Myriad Realms Gatekeeper

I won't accept this!

Why does she get to cruise the river in a solitary boat, with a bamboo hat and a long sword, looking all cool?

Why do I have to grab a Skeleton Head?

As Shen Ye was thinking, he saw a line of small text emerge beside Xiao Mengyu:

"Do you want to send a request to add the other party as a friend?"

You can even add friends!

No sooner had this prompt appeared than Xiao Mengyu, standing on the solitary boat, seemed to sense something, her hand pressed on the sword as if ready to strike at any moment.

Another line of small text:

"The other party has already declined seventeen friend requests in a row, please act rationally."

Shen Ye thought for a moment and said, "Add."

He waited for a few breaths.

Xiao Mengyu's expression changed, as if she had just come back to her senses, and she looked towards Shen Ye outside of the card.

"Did you also join the 'Newbie' deck?" she asked.

At the same time, a line of small text appeared:

"The other party has added you as a friend. From now on, you can hold the card, call out to the other party, and have a direct conversation."

Shen Ye said with a smile, "I was a bit bored on the Flying Shuttle, and just so happens a friend taught me, so I learned how to play with this card."

"This is something from the Tower of Tarot. It's beneficial to carry it. I was planning to tell you when you arrived," Xiao Mengyu continued in a conversational tone.

But Shen Ye's eyebrows shot up.

Did you hear that?

Guaranteed entry is only considered "some benefit" in her eyes.

You just can't compare people with each other.

"Alright, I don't have anything else. I just wanted to add you," Shen Ye said somewhat vexedly.

"Your card's portrait—tsk, looks like that of a major villain," Xiao Mengyu teased.

But upon closer consideration of his performance in the hotel battle, the card did seem to accurately capture his compatibility.

"Hey, any way to change it to a scene with autumn wind and bright moon rising over the waves?" Shen Ye asked.

"It's automatically generated unless you're willing to spend some money, or if it becomes an Official Card."

"By the way, I suggest you take a look at the 'Newbie' rankings if you have nothing else to do, to get an idea of everyone's Strength Level—let's talk more in detail when you arrive," Xiao Mengyu said.

"See you in a bit then."

"Goodbye."

After their conversation, Xiao Mengyu on the solitary boat turned her head and looked back towards Han Jiang.

Shen Ye watched enviously and couldn't help but ask, "If I'm willing to spend some money, will the scene and design on my card change as well?"

One word appeared on the card: "Yes."

"What will it change into?" Shen Ye asked expectantly.

"Please flip to the Positive side, and you can preview for 10 seconds."

Shen Ye immediately turned the card over.

He saw himself standing in a pool of indiscriminate blood, his neck adorned with a necklace of skulls, unkempt with long hair, his face showing a sinister smile.

Shen Ye was enraged.

Dammit.

Isn't this precisely a Sand Monk look?

If Blue Star comes into this world and her first question is "Where's your Monkey King?", how can I ever show my face again!

—Am I not worthy of a positive image?

With his anger smoldering, Shen Ye whispered:

"Show me the top 54 in the official rankings."

A long leaderboard suddenly popped up on the back of the card.

Hmm?

Xiao Mengyu's unmatched swordsmanship, and she's only ranked fifth?

Shen Ye looked up the rankings and saw a name at the very top of the list:

Nangong Sirui.

—A woman?

He clicked on the name, and the entire leaderboard vanished as a new scene emerged on the back of the card.

Peach blossoms in flight.

Seated on a throne carved from gold and jade was a beauty dressed in a white robe, wearing a Jade Crown.

Shen Ye snorted and muttered to himself:

"She really is beautiful."

She was dressed in ancient attire.

In my previous life, national fashion was also very popular.

It's the same in this world, but even more so—

During traditional festivals, the big clans would dress in ancient styles to reminisce about the grace of their ancestors from the Ancient Era.

The woman on the card held a paper fan in her hands, her eyes slightly closed, seemingly deep in thought.

Six shining stars revolved behind her.

Below her throne, several beautiful maids were kneeling, some with pipas, some playing zithers, and others singing softly.

"Nangong Sirui."

"The eldest child of the current generation of the Nangong Family, the inheritor of ancestral lineage."

"Strength Level: Six Stars."

"—Undisputedly the number one person of this year."

Wait a minute.

Just you wait.

Shen Ye's gaze locked onto the second line "eldest child."

—Can you believe this is a man?

He looked back at the person, and indeed, there was an Adam's apple.

He's male!

What do you need to be so handsome for, as a man!

And in an ancient costume, at that, with a white robe and fan.

Plus a bevy of beautiful maids.

Shen Ye glanced back at his own portrayal on the card.

Tsk.

He had not a single star, merely a Preparatory Card.

Others had national costumes; he had a school uniform.

Others had beauties; he had skeletons.

I'm done looking, done looking.

He went back to the leaderboard to check the other ranked examinees, but with each name he read, his face grew darker.

There was only one Six Star on the entire leaderboard, Nangong Sirui.

Beyond that, all the newbies with Five Stars and Four Stars were Scions of the Noble Family.

Normal examinees didn't even have a single Three-Star among them.

"Hello, I'm from the Martial Arts Group, too. I heard Yun Ye mention you were part of us."

—Someone came to greet him.

Shen Ye subconsciously tucked the card away.

There stood a young man in front of him with dyed yellow hair, wearing skinny jeans.

