13-16: Incredible Improvement

Tang Jian now had six Blank Energy Cards in his possession.

Two of them he had made himself, one semi-damaged card was obtained from three small thugs, and the other three were purchased from a card shop.

The initial investment was quite necessary. Although Tang Jian also wanted to save money by buying materials to make more Cards himself, his personal energy was limited. With the Rocket Class recruitment period approaching, time was also tight, so he had no choice.

When evening study ended, Tang Jian and Yang Mao left together and unexpectedly ran into Xie Dong.

"Tang... Tang Jian, I have something to tell you."

Seeing Tang Jian walk out of the classroom, Xie Dong immediately approached him, his eyes flickering with what seemed like nervousness.

"Xie Dong?!" Yang Mao and the others looked at Xie Dong strangely.

After all, Xie Dong was a student from the neighboring class, so they all knew him.

However, Xie Dong was a slacker, often associating with idlers outside of school. Yang Mao and the others usually kept their distance from him, having no interactions.

"You guys go on ahead," Tang Jian calmly glanced at Xie Dong, then smiled at Yang Mao and the others.

"Oh, alright. I'll wait for you nearby."

Yang Mao looked at the calm Tang Jian, hesitated as if to speak, then pulled the others aside, though not far away.

Tang Jian felt a slight warmth in his heart, but when his gaze returned to Xie Dong, it turned cold. "What is it?"

Meeting Tang Jian's eyes, Xie Dong's anxiety grew. He nervously said, "Tang Jian, I saw everything that happened today. I know those guys you taught a lesson to; we have a bit of a connection. Now they want to reconcile with you, and I'm willing to mediate. Can we just let this go?"

"Let it go?" Tang Jian's eyes were strange. "Xie Dong, others might not know you, but I know you very well. You know what role you played in this. Reconciliation is easy: ten One-Star Blank Energy Cards, and this matter will be settled."

Since Xie Dong had come to him, Tang Jian was naturally certain that this guy, just like in his previous life, had played an unsavory role in this incident. Even if he wasn't the instigator, he was definitely involved.

Given this, Tang Jian certainly wouldn't let him off easily just because of a few words.

"Ten One-Star Blank Energy Cards?!"

Xie Dong's face turned very ugly. "Don't push your luck! Do you know that those guys you provoked today are just small fries?

They all have people backing them, and I have people backing me too. I'm only talking to you because I don't want to blow things out of proportion!"

Xie Dong glared, lowering his voice to a growl.

Normally, any student would tremble with fear and meekly obey after being glared at and threatened by him. Who would dare to be insolent?

Even students like Liu Wei, who were Two-Star Card Users, didn't dare to provoke Xie Dong, precisely because he had some connections and a group of brothers.

Tang Jian didn't mince words. He stared calmly at Xie Dong until Xie Dong felt a chill down his spine, then he spoke, "I don't want to waste time. You saw today what kind of trash those people you found are. If you have a boss, call him over and let him try.

Ten One-Star Blank Energy Cards, and this matter is settled. Otherwise, what happened today will eventually be resolved."

After speaking, Tang Jian brushed past Xie Dong directly, not even bothering to glance at him again.

"Jianren, what happened? Why did Xie Dong come looking for you? And judging by his expression, he seems quite afraid of you?"

Seeing Tang Jian walk over as if nothing had happened, while Xie Dong stood rooted with a terrible expression, Yang Mao quickly stepped forward and asked.

"Nothing, just a small matter that bothered me. I told him to admit his mistake and apologize, but he doesn't seem too willing." Tang Jian waved his hand dismissively.

"You told Xie Dong to admit his mistake and apologize? How is that possible? It's good enough if that guy doesn't lose his temper," Xu Fei, who was standing nearby, said in surprise.

"The college entrance exam is coming soon. It's best to let go of any conflict you have with Xie Dong. That guy knows some shady people outside, and getting into trouble with him is very troublesome," advised Gu Du, a classmate.

"Yeah, Tang Jian, how about I talk to Liu Wei tomorrow and ask him to mediate? Xie Dong will definitely not bother you out of respect for Liu Wei," offered Fang Jia, a pretty girl from the same class.

