He walked to the doorway and hesitated slightly before ascending the steps. Just as he was about to enter, he heard strange noises coming from inside:

"Our Lingfu Hall has already issued strict orders forbidding the purchase of such illusion talismans. What is wrong with you all? Do you dare defy the Lingfu Hall's ban?"

A stern shout rang out, and a commotion erupted inside the "Many Talismans Shop." Then, a large group of blue-robed disciples from the Immortal Cultivation Class—men and women alike—burst out in a panic, scattering like startled ducks.

Eric Clark was caught off guard and pushed aside by the surging crowd.

As the group ran, some whispered to each other, "Damn, what rotten luck! How did we run into those fiends from the Disciplinary Seat? I haven't even gotten what I came for!"

"Heh, that's because you were too slow! I've already got mine!" a chubby youth said smugly, raising his hand to reveal a pale yellow talisman in his palm, looking very pleased with himself.

When Eric Clark saw this, his face instantly turned pale.

"Damn it, so it's true!" His heart sank. Without the slightest hesitation, he straightened his robe and turned to leave.

His heart was bleeding. This time, he had sold a total of three hundred talismans—one illusion talisman for ten low-grade spirit stones, making three thousand spirit stones in all.

After deducting the cost of eight hundred spirit stones, the profit was over two thousand, and now it was all gone.

With the Disciplinary Seat of Lingfu Hall involved, there must be orders from higher up.

It seemed that by selling illusion talismans in the affiliated Immortal Cultivation Class, he had cut off someone else's profits. At this thought, Eric Clark felt like jumping up and cursing.

"Stop right there!" Eric Clark was startled, feeling a numbness on his back, and instinctively halted his steps.

He slowly turned around, his expression shifting rapidly...

Chapter 10: A Beauty Borrows Money!

He quietly looked at the person in front of him.

The other party looked about fourteen or fifteen years old, petite and delicate, with crescent-shaped brows and a chubby, rosy-cheeked face—utterly adorable.

The little girl's face was beaming, her eyes squinting into slits as she smiled.

Behind her stood two red-robed male cultivators, their faces expressionless as they sized up Eric Clark warily.

Eric Clark's palms were sweating. He didn't relax in the slightest just because the other party was a little girl, for she was wearing a purple robe.

A purple robe meant she was an elite disciple of the academy.

Out of tens of thousands of disciples, there were only 108 elite disciples in total, and they were rarely seen—almost like legendary beings.

The academy's two core disciple residences—the Tiger Mountain Apartments for men and the Ziwei Apartments for women—were both shrouded in mystery, revered as sacred places by all the disciples.

Here and now, with a core disciple approaching him of her own accord, Eric Clark was extremely nervous.

After a long silence, Eric Clark composed himself and said, "Senior sister, may I ask what you need from me?"

The little girl giggled, her voice crisp as pearls falling on a jade plate: "You don't recognize me? You... take off your hood first..."

Eric Clark was momentarily stunned and hesitated a bit. The two red-robed male disciples behind the girl instantly looked cold. Eric Clark took a deep breath and removed his hood.

The little girl stared wide-eyed at Eric Clark. After a moment, she suddenly clapped her hands and said, "Aha, it really is you! Your name is Eric Clark! I know you!"

Eric Clark remained calm. With all the recent hype on the Xinggui platform, his name was probably well-known by now. It wasn't surprising that this girl recognized him.

"Thank you, senior sister. I'm flattered!" said Eric Clark.

The little girl kept smiling, her eyes glinting mischievously. "My name is Dawn Fields. You'd better remember my name from now on. Otherwise, it would be so embarrassing if I know you but you don't know me!"

Eric Clark was taken aback, then smiled slightly. Of course, he knew Dawn Fields.

Lingfu Hall had eight elite disciples in total, among whom William Hill and Dawn Fields were both personal disciples of Elder Ou Shengmei from the Disciplinary Seat, and were very famous.

William Hill needed no introduction—she was known as one of the four fairy-like beauties of the South Sea Immortal Cultivation Academy, her fame known throughout the academy.

As for Dawn Fields, she was a renowned genius, her innate spiritual root talent unmatched in the academy. It was said that many masters had vied to take her as a disciple, but in the end, the highly respected Master Ou Shengmei had won out.

Every elite disciple had a legendary story. There were no weaklings among them; each was a dazzling jewel of the South Sea Immortal Cultivation Academy.

Dawn Fields's smile was adorable, but suddenly, her expression turned stern and she shouted, "Eric Clark, why are you here? Tell the truth! Are you secretly selling illusion talismans?"

Her expression changed rapidly as she leaned in close to Eric Clark, her cheek almost touching his, her breath fragrant but her tone icy cold, enunciating each word: "I know you are Young Master Red Fish! No matter how cunning a fish, it can't escape a good fisherman. Today, I've caught you!"

Eric Clark's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly suppressed it, feigning confusion in his eyes. "Senior sister Fields, who are you talking about? Who is Young Master Red Fish? I... I just went to visit Senior Brother Bolton at the Hongchen Apartments and happened to pass by here on my way back!"

Dawn Fields wrinkled her nose and said, "You're lying! Then what were you doing at the entrance of the 'Many Talismans Shop' just now?"