Energy block Y09 was the toughest Chen Mu had encountered so far . If he wanted to take it down, he needed to use his perceptual tendrils to complete 16 recursive twists . He'd already tried it 522 times and still hadn't taken it down .

Even given Chen Mu's disposition, he still felt a little irritable . He also knew his current emotional state wouldn't help with the training, so he directly exited the mysterious card .

He didn't know where Wei-ah had run off to, and that brown fleshy dog was nowhere to be seen either . He imagined Wei-ah had taken it with him . Looking at the empty rooms, a feeling of desolation welled up in him . Chen Mu stood there for a few minutes before rus.h.i.+ng into the bathroom to douse his face with cold water . His brain immediately cleared, and his restless heart also settled .

He didn't have to take down energy block Y09 just then . In fact, there were many ways to build the model, and he absolutely could start with a different energy block and leave Y09 for later .

But he didn't want to change his plans .

Chen Mu made a deep sigh, and his gaze resumed it steadiness . He re-entered the mysterious card .

On the one hand, he a.n.a.lyzed the information transmitted by the tips of the fine tendrils . On the other, he methodically controlled his perception . He still hadn't succeeded . After making more than 500 attempts, he hadn't even touched a single trick . He believed he hadn't succeeded for no other reason than his insufficient diligence .

If 500 times wasn't enough, then he'd do it 1,500 times!

* * *

The Beard was holding his red wine in both hands as he spoke eloquently . "This is the listing from the auction house . There are 11 of the numbered series of cards on it, among which is a four-star card . The requirements are on the top . I heard this listing was sent to quite a few big clients . The Yang Clan Auction House will be holding a closed auction this time, where each card can only be traded for materials . In the end, the overall value will be determined by how rare the materials are . It looks as though they will use the surmise of a card master to determine that; otherwise, they would never consider an exchange for materials .

"Although it will be a closed auction, the purchasing power of those partic.i.p.ating shouldn't be overlooked . But, since they require that materials be exchanged, that will cause a lot of pain for those who don't have the special channels . According to the intelligence we've gathered, top-quality materials have strongly surged recently from the stimulus of this affair . I'm guessing the Big Six will likely attend . "

Butchie and Hugo were carefully listening . When it came to the a.n.a.lysis of intelligence, the two of them combined weren't as good as the Beard .

"I've already transmitted this listing to the boss-man, who says we should play it by ear . He's already sent people here to transport over 2 billion worth of materials . " After the Beard spoke, he looked at Butchie with some humor, "The boss-man also said Butchie's situation is special . You'll be allowed to use these materials to purchase one of the cards!"

"Yeah!" Butchie excitedly jumped up, red-faced . "I just found out what a great guy the boss-man is!"

Hugo's look remained the same, but an indulgent look flashed past his eyes .

"You'll have to consider which card you'll choose . " The Beard raised his eyebrows as he made his suggestion .

"I don't even need to think about it; I've already decided!" Butchie's beautiful, crystalline eyes flashed .

"Oh? Which one?" The Beard and Hugo looked at each other and smiled in unison .

"Oh? Which one?" The Beard and Hugo looked at each other and smiled in unison .

"This one!"

Butchie's snow white, exquisite finger fell onto a number on the listing .

Card 013!

The two of them couldn't help but smile again at each other . The Beard looked rather pleased with himself . "I'd guessed you would pick that one!"

The three kept talking and laughing for a while, when Butchie suddenly said, "Who would you say the card master really was who made this numbered series of cards?"

Getting to that issue, their expressions turned serious . The Beard said in a deep voice, "To tell the truth, that's the issue everyone is concerned with . The recent trend with the numbered series of cards is something no one can stay away from . Looking at the cards he made, not one wasn't top-notch . Moreover, the two four-star cards are the finest of the fine! Once the ident.i.ty of such a card master becomes known, he'll get quite a reputation . Until now, he's remained mysterious . He would presumably have some misgivings about deliberately revealing himself . "

After a pause, the Beard looked as though he found something strange . "I've already investigated the ins and outs of the Yang Clan Auction House . This Yang An doesn't really have much background, but he still surprises me . "

Butchie and Hugo were listening closely, and even Hugo felt surprised . Their curiosity had been piqued .

The Beard had a serious expression . "Yang An previously opened a small shop that showed no progress for the first two years . Then, it suddenly shot up during the third year to get more and more business until he opened this auction house . That period had a lot to do with his having a large quant.i.ty of rare items for sale . Since too much time has pa.s.sed, we haven't been able to get any concrete evidence . What seems certain, however, is that there must have been some big firm behind him, meaning he had formed a cooperative relations.h.i.+p one of them .