Tang Jian was in a good mood seeing so many classmates concerned about him, but he still shook his head. "Forget it, don't worry about this. I'll handle it. Xie Dong is a sensible person; he'll apologize."

"You actually said Xie Dong is sensible?"

"That guy must have lost his mind."

"It seems I really do need to talk to Liu Wei tomorrow. Tang Jian is too naive."

Amidst the chattering of his classmates, Tang Jian left the school gate and soon spotted his father, Tang Lin, riding an electric bike. He immediately walked over.

"How's it going? Are you getting good at Card Crafting now?" Tang Lin flicked the cigarette from his mouth, rode his bike, and asked casually.

"It's alright. I can craft one One-Star Blank Energy Card at a time now. I think I have a good chance of getting into the Rocket Class sprint in eleven days," Tang Jian said honestly.

Tang Lin nearly choked on a mouthful of recycled smoke, coughing, "What? You can now craft a One-Star Blank Energy Card in one go?"

"Yeah, before, I could make two-thirds of one in a single attempt. Now that I've bought a new batch of Cards and practiced diligently, my Card Crafting ability has improved," Tang Jian explained.

These things had to be said sooner or later, and they weren't too astonishing. There was a gradual process involved, and Tang Jian felt it was time to reveal a little to his father.

After Tang Lin confirmed it repeatedly with Tang Jian, his expression became incredibly joyful, but this joy was mixed with some complex regret.

If he had known his son had such Card Crafting talent, he should have invested heavily much earlier.

Now, with only a little over two months until the college entrance exam, he wondered if his son could still catch the last bus.

Tang Jian didn't experience Tang Lin's complex feelings.

After returning home, he ate his usual late-night snack and quickly went upstairs.

After resting for most of the day, his mental power had now recovered to its peak. It was time to try if he could use energy to enhance his mental power.

Tang Jian closed his door, sat on his bed, and placed six One-Star Blank Energy Cards in front of him.

All six Cards were emitting waves of energy fluctuations. Five of them had roughly uniform energy, while the sixth was significantly weaker.

Tang Jian focused his thoughts, and his Attribute Panel appeared before his eyes.

His consciousness centered on the "+" sign next to the "Energy" option.

The next moment, the energy value began to change.

As the energy within each Energy Card was depleted, the energy value on the Attribute Panel rapidly increased.

Finally, a string of numbers stabilized.

Energy: [560]+

Tang Jian's consciousness immediately shifted to the "+" sign next to the "Spirit" option.

On the Attribute Panel, as Tang Jian consciously "tapped" the "+" sign next to the "Spirit" option, the energy value instantly fluctuated.

The energy dropped from 560 points to 360 points in an instant.

Two hundred points of energy were consumed.

Tang Jian felt a surge of energy rise to his brain.

His consciousness couldn't help but drift, feeling like a commercial slogan: Sprite, chilling to the core, uplifting to the soul.

For that instant, Tang Jian's thoughts seemed to float.

When his thoughts settled, the data representing "Spirit" on the Attribute Panel changed.

Spirit: 5/5

Tang Jian's eyes narrowed into slits, and his mouth twitched before he broke into a grin, the curve of his smile widening across his entire face.

So refreshing!

He felt so invigorated now that he could fight a bull!

The energy value could truly enhance his spiritual power, and it didn't even require the anticipated 300 points of energy; only 200 points were needed.

Tang Jian resisted the urge to keep upgrading his spirit. After a moment's thought, he tapped the "+" sign next to the "Card Energy" option.

Immediately, fifty points of energy were consumed, and the Card Energy data changed.

Card Energy: 34/34

"Hmm? It only consumed 50 points of energy? Could it be because I practiced the Three-Point-One-Line Technique for a long time today, causing my Card Energy to already increase, which is why it consumed less energy?"

Tang Jian made his judgment and, after some thought, tapped again.

The Attribute Panel fluctuated.

Card Energy: 35/35

This time, however, it consumed 100 points of energy, leaving him with only 210 points total.

