Absolute Resonance

Chapter 382: Thousand Watery Knives Art

Splash!

The watery blade cut down with fearful strength, hissing through the air with a shrill hum.

It scored a blow against the armor of the advanced absinthe puppet, leaving a deep, marked gash.

The advanced absinthe puppet clearly had quite powerful defenses, but it was useless against the powerful serrating capabilities of Thousand Watery Knives art, that was created to cut armor.

“Not a bad offensive skill at all,” Li Luo congratulated himself. This Thousand Watery Knives art was the latest resonance art that he had been working on. It was the advanced form of Water Edge Art. Water Edge Art coated one’s weapons to increase the penetrability and damage, but Thousand Watery Knives art manipulated resonant power itself through the blade in a stream. This created a much more powerful and far-reaching attack.

Even among the tiger-general resonance arts, this was considered a difficult one to master. Li Luo had set his eye on it a long time ago, but had not met with success… not until he reached the Fifth Pattern and his resonant power finally reached the requirements.

But although he was well-satisfied with the results, he could see that there was still plenty of space to grow the skill. For example, he could add light resonant energy to increase the speed of the water resonant power. Perhaps it could even rival a dragon-general resonance art in power.

However, modifying skills like that was not an easy task. Thousand Watery Knives art was difficult enough as it was.

Li Luo still had his eyes locked onto the advanced absinthe puppet. With its chest injured, the green energy dimmed a little, but did not fade. The puppets were like zombies, incapable of feeling pain. It clutched its wooden spear and continued charging, albeit a little shakily.

Leaning forward on the balls of his feet, Li Luo reveled in the power of his swords as he slashed the air in anticipation.

Dang!

The two figures crossed again. Li Luo’s left sword blocked the incoming spear, while his right sword landed precisely along the previous slash he had landed with the power of a waterfall. The advanced absinthe puppet was cleaved cleanly into two, dissolving into green mist.

He had taken care of the advanced absinthe puppet in record time, and now he turned back to Bai Mengmeng and Xin Fu. Xin Fu had already locked down the First Changing absinthe puppet, although he was clearly at his limits. His resonance affinity was not suited to head-on battle.

As for Bai Mengmeng, she was keeping the other absinthe puppets occupied. She had not touched a single one of them at all, instead creating an endless stream of replicates. The low-intelligence absinthe puppets simply attacked whatever was in front of them, and so she had a more straightforward time.

Li Luo prioritized Xin Fu. With his added strength, the battle was swiftly concluded. The First Changing absinthe puppet fell within a minute to their combined strength, cut down cleanly and dissolving into mist.

With the two greatest threats mitigated, the two boys went to help Bai Mengmeng finish off the other absinthe puppets, and then the 20th level was clear and empty.

The three flopped to the floor in ungainly fashion, tired but exuberant.

Three portions of green energy appeared from above, descending into them.

The warm and pure energy was bliss, and the three closed their eyes, enjoying the rewards of their labor.

While Li Luo and the others absorbed the absinthe energy, the other squads found that the mist on their platform was gradually fading away.

It was the same phenomenon that had happened at the end of the last few days. It meant that the quota of absinthe energy had been reached for today.

Clearly, Li Luo and the others had taken the rest of the quota with their triumph over the 20th level.

“Damn, Li Luo beat us to it.” Qin Zhulu said regretfully as his opponent faded away.

They had been preparing for their own 20th level challenge, but were a step behind. Li Luo’s squad had taken the lion’s share of the energy today.

“When did Li Luo become so strong?” Yin Yue sighed to herself.

Although Li Luo had performed well enough in the past, but many of the One Star Hall students still regarded Qin Zhulu as the strongest in their year. However, Li Luo’s performance during the special training had outshone Qin Zhulu’s own showing.

“Seems like the One Star Hall representative for the ticket match will be between you two,” Lu Qing’er told her leader.

Qin Zhulu’s eyes shone with great excitement.

“I don’t really care about representing. I just want to fight with him all out.”

…

“That guy’s gotten ridiculously good after going to the Golden Dragon Dao Fields,” Yu Lang complained.

Bai Doudou looked at him sidelong. “Li Luo came out of Southwind Academy, same as you. Look how far he’s pulled ahead. You better not be thinking of slacking off during this month of special training.”

Yu Lang was crestfallen. What gave you the idea that all students who walked out of Southwind Academy were the same anyway?! Jiang Qing’e came out of Southwind Academy too. Am I supposed to compare myself to her too?! This woman could be very unreasonable at times.

Still, his past painful beatings told him that now was the time to nod and shelve his emotions, before another painful beating was added to the grand collection.

…

“Dual resonances are quite impressive. That 20th level advanced absinthe puppet must be a Second Changing? To finish it with some composure… Li Luo’s really untouchable now,” Yi Lisha said admiringly.

“I guess the ticket match representative is Li Luo’s. Qin Zhulu seems like he can’t beat him now. I wonder if he might even be the strongest One Star Hall contender at the Holy Grail Meet? That would be a real glory that Astral Sage College hasn’t seen before.” Qian Ye said to his team. Yi Lisha started. “Strongest One Star Hall student in East Divine Continent eh… that’s a pretty bold declaration.”

“Don’t you think it’s possible?” Qian Ye laughed.

Yi Lisha hesitated. “It’s very difficult. Even with dual resonances, we can’t estimate the power that other elite schools have. Who wouldn’t come to the Holy Grail Meet with their best preparations?”

“In truth, I wouldn’t be surprised no matter what sort of monster appears at the Holy Grail Meet.”

“Well, we’ll just have to see.”

Si Qiuying listened to her two teammates talk, her mood dull. She was remembering a fateful day half a year ago, when this youth had been completely unremarkable. And now people were considering him as the strongest One Star Hall student in the whole of the East Divine Continent?

When had this guy reached such heights?

…

Compared to the half-celebratory mood of the other squads, Wang Hejiu and Duze Beixuan’s squad had the grimmest mood of them all.

Both of them were looking bitter. They were the ones who wanted to see such an outcome the least. After all, both of them bore a grudge against Li Luo, not to mention that their own mentor also wanted to see him fall.

None of them had seen Li Luo as a rival back at the beginning, disdaining him back when school had first started.

And now they realized that the one they had held in contempt was a step ahead of them. That was hard to stomach.

But Li Luo was already ahead of them now. Catch back up to him? Easier said than done.

“We have to think of something,” Wang Hejiu said tersely.”Otherwise we’ll never be able to catch up to Li Luo during the special training. If this chance passes us, we might never get another one to turn the tables.”

Duze Beixuan’s eyes glittered as he nodded.