The Beard had a serious expression . "Yang An previously opened a small shop that showed no progress for the first two years . Then, it suddenly shot up during the third year to get more and more business until he opened this auction house . That period had a lot to do with his having a large quant.i.ty of rare items for sale . Since too much time has pa.s.sed, we haven't been able to get any concrete evidence . What seems certain, however, is that there must have been some big firm behind him, meaning he had formed a cooperative relations.h.i.+p one of them .

"We have no way to find out what that firm really holds sacred . But clearly the cooperative agreement between Yang An and his counterpart was somehow concluded for an unknown reason . Yang An is a sharp businessman with a lot of integrity . The business grew until it became the current Yang Clan Auction House . It would seem the connection between him and Jiao Si isn't weak, but we still haven't gotten any clues about that . "

It looked as though the Beard had a lot of respect for the boss of the Yang Clan Auction House, as his expression was full of praise . Although they still hadn't found out all the specific details, they knew he wasn't any ordinary person from the information they did have . Given the Beard's ability with intelligence, to have come up short on the ins and outs showed how powerful Yang An was from a different angle .

Butchie was a little hesitant as she said, "Do you still remember when I told you about that card master?"

"The boss of Heaven's Wings, Cao Dong?" The Beard responded quickly and then displayed some suspicion . "You wouldn't be wondering if he's that card master?" He then shook his head . "I don't think that's possible . Judging from the numbered series of cards that has appeared, the card master's power is utterly extraordinary . I've already investigated; although Cao Dong's fame has surged recently, that was only a fantasy card advertis.e.m.e.nt . While he might have outstanding power with regard to low-grade cards, that doesn't show he's just as outstanding with mid- and high-grade cards . We've also a.n.a.lyzed that fiery dragon card you were talking about . Although it has some rather unique aspects, it's still far from the numbered series of cards . "

Hugo didn't immediately refute Butchie, but he hoa.r.s.ely asked a rhetorical question . "Why did you think of him?"

Butchie recalled, "I saw him at Ren Wenzhou's banquet that day . If I'm not mistaken, the fatty also showed up to the banquet that day . I was wondering, with Cao Dong clearly able to make three-star fantasy cards, why would he waste his energy on fantasy card advertis.e.m.e.nts? Their profits would be far from those of a three-star fantasy card . What I found strange more recently is that apart from me, no one actually knew Cao Dong could make three-star fantasy cards . Don't you feel that such a low-key style seems a lot like the card master who made the numbered series of cards?"

Seeing their expressions of deep thought, Butchie continued to talk about her doubts . "The cards Cao Dong made all have a letter "C" on the lower right corner . Although the numbered series of cards don't have a letter "C" there, they do have the series number . I've closely looked at one of the numbered series of cards; the quality of the lines on the numbers on the lower right corner was identical to letter "C" on the fiery dragon card . Peanut Head already told me the quality of a line is because of using differing pen specifications . He also said every card master would have several pens he was especially good with . Comparing the fiery dragon card with that numbered series of cards, the lines used in the patterns on the cards were almost the same thickness . Don't you find that a little coincidental?"

The Beard's expression turned serious . "Send someone to investigate immediately!"

Those who got the restricted invitations had all done some rigorous investigation, and they all had plenty of channels . However, one or two of the media platforms were also resourceful and had actually gotten the listing . They put it up on their platforms at the first opportunity .

On that sketchy listing, there were rows of numbers that turned countless people's eyes red . On top were the parameters of each of the 11 cards, from numbers 012 to 022 . Every one of them left people drooling, but 013 was the most conspicuous .

Those who got the restricted invitations had all done some rigorous investigation, and they all had plenty of channels . However, one or two of the media platforms were also resourceful and had actually gotten the listing . They put it up on their platforms at the first opportunity .

On that sketchy listing, there were rows of numbers that turned countless people's eyes red . On top were the parameters of each of the 11 cards, from numbers 012 to 022 . Every one of them left people drooling, but 013 was the most conspicuous .

That was the second four-star card in the numbered series of cards, and its parameters above the bar were filled in with the word "confidential," which hooked in countless people's curiosity . It was four-star, and it was confidential . That made people connect it with the Super 007 . That card, like 013, had "confidential" written above it . They all clearly remembered 007 setting off that crazy surge, never thinking the Yang Clan Auction House would once again toss out such a bombsh.e.l.l before a few days were up .

Countless followers were discussing the card's performance like crazy to find out what kind of card it really was and what was so extraordinary about it .

By that time, no one was happier than the platforms, who didn't need to worry about not having any news . You only had to look at the variety of bizarre discussion on the various platforms to know how they were heating up the circulation of the craze .

