Chapter 119: Shen Jinxiao's Methods

On the surface of the lake, the water rippled and shimmered.

The Purple Glow Mentor named Shen Jinxiao stood by the lake, his figure reflected in the water; his expression was exceptionally gentle, yet as Li Luo looked at him, a chill rose in his heart.

This person, is he the one Sister Jiang Qing mentioned... Shen Jinxiao?

Li Luo stared at him closely; the other party’s appearance was actually quite handsome, and the Purple Glow Mentor robes added a touch of mysterious temperament to him. Between his brows, golden, profound patterns extended from his temples, finally forming a faint golden seal at the center of his forehead.

There was no fluctuation of resonant power around him, yet the subtle sense of oppression he radiated made one feel a sense of awe.

While Li Luo was sizing up Shen Jinxiao, the latter once again revealed a gentle smile: "I once served as Jiang Qing’s mentor; I wonder if she has mentioned me to you?"

Li Luo did not answer, but instead asked: "What is Mentor Shen doing waiting for me here?"

Although he harbored extreme wariness toward the person before him, he was not overly afraid; after all, this was the Mentor Selection Tournament, and countless people were watching. Even if the other party was a Purple Glow Mentor, he could not truly do anything to him in broad daylight.

Shen Jinxiao walked forward slowly, arriving before Li Luo, and smiled: "Li Luo, I admire you, so I intend to take you under my tutelage."

He took an object from his sleeve and handed it over.

Li Luo looked; it was a purple jade talisman, shimmering with a mysterious luster. Clearly, this was the seal of a Purple Glow Mentor. As long as one obtained this, they could enter the corresponding mentor’s tutelage and become a student of a Purple Glow Mentor.

However, although this was what Li Luo had been seeking in this Mentor Selection Tournament, he did not want the one being handed to him now.

"Li Luo, accept this, and you will have achieved your goal," Shen Jinxiao smiled slightly.

Li Luo’s gaze slowly shifted away from the purple jade seal. He took a step back and said to Shen Jinxiao: "Mentor Shen, this doesn't seem to be in accordance with the rules, does it?"

"The Purple Glow seal must be obtained through rigorous trials. For you to just hand it over like this makes it a bit hard for me to accept."

Shen Jinxiao smiled: "I know your potential, so those trials can naturally be skipped."

Li Luo shook his head and said sternly: "Mentor Shen, we often don't cherish things that are too easily obtained, so I want to experience the most difficult trials before making a final decision."

"If Mentor Shen has time, you can wait here for a moment; I will go and complete a round of trials, then come back to find you."

Saying this, he intended to retreat.

However, the moment his feet moved, he felt the energy of the world around him surge, as if a layer of confinement had appeared, making him unable to move an inch.

Li Luo’s expression changed slightly, and he said: "Is Mentor Shen not letting me leave?"

Shen Jinxiao stared at Li Luo and smiled: "Why are you unwilling to accept my kindness? If it were any other student, they would be impatient by now, wouldn't they?"

Li Luo hesitated for a moment and said softly: "Because..."

"I prefer female mentors!" he said righteously.

Shen Jinxiao smiled faintly and said: "Li Luo, will you really not reconsider? In this Mentor Selection Tournament, there are only five Purple Glow Mentors. If you reject me, the other four may not approach you out of respect for me. After all, you are not Jiang Qing; you do not have the potential that makes every Purple Glow Mentor yearn for you."

"So, in all likelihood, they will not offend my dignity for the sake of someone who can only barely be considered excellent."

Li Luo frowned slightly and said: "Is Mentor Shen threatening me?"

Shen Jinxiao said: "You can think of it that way."

Li Luo smiled and said: "Then I am also curious. Since Mentor Shen thinks I am only barely excellent, and there are so many others among the new students better than me, why are you fixated on me?"

Shen Jinxiao smiled and did not answer Li Luo’s question, only saying: "Li Luo, seize this final opportunity."

Li Luo said helplessly: "Mentor Shen, you are a bit too impatient. Although I don't know what you are actually trying to do, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

Shen Jinxiao stared at Li Luo for a few seconds, then put away the Purple Glow seal and sighed: "Li Luo, you have lost your final opportunity."

"It seems that until you experience being driven into a corner, you won't realize how rare this Purple Glow seal of mine is."

Shen Jinxiao extended two fingers, and a crisp snapping sound echoed between them.

And at the very moment the snapping sound fell, for all students within a radius of several dozen miles centered on this area, a voice suddenly echoed in their ears, as if from nowhere.

"Purple Glow Mission: Surround and suppress Li Luo. Whoever defeats Li Luo may obtain a Purple Glow seal."

This voice also rang out in Li Luo’s ears.

This directly caused his expression to turn somewhat gloomy in an instant. The other party had finally shown his true colors; when the temptation didn't work, he resorted to coercion.

"You don't need to worry about whether what I'm doing violates the rules. At the Saint Profound Star Academy, the authority a Purple Glow Mentor possesses is greater than you imagine. As long as I don't harm your life, I can do anything," Shen Jinxiao said indifferently.

Immediately, he extended a finger and tapped lightly toward Li Luo. A beam of light suddenly shot up from above the latter's head, clearly visible for several miles around.

"This beam of light will last for some time, guiding other students in this area to find you. Li Luo, don't you want to gain the favor of other Purple Glow Mentors? Then I will give you a chance to perform."

"If you can survive the encirclement of these people, then perhaps other Purple Glow Mentors will truly take a liking to you."

Shen Jinxiao smiled nonchalantly: "Then next... begin your performance. I look forward to your display."

His figure gradually turned into energy, finally dissolving into specks of light and disappearing into thin air.

Li Luo looked at the spot where Shen Jinxiao had disappeared, a flash of gloom in his eyes. Shen Jinxiao, is it? You dog, I’ll remember you.

He then looked up at the beam of light emitting from above his head. He tried to erase it, but found it was futile, so he gave up on this meaningless act. Something conjured by a Marquis-realm expert was not something he, a mere Resonant Master-realm, could dispel.

Thus, he gripped the twin blades at his waist, and without further hesitation, his figure moved as he charged into the dense forest, where the thick foliage could provide some cover for this guiding beam of light.

Next, it would depend on how many people within this range would come to surround and suppress him.

Hopefully, there wouldn't be too many tough characters, otherwise, this time, it would truly be a bit troublesome.

And as Li Luo charged into the dense forest and began this hunt, in the Great Hall of New Students, the release of the Purple Glow Mission immediately caught the attention of everyone in the stands.

Especially when they saw the content of that Purple Glow Mission, for a moment, the expressions of everyone present became somewhat strange.