In the end, Chen Mobai couldn’t resist Hua Zijing’s insistence and disguised his appearance slightly.

Scales from the Azure Dragon Bracer flew out, assembling into a faintly transparent black crystal mask on his face, covering half of it and revealing his eyes, forehead, and chin.

“You this…”

Hua Zijing glanced at the mask, her expression showing surprise.

“What’s wrong?”

Chen Mobai touched the mask, feeling the crystal-like scales cool and slightly hard.

It was the mask worn by the dark incarnation of the protagonist in a TV series he had seen as a child. Its aesthetic was top-notch. With it on, his originally calm and slightly immature aura now carried an added sense of mystery and majesty.

“Isn’t that the mask of the villainous cult leader from ‘Legend of the Heavenly Sword’? What’s his name, King Abiro, right?”

Unexpectedly, Hua Zijing had seen it too, and Chen Mobai instantly felt a sense of camaraderie. They immediately began discussing and debating the tragic fates of the characters in the series.

However, Chen Mobai didn’t forget the matter at hand.

He set up his Crimson Dawn Cloud Mist, carrying the two of them away from Wanbao Cave, flying towards Red City Cave Heaven.

When they arrived at the city gates of the cave heaven, they descended.

Private flying was not allowed within the blessed lands of cave heavens.

“President, if you were the cult leader and obtained the Heavenly Sword, becoming invincible in the world, how would you choose at the grand finale? The world or love?”

After stepping off the Crimson Dawn Cloud Mist, Hua Zijing couldn’t help but ask.

“Impossible. I’ve been educated by the Immortal Gate since childhood. I’m a righteous person for life and could never be part of a demonic cult.”

Chen Mobai answered from a different angle, his righteous words causing Hua Zijing to roll her eyes at him.

“I mean hypothetically.”

“Then I guess I would choose the world.”

Chen Mobai hesitated but felt that love was too illusory. Having never experienced it, he made this choice.

“Hmph.”

Hua Zijing snorted coldly, passing by him and walking into Red City Cave Heaven.

Chen Mobai scratched his head, knowing that girls probably preferred the answer “love,” but he still chose to follow his heart.

The two, wearing the red and black robes of the academy, indeed attracted the admiration and attention of some passersby, but since Chen Mobai wore a mask, no one recognized him, and he got to experience what it felt like to be “ordinary.”

Within the entire Red City Cave Heaven, Chen Mobai looked around and saw students from various academies in their school uniforms.

But the most dazzling among the crowd were those from the four major refining departments.

“Over there, all those stalls belong to Sentence Mang Refining Department, the most popular at this exchange meeting because they sell many hard-to-get elixirs and Spirit Water at low prices.”

Hua Zijing pointed out to Chen Mobai the stalls occupying the best spot on the east side of the square, where about seventeen or eighteen students from Mending the Sky Academy were busily taking out bottles of elixirs and tubes of Spirit Water, selling them to the young people from various academies queuing in front of the stalls.

Chen Mobai even spotted two acquaintances from the Refining Department in the queue.

“Class Leader Si, Committee Member Zhuang.”

He immediately waved at them, completely forgetting he was wearing a mask and meant to keep a low profile.

Si Guanyu and Zhuang Jialan, who had been classmates in the Talisman Department with Chen Mobai for two or three years, were shocked to hear his call. They were familiar with his voice and recognized who was calling them.

“You this… Didn’t I tell you…”

Hua Zijing scolded Chen Mobai in his ear, and he also remembered he was supposed to keep a low profile, looking sheepish. But by then, Si Guanyu and Zhuang Jialan, who were in the queue, had already walked over, leaving no chance for him to run away.

“Chen… classmate, what brings you here?”

Zhuang Jialan, with her delicate features and dimpled smile, adjusted her glasses. Seeing Chen Mobai wearing a mask, she knew better than to shout his name in public.

Otherwise, they would definitely be surrounded by onlookers, and with no flying allowed, it would likely cause a traffic jam.

“Every year, the Student Council is responsible for maintaining the safety of the academy’s stalls at the exchange meeting. We were busy with duels in Minor Red Heaven before, and since we had time today, the vice president and I came to check things out and patrol.”

Chen Mobai used a prepared excuse to answer them, then carefully observed the two, noticing a subtle change in their aura, which had become more profound.

