Having been teased by the others last night, Luo Qingyu had not slept a wink, leaving heavy dark circles under her eyes.
Ming Xuan walked over and handed the red sect uniform to her. “Fourth Junior Brother, put this on. We're setting off soon.”
Luo Qingyu looked down at the clothes and murmured, “Isn't this color a bit too flashy?”
Despite her grumbling, she still reached out and took the uniform.
Just as she finished changing, she turned around to see Zhou Xingyun, who had also been forced into the same uniform, and casually remarked, “Ugly.”
Seeing the amused, gloating expressions on Ming Xuan and the others' faces, Luo Qingyu's lips couldn't help but twitch.
Just then, Elder Zhao walked over and urged, “Stop dawdling, everyone. Get on the flying vessel.”
Luo Qingyu and her group followed closely behind Elder Zhao, boarding the flying vessel.
Many inner and outer sect disciples had gathered there to see off the Personal Disciples. The crowd was boisterous and lively.
“Senior Brother Luo is so handsome!”
“Senior Brother Ming Xuan, you guys have to do your best!”
“Ye Qiao, how does it feel to be a Personal Disciple?”
Ye Qiao replied, “It's alright. Honestly, I think being an outer sect disciple was better.”
The disciples: “...Shut up!”
...
Inside the flying vessel.
Aside from the energetic Ye Qiao, the rest of them hadn't slept all night. Combined with the smooth flight of the vessel, they were all nodding off with their heads drooping, looking incredibly sluggish.
Qin Fanfan saw this and coughed helplessly, jolting them from their drowsiness.
He pulled out six warm white jade identity plaques, handed them out, and instructed seriously:
“Wake up, everyone. Inject your spiritual energy into these plaques. These are your exclusive identity plaques for the Five Sects Tournament. They are your proof of entry, and everything from entering the arena to matches and scorekeeping depends on them. If you lose yours, you're on your own.”
After injecting her spiritual energy, Luo Qingyu tied the plaque to her waist. Then, her head lolled to the side, and she slumped back onto the table, falling fast asleep once more.
Ye Qiao sat to the side, looking at her, and couldn't help but murmur, “Ah, to be young. Falling asleep the moment your head hits the table.”
Mu Zhongxi rubbed his sleepy eyes and chimed in with a laugh, “Fourth Senior Brother didn't sleep a wink last night. He's probably reached his limit.”
Ming Xuan's gaze fell on the heavy dark circles under Luo Qingyu's eyes. A trace of playfulness flickered in his eyes, but he didn't make a sound to disturb her.
*
In the afternoon, the flying vessel steadily entered the territory of the Wenjian Sect, landing just outside Fusheng City.
The moment they settled in, Mu Zhongxi's eyes lit up with excitement, and he immediately suggested, “It's not every day we visit Fusheng City. Let's go check it out!”
Ming Xuan immediately agreed, flashing a sly grin. “Same old rule: Fourth Junior Brother pays.”
Luo Qingyu, who had just been woken up and was still groggy, instantly lost all sleepiness upon hearing this. “Why is it always me paying?” she asked, utterly exasperated.
Ye Qiao replied matter-of-factly, “Because out of all of us, you're the richest!”
Luo Qingyu waved her hand in defeat, completely resigning herself. “Fine, fine, fine. I'll pay, I'll pay.”
Once they were ready, they disembarked from the vessel and leisurely strolled through the bustling and prosperous Fusheng City.
As they walked, Ye Qiao was suddenly drawn to a general store by the roadside. Grabbing Luo Qingyu, she excitedly dragged her inside.
Pointing at the sunglasses on the shelf, she asked in a clear voice, “Boss, how much for these sunglasses?”
The shopkeeper smiled and replied, “One hundred mid-grade spirit stones.”
Ye Qiao clicked her tongue slightly, silently marveling that the prices in Fusheng City were indeed much higher than in Cloud City.
Ming Xuan leaned in to glance at the sunglasses in Ye Qiao's hand, asking in confusion, “Junior Sister, what are you buying those for?”
Ye Qiao let out a sly chuckle. “We can wear them when we enter the tournament arena. It'll be perfect for flexing!”
Mu Zhongxi's eyes lit up, and he immediately gave Ye Qiao a thumbs-up. “Brilliant! Junior Sister, you're a genius!”
Xue Yu also curiously stepped forward, examining the sunglasses. “Does wearing this... actually look good?”
Luo Qingyu spoke up flatly, “Whether it looks good is one thing, but wearing them is definitely cool.”
Hearing this, Ming Xuan's eyes instantly sparkled, and he immediately shouted to the shopkeeper, “Boss! Give us six pairs of sunglasses!”
Seeing a big order, the shopkeeper's face lit up with a massive grin, and he eagerly rushed over to serve them.
After paying the spirit stones, Luo Qingyu turned to the others. “Do you guys have anything else to buy? If not, let's head back to our lodgings.”
Ye Qiao waved her hand. “Nothing else, Fourth Senior Brother. Everything in Fusheng City is even more expensive than in Cloud City.”
Mu Zhongxi quickly chimed in, “Yeah, exactly! We don't want to completely drain your wallet.”
Hearing this, Luo Qingyu laughed in sheer disbelief.
What a joke. Other than magic tools, the one thing Luo Qingyu had the most of was spirit stones. She could support their entire sect and still not run out of money.
“Follow me to the auction house. I'll show you what true wealth looks like.”
With that, Luo Qingyu grabbed Ye Qiao, and the group headed straight for the largest auction house in Fusheng City: the Jinzhi Auction House.
The maid guarding the entrance stepped forward to stop them, speaking in a gentle tone, “Respected guests, please show your entry credentials.”
Luo Qingyu raised her hand, retrieved a gold-plated jade card from her storage ring, and handed it over.
The maid was visibly shocked upon seeing the card. She hastily bowed in apology, “Please forgive my rudeness. I did not realize you were an honored guest. Please follow me to a private room upstairs.”
Ming Xuan and Xue Yu exchanged a look, inwardly astounded.
They had long heard that the threshold of the Jinzhi Auction House was extremely high. One could not enter simply by having spirit stones; they had to possess exclusive credentials to be eligible. Today, they finally witnessed it with their own eyes.
Following closely behind Luo Qingyu, Ye Qiao quietly leaned in toward Ming Xuan and whispered, “Second Senior Brother, what kind of place is this? It looks so grand.”
Ming Xuan explained softly, “This is the Jinzhi Auction House.”
“The Jinzhi Chamber of Commerce spans across the entire cultivation world with an incredibly vast reach. It's the largest chamber of commerce in the cultivation world, one that even the Eight Great Families cannot compare to.”
Hearing this, Ye Qiao's eyes widened in utter shock. “Oh my god, they're that rich?!”
Beside them, Xue Yu added, “More than that, the Jinzhi Auction House has extremely strict rules. They only recognize the card, not the person. No matter how many spirit stones an ordinary cultivator has, they can't even take a single step inside without a card.”
Mu Zhongxi was dumbfounded and couldn't help but gasp in admiration, “Fourth Senior Brother is amazing! He actually has this kind of top-tier VIP card. No wonder he wasn't worried at all about us spending all his money!”
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