S-Rank Alien Ice.

Zhou Huai's gaze was fixed on these words.

The Imperial Capital Academy's foundation was indeed unfathomable.

They could even acquire a Heavenly and Earthly Wonder of this Rank.

However, the price tag of one hundred million points was quite frightening.

It's important to know that students had only three ways to earn points.

First, exchanging Materials.

Second, completing tasks issued by the Academy.

The third way was to directly purchase them with great xia currency.

With the first two methods, accumulating one hundred million points might not be possible even after decades.

The only shortcut was to spend money.

At the Imperial Capital Academy, the exchange rate between great xia currency and points was ten to one.

One hundred million points meant a staggering one billion great xia currency.

Zhou Huai controlled Gandalf, slowly walking to the display stand of the 【Aurora Heart】.

He reached out, feeling the alien ice through the crystal cover.

Strangely, at such a close distance, he didn't detect even a trace of icy aura.

It was as if the terrifying energy contained within the ice crystal was perfectly contained and sealed.

As he approached, detailed information about this 【Aurora Heart】 clearly appeared before his eyes.

【Aurora Heart】

【Rank: S】

【Effect: Ice-type skill power increased by 200%. After casting an ice-attribute skill, there is a 50% chance to form an indestructible 【Ice Prison Cage】; a 50% chance to trigger the 【Frozen Soul】 effect, extending the target's all skill cooldowns by 30%; a 50% chance to trigger the 【Sluggishness】 effect, reducing the target's reaction ability by 30%. There is also a 10% chance to trigger 【Lethal Aurora】, directly freezing the target's Soul.】

Zhou Huai's heart was greatly shaken after reading the description.

As expected of an S-Rank alien ice.

The effects were truly overbearing.

One skill could potentially trigger four negative effects simultaneously.

Even if only one was triggered, it would be enough to give any opponent a massive headache.

Zhou Huai was tempted.

Could Gandalf absorb another type of alien ice?

The answer was yes.

In this world, there were many Professional who possessed more than two special elements simultaneously.

However, there were also countless examples of people exploding and dying due to absorbing two conflicting elements.

If two completely different elements clashed within a Professional's body and could not be suppressed in time to achieve a delicate balance, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Yet, Zhou Huai barely hesitated.

He made his decision almost immediately.

Gandalf absolutely had to absorb this 【Aurora Heart】.

Next, he would face SS-Rank Prodigies from various countries around the world.

Each of them was a monster cultivated with all the resources of their respective countries.

To defeat them, he needed to have enough trump cards.

"This, I'll take it."

Zhou Huai controlled Gandalf and turned to look at the female staff member who had been following him, speaking in a calm tone.

The professional smile on the female staff member's face instantly froze.

She blinked, wondering if she had misheard.

"Sir...what...what did you say?"

Gandalf pointed at the colorful ice crystal on the display stand and repeated.

"I said, I'll buy this 【Aurora Heart】."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire twenty-third-floor hall instantly fell into a dead silence.

Everyone's gaze collectively focused on Gandalf.

Their eyes looked like they were staring at a madman.

"I didn't mishear, did I? He wants to buy the 【Aurora Heart】?"

"That's one hundred million points! Can he afford it?"

"What a joke, does he think this is cheap cabbage? Just buy it like that?"

Only Wang Xicheng, standing behind Gandalf, remained calm.

He even looked a little smug.

It was as if he felt everyone else was drunk while he alone was sober.

Go ahead and be surprised now, soon you'll see the several nines on the big shot's point card.

It'll shock you to death!

The female staff member also came back to her senses. She forced a polite smile and subtly reminded him.

"Sir, are you sure?"

"Don't get it wrong."

"This 【Aurora Heart】 is the treasure of our twenty-third floor. It requires a full one hundred million points to exchange for it."

Zhou Huai couldn't be bothered to waste words with them.

He directly pulled out the black point card from his pocket and handed it over.

"Swipe the card."

The female staff member looked at the card handed to her, her expression a little troubled.

After all, anyone who could come up to the twenty-third floor was not someone she could afford to offend.

Whether they truly had the strength or were just here to put on a show.

