Magic Card Era: Infinite Deck Enhancement — Chapter 172

Chapter 172: Dragon Valley, Dragon Girl Sisters!

Meng Chuyun’s voice rang out, brimming with an unyielding fighting spirit.

Hearing that fiery declaration, Shangguan Wan’er and Liu Yanran exchanged a weary glance, both fighting the sudden urge to bury their faces in their hands. It was like looking into a mirror of their own past ignorance.

The two girls were acutely aware of a terrifying truth: Luke held at least three Seven-Star Magic Cards in his possession. And given this monster’s track record, who knew how many other lethal trump cards he kept hidden up his sleeve?

A deep sense of pity softened their gazes as they looked at the spirited Meng Chuyun. That sympathetic staring left the fiery girl entirely bewildered, a strange chill creeping over her skin.

“Look over there! The extraterritorial freshmen have arrived!”

Just as Meng Chuyun opened her mouth to question their weird behavior, a sudden wave of commotion rippled through the nearby crowd.

Extraterritorial freshmen? Students hailing from the other three great territories beyond the East Territory?

Luke and the rest of his group turned their attention toward the rising clamor. Seeing the spark of curiosity in Luke’s eyes, Liu Yanran stepped closer to explain.

“The Four Great Academies all share one foundational policy in their admissions. They do not restrict their recruitment strictly to Magic Card Masters from their own territory, or even from within the borders of the Ancient Kingdom.”

She gestured gracefully toward the gathering crowd. “Take the Heavenly Palace, for example. While the vast majority of the students admitted each year naturally hail from the East Territory, the academy actively accepts elite freshmen from the other three great territories, and occasionally, prodigies from entirely outside the Ancient Kingdom.”

“Is that so?” Luke nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the information.

‘Universities in my past life operated on similar international recruitment policies,’he mused inwardly.’It makes perfect sense to gather the best talent available, regardless of borders.’

“The fierce competition among the Four Great Academies has raged for generations, but when it comes to cultivating the next generation of Magic Card Masters, none of them will ever turn away a student who clears the brutal college entrance examination,” Meng Chuyun added. Her sharp eyes swept over the newly arrived factions, pausing as a flicker of genuine surprise crossed her face. “Wait a minute. Those garments… they look like they belong to Dragon Valley.”

“I certainly didn’t expect Dragon Valley to arrange for their new blood to attend the Heavenly Palace this year.”

The group of foreign Magic Card Masters causing the uproar numbered only about a hundred. Yet, this small fraction already accounted for ten percent of the total freshmen recruited by the Heavenly Palace this year, as the academy’s strict maximum intake was capped at exactly one thousand students—a rule that had never once been broken.

These hundred-odd newcomers clearly belonged to different external factions. Judging by the distinct variations in their attire and their guarded body language, they had instinctively clustered together with their own kind.

The most striking figures among the entire crowd were a pair of sisters. They possessed almost identical, stunning features, draped in clothing that demanded immediate attention. These were the freshman Magic Card Masters from Dragon Valley that Meng Chuyun had just identified.

The two girls wore identical violet gowns elegantly embroidered with blooming water hibiscus. The cross-collared fabric cinched tightly at their waists before cascading down into trailing hems and wide, sweeping sleeves. Delicate orchid patterns stitched along their cuffs drew the eye to their slender, pale fingers. Their lips carried a soft, crystal-like luster, curving into faint, enigmatic smiles. Pale blue tassels dangled from their jade-like earlobes, swaying gently with the passing breeze.

Beneath the violet outer layers, their light-colored silk skirts were carefully woven with shimmering silver threads, while a striking hibiscus-tinted silk ribbon bound their waists.

Yet, far beyond their stunning appearance and exquisite attire, it was their true identities that sent a heavy wave of pressure washing over everyone present.

Dragon Valley.

While it fell short of the Ancient Kingdom in terms of sheer landmass and population, Dragon Valley’s concentrated military might was overwhelmingly formidable. Even a towering superpower like the Ancient Kingdom dared not underestimate them.

In this current era, there were exactly three Supreme Realm Magic Card Masters in existence. Each of them belonged to a different country, cementing those three nations as the absolute apex powers of modern Magic Card Civilization.

