Chapter 1046: Chapter One Thousand and Fifty-Four: The Golden Talisman

Dragon Fang Mountain Range.

In the first two days after Li Luo returned to the Dragon Fang Mountain Range, apart from paying one visit to Li Li Rouyun, he kept his doors shut the rest of the time, letting his whole person relax, setting aside all other matters and entering a state of recuperation.

After all, this trip to the Spirit Phase Cave Heaven had been fraught with extreme peril for Li Luo — the targeting by the heaven's prides of every faction, the assault from the True Demons, and even the appearance at the very end of a terrifying existence at the king level.

Although Li Luo had ultimately survived, he was honestly somewhat exhausted in both body and mind.

Such a state was not suited to taut cultivation; alternating tension and ease was the way to go in the long run.

Two days later, in the cultivation chamber of the small building.

Li Luo, full of vigor, sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his eyes slightly closed, entering a state of cultivation. The cultivation art he was now activating was precisely that one Condensing Pearl Art obtained from the Spirit Phase Cave Heaven.

Three Palaces Six Phases Condensing Pearl Art!

After stepping into the Tian Zhu Jing, this so-called Condensing Pearl Art became especially important — the more formidable the Condensing Pearl Art, the faster and stronger the efficiency of condensing the Heavenly Pearls.

At this moment, the three phase palaces within Li Luo's body hummed and trembled like engines, while the six phases were projected outward, transforming into six phase affinities in the void behind him.

Water, Light!

Wood, Earth!

Dragon, Thunder!

As the six phases echoed one another, they stirred the world's vital energy into surging motion, after which streams of energy of differing attributes were drawn out, pouring ceaselessly into his body.

Behind Li Luo, three orbs of light, resplendent as stars, drifted slowly, dazzling to the eye.

Beyond the position of the third orb, a faint speck of light, accompanied by the ceaseless pouring in of that world's vital energy, gradually bloomed with thread after thread of radiance, slowly growing stronger.

That was the embryonic form of the fourth Heavenly Pearl.

It had been less than ten days since Li Luo's last breakthrough to the three-star Heavenly Pearl, and now this fourth embryonic form had already taken shape. Apart from the credit owed to the might of the "Three Palaces Six Phases Condensing Pearl Art," the great battle Li Luo ultimately experienced in that Spirit Phase Cave Heaven also contributed.

After all, amid such life and death, one's essence, qi, and spirit were highly refined, which was greatly beneficial to cultivation as well.

This cultivation continued for a long while before that surging world's vital energy gradually subsided. Li Luo's tightly shut eyes opened accordingly; with a single thought, the embryonic form of that fourth Heavenly Pearl behind him drifted before his eyes.

He sensed the progress of this Heavenly Pearl and nodded slightly.

"This 'Three Palaces Six Phases Condensing Pearl Art' truly is extraordinary. At this pace, in at most another half a month, this fourth Heavenly Pearl will be able to be condensed into shape," Li Luo murmured to himself.

This pace would likely drive others into ecstasy, but Li Luo still felt it was not quite enough.

Because his expectation for his own Tian Zhu Jing was inevitably the nine-star Heavenly Pearl — only thus could his own foundation and roots reach the most stable tier.

Then, to reach nine stars, he still needed to condense five more Heavenly Pearls, and in the Tian Zhu Jing, the further back the Heavenly Pearl, the more the difficulty of condensing multiplied.

Therefore, even with the augmentation of the "Three Palaces Six Phases Condensing Pearl Art," ordinary cultivation would probably still require nearly a year to reach the nine-star Tian Zhu Jing.

But Li Luo did not have that much time — the goal he had set for himself was half a year!

Within half a year, he must achieve the nine-star Tian Zhu Jing!

And at this pace, relying solely on the "Three Palaces Six Phases Condensing Pearl Art" was clearly insufficient, so this also required the aid of some external resources.

Thinking of this, Li Luo's palm swept across his spatial orb, and a crystal core radiating an arcane fluctuation appeared in his hand — precisely the "Mysterious Heart Spirit Core" he had obtained from the White Ape.

He had previously given some away, but he still had quite a stockpile remaining on hand, just right for cultivation.

Moreover, the truly precious aspect of the "Mysterious Heart Spirit Core" was not the pure energy it contained, but rather the power of the "Origin Mysterious Heart Fruit" contained within it.

The "Origin Mysterious Heart Fruit" could aid one in comprehending the origin of phase affinities.

"Origin of phase affinities..."

A strange glint flashed through Li Luo's eyes. This origin of phase affinities was a wondrous thing only the Tian Xiang Jing could touch — it was the cornerstone for forging the Marquis Platform in the future. Before the Tian Xiang Jing, under normal circumstances, it could not be touched, but this "Origin Mysterious Heart Fruit" could accomplish this impossible feat.

