Chapter 0997: Enigmatic Auric Halo
When Li Lingjing formed her ninth Heavenly Pearl, it caused the crowd on the Golden Dew Platform to kick up a fuss. Everyone watched her with both surprised and complicated looks in their eyes. Obtaining nine Heavenly Pearls was the ultimate achievement of the Heavenly Pearl Tier. Only those with a sturdy foundation, potential, and a hint of luck could achieve success. Zhao Yan from the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Zhao and Zong Sha from the Heavenly Origin Ancient College had both failed. These were dragons amongst men, yet they had failed by a single step. It was like an insurmountable mountain.
It was precisely because those had failed that Li Lingjing was now shining.
Even Jiang Wanyu was focused upon her as she softly said, "We have almost no information on Li Lingjing. When did the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li produce such a genius? It seems like she's even better than Li Wuyuan."
"She is strong indeed. I'm afraid that only those in the Four Star Hall who have obtained the right to enter the Heavenly Star Hall can compare," one of her fellow students said.
Li Fuling and the rest were full of joy when they saw her breakthrough.
"Cousin Lingjing is amazing. No one in the Dragon's Fang Lineage has reached the nine-pearl tier in the last two generations." Li Fengyi sighed.
Li Jingtao nodded. "It's a pity that Cousin Lingjing suffered from that mishap all those years ago. Otherwise, the previous generation's Dragon's Head would have belonged to us."
Li Fuling's gaze remained complicated. She was of the same generation as Li Lingjing, though based on her memory, Lingjing was impressive but not as frightening as she was now. The tragedy that struck her had honed her potential.
All she could say was that blessings and calamities came in pairs.
Lu Qingmei also looked towards Li Lingjing with yearning in her eyes. She always strove for strength and sought constant improvement. Seeing herself in Li Lingjing, who was now in the spotlight, stimulated her own fighting spirit.
Although Li Lingjing was surnamed Li, she was from a branch bloodline, the Western Region's Li family. They might be considered almighty in the Western Region, but when it was compared to the main lineage, the difference was as stark as night and day. Thus, Li Lingjing's achievement was also an inspiration for her, as both of them were not directly related to the main bloodline. Deng Fengxian, on the other hand, was observing the surroundings, especially when the others started coveting Li Luo's opportunity. When Li Lingjing condensed her ninth Heavenly Pearl, some of them had lost their nerve and began to doubt themselves, lessening the pressure on them.
Clearly, they had to consider the consequences of ruining Li Luo's opportunity. It would undoubtedly arouse the wrath of a nine-pearl expert.
Meanwhile, as Li Fengyi and the rest were celebrating, the people of the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Zhao had dark expressions.
"Damn it. Li Lingjing is from the Western Region's Li family? It's just a small branch. How is she so talented?" Zhao Jingyu fumed.
Zhao Shenjiang frowned as he spoke in a deep voice, "It's not that surprising. She has a lower ninth-grade Abyssal Serpent resonance and her foundation is not any worse than mine. Although she has spent many years in isolation, it may have been an intentional ploy by the Dragon's Fang Lineage to prevent her from being noticed. It's also a good thing. She might have entered the nine-pearl tier, but Elder Brother Zhao Yan should be able to suppress her so long as he advances to the Heavenly Resonance Tier."
Those at the nine-pearl tier were reputed for being Duke seedlings, but they were far weaker than cultivators at the Heavenly Resonance Tier.
At this point, his gaze turned towards Zhao Yan, who was gloomily glaring at Li Lingjing. In the end, he stuffed the Resonance Forming Pill into his mouth and swallowed it in a single gulp. He then took the opportunity to immediately refine the pill and make a breakthrough.
Worldly natural energy billowed like a tempest on the Golden Dew Platform. More individuals completed their baptism, and there were only three individuals remaining.
They were Li Luo, Li Lingjing, and Zhao Yan.
Li Lingjing and Zhao Yan were the topic of many discussions. Compared to them, Li Luo was relatively quiet as the golden light illuminated his body and golden smoke endlessly poured into him.
Other than some resonant power fluctuations rolling off him, he remained unperturbed.
Only he knew how much of a change his resonant palaces were undergoing.
Chiefly, his woodearth resonance. Stupendous amounts of golden smoke was being funneled into it, resulting in the giant tree that represented the resonance growing at a frightening pace.
The tree trunk gradually expanded in diameter and turned sturdier, becoming a sky-supporting pillar. The tree bark was starting to show signs of ancientness yet was filled with vitality and life.
The soil continued to spread beneath the tree. Dense earth resonant power supported the growth of the wood resonance, ensuring that the tree remained stable and upright.
With the resonance affinities complementing each other, it led to a wonderfully beneficial outcome.
The gigantic tree began to sway gently as numerous motes of green light began to rise from the earth. It transformed into the purest of resonant power, and the resonant palace began to shake.
At this point, every single branch and leaf had shallow runic patterns present on them. They were formed naturally, as though the heavens had wished it, forming a mystical sight.
The tree stopped swaying at this point in time.
The branches and leaves began to become ever more green, like shining emeralds that contained boundless amounts of life energy, causing the entire resonant palace to be filled with vitality.
Li Luo's own resonant power also began to increase.
The upper seventh-grade woodearth resonance had completed its evolution and had firmly stepped into the eighth-grade.
However, before Li Luo could fully experience the changes in purity of the eighth-grade woodearth resonance, he noticed that his body had changed in another way.
He could feel that as the golden smoke entered his body, a wisp of Acquired Resonance Flame had risen up. When the smoke was burned by the flame, it transformed into a mystical, golden strand that bordered between illusion and reality.
The strand started to extend in all directions and steadily took the form of some esoteric shape.
It was an incomplete circle, and the traces within exuded an indescribable, archaic air and inscrutable aura. Li Luo tried to call to mind the image of it, but he instantly felt a sharp pain stabbing through his head. It seemed that just trying to imagine the concept of this object would erode his will.
He felt a little shocked. Just what was this thing?
Regardless, the gold strand continued to spread until a point where it stopped. At this moment, an object that reminded one of a halo of light took shape within Li Luo's body.
This auric halo was not complete, and it seemed to be full of gaps. However, at the three corners of the halo were three different spots of light that were slowly taking shape.
There was one with scintillating water flowing within, another had the silhouette of a swaying tree, whilst the last was a coiled-up dragon.
Wasn't this the representation of his three resonances?
The resonances were each illuminating an empty space within the auric halo. It seemed like they had filled up the gaps perfectly.
Li Luo fell into a daze as he felt slightly overwhelmed. The enigmatic halo seemed to have adapted to fit his resonances perfectly.
Was this coincidence? Or perhaps was it that disciples of the Sacred Void Resonance Sect would undergo a change that suited them after the ritual?
Additionally, there were still gaps in the halo that had not been filled up, so it seemed as though he needed even more resonances to complete it.
He felt puzzled at what was going on. However, this was not the time to think about it. With the woodearth resonance's evolution, Li Luo's resonant power had soared and strengthened immensely yet again.
His resonant power was about to break through, and with that, he would reach a whole new cultivation level.
Thus, he retracted his mental state and flicked his hand, sending the Nine Orifices Dipper Smelting Pill flying into his mouth.
Pristine and violent medicinal power burst in his body like a volcano. With a thought, he fused the medicine with his rising resonant power, finally preparing himself for his long-awaited breakthrough.