Chapter 304: Looks Requirements

Regarding Li Bi's refusal, Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge actually weren't surprised, after all this was only human nature—the other party couldn't possibly abandon their future prospects to come to the ordinary-strength Xiyang House just because they were classmates.

"Senior Li Bi, actually Xiyang House still has a lot of development potential, in the future it will definitely be able to become one of the top ten Spirit Water and Strange Light Houses in Great Xia!" Yan Yan Lingqing still wanted to try.

Li Bi gave a somewhat helpless smile and said, "Perhaps what you say is true, but how long is this future? Rather than wasting so much time here, why wouldn't I go cultivate at one of those Spirit Water and Strange Light Houses that are already in the top ten?"

Yan Yan Lingqing was left speechless. What Li Bi said wasn't wrong—perhaps Xiyang House had potential as she said, but there were already plenty of Spirit Water and Strange Light Houses that had made it into Great Xia's top ten for her to choose from, so why would she take a risk and come to a Xiyang House that was still developing?

After all, Li Bi's relationship with Jiang Jiang Qinge wasn't as close as hers, so the other party wouldn't be willing to pay such a price.

"I'm truly sorry."

Li Bi apologized, then hesitated for a moment and said, "From what I know, in five days the Material Refining Institute has invited some Spirit Water and Strange Light Houses headquartered in Great Xia City with substantial strength to the academy. They should be planning to let them make early contact with some Material Refiners about to leave the academy, to prepare for their choices."

"These invited Spirit Water and Strange Light Houses certainly won't let go of such an opportunity, so presumably when the time comes they'll properly display their own strength to attract more Material Refiners."

"I feel that if you want to strengthen Xiyang House, this kind of opportunity shouldn't be missed either—at the very least, attracting a few is a few."

Although she had refused Xiyang House's invitation, she still offered her advice.

Hearing this, Li Luo's expression shifted, then he said somewhat helplessly, "It seems our Xiyang House wasn't invited."

Jiang Jiang Qinge also nodded and said, "If we had been invited, Sister Cai Wei would have sent someone to deliver the news."

Li Luo couldn't help feeling a bit depressed. This was indeed a good opportunity to display themselves, but clearly Xiyang House's strength still wasn't enough—they hadn't even obtained the qualification to be invited.

Seeing their expressions, Li Bi understood Xiyang House hadn't been invited. She pondered briefly and said, "If Xiyang House wants to be invited, it's actually not without a way."

Li Luo immediately looked over and asked for guidance, "Does Senior Li Bi have some method?"

Li Bi smiled and said, "Which Spirit Water and Strange Light Houses are invited is decided by some High Rank instructors in the Material Refining Institute, and from what I know, Instructor Xi Chan also has this qualification."

"Instructor Xi Chan is your Resonance Power instructor, right?"

She smiled at Li Luo and said, "Go find her, pull some strings, and you should be able to let Xiyang House join in on the fun."

Li Luo was dumbfounded—could it really be done like that...? But for Xiyang House's development, going to ask Instructor Xi Chan was acceptable.

"Then thank you very much for the tip, Senior Li Bi." Li Luo said with a smile.

Li Bi: "It was nothing."

She seemed to want to say something, but ultimately shook her head and said no more.

Li Luo, however, understood what she wanted to say—it was nothing more than that even if they obtained the invitation qualification from the Material Refining Institute, if they couldn't display their own strength when the time came, they probably wouldn't be able to attract any good Material Refiners to join.

But regarding these things, Li Luo had his own calculations in mind.

"Yo, Yan Yan Lingqing, pulling customers for Xiyang House here again?"

Just as the two sides were chatting, a sudden jarring voice rose with mockery.

Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge both frowned. Raising their heads, they saw a girl in green walking over with a smile. Not far behind her by the window, a table of people were also looking this way—clearly companions of the girl in green.

"Mei Zhu Xuan'er, if you can't speak properly then shut your mouth—no one thinks you're a mute!" Seeing this woman, Yan Yan Lingqing's pretty face instantly chilled, and her words were exceptionally unkind.

This sudden quarrel also left Li Luo somewhat stunned. He glanced at the woman called Mei Zhu Xuan'er—her looks were passable, but compared to Yan Yan Lingqing she was still a few points behind. Her thin red lips suggested at a glance she wasn't an easy mark.

Jiang Jiang Qinge also glanced at Mei Zhu Xuan'er, then her lips moved slightly, and a faint voice condensed into a line that transmitted into Li Luo's ear: "This Mei Zhu Xuan'er is also a student of the Material Refining Institute. Like Li Bi, she'll graduate this year. Her own Material Refining skill is very strong—she's also reached the level of a Fifth Rank Material Refiner."

"I've heard Yan Lingqing mention her. There's some grudge between them. It seems Mei Zhu Xuan'er once liked a male senior, but the latter had no interest in her and instead wanted to pursue Yan Lingqing, yet Yan Lingqing repeatedly rejected him."

"After that, Mei Zhu Xuan'er grew jealous and resentful of Yan Lingqing, and kept looking for trouble with her."

Li Luo listened and his face darkened a bit—it's that cliché?

"Hehe, Yan Yan Lingqing, you've been pulling classmates into joining Xiyang House these past days—are you trying to drag everyone into a pit?"