Tang Jian felt a warmth rising through his body, and sweat began to seep from his pores. The viscous sweat had a sour smell, and his entire body gradually filled with a sore ache.

The increase of two points in Card Energy seemed to have slightly strengthened his physique, but no visible changes had occurred yet.

The relationship between physical fitness and Card Energy was complementary.

Only with sufficient physical fitness could more Card Energy be cultivated.

But now, Tang Jian was directly increasing his Card Energy with energy, which caused his physical fitness to lag behind the growth of his Card Energy, putting a strain on his body.

Nevertheless, the increase in Card Energy still affected his body, making his physique slightly stronger.

However, this was ultimately a temporary solution.

"Starting tomorrow, I'll run to school to exercise and improve my physical fitness so my body can keep up with the Card Energy growth," Tang Jian decided.

Physical fitness was the essence, and Card Energy was the qi.

Only by unifying essence, qi, and spirit without imbalance could one achieve true cultivation.

Tang Jian understood this principle.

He still had 200 points of energy left.

Tang Jian tried to shift his consciousness to the very last option on the Attribute Panel, representing "Dream."

His consciousness lingered on the "Dream" option, but he couldn't find a way to operate it.

There was no plus or minus sign next to "Dream."

He could only try his best to convey his desire to view this option.

But after a long while, there was no reaction at all.

Tang Jian felt a little frustrated. Subconsciously, he muttered, "Dreamscape, activate!"

Nothing.

"Open Sesame!"

Nothing.

"Balabala Little Devil Transformation!"

Nothing.

"Domok Saramo, summon, Photon Warrior!"

Still nothing.

A vein throbbed faintly on Tang Jian's temple. He jumped off the bed, grabbed his school bag, and headed to the living room.

In the next room.

Tang Yueyue's small face was pressed against the wall. At that moment, she stood up, looking strange and comical, muttering, "Is my brother under too much study pressure? He's reminiscing about his childhood late at night? He's even watched old animated shows like Photon Warrior?"

Tang Jian, of course, didn't know that Tang Yueyue was eavesdropping.

Upon reaching the living room, he turned on a small desk lamp and began Card Crafting.

With his mental energy and Card Energy both at max, he could easily craft two One-Star Blank Energy Cards tonight, which would mean another 2 points of Card Energy for him.

For Tang Jian, crafting a One-Star Blank Energy Card was no challenge at all now.

Crafting one such Card took a maximum of three minutes.

As Tang Jian focused on Card Crafting, his father Tang Lin and mother Chen Lianrong were quietly discussing in a downstairs room.

"Our son has a talent for Card Crafting. He can now craft a One-Star Energy Card in one go. Do you think we've been holding him back too much? We didn't even think to spend money to cultivate him earlier."

"It's no use talking about that now. Since Xiao Jian has this talent, let's make up for it as soon as possible. I still have over twenty thousand in my card, why don't we..."

"I have over thirty thousand in my card. Let's ask Xiao Jian's opinion first."

Tang Jian had just finished crafting a One-Star Blank Energy Card. The moment the lines on the Energy Card solidified, he heard footsteps coming from the stairs behind him.

He turned his head to look, a little surprised.

"Dad? Mom."

Tang Lin and Chen Lianrong approached Tang Jian with smiles on their faces.

"Is this the Energy Card you crafted?" Tang Lin's gaze fell on the Card on the table in front of Tang Jian.

The elegant lines on the Card, and the faintly emanating energy fluctuations, were exactly the same as the Cards sold in Card shops.

Tang Lin's wrinkled eyes couldn't help but crinkle with a smile, and his face showed a mix of emotion and satisfaction.

My son has achieved so much, how am I only just discovering it now?

This is truly being slow to catch on.

"Yes. I've decided to go see Advisor Sun Yiying tomorrow and tell her that I can now quickly craft One-Star Blank Energy Cards. I'll ask her to apply to the school for my cultivation."

Tang Jian said very seriously.

Tang Lin and Chen Lianrong exchanged glances at his words, as if they had made a decision. Tang Lin said, "I heard that the Solar Energy Potion sold by Yanglong Group costs over thirty thousand a bottle. Xiao Jian, since you have such excellent Card Crafting talent, and Card Crafting is inseparable from Card Energy, we'll buy you a bottle of Solar Energy Potion."