The most depressed at the time were those who had huge sums of money but didn't have anyone with materials . The auction house had clearly said it only wanted materials . The value on the black market for one of the invitations to attend the closed auction had already drawn someone who wanted to spend 2 million, but there wasn't anyone selling .

Under the influence of that affair, the ordinary price for materials in every city in the federation surged by 15 percent within a day . That was also the first time in the history of the Heavenly Federation that the announcement of an auction house had created such a huge price fluctuation .

Everyone felt the antic.i.p.ation and wanted to know if 013 could produce the same sensational effect as 007 .

* * *

Across an entire three days, Chen Mu was devoting himself to a single energy block . After experiencing 1,611 failures, he finally had a breakthrough!

Energy block Y09 was the toughest Chen Mu had encountered so far . If he wanted to take it down, he needed to use his perceptual tendrils to complete 16 recursive twists . Hed already tried it 522 times and still hadnt taken it down . Even given Chen Mus disposition, he still felt a little irritable . He also knew his current emotional state wouldnt help with the training, so he directly exited the mysterious card . He didnt know where Wei-ah had run off to, and that brown fleshy dog was nowhere to be seen either . He imagined Wei-ah had taken it with him . Looking at the empty rooms, a feeling of desolation welled up in him . Chen Mu stood there for a few minutes before rus.h.i.+ng into the bathroom to douse his face with cold water . His brain immediately cleared, and his restless heart also settled . He didnt have to take down energy block Y09 just then . In fact, there were many ways to build the model, and he absolutely could start with a different energy block and leave Y09 for later . But he didnt want to change his plans . Chen Mu made a deep sigh, and his gaze resumed it steadiness . He re-entered the mysterious card . On the one hand, he a.n.a.lyzed the information transmitted by the tips of the fine tendrils . On the other, he methodically controlled his perception . He still hadnt succeeded . After making more than 500 attempts, he hadnt even touched a single trick . He believed he hadnt succeeded for no other reason than his insufficient diligence . If 500 times wasnt enough, then hed do it 1,500 times! * * * The Beard was holding his red wine in both hands as he spoke eloquently . This is the listing from the auction house . There are 11 of the numbered series of cards on it, among which is a four-star card . The requirements are on the top . I heard this listing was sent to quite a few big clients . The Yang Clan Auction House will be holding a closed auction this time, where each card can only be traded for materials . In the end, the overall value will be determined by how rare the materials are . It looks as though they will use the surmise of a card master to determine that; otherwise, they would never consider an exchange for materials . Although it will be a closed auction, the purchasing power of those partic.i.p.ating shouldnt be overlooked . But, since they require that materials be exchanged, that will cause a lot of pain for those who dont have the special channels . According to the intelligence weve gathered, top-quality materials have strongly surged recently from the stimulus of this affair . Im guessing the Big Six will likely attend . Butchie and Hugo were carefully listening . When it came to the a.n.a.lysis of intelligence, the two of them combined werent as good as the Beard . Ive already transmitted this listing to the boss-man, who says we should play it by ear . Hes already sent people here to transport over 2 billion worth of materials . After the Beard spoke, he looked at Butchie with some humor, The boss-man also said Butchies situation is special . Youll be allowed to use these materials to purchase one of the cards! Yeah! Butchie excitedly jumped up, red-faced . I just found out what a great guy the boss-man is! Hugos look remained the same, but an indulgent look flashed past his eyes . Youll have to consider which card youll choose . The Beard raised his eyebrows as he made his suggestion . I dont even need to think about it; Ive already decided! Butchies beautiful, crystalline eyes flashed . Oh? Which one? The Beard and Hugo looked at each other and smiled in unison . This one! Butchies snow white, exquisite finger fell onto a number on the listing . Card 013! The two of them couldnt help but smile again at each other . The Beard looked rather pleased with himself . Id guessed you would pick that one! The three kept talking and laughing for a while, when Butchie suddenly said, Who would you say the card master really was who made this numbered series of cards? Getting to that issue, their expressions turned serious . The Beard said in a deep voice, To tell the truth, thats the issue everyone is concerned with . The recent trend with the numbered series of cards is something no one can stay away from . Looking at the cards he made, not one wasnt top-notch . Moreover, the two four-star cards are the finest of the fine! Once the ident.i.ty of such a card master becomes known, h.e.l.l get quite a reputation . Until now, hes remained mysterious . He would presumably have some misgivings about deliberately revealing himself . After a pause, the Beard looked as though he found something strange . Ive already investigated the ins and outs of the Yang Clan Auction House . This Yang An doesnt really have much background, but he still surprises me . Butchie and Hugo were listening closely, and even Hugo felt surprised . Their curiosity had been piqued . The Beard had a serious expression . Yang An previously opened a small shop that showed no progress for the first two years . Then, it suddenly shot up during the third year to get more and more business until he opened this auction house . That period had a lot to do with his having a large quant.i.ty of rare items for sale . Since too much time has pa.s.sed, we havent been able to get any concrete evidence . What seems certain, however, is that there must have been some big firm behind him, meaning he had formed a cooperative relations.h.i.