Magic Card Era: Infinite Deck Enhancement — Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Night Queen

“Regarding your elite membership treatment, I will arrange it the moment we return to the Association.” Chairman Yu let out a long, heavy breath, the tension of the day finally settling. “If the administrative side is quick, the profile you left with us will be updated within the next two days. Keep an eye on your credentials until then.”

He leaned forward, resting his hands on his desk. “The privileges of an elite member are entirely different from the standard tier. You will receive a substantial discount when purchasing crafting materials, alongside absolute priority when accepting high-yield commissions. The list goes on.”

“Those are merely the foundational benefits,” Yu added, a faint smile touching his features. “As for the deeper privileges, you will have to discover them yourself as you climb the ranks.”

“I will keep that in mind, Chairman Yu.” Luke nodded, his interest genuinely piqued. The allure of those elite benefits was growing by the second.

Every single credit saved was a victory. Magic Card Masters burned through cash like kindling, and his future deck expansions would require a staggering amount of resources.

“Since everything is settled, I will take my leave. There are still mountains of paperwork waiting for me at the Association.” Chairman Yu stood up, smoothing out his coat before offering one last piece of advice. “Take these next two days to rest. Recover your mental strength and welcome the upcoming Youth Training Competition at your absolute peak.”

He paused, his expression turning serious. “I know you hold an Original Magic Card as your trump card, but do not underestimate the opposition. The rookies selected by the various branches have all been personally vetted by their respective presidents. Their strength is the real deal. Carelessness will cost you.”

Hearing the genuine concern in the older man’s tone, Luke gave a firm nod. Since he had agreed to represent them, he would step onto that tournament stage in peak condition. He had absolutely no intention of walking away empty-handed.

Meanwhile, deep within the biting, frost-laden winds of the Cangming Dimensional Plane.

“Little Meng, is this volume of Extreme Cold Ice Spring sufficient? Or do we need to hunt down the next source?”

Standing amidst the swirling snow, Cang Ao looked toward Meng Ningdie. The young woman was carefully extracting the glowing, sub-zero liquid from a crystalline spring.

Right beside Cang Ao stood a colossal beast of pure, jagged ice, radiating a suffocating aura of absolute zero.

[Frostfang of the Frozen Sea]

Race: Ice Beast

Quality: Epic

Level: Eleven-Star

Skills: Rapid Ice Bullet, Frost Fang, Ocean Hail, Extreme Sea Storm

As an Eleven-Star Epic-grade Magic Card Spirit, the Frostfang of the Frozen Sea was a terrifying apex predator, even among entities of its own tier. While it was not the absolute strongest card in Cang Ao’s deck, it remained one of his most favored summons for hostile environments.

Even Meng Ningdie’s Ten-Star Rare-grade Ximo Divine Eagle—a creature belonging to the Super Magic Card sequence—kept its aura tightly restrained in the presence of the ice beast, showing the utmost deference.

As for the original Eleven-Star beast lord that had previously claimed this spring? It had already been slaughtered by the Frostfang. Its massive, frozen corpse lay broken in two across the distant snowfield.

Even in death, the severed remains of the beast lord leaked a heavy, oppressive pressure into the air. Combined with the suffocating presence of the two high-level Magic Card Spirits, the entire region was locked down. Not a single wild beast dared to wander within miles of the spring.

“This is enough.” Meng Ningdie carefully sealed the vial after drawing about three-quarters of the glowing liquid.

She deliberately left a portion behind so the spring could naturally regenerate over time. More, she had already gathered the exact amount required to reconstruct Da Ji’s Magic Card. There was no need to waste time trekking to another location.

The Extreme Cold Ice Spring was a priceless material, but restoring Da Ji’s card took absolute precedence. The combat power of an Undying Realm expert could not be left compromised for long—especially considering the Night Queen’s status as the Territory Lord of the Eastern Region.

Meng Ningdie shifted her gaze toward the towering Frostfang.

Cang Ao had been the perfect host. Since she had arrived as an emissary of the Night Queen, the old man had taken it upon himself to ensure her absolute safety. Every single hostile creature they encountered on this expedition, including the local beast lord, had been effortlessly crushed by his Frostfang.

Despite the ice beast’s mountainous size, its sheer kinetic speed completely shattered Meng Ningdie’s expectations. Even her Ximo Divine Eagle, a creature that pushed the very limits of velocity with its Divine Bird skill, could not match the explosive movements of the Frostfang.

She could still feel her eagle’s lingering apprehension toward the giant predator.

Below the Nine-Star threshold, Magic Cards were divided into Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced tiers, spanning three stars each. But once a card breached the Nine-Star boundary, every single star represented an entirely new world of power.

At Ten-Star and above, the chasm between levels grew exponentially wider. If her Ximo Divine Eagle were forced into a deathmatch against the Frostfang, even with its Extreme Speed fully ignited, it would be torn out of the sky in a matter of minutes.

The suppression of a full major realm was absolute.

“Since we have what we need, let us return.” Hearing her confirmation, Cang Ao reached up and patted the Frostfang’s massive, icy snout.

“Roar…” The Frostfang shook its heavy head, letting out a low, rumbling exhale that sprayed frost over the old man’s coat, though whether it was showing disdain or simply playing was anyone’s guess.

“I have truly troubled you this time, Elder Cang.” Meng Ningdie secured the containment vessel at her waist and offered a respectful, elegant bow.

Her mission to the Cang Capital had been executed flawlessly. The Extreme Cold Ice Spring was the final, missing catalyst needed to rebuild Da Ji’s Magic Card. Now that she was leaving the Cangming Dimensional Plane, she would immediately depart the capital and return to her master’s side.

“Think nothing of it, Little Meng.” Cang Ao waved his hand dismissively, a gruff but warm smile on his weathered face. “You came bearing the Night Queen’s seal. This old man would never dream of making things difficult for you.”

The Night Queen was not just an Undying Realm expert; she was his direct superior and the absolute guardian of the Eastern Region’s Three Capitals.

“When you return, be sure to pass on my highest regards to your teacher.”

The Night Palace.

This was the sovereign domain of the Night Queen, one of the four supreme Undying Realm masters of the Ancient Kingdom, and a strictly classified restricted zone.

Anyone foolish enough to trespass upon the Night Palace without an explicit invitation would be branded an enemy of the state, and their resulting fate would be nothing short of gruesome.

Naturally, the physical coordinates of the palace were a closely guarded secret. Even Immortal Realm Magic Card Masters could not pinpoint its location, let alone the general public.

Deep within a secluded wing of the palace, the air suddenly warped. A violent ripple of spatial energy tore through the silence, and a split second later, Meng Ningdie stepped out from the void.

“I am back.”

Looking at the familiar, opulent architecture, she let out a long, grounding breath before walking briskly down the grand corridor.

As the Night Queen’s sole disciple, Meng Ningdie was the only Magic Card Master in existence granted the authority to freely enter and exit the Night Palace. It was a privilege not even the lords of the Immortal Realm Capitals possessed.

“Ningdie… you have returned.”

The moment she crossed the threshold into the main hall, a voice washed over her. It was a sound of pure, intoxicating seduction—a silken, husky whisper that seemed to bypass the ears and stroke directly against the soul. Just the sheer acoustic warmth of it was enough to make one’s pulse race.

Even though she had grown up listening to that very voice, a deep, involuntary flush of heat still crept up Meng Ningdie’s neck, painting her cheeks a soft crimson.

She raised her head, and a figure of world-toppling, unmatched charm stepped into the light.