"Mom and Dad are going to buy my brother Solar Energy Potion?" Tang Yueyue, hiding behind her room door, widened her eyes, her heart pounding.

That was a potion worth over thirty thousand yuan. How could Mom and Dad be so generous with her brother? It seemed she really wasn't their biological child.

Tang Jian was also startled by his parents' sudden words and felt a surge of emotion, but he quickly waved his hand. "Dad, don't buy the Solar Energy Potion. It's too expensive, and it might not even be useful for me."

"How can we not buy it? The college entrance exam is coming soon. Since you have this talent, if you don't make a sprint now, when will you?" Tang Lin glared.

"Xiao Jian, it's okay, you don't need to worry about money. Mom and Dad also want you to get into a good university," Chen Lianrong also advised earnestly from the side.

Tang Jian couldn't help but feel frustrated.

Over thirty thousand yuan, to buy some useless Solar Energy Potion?

He'd have to be crazy to spend that money pointlessly.

A single bottle of Solar Energy Potion was said to only increase personal Card Energy by 5 to 15 units, yet it cost over thirty thousand yuan.

If he used that thirty thousand yuan to buy One-Star Blank Energy Cards, he could buy 100 of them. Using all of them could increase his Card Energy by one hundred points.

No matter how he calculated it, it was a loss.

He absolutely couldn't buy the Solar Energy Potion!

But how could he convince his parents?

"Mom and Dad, listen to me. Good steel should be used on the blade. The Solar Energy Potion would indeed be very helpful to me, but I don't think now is the time to take it. What I need now is to continue consolidating my Card Crafting ability."

"Also, I've run out of Blank Cards and need to buy more. Let's put off the Solar Energy Potion for now. With my current Card Crafting ability, I can totally join the Rocket Class sprint. You know that in the entire third year of high school, only a handful of students can craft a One-Star Blank Energy Card in one go. I can definitely do it."

"But now that I've bought you the Solar Energy Potion, wouldn't it be perfect for boosting your Card Energy and making Card Crafting easier?"

"Dad, you don't understand. What I need right now is more practice. And during the Card Crafting process, my Card Energy continuously depletes and then recovers, which makes it grow faster.

I'm already at 35 Card Energy. This is my cultivation plan. If you support me, just give me money to keep buying Blank Cards for practice. Don't buy Solar Energy Potion for now."

After Tang Jian's persistent persuasion, Tang Lin and Chen Lianrong finally, albeit reluctantly, agreed.

"Here's fifteen hundred yuan, Xiao Jian. Take it and use it to buy Cards for practice. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

When Tang Lin personally handed a small stack of money to Tang Jian, Tang Jian felt a sense of guilt, like he was swindling them.

However, he thought that if he could quickly improve his strength and get into a good university in the future, it would be a form of repayment to his parents. Today's act was just a white lie.

"Brother, why did you refuse just now? It was Solar Energy Potion! If you had taken it, you definitely would have reached the Two-Star Card User level, and maybe even gotten into a second-tier university for the college entrance exam."

As soon as Tang Jian sat down at the living room table, he heard the sound of a nearby door opening. Tang Yueyue walked out, pouting slightly as she spoke.

Tang Jian turned around and pinched Tang Yueyue's tender cheek, smiling. "Solar Energy Potion is too expensive, and my main focus right now is on Card Crafting. Actually, as long as your brother has enough Cards, he can quickly increase his Card Energy. Whether I have Solar Energy Potion or not doesn't matter; there's no need to waste it."

"Really?" Tang Yueyue looked suspicious.

"Of course! Your brother here is a genius," Tang Jian said matter-of-factly.

"If you're such a genius, how come your Card Energy isn't even as high as Wang Jun from our junior high class? He's already over forty Card Energy," Tang Yueyue retorted.

Tang Jian, "..."

"Hurry up and go back to your room to sleep. Who cares about Wang Jun or Wang Ba? They might not be as successful as your brother in the future."

