"Then I must thank the curator for the support," Chu Chen said with a smile.

Lu Hongfei waved his hand upon hearing this and said, "I have something good here, not sure if you're interested."

Hearing this, Chu Chen couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. The fact that the other person mentioned it meant that the item should be very enticing for him. He immediately asked, "What is it?"

Instead of answering, Lu Hongfei took out a wooden box from his Spatial Ring and handed it to Chu Chen with a smile, "Open and take a look."

Chu Chen didn't stand on ceremony, he took the wooden box. It didn't feel heavy, and the material was just ordinary wood, looking rather cheap. However, given Lu Hongfei's words, the item inside must be quite rare.

Without any hesitation, he hurriedly opened the wooden box and found a white fruit the size of an adult's fist inside.

After a careful inspection, Chu Chen had a guess in his mind.

The fruit shared all the characteristics with a Star-Raising Fruit, with the only two differences being its size and the concentration of Star Power within it.

"Is this a Second-Grade Star-Raising Fruit?" Chu Chen asked with some uncertainty.

Lu Hongfei laughed upon hearing this and said, "That's right, didn't expect you to have some knowledge."

Chu Chen replied with a smile, "I've consumed a few of those in the First-Level Secret Realm before. This isn't from the treasury, is it?"

"Well, you could say from a certain perspective, it's like from the treasury, but not quite entered into it."

"Not entered into it, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Actually, many sought-after items in the Daoist School are picked by the higher-ups first, and only the leftovers make it into the treasury."

Upon hearing this, Chu Chen felt disheartened, realizing that the items in the treasury were just the leftovers chosen by others.

Seeing Chu Chen's constipated expression, Lu Hongfei laughed and explained, "This is normal; some treasures, even if you were given the first pick, you wouldn't have the Points to exchange for them."

Chu Chen heard this and thoughtfully nodded, "Then what conditions must one meet to have priority selection in the Daoist School?"

Lu Hongfei shook his head and said, "That's not a question you should be pondering now. The Daoist School is a very large system, very complex, not something that can be explained in a few words. Just know that strength is everything; as long as your strength is strong enough, people will deliver whatever you want to you."

"I understand. How many Points does this Second-Grade Star-Raising Fruit need?"

"One hundred points."

Chu Chen nodded upon hearing this. This price wasn't too expensive, but just one wouldn't be of much use to him.

He immediately asked again, "Curator, is there any more of this Second-Grade Star-Raising Fruit?"

Lu Hongfei shook his head and said, "No more. Do you think Star-Raising Fruits are as common as cabbages? This fruit was something I got with this month's quota. If you don't want it, I can sell it for a good price outside."

Chu Chen quickly waved his hand and said, "Of course I want it. I'll transfer the Points right away." After speaking, he stuffed the Star-Raising Fruit into his Space Belt, fearful that the other person might change their mind.

Looking at Chu Chen's actions, Lu Hongfei laughed and said, "You've got your benefit, now hurry back to rest. Gather at the Daoist School entrance at seven tomorrow morning; don't be late."

"Rest assured, Curator, I'm always punctual. But there's something I'm unclear about. I hope you can enlighten me."

"Oh? Tell me."

"The newly emerged Secret Realm is a Second-Grade Secret Realm, right? According to the rules, someone at the Commander Level shouldn't be able to enter, correct?"

Lu Hongfei nodded and said, "Of course."

Upon receiving the answer, Chu Chen immediately asked, "Zhang Yuyan has already reached the Commander Level, so why did you ask if she wanted to enter the Second-Level Secret Realm?"

Lu Hongfei smiled and said, "Do you remember that Blood God Sect follower you encountered last time in the First-Level Secret Realm?"

"Of course, I remember. Are you suggesting Zhang Yuyan should seal her Realm?"

"Yes, exactly."

"I've heard that such sealing can damage the cultivation talent of the sealed. Isn't this a bit of a loss for Zhang Yuyan?"

Lu Hongfei quickly waved his hand and said, "Don't talk nonsense. If Old Zhang heard it, I might get killed. Zhang Yuyan's situation is different from that Blood God Sect follower..."

After the explanation from the other side, Chu Chen finally understood the reason.

The side effects of sealing are related to the realm of the performer and the realm needed to seal for the subject.

Simply put, the higher the realm of the person performing the seal, and the lower the realm of the person being sealed, the fewer realms need sealing, the less the cost she'll bear.

Take Zhang Yuyan for instance; her current realm is First Rank Commander Level. If she needs to enter the Second-Level Secret Realm, she only needs to seal one rank of her realm.

And since Elder Zhang's realm has reached the Soul King Level, there are three major realms between him and Zhang Yuyan. Plus, Zhang Yuyan only needs to seal one rank, so the price she needs to pay is almost negligible.

After understanding the reason, Chu Chen left the Daoist School.

Tomorrow, he would be setting off for Black Mist City. The journey would take at least three days, so he needed to buy some supplies in advance.

Shortly after, Chu Chen arrived at the Beastmaster Association. He first went to purchase some Elixir Pills, including Star Power Pill, Healing Pill, Antitoxic Pill, and others, all of which were of Third Grade.

Just buying these Elixir Pills cost more than a million.

Then he went to the next level to buy some Star Treasures and materials needed to make Deodorizing Powder. This part didn't cost much, just tens of thousands of Alliance Coins.

Lastly, he went to the mall to buy some food and daily necessities.

Previously, without space equipment, he couldn't carry some things. Now that he had space equipment, of course, he had to make full use of it.

After gathering all the items, he returned home.

This journey to the Secret Realm, round-trip, would take at least ten days, so he needed to inform his family in advance.

However, he didn't tell the truth but fabricated a lie.

He lied, saying that the Daoist School was conducting a special training that would take half a month, and during this time, he would be residing in the Daoist School.

Father Chu and Mrs. Chu didn't suspect anything because they never thought their son would lie to them.

Chu Chen felt rather helpless about this, but he had no other choice. His goal was to prevent his parents from worrying. So, in a way, it was a lie out of kindness.

Upon learning that they wouldn't see their son for half a month, Father Chu immediately went out to buy groceries, and Mrs. Chu began packing his luggage.

After Father Chu finished shopping, the two of them spent several hours cooking a hearty dinner.

Looking at the table full of Star Power-laden food, Chu Chen felt a warmth in his heart. Recalling the tight times of the past and comparing them to the present, he felt that every effort was worthwhile.

"Come, son, try the steamed fish I made."

"Son, try the braised ribs your father cooked."

Soon, Chu Chen's bowl was piled high with dishes. Faced with his parents' love, he could only bury his head and devour the food.

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