Absolute ResonanceAbsolute Resonance
Li Luo felt a little melancholic upon sensing this...
Sure enough, he was different from everyone else. This result didn't cause him to lose hope. On the contrary, he was no longer that lost and ignorant youth from years ago.
He knew that a blank palace was not a burden—it was actually a wondrous opportunity others could never ask for. He was able to reach his current heights and achieve these miracles precisely because of his three resonant palaces and six resonances. He would simply have to find a way to obtain a fourth acquired resonance, and everything would be fine. However, he would have to find the supposed Greater Acquired Resonance Godly Forging Art to do that. The first step was to figure out how to obtain that art in the first place.
As he was lost in thought, Jiang Qing'e came to a realization and asked him in surprise, "Could it be that your fourth resonance is also a blank palace?"
Li Luo nodded.
"That’s..." Jiang Qing'e's expression was a little strange. She didn't know exactly how to respond, but in the end, she consoled him. "This should be a good thing for you."
Anyone else might have felt helpless if they ended up with a blank palace after reaching the Duke Stage. However, Li Luo was extremely experienced when it came to this, so Jiang Qing'e didn't worry too much. He had already resolved the issues of three blank palaces in the past, so he would naturally find a way.
"However, your breakthrough for the second Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfried was a little hasty. You shouldn't have rushed it." Jiang Qing'e's tone changed and her expression turned serious as she glanced at the two Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfrieds above him. To everyone else, the fact that Li Luo had produced a second Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfried out of nowhere was nothing short of mind-blowing. However, Jiang Qing'e had been with him the entire time in the onyx cauldron and understood his situation best. The second Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfried had been formed with the same top-grade Foundational Spirit Treasure as its foundation and had been supplemented with his own potential and the help of the magical state he was in. To an ordinary genius, just obtaining such a Duke Bergfried was perfection, but to her, the second one was slightly flawed. It did not seem like a problem at this point in time, but it would definitely become a hidden malaise, causing his Path of Ascension to be even harder.
Li Luo responded coolly with a smile, "Sister Qing'e, you can rest assured. I have my own considerations here."
Jiang Qing'e glanced at him suspiciously. Since Li Luo had said it himself, she would not probe any further.
At this point in time, a weak voice was transmitted to his ears. "Congratulations on reaching the Duke Stage, Li Luo." It was the small snake that Li Lingjing had transformed into. She had been quietly lingering around him, and her eyes slowly opened with a hint of indolence.
"Are you alright, Cousin Lingjing?" Li Luo asked.
The snake shook its head. "Just what happened? I feel as though I fell into a special sort of state, and my senses were completely sealed."
Li Luo awkwardly replied, "Nothing... nothing at all..."
It was best that she didn't know what had happened. That delectable experience that had taken place in the cauldron would remain a secret deep in his heart.
Jiang Qing'e suspiciously glanced at the snake.
"HAHAHAHAH!" Qin Lian's crazed laughter drifted over, interrupting their conversation. She had finally gotten over the fact that Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e had managed to escape alive. Furthermore, they had experienced a meteoric rise in strength.
"What hardy creatures. I'm amazed you weren't reduced to ashes! Two unrivaled geniuses... Tan Tailan, don't you think you're a little too fortunate? How can all these wonderful things be monopolized by you!?" Qin Lian's ghoulish countenance had a deranged smile on it. She could never have expected that she would not only fail to kill Li Luo in the most painful way possible, but also to give him the opportunity to make a breakthrough. Thus, the negative emotions swelled up within her like a tide and eroded away at her mind.
Her berserk laughter was filled with venomous hatred and the entire sky seemed to darken in her presence. Inky-black corruption spread like an ocean, flowing between the heavens and the earth.
Her insane and delirious appearance caused everyone's hearts to sink.
Qin Lian was crazy to begin with, and with this new development dealing her yet another vicious mental blow, everyone suspected that she would just attempt to transform into an Other.
But her laughter continued to ring out, and only after a while did things calm down.
The messy hair hanging over her face slowly rose, revealing blood-red cracks on her head. Viscous corruption as thick as liquid flowed out of them.
She was essentially an Other garbed in human skin.
"That's good as well. Now that I think about it, killing you with my own hands would ease some of the hatred within me," Qin Lian said.
"So what if you became a Transcendent second-grade Duke? You'll die anyway."
As her gloomy voice echoed, the eight Duke Bergfrieds above her began to radiate terrifying energy undulations that swept across the field. Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e's expressions turned serious.
Jiang Qing'e had reached the upper second-grade, whereas Li Luo was at the lower second-grade. It was said that Transcendent Dukes were capable of challenging ordinary Dukes up to three grades above them. Thus, Jiang Qing'e was capable of challenging an upper fifth-grade Duke, and Li Luo, a lower fifth-grade. Of course, if they were able to use a tyrannical Destiny-grade Duke Art, their combat power would be even higher. As a result, their relative strength wasn't truly fixed.
However, none of this was enough to deal with the eighth-grade Qin Lian. Their breakthrough, despite giving everyone morale, had only increased the odds of survival from a zero percent chance to perhaps thirty percent. Regardless, this was a positive development. At the very least, Qin Lian couldn't act as wantonly as before, casually sealing them in a cauldron for her own entertainment and controlling their lives on a whim.
"Sister Qing'e, are you ready?" Li Luo grinned as he brandished his Dragon Elephant Blade. Jiang Qing'e's expression was calm as she nodded slightly.
"Now for the next act... it will be just the two of us."
At this point, he paused and looked at the little black snake wrapped around his wrist with a smile. "Well, the three of us. Let's see if we can truly escape this catastrophe."
"Ouch!" At this point, the scarlet bracelet on his wrist suddenly let out a howl. It was the Six-tailed Heavenly Wolf... "Oh? Brother Wolf, have you been awake the whole time?" Li Luo asked with a wry smile.
Just as it was about to answer, it felt a chill in its heart. It hurriedly said, "No, no... I just woke up."
Li Luo nodded approvingly.
The Six-tailed Heavenly Wolf heaved a sigh of relief. It had no choice here as it knew that from now on, it could no longer speak to Li Luo arrogantly. After all, Li Luo completely eclipsed it in terms of strength. Its power was capable of greatly augmenting Li Luo's strength when the latter was at the Greater Heavenly Resonance Tier. But now that he was a second-grade Transcendent Duke, their positions had reversed. Thus, its role had diminished as its power was less helpful to Li Luo.
In order to not be abandoned, it had to demonstrate its presence. Li Luo didn't say more as he tightly grasped the Dragon Elephant Blade. A moment later, the two perfect Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfrieds above him roared to life. Boundless resonant power surged through Li Luo's body like a tide. Li Luo lifted the blade while his gaze was focused on Qin Lian. At the same time, his voice boomed like thunder laced with overflowing killing intent.
"Qin Lian! All those years ago, my parents let you go because they couldn’t be bothered to get rid of you. Today... is the day I will slaughter you and reap the karmic fruit from the karma that was sown years ago!"