228: Special treatment

You secretly resolved to become an all-around Cultivator, ensuring that no matter what kind of opponent you encounter, you can handle them with ease.

As soon as the light barrier of the Douling Platform dissipated, you tapped your toes lightly and transformed into a streak of azure light, tearing through the air.

A moment later, you landed in front of a three-story pavilion. On the plaque, the three golden characters "Talismans Pavilion" flowed with the rhythm of the Dao—this was an enterprise run by the Talisman Academy, where transactions only accepted Contribution Points.

Just as you walked into the shop, a female Cultivator dressed in moon-white Dharma robes emerged from behind the agarwood counter.

Her dark hair was loosely pinned up with a jade hairpin, and when she saw you, a smile naturally rippled at the corners of her lips:

"Are you Senior Brother Qin? I've finally met you in person; you are so handsome!"

"Are you here to buy Talismans?"

"If you have any needs, just tell me, and I will give you a detailed introduction."

She looked at you, her eyes shining with great enthusiasm.

You were already accustomed to being recognized.

Ever since your various deeds spread throughout the academy and the Immortal Realm, people who encountered you only had two reactions—

One was a gaze filled with hostility, wishing they could kill you.

The other was a gaze filled with admiration, wishing they could devour you.

Sometimes, even the spirit pets on the roadside would bow and scrape when they saw you.

This was the benefit brought by fame—although it wasn't a good reputation.

"I want to buy a substitute talisman, thunder curse talisman, wind-riding Talisman, god-speed Talisman, and also a high-grade fire phoenix talisman," you said straight to the point.

You had long heard of the power of the fire phoenix talisman—once unleashed, it would transform into a fire phoenix that would relentlessly pursue the target, turning everything in its path into a sea of fire; it was a high-grade Talisman in the truest sense.

You were in need of such a Talisman; combined with your poison Divine Ability, the power would be even more terrifying.

At this moment, a female student dressed in a long, light purple gauze dress walked over gracefully and smiled at you faintly: "Junior Brother Qin, I have long admired your name."

"Who are you?"

"I am Lu Xiaoxiao from the Talisman Academy."

"You are the Genius of the Talisman Academy, Lu Xiaoxiao?"

Her name reminded you of someone, so you asked: "What relation is Lu Binglan to you?"

"She is my younger sister!" Lu Xiaoxiao smiled and looked you over. "What, do you know my sister?"

"The Genius of the Formation Academy, who doesn't know her?"

She smiled and suddenly asked: "Junior Brother Qin, as far as I know, you have been in seclusion since enrolling. We only accept Contribution Points for purchasing Talismans here; I wonder if you have brought enough?"

"I want ten of each of the Talismans I mentioned earlier; how many Contribution Points will that require?"

"Except for the fire phoenix talisman which costs fifty points, the others are five Contribution Points each."

"So expensive?"

You were worried; with so many Contribution Points needed, you were currently penniless.

So you asked: "Senior Sister, could I trouble you to purchase them on my behalf?"

"Purchase on your behalf?"

"Yes, I will exchange other things you need, and you use your own Contribution Points to help me buy them, how about that?"

Lu Xiaoxiao became interested and asked with a smile: "What do you have?"

"Do you want Top-Grade Spirit Stones?"

She chuckled and shook her head.

You frowned and continued to ask: "Then what about thousand-year-old Five Elements Lingzhi, great void illusion grass, or azure sky marvel fruit?"

She still smiled and shook her head.

You were suddenly in a bind—in the academy, you could exchange Contribution Points for Top-Grade Spirit Stones and Heaven And Earth Treasure, but it didn't work the other way around.

Lu Xiaoxiao suddenly smiled and said: "I only need you to do one thing for me."

You looked at her suspiciously: "Aren't you afraid I will die in the Holy Land Grand Competition?"

Lu Xiaoxiao chuckled: "I heard you just had a life-and-death battle with Feng Yichen on the Douling Platform. But the fact that you appeared here so quickly shows that you won very easily."

"You can easily defeat even a Nascent Soul Peak like Feng Yichen; although the Nascent Soul Prodigies at the Holy Land Grand Competition are stronger, protecting yourself shouldn't be a problem."

"Besides, have you forgotten what Instructor Yun Yao is best at?" She looked at you meaningfully.

"The Dao of Divination?" You suddenly realized.

"But, some Karma can be changed and concealed, right?" You asked back with a smile.

"I am just taking a gamble!" Lu Xiaoxiao laughed.

"What do you want me to do for you?"

"As for the specific matter, I will tell you after you return from the Holy Land Grand Competition." After she finished speaking, she handed you a qiankun bag containing all the Talismans you needed.

You took it, swept it with your Divine Sense, and then put it away, smiling: "No problem. If I can return alive, I will definitely keep the appointment."

After saying that, you turned and left.

Walking on the road, although you were curious about why Lu Xiaoxiao was so generous, you didn't think too much about it since you couldn't figure it out.

You disliked guessing riddles the most.

Since she didn't want to say it now, you would just ask after the Grand Competition ended.

However, since she was willing to front so many Contribution Points, it seemed this matter was likely not simple.

"She wouldn't be thinking of recruiting me as a live-in son-in-law, would she?" You suddenly stopped, eyes wide.

"Now this is trouble; I shouldn't have agreed so easily." You shook your head helplessly and soon returned to Yun Yao's palace.

For the next two days, you did not go out.

Time quickly reached the third day—

The academy only sent two people to participate in the Holy Land Grand Competition this time, which were you and Luo Jiuchen, with Yun Yao responsible for leading the team.

Under normal circumstances, major forces could send three candidates to participate in the Holy Land Grand Competition.

But most of the talented Disciples in the academy had either not yet reached the Nascent Soul Peak, or had already broken through to the Soul Transformation or even Void Refining stage, failing to meet the participation requirements.

Among those who met the conditions, only Luo Jiuchen won in the internal selection.

So this time, you and Luo Jiuchen were sent together.

Logically speaking, you had not yet reached the Nascent Soul Peak, so you were actually at a disadvantage.

But you were a special case and were forced to participate.

Senior Sister also specifically told you that the rules and content of this Holy Land Grand Competition were very different from previous years, and many changes had occurred.

And these changes could be said to have been caused by you.

After everything was ready, Yun Yao took you and Luo Jiuchen through the teleportation formation, heading directly to the Canglan Holy Land.

Each of the three thousand academies of the Kunlun Dao Academy was equipped with cross-boundary teleportation formations.

Traveling from the Divination Academy to the Canglan Holy Land was even more convenient than going to other academies; it was basically one step to reach the destination.

As soon as your figure appeared in the teleportation plaza of the Canglan Holy Land, countless cold gazes were cast from all directions.

These people did not hide their killing intent and anger at all, as if everyone wanted to swallow you alive.

If it weren't for the rules of the Holy Land, these people would likely have swarmed you long ago.

There were even quite a few people who deliberately spoke loudly so that you could hear:

"He is Qin Chen? He looks like a human, but he has a despicable face; just looking at him makes me angry!"

"I am so angry! The Shen Tongtong I have admired since I was young was actually defiled by this scoundrel. If I don't kill him, my Heart Demon will be hard to remove!"

"It doesn't matter; this Holy Land Grand Competition has specifically changed the rules for him—as long as you encounter Qin Chen, life or death does not matter!"

You already knew about the rule changes for the Holy Land Grand Competition.

In the past, the Holy Land Grand Competition forbade fights to the death.

But now, they specifically allowed people to kill you.

You were the first person in countless years to enjoy this kind of "special treatment."