In a dark alley, a man was being assaulted by a thug.
"You bastard, a bastard no one wants, I told you to compete with me for first place."
Zhang Hao kicked Chen Fengling.
Although Chen Fengling was enraged by the word "bastard," the pain prevented him from rising to fight back.
"Hahaha, I want you to look like you want to hit me but can't."
Zhang Hao laughed maniacally, removed his cigarette, and exhaled a thick puff of smoke.
"Come on, hit me."
Zhang Hao slapped his face.
He challenged Chen Fengling.
Zhang Hao stepped forward and kicked Chen Fengling again.
"Ugh."
Chen Fengling uttered a painful sound.
After being hit by the kick, Chen Fengling rolled backwards.
At that moment, a necklace fell from his body. After Zhang Hao and the others saw it, they immediately walked over and picked up the necklace.
"Wow, there's a picture of your mother on it! You motherless bastard, I wonder what you're commemorating."
After seeing the picture inside the necklace, Zhang Hao began to mock Chen Fengling.
"Yeah, I wonder what this guy is looking at."
Zhang Hao's younger brothers also joined him in mocking Chen Fengling.
"Don't talk about my mother like that!"
Chen Fengling struggled to stand up, wanting to resist, but Zhang Hao wouldn't give him the chance.
Another kick.
Chen Fengling's body, which had just risen, collapsed again.
"I advise you not to tell anyone about this, otherwise..."
Zhang Hao paused deliberately, threatening Chen Fengling.
"You'll know the consequences."
Just then, a teacher passed by outside the alley.
"What are you doing in there?" the teacher questioned the people inside. "Nothing, just chatting with our 'good classmate.'"
The teacher, upon hearing this, saw Chen Fengling being beaten inside, but ignored him.
"Well, remember to arrive at the 'door' on time to awaken your cards."
"Okay, teacher. You go ahead. We'll be there soon."
After hearing this, the teacher glanced at Chen Fengling with an apologetic look.
After Zhang Hao saw the teacher leave, he kicked Chen Fengling again.
"You're lucky! After I awaken my cards today, remember I'll severely humiliate you."
After Zhang Hao finished speaking, the group left the alley in a mighty procession.
Chen Fengling wiped the wound near the corner of his mouth and looked resentfully in the direction Zhang Hao and the others had left.
"Thirty years on the east side of the river, thirty years on the west side of the river. Don't despise those who are poor and young. When I awaken my cards, I'll definitely make you kneel on the ground and sing 'Conquer'." "
Zhang Hao and his companions, who were leaving, seemed to have heard something and stopped in their tracks.
At this moment, Zhang Hao's younger brother spoke up.
"Have you read too many novels? You'll soon be on your knees."
After Zhang Hao's younger brother finished speaking, the others left the alley without looking back.
Chen Fengling picked up the necklace from the ground and looked at the photo of his mother on it. Seeing her gentle smile, he felt only a deep sense of powerlessness.
His mother was so kind, yet he had no power to protect her. Even her photo could be so easily abused.
He stared at the smile in the photo and said,
"Grandpa, Mom, I will definitely awaken good cards, become a spiritual card master, lead you to a good life, and find you."
After saying this, he put the necklace in his arms.
Then he left the alley without looking back.
A short while later, Chen Fengfeng arrived in front of the "Nifeng" square.
The awakening ceremony was about to begin, and he didn't know whether to feel fear or excitement. He feared his awakening would fail, leaving him with no chance of recovery, let alone finding his mother.
He was excited because if he awakened an extremely powerful card, he could become a spirit card master, rise to prominence, and even find his mother, who had disappeared years ago.
But fear still dominated.
He walked into the square with trepidation.
Suddenly, a young man approached Chen Fengling.
"A-Ling, you've been bullied by those bastards again!"
He angrily demanded of Chen Fengling.
"Tell me! If it's true, I'll help you beat them up!"
The young man looked at Chen Fengling seriously, but Chen Fengling's gaze was evasive.
"Forget it! If you don't tell me, I'll go find them myself!"
Just as the young man was about to turn around and settle the score with the others, Chen Fengling reached out and stopped him. "Lin Moyan, you don't need to go looking for them. The Awakening Card Ceremony is more important. There's no need to give up your future for a scoundrel like me."
Just as Lin Moyan was about to retort Chen Fengling, a powerful voice suddenly rang out.
"Everyone, please return to your original positions. The Awakening Ceremony is about to begin. Fail, and you'll become an ordinary person, living an ordinary life."
"Succeed, and you'll leap over the dragon gate, becoming a superior being, possessing countless powers."
"I hope you will remain focused and wait for the Awakening Ceremony to begin."
After listening to this, Lin Moyan intended to seek Chen Fengling's advice again.
But Chen Fengling remained silent and walked towards the line of top students.
Seeing Chen Fengling didn't respond, Lin Moyan returned to his original line.
Chen Fengling was the seventh person in line, the seventh to awaken a card.
The man who had uttered that powerful voice stood on the stage, awaiting the arrival of the Awakened. Standing before Chen Fengling was Zhang Hao, who made a provocative gesture.
But Chen Fengling didn't answer him.
Chen Fengling knew that no matter how angry he was now, it would be futile. It would be better to ignore him.
The Awakening Ceremony officially began.
The first Awakener took the stage.
A crystal ball appeared before him.
"Touch him, and three doors will appear before you. Inside the doors, you'll see gods who recognize you. Enter, and they will grant you a card. If no god recognizes you, your awakening will fail. I also want to remind you that the probability of a successful awakening is only 30%. Don't stay too long, or your spiritual world will collapse."
