[1]
Xu Ling had been crushed, being struck so strongly that he lost consciousness with a single blow, unable to realize the gravity of the situation.
As a result, he could not muster any response to Li Luo’s kind words. Perhaps this was for the best as he would definitely suffer more than just a physical injury.
Losing in such a straightforward manner did not indicate that he was weak. Instead, he had been beguiled by Li Luo’s mindtrick, convincing him that he was facing an equal opponent. As a result, he had not expected the stark difference in strength. This greenhorn had perhaps just gotten a first taste of what reality was truly like: cold and merciless.
Glancing at the collapsed Xu Ling, he realized that it seemed impossible to kill any of his opponents in the Golden Dragon Dao Fields. The Golden Dragon Secret Keys would naturally protect their holders. This was in line with the bank’s motto: harmony breeds wealth. There was no need to create unnecessary disputes resulting from this activity. Furthermore, most of those who were able to enter had backgrounds of significance, so dying here would cause a catastrophe.
Just as Li Luo concluded his battle with frightening haste, the other youth by the name of Guo Xiang had just arrived in front of Lu Qing’er.
With a dashing smile and a gentle tone, he spoke out. “Dear Miss, if you’re unable to hold on any longer, please give up quickly. As a gentleman, I will have to oblige.”
“I think your teammate is the one that can’t hold on any longer,” Lu Qing’er icily retorted.
Raising his eyebrow curiously, it suddenly struck him that the other end of the battlefield was eerily silent. The sudden realization frightened him, and he quickly turned to look. Yet he was only greeted with the sight of Li Luo, a face full of smiles as he slowly strode across the snowy plains, shortswords in hand.
Right behind him was Xu Ling lying in a pool of his own blood.
Guo Xiang was taken aback by this development. He was flabbergasted and left in a daze. Hadn’t it just been a moment since the fight began? How had Xu Ling already been disposed of?
“Is this brat the one who did it?
“Isn’t he supposed to be a mere Third Pattern?
“Damn it! Is Xu Ling throwing a tantrum since he couldn’t have a round with the girl?”
Whilst Guo Xiang was lost in his own thoughts, a bitter-cold wind was summoned by his opponent. As she struck out with a single palm strike, the frigid air around the hand roiled violently, freezing the air around it.
This attack landed squarely on Guo Xiang’s chest, but the result was completely unexpected. Guo Xiang’s body disintegrated into numerous snowflakes, fluttering in the sky.
“A snow resonance?”
Lu Qing’er’s expression was filled with surprise. Fighting such an opponent in this icy battleground was akin to giving a tiger wings!
Glancing around in every direction, she realized that Guo Xiang’s presence had completely vanished. Even his resonant power could not be sensed. Guo Xiang was able to conceal his presence amidst the snow and ice.
Li Luo had leisurely strutted over and arrived with a grin at this point. “Wow, this snow resonance truly is a rare one.”
“Do you really think you can hide? Don’t forget that there is both ice AND snow here.” Lu Qing’er snorted coolly. Ice resonant power surged out of her as she gestured with her glowing hands, summoning the ice all around them.
“Ice Crystal Binding!”
At this moment, countless dust-like ice crystals sparkled and spread outwards with Lu Qing’er as the nexus. A moment later, Li Luo noticed that these ice crystals were congregating at a certain location on his right. Gradually, a human silhouette could be made out.
It was the darned Guo Xiang.
On the other hand, Guo Xiang’s expression was ugly as he stared at his body, which was now encrusted with ice crystals. Channeling his own resonant power violently, he managed to swiftly dispel all of the ice crystals.
Even though he had managed to rid himself of this plague, his figure was now clear for all to see. Li Luo cackled as he lunged towards him with his shortswords in hand.
“I need to see for myself just what sort of monster you are!” Guo Xiang’s expression changed as he faced the dashing Li Luo. With a snort, all of the resonant power within him exploded outwards as he waved his hands. Snowflakes riddled the sky and air and then coalesced swiftly.
“Tiger-general resonance art, Great Snow Leopard!”
When the snowflakes gathered, they took the shape of a snowy leopard, completely wreathed in frigid air. It immediately pounced towards Li Luo.
Li Luo’s expression remained unchanged as he hacked downwards with a simple, fluid motion. Waterlight resonant power enveloped his blades right as he activated his Water Edge Art.
With the Waterlight resonance reaching the seventh-grade, his waterlight resonant power had naturally become even purer, and his overall reserves had also increased. Not only that, a seventh-grade resonance possessed sentience, further aiding the strength of his resonance arts. As a result, his waterlight resonant power had improved not just quantitatively, but qualitatively as well!
Thus, this led to an evolution of the resonance art, which Li Luo happily dubbed the Overpowered Water Edge Art.