"Just keep comforting yourself, brother." Tang Yueyue dodged Tang Jian's pinching hand and scurried back to her room.

Tang Jian shook his head with a wry smile, tidied up the tabletop, and immediately pulled out a Scrap Card from the stationery box in his backpack.

This Scrap Card had already been drawn about one-third of the way, but a mid-point node had been damaged, rendering it unusable.

On the off-white Card surface, the inky lines extended halfway before abruptly breaking off, forming a distorted and asymmetrical small dot, causing the Card to be directly scrapped.

Tang Jian could tell at a glance that this was due to his own unstable control over Card Energy.

When Card Crafting, one's Card Energy must be stable enough to integrate into the material of the Card surface.

Once the Card Energy fluctuates, the energy within the Energy Ink will also fluctuate. Under this conflict, the harmonious connection will no longer exist, and the Card will fail to be crafted.

This was just for crafting low-level Cards, which only required one's own Card Energy to be compatible with the Energy Ink.

For crafting some mid-level Cards, one's own Card Energy needed to draw energy from heaven and earth, and then combine it with the Energy Ink to achieve a state of three-in-one. The difficulty factor was not as simple as two plus one; it was hundreds of times more complex.

Tang Jian opened the bottle of Rare Energy Water and tossed the Scrap Card into it through the Card slot.

Afterward, Tang Jian didn't bother with the Scrap Card and began practicing the Three-Point-One-Line Technique to recover the Card Energy he had just consumed.

An hour later.

Tang Jian opened his eyes, and the Attribute Panel appeared before him.

Card Energy: 24/35.

His Card Energy had recovered about sixty to seventy percent. With a bit of focus, he should be able to craft another One-Star Blank Energy Card.

Immediately, Tang Jian used the booster to push the Card out of the Rare Energy Water bottle.

He held it up and examined it.

The graffiti-like marks on the Card's surface had all been washed clean and disappeared, making it look like a brand new Blank Card.

However, if examined with precise instruments, or if one carefully rubbed their fingertip over the Card's surface, they could detect that the Card's surface was slightly rough, indicating that it had been used before.

Now the Scrap Card had been re-washed into a Blank Card and could be crafted again.

While this process took a good amount of time, it also allowed Tang Jian to recover his own state, and it saved him about six or seven yuan.

Taking five minutes, Tang Jian carefully crafted another One-Star Blank Energy Card.

By this point, his mental strength had dropped to 1 point. Tang Jian rubbed his temples and forehead, grabbed the two One-Star Blank Energy Cards, and returned to his room, too lazy to clean up the messy desk.

Energy: [210]+

Tang Jian held the two One-Star Blank Energy Cards, focusing his consciousness on the "+" sign.

"Add! Add it for me!"

The next moment, two streams of energy surged directly from his hands into his brain, and then the data on the Attribute Panel changed.

Energy: [400]+

"Hmm?" Tang Jian paused, then understood. "It seems the One-Star Blank Energy Card crafted from a Scrap Card is still a bit inferior in performance. It probably only contains about 90 points of Card Energy, not as much as an Energy Card crafted from a brand new Card."

If 400 points of energy were used to increase Card Energy, it could directly boost his Card Energy to 39 points, nearing the 40-point threshold.

Tang Jian hesitated slightly, but in the end, his consciousness couldn't help but turn to the "Dream" option at the very end of the Attribute Panel.

"Open the door!"

He conveyed this intention, expressing his desire to open the dream.

The next instant, his consciousness felt somewhat hazy, and his perception of the surrounding environment rapidly peeled away and weakened, like falling into a deep sleep and entering a dream.

Sleeping immortal, sleeping immortal, lying high on a rock root, forgetting the years, the three lights sinking, one's nature becomes complete.

Energy returns to the ethereal aperture. Breath flows naturally.

Tang Jian's consciousness was hazy, but he vaguely heard the sound of wind, water, and even the fragrant scent of flowers and grass.

This blurred awareness quickly sharpened, and all his senses began to clarify.

The next moment, Tang Jian suddenly opened his eyes to find himself in a quiet valley, where a clear stream gurgled cheerfully nearby.