The man on the stage explained the card awakening process to everyone.
The first person began awakening the card.
After 30 seconds, the first Awakener walked off the stage dejectedly.
"Awakening failed," the man stated coldly. "No, no, absolutely not! I won't fail my awakening! You must have miscalculated!"
The first awakened student suddenly began to shout.
He wanted to rise to prominence, he didn't want to be just an ordinary person.
But the stark reality was laid before him: his awakening had failed.
The man glanced at the first awakener, and the first shuddered at the sight.
Then he immediately fled the stage.
"Next."
The man's voice was emotionless, like a machine working only for its job.
After witnessing the first student's "miserable condition," the second student actually began to hesitate.
The man, seeing the second student's timidity, spoke with an unquestionable tone.
"Go away! We don't need timid people among our spiritual card masters."
Just as the second student was about to speak, the man's overwhelming pressure prevented him from resisting.
A hint of hatred flashed in his eyes, but more of it was humiliation. "Next." The man, still using his silent, stern voice, ordered the next student to the stage.
The third student, after witnessing the previous student's plight, trembled slightly, but still took the stage.
The third student placed his hand on the crystal ball and felt a strange energy enter his mind.
The man outside, however, showed a hint of joy.
"It seems he's awakened successfully."
A faint light emanated from the surroundings.
The man's face, however, showed a hint of disappointment.
"C-grade. Not good, not bad, not bad either."
The third student, having just touched the crystal ball, didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed after hearing this.
"What's your name?" the man asked.
"Li Defeng."
Li Defeng answered the man truthfully. "Okay, you can go now. We'll let you know if there's any news later."
After hearing this, Li Defeng happily left the stage.
Two more people passed by one after another.
These two also failed to awaken.
After Zhang Hao's turn, he walked onto the stage.
"Hey, you bastard over there, watch me! When I awaken the cards and become a Spirit Card Master, you better kneel down obediently."
Just as Zhang Hao finished speaking, the man suddenly looked at him sternly.
Zhang Hao, upon seeing the man's gaze, immediately shut up.
He placed his hand on the crystal ball.
Three doors appeared before him.
In the door directly in front of him, a ball of infinitely burning fire appeared before him.
He reached out to touch the flames, but all he got was a fireball, one-tenth the size of the infinitely burning flames.
A solemn voice suddenly echoed in his ears. "I am Prometheus, the fire thief from humanity. I grant you a portion of the power of fire and hope, hoping you can use this strength to perform a play I enjoy."
After hearing Prometheus' words, Zhang Hao wanted to kneel down and kowtow in gratitude.
(Let me be clear, this god is not a god. Don't accuse me of destroying his character.)
After this ethereal voice, a commotion erupted in the real world.
"Having awakened a B+ talent, he's truly a promising talent."
Zhang Hao heard this voice as his consciousness returned to the real world.
Four cards suddenly appeared in his hand.
Three were printed with images of raging fire, and one was emblazoned with the words "Death Battle."
"Death Battle" was something he had brought upon himself, while the remaining three cards were gifts bestowed by the gods.
After hearing the man's words, Zhang Hao suddenly burst into a frenzied laugh. "Hahahahahaha! I've awakened a B+ talent, Chen Fengling. I'm challenging you to a deathmatch. But I'm kind-hearted. I'll use this card after you've awakened."
The man's face lit up with dissatisfaction after hearing this.
But he didn't say it out loud.
His plan was to wait until the seventh student awakened their card. If the seventh student's awakening level was lower, he would sacrifice his life.
Those who haven't awakened their cards and those who have are two different worlds.
At this moment, Chen Fengling, after hearing this, accepted it calmly.
"Alright, I accept your deathmatch. If I beat you, I won't have to kill you. All you have to do is kneel down and bark a few times, and I'll spare your life." "
After hearing this, Zhang Hao just wanted to laugh.
"You loser, you still want to let me live? I'll let you live, that's better. How about this, if you lose in a fight to the death, just bark like a dog twice, then crawl through my crotch on your knees, and I'll spare your life, okay?"
"Then if I win..."
Zhang Hao replied to Chen Fengling.
"Okay, I accept."
At this moment, Chen Fengling also walked onto the stage and placed his hand on the crystal ball.
Please, God, let me awaken a suitable card.
At this moment, three doors appeared.
"Is this what they call a door block?" "
Chen Fengling muttered to himself.
He saw the door before him, as if an invisible force was beckoning him to enter.
The word "Seal" was written on the black door.
Although Chen Fengling didn't know what "Seal" meant, he still walked forward and opened the door.
A box lay quietly in the room.
"What is this box?"
A question arose in Chen Fengling's mind.
He walked forward.
Slowly opened the box.
A surge of energy rushed into his mind.
"Pandora's...box."
The moment he touched the box, Chen Fengling felt a surge of energy enter his brain.
But a moment later, he forgot what it was.
"What just happened?"
All he heard in response was silence.
"Seal...everything...Pandora...carrier..."
An old voice rang out.
"What are you! Chen Fengling's voice grew alert. This old voice had only appeared once, but it didn't respond to Chen Fengling again. Back in the real world, a multicolored light illuminated the entire "Against the Wind" square. "Is this light Max-level, or perhaps Finale?" The man's voice was filled with surprise. Cards in this world were divided into seven levels: E, D, C, D, A, S, and Max. Max levels were also divided into two types. One was the standard Max-level, containing the divine power of a deceased deity. The other was called Finale. Finale was a gift bestowed by the seven living supreme gods. Until now, only seven Star Lords had been able to receive their gift. And these seven Star Lords were the only seven possessors of Finale.