She took a deep breath and took the card.

"Alright, sir, please wait a moment."

She turned and inserted the card into the settlement device next to the display stand.

Everyone around stretched their necks, looking like they were watching a good show.

Wang Xicheng's smugness grew even stronger.

The next second.

Beep!

A crisp confirmation sound rang out.

On the settlement device, a green light lit up.

A line of small text appeared.

【Payment successful.】

"How...how is this possible?"

The surrounding murmurs ceased abruptly.

Everyone was as if their throats were squeezed, unable to make any sound.

Payment successful?

He...he really has one hundred million points?!

Seeing everyone's shocked expressions, Wang Xicheng immediately put on an expression of course.

"It's just one hundred million points, what's so rare about that?"

"Paid in full, no pressure at all!"

"If I'm in a good mood, packing up everything on this 23rd floor isn't a problem."

Zhou Huai retrieved his point card, not bothering to glance at Wang Xicheng.

Instead, he looked at the female staff member and calmly asked.

"Now, can you give it to me?" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Ah! Yes...yes! Of course, you can!"

The female staff member, as if waking from a dream, fumbled to open the crystal display stand's protective cover, carefully took out the 【Aurora Heart】, placed it in a special cold jade box, and presented it with both hands.

Her waist was almost bent at a ninety-degree angle, and her voice was filled with reverence.

"Sir, please...please take good care of it."

Zhou Huai took the jade box, no longer sparing a glance at the stunned crowd around him.

He said to Wang Xicheng.

"Let's go."

After speaking, he turned and walked towards the elevator.

He didn't intend to stay here any longer.

There were indeed many good things on the twenty-third floor.

Although Principal Chen told him to take whatever he wanted, he couldn't really empty the place.

Taking an S-Rank alien ice was already making the Imperial Capital Academy bleed heavily.

Leave a line in human relations, so you can meet again in the future.

After all, absorbing this alien ice still required the Imperial Capital Academy's help.

...

That night.

Principal's office.

Chen Xuan looked at the cold jade box on the table, emanating faint chills, his brows furrowed, and his expression grave.

"Student Gandalf."

Although his heart ached for this S-Rank alien ice, he was more concerned about Gandalf's condition.

"You...have you really decided?"

"As far as I know, you seem to have already fused with a not-low-Rank alien fire within your body."

"Ice and fire are incompatible, it has always been so."

"Now you want to forcibly absorb another S-Rank alien ice, the risks involved..."

He didn't continue, but the meaning of his words was already self-evident.

One wrong move, and the outcome would be exploding and dying!

Zhou Huai controlled Gandalf, his expression calm.

"Principal, I know the risks involved."

"However, this risk, I must take."

He looked up, his deep eyes meeting Chen Xuan's directly.

"Only by absorbing this S-Rank alien ice can I have a greater chance of success in the upcoming relic exploration."

"You also know that the SS-Rank Prodigies from other countries are far above me in Rank."

"Without sufficiently powerful trump cards, what can I use to contend with them?"

He paused, his voice becoming low and powerful.

"The pendulum of life is too important to our Great Xia Country."

"I must bring it back!"

Chen Xuan looked at the young and resolute face before him, listening to the resounding words, and couldn't help but be moved.

He seemed to see the shadows of several Great Xia ancestors, long deceased, in Gandalf.

They too, like the young man before him, had once disregarded their lives for the future of the Great Xia Country, throwing caution to the wind.

The difficulty of absorbing an S-Rank alien ice was no less than walking a tightrope over a cliff.

Even a slight misstep would lead to utter destruction.

But in Gandalf's eyes, there was no trace of hesitation or retreat.

Instead, it was he, the Principal, who was being overly cautious and indecisive.

Thinking of this, Chen Xuan took a deep breath.

A hint of determination flashed in his gentle eyes.

"Good!"

He slammed his hand heavily on the table and stood up.

"Student Gandalf, I agree with your decision!"

He walked around the desk to Gandalf's front and solemnly patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I will mobilize all the Academy's resources and invite the best support and healing-type powerhouses to serve as your Protectors!"

His voice was resolute.

"No matter what, I will protect you completely!"