The rushing sound of the water, and the quacking of water birds circling by the bank, actually made the surroundings feel incredibly peaceful.

In the distance, the setting sun dipped behind the mountains, its lingering rays flickering on and off the eastern cliff face, due to obstructions from certain rocks. The light then reflected off the cliff onto the river, casting a beautiful glow.

Tang Jian's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the scene before him, at his surroundings, utterly stunned.

"Where is this? How did I suddenly appear here?"

"No, I clearly activated the dream state with energy."

"Could this be the dream? Is this what the dream is like?"

Tang Jian stood there, mouth agape, then bent down and pulled up a blade of grass from the ground. He could smell its fresh scent, leaving him speechless.

If this was the dream function, it was far too realistic. Even for combat-series mental illusion Cards, achieving this level of realism was incredibly difficult.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened. He saw lines of ants crawling on the ground, forming words right at his feet.

Dream (Simple Trial): Wind Valley Cultivation!

Cultivation Goal: Endure for half an hour!

"What does that mean?" Tang Jian was taken aback.

The next moment, a Gale suddenly swept through, disheveling his hair and clothes. From all directions, the wind grew stronger and more violent, roaring in from every side.

Tang Jian lost his footing, nearly getting knocked to the ground.

Whoosh—

In the valley, a Gale suddenly arose, whistling powerfully. A forest not far away saw every large tree bent over like a hunchbacked old man, unable to stand upright.

The gurgling stream in front was directly whipped into large waves by the wind. Several water birds shrieked and flapped their wings to fly, but the Gale tossed them erratically in the air.

"Thump—"

Tang Jian felt a sharp pain in his chest, having been hit by a rock lifted by the wind. The pain nearly made him fall.

The wind was too strong, kicking up dust from the ground that obscured his face. Tang Jian endured the sharp pain and took two steps, feeling as if he would be blown away.

In such a terrifying environment, he could barely see his surroundings, even with his hands covering his eyes.

The raging wind tore at everything it touched, stripping dry leaves from branches and flinging them into the air, and blowing water birds into rock walls, killing them.

Thump, thump, thump—

Tang Jian reacted a bit slowly and was hit by many more rocks, the pain almost unbearable.

"Damn it! This is a dream? I'm just looking for trouble!"

Tang Jian almost spat blood. In a panic, he struggled to crawl behind a large boulder for shelter.

Here, he could barely withstand the Gale, but the wind in the valley grew even fiercer, almost enough to lift a person.

Tang Jian had to exert almost all his strength to hold onto the massive rock and avoid being blown away.

The wind roared madly, like countless ghosts fighting.

Tang Jian, hiding behind the giant rock, felt dizzy from the wind, and his body began to ache with fatigue. But whenever he felt like giving up, an inexplicable energy would suddenly surge into his body, injecting new strength.

With the help of that strange energy, Tang Jian gritted his teeth and persevered, not giving up. He even began to practice the Three-Point-One-Line Technique.

Until, with a thunderous crack from the sky, a massive, half-human-tall rock was suddenly torn from the mountain by the Gale and slammed heavily onto Tang Jian.

In that moment, Tang Jian finally understood what it meant to be shattered to pieces.

However, at the instant his body was obliterated, a piece of image information also appeared in Tang Jian's mind.

Wind Valley Cultivation passed, obtained Card Crafting blueprint – Gale!

"Ah!!"

Tang Jian shrieked, abruptly waking from the mysterious dream. The moment his eyes opened, he felt sticky all over his forehead and body, drenched in sweat.

His body's perception of the surroundings quickly returned.

Faint light filtered through the curtains into the room. It seemed to be around 5 AM, transitioning from night to dawn.

Tang Jian looked at his surroundings; it was no longer the terrifying, frenzied Wind Valley.

"The dream is over?"

He let out a slight sigh of relief, feeling his throat so dry it might smoke. He moved, sitting up in bed, and that instant motion made him feel soreness all over his body.

This soreness was like his muscles were being stretched and twisted inch by inch.

The pain made the veins bulge on both arms supporting him on the bed.

