Chapter 432: The Three Top Championship Candidates

The next day, after greeting Jiang Jiang Qinge, Li Luo headed back to the Sacred Phoenix Star Academy.

The Holy Grail War was still nearly half a month away. All the students in the academy who needed to participate were training intensively. After resting at home for a few days, he needed to quickly join them.

Upon arriving at the academy, Li Luo headed straight for Mentor Xi Shan's residence.

Then, in the pavilion in the courtyard, he found Mentor Xi Shan leisurely sipping tea.

"Take off your shoes. Don't dirty my mat."

Mentor Xi Shan glanced at the impatient Li Luo and reminded him lightly.

Li Luo quickly pulled back his foot, then put on an honest smile, swiftly took off his shoes, climbed into the pavilion, and sat down obediently in front of Mentor Xi Shan.

"What's the rush?" Mentor Xi Shan looked at Li Luo somewhat strangely. Li Luo was usually fairly composed, but now the latter was clearly a bit restless.

"There's something very important to me that I want to ask the mentor to help with," Li Luo said solemnly and sincerely.

Mentor Xi Shan's slender brows lifted slightly, the thin veil shifting: "You're not asking me to step in and help your Luo Lan Mansion deal with some great enemy, are you? Even if I were willing, the academy wouldn't agree to something like that."

"Although the mentor is very kind to her student, how could I be so ungrateful?"

Li Luo quickly shook his head and said, "I'm hoping the mentor can help me refine something. Refining this item requires the assistance of two Marquis-level powerhouses, and I've already invited the other one—President Yu Yu Hongxi of the Golden Dragon Treasure House."

"Yu Yu Hongxi?"

Mentor Xi Shan was somewhat surprised and laughed, "The Golden Dragon Treasure House, like our Sacred Phoenix Star Academy, has always maintained neutrality in the Great Xia. And she'd actually be willing to help you?"

However, she didn't ask further. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Although I don't know what you're refining that would require such a grand setup, as long as it doesn't violate the academy's rules, I can help you. Consider it a reward for your outstanding performance in the qualifier match."

Li Luo couldn't help but be stunned by her words: "The mentor agreed just like that?"

"You think I agreed too quickly?" Mentor Xi Shan laughed.

Li Luo quickly said, "I just didn't expect the mentor to be even more decisive than President Yu Yu Hongxi..."

"I can't compare with President Yu. She manages such a massive Golden Dragon Treasure House—every move she makes draws far more attention than mine. So the fact that she chose to help you is what surprises me more," Mentor Xi Shan said.

Li Luo nodded and sighed, "Although the mentor is kind enough to help me, I can't let the mentor work for nothing."

Mentor Xi Shan looked at him with some amusement and said, "You're thinking of paying me a fee? Li Luo, you might have a slight misunderstanding about the three words 'Marquis Realm.' Even though you have the Luo Lan Mansion behind you, that doesn't necessarily mean you can afford the price of hiring a Marquis-level powerhouse."

"I'm helping you simply because you're my student. If you want to talk about fees, that would be hard to calculate."

Mentor Xi Shan clearly still carried the reserve and pride of a Marquis-level powerhouse.

Li Luo showed a shy smile, then took out a jade gourd and gently placed it on the tea table.

Mentor Xi Shan's gaze likewise settled on that jade gourd, the golden substance flowing within reflected in her pupils.

She first tilted her head slightly in some confusion, but very quickly, her eyes suddenly widened.

She had finally realized what this item was!

Then the air seemed to freeze at this moment.

After a dozen or so breaths, Mentor Xi Shan silently reached out and grabbed that thumb-sized jade gourd directly in her hand.

"Time, place," she said calmly.

"Ten days from now. I'd like to refine it within the academy, so I'm hoping the mentor can arrange a convenient location for me when the time comes," Li Luo said gently.

"Mm."

Mentor Xi Shan nodded slightly.

But Li Luo saw that the hand Mentor Xi Shan used to grip the jade gourd was a bit forceful, and on Bai Xi's hand, faint blue veins seemed to surface.

However, Mentor Xi Shan quickly noticed his gaze and immediately let her sleeve slide down to cover the back of her hand.

Li Luo quickly swept his gaze over Mentor Xi Shan's cheeks. Though covered by the thin veil, he could faintly see a hint of blush. He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. It seemed this "King Marrow" was indeed very tempting to Marquis-level powerhouses—even Mentor Xi Shan, who was usually composed, had lost her composure.

But he didn't dare show his inner feelings, lest the mentor get embarrassed and angry.

So he quickly took the initiative to change the subject: "Mentor, regarding the One-Star House arena in this Holy Grail War, do you think I have what it takes to reach the top?"

Even though Mentor Xi Shan's emotions were complicated at this moment, upon hearing Li Luo's question, she still couldn't help but look at him with a strange gaze: "If we're talking about the thickness of one's skin, I think you have a very good chance of reaching the top."

Li Luo was immediately dissatisfied: "What do you mean by that, mentor?"

Mentor Xi Shan said irritably, "You beat a Lu Cang from the Blue Abyss Sacred Academy, and now you're so full of yourself that you think you're the strongest One-Star House student in the entire Eastern Region Outer Shenzhou?"

"Lu Cang can't exactly be considered an ordinary opponent, can he?" Li Luo muttered.

"Lu Cang is indeed a strong enemy. Based on my estimation, looking at the One-Star Houses of the many academies in the Eastern Region Outer Shenzhou, he has a chance of being in the top ten. The fact that you could defeat him shows that you're also at the top-tier level. However, if you think that based on this alone you can reach the top and earn the title of the strongest One-Star House student in the Eastern Region Outer Shenzhou, then I'm afraid you're underestimating the foundation of those other top academies," Mentor Xi Shan said.

"Is there any specific intel on those top-ranked students?" Li Luo asked.

Mentor Xi Shan shook her head and said, "This is different from the match with the Blue Abyss Sacred Academy. The reason you received such precise and detailed intel on the Blue Abyss Sacred Academy before the qualifier match was that the two Sacred Academies discussed it and provided it to each other. But even so, both sides held things back—for example, the intel on Lu Cang, Lu Zang."

"Everyone was hiding things even during the qualifier match, let alone the far more important Holy Grail War? The major academies are keeping the intel on their seeded students tightly under wraps."

"So if you want detailed and accurate intel, you might just have to wait until the Holy Grail War actually begins and experience it yourself firsthand."

Li Luo's face showed regret.

Mentor Xi Shan saw this and laughed, "Although there's no detailed intel, I can still find out some rough information. For example, the three widely recognized top championship candidates in this One-Star House level."

"But among these three candidates, there doesn't seem to be you, Li Luo."

Li Luo grew curious: "Which three?"

Mentor Xi Shan's unhurried voice rang out.

"The Bright King's Spear, the Sacred Mountain's Beast, the Phantom Thunder in Fire."