South Pole City, on the highway outside Pier No. 3.


    A young man with rare silver pupils, dressed in a black combat uniform, alighted from a taxi on the roadside.


    "Young man, you seem to be a student from the academy outside. Be careful if you’re heading out to sea. Every year, there are still some Star Card Masters who meet with accidents in the South Sea Islands."


    The driver, a slightly chubby middle-aged man, couldn’t help but kindly remind the youth upon seeing his unique demeanor.


    Su Yuan nodded with a smile, "Thank you for the reminder, sir."


    The driver chuckled, "You’re welcome. It’s young, outstanding Star Card Masters like you that make us feel at ease about the future of Great Flame."


    After saying that, the driver waved his hand and drove off.


    Su Yuan retracted his gaze, turned around, and walked to the roadside.


    "The blue sea, it’s the first time I’ve seen it, it’s really beautiful..."


    Su Yuan looked into the distance. The sea met the sky, and the scorching sunlight sprinkled on the sea surface, making it shimmer brilliantly.


    At the edge of the coast, boats of various sizes floated on the sea. Some were departing, some docking, and some returning.


    From time to time, people passed by Su Yuan, descending the hundred-meter long white stone steps toward the pier and boarding the boats.


    These people almost always had some degree of Star Power fluctuation, and most of them were young, gathered in groups of three or five, clearly academy students.


    Besides them, there were also several Star Card Masters from society.


    Su Yuan glanced at the time; it was already half past three in the afternoon. He then descended the hundred-meter steps, took out his ticket, and boarded one of the passenger ships numbered "NJ-014."


    "Welcome aboard our Nanjie Group’s passenger ship. Your room is on the first floor, No. 038. Take a left after you enter."


    The attendant at the door, a round-faced girl with short brown hair, smiled and greeted him after taking his ticket.


    "Thank you."


    Su Yuan nodded, took back his ticket stub, and entered the ship.


    "Silver pupils, really rare..." The round-faced girl couldn’t help but turn her head and take another look. "A pretty clear face, and traveling in second class. I wonder if he’s a genius student from South Pole Academy, maybe even my brother’s classmate."


    ...


    Su Yuan returned to cabin No. 038, looking at the sea through the glass, his mind lost in thought.


    "If I can find more than 70 units of Red Fire Stone at once, then I don’t have to come out again before breaking through to the Intermediate Stage..."


    It had been almost a week since the last breathing lesson.


    The reason Su Yuan was here was because he had taken on a collection task on Red Sand Flame Island, one of the islands in the southern seas.


    Red Sand Flame Island, though just an island, was filled with a substantial concentration of Fire Element.


    Although it was only a Low Stage Dangerous Zone, the island was fairly famous among the Southern Islands because of a popular fire element mineral found there called the Red Fire Stone.


    The Red Fire Stone, like the Flame Crystal Stone that Zhuang Xun once sought in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area, was a second-stage spiritual material.


    However, as a primary material for artifact refining, Red Fire Stone was much more in demand.


    But being Fire Element spiritual materials, they were more likely to appear in places with a high concentration of Fire Element.


    Of course, these places often also nurtured more and stronger Star Beasts...


    Su Yuan unfolded the Wind Walking technique, walking on sand and stones.


    After a few hours, Su Yuan entered a gorge between two mountains where he encountered a small group of Red Cloud Leopards, their bodies entirely red as if cloaked in red embroidered clouds.


    Seeing the sudden appearance of a human, the Red Cloud Leopards immediately became cautious and began growling to intimidate Su Yuan.


    Su Yuan chuckled softly, continuing to approach the leopard group step by step while raising his hands, forming seal techniques one after another.


    The Bronze High-stage Red Cloud Leopard leader seemed to sense something amiss and roared angrily, charging at the forefront with its group!


    At this moment, Su Yuan completed his magic technique, slashing forward, and a pitch-black Gate of Hell opened horizontally, with six large Bone Wolves enveloped in Black Flame leaping out one after another.


    Having grown up on Red Sand Flame Island, these Red Cloud Leopards had never seen such terrifying Bone Wolves before and were filled with fear and trepidation.


    Feeling the powerful aura of the six Bone Wolves, the leading Red Cloud Leopard hastily led the group in stopping their charge, seemingly thinking about retreating.


    But Su Yuan wouldn’t let them go.


    "Kill them all and bring back the Star Cores."


    Su Yuan ordered in a low voice, and the six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves charged into the group of Red Cloud Leopards like tigers among sheep. The cold light of their Netherfire Steel Claws flashed as they slaughtered savagely.


    These Ordinary-grade Red Cloud Leopards, even the strongest only at the Bronze High-stage, were no match for the six Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves.


    Without any suspense, after a while, all the Red Cloud Leopards lay dead. Su Yuan collected the Star Cores brought back by the Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves and extracted and decomposed them into Star Dust.


    "120 Star Dust acquired."


    Su Yuan looked at the increased Star Dust on the system panel and nodded in satisfaction.


    But that wasn’t the end.


    The Hell Chanting Ring on his hand emitted a faint black glow. Su Yuan closed his eyes slightly, focusing his spiritual power to scan the surroundings carefully.


    Among the gradually flowing Fire Elements, one area seemed particularly dense...


    Su Yuan’s eyes lit up. He turned and pointed to a certain spot on a cliff wall a dozen meters away.


    The Netherfire Steel Bone Wolves beside him immediately opened their mouths, charging a Netherfire Cannon and firing it at the spot.


    "Boom!"


    With the explosion of the Netherfire Cannon, a crater was blasted into the cliff wall in front.


    Inside the crater, a football-sized red mineral embedded in the wall was revealed.


    "Red Fire Stone!"


    Su Yuan’s eyes shone brightly. He immediately stepped forward and took out the Dragon Armor Saber, cutting it down.


    "About 1.5 units, not bad, pretty smooth!"


    Storing the Red Fire Stone in his ring, Su Yuan continued toward the depths...