The atmosphere in the office sank into silence after Ji Pingyang spoke.

Qiao Yu: "Principal, I think I can still be saved..."

Ji Pingyang: "There's no saving you. Going there is a death sentence."

Qiao Yu: "Principal, how would we know if we don't try? Tell me what that place is first."

Ji Pingyang: "A D-grade dungeon."

Yang Xiangdi breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's okay, Yu-ge. We've done D-grade difficulty tasks before. If we bring Ma Fei and Zuo You, we might be able to get through it."

Qiao Yu nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Ji Pingyang's voice echoed faintly.

"A D-grade task in an E-grade dungeon is completely different from a real D-grade dungeon."

"This is something you should learn in university classes, but I'll tell you in advance."

"Simply put, if the difficulty of a task exceeds the upper limit of an E-grade dungeon, it will be defined as a D-grade task."

"However, the difficulty of such a task is not comparable to even the worst D-grade dungeon; it's like comparing a chicken's head to a phoenix's tail."

"Also, that dungeon only allows solo entry, and teammates are matched by the Inner World system."

Qiao Yu and Yang Xiangdi fell silent.

Ji Pingyang sighed.

"Now do you understand why going there is the same as courting death? Those who enter D-grade dungeons are basically intermediate-level players. If a beginner like you goes in, there's a high chance you'll be treated as an NPC to farm."

"After all, just that C-grade ring on your finger is enough to tempt intermediate-level players, not to mention that you also have an A-grade one."

Qiao Yu's expression changed, and he subconsciously hid his hand behind his back.

Ji Pingyang's eyes were indeed sharp, as he was able to discern the grade of his equipment in such a short time.

"Why are you so nervous? As the dignified principal of Jing University, would I covet a student's equipment?" Ji Pingyang said with a smile and a scolding tone.

"Sorry, Principal Ji, purely a conditioned reflex," Qiao Yu said, scratching his head in embarrassment.

From the way those small fries from the Killing God Guild reacted when they saw Yang Xiangdi's D-grade magic robe, Qiao Yu understood that high-grade equipment was a very scarce commodity in the Inner World.

After all, the drop rate in the Inner World was truly pitiful.

Moreover, the most crucial thing was that the equipment drop rate had nothing to do with the dungeon's difficulty; what dropped was purely based on luck.

There were newbie players who got top-tier equipment in newbie dungeons, and there were also veteran players who cleared high-level dungeons and got a pile of trash.

However, this was also one of the reasons why countless people flocked to the Inner World, because who knew if they would be the next lucky one?

"You guys go back first. If there's any news about Sage's Blessing, I'll notify you immediately," Ji Pingyang said.

"Principal, what's the name of that dungeon? I still want to give it a try," Qiao Yu said.

Ji Pingyang looked at Qiao Yu, his pair of black eyes incredibly deep. Qiao Yu felt as if Ji Pingyang's eyes had turned into two black sharp blades, as if they were about to pierce him.

After only a short moment of eye contact, Qiao Yu felt an intense pain in his eyes, and his health points directly decreased by more than five hundred.

Qiao Yu was extremely shocked. Was this the true strength of the number one swordsman in the Inner World? Just being glared at caused more than five hundred points of damage?

"Oh? You can actually still stand?" Ji Pingyang's words also revealed a hint of surprise.

A beginner-level student was actually able to withstand the aura he released through his eyes?

"Principal, can I try that dungeon now?"

Qiao Yu asked with his eyes closed.

It wasn't that he looked down on Ji Pingyang, but he really couldn't open his eyes.

He felt as if there were two swords stirring inside his eyes right now, causing an unbearable pain.

Ji Pingyang reached out and stroked Qiao Yu's eyes, his voice ringing in Qiao Yu's ears.

"That D-grade dungeon is called Soul Cleansing Lake (Dishun Hu)."

"Entering Soul Cleansing Lake can wash away all negative statuses from players, and washing away your curse is naturally not a problem."

"However, you must be careful..."

As Ji Pingyang's hand gently brushed over him, Qiao Yu felt much more comfortable in his eyes.

With a little effort, he was finally able to open his eyes again.

"Thank you, Principal!"

"Mm."

Ji Pingyang nodded, his eyes still filled with worry.

"In addition to the points I just told you, there's one more thing to remember, and that is to avoid causing trouble."

"Due to the special effect of Soul Cleansing Lake, many high-level players, and even true powerhouses, will enter the Soul Cleansing Lake dungeon."

"And the last thing, be careful of your teammates..."

Ji Pingyang didn't continue. He believed Qiao Yu could understand what he meant.

"Don't worry, Principal, I understand!"

Qiao Yu nodded.

"Then I'll head to Soul Cleansing Lake first, Principal."

"Come back!"

Qiao Yu was stopped by Ji Pingyang just as he was about to leave.

He turned his head in confusion and saw Ji Pingyang slowly remove a golden pendant from his neck.

The golden pendant was engraved with a strange beast that resembled a tiger, had a pair of wings, was covered with porcupine quills, and had two horns on its forehead.

Ji Pingyang hung the golden pendant around Qiao Yu's neck.

"This should be of great help to you in Soul Cleansing Lake. Wear it."

Qiao Yu focused his attention on the golden pendant.

[Qiongqi Pendant]:

Grade: A-grade (Enhanced +5)

Effect: Increases player's Spirit and Intelligence by 100 points, increases player's skill power by 30%, and increases casting speed by 20%.

Class Restriction: None

"Hiss!"

Qiao Yu immediately sucked in a cold breath of air.

"Principal! No, this is too precious. I can't accept this!"

Pa!

Ji Pingyang slapped the back of Qiao Yu's head.

"You brat, what nonsense are you thinking? This is just for you to borrow. You have to return it to me when you come back from Soul Cleansing Lake."

"This Principal isn't rich enough to just give away A-grade equipment."

Qiao Yu rubbed his aching head and asked.

"Principal, what does this Enhance +5 mean? Why doesn't my A-grade equipment have this note?"

"A-grade and S-grade equipment can be enhanced with enhancement stones to make the equipment stronger. You'll understand how to do it if you attend more classes in university," Ji Pingyang waved his hand.

"Principal, then why does a swordsman like you wear a pendant that increases Spirit and Intelligence?"

Ji Pingyang's forehead veins throbbed wildly as he rubbed his temples.

"Because I'm a swordsman, my stat allocation is mainly Strength and Agility. Naturally, I need to rely on equipment to compensate for the lack of Spirit and Intelligence."

"Are you suggesting I should put precious free attribute points into aspects unrelated to my class?"

"I now have good reason to suspect you didn't study properly in high school either," Ji Pingyang retorted.

"You're a mage. Would you put your free attribute points into Strength?"

Qiao Yu: "..."

I actually did add it... Qiao Yu muttered in his heart.

"Principal... one last question!"

Seeing Ji Pingyang's expression, Qiao Yu quickly changed his tone.

"This pendant is so valuable. What if I really die in the Soul Cleansing Lake dungeon and someone else takes it?"

Ji Pingyang smiled dismissively, exuding a powerful confidence as if he had just eaten a piece of Doublemint gum.

"Don't worry. In the Inner World, no one who dares to take something of Ji Pingyang's without returning it has been born yet!"