"Ah, yes, I'm Shen Ye," Shen Ye replied.

"I'm Zhang Xiaoyi, everyone calls me A Yi," the blond boy said.

"Hello, hello," Shen Ye said.

"—Do you play poker? We're short one person here," Zhang Xiaoyi said.

Playing cards?

I haven't played in years.

"Count me in!" Shen Ye said excitedly.

At that time, two regional managers from the Human Martial Arts Group arrived at the venue and from a distance, they saw Shen Ye, Guo Yunye, Zhang Xiaoyi, and a few other boys sitting on the ground, playing cards.

Some other boys were playing high-touch.

They were making a racket, egging each other on, and laughing, looking happy.

"These rascals, not resting at their seats, but playing cards here?"

One manager said displeased.

"Let them be," another manager exclaimed, "Once we get there, they won't have such an easy time."

The previous manager seemed to remember something, halted his steps, shook his head, and gave up the idea of disciplining the group.

On the other side.

The cafeteria.

"It's the Tower of Tarot's 'newbie' deck, isn't it? I'm nostalgic, one of the students I discovered reached the Four Stars 'Hand Blade' level in the exam," Yu Sihai said.

"Don't remind me," Qian Rushan said with a distant gaze, "I've never really discovered any new talents."

"Hehe, how about the new recruits this time?" Yu Sihai said.

"There's hope they might surpass your students," Qian Rushan said.

Yu Sihai just chuckled dismissively.

Qian Rushan stopped eating his porridge, filled two cups with liquor, and placed one in front of Yu Sihai.

The two clinked their glasses and drank.

"By the way, how's your injury?" Qian Rushan asked.

"I've drawn too much vitality, so I look a bit old, but it's actually slowly healing," Yu Sihai said.

"That's good, really good," Qian Rushan said, his expression gaining a touch of vitality.

"By the way, I didn't expect a slacker like you to start mentoring newbies," Yu Sihai said.

"Hahaha, I was just trying to complete a task, but I actually stumbled upon a good one," Qian Rushan said.

He then asked, "You brought quite a number of people this time, what's the situation?"

"An A-grade catastrophe broke out in the Southeast Eight Provinces... Many experts died and the catastrophe was barely sealed back," Yu Sihai said.

"These kids..." Qian Rushan said.

"Yes, they are all descendants of martyrs, and they have good strength. The government decided to let them try, and at the very least, they will be admitted to a provincial key school," Yu Sihai said.

Both fell silent, poured more liquor, and drank again.

...

Shen Ye lifted his eye mask and looked outside.

Outside the window was a clear azure sky, with clouds swirling below the Flying Shuttle.

The playing card suddenly moved.

He pulled it out and saw a notification to add a friend.

Guo Yunye.

—It was that boy he played high-touch with.

Shen Ye thought for a moment and accepted the request.

Immediately, the card displayed the other person's image.

Guo Yunye was wearing a dog-head hat, sitting on an earthen mound, looking over at him.

There were no stars on the dog-head hat.

He too was a Preparatory Card.

Haha.

He's not much better off than me.

"Shen Ye, do you want to go shopping with us when we arrive?" Guo Yunye asked eagerly.

Shen Ye even heard Zhang Xiaoyi's voice coming from the card.

—The boys had spent some time together, had become friends, and had added each other on their cards.

"I have plans later, I'll contact you guys after," Shen Ye said.

"Okay, just remember to hit me up," Guo Yunye ended the call.

Shen Ye put away the card, feeling a bit annoyed.

Why am I just a Preparatory Card and not an official one?

—It seems like the cards are also based on evaluations.

Sitting here the whole time or playing cards and high-touch doesn't boost any evaluations!

Evaluations...

I'm pretty familiar with that, after all, every evening when I enter, I'm evaluated.

In that case, don't I have an incomplete set of Frosty Moon Shocking Sky?

Should I try practicing it?

No time like the present!

He walked leisurely to the bowling alley.

It was probably almost time to arrive at the destination, so the bowling alley was deserted and no one was there.

Shen Ye took a deep breath and started to limber up.

A few minutes of warm-up and he was ready!

His physique flashed as he used the Specter Technique, projecting a shadow in the corridor, then spun around and kicked repeatedly in succession.

Frostwind!

But he wasn't done yet.

Shen Ye took two steps as if they were three, lightly tapped the wall, and leapt up, placing a hand on the vent cover.

—Moonlight Deer Step!

Completing the entire set, all that was missing was Thunder Palm!

Shen Ye floated down and stood still.

Suddenly, his pocket vibrated slightly.

He immediately took out the card and saw a line of text appear:

"Although somewhat incomplete and uncertain, it is after all a move suspected of being lost for a long time. If this legacy were to reappear in the world, it would add many uncertainties to this exam."

"You have successfully advanced to One Star."

"You have become an official member of the deck."

"One Star privileges:

"You can reject one challenge per hour."

On the card.

Shen Ye stood holding a Skull Head, looking bored and lost in thought.

Then suddenly.

It seemed like he realized something and looked up.

Above his head, a star had appeared.

One Star!

One of the 54 official members of the newbie deck!

Shen Ye pointed at the newly-appeared star above his head, revealing a wicked and proud grin.

"Hey, can we be a bit more decent?"

Shen Ye said helplessly to the image of himself on the card.

The image of himself on the card kept laughing, put the Skull Head on top of his head, and made a face at him.

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