Li Luo directly placed the "Mysterious Heart Spirit Core" into his mouth and held it there, then circulated the "Three Palaces Six Phases Condensing Pearl Art."

In the next instant, he sensed a cool energy emanating from within that "Mysterious Heart Spirit Core," swiftly flowing toward the inside of his body.

Boom!

The three phase palaces within his body suddenly thundered at this moment, and the phase affinities within them all erupted with intense waves of longing.

But after a brief deliberation, Li Luo channeled these arcane energies into the "Water-Light Phase Palace."

Within the Water-Light Phase Palace, there was a lake, its waters clear and bright, radiating an indescribable sense of purity; within the lake, it seemed as if a sacred luster flowed.

This lake was the evolution of Li Luo's own Water-Light phase.

In days past, the surface of this lake had been calm, but now the waters churned, surging into hundred-zhang waves that rolled outward in all directions, the rumbling sound echoing within the phase palace.

Within the phase palace, suddenly a continuous drizzle descended, falling into the lake waters.

This drizzle was exceedingly arcane — within every single raindrop, there seemed to flow a wondrous aura, an aura carrying a flavor of returning to simplicity.

The drizzle was precisely the transformation of the energy of the "Mysterious Heart Spirit Core."

As the drizzle fell ceaselessly into the lake waters, golden threads of light appeared within the waters, gathering ceaselessly, faintly seeming as if they were about to evolve into something.

Li Luo knew that was the so-called "origin of phase affinities."

But in the end, when the energy of this one "Mysterious Heart Spirit Core" was completely exhausted, the "origin of phase affinities" had only formed halfway. Li Luo could already roughly make out its appearance — it seemed to be an incomplete "golden talisman."

"This is the origin of phase affinities?"

Li Luo murmured with keen interest. After the Tian Xiang Jing, one would need to cultivate this thing, ultimately using it to forge the Marquis Platform, hm?

Under Li Luo's gaze, that incomplete "golden talisman" ceaselessly radiated a faint golden light, dyeing the nearby lake waters a faint gold, and these lake waters tinged with gold seemed to become brighter and purer.

"One Mysterious Heart Spirit Core is actually still not enough?"

Li Luo raised an eyebrow slightly, but this was no problem — he still had quite a few "Mysterious Heart Spirit Cores" remaining on hand, more than enough for him to squander.

So he took out another "Mysterious Heart Spirit Core" and, without the slightest heartache, swallowed and refined it.

Within the Water-Light Phase Palace, the continuous drizzle descended once more.

In this manner, when Li Luo had consumed four "Mysterious Heart Spirit Cores," he finally saw that, within the clear lake evolved by the Water-Light phase, a complete "golden talisman" had fully taken shape.

That "golden talisman" radiated an ancient aura of origin; it was like a fish brimming with spirituality, swimming joyfully within the lake, and wherever it swam, the lake waters formed by the Water-Light phase force seemed to become even more refined.

Moreover, that "golden talisman" was still devouring this Water-Light phase force, as if feasting — but this was not a bottomless devouring, for after it had eaten and drunk its fill, the "golden talisman" seemed to emit some trembling, and in the next instant, a golden water droplet actually leaked out from within that "golden talisman."

The golden water droplet floated upon the water's surface, and within its interior flowed an ancient, wondrous aura.

Li Luo opened his eyes, a look of deep thought appearing in them; he flicked his finger, and a stream of Xiang Li shot out, swirling around his body.

Then, with a thought, the "golden water droplet" emitted by the "golden talisman" drifted free and merged directly into that stream of Xiang Li.

Boom!

In the instant of merger, that stream of Xiang Li surged with astonishing force—not only did it grow thicker and more potent, but the Xiang Li flowing within seemed refined, becoming denser and more formidable.

Clearly, this was due to the amplifying effect of the "golden water droplet."

Sensing the intensity of the amplification, Li Luo's face showed surprise; the golden water droplet contained primordial qi, capable of amplifying pure Xiang Li—and this was precisely the advantage of the Tian Xiang Jing.

He had not expected that, through the "Zhu Xuan Xin Ling He," he could already access this technique ahead of time.

No wonder Qin Yi and the others were so eager for the "Primordial Zhu Xuan Heart Fruit"; for those beneath the Tian Xiang Jing, it was indeed a valuable treasure.

Li Luo's eyes brightened; he touched the space orb on his wrist. With his current stock, he should be able to forge several "golden talismans," and these "golden talismans" would refine into golden water droplets containing "primordial qi."

If he used all these "golden water droplets" in battle, his Xiang Li would gain tremendous amplification in a short time.

This greatly enhanced his combat power.

"Good."

Li Luo finally rose, satisfied, ending today's cultivation.

Tomorrow, he should go to the Qing Ming Flag and accelerate progress on the Sha Mo Cave.

Only after resolving these matters could he set out for the Tian Yuan Ancient Academy.