Chen Mu could already walk quite freely through Simple Water World. He had gradually adapted to this peculiar environment, especially the water pressure. The first time he entered, he had felt as though that terrifying pressure would crush him until he burst.
Under such conditions, reducing his breathing rate to once a minute was no easy feat. But Chen Mu had done it. The benefit of this deep breathing was that it greatly slowed his heartbeat, making it easier to enter a deep meditative state.
Chen Mu could now enter deep meditation relatively quickly, taking only about two minutes each time.
Fortunately, this was only "Simple Water World." Had he really been underwater, never mind breathing-he would have suffocated!
Without testing it, he had no idea exactly how strong his perception was. All he knew was that his current perception could essentially sustain an entire day of making card films without running dry.
Yet he still could not extend his perception to cover a five-meter radius. The absolute limit he could manage was four and a half meters. No matter what he tried, he could not extend it through that remaining half meter. It felt as though his perception would lose its connection to him if it stretched even a little farther.
Chen Mu privately suspected that this was not a matter of perception strength. Unfortunately, the Mysterious Card seemed to contain no information on this point, so he could only feel his own way forward.
Fortunately, there was no hurry. His current perception was enough for him to do many things, such as learning to make other cards-Airflow Cards, Heating Cards, Mist Cards, and so on. In the past, he would never even have dared to dream of such things.
Classifying cards was a headache, whether in the Heavenly Cultivation Federation, Hundred Abyss Prefecture, or the Mohadi Domain. Many cards were difficult to place in any particular category.
The first card Chen Mu studied was the Heating Card, one of the most widely used cards. The Heat Cooker was an essential appliance in every household, and at its core was a simplified Heating Card. Heating Cards were also essential in the card cases carried by Card Adepts who frequently ventured into the wilderness. They allowed them to eat cooked food under any conditions without searching for dry branches to build a fire. They were also often used to keep warm in the depths of winter.
Card-making terminology that had once been abstruse and bewildering now seemed clear at a glance. Chen Mu picked it up extremely quickly. In just two days, he had made his first One-Star Heating Card. By the third day, the One-Star Heating Cards he made were already quite refined, with greater energy efficiency as well. Chen Mu simply took apart the Heat Cooker at home and replaced its card with his own One-Star Heating Card. When he tested it, it worked beautifully. Even Lei Zi clicked his tongue in wonder.
This immediately got Chen Mu hooked on modifying household appliances. The Freezing Card in the Fresh Food Cabinet, the Lighting Cards... even the One-Star Airflow Card, which Chen Mu had originally considered useless, had its potential thoroughly explored. The airflow produced by a One-Star Airflow Card was not powerful, but it was perfect for providing a cooling breeze.
Wherever cards were used in the house, Chen Mu would find books on the subject and do the work himself. Since money had become less tight, he had bought a great many books. Materials and books now made up most of what filled his room. The basic knowledge he had learned from the Mysterious Card, especially its explanations of certain principles, had benefited him immensely. The cards he had worked with these past few days were not Illusion Cards, but there was no fundamental difference in their underlying principles.
He owed his rapid progress entirely to that mysterious card.
Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked at the door.
"Is Mr. Chen Mu home? Here's your mail. Please sign for it."
Chen Mu was taken aback. This was the first time he had received anything other than bills.
He opened the envelope and found a white card with a blue border, roughly half the size of his palm. Its translucent, ivory-white material felt wonderful to the touch.
Low-Level Illusion Card Club membership card.
It took Chen Mu considerable effort to decipher the somewhat archaic lettering on the card's surface. In its upper-right corner was a faintly glowing numeral displaying "zero." A string of code was engraved in the lower-left corner.
"Stop staring. It's not some high-end item." Lei Zi poked his head out, saw it, and scoffed. "The membership card isn't worth anything. What's valuable is the contribution score. Yours is only zero right now. I guarantee that even if you tossed it into the street, nobody would pick it up."
"Contribution score? What's it used for?" Chen Mu could not help asking, feeling a little embarrassed. He had just thought the card was worth quite a bit.
Lei Zi stretched lazily before replying, "It's an incentive system the club uses. Haven't you noticed how low the threshold for joining is? They came up with contribution scores to sift out people who have real skills and take the club's affairs seriously." Seeing that Chen Mu was still looking at him expectantly, Lei Zi shrugged and washed his hands of the matter. "Don't look at me. That's all I know. Why not go over there tomorrow and find out? Why ask an outsider like me?"
The Low-Level Illusion Card Club.
This was Chen Mu's first visit, and he could not resist taking a careful look at the building. Owning a high-rise in the center of Dongshang Guard City was enough to demonstrate the club's resources. What caught his attention most were the exquisite Illusion Card images floating along its exterior walls. They changed constantly, now showing winter ice and snow stretching to the horizon, now filling his vision with lush, glistening green...
The dazzling succession of sights left him hardly knowing where to look. Even with Chen Mu's discerning eye, he could not help marveling inwardly. In terms of realism, even the advertisement he had seen at the Twin Ring Card Shop last time could not compare with these ever-changing illusions. Of course, that was not the first thought that flashed through his mind. His first thought was: How much would an Illusion Card capable of projecting such exquisite illusions be worth?
This really was a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. He did not know who had made these Illusion Cards, but anyone who could create such lifelike illusions was truly formidable! Chen Mu reckoned that it would be difficult to achieve with his current abilities.
Reining in his curiosity, Chen Mu stepped into the building.
The moment he entered, the scenery around him suddenly changed.
His vision darkened. In the darkness, stars filled the sky, moving slowly in patterns beyond human comprehension, as though he had suddenly stepped into the vast starry universe. Endless void surrounded him in every direction, and countless stars spread out in an ocean without bounds. Even the solid ground beneath his feet now felt unreal. It was an overwhelming sight! Chen Mu had never seen anything like it, and his eyes instantly filled with astonishment.
"Welcome to the Low-Level Illusion Card Club." A soft female voice came from behind Chen Mu.
Chen Mu immediately recovered from his shock and turned to look. A short-haired woman in business attire stood gracefully behind him.
"This is the Star Evolution Illusion Card. It's said to be the work of Master Che Moxihe, who had an exceptionally profound understanding of the stars. This set of Illusion Cards later found its way into the Club President's hands, and the Club President decided to put it here. Everyone gets a fright the first time they come in." She covered her mouth and laughed softly, brimming with charm.
(End of chapter)