The sudden cold wind interrupted Xiao Xiao's analysis, as well as the strange looks the others had been giving Zheng Qing.
The young publicly funded student let out a heavy sigh of relief and shouted, "Wait a moment! Let me change the Warming Talisman first!"
Without waiting for anyone's approval, he sprang from his seat, pulled out a fresh Inferior Talisman, and swiftly pasted it onto the pillars around the pavilion.
Behind him, Fatty Xin swallowed his fried chicken, gulped down some beer, then muttered, "Damn it... it's not like you don't have any good ones. Wouldn't Standard Talismans be better? Keep using these Inferior Talismans, and one day they might blow you up and leave you covered in soot."
Without even turning around, Zheng Qing sneered. "An inferior talisman is still a talisman! Don't look down on humble provisions... Standard Talismans cost money! Shiny silver, glittering gold, and pale jade coins! If you want to use Standard Talismans, then pay up!"
Without another word, the fat man immediately picked up another piece of fried chicken and stuffed it into his mouth.
After Zheng Qing had replaced the talismans and returned to his seat, Xiao Xiao calmly picked up where he had left off and continued his analysis.
"...The bloodline wizards' secret magical techniques, their closed social circles, and their deep foundations have increasingly been smashed apart by Jiuyou Academy's 'bookworms' with exam papers and test scores."
"This has put Alpha Academy under enormous, enormous pressure."
"You have to understand that there are only so many magical techniques created by previous generations of wizards. Every one Jiuyou cracks and popularizes means one less trump card for Alpha Academy and one less measure of competitiveness."
"And the speed at which new magical techniques are created falls far behind the speed at