"Ding-a-ling-a-ling..."
The school bell rang for dismissal.
"That's it for today," Yang Jun packed up the teaching materials, looked down at the students and smiled, "Happy winter vacation!"
Immediately, the classroom erupted with cheers from the students.
"Awesome, winter vacation is here!"
"Holiday time, holiday time!"
"Xiao Fang, how about we have dinner together tonight, and then go to a murder mystery game?"
"..."
With a whole month of winter vacation ahead, the students were extremely excited.
Seeing how excited they were, Yang Jun couldn't help but remind them, "Though it's vacation, don't fall behind on your cultivation. We have the college entrance examination after one more term.
Also, don't forget about the joint trial with other middle schools that we will have next term. Prepare well, and practice your skills some more."
The joint trial for middle schools was aimed at all Star Apprentice Class students in Guangchuan City. Nearly a thousand students who had awakened their Soul Cards from First Middle School up to Twelfth Middle School would participate.
If one could achieve good results in the trial, there would be rewards from the Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau.
"Don't worry, Mr. Yang, we definitely won't fall behind on cultivation!"
"Exactly, we'll show the other schools what we're made of by then!"
...
Seeing the students still somewhat excited and anticipatory, Yang Jun was not so optimistic.
In terms of average strength, First and Second Middle Schools were powerful, comfortably above the other schools, so the highest rewards from the Guangchuan Municipal Education Bureau had only ever been a possibility for First and Second Middle Schools over the years.
Furthermore, the trial would take place in a Secret Realm, where many real Bronze-level Star Beasts lay in wait. There might be casualties, it wasn't that simple.
Yang Jun shook his head slightly and turned to leave.
Not many students in the classroom were in a rush to leave. They gathered in groups of twos and threes, discussing plans for getting together during the winter vacation and going out to play.
However, one person passed through the crowd without hesitation and swiftly followed behind Yang Jun to leave the classroom.
It was Su Yuan.
Su Yuan was excited because, just as the 6 o'clock school bell rang for dismissal, the number of Star Dust on his system panel had also reached 10 points!
Unable to contain his excitement, Su Yuan quickly left the school and took the light rail home.
Su Yuan lived in a normal residential district in the Northern Suburb, known as Four Seasons Garden, where the tallest buildings were only six stories high.
Almost an hour later, Su Yuan finally arrived home.
"Mom, I'm back!"
As was his custom, Su Yuan greeted as soon as he entered, quickly slipping on his slippers.
Mother Su's voice came from the kitchen immediately, "Little Yuan, dinner will take a little longer..."
"Mom, I'm going to cultivate today, don't worry about me, you and dad eat first!"
Before he finished speaking, Su Yuan had already rushed into his bedroom, suppressing his excitement.
Mother Su hurried out of the kitchen holding a spatula, watching the already closed door of Su Yuan's room, with a trace of distress on her face...
In the bedroom.
Su Yuan sat at the desk by the window, extended his right hand, and with a swirl of Star Power, a white card appeared in his hand. The card was wrapped in white light and exuded a strong presence of Star Power, clearly something special.
[Soul Awakening Card (Common): Perfect Level (Enhanceable)]
"Let's start!"
Without waiting any longer, Su Yuan clenched the card in his hand, and with a mix of excitement and a hint of nervousness, called out in his heart, "System, enhance this Soul Awakening Card!"
After half a second of silence, little blue flecks of Starlight Dust appeared out of thin air from Su Yuan's right hand, rapidly converging towards the Soul Awakening Card in his hand.
The Starlight Dust twinkled slightly on the surface of the card before vanishing into it, and the Soul Awakening Card burst into an intensely bright white halo!
[Soul Awakening Card (Ordinary): Level Six]
"Finally, a Level Six Soul Awakening Card!" Su Yuan's right hand, clutching the Soul Awakening Card, couldn't help trembling slightly.
He had been worried about whether this upgrade could surpass the Perfect Level and reach Level Six, but thankfully, he had succeeded, he sighed with relief and couldn't help feeling overjoyed.
A Level Six Soul Awakening Card, Su Yuan had never even heard of such a level! After all, generally speaking, the Perfect Level is already the highest proficiency a Star Card can achieve!
If the Soul Awakening Card could be enhanced to Level Six, then could other Star Cards also be enhanced to Level Six?
Very likely!
Su Yuan tried saying, "System, change the 'Level Six' above Perfect to 'Transformation Realm'."
The information for the Soul Awakening Card on the system panel blurred slightly and then became [Soul Awakening Card (Ordinary): Transformation Realm].
"Quite user-friendly."
Su Yuan nodded, his gaze fell on the Star Card, and a strong excitement surged uncontrollably in his heart.
After waiting for so long, today he would finally see the results!
Suppressing the tumultuous emotions, Su Yuan took a deep breath and urged the Star Power within his body to flow towards the Soul Awakening Card.
"Come on, let me see what kind of effect a Transformation Realm Soul Awakening Card has! Is the half-year spent upgrading from Perfect to Transformation Realm worth it?"
As Star Power poured in, the radiance on the Soul Awakening Card flourished, and a beam of bright starlight, tangible as reality, leapt from the surface of the card and shot into Su Yuan's chest, reaching deep into his soul.
A strange feeling welled up in his heart, and Su Yuan couldn't help but close his eyes.
Under the effect of the Soul Awakening Card, streaks of pure white light shot out from the depths of his soul, intertwining to gradually form a cocoon of light, as if something was about to be nurtured within.
Sweat beaded on Su Yuan's forehead, and the corners of his mouth turned slightly pale, as if he were undergoing intense training, both his physical and spiritual power being rapidly consumed.
"The awakening process usually lasts three minutes, it will pass quickly..."
He had learned this in class; it's common knowledge among all Star Apprentice Class students.
During the awakening process, the power of the Soul Awakening Card guides Star Apprentices to explore the nature, potential, and limits of their own souls, step by step nurturing a Soul Card within the light cocoon, greatly draining both physical and spiritual strength.
However, the longer the process lasts, the more potential is unearthed, and generally, the stronger the Soul Card awakened.
Most people take three to four minutes, and someone with higher talent may take five. Finding someone who takes six minutes is difficult even in Guangchuan City.
As for seven minutes or more, forget about Guangchuan City; they are extremely rare throughout the whole Great Flame.
One minute,
Three minutes,
Five minutes,
...
Unsure of how much time had passed, Su Yuan felt his consciousness starting to blur, but the awakening was not yet complete, so he could only grit his teeth and persevere.
"Having crossed into such an extraordinary world, if I cannot master extraordinary powers, how could I be content?"
"Just a little longer, I must not fall here!"
"Hold on!"
"Hold on!"
...
"Crack... Crack..."
Just at eight minutes and six seconds, silver cracks suddenly appeared on the cocoon that had been steadily accumulating soul power, followed by a multitude of fine cracks that appeared incessantly.
A moment later, accompanied by a dazzling silver-white radiance, a bird with indifferent silver pupils and a body that seemed carved from blue glass emerged from the cocoon. After a low cry, it transformed into a non-tangible mini card that embedded itself within the Star Power Vortex at his chest.
"It worked!" Su Yuan's tense nerves suddenly relaxed.
And at that moment, the mechanical voice of the system rang out at the bottom of Su Yuan's heart:
"Host has successfully awakened a Soul Card, now initiating part..."
However, at that time, Su Yuan's consciousness had already reached its limit. Barely hearing the system's unclear voice, his vision darkened, and he collapsed onto the bed with a backward tilt of his head...