+p one of them . We have no way to find out what that firm really holds sacred . But clearly the cooperative agreement between Yang An and his counterpart was somehow concluded for an unknown reason . Yang An is a sharp businessman with a lot of integrity . The business grew until it became the current Yang Clan Auction House . It would seem the connection between him and Jiao Si isnt weak, but we still havent gotten any clues about that . It looked as though the Beard had a lot of respect for the boss of the Yang Clan Auction House, as his expression was full of praise . Although they still hadnt found out all the specific details, they knew he wasnt any ordinary person from the information they did have . Given the Beards ability with intelligence, to have come up short on the ins and outs showed how powerful Yang An was from a different angle . Butchie was a little hesitant as she said, Do you still remember when I told you about that card master? The boss of Heavens Wings, Cao Dong? The Beard responded quickly and then displayed some suspicion . You wouldnt be wondering if hes that card master? He then shook his head . I dont think thats possible . Judging from the numbered series of cards that has appeared, the card masters power is utterly extraordinary . Ive already investigated; although Cao Dongs fame has surged recently, that was only a fantasy card advertis.e.m.e.nt . While he might have outstanding power with regard to low-grade cards, that doesnt show hes just as outstanding with mid- and high-grade cards . Weve also a.n.a.lyzed that fiery dragon card you were talking about . Although it has some rather unique aspects, its still far from the numbered series of cards . Hugo didnt immediately refute Butchie, but he hoa.r.s.ely asked a rhetorical question . Why did you think of him? Butchie recalled, I saw him at Ren Wenzhous banquet that day . If Im not mistaken, the fatty also showed up to the banquet that day . I was wondering, with Cao Dong clearly able to make three-star fantasy cards, why would he waste his energy on fantasy card advertis.e.m.e.nts? Their profits would be far from those of a three-star fantasy card . What I found strange more recently is that apart from me, no one actually knew Cao Dong could make three-star fantasy cards . Dont you feel that such a low-key style seems a lot like the card master who made the numbered series of cards? Seeing their expressions of deep thought, Butchie continued to talk about her doubts . The cards Cao Dong made all have a letter C on the lower right corner . Although the numbered series of cards dont have a letter C there, they do have the series number . Ive closely looked at one of the numbered series of cards; the quality of the lines on the numbers on the lower right corner was identical to letter C on the fiery dragon card . Peanut Head already told me the quality of a line is because of using differing pen specifications . He also said every card master would have several pens he was especially good with . Comparing the fiery dragon card with that numbered series of cards, the lines used in the patterns on the cards were almost the same thickness . Dont you find that a little coincidental? The Beards expression turned serious . Send someone to investigate immediately! Those who got the restricted invitations had all done some rigorous investigation, and they all had plenty of channels . However, one or two of the media platforms were also resourceful and had actually gotten the listing . They put it up on their platforms at the first opportunity . On that sketchy listing, there were rows of numbers that turned countless peoples eyes red . On top were the parameters of each of the 11 cards, from numbers 012 to 022 . Every one of them left people drooling, but 013 was the most conspicuous . That was the second four-star card in the numbered series of cards, and its parameters above the bar were filled in with the word confidential, which hooked in countless peoples curiosity . It was four-star, and it was confidential . That made people connect it with the Super 007 . That card, like 013, had confidential written above it . They all clearly remembered 007 setting off that crazy surge, never thinking the Yang Clan Auction House would once again toss out such a bombsh.e.l.l before a few days were up . Countless followers were discussing the cards performance like crazy to find out what kind of card it really was and what was so extraordinary about it . By that time, no one was happier than the platforms, who didnt need to worry about not having any news . You only had to look at the variety of bizarre discussion on the various platforms to know how they were heating up the circulation of the craze . The most depressed at the time were those who had huge sums of money but didnt have anyone with materials . The auction house had clearly said it only wanted materials . The value on the black market for one of the invitations to attend the closed auction had already drawn someone who wanted to spend 2 million, but there wasnt anyone selling . Under the influence of that affair, the ordinary price for materials in every city in the federation surged by 15 percent within a day . That was also the first time in the history of the Heavenly Federation that the announcement of an auction house had created such a huge price fluctuation . Everyone felt the antic.i.p.ation and wanted to know if 013 could produce the same sensational effect as 007 . * * * Across an entire three days, Chen Mu was devoting himself to a single energy block . After experiencing 1,611 failures, he finally had a breakthrough!