"Ring ring ring…"
The school bell rang.
"Class dismissed," Yang Jun put away the teaching materials and looked at the students below, smiling, "Happy winter break!"
The classroom erupted in cheers from the students.
"Yes, winter break is here!"
"We're off, we're off!"
"Xiao Fang, how about going out for dinner tonight and then trying that murder mystery game?"
"..."
With a month-long winter break ahead, the students in the class were understandably excited.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Yang Jun couldn't help but remind them, "It's fine to enjoy your time off, but don't neglect your cultivation. There's only one semester left until the college entrance exams.
Also, don't forget the joint trials with other high schools at the start of next semester. Prepare well and practice your skills diligently."
The joint trials between middle schools would involve all Star Apprentice Class students from across Guangchuan City, including students from Guangchuan First Middle School to Guangchuan Twelfth Middle School who had awakened their Soul Cards—nearly a thousand participants were expected.
Performing well in these trials could also bring rewards from the Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau.
"Don't worry, Mr. Yang, our cultivation won't fall behind!"
"That's right, just wait—we'll show the other schools what we're made of!"
...
*While the students remained excited and eager, Yang Jun was far less optimistic.*
*On average, First and Second Middle School were powerhouse schools, steadily outperforming the others, so the top rewards from Guangchuan's Municipal Education Bureau had historically been limited to these two.*
*Moreover, the trials took place in the Secret Realm, which held genuine Bronze-level Star Beasts. There was a real likelihood of casualties; it wasn't going to be simple.*
Yang Jun shook his head slightly and turned to leave.
Most students in the classroom weren't in a hurry to leave. Small groups formed as they discussed winter break plans for outings and gatherings.
However, one person swiftly cut through the crowd and hurried after Yang Jun as he left the classroom.
This person was Su Yuan.
*Su Yuan was filled with excitement, because at precisely six o'clock, when the school bell rang, the Star Dust count on his system panel had finally reached 10 points!*
Su Yuan couldn't bear to wait any longer and quickly left school, hopping on the light rail to head home.
Su Yuan lived in a modest residential area in the northern suburbs called Four Seasons Garden, where the highest buildings were only six floors tall.
Nearly an hour later, Su Yuan finally arrived home.
"Mom, I'm back!"
Su Yuan called out habitually as he stepped in, quickly swapping his shoes for slippers.
A voice came from the kitchen—his mother, Tang Shiyang: "Little Yuan, dinner will take a bit longer…"
"Mom, I'm cultivating tonight. Don't bother with me; you and Dad go ahead and eat!"
Su Yuan barely finished speaking before his excitement overtook him—he dashed into his bedroom without another word.
Mother Su hurriedly emerged from the kitchen, spatula in hand. She glanced at the closed bedroom door and couldn't help but feel a pang of concern…
In the bedroom.
Su Yuan sat at his desk by the window, extending his right hand. Under the revolving Star Power, a white card appeared in his palm. It emitted a faint, radiant Star Power pressure that was nothing ordinary.
[Soul Awakening Card (Normal): Perfect Level (Upgradable)]
"Let's begin!"
Without hesitation, Su Yuan gripped the card tightly, his excitement tinged with a hint of nervousness, and called inwardly, "System, enhance this Soul Awakening Card!"
After half a second of silence, specks of blue starlight dust suddenly flowed from Su Yuan's right hand, quickly gathering onto the Soul Awakening Card.
The starlight dust flashed briefly on the card's surface before it was absorbed, disappearing completely. Immediately afterward, the card erupted in an intense white glow!
[Soul Awakening Card (Normal): Level Six]
"Finally, a Level Six Soul Awakening Card!" Su Yuan's right hand trembled as he held onto the card.
*He had been worried about whether this latest enhancement would succeed, bringing the card beyond Perfect Level to Level Six. Thankfully, it had worked. Relief washed over him, accompanied by joy.*
*A Level Six Soul Awakening Card—Su Yuan had never heard of such a thing before! Normally, Perfect Level was already considered the maximum proficiency for Star Cards.*
*If the Soul Awakening Card could reach Level Six, then couldn't other Star Cards also potentially be upgraded to Level Six?*
*It seemed highly probable!*
Su Yuan tried asking, "System, change the term 'Level Six' above Perfect Level to 'Transformation Realm.'"
The system panel flickered briefly, and the Soul Awakening Card's information adjusted to [Soul Awakening Card (Normal): Transformation Realm].
"Not bad for user-friendliness."
Su Yuan nodded in approval, his gaze fixed on the Star Card. *A powerful surge of excitement swelled in his chest, impossible to suppress.*
*After waiting for so long, finally, today would yield results!*
Steadying his tumultuous emotions, Su Yuan took a deep breath and directed his Star Power toward the Soul Awakening Card.
"Come on, let me see what the Transformation Realm Soul Awakening Card can do! Was the extra six months it took to push past Perfect Level to Transformation Realm really worth it?"
As the Star Power flowed in, the Soul Awakening Card's radiance intensified. A tangible beam of dazzling starlight suddenly shot from the card's surface into Su Yuan's chest, piercing deep into his soul.
*A strange sensation welled up; Su Yuan involuntarily shut his eyes.*
Under the card's transformative power, pure white lines of energy began emanating from his soul's core. They wove together intricately, forming a glowing cocoon—something seemed poised to be born from within.
Su Yuan's forehead grew slick with sweat, his lips pale. It felt as though he was enduring an extreme training regimen, his physical and spiritual strength draining rapidly.
"The awakening process usually lasts about three minutes; it'll pass soon…"
*This was common knowledge among Star Apprentice Classes, something outlined clearly during lessons.*
*During the awakening, the Soul Awakening Card's power guides the Star Apprentice to explore their soul's nature, potential, and limits, step by step. Within the cocoon, the Soul Card forms, at great cost to one's stamina and spiritual energy.*
*The longer the awakening process, the more potential it unlocks—and typically, the stronger the awakened Soul Card.*
*Most people lasted three to four minutes. Those with higher talent might reach five minutes, but six-minute awakenings were nearly unheard of in Guangchuan City.*
*As for durations exceeding seven minutes, such cases were exceedingly rare—not only in Guangchuan City but across the entire Great Flame nation.*
One minute,
Three minutes,
Five minutes,
...
*Su Yuan couldn't tell how much time had passed—his consciousness teetered on the edge of collapse. Yet the awakening process wasn't complete; he could only grit his teeth and persevere.*
"I've crossed into this transcendent world; how could I allow myself to live without extraordinary power?"
"Hold on, there's no way I'm giving up now!"
"Endure!"
"Endure!"
...
"Crack…"
At the eight-minute-and-six-second mark, a thin silver fissure suddenly appeared on the glowing soul cocoon accumulating divine energy. Following this, countless cracks began spreading across its surface.
Moments later, with a brilliant burst of silver-white light, an azure-blue bird—its form seemingly carved from translucent Liu Li—emerged from the cocoon. With a soft, resonant cry, it transformed into a small ethereal card and embedded itself within the Star Power vortex at Su Yuan's chest.
"It's done!" Su Yuan's taut nerves abruptly relaxed.
Right then, the system's mechanical voice echoed in the depths of his mind:
"Soul Card successfully awakened. Initiating division unlock…"
*But at that moment, Su Yuan's consciousness reached its limit. Though he vaguely registered the system's indistinct words, everything went black as he collapsed backward onto his bed.*