The power of Immortal Cards

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With a hum, an astonishing surge of fire-type mana radiated from the Fireball Spell Immortal Card, sending wisps of scorching fire spiritual energy rippling through the air.

"Activate!" Wang Yan gave a low shout and formed a strange gesture with his fingers. Holding the Fireball Spell Immortal Card between them, he slapped it hard against his chest. Astonishing red spiritual light rippled outward, and the entire Immortal Card blazed crimson before instantly dissolving into countless red motes that burrowed into his body.

Then!

An astonishing sight appeared!

With a hum, a brilliant Red-Light Flame appeared in Wang Yan's palm. A Fireball Spell only the size of a fingernail emerged, and a wave of scorching heat suddenly surged through the air.

"This! Is this the Fireball Spell?!" At the sight, Wang Yan looked stunned and cried out in surprise. He had only begun practicing a fire-type cultivation method yesterday. Though this fireball was tiny, the mana it contained was anything but insignificant. This was a Fireball Spell that only cultivators at Minor Completion of the Cultivation Realm could cast, yet Wang Yan had actually released it. He had never practiced this so-called Fireball Spell himself. He had merely willed it into being and circulated the mana in his body according to the method Card Fairy had taught him. Everything had flowed as naturally as water into a channel, and the Fireball Spell had appeared.

"Hehe! Impressive, isn't it? With my Immortal Cards, you don't have to practice a spell before you can cast it!" Seeing Wang Yan staring with his mouth hanging open, Card Fairy spoke with immense pride.

"Huh?! Isn't that just like a talisman?" Wang Yan said instead. After a pause, he continued, "And yours is even more troublesome than a talisman. You have to chant incantations and make hand seals and all that...!"

"Tsk! That's where you're wrong! These are Immortal Cards. How could lowly talismans possibly compare?" Card Fairy interrupted him unhappily. "Try it, and you'll see!"

"Oh!" Wang Yan grew somewhat puzzled. Talismans worked much the same way: a spell was sealed inside one, allowing someone to cast it without necessarily knowing the spell. Making talismans was far from easy, however, and the failure rate was very high. Still, these Immortal Cards seemed to serve the same purpose. Though doubtful, he answered, then quickly added, "All right! Go!" With Li Xiaoya's low shout, the fingernail-sized fireball in his hand shot straight out!

With a muffled whoosh, the little fireball trailed a tail of flame as it hurtled toward a tree seven or eight zhang away, its trunk thick enough for one person to encircle.

With a muffled bang, the tree shuddered violently, and Red-Light Flame scattered everywhere. The impact had blasted a blackened hollow into the trunk, with white smoke pouring from it. Its power was considerable indeed. Against a cultivator at initial attainment in the Cultivation Realm, its destructive force would be astonishing.

"So powerful!" Wang Yan exclaimed in delighted surprise. "I can cast the Fireball Spell!"

"Haha! Impressive, isn't it?" Card Fairy laughed proudly.

"But!" Wang Yan looked down at his hand and frowned. "Still... this isn't all that different from a talisman, is it? Don't talismans release their spells and send them flying too?"

"No, it isn't! I already told you it's not a talisman." Card Fairy could no longer be bothered to explain or argue with Wang Yan. She continued, "Cast the Fireball Spell again!"

"I can cast it again?" Wang Yan froze in surprise. Even as he spoke, he slightly activated the Immortal Card Artifact in his abdomen. Red-Light Flame suddenly flickered over his hand, and another tiny crimson fireball appeared in his palm. At the sight, Wang Yan froze, finally realizing the difference between the two. He hurriedly asked, "The spells in these Immortal Cards can be used several times?"

"Exactly!" Card Fairy said at once. "You should know that no matter how powerful a talisman is, it loses all its power after one use, or at most a few!" She paused, then declared proudly, "But the Immortal Cards this fairy invented can be used endlessly. Do you understand now?"

"Endlessly? Doesn't that mean I can keep casting the Fireball Spell?" Wang Yan asked in delighted surprise. With a point of his finger, the little fireball in his hand shot out toward the distant lake. It exploded with a boom, throwing up a spray of water as white mist and vapor scattered.

Then!

With a whoosh, Red-Light Flame flashed over Wang Yan's hand, and another crimson ball of fire appeared. Wang Yan was finally moved, and he exclaimed in utter delight, "If that's really true, doesn't that mean I don't have to worry about using up my mana? And will this Immortal Card disappear?"

Indeed.

Judging by Card Fairy's words and his own experience, these Immortal Cards truly were extraordinary. Thinking it over carefully, they had two obvious advantages. First, any spell sealed within an Immortal Card could be cast without practicing or learning it. Second, it could be cast endlessly without consuming mana. Wasn't that a terrifying divine ability? Especially if these Immortal Cards could be used to cast spells of tremendous power. No wonder most True Immortals coveted the Immortal Card Artifact...

However, Wang Yan was being rather too optimistic.

"No! That isn't quite right!" Card Fairy hurriedly said. "Take that Immortal Card out! You'll understand when you look!"

