Chapter 590: The Marquis Brand

For Vice Dean Su Xin's answer, Li Luo felt no excessive disappointment, as this had long been expected; the stance maintained by Saint Profound Star Academy for so many years could not change merely because of one student, even if he had established immense merit for the academy this time.

"Sigh, perhaps in two months, Saint Profound Star Academy will lose two students of boundless potential," Li Luo sighed sorrowfully, his expression appearing somewhat melancholy.

Gazing at the melancholy youth before her, though she knew full well the latter was acting, coupled with such handsome and beautiful features, Vice Dean Su Xin also felt a trace of reluctance, then helplessly said, "Do not speak so pessimistically. Although the Luo Lan Manor has attracted many covetous glances, I do not believe Li Taixuan and Tantai Lan, those two fellows, would have made no preparations."

"Moreover, even if the Luo Lan Manor truly cannot be saved when the time comes, I can give you a guarantee: no matter how dangerous the situation becomes, as long as you and Jiang Jiang Qinge enter Saint Profound Star Academy, then within Great Xia, no one dares to do anything unfavorable to you here."

Although hindered by the academy's stance, Vice Dean Su Xin could not intervene in the struggles among the various forces within Great Xia, but Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge were, after all, students of the academy; as long as they held this identity for one day, the academy would grant them protection.

Although from a realistic perspective, the academy would not truly provide this level of protection to all students, everything depended on the individual; the value and potential possessed by Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge were clearly entirely worthy of the academy displaying its power to the outside world within a certain scope as a deterrent.

"The Luo Lan Manor is the lifeblood of my parents; if it were destroyed in our hands, we would be too incompetent," Li Luo said.

"As long as the green hills remain, there will be no lack of firewood."

Vice Dean Su Xin patiently advised, "Although Li Taixuan and Tantai Lan are missing, their life or death unknown, no one knows whether they might return at some point. Your potential and Jiang Jiang Qinge's are not weaker than theirs. Given some time, stepping into the Marquis Realm is not impossible. Once you both step into the Marquis Realm, becoming a pair of Marquises, then when rebuilding the Luo Lan Manor and avenging your grievances, who in Great Xia could stop you?"

"Therefore, under no circumstances should you abandon your retreat route due to momentary impulse."

"And to speak bluntly, the foundation of the Luo Lan Manor may seem vast, but you and Jiang Jiang Qinge need not necessarily regard it with such importance. In the future, achieving success in cultivation and having power in hand is far more important than a Luo Lan Manor."

Vice Dean Su Xin could see that Li Luo was truly worried about being young and impetuous, determined to share the fate of the Luo Lan Manor, but if he truly did so, that would be the most irrational behavior.

Hearing this, Li Luo nodded and smiled, saying, "Vice Dean, rest assured; I am not rash. If the situation truly becomes impossible to handle, Sister Jiang Qinge and I will both give up. It is just that at that time, we might need the academy's protection."

Vice Dean Su Xin breathed a sigh of relief and said, "As long as you enter the academy, even the Wang Ting in Great Xia would not dare to demand we hand you over. Moreover, without the Luo Lan Manor as a background for power struggles, even if external Marquis-level experts wished to cut off the roots at that time, our academy would fully protect you. If the opponent remains stubborn and treats our academy's rules as nothing, then we would have no choice but to regard it as a provocation against the academy and eliminate them."

By the end of her words, amidst Vice Dean Su Xin's gentle smile, a trace of domineering and cold intent also appeared.

She quite liked these two promising talents, Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge, and since they had also established great merit for the academy this time, but due to the academy's stance, she could not violate the academy's fundamental principles. However, if the reason was appropriate, she was actually quite willing to offer them some help.

After all, this also counted as a kind of investment, and both Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge possessed such value.

"Then thank you, Vice Dean."

Li Luo thanked her sincerely. He also understood that Vice Dean Su Xin giving these words already represented the limit she could reach; after all, regarding the academy's rules, not to mention her as Vice Dean, even Dean Pang could not arbitrarily violate them, because these rules originated from the Academy Alliance.