"Ugh!?" Tang Jian groaned, his eyes bulging. Sitting on the bed, he felt both buttocks were incredibly sore, and all the muscles in his body seemed to be trembling.

Despite the intense soreness, Tang Jian clearly felt a powerful surge of strength beneath his taut muscles.

What's going on? Tang Jian instinctively focused his thoughts, bringing up his Attribute Panel.

Owner: Tang Jian

Card Energy: [46/46]+

Spirit: [6/6]+

Physique: [6.5]+

Special Effects: 1. ??? (???)

2. Dream (???)

Current Energy: [0]+

"What?!"

Seeing the Attribute Panel appear before him, Tang Jian's eyes widened, and he nearly leaped out of bed in shock.

What exactly had happened?

Had the Attribute Panel glitched?

Is it really 46 Card Energy? I feel like this can't be real.

Tang Jian frowned.

There were only two ways to confirm if all of this was true.

One: Use a testing device to check his body. This method wouldn't work, as he didn't have any testing devices at home.

So, only the second option remained: crafting Cards. If the Card Energy was real, 46 points of Card Energy and 6 points of Spirit were more than enough to craft two One-Star Blank Energy Cards.

Even though Tang Jian could feel the strong Card Energy within him, he still couldn't believe it.

He immediately dragged his body, which felt like it was falling apart from pain, gritted his teeth, and walked to the living room. He picked up his Sketching Pen and began preparing for Card Crafting.

The muscles in both his arms were so sore they felt like they were tearing.

This severely affected his ability to sketch lines.

Tang Jian relied entirely on his strong willpower to persevere, focusing even more intently to avoid mistakes.

Ten minutes later.

When the second One-Star Blank Energy Card was successfully crafted, Tang Jian looked at the data now displayed on his Attribute Panel, and a surge of pleasant surprise gradually welled up inside him.

Card Energy: [0/46]

Spirit: [2/6]

After crafting two One-Star Blank Energy Cards, Tang Jian had used up all his Card Energy and 4 points of Spirit.

But these attribute data were all real; he wasn't dreaming, nor had the Attribute Panel glitched.

So, the 'Dream' function can, through some kind of stimulus, create an illusion in the form of a dream, activating my body's potential? Does it mean that while I sleep, dreaming awakens my potential, and in a short period, through almost hypnotic means, it stimulates my potential to rapidly strengthen myself?

Tang Jian quickly grasped some characteristics of the 'Dream' function and made a judgment.

According to many scientific studies, when people dream during sleep, a small portion of their brain cells are still active. These brain cells, when stimulated, transmit various commands, which indeed can cause the body to react in various ways, and even unleash human potential.

For example, when someone has a nightmare, if they are too scared, they might directly jolt awake from their sleep.

Or, if a person experiences excessive fright or excitement in a dream, dreaming they are swimming or boxing, and the stimulation is too high, their body will react, and their limbs will move.

Now, overnight, Tang Jian's Card Energy had directly increased by 11 points, and his Spirit and Physique had also strengthened.

This sudden change was incredible and could only be attributed to the special Wind Valley Cultivation dream stimulating his potential, making it seem as though he had completed hundreds of days of cultivation in the span of one dream.

Just four hundred points of energy consumed, and one dream caused such a huge change in me. So, if I gather another 400 points of energy, I can have another dream and rapidly increase my strength?

No, that's not right. My body's current burden is clearly very severe; it's almost at its limit. Although my Physique also strengthened somewhat in this dream, it's on the verge of being injured.

In this situation, I need to rest and recover my body, allowing it to return to normal from its extreme state, before I can consider further improvement. Otherwise, my body won't be able to bear it. The faster my Card Energy increases, the more likely I am to get injured or even die.

Tang Jian calmed down from his initial excitement, realizing that things weren't that simple.

Although the 'Dream' function was powerful, it was also limited by his physical body.

Only if his body itself was strong enough could he continuously use the 'Dream' function for improvement.

However, there was also a "+" sign next to the Physique option, which meant that Physique could also be strengthened by consuming energy.

And the Card Crafting blueprint for Gale! I actually comprehended the crafting method for such a Combat Card through a dream?