Mei Zhu Xuan'er didn't shut her mouth as Yan Yan Lingqing had told her to, but instead grew even more mocking.

"Li Bi, don't let this Yan Yan Lingqing's wild talk fool you. With your qualifications, those top Spirit Water and Strange Light Houses in Great Xia are more than enough for you to pick from." Mei Zhu Xuan'er looked again at Li Bi sitting here and spoke with a half-smile.

Li Bi's brow tip slightly furrowed. "This has nothing to do with you, no need for you to say more."

The other party's provocation was clumsy, and Li Bi naturally wouldn't be swayed by it. Moreover, as for how to choose, she herself had long since made her decision.

As for Li Bi's attitude, Mei Zhu Xuan'er didn't care. Her saying this was purely to provoke Yan Yan Lingqing.

She looked at Yan Yan Lingqing and indeed saw the other's face frosty with cold, and secretly felt pleased.

Then her gaze shifted and landed on Li Luo, and she continued, "This must be the young master of House Luolan House, the president of Xiyang House, Junior Li Luo, right?"

Li Luo glanced at her but paid no attention.

Mei Zhu Xuan'er said with a smile, "Junior Li Luo, if your Xiyang House really wants to recruit people, you could actually come to me. As long as you kick Yan Yan Lingqing out of Xiyang House, I might be willing to go to Xiyang House."

"How about considering it?"

Li Luo rubbed his chin and deliberated, "Trade a Fourth Rank for a Fifth Rank? Seems like not a loss?"

"That certainly wouldn't be a loss." Amusement and mockery flickered in Mei Zhu Xuan'er's eyes as she agreed.

Then she heard Li Luo sigh and say, "Sorry, but Xiyang House's recruitment conditions are rather special. Material Refining rank is only secondary here."

"We prioritize Material Refiners with higher looks—like Sister Yan Lingqing and Senior Li Bi. Although Senior Mei's Material Refining skill is solid, on the looks aspect there's still a gap from Xiyang House's recruitment requirements, so unfortunately, Xiyang House can't take you."

"Pfft."

Li Bi in front of them couldn't help but laugh out loud. Yan Yan Lingqing, whose face had been frosty, also had the corner of her lips curve slightly, her expression softening somewhat.

The smile on Mei Zhu Xuan'er's cheeks, however, froze. Her eyes filled with fury as she glared at Li Luo—this bastard actually said her looks didn't pass?!

"Senior Mei need not be discouraged. I hear there are some medicinal pills with beautifying effects—you could try them first, and if they work, it wouldn't be too late to come apply at our Xiyang House." Li Luo said gently.

"Bullshit!"

Mei Zhu Xuan'er instantly exploded with rage—as if this young lady actually gave a damn about your crappy Xiyang House?! She was only using this to mock Yan Yan Lingqing—did she really think she'd go to Xiyang House?! How dare he push his luck!

However, just as her cursing ended, she suddenly saw Jiang Jiang Qinge, who had been silent all along, raise her pretty face. A gaze like a sharp sword blade shot over, and a chill suddenly surged up from deep within Mei Zhu Xuan'er's heart, frightening her face pale as she stumbled back several steps in a sorry state.

"If you speak rudely again, then don't blame me for not caring about any Resonance Power Institute or Material Refining Institute." Jiang Jiang Qinge's words were plain, yet anyone could hear the chill contained within.

Mei Zhu Xuan'er was both shocked and furious. Behind her, her companions at that table also stood up, looking hesitantly this way. A few male students glanced at Jiang Jiang Qinge, then ultimately sat back down.

Presumably they still didn't dare to provoke Jiang Jiang Qinge.

Mei Zhu Xuan'er also understood Jiang Jiang Qinge's prowess, so she could only suppress the anger in her heart, give a cold snort, turn around and leave. At the same time, secretly furious, she vowed to spread bad rumors about Xiyang House everywhere, so that Yan Yan Lingqing's attempts to recruit people would all come to nothing.

After driving away Mei Zhu Xuan'er, Yan Yan Lingqing's pretty face was still icy cold. It wasn't actually anger, but rather a bit of dejection—because during this period, in order to help Xiyang House recruit people, she had lost count of the times she'd put on a smiling face for others, but the results ultimately hadn't been good, which made her feel sad.

A slender, delicate hand reached over and took her hand. Yan Yan Lingqing turned her head and saw Jiang Jiang Qinge's soothing, gentle gaze.

Only then did her mood improve a little. She pouted, then lifted the "Green Ant Brew" before her and drained it in one gulp.

Li Bi felt she shouldn't linger here any longer, so she prepared to rise and take her leave.

But Li Luo suddenly spoke up: "Senior Sister Li Bi, wait a moment."

Li Bi looked at Li Luo in puzzlement. She had already made herself perfectly clear—did he still want to ask her to stay? But what point would there be in that...

Facing Li Bi's gaze, Li Luo paused thoughtfully for a moment, then said slowly: "Senior Sister Li Bi, the current Xiyang Wu probably holds no real attraction for you..."

"But what if I told you that, from now on, the purity of Wu De Mi Fa source water here at Xiyang Wu will reach the grade-eight level? Do you think that might pique your interest?"

At these words, not only did Li Bi's eyes widen slightly, but even Yan Yan Lingqing and Jiang Jiang Qinge looked over in astonishment.