As Yu Hongxi’s jade bottle shone even brighter, the crowd watched, enthralled.
They could feel that the upcoming wave was going to be something huge.
With it, the final result would be decided.
At the head of the pack was Zhu Xuan and Ye Qiuding.
Both were third-tier Resonant Masters, and their resonant power could hold out the longest.
Slightly behind them were two or three other bright stars, slightly older than the leaders, but extremely promising in talent. They had failed to enter the Astral Sage College for various reasons, but they had applied themselves with great diligence and were still extremely skilled.
Behind them, Li Luo and Qin Zhulu.
They were definitely the weakest ones left, cultivation-wise. But still, just making it this far was already a surprise. Many in the crowd shook their heads in amazement and accepted it as the power of the Astral Sage College’s elites.
Wang Hejiu, Duze Beixuan, and the others were the last in the pack. They were in trouble, steadily being forced back by the Green Alioth.
Weng!
Following a loud screech, a green wall of wind shot forth with a new intensity, intent on smashing everything in its way against the light screen.
This blast was enough to force Zhu Xuan and Ye Qiuding back several steps, their defenses crumbling rapidly under the onslaught.
Streaks of blood appeared on their bodies.
If even these two were in trouble, there was no need to mention those behind them. The second-tier Resonant Masters were out of the game.
Li Luo and Qin Zhulu were again sliding back several steps. With a defiant roar, Qin Zhulu’s skin glowed with a faint, golden sheen that did not hide the redness of his face.
His defenses strengthened by another tier.
Even so, the Green Alioth continued to mercilessly lay into him. His eyes had a wildness in them that matched the wind. He stood his ground, seemingly oblivious to the pain he had to be feeling.
Li Luo’s resonant power was not as strong, so he was now behind Qin Zhulu again. Still, Unyielding Form was helping him to stay in roughly the same spot.
However, he could feel his resonant power being depleted at a frightening pace, fueling his healing.
Such was the cost of Unyielding Form.
At this rate, Li Luo feared he might not make it to the end of this wave of the Green Alioth.
While Li Luo held strong with Unyielding Form, Wang Hejiu, Duze Beixuan, and the others had been swept out past the barrier.
Eliminated.
Duze Beixuan’s foot slipped for the last time, and he was propelled out of the arena. His flight was calmed by the steady hand of his elder sister, Duze Honglian.
Duze Beixuan let his dismay show. “How can Li Luo possibly last so long?!” he demanded.
Both he and Wang Hejiu were clearly stronger than Li Luo.
Duze Honglian stared at the silver-haired youth with a deep frown. “The Green Alioth is scarring him badly, but if you look closely, you’ll see that he’s healing at a rapid rate…
“If I’m not wrong, it’s the regenerative powers of the water and wood resonances combined. He’s accelerated his healing greatly.”
Dual resonances were looking more and more nasty to deal with by the day.
Individually, neither resonance was considered high-grade. And yet put together, they achieved unusual results time and again.
“But his resonant power is depleting rapidly, which means this accelerated healing costs him greatly. Given his resonant power tier, he won’t make it until the end of this wave,” Duze Honglian predicted confidently.
“After this wave, probably only Zhu Xuan, Ye Qiuding, and Qin Zhulu will be left.”
Wang Hejiu and Duze Beixuan nodded. This was an outcome they could accept. Qin Zhulu, the undisputed first of their year that they acknowledged.
As for Li Luo, his elimination would go a long way to soothing their wounded prides.
Just as Duze Honglian predicted, more and more people caved before the wind, flying out like uprooted trees.
Only four were left now: Zhu Xuan, Ye Qiuding, Qin Zhulu, and Li Luo.
Zhu Xuan and Ye Qiuding’s clothing were badly tattered and bloodstained, but their resonant powers were holding strong.
As for Qin Zhulu, he was just using the power of his Snarling Golden Demon Tiger resonance to fight on.
All eyes were on Li Luo.
Even Duze Honglian could sense his resonant power dwindling away rapidly. How could the stronger people present not sense it?
The prediction was 30 breaths’ time. After that, Li Luo would be shriveled and spent.
Which meant that the secret keys would probably go to Zhu Xuan, Ye Qiuding, and Qin Zhulu.
On stage, Lu Qing’er’s knuckles were white from anxiety.
Jiang Qing’e’s gaze was steady. She also refused to give up.
Yu Hongxi was watching Li Luo too. He had surprised them all to make it this far, but it was about time.
Water and wood might have boosted his recovery by a lot, but he was still a first-tier Resonant Master. The lack of resonant power should undo him.
Li Luo stood unflinchingly against the wind, but he could feel the resonance seeds dry up within him. The searing pain was getting backed by an increasing pressure, but all of this only made him calmer.
Calm as a lake in winter.
“It’s almost time…”
In these last few days, he had suppressed the feeling of an oncoming breakthrough, and now he let it go. His resonance seeds trembled within.
Resonant power patterns began to bloom across his resonance seeds, becoming more and more numerous until they joined together to faintly resemble a flower.
Weng!
A curious keening started to sound from within his body.
The worldly natural energies were bending around him.
Bottling up within him.
He absorbed them all, as if he were a forest and all the bits of energy were birds here to roost. They settled onto the branches, coming home to their rightful place, his resonance seeds.
The parched seeds shone with a renewed luster.
Li Luo’s resonant power kicked back into gear, a higher gear. His healing powers were enhanced, and Unyielding Form was now even stronger than before.
Loud gasps broke the tense silence, and even those like Yu Hongxi and the First Princess were staring with eyes wide.
Of course they knew…
Li Luo had made the breakthrough to the second-tier, the Pattern Genesis Tier.
He had made clever and risky use of the Green Alioth’s pressure…