The school’s prize presentation came to a conclusion, and Li Luo naturally became the hottest topic on the block again.
“With the end of the selection, let me once again thank all of you for your contributions to our ticket match win.” Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin brought the little trip to a proper closing as they stood before the vault entrance.
“However, I’m sure that all of you know that the ticket match is not the end, but only the beginning. Our school’s real goal is not a ticket, but the ultimate prize of the Holy Grail Meet… the Dragon Bone Holy Grail itself.”
Those four words. The senior students like Gong Shenjun, the First Princess, and Jiang Qing’e were especially moved, understanding the implications of the reward.
Throughout the East Divine Continent, all of the sage colleges labored desperately to get the Dragon Bone Holy Grail. It symbolized glory and students’ lives.
The ticket match fight was already hotly contested, and they knew that the Holy Grail Meet itself would be on yet another level of intensity.
Li Luo recalled the Princ.i.p.al’s task to him with some trepidation. As a mere One Star Hall member, how much could he really contribute to a fight on that level?
“Princ.i.p.al, surely you’ve overestimated me,” Li Luo thought ruefully to himself as he scratched his head. Without the Dragon Bone Holy Grail, he would not be able to get the complete version of the Heavenly Libation Chant. His control over the three-tailed heavenly wolf would be limited, and his secret weapon at the Housemeet curtailed. Without this powerful secret weapon, he might not even be able to partic.i.p.ate in the Housemeet.
Leaving all of the burden on Jiang Qing’e’s slim shoulders.
Not good.
Li Luo vowed to do all he could to help secure the Dragon Bone Holy Grail.
“Vice Princ.i.p.al, what sort of format does the Holy Grail Meet run on?” Li Luo asked.
“The format should follow the long-established precedents. The first is a fight by halls. There, the strongest of each hall will be chosen. That’s the highest individual honor for any student.
“Of course, this t.i.tle is far more prestigious than something like the Seven Astral Pillars of the Astral Sage College. And fortunately, we might actually have the strongest Three Star Hall student this time.”
She beamed at Jiang Qing’e.
Literally a s.h.i.+ning star with her ninth-grade light resonance, Jiang Qing’e was the brightest student that the Astral Sage College had seen in many years, and she was predicted to do well even on the big stage of the East Divine Continent.
“Qing’e, if you can win that t.i.tle, then the Astral Sage College will truly stand a chance in the running for the Dragon Bone Holy Grail,” Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin declared with hope.
“I’ll do my best,” Jiang Qing’e said with a neutral tilt of her head.
“Are there prizes for winning the strongest student t.i.tle?” Li Luo blinked furiously.
“It can’t be just an empty t.i.tle, right?”
“The t.i.tle is not empty at all,” Su Xin replied with a little laugh. “Many generations have chased the glory that it holds.”
Li Luo nodded in agreement. “Yes, yes, Vice Princ.i.p.al. Glory is very good and all, but is there anything a little more… substantial?”
Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin looked at the squirming Li Luo. “You are a very practical young man.”
Duze Honglian harrumphed. “Why do you care so much? As if you could win it.”
Li Luo tutted at her with a superior tone. “It has everything to do with Qing’e. And is there really any difference between her and me?”
Duze Honglian scowled. This guy was completely shameless.
Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin almost laughed. “The East Divine Continent is only one of the outer divine continents. It cannot compare to the inner divine continents, but we are nonetheless supported by the Academic Federation. The prizes will be generous. For example, one of the prizes for the strongest student is the n.o.bles’ Tattoo.”
“What is that?” Li Luo pressed eagerly.
“Put simply, it is a tattoo on the body,” Su Xin said.
“And it does…” Li Luo believed that any example Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin raised would definitely be something special. If he had never heard of it before, it only meant he was ignorant.
“The n.o.bles’ Tattoo uses Duke blood essence as the core ingredient, and it is a magical piece of craft. There are many types of n.o.bles’ Tattoos, each with their own special properties. For example, the previous Holy Grail Meet gave out the Nine Jeweled Tree Tattoo. It increases one’s worldly natural energy absorption and processing rate. It’s a powerful new engine for cultivation.”
“Whew!” Li Luo whistled softly to himself. This n.o.bles’ Tattoo sounded sick. And it used Duke blood essence as a core ingredient?! That was some high-level stuff. He’d never even heard of it before! Besides, the Nine Jeweled Tree Tattoo sounded awesome. With such a tattoo, cultivation would be smooth sailing as could be.
“The Nine Jeweled Tree Tattoo is more of a supporting tattoo. There are n.o.bles’ Tattoos with more offensive augmentations, while others specialize in defense, survival, or other broad functions. It’s almost like a special type of treasured artifact, and yet it is always with you. It cannot be taken away. Still, the drawback is that despite their name, these tattoos fade with time as the ingredients’ potencies wane.”
“n.o.bles’ Tattoos are more commonly found in the inner divine continents. They are quite rare in the East Divine Continent.”
Li Luo bit his tongue. From this alone, he could tell that the inner divine continents were truly on a different level. Here at the Xia Kingdom, Dukes were rarer than a blue moon. As if they would consent to donating blood essence to make these n.o.bles’ Tattoos easily. Only in the inner divine continent could such luxuries be found.
The paucity of ability, talent, and wealth… there was no way the outer divine continents could ever compete.
It was not just him. Duze Honglian and the others had fallen quiet as well, thinking about the same implications.
“And what about the prizes of winning the Dragon Bone Holy Grail?” Li Luo asked eagerly, licking his lips.
Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin did not laugh at his ambition. Instead, she welcomed it.
“The Dragon Bone Holy Grail itself is the best prize, of course. But that’s from the school’s perspective. For you who have won the cup for the school, what would you want?”
“A violet-eye treasured artifact? An eighth or ninth-grade spirit liquid? A secret watersource or lightsource? Or a Duke technique?”
Vice Princ.i.p.al Su Xin’s smile grew wider and wider as she continued to tempt Li Luo.
“Bring the Dragon Bone Holy Grail back, and the school will give you everything within its power to give.”