Li Luo and the others stepped up onto the black lotus leaf. They were surprised to find that it as sturdy as a block of stone.
These black lotus leaves had been transformed by the waves of worldly natural energy that constantly pulsed out from the lake.
The energy pulses came on and on relentlessly.
Many of the other squads had to use their combined strength just to stand up against these pulses.
In comparison, Li Luo’s squad was having an easy time of things. Jiang Qing’e’s sword was still emitting the halo of light energy that nullified most of it.
Although she could not help them take the leaves directly, she had saved them a lot of strength, which they could fully devote to leaf-snatching.
The other Two Star Hall students looked on enviously. This wasn’t against the rules, and it was an awesome perk to get.
Green, green jealousy.
There was probably no other male student in the Astral Sage College that Jiang Qing’e would be so tender and devoted to.
Li Luo ignored the glowering, although he did sneak a sideways look to confirm the hostile look on Wang Yufeng’s face. Trouble for sure.
Plus, they weren’t far apart. If onyx leaves came in their general direction, it was inevitable that they would clash over them.
“Leader, we have to be careful of Wang Yufeng. He’s a Fourth Pattern, and he has a lower seventh-grade thunder falcon resonance. Speed is his domain,” Bai Mengmeng said quietly to him.
Xin Fu nodded. “Getting onyx leaves is more about speed than strength. So if Wang Yufeng is going to pick on us, we’re in trouble.”
“Lower seventh-grade, thunder falcon resonance, huh…” Li Luo’s eyelids moved. “No worries. Just follow the plan.”
Jiang Qing’e had already explained how onyx leaves were usually fought over, and he had cooked up an appropriate strategy. As for how effective it was, they would have to find out in a bit.
Bai Mengmeng and Xin Fu nodded.
The three waited silently, awaiting the pulsing energy from the onyx lake.
They waited for two tense hours, and then a shrill howling suddenly picked up. All the students sat up, ready.
All eyes were on the glittering depths of the onyx lake, ready to receive its treasures.
The number of onyx leaves was random and limited. On a bad day, only one would be yielded.
On a day where there was just one, the fighting would be especially intense.
How many would come out today?
The energy in the lake pulsed out, and the water danced and bubbled from the agitation. Higher and higher it churned, and then there was a swift-
Whoosh!
A tide of energy licked up towards the sky.
Trees in the vicinity were blown over, and some of the weaker squads tumbled off their black lotus leaves. Only the stronger squads managed to hold on by supporting each other.
Li Luo’s squad stood steady, thanks to the protective halo of light. Without it, they might have been blasted back to the entrance of the Umbra Cave…
Thanks to Jiang Qing’e’s help, they could ignore the overflowing energy and focus fully on the lake.
All three held their breath.
In the center of the energy wave, there were three black silhouettes. Three leaf-shaped silhouettes.
Onyx leaves! Three!
“Wow!”
The students roared in excitement as one.
They were sent flying in three different directions, and one of them was headed straight for them.
Whoosh!
Before they could act, a silver streak flew past them, headed straight for the leaf.
Wang Yufeng!
He could have chosen any of the three leaves, but he had chosen theirs on purpose.
Still, he was indeed skillful enough to do so. His lightning speed was faster than any of the other squads, and he appeared in front of the leaf in a flash.
Song Qiuyu smiled smugly as she saw Wang Yufeng closing in on the leaf, even throwing a smirk Jiang Qing’e’s way.
Too clever for your own good—a wasted trip for Li Luo!
Wang Yufeng closed in on the leaf with vindictive triumph. There were few among the second years who could out speed him. Li Luo? The thought was laughable.
Neither water nor wood would help him here.
His hand reached out towards the leaf.
Shoop!
A streak of light shot past him, accurately skewering the onyx leaf.
Dang!
It looked like a mere leaf, but the metallic ring of the light arrow striking it belied that it was made of much more durable stuff.
Wang Yufeng’s hand clawed foolishly at air. He flew into a rage and whirled, only to see Li Luo grinning impudently at him, bow in hand.
The arrow of light must have been his work.
The kid was cunning. Using an arrow to interrupt?
It would not be so easy!
Wang Yufeng turned again and shot toward the spinning leaf at the speed of light.
Shoop!
Another arrow of light changed the leaf’s course.
“Again?!” Wang Yufeng sneered, now prepared. “Falcon’s Claw!”
A predator’s claw of electricity crackled to life, closing around the arrow with preternatural speed.
The arrow vanished.
An illusion!
His eyes narrowed.
Shoop! Shoop!
An entire volley of light arrows was headed his way all of a sudden, fast enough that he could not discern real from fake. He faltered.
What sort of tactic was this?!
By the time he recovered, they had already sped past him, smacking the onyx leaf into a different direction.
Straight towards Li Luo.
Wang Yufeng’s rage fueled his speed, and again he turned into a blur as he hunted down the leaf.
His skills were true, and in a few heartbeats, he was on the leaf again.
As was another arrow of light.
He flicked a contemptuous finger that shattered the light arrow, but this time it split into another mini light arrow that pushed the onyx leaf onwards.
Whoosh.
The onyx leaf was knocked into a small clump of trees nearby, where it was knocked again by another burst of shadow resonant power. It continued to ping pong around.
Dang!
Picking up speed with each directed hit, the leaf soon reached Li Luo.
Wang Yufeng was fast, but not faster than energy itself. To his credit, he was almost upon Li Luo, but the latter’s hand had closed over the leaf decisively.
Wang Yufeng could not stop in time, and his speed carried him into Li Luo, bowling them all over.
He furiously untangled himself from the mess of limbs, snarling as his resonant power crackled around his person.
Li Luo idly played with the leaf.
“Senior Wang, are you intending to take it by force?”
He gestured meaningfully to a nearby tree, where Jiang Qing’e, Qiu Bai, and Tian Tian were watching expressionlessly.
Wang Yufeng blanched.
Li Luo wasn’t pulling any punches.
“Senior Wang, sometimes lightspeed isn’t enough. Sometimes one needs… a bright mind.”
He tapped his own temple and grinned.
Bai Mengmeng and Xin Fu squirmed. Leader, that’s a lot of salt in the wound.