Xu Yourong stared at the card in Luo Sheng's hand, stunned for a long moment.
Finally, she looked up and fixed her gaze on him.
"Your growth has exceeded my expectations. With these cards, as long as you don't make mistakes, your chances of winning are very high.
Moreover, you can use these cards immediately upon obtaining them. As long as you have enough mental power, you can even form a team on the spot.
What are you hesitating for?"
She had never seen someone so hesitant.
Luo Sheng rubbed his nose, not expecting his secret about instantly using acquired cards to be discovered by her.
Besides, he wasn't being timid—he simply didn't want to take unnecessary risks.
After all, he was accompanied by a young lady worth 5 million. Losing the main mission wouldn't be worth it.
Since the World Fragment was right there, whether they got it sooner or later didn't really matter.
Xu Yourong noticed his unblinking stare and asked,
"What reward did my family offer?"
"Five million plus a vial of spiritual essence."
"…"
Xu Yourong sighed helplessly. She seemed to have realized where Luo Sheng's priorities lay.
Everything revolved around maximizing value.
Evidently, the value of the World Fragment was less than the reward her family offered, so he wasn't willing to take risks.
Xu Yourong proposed,
"Give me [Sky Piercing Arrow] and use [Thousand Gates Shield] on me as a defensive card. I'll act as bait to draw most of them away.
Once they're scattered, you can seize the moment to take down the Silver Succubus, destroy the World Fragment, and quickly retreat."
Luo Sheng frowned.
"This strategy is too risky. What if [Thousand Gates Shield] breaks?"
"Don't worry. I have a few skill cards left that I haven't used. I can hold out for a while."
Luo Sheng eventually agreed to her plan.
As he summoned [Thousand Gates Shield], he also slipped a Bronze seven-star [Overtime Reaper] inside to protect her.
Luo Sheng then carefully approached the Earth Shrine where the World Fragment was located.
The dimensional pollution zone blocked all signals. Phones couldn't receive messages, and even satellites would temporarily fail due to magnetic interference.
This meant they had to plan everything in advance.
When the time came, Xu Yourong activated the White Card [Sky Piercing Arrow]. The arrow soared into the sky like a tracer round, shining brilliantly.
Its red glow illuminated the gray wasteland.
White Cards didn't require a high compatibility level because of their low rank and minimal mental power consumption. Unlike Star Cards, they didn't need time to acclimate before use.
At that moment, many invading creatures near the World Fragment noticed the glowing arrow and were drawn toward it.
"Go check it out!"
The Succubus Queen ordered her warriors—wild goats and boars in battle formation—to investigate, fearing it might signal a counterattack by cardmasters.
But as soon as she issued the order, she sensed something was amiss.
This area had already been thoroughly cleared. All cardmaster organizations had been disbanded or suffered heavy casualties; they couldn't regroup and launch an offensive so quickly.
Unfortunately, the creatures she commanded lacked complex thoughts, slowing her reasoning.
Seconds later, a shout echoed nearby:
"Acoley!"
Suddenly, a fiery storm erupted around the Succubus Queen, its red flames swirling like a tornado and punctuated by bursts of explosions.
She instinctively leaped away, but the flames still burned her.
Next, [Boar General] and [Shadow of War] charged at her with relentless force.
Following them were Acoley, Alice, and Bai Moxue. Luo Sheng, clad in his mech suit, stood protected in the center, summoning Dongfang Muqing to enhance the entire team.
"Mehhh!"
The goat warriors roared, rushing to defend their Succubus leader and attacking Luo Sheng's group.
However, [Boar General]'s headlong charge and [Shadow of War]'s rampage swept them aside.
Acoley used her Bomb Bomb ability to clear out nearby minor foes, while Bai Moxue and Alice eliminated weaker enemies, turning them into cards that dropped onto the dusty wasteland.
This efficient assault quickly broke through the defensive ranks of minor creatures, allowing the group to reach the Succubus Queen.
The Succubus Queen smirked disdainfully.
"You're quite bold to challenge me, your queen."
She didn't hold back, delivering a powerful punch that struck the shield of [Boar General].
Bang!
The massive impact left a deep dent in the shield. Despite exerting all his strength, [Boar General] was forced back two steps.
Fortunately, Luo Sheng had boosted everyone's defenses with [Angel's Protection] before the battle, allowing them to barely withstand her attack.
[Shadow of War] swung its long blade, but the Succubus Queen summoned an ice shield to block it effortlessly.
In her other hand, she wielded a large, metallic staff resembling a cross between a wand and a hammer, using it to cast illusions.
[Shadow of War], being undead, wasn't affected, but [Boar General] succumbed instantly. His eyes turned pink, and he began drooling, swaying seductively in the air as if enraptured by a dream.
The Succubus Queen capitalized on this, smashing him out of the fight with a single strike.
Luo Sheng sighed.
"Figures. Pigs can't resist temptation."
He considered using a domain card but realized her icy [Blizzard Gale] nullified its effects.
Instead, he played [Twisted Neck Tree], summoning a creepy black tree that immediately cursed the Succubus Queen.
The battle raged on.
Bai Moxue, Acoley, Alice, and [Shadow of War] worked together to engage the Succubus Queen. Despite their combined efforts, she fought back fiercely, her health pool seemingly bottomless.
Her left hand blocked, her right hand struck, and she occasionally cast spells to catch them off guard—a remarkable and complex fighting style for an older yet elegant woman.
"So tough… Damn it!" Luo Sheng cursed as more minor creatures began returning, realizing the diversion strategy.
Soon, Luo Sheng would face dozens of monsters, all averaging Bronze 4–5 stars, with several 6–7 star elites mixed in. Even the best cardmasters would struggle against such a force.
He needed a quick resolution, but the Succubus Queen's strength only grew with her injuries, her attacks becoming more ferocious, and her expression increasingly exhilarated.
"Is she a masochist or what?" Luo Sheng thought grimly.
"Enough! Bai Moxue, Alice, restrain her!"
"Got it!" they replied in unison.
Scarlet ribbons and monomolecular threads shot out, binding the Succubus Queen tightly. Although she quickly tore through them, the bindings regenerated, immobilizing her within seconds.
Acoley 's charged [Flame Storm] was ready. She unleashed it at the Succubus Queen, flames surging from the ground and engulfing her.
"Let me go!"
The Succubus Queen roared, but the fiery vortex consumed her.
(Chapter End)