However, it’s not customary to probe into others’ cultivation levels in the Immortal Gate, so he could only guess that they might have grasped the critical method and were attempting Foundation Establishment.

“Today, the alchemists from Sentence Mang Refining Department will concoct a furnace of Qian Yuan Bone Renewal Pills on the spot. After completion, they will draw lots for the right to purchase. We came to see if we’re lucky enough.”

Si Guanyu volunteered the reason for their visit, and Chen Mobai confirmed his guess after hearing it.

“Zhen Yao Museum”

The Qian Yuan Bone Renewal Pill was an alternative to the Jade Marrow Pill, with about one-tenth of its efficacy.

“Are you two preparing for Foundation Establishment?”

Chen Mobai asked directly, and Si Guanyu and Zhuang Jialan nodded.

“We wasted some time in the past few years getting our talisman-making licenses. It was only after seeing you establish your foundation that we had an epiphany. No matter how exceptional our skills, they can’t compare to the importance of our own realm.”

“We’ve reduced our study time in the past two years and diligently practiced the critical method, finally achieving some success. Unfortunately, we got stuck at the first step of Foundation Establishment last year.”

“But we’ve prepared another set of Foundation Establishment Treasures and Xuan Fire Spirit Liquid. Now we just need to see if we can get a Qian Yuan Bone Renewal Pill.”

After listening to Si Guanyu, Chen Mobai was a bit puzzled.

“Why not buy a Jade Marrow Pill?”

“The people from Mending the Sky Academy who came to set up stalls only brought ten Jade Marrow Pills, which were bought by senior students from other academies on the first day. We were too late when we got the news.”

Zhuang Jialan smiled wryly. They had also talked to the students from Mending the Sky Academy at the exchange meeting to see if they could exchange Xuan Fire Spirit Liquid for a Jade Marrow Pill.

However, due to the reduced production of the Great Elm Tree’s sap in the past two years, the number of Jade Marrow Pills from Sentence Mang Refining Department had also been decreasing annually. Without strong connections, it was unlikely anyone would be willing to trade.

“I see. I have a friend in Sentence Mang Refining Department. I’ll ask for you later.”

Chen Mobai thought of Qing Nv, whom he had defeated with a single sword strike in Minor Red Heaven. He hadn’t apologized for that yet and decided to call her if he had time in the evening.

“Is it that Heavenly Spirit Root, Qing Nv?”

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Jialan suddenly asked.

“Eh, how do you know?”

Chen Mobai was curious.

“You’ve been the hottest topic in the Immortal Gate recently. Many of your classmates from Danxia City have been exposing you online, saying that in high school, you openly dated the Heavenly Spirit Root from Sentence Mang Refining Department, and privately, you had an ambiguous relationship with the class beauty in your own class, a bona fide playboy.”

“Slander, libel, defamation…”

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai was so angry he nearly jumped up. He swore that he and they were just good friends, never even held hands, pure as could be.

“I also think it’s your high school classmates who are jealous of your achievements, so they fabricated these rumors to slander you. In the past five years at the academy, aside from cultivation, you hardly cared about anything else. We’ve all seen it.”

Zhuang Jialan showed understanding, patted Chen Mobai on the shoulder, and comforted him in return.

Hua Zijing nodded in agreement.

Indeed, during Chen Mobai’s five years at the Refining Department, his actions were witnessed by all and could be checked. Not to mention flirting, he never even invited a female classmate to dine alone.

Only at the end-of-year gatherings of their small circle practicing the Divine Transformation method would they see him relax.

Otherwise, he was either cultivating or studying.

A true cultivation fanatic.

It was also because of this that Chen Mobai achieved such success, and most people in the Refining Department acknowledged it.

Because in those five years at the academy, he had put in the hardest work.

“Darn it, don’t let me find out who is slandering me, or I’ll hire a lawyer and have them locked up for a few days on defamation charges.”

Chen Mobai was still fuming, his face filled with indignation.

In Danxia City, Lu Hongsheng, who was rapidly typing on a forum, suddenly sneezed. He touched his nose without much concern and continued to “explode with material.”

After parting ways with Si Guanyu and Zhuang Jialan, Chen Mobai and Hua Zijing browsed the stalls of Mending the Sky Academy and Kunpeng Refining Department, both of which were crowded.

The two finally went to their own academy’s territory.

Ming-Yu from the Student Council was managing the order, and he recognized Chen Mobai at a glance. After all, the only one who could have Hua Zijing accompany him in the entire academy was now the Student Council president.

