On the fifth day after the ticket match, Li Luo finally reached his favorite part of any compet.i.tion.
Prize presentation.
Although the ticket match had helped his reputation soar, Li Luo didn’t really care. If you had a soaring reputation and a potion worth 10 skygold, you could trade it for 10 skygold.
He was a greedy, materialistic rascal, and what he wanted was to see the inside of the school vault.
That had been his only goal from the start. “I want a gold-eye treasured artifact in my pocket now, please.”
What he really wanted was a twin sword type gold-eye treasured artifact. Even his backup pair had been shattered in the fight with Lu Cāng. And as his opponents got stronger, it was going to be critical to have a proper weapon. A gold-eye treasured artifact would have a marked boost to his fighting ability, which he urgently needed.
He could not possibly be using his Lambent Hawkeye all the time, especially in close combat. Although it was a gilded white-eye treasured artifact with a rather solid build, bows were not built to tank things. And if it was whittled down, it might be broken for its actual purpose of shooting arrows. He’d have to spend both time and effort repairing it.
He didn’t want to have to fight gingerly at the Holy Grail Meet. Which was why he needed a complete a.r.s.enal.
Li Luo had actually prepared backups. He’d asked Cai Wei to help him search as well, although twin sword gold-eye treasured artifacts were few and far between, and cost a bomb. House Luolan’s finances might be healthier than they had been for a long time, but lavish spending would quickly put them back in the red. Which was why Li Luo had been eying the school vault this whole time. Ample options, all for free. Perfect.
Li Luo was happily skipping alongside his mentor down the school boulevard.
Chi Chan swept her robes behind her with a hand, striding forward as aloof as ever. Still, Li Luo could sense that she had been in a good mood for the last few days.
“Mentor, have I given you a lot of face?” He grinned at her impudently.
She stared at him. “How thick-skinned must you be to fish for compliments like that?” she demanded exasperatedly.
“Mentor, it is more important to be honest than humble,” Li Luo said piously.
There was amus.e.m.e.nt in her eyes, and she did not refute his question. “You did well. You didn’t let me down.
“But I’m in a good mood not just because of that. It’s also because Shen Jinxiao is in a bad mood.”
Li Luo chuckled. Any bad news for Shen Jinxiao was good news for them.
They spoke happily about the subject, united by their hatred.
The commute pa.s.sed cheerfully, and they reached the school vault before long.
The vault was shaped like a giant tortoise, built after the symbol of defense. Its mouth was stretched open, bronze doors shaped like inner beaks closing it tight. The tortoise’s sh.e.l.l s.h.i.+mmered in the sunlight, a mesmerizing yet intimidating dome that imparted life into the building.
There was already a line of people waiting outside the vault. Li Luo recognized Jiang Qing’e, the First Princess, Gong Shenjun, and a few others.
Including him, there were seven—the representatives of the ticket match.
“Why are Zhu Xuan and Ye Qiuding here as well?” Li Luo remarked witheringly. Those two had been defeated in the ticket match, almost costing them the ticket match. The psychological pressure on Li Luo had been huge in the last match.
Why were they being rewarded as well?
“Well, the bigger reason remains unchanged,” Chi Chan answered. “The school wants to raise the overall level of all the students before the Holy Grail Meet. Giving out treasured artifacts is the most crude way, but it’s nevertheless straightforward and effective. Of course, the school has its principles as well—excessive rewards will be reproached by other schools.
“Zhu Xuan and Ye Qiuding had barely adequate performances. The school will not give them gold-eye treasured artifacts. They will probably get gilded white-eyes at best. In the end, it was you that carried the school through to the ticket. Without it, the school would have no further incentive to help them along,” she said softly. Li Luo flexed his arms belligerently. So these guys were riding on his coattails to glory?!
“Keke, our ticket match hero finally arrives.” The First Princess smiled at him elegantly.
The others looked over as well.
“Your Highness, please don’t paint a target on my back. If not for you seniors who laid down the foundation, my match would have counted for nothing,” Li Luo said, hastily turning down the idea of being a hero. The idea was so highbrow, it would be like skewering him and hanging him over the fire to roast.
“Your Highness, please don’t bully him.” Jiang Qing’e laughed.
“Are you protecting your beloved?” the First Princess demanded, a teasing elbow b.u.mping up against Jiang Qing’e.
“Who wouldn’t,” Jiang Qing’e replied directly.
Duze Honglian pursed her lips.
Gong Shenjun watched the exchange with a polite smile.
Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin coughed lightly to get their attention. She had a warm smile on her face today, and they lit her kind features well. The students felt comforted by her.
“Well, I’m sure all of you know why we are gathered here, so I won’t belay the point. I hope you all find suitable treasured artifacts.”
She gestured simply with her hand, sending a pulse of resonant power forward. It twisted itself midair into a complex rune that floated towards the bronze doors.
The mark pressed itself into the bronze door, spreading against it like a coat of phosph.o.r.escent paint on the metal.
A moment later, the doors started to vibrate. Deeper in the corridor that was the turtle’s neck, a low roar rumbled the building.
Slowly, the bronze doors opened.
Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin led the way in. Li Luo and the others looked around happily at each other, and followed eagerly.
They walked past a long corridor of stone, with ceiling-to-floor gla.s.s panes lining up along the walls. Behind them they could see heaps of treasure, but these were mainly white-eye treasured artifacts, and not particularly interesting.
Still, seeing mountains and mountains of these cheaper treasured artifacts was a t.i.tillating sight.
Li Luo was reasonably cool-headed about it. After all, he had seen an even more ridiculous amount back in the Golden Dragon Dao Fields. It gave him some immunity against losing his head to greed.
They followed Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin down the corridor, struck by the enormity of the wealth that lined their way forward.
They soon ended up in a large hall, where ten stone pillars stood. On top of each pillar was a nimbus of light, and what was within made their breath catch in their throats.
Energy was being attracted to the nimbuses, as were the students’ gazes.
Ten golden eyes.
Mouthwatering golden eyes.
Ten gold-eye treasured artifacts…
Li Luo was seized with an urge to steal them all.