Chapter 0514: Creating a Legend
When Li Luo appeared before the Astral Sage College's tower, he was greeted with rapturous applause and cheering.
The One Star Hall students were fired up behind their champion, who was now the strongest One Star Hall student in the East Divine Continent. The title was hard won and weighty, far more than just being the best in any school.
This would definitely also increase the prestige of their class. The number of wins the One Star Hall had taken at the Holy Grail Meet could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
It was definitely going down in the history of the Astral Sage College.
One Star Hall students were all about raw talent, and it was difficult to nurture them much in the short time that they spent in school before the tournament happened.
The other senior students were overjoyed as well, and they now looked at Li Luo with a measure of respect.
It was a performance worthy of acknowledgement.
Perhaps Li Luo was still beneath them because of the difference in cultivation time, but he would become the strongest in the Astral Sage College in due time, and probably set some new records on the way.
He had earned something here, and no one would dare to underestimate him again.
"Li Luo, you did very well." Yu Lang was the first to get a word in, looking at Li Luo like a loving father. "After all I did to get you through the Dragon's Belly, you didn't let me down."
"Rascal." Li Luo rolled his eyes.
"Well done, Li Luo!" Bai Doudou gave him a big thumbs up, straightforward and direct as was her personality.
"Li Luo, you're very strong. I'm so lucky to have met you here in the Astral Sage College. But don't worry, you'll be my target from now on. I'll train like crazy to overtake you." Qin Zhulu's look was more intense and smoldering than that of the girls cooing in the background.
Qin Zhulu was an unyielding character, and even so, he had to defer to Li Luo's skill this time.
His "love" was rather stifling, and Li Luo gave him an uneasy if polite smile. It was not particularly comfortable to have a battle demon watching over his shoulder at all times.
Wang Hejiu and Duze Beixuan hung back awkwardly, unsure of how to express their ambivalence. They were not on good terms with Li Luo, and had only grudgingly cooperated this time because of the super high-level threat that Vice Principal Su Xin had laid down upon them. They weren't happy to see him get ahead, but glad that they had won a championship.
"Leader, congratulations! You're famous in the East Divine Continent now," Bai Mengmeng said happily. Lu Qing'er was standing still, looking at Li Luo with hot tears brimming at the edges of her eyes. Her quivering lips were upturned in a smile. She recalled Li Luo in the early years back at Southwind Academy with his blank palaces. He had used his skill in the resonance arts to forge his own path to become one of the brightest in Southwind Academy even then.
Many thought that he had peaked back then. He was in his element, at the pinnacle of confidence and strength.
Several years later, he was far beyond what he had accomplished then.
She had said it before, and she believed it even now: Li Luo was anyone's equal, even Jiang Qing'e.
"Hey."
Li Luo wagged his fingers before her eyes.
She snapped back out of her reverie with an embarrassed smile. "Oh, er, congratulations."
"It's all thanks to your Nightmarish Eversnow Platemail. If not for you, I'd have been eliminated in the Dragon's Belly too," Li Luo said with a grateful smile.
She had bought him enough time to get to Dragonbone Island. Without it, he might not have made it. And he definitely would not have had enough time to find dragon's bloodfire to fill the dragonpearl.
And without a full dragonpearl, he would not have been able to match Jing Taixu at his Fourth Changing power, and then he would have had no choice but to pull out his emergency trump card, the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf's power.
Lu Qing'er had played no small part with her supporting resonance art.
She smiled happily at him, her heart almost leaping out of her chest with pleasure. The opportunity to help Li Luo—that was all she could ask for.
Li Luo saw Vice Principal Su Xin waving to him, and hurriedly cut off his other conversations.
"Vice Principal Su Xin, I was lucky enough not to dishonor the school," Li Luo said modestly, cupping his fist in respect.
Su Xin smiled broadly at him, and her kind voice was even brighter than usual. She reached out and tousled his hair.
Very quickly, she retracted her hand, realizing that it could be seen as inappropriate. "Li Luo, you've done very well," she said fondly. "You are the pride and joy of the Astral Sage College."
"As a student of the Astral Sage College, it is my duty to bring honor to the school," Li Luo said properly. She smiled even wider, pleased to hear it.
"The school will remember your contributions well. You will be rewarded in the future."
Li Luo smiled and nodded.
He could feel someone else behind Vice Principal Su Xin also regarding him, and he craned his neck to see who it was.
It was the First Princess, looking at him with wide-eyed curiosity.
She was evidently taken aback by his win.
"First Princess," Li Luo blurted out, surprised. "Your battle has ended?"
He immediately regretted it. The Four Star Hall battle had not yet ended, so obviously she had been eliminated.
That was unexpected. The Four Star Hall was indeed full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Truly the strongest students in their respective sage colleges... and it had to be intense competition for someone of the First Princess' caliber to be eliminated.
But she did not harp on his ill-chosen words. "It can't be helped, I'm not as outstanding as you are, Li Luo," she said graciously. "Congratulations. From this day forth, your name will be known throughout the entire East Divine Continent, let alone the Xia Kingdom. The young lord of House Luolan proves himself worthy to take over his father's legacy.
"No one will call you the tiger's runt again."
After this, the phrase "blank palace young lord" would be purged from the lexicon of every single person in the Xia Kingdom. Li Luo's potential and strength here had proved that he was Jiang Qing'e's equal.
Previously, House Luolan was known for its rising phoenix, but now a hidden dragon had uncoiled itself to stand at the top of the house in its full glory as well. "I pay no attention to the rumors, Your Highness," Li Luo said easily.
Both Su Xin and the First Princess nodded slightly. Li Luo's temperament and character were also an important reason why he was able to make it to the top. Dual resonances were rare, but not unheard of. And they were definitely not invincible, as Lu Ming had proven.
"But Li Luo, it seems like your win has laid down a difficult legend to ever beat even in the future." The First Princess laughed.
"Er, legend?" Li Luo was puzzled. Surely that was exaggerated. It was merely a record that would be replaced in four years' time.
The First Princess smiled mischievously.
"One strongest title is quite something...
"... but an engaged couple winning them together is deserving of being called a legend, you know."
Her remark was perfectly timed as another commotion broke out behind them.
Li Luo turned to the sound of applause to see an energy vortex appearing.
A beautiful girl stepped out calmly. Who else could it be but Jiang Qing'e?