Chapter 367: Octagold Shield
Both Lu Qing’er and Qin Zhulu felt a thrill of exuberance when they saw Lin Suo wounded. This was their first attack that had really connected in any meaningful way. This attack cooked up by Li Luo was really unexpected.
As happy as he was, Qin Zhulu still had his sharp battle-sense. Heavy spear in hand, he leaped forward to press the advantage while Lin Suo was wounded. Shining with dark-red power, he stabbed out at Lin Suo.
Qin Zhulu might come across as slow and awkward in many situations, but he was in his element in battle. A true beast, honed with a lifetime of experience in fighting. He understood the importance of kicking the opponent while they were down.
Weng!
It was a vicious thrust that whistled through the air.
But when the spear tip touched Lin Suo’s body, a dark, golden light repelled the attack.
Clang!
The clear sound of metal, with a cluster of sparks. The resonant power ricocheted back, and the shock traveled back up Qin Zhulu’s arm.
He staggered backwards, shaking his head in confusion and pain.
Both Li Luo and Lu Qing’er were dismayed as well. An octagonal-shaped shield of gold was floating before Lin Suo, shining gently. In the center of the shield was a small, white mark that resembled an eye.
“Upper white-eye treasured artifact?!” Lu Qing’er exclaimed.
This was not that great of a surprise. After all, Lin Suo had been to the Reservoir as well. Of course he would come out with something. They were just surprised that he had chosen a defensive upper white-eye treasured artifact.
There was another mark on the Octagold Shield, evidently from Li Luo’s previous attack.
Lin Suo slowly crawled to his feet. His face was black as a storm, and blood still dribbled down from his lip. Although the Octagold Shield had slowed down Li Luo’s arrow, the impact had passed through to his vital organs.
He was both fearful and angry.
Never had he dreamed that a mere Third Pattern of the Pattern Genesis Tier would be able to cause such damage to him.
If he hadn’t pulled a defensive upper white-eye from the Reservoir, he might already be face-down in the water.
“Looks like I underestimated you,” he called up to Li Luo, who was still perched in the tree. “Dual resonances are quite legendary.
“But I don’t think you have a second attack like that ready.”
Li Luo sighed. Indeed, that had been his strongest, once-off attack. He had used both his dual resonances and resonant bubbles and channeled them into his Lambent Hawkeye. Lastly, he had reflected the attack with his Broken Mirror technique, which had no other real function besides increasing the speed of light resonant energy attacks. But sometimes speed could be power.
Through his many processes and additions, Li Luo had managed to construct that strongest arrow.
Without an upper white-eye treasured artifact like the Octagold Shield, they would have ended this battle already.
A pity.
There was not much time to beat himself up over it, because Lin Suo was ready to do the beating on his behalf. This time he turned to Li Luo, sure that no such powerful attack was coming again. Of the three, only Li Luo was a potential threat. Once he was finished off, the other two would be nothing to be feared. But he had barely started towards Li Luo when the steel tower Qin Zhulu barred his way, heavy black spear in hand.
“Scram, scram, scram!!”
Lin Suo’s voice was building to a hysterical scream. Qin Zhulu was the epitome of irritation. He was wounded, but he was still ready to fight. Again and again. He was like a zombie, clambering to his feet to stand in his way at every turn.
Without Qin Zhulu’s intervention, he would have caught up to Li Luo long ago.
Clang! Clang!
He sent crushing attack after crushing attack from his mace. Qin Zhulu parried desperately, deflecting them with a shrill screeching sound as they glanced off his spear.
Qin Zhulu was angry as well, his eyes red with battle lust as he advanced on a Third Changing opponent with no fear in him. He welcomed the challenge.
Li Luo watched this carefully.
At a signal, Lu Qing’er appeared by his side.
“Qing’er, give me a shot of Crystal Heart,” he said tersely.
She looked at him doubtfully, knowing that he was about to try that risky secret art. She worried for him, but she also knew that this was not the time or place. Setting her jaw, she put a hand on Li Luo’s back.
“Crystal Heart!”
A cool wave of energy flowed into Li Luo’s body. It did not harm him, instead calming him down until his heart was like a cold crystal, impervious to negative emotions.
“Be careful,” she blurted out. She then fled, moving to help Qin Zhulu.
Li Luo was completely calm now. He knew that Crystal Heart alone was not enough. The three-tailed heavenly wolf’s corruption was too strong. Crystal Heart would only help lessen it slightly.
He pulled out a pearl, faintly glowing with a holy light. That was the upper white-eye Seraph’s Pearl that he had pulled from the Reservoir.
This was the real core of Li Luo’s defense, and the main reason why he would dare to try and tap into that power.
With a flick of his hand, he popped the Seraph’s Pearl into his mouth. Another wave of seraphic energy spread across his entire body, calming his entire being. The effect was far stronger than Lu Qing’er’s Crystal Heart.
Li Luo drew a sharp finger across his wrist, letting some blood flow. He pressed his hands into the blood with deliberate intent, channeling his will to shape it as he needed.
Heavenly Libation Chant.
According to what Pang Qianyuan had taught him, the Heavenly Libation Chant had three tiers, known as the Three Chains of Heavenly Libation Chant. He was only using the first chain. He had yet to master the second chain, so it was best not to screw around with it. With each chain, more of the three-tailed heavenly wolf’s power was unlocked. Li Luo could not control so much power yet.
As for the third chain of the Heavenly Libation Chant, it was in the second half of the Heavenly Libation Chant manual, which the principal had yet to give him.
In his practice, Li Luo had always taken multiple attempts to create the Heavenly Libation mark required, but this time the combination of Crystal Heart and the Seraph’s Pearl helped him succeed on the first try.
Still, this did not mean he could get careless. Li Luo knew where the real difficulty lay.
The corruption of the three-tailed heavenly wolf’s will. If he could not hold that corruption at bay, not only would he be hard-pressed to utilize its power, he would also lose his mind to the savage will of the beast.
But with his heart calm and still as deep water, Li Luo did not hesitate.
The Heavenly Libation Chant helped the line of blood connect from his arm to the dark-red bracelet.
He was flooded with a power that was both familiar and savage.