The faction standing firmly in second place, sitting right beneath the Ancient Kingdom and the other two super nations, was Dragon Valley. Every other country in the world was vastly weaker by comparison.

Dragon Valley boasted a terrifying roster of nine Undying Realm Magic Card Masters, universally revered across the globe as the Nine Great Dragon Lords. It was precisely because of this staggering concentration of Undying Realm power that Dragon Valley commanded the status of a extraordinary faction.

“I actually heard my father mention something about this recently.” Shangguan Wan’er remained relatively calm compared to the whispering crowd around them. “It seems that in order to temper their younger generation, Dragon Valley reached a formal agreement with the Ancient Kingdom. As a result, the Four Great Academies have each recruited two elite Magic Card Masters directly from Dragon Valley.”

She observed the twins for a moment before continuing. “If I am not mistaken, those two are Ziyan and Ziyao, the twin sisters of Dragon Valley.”

Shangguan Pu had previously sought out Zhantai Mingyue regarding Wan’er’s own enrollment, and this sensitive piece of diplomatic information was something the academy higher-up had briefly disclosed during their meeting.

The surrounding students who overheard Shangguan Wan’er’s explanation murmured in awe. Encountering Magic Card Masters from Dragon Valley in the flesh was an exceptionally rare event.

‘Rumor has it that Magic Card Masters from Dragon Valley exclusively forge Dragon-type magic card Elves,’Luke thought to himself, his eyes tracking the sisters’ movements.’Non-Dragon-type cards are practically nonexistent in their deck systems. If those rumors hold true, these two must possess an arsenal of pure Dragon-type magic cards.’A faint spark of anticipation ignited in his chest.’I really wonder whose raw power is greater. Their native Dragon-type magic cards… or the projection forms of Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Timaeus.’

The Dragon-type inherently stood at the absolute pinnacle of all monster races, boasting catastrophic offensive power. Operating under the philosophy of absolute, overwhelming force, the natives of Dragon Valley naturally saw no reason to dilute their decks with inferior races. This was the singular, brutal path of cultivation their people had adhered to for centuries.

As if sensing the weight of his scrutiny, the two Dragon Girls stopped in their tracks. Ziyan and Ziyao turned their heads in unison, locking eyes with Luke’s small group. Strange streams of silver light flickered dangerously within their unusual, vertical reptilian pupils.

A second later, the sisters exchanged a silent, knowing glance. Then, ignoring the astonished stares of the massive crowd parting around them, they began walking directly toward Luke.

“Damn it! Why are they heading in that direction again? That spot has to be cursed!”

Much like Meng Chuyun, plenty of the older students had recognized the Dragon Valley insignias, but their awe quickly morphed into exasperated jealousy as they watched the twins zero in on a single target.

It wasn’t just the bitter onlookers who noticed. Luke, Shangguan Wan’er, and the rest of the girls clearly saw the twins charting a straight path right for them.

“Do any of you actually know them?” Luke asked, keeping his voice low.

It was impossible that they were approaching just because they overheard the conversation, right? If that were true, the hearing of these Dragon Girls would be monstrously acute, especially considering half the plaza was currently gossiping about them.

Shangguan Wan’er shook her head firmly. Liu Yanran and Meng Chuyun offered identical negative gestures.

“Then perhaps their target isn’t us after all.”

The very second the words left his mouth, the sisters from Dragon Valley came to a graceful halt, standing directly in front of Luke.

Behind him, Shangguan Wan’er and the other girls shot him deadpan, exasperated stares. So much for not being the target.

Despite their annoyance, the girls felt a burning curiosity welling up inside them. Just what kind of hidden mastermind was this Luke? How was it that no matter where he went, some high-profile figure always seemed to seek him out?

Noticing the intensely resentful glares drilling into his back from the surrounding crowd, and the highly suspicious expressions of the girls standing behind him, Luke felt a dull headache beginning to throb behind his temples. He had just confidently declared they weren’t looking for him, only to be instantly proven wrong.

“Uh, can I help you?” Luke asked, his tone dry and perfectly measured. He truly had no idea what these two dangerous girls wanted with him.