afford to lose face like that."
The voice on the other end was calmer than I expected: "This matter has nothing to do with you."
Moze let out a soft sigh.
“I don’t understand,” he said. “Why do you value this team so much that you’d resort to such methods?”
The arrogant captain had calmed down by now. His condescending tone made it sound as if he were delivering a verdict to his opponent.
“The prisoner’s child, Bian Xing’s penniless son, unregistered residents, a collateral branch of a small family, and Yu Xiangyin, the ‘real young master’ who thought he was hiding himself well… a motley crew.”
"We won't lose to them. Even if no one else makes a move, they are no match for me based solely on the quality of my cards."
There was a moment of silence on the other end: "We're just employees. This is all the order from above. We just do what we're paid to do. But I must warn you, this Ning Xi, and her mental strength, are definitely not simple."
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