“Replenishing Spirit Water, Blood Replenishing Spirit Water, Nourishing Spirit Liquid, Xuan Fire Spirit Liquid, Mind Nourishing Water…”

Chen Mobai looked at the items displayed on his academy’s stall, all familiar to him.

A second-layer Foundation Establishment student from the Alchemy Department was demonstrating water method alchemy, concocting Mind Nourishing Water, a type of Spirit Water that could nourish the spirit and stabilize the purple mansion.

One of the main ingredients was Zhu Fruit.

Hua Zijing introduced that the person was Ying Sizhen from the eighth grade of the academy, a second-order alchemist and the head of the Alchemy Department of the Student Council. With Ming Renyou graduating next year, Ying Sizhen had a high chance of becoming the vice president.

Ying Sizhen was fully focused on alchemy but still took a moment to nod at Chen Mobai, the president, as a greeting.

“You guys focus on your work; I’m just here to look around.”

Feeling a bit out of place, Chen Mobai quickly left with Hua Zijing after speaking.

After the four major refining departments came the top ten academies.

On the stall of True Spirit Academy, there were cute pets like puppies, kittens, and rabbits, and Hua Zijing immediately took a liking to a white cat with big eyes and flawless white fur that was smooth and soft to the touch.

However, these pets were not for sale; they were just brought out to see the world.

“You can stay here and pet the cat. I’ll call you when we go back.”

Seeing that Hua Zijing was immobile while holding the cat, Chen Mobai took the opportunity to plan to act alone.

“Alright, President.”

After hearing this, Hua Zijing picked up some cat food and sat down without looking back, holding the white cat.

The “abandoned” Chen Mobai wasn’t sad. He turned and walked past the stall of True Spirit Academy, entering an alley to take a shortcut to the corner of the square where the stall of Yan Shou Academy was located.

But just as he reached the end of the alley, he saw a girl wearing sunglasses setting up a stall in such a place.

A black cloth covered the table, with eight characters written on it.

Commanding Heaven and Earth, Master of Mystical Calculations!

Fortune-telling? From the Observing Stars Academy?

Among the top ten academies, Tai Yuan, Pure Yang, and Observing Stars were second only to the four major refining departments. The dean of Observing Stars Academy was an Elemental Infant master, whose art of celestial calculation had never failed.

Even the three great lords of the Immortal Gate sometimes sought his advice.

Generally, those who set up fortune-telling stalls in the Immortal Gate could be assumed to be from Observing Stars Academy.

Chen Mobai curiously observed the girl in sunglasses sitting on a folding stool. In contrast to his mask that covered the lower half of his face, her large black sunglasses hid her eyes and the upper half of her face, revealing only her fair cheeks and the elegant lines of her oval chin.

Although he couldn’t see her full appearance, just by looking at her snow-white and delicate chin, Chen Mobai thought she must be very beautiful.

However, she didn’t seem to be good at doing business, setting up a fortune-telling stall in such a place. Who would come here?

Moreover, as he walked past her, she didn’t even greet him.

She must be unskilled and afraid to embarrass herself.

Thinking this, Chen Mobai’s foot was already stepping out of the alley’s shadow, about to enter the brightness outside.

Suddenly, on a whim, he thought:

Why not give it a try?

“Hello, how much do you charge for fortune-telling?”

Turning around, Chen Mobai asked the girl in sunglasses sitting on the folding stool.

He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but when he turned back, it seemed like her body was somewhat ethereal, like a TV with a poor signal, half there and half not.

However, after he spoke, it was as if the signal suddenly improved. The girl in sunglasses, who was slightly ethereal, suddenly became solid.

“Fortune-telling is for those with fate, no charge.”

Her voice was husky, as if carrying an electric current, and her eyes hidden behind the sunglasses were unreadable.

Chen Mobai approached her stall, full of curiosity.

“No charge? Are you a student of Observing Stars Academy? Are you practicing fortune-telling by setting up this stall?”

“I only calculate three fortunes a day; you are the first today.”

The girl in sunglasses didn’t answer Chen Mobai’s question, her husky voice quite distinctive.

“How do you calculate?”

“Write a character, then ask your question.”

A piece of white paper and a ballpoint pen were taken from under the table and handed to Chen Mobai.

He took them and hesitated.

Should he ask about love? Or about cultivation?