Although the headquarters of the Academy Alliance was far away and high up, once they learned of it and used it to criticize, deducting some of the cultivation resource subsidies granted to the academy annually, that would have a huge impact on the academy.

Therefore, Li Luo would not harbor resentment because of this.

Furthermore, the academy had not been unkind to them, especially Jiang Jiang Qinge, who had long ago revealed her Ninth Rank Light Image, possessing boundless potential and attracting the fear of many enemies of the Luo Lan Manor. If not for the protection the academy had given her these years and the deterrence against external enemies, who knows which Marquis-level expert might have been unable to resist taking the opportunity to strike, attempting to eliminate her prematurely.

Now Vice Dean Su Xin's meaning was very clear: the academy would not help save the Luo Lan Manor, but if the time truly came when they faced danger to their lives, the academy was willing to protect their lives. In a sense, this was already a solid retreat route.

To hope for more would be somewhat forcing the issue, and it might even make the good relationship between both sides awkward at that time.

Vice Dean Su Xin waved her hand, looked at Li Luo, thought for a moment, then swiped her finger over the space bead on her wrist. In the next instant, a green scroll appeared in her hand.

The green scroll seemed to be made from the hide of some high-grade spirit beast, with mysterious light patterns flowing upon it, as if it were breathing.

Moreover, on the green scroll, a strong, palpable pressure emanated, faint yet present. Vice Dean Su Xin flicked her fingertip, and the green scroll slowly unfurled before Li Luo. Then he saw that within the green scroll, surging waves of energy light flowed, and within that light, as if appearing and disappearing, was a green wing.

"What is this?" Li Luo asked curiously.

"Actually, this is also a kind of reward the Academy Alliance is granting to you students with outstanding contributions this time. Someone should have told you before; this is the 'Wang Hou Lao Yin', a consumable special artifact created by Marquis-level experts."

Vice Dean Su Xin smiled and said, "This is the 'Phantom Spirit Wing Escape Technique', a Third Rank 'Wang Hou Lao Yin'. It is considered the highest grade among this batch of 'Wang Hou Lao Yin' granted by the Academy Alliance. Its function is that once activated, it can create a clone, then escape using a flight of light."

"This technique has the effect of confusing enemies. At the same time, the speed of its flight is such that no one below the Marquis Realm can catch up. Even, when facing some ordinary Marquis-level experts, if caught off guard, they might not be able to catch you."

Li Luo could only laugh helplessly; Vice Dean Su Xin was truly concerned about his life and safety. Even when assigning him a Wang Hou Lao Yin, she directly gave him one for escaping, rather than giving him something with offensive or defensive capabilities.

However, a flight of light that even ordinary Marquis-level experts could not catch up to... this truly made Li Luo's heart flutter with excitement.

After all, with this item on his person, his life safety would have sufficient guarantee.

So after thinking it over, he did not refuse Vice Dean Su Xin's kindness.

"The Wang Hou Lao Yin still needs activation. Later, find your Mentor Xi Chan and ask her to help you." Seeing Li Luo put away the 'Phantom Spirit Wing Escape Technique', Vice Dean Su Xin nodded in satisfaction and reminded him.

"Additionally, in this Holy Grail Battle, you ultimately obtained 1.2 million points, right?"

Li Luo nodded. The points obtained in the mixed-level competition could be equivalently exchanged for points within their respective academies, so now he held an extremely terrifying sum in his hands. These 1.2 million points could be exchanged for a batch of extremely vast cultivation resources.

"This is truly a terrifyingly huge amount of points. The Academy Alliance really knows how to create trouble for us academies." Even Vice Dean Su Xin could not help but smile, sighing somewhat, because to digest such a terrifying amount of points, ordinary cultivation resources probably could not manage it.

So she pondered slightly, then tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

"So, Li Luo..."

"Are you interested in 'Marquis Arts'?"

Li Luo's eyes suddenly widened, and tears could not help but fall from the corners of his mouth.