Chapter 484: Li Luo’s Resplendence
Hundreds of shadows ascended into the skies simultaneously, and the atmosphere reached fever pitch.
The curtains over the event were about to unveil the main attraction, an eye-opening show of anima cacophony.
Everyone was clear that they had reached the tipping point of the competition, and also their final opportunity to shine. The events that occurred after this would only involve the best of the best.
In the midst of the raucous excitement, Li Luo led his group into the anima storm with the Stairway to Heaven being his aim. Qin Zhulu, Bai Doudou, and the rest gently landed on the stone platform on his right side.
There were four stone platforms in total, situated on both sides of the Stairway to Heaven.
As per the rules, each stone platform was to be manned by a sage college with the intention that they would share the burden of resisting the torrential amounts of energy raining down upon them. As one ascended the Stairway to Heaven, the flow of energy would grow increasingly strong, to a point where a single individual like Li Luo would be unable to handle it alone.
This also included the likes of Jing Taixu. The monstrous tides of energy was not something so easily resisted.
The Academic Federation had specifically designed the competition with this in mind. The anima cumulonimbus was not to be monopolized by a single college. Cooperation was the key to victory.
Thus, as Li Luo gradually approached the steps, the anima cumulonimbus seemed to come to life, increasing the pressure upon him. Without a glance, Qin Zhulu and the students from the other three colleges made their way atop the stone platforms.
There was no hesitation as they took their positions. The strongest participants were placed at the fore with the rest shoring up the defenses. They would correspondingly be subject to mightier resistance than their peers situated slightly further away.
As these four chosen ones stepped upon the Stairway to Heaven, berserk tides of energy immediately crashed down upon them without warning.
However, something different occurred this time. As the energy rushed towards the challenger, four vortexes magically appeared which siphoned off some of the energy, directly surging into the individuals atop the stone platforms.
Qin Zhulu and the rest had their first taste of the savage flows of the anima cumulonimbus.
The torrential roar of the energy surge caused the expressions on their faces to warp in horror. This frightening pressure felt like a mountain was placed atop them, suffocating them gradually.
Just how monstrous was the pressure Li Luo had endured?
Resonant power surged as everyone gave their all to struggle against the energy waves. The longer they could hold on, the lighter the burden on Li Luo.
Whilst his companions were sharing the burden, Li Luo indeed had a significantly easier time than he did in his first encounter with the anima cumulonimbus. However, he was very clear that this was merely the beginning.
As the ceaseless discharge from the anima cumulonimbus continued, the energy would rise in intensity and strength.
Not wasting any time, he took measured steps as he ascended slowly.
Brandishing his weapon in front of him and wreathed in a veil of flowing resonant power, each step was deliberate and heavy.
A similar scene could be seen on the other three Stairways to Heaven. Jing Taixu, Sun Dasheng, and Lu Ming, however, were moving slightly quicker than Li Luo. Resonant power surged out of them endlessly, counteracting the energy waves and allowing them to fly forth.
Out of the three, Jing Taixu seemed to have the easiest time as he effortlessly led the pack. Sun Dasheng and Lu Ming, on the other hand, were slightly slower but on par with each other.
The sole individual remaining was Li Luo, who was trudging along in last place.
The stark display led the students from the other colleges to shake their heads in disapproval. Li Luo’s relatively weaker Second Changing tier showed its disadvantage here. His previous performance seemed to have forced him to his limit, and whether he could ascend to the peak of the Stairway to Heaven remained to be seen.
It would be a sight to behold if he was inevitably flushed away.
Some people relished in his misfortune. They did not have the right to struggle for a piece of the anima storm, and seeing someone else knocked down to their level brought them cathartic release. The jeering looks did not faze Li Luo. He was no stranger to them after all. Witnessing the other three’s rapid ascent did not worry him, as he fully understood that this was a natural advantage conferred by greater resonant power. He had his own set of preparations that he had hidden up his sleeves.
Continuing to move relentlessly, he hacked at the space in front of him with the Onyx-Elephant Blade, blade light tearing a path through the energy waves.
Meanwhile, waterlight resonant power continued to gather within his other hand, forming a seal that seemed to be constantly in flux, emitting a shimmering light.
Li Luo’s experience with the Stairway to Heaven had taught him that the strength of the energy waves pushing against him would rise in intensity every thirty steps. This would repeat all the way till he reached the peak.
There were several hundred steps, and by extension, the magnitude of the energy waves crashing upon him would rise by over ten times as a result.
His unfaltering efforts eventually led him to step upon the thirtieth step.
It was as though a raging dragon was heaving right before him, a splendid torrent of energy coalescing before his very eyes, rushing headfirst into him.
Yet Li Luo did not hesitate when faced with this frightening display of energy. Instead of resorting to his previous strategy of forcefully cleaving a path and blunting his momentum, he kicked himself forward, taking the initiative to collide against the energy wave directly.
It was like watching a lion cub struggling against a raging river, a pitiful ant struggling against the force of nature.
Numerous gazes turned to focus upon him as they gasped in shock. Had this arrogant guy finally lost his marbles? Was he trying to prove his lack of something with this act? Even the front runner, Jing Taixu, would refrain from such a barbaric tactic despite his superior resonant prowess, opting to weaken the momentum of the energy waves before finding the path of least resistance. Li Luo on the other hand? Was he a moth flying into a flame?
Instead, he raised his palm, the waterlight resonant power gathered within. In a flash, several water mirrors appeared before him, with a stream of light connecting them.
These water mirrors were connected to each other like a phalanx, forming a larger water mirror several meters in length.
“Waterlight Demon Mirror Phalanx.”
Torrents of energy screamed past as they rushed at him, finally clashing with the water mirror in front of him. At the point of contact, the water mirror emitted a stupendous amount of retaliatory force before it shattered, offsetting the energy waves with an equally ferocious counter strike.
It was akin to seeing two massive rivers crashing into each other, converging at a single point.
The repercussions shifted the heavens and the earth!
Boom!
A thunderous boom echoed from the Stairway to Heaven, shaking its very foundations to the core.
It was a sight of absolute horror as the titanic torrent of energy had been struck violently and been viciously ripped apart. What remained was a path of emptiness, an unobstructed avenue for one to pass through.
This was the moment Li Luo had been waiting for. Taking advantage of this moment of calm, he launched himself forward without hesitation, each stride covering over five steps.
The waves of energy would take time to replenish, and this short period of time was his best chance to advance quickly.
In a blink, he had taken over twenty steps, directly overtaking Sun Dasheng and Lu Ming, nipping on Jing Taixu’s heels.
The rapid scaling of the stairway left countless dumbfounded and in awe. This was an incomprehensible sight. Just how had Li Luo ignored the energy torrent and directly bound upwards without resistance?
How had he created that heaven-sundering force that had torn the energy waves apart?
Was this the power someone at the Resonant Master Stage could even muster?
The ones who were most shocked were the other three geniuses. They couldn’t believe their eyes, and for the first time, they felt a strange sense of competition coming from this dark horse.
Just what had happened?
(TL Note: Its Li Luo’s slap you back in the face special technique of course!)