The Card Cultivation System
CCS-135

The stone card and monument shone for several minutes. Heiliao was very curious what he would see if he opened his eyes, so he peeked a little and immediately regretted his actions. The light was so bright it pierced the eyes. Although he only peeked a little, but his tears had flowed from the sting.

Huo Bing was indeed not in pain when he saw that light, but he was also unable to see through that light. All that is visible is the white light around it. Besides, there's nothing else. But of all that, the strangest was Xika.

He opened his eyes normally as if there was no blinding light piercing his eyes. In fact, he opened his eyes wider, as if he did not want the light to fade. But unfortunately, no matter how wide he opened his eyes, the light faded and faded until it returned as before.

Huo Bing and Heiliao immediately turned their heads to and fro to find out what was different. But they found nothing. Everything is still the same as before. Spatial stone piles, crevices that led nowhere, and stone monuments as well........

Wait for. Where is the stone monument?

"Xika, are you cf. Ih-"

Huo Bing immediately stopped his words when he saw Xika's face. A face so full of longing. The bird suddenly nodded. He even forgot what he wanted to ask when he saw Xika's face. He hated it when he saw Xika's face like that. Because his heart was also broken.

The test!

A drop of tear descended from Xika's eyes to the ground below her. Then the next droplet, next, and continues to drip until it forms a stream of tears.

Bruk!

Xika fell to her knees. He cannot hold back his tears. The water continued to flow even though he tried to hold it. How many years had passed, he still missed them. He wants to go back to the old times again. A time when everything was beautiful. The time when he knew no suffering. The time when he was with his parents.

"Hiks....hiks........"

Neither Huo Bing nor Heiliao, neither of them spoke. They wondered what made Xika cry like that. But they refrained from asking. At least until Xika is better. They approached and patted her on the back trying to ease her feelings.

A few minutes passed and Xika's sobbing subsided. The breath is more stable, although the tears are still flowing. He stood up, wiped the tears that flowed back, then looked at his two brothers. He smiled with tears flowing.

"I'm sorry."

"What's wrong................Why are you crying?"

Huo Bing instantly got a sharp shot from Heiliao. The wolf makes a mouth gesture which means 'Will you die if you ask that later?' Huo Bing shrugged both of his shoulders. But Xika was looking at them in confusion.

"Eh? You................. didn't see the picture?"

"picture? What image? I saw nothing but a bright light piercing the eye."

"You guys............... don't see the picture of my parents..........?"

Heiliao and Huo Bing stared at each other then shook their heads together.

"So.................So you saw your parents?"

"Yes...something like pictures. A smile that contains sadness.

"You'll meet them again. And you will smile as they smile." Huo Bing said.

Xika changed her sad smile into a determined smile then nodded. He closed his eyes and looked as if he was thinking about something.

"What's wrong?"

Xika did not answer. He raised his hand and asked them to wait. After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes again.

"Here. Just us."

"How did you know?"

Xika closed her eyes again.

"Eitherway. That information just popped into my head. I've checked it several times, there are no living creatures in this place but us."

"How can you check it? What's going on?"

"wait. You're saying we're the only ones in this place?"

"true."

"Impossible! We've been in this place for over an hour. The wolves should be in this place."

"yes too. I forgot about their existence ."

Xika nodded. He closed his eyes as before. A moment passed and he opened his eyes while shaking. Heiliao's facial complexion was getting worse. He worries about the fate of his people. He turned around and gave his back to Xika.

"Come on. Something's not right. I have to check on him."

But Xika was still in her place. It doesn't move one bit.

"Hurry now! What are you doing?" heiliao asked who was a little annoyed that Xika was still not moving.

"Calm down. They're doing just fine. They're still waiting for us outside."

"What's? Didn't I say only five minutes? How did you know?"

Xika took out the pile of cards that had previously shone. He threw it in the air, but it didn't fall. The cards floated in the air forming a rectangle that emitted light, but a light that was different from before. Xika looked at the cards as if looking for something.

Then he found it. He took one of the cards and threw it. The card rotated and grew even larger to the size of the gap they passed through as they headed towards this place. Then the picture of the card changed showing Lang Yan and the other wolves.

They look like they are waiting for something. Some of them seemed to be very impatient, but Lang Yan calmed them down many times. Xika could see that the old wolf was also very impatient, but he could not show it.

"Lao Yan! What are you guys doing? Why aren't you guys in yet?" heiliao shouted quite relieved as they were all fine. But his face was again confused when Lang Yan and the others did not answer him.

"Heiliao, they cannot hear you. What I'm showing you is just a picture. Not the real gap."

"Oh." Heiliao nodded in understanding. "But why are they still not in? Five minutes have passed for a long time."

"really. But maybe it only applies in this place." Huo Bing said as he felt this place thoroughly. He did not realize what was strange in this place when he first entered. But now he is conscious. The flow of time in this place was different from in the outside world.

Heiliao closed her eyes. A moment later he opened his eyes and realized what Huo Bing said was indeed true. The flow of time goes faster in this place.

"Then I'll tell them."

"Just calm. Time goes by faster, so we can still relax. Don't you want to explore this place further?"

"Well, actually it's not necessary. I already know the ins and outs of this place."

Huo Bing glared with a questioning look. Xika did not answer. He called back the cards he had previously thrown and completed the blank portion of the rectangle he had made in the air. He signaled for Huo Bing and Heiliao to approach.

Then the rectangle displays the picture. More precisely a map. The wolf and the bird's spirit looked at Xika's map carefully.

"How can you.......?"

"Eitherway. It just popped into my head. And my cards show what I think. Look, there are roughly seven thousand gaps in this place that lead to different places. And the spatial stone is there..............."

"Well that's enough. You don't have to count it. But one thing was troubling my mind. If you can see this place, then you know where the Purple Hand is, right?"

Xika looked at the map carefully. Then he touched one of the cards. And that rectangular look featured an image of the card Xika touched earlier.

"He's here" Xika said as she pointed at the purple dot.

"You said we're the only ones here."

"We are the only living creatures in this place."

"That means............"

"Yes. He's dead."

Huo Bing was silent. The big problem that they had been talking about and made them hassles, turned out to be dead. But he wouldn't believe it before he saw the corpse with his own eyes.

"Let's check it out. I have to see his body."

Xika shrugged both of her shoulders. Then he opened his hand and the rectangle reassembled into a pile of cards into his hand. After which he walked guiding Huo Bing and Heiliao to the place where the corpse of the Purple Hand was located.

They walked ten minutes before Xika stopped. But they didn't find what they were looking for. Xika turned to the right and left several times before stopping.

"That's it."

Xika pointed at something. And instantly Huo Bing widened his eyes.