"A crystal invitation token?"
Chu Feng looked at the invitation token in his hand with some surprise. No matter how he looked at it, the thing didn't resemble crystal at all — it looked more like glass.
However, judging by the expressions of the three people nearby, they didn't seem to be faking their reactions. It seemed this invitation token of his was truly something special.
They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Apparently, the same held true for invitation tokens.
"Brother, where did you get that crystal invitation token? Did the Ancient Snake Clan give it to you?"
After catching sight of Chu Feng's invitation token, the two men from the Holy Pill Villa came bustling over with great enthusiasm. Their attitude had done a complete one-eighty, which likely meant they'd realized Chu Feng was no ordinary person.
But before Chu Feng could open his mouth, Li Xiang spoke up. "Someone like him could never receive a crystal invitation token. In my opinion, it must be fake."
As he said this, Li Xiang walked over as well, scrutinizing Chu Feng's invitation token up close. He leaned in so near that his eyes practically glued themselves to it.
"I'll admit, the forgery is rather convincing. But a fake is a fake — it can't fool me, Li Xiang."
Li Xiang said this with a curled lip, and as he finished, he threw a glance at Chu Feng, his eyes filled with contempt.
"Brother Li Xiang, is it really fake?" the two men asked.
"Of course it's fake. How could my eyes possibly be wrong?" Li Xiang said smugly. Then, turning back to Chu Feng, he adopted a lecturing tone: "A real one can never become fake, and a fake one can never become real. If you think you can use a counterfeit invitation token to deceive the Ancient Snake Clan, you're sorely mistaken. I strongly advise you not to do something foolish."
At that moment, the two men from the Holy Pill Villa immediately distanced themselves from Chu Feng. As they moved away, each shot him a look of disdain.
Faced with this situation, Chu Feng felt a mix of helplessness and indifference. He couldn't be bothered to explain, so with a flicker of movement, he shot toward the entrance to the Barrier Immortal Domain.
"Hey, are you actually going? Do you want to die? Trying to fool the Ancient Snake Clan with a fake invitation token — have you lost your will to live?"
"That's the Ancient Snake Clan. They're extremely ruthless," Li Xiang called out loudly.
He shouted at the top of his lungs, as if deliberately trying to make the Ancient Snake Clan hear.
And his plan worked. The Ancient Snake Clan members did hear, and several of them turned involuntarily to look in Chu Feng's direction.
However, Chu Feng was utterly convinced that the invitation token the Immortal Armament Villa Master had given him was genuine. Without the slightest hesitation, he flew straight to the entrance of the barrier and touched down.
"Please present your invitation token. Those without one are not permitted to enter," one of the Ancient Snake Clan members said in a deep, resonant voice.
Chu Feng said nothing. He simply produced his invitation token and held it out.
The Ancient Snake Clan member took it. Perhaps owing to Li Xiang's shouting, they suspected Chu Feng was trying to sneak in with a counterfeit, so they examined it with great care.
But in the end, they returned the invitation token to Chu Feng and said with a respectful bow, "Please, enter."
Just at that moment, Li Xiang and his two companions had landed nearby and witnessed the whole scene clearly.
"No way — he actually got in."
"Brother Li Xiang, didn't you say that invitation token was fake?" the two Holy Pill Villa men said to Li Xiang.
"I never would have thought his invitation token could be so convincing as to pass for the real thing."
"What a shame. He may be able to fool the Ancient Snake Clan, but he can't fool me, Li Xiang. A fake can never become real, and a real one can never become fake. I said it's fake, and that's final," Li Xiang declared with absolute confidence.
At this point, however, the gazes of the two Holy Pill Villa men had begun to shift. They were starting to doubt Li Xiang's words.
Li Xiang, for his part, remained utterly unfazed, brimming with self-assurance.
And so, Li Xiang and his two companions made their way to the entrance of the barrier and each handed their invitation tokens to the Ancient Snake Clan members.
The two men went first and passed through without issue.
But when it came to Li Xiang's turn, he was stopped.
"Where did you get this invitation token?" one of the Ancient Snake Clan members fixed Li Xiang with a sharp, unfriendly stare.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Li Xiang asked, his eyes flickering nervously.
"This invitation token is fake," the Ancient Snake Clan member said.
"What? That can't be!" The two Holy Pill Villa men rushed over.
"Please, look more carefully. We are members of the Holy Pill Villa — we would never use a fake invitation token," the two men spoke up in Li Xiang's defense.
"The Holy Pill Villa was issued one crystal invitation token, one gold-tier invitation token, and twenty silver-tier invitation tokens this year."