It was his favorite resonance art at the moment. Although the grade of the resonance art was not high, it could demonstrate mind-boggling might, way beyond anyone’s expectations. Xu Ling had underestimated his Water Edge Art, and as a result, he had been struck down where he stood, even before he could react!
It would be no surprise if Xu Ling became depressed as a result. Looks truly were deceiving. An expert cultivator had been struck down by an unassuming-looking blade!
After all, no one could predict that the fusion of water and light resonances could result in such simple but destructive results.
The Water Edge glinted as it continued to surround the shortsword. Li Luo swept one blade downwards confidently, striking the Snow Leopard. Unsurprisingly, the elemental creature was cleaved into two, exploding into a mass of snowflakes!
Without skipping a beat, he swung his other blade towards Guo Xiang, intending to end things.
Just before the blow was about to land, Guo Xiang suddenly squatted down and started cowering in fear. “Stop! Don’t hurt me! I believe you now!”
Weng!
The descending blade stopped a few inches away from him. The series of developments had left Li Luo a little surprised. This brat was truly a genius, knowing when the odds were against him and quickly admitting defeat.
With a chuckle, Li Luo swapped to the flat side of the blade and smacked Guo Xiang’s forehead, knocking him unconscious.
“Wow, you’re truly impressive. An average Third Pattern can’t even hold a candle to you.” Lu Qing’er sighed as she observed Li Luo’s efficient elimination of foes.
“They’re just two minor bandits, that’s all. Nothing special about it.” He didn’t feel particularly accomplished at this achievement. Xu Ling’s resonant power felt weak and unstable, and it was likely because he had just entered the Third Pattern Tier. His strength wasn’t extraordinary either, his resonance being lower seventh-grade. This was nothing when compared to Li Luo, who had a seventh-grade waterlight resonance and a fifth-grade woodearth resonance. Even without using dual resonances, he was easily able to crush him like a dried twig!
“Let’s go and help Qin Zhulu. He must be under significant pressure,” Li Luo said. The two quickly turned and quickly made their way towards the icy snow-forest. Berserk clashes of resonant power could be constantly seen as the battle was indubitably more intense.
A moment later, the duo finally arrived on the scene, managing to catch a glimpse of the combatants engaged in a fierce struggle. Wave after wave of resonant power exuded outwards with each clash, devastating and felling the massive trees around them.
Qin Zhulu’s eyes were completely crimson at this point, the golden tiger stripes on his body undulating with every strike as though they were constantly absorbing worldly natural energy. His entire body had swelled several times larger and the heavy spear in his hand was pulsating with a dark-red resonant power. Each blow he delivered was massive and like a peal of thunder as he attacked Ji Sun.
Again and again, the strikes were accompanied by piercing sonic booms, rending both air and snow alike.
Despite being faced with this onslaught, Ji Sun seemed calm as ever, moving rapidly and constantly weaving in and out, dodging and leaving afterimages behind. Only after successfully evading the majority of Zhulu’s attacks did he take the opportunity to strike back. Each time the lancet struck out silently like a gust of wind, it left behind a trail of blood in its wake as it effortlessly sliced through flesh.
However, these scratches were of no concern to Qin Zhulu. He retaliated in kind with a heroic offensive, unafraid of death or injury. As a result, this sort of berserk fighting style indirectly restricted Ji Sun, placing him in a situation where he was unable to quickly dispatch his opponent without suffering grievous wounds.
Regardless, if things proceeded the way they had been, Qin Zhulu would eventually be whittled down over time.
Ji Sun was at the First Changing of the Evolving Resonance Tier. When it came to comparing resonant power reserves and quality, he held the upper hand over Qin Zhulu.
Alas, this predictable situation was now plunged into chaos.
Why? Both Qin Zhulu and Ji Sun could sense Li Luo and Lu Qing’er approaching. One was clearly prepared for this outcome, whereas the other was left dumbfounded.
Recognizing the disadvantageous situation, Ji Sun retreated slightly whilst keeping a close look on Li Luo. “Well, well, well. It looks like someone here has been hiding his true strength.”
He had originally assumed that the strongest fighter of the group would be the upper eighth-grade Snarling Golden Demon Tiger resonance trash, but it seemed he was mistaken.
Clearly, it was this dog-looking brat that was the most secretive with his strength.
“Thanks to you, I have gotten a taste of how the Xia Kingdom’s Golden Dragon Bank carries themselves.” Ji Sun laughed coldly.
Li Luo was unconcerned with these meaningless words, quickly retorting, “Sorry, but I have an important question to ask of you.”
Unfortunately but not unexpectedly, this was met with an indifferent gaze.
However, Li Luo did not take this to heart, directly pointing at Lu Qing’er.
“Do you know why pies keep falling from the sky wherever she walks?”
1. TN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NPBIwQyPWE