This type of Card should belong to the magic category. In my previous life, I did see people use magic Cards like Wind Blade, but I've never seen anyone use a Card like Gale.

Tang Jian recalled the extra information in his mind. The next moment, he noticed a change in his Attribute Panel; a "Cards" option had appeared below.

Card Crafting Blueprint [Gale] - Combat Type: Green 2-star Magic Card: Card Crafting Requirements: 30g of wind cat bone, 10 units of wind energy, *10 magic medium crystal fragments. Card Crafting requires 1320 Card Energy, 50 Spirit.

Crafting Plan: ...

It's actually such a detailed crafting blueprint, and it's a Green 2-star Magic Card! I rarely saw this type of magic Card in my previous life; perhaps they're quite rare. If I sold it on the Dark Web, the price would probably be dozens of times more expensive than the Three-Point-One-Line Technique.

The moment Tang Jian finished browsing the information before him, he was overcome with excitement.

Even though his current strength made it impossible for him to craft such Cards, possessing this crafting recipe was like holding a goose that laid golden eggs—he was set for life.

Spending four hundred energy points to unlock the dream function was incredibly worthwhile.

The mysterious Red Card had brought Tang Jian far too many surprises.

However, Tang Jian quickly suppressed the urge to swiftly sell the crafting blueprint for profit. Given his current strength and status, attempting to sell the blueprint for this Card wouldn't just fail to make him money; it would invite trouble.

"Bro, you're up so early? You're so dedicated. You're amazing at Card Crafting, maybe you can teach me sometime."

Just then, the door beside him opened, and Tang Yueyue emerged, rubbing her sleepy eyes, dressed in a wombat-print pajama set.

Tang Jian turned around, about to respond, but Tang Yueyue was already clattering down the stairs in her slippers. It seemed what she had just said was merely a perfunctory compliment?

In the morning, after Tang Jian dropped Tang Yueyue off at the bus stop, he slung his backpack on and ran towards school.

The distance from his home to school was about three kilometers.

Tang Jian used to run the entire distance at full speed, which would take him about 13 minutes, and by the end, his legs would be shaky and his muscles trembling.

But that was when his physique was only 6.0.

Now, with a physique of 6.5, despite the intense pain throughout his body, Tang Jian found that as he continued to run, the pain gradually faded, replaced by an incredible sense of exhilaration.

In about ten minutes, Tang Jian arrived at school, still carrying his backpack.

As he reached the school gate and slowed his pace, he felt that full-body ache surge back, washing over him again as sweat poured from his body.

"Tang Jian, what the heck? Look at you, drenched in sweat! Did you run all the way from home?"

At the school gate, he bumped into Yang Mao, who was buying breakfast. Yang Mao stared at Tang Jian, looking surprised.

Tang Jian grinned, "Running every day helps improve my physical fitness quickly. Watch out, I might catch up to you."

"Tsk." Yang Mao popped a small steamed bun into his mouth, disdainfully muttering, "I've been drinking Solar Energy Potion these past few days. My Card Energy has already reached 44 points. You want to catch up to me? Unless you buy Solar Energy Potion too."

"It's over thirty thousand a bottle. Forget it," Tang Jian shook his head.

Yang Mao said seriously, "The money's well spent! I heard Lin Yuxuan say that the instructor might pick people from our class for special tutoring today. I'm definitely getting picked, what about you? Your talent is ordinary, and you're unwilling to spend money, so you'll just fall further and further behind."

Yang Mao's words seemed very blunt, but Tang Jian could sense the true concern beneath his sharp tongue. He was genuinely trying to motivate him, with a hint of disappointment that he wasn't striving harder, rather than being sarcastic.

Tang Jian smiled and shook his head, "No need. My family isn't well-off, and besides, I think I'll probably be chosen by the instructor anyway?"

"Probably?" Yang Mao rolled his eyes. "You said 'probably,' so you're not sure, are you? I'm telling you, unless your Card Energy breaks through forty right now and you can craft two-thirds of a One-Star Blank Energy Card before your Card Energy runs out. Otherwise... sigh."