Jiangbei City, Flash of Inspiration

"I heard that during our training camp at Jiangbei University this time, He Xun, the disciple of Great God Ma, the Six-Star Card God, will be coming to give us a lecture."

"Even though He Xun is Great God Ma's newest disciple, he's exceptionally talented himself. Otherwise, Great God Ma wouldn't have taken him on. I heard he's currently the Vice President of the Student Union at Jiangbei University, with the strength of a peak Two-Star Card Master."

"Where did you hear that news? Is it true? That's fantastic! I've always admired Great God Ma; I really love Glory of the Dead, the game his company created."

"Stop talking about that. It's not Great God Ma lecturing us, just one of his registered disciples. Hopefully, we'll still learn something."

"He's a Two-Star Card Master, and he's willing to lecture you—that's good enough! Are you still complaining? You must have a slipped disc or something."

On the highway, which was heavily protected and cordoned off due to the threat of the Celestial Pit, a double-decker luxury bus cruised along unhurriedly. A group of students chattered excitedly, their discussions lively and fervent.

"Hey, Tang Jian, they're saying Great God Ma's disciple, He Xun, will be lecturing us this time. If that's true, it'll be awesome! We should make a good impression now. If we get into Jiangbei University later, we'll have the Vice President of the Student Union looking out for us."

Yang Mao poked Tang Jian with his elbow, a little agitated.

He Xun? That name sounds familiar.

Tang Jian thought, but still rolled his eyes. "Don't bother with pointless thoughts. Your own strength is what matters. No matter how much others give you, if you're not strong enough, you can't keep it."

Ahead, Gao Yang turned around in agreement. "That makes sense, Tang Jian. How much Life Force do you have now? I feel like you're not much worse than Liu Kun these days."

The stronger a person's Life Force, the more of an aura they generate. If not deliberately restrained, the aura emitted by some Three-Star Card Masters with four-digit Life Force could directly oppress a group of Card Users, forcing them to their knees, unable to resist.

Gao Yang clearly sensed that Tang Jian's Life Force was quite strong.

"Uh, I drank a Solar Energy Potion yesterday, and I did get a bit stronger. My Life Force is almost 10 now."

Tang Jian said casually.

"What? It's already 10 so fast? You scoundrel, you're truly a scoundrel! We agreed to be useless together, but you're overturning so quickly now."

Yang Mao was taken aback.

Liu Kun, sitting next to Gao Yang in front, was also very surprised, but then he remembered that Tang Jian had boosted his strength by consuming a Solar Energy Potion, and everyone calmed down again.

Boosting strength with potions is only temporary. After this, Tang Jian might not be able to maintain such a rapid rate of improvement.

Ahead, some attentive people who had overheard Tang Jian's words were initially surprised but then quickly dismissed it.

Hmph, only approaching 10 Life Force now. He won't be able to surpass me in the next two months.

Wu Chun also heard Tang Jian's words and couldn't help but inwardly sneer.

He was still seething over his previous defeat by Tang Jian, but with his arrogance, he only considered it an accident. If he had been better prepared, the outcome would have been completely different.

"Life Force close to 10… that's about the same as Gu Du and Liu Fei. But his Card Crafting ability is very strong," Wang Ba mused, touching the earring near his ear.

Gu Du, who had lost to Tang Jian previously, gritted his teeth, thinking of ways to get his revenge on Tang Jian.

High school students aren't complicated; they're all hot-blooded and competitive.

When they lose, they want to get even, but they never think of using underhanded tactics. People like Xie Dong are ultimately a minority.

Jiangbei City is a historic city, and also a snack city in the Central China region of the old country, Huaxia. It boasts unique natural scenery, distinct four seasons, and many lakes and mountains rarely found in large cities, possessing a rich Jiangbei cultural character.

This famous city is also being developed into a Federation base city, undergoing extensive construction.

According to information from online sources and news broadcasts, there's a high probability of an excessive number of new Celestial Pits appearing here in the coming years. Consequently, Huang Hu, the Prefect of Jiangbei City, is under immense pressure and is eager to attract external talent to settle in Jiangbei City.

In recent years, Jiangbei City has opened up many preferential policies for outstanding external talents, such as housing discounts and work welfare subsidies.

It's estimated that universities in Jiangbei City this year might even lower some of their admission score requirements, though this is still uncertain.

It took Tang Jian and the others three hours on the double-decker bus to finally arrive in Jiangbei City. The bus drove directly through bustling streets and some construction zones before entering Jiangbei University.

The atmosphere of the university was distinctly different; in this commercialized city, it stood out like a beautiful landscape.

Although it wasn't hot yet, many girls were already wearing short skirts, showcasing their long legs, walking together along the paths.

Some laughed and joked, skipping along cheerfully, lively and full of youthful vigor.

"Hey, hey, this one's good, this one's good!"

"This one's not fierce enough!"

"Tsk, well, this one's not bad, she looks a lot like the celebrity Yang Mier."

"Oh, quick, look, is that a boy or a girl? Quite gender-neutral."

As the bus entered the campus, the curtains had already been drawn open. Yang Mao and a few other lively characters were practically glued to the windows, peering out and chattering incessantly.

Tang Jian gave these lively characters an annoyed glance, then casually glanced at the female university students outside the window, before losing interest and looking away.

Reality wasn't a novel.

While Jiangbei University did have its share of beauties, it wasn't like he'd encounter stunning young women everywhere he went. He remained quite calm.

Upon arrival, everyone disembarked, their faces beaming with excitement and curiosity as they couldn't help but look around. The two school leaders and two teachers accompanying them exchanged polite greetings with the teachers dispatched by Jiangbei University.

Tang Jian also pretended to be a fresh newcomer, his face filled with curiosity as he looked around, following the group and pointing things out, feigning as if it were his first time seeing Jiangbei University. But inwardly, he was very calm.

From the perspective of his past life, while Jiangbei University's greenery was decent now, its overall environment and facilities naturally couldn't compare to the future.

I remember when I was a freshman, several new Celestial Pits did appear in Jiangbei City. At that time, some high-achieving juniors and seniors from Jiangbei University accompanied the army to quell the chaos, and many of them sacrificed their lives.

It should still be about half a year until then... The trade market here is probably still in Miudong A District in the south of the city...

Tang Jian suddenly felt a stir within him, as if a long-forgotten, insignificant memory was being unearthed. The keywords "Jiangbei University," "Jiangbei City," and "Miudong A District in the south of the city" emerged from his mind, triggering a chain reaction.

Suddenly, a rather important piece of information seemed to flash through his mind.

But when Tang Jian frowned and tried to recall it, it remained vague, always feeling like it was just within reach but impossible to grasp.

"Forget it. I won't think about it for now."

Tang Jian was at a loss. He saw that the school leaders had finished their conversation with the teachers from Jiangbei University and were now walking towards them. It seemed they were probably going to arrange their accommodations.

Tang Jian's gaze suddenly sharpened, falling on a mild-mannered, unremarkable young man standing beside the Jiangbei University teachers.

From his age and attire, the other person was clearly a student from Jiangbei University, and his face looked very familiar.

"He Xun!"

A sudden flash of insight struck Tang Jian.

"Jiangbei University," "Jiangbei City," "Miudong A District in the southern part of the city," "He Xun."

These four pieces of information combined.

Tang Jian immediately remembered the piece of information he hadn't been able to grasp earlier—a very important and valuable piece of information. His heart couldn't help but pound violently.

Thanks to Brother Gentle and to "You Rui's White Shield" and "Zhengzheng the Great Devil" for the rewards! Also, please vote again.