"Hm?" At her words, Wang Yan casually dispelled the fireball and formed a series of hand seals. With a hum, mana swirled inside his body. He opened his mouth and spat, and the Fireball Spell Immortal Card appeared in his hand. Looking at it, Wang Yan could see no difference from before, so he quickly asked, "Card Fairy! This Immortal Card doesn't seem to have changed at all!"

"Try circulating your mana and channeling it into the Immortal Card!" Card Fairy replied.

"All right!" Wang Yan nodded and circulated his mana, producing a wisp of red light that he fed into the Immortal Card. He sensed that the Fireball Spell Immortal Card was actually absorbing his mana. More importantly, the card seemed to contain a faintly discernible world of its own, with a mass of fire spiritual energy inside that felt exceptionally dense. A thought struck him, and he hurriedly asked Card Fairy, "Card Fairy, can these Immortal Cards store mana?"

"That's right. More or less!" Card Fairy replied. After a pause, she explained, "My Immortal Cards can't actually be used endlessly. That depends on how much mana they contain. As long as you keep feeding mana into an Immortal Card, and it has enough stored within it, you can keep using it!" Without waiting for Wang Yan to ask, she continued, "But how much mana an Immortal Card can hold depends on the materials used to refine it, the formations used, and the spell's rank and power!"

"Oh! So that's how it works. I was wondering-if it could be used forever, that would defy the heavens a little too much!" Understanding dawned on Wang Yan, and he nodded. "Still, that's already incredible. If I could store mana in an Immortal Card beforehand, or in lots of Immortal Cards, wouldn't that give me more mana to use in a magical battle?"

"Haha! You've finally realized the benefits of my Immortal Cards!" Card Fairy laughed proudly. After a pause, she continued, "But that's not all. There are even more powerful ones. If you can obtain enough superior materials, such as demon beast hides, you could even refine a Resurrection Card. Bringing the dead back to life would be no great difficulty! And Summoning Cards! You could even conjure divine beasts! Tell me, is that impressive or not?"

"Mm...!" Wang Yan finally appreciated some of the benefits of these Immortal Cards and nodded sincerely. Then, as though something had suddenly struck him, he hurriedly asked, "Card Fairy! You said a Resurrection Card could be refined? Does that mean it can revive someone who has died? Could it bring back someone who passed away many years ago?"

"Huh? Why are you asking that? The Resurrection Card is already among the highest-ranked of my Immortal Cards. Without a True Immortal's cultivation and exceptionally rare materials, you can't refine one...!" Card Fairy paused in surprise and asked in bewilderment.

"No, what I'm asking is, do Resurrection Cards really exist? Can they bring the dead back to life?" Wang Yan pressed urgently. His eagerness made it clear how deeply he cared, leaving Card Fairy somewhat at a loss for an answer...

"Ah! Resurrection Cards can indeed bring the dead back to life, but the requirements are outrageously demanding. Even a True Immortal... no, even a Supreme True Immortal would struggle to gather everything!" Card Fairy gave an affirmative answer, though her tone sounded less than certain.

Before Card Fairy could finish!

"Good! In this lifetime, I will definitely refine that Resurrection Immortal Card!" Wang Yan stood up, his whole body bursting with irrepressible excitement as he shouted. His fists were clenched tight, and his body trembled with emotion.

"You...!" Seeing this, Card Fairy had no idea what Wang Yan was thinking. She wanted to dampen his enthusiasm, but immediately changed her mind. Wasn't this perfect? If Wang Yan could settle down and diligently cultivate using her Immortal Card Artifact, his determination would be a good thing. Although the requirements and materials for a Resurrection Immortal Card were so exacting that even Card Fairy felt there was little chance of success. After all, even she had failed to refine one back then. If she had possessed a Resurrection Immortal Card, she would never have ended up in this predicament.

Then!

"As long as I can refine that Resurrection Immortal Card, I'll be able to see her again, and...!" Wang Yan murmured to himself, looking somewhat lost in thought.

It seems... this kid wants to resurrect someone, doesn't he? Forget it! Who cares? This is perfect! At his words, a thought stirred in Card Fairy's mind, and she understood. Rather than dissuade Wang Yan, she continued, "All right! Wang Yan, I'm a little tired. Once your cultivation is high enough, I'll teach you how to refine Immortal Cards. Your cultivation is still far too lacking!"

"Well! Mm! Thank you, Card Fairy!" Wang Yan's expression returned to normal at her words. Yet his state of mind was clearly different from when he had first gained a new lease on life after his Dantian was destroyed. He seemed to have matured a great deal all at once as he spoke to Card Fairy.

"Mm!" Card Fairy was quite satisfied and said nothing more...

"All right! I'll eat my fill first! Then cultivate!" Wang Yan suddenly seemed brimming with motivation, as though he had become a different person. Speaking in a low, firm voice, he went to roast the fish...

That was hardly surprising. Before, Wang Yan had cultivated only because circumstances forced him to. Now, however, he had a clear goal-a goal worth striving for his entire life.