Chapter 1117: Crossing the River

"Light phase energy?!"

At the edge of the Black Marsh, one gaze after another stared in astonishment at the light phase energy condensing on Li Luo's fingertip, a look of shock surfacing in every pair of eyes.

Even Yin Yue Zhiyu of the Holy Light Ancient Academy cast a surprised look over, clearly not having expected Li Luo to also possess a light phase.

But, according to the intelligence she had, although this Li Luo was a "Tri-Phase User," he only had water, wood, and dragon phases — so where had this light phase suddenly come from?

"Li Luo, you, how many phases do you actually have?!" Lu Ming was the first to cry out in shock. One had to remember that during the "Holy Grail Battle," Li Luo had only been a dual-phase user like her, yet in just over a year apart, he had become a tri-phase user, and now another light phase had popped up?

Are phases really being born so casually these days?

Three phases was already shocking enough — if this really turned out to be a fourth phase, what kind of monster would that be? And on top of that, Li Luo hadn't even been ennobled yet!

Feng Lingyuan gazed at the light phase energy flowing from Li Luo's fingertip, and her eyes shifted slightly. In truth, when she had observed Li Luo in battle before, she had faintly sensed that his phase energy was somewhat unique — its composition was very complex, as if it wasn't merely the three phases revealed on the surface.

It was just that Li Luo had never deliberately revealed it before, and since three phases was already terrifying enough, most people simply never considered the possibility of more.

Moreover, judging from the light phase energy Li Luo displayed, its depth seemed somewhat lacking, and the sacred, purifying aura it gave off was a bit weaker than other people's light phase energy.

"Your light phase... could it be an auxiliary phase?" Feng Lingyuan asked, somewhat surprised.

Li Luo heard this and did not hide it, nodding with a smile: "Senior Lingyuan has sharp eyes. This light phase is indeed only an auxiliary phase — for now I can only make do with it."

Hearing this, everyone finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. So it was an auxiliary phase. Auxiliary phases could be born by relying on extremely rare and precious natural treasures. Although such things were also extremely hard to come by — treasures that all top powers would fight over — given Li Luo's status, it wasn't impossible he had obtained one.

Still, although an auxiliary phase wasn't as shocking as a true fourth phase, everyone understood clearly that an auxiliary phase was still a phase. Although its role was more of a supplementary nature, that very supplementary nature could bring many conveniences and special means.

And Li Luo himself was already a tri-phase user — adding another layer of auxiliary phase on top of that... no wonder he could repeatedly overcome higher-level opponents, his own phase energy far surpassing peers of the same level.

The gazes directed at Li Luo all grew somewhat complicated. Three phases plus an auxiliary phase — the rarity of such a phase configuration, in a certain sense, might not be inferior to a Mid-Ninth Grade phase, right?

Those students of the Holy Light Ancient Academy who had previously been sour about Li Luo winning Jiang Qing's favor, attributing it mostly to family background, could no longer overlook Li Luo's own talent at this point.

Wei Zhonglou's gaze also lingered on the light phase energy flowing from Li Luo's fingertip. A shadow of gloom flashed deep in his eyes, but his face showed no other emotion. He merely said flatly: "Since Li Luo also possesses light phase energy, I suppose your side should have some river-crossing power as well."

"Still not enough — share one with us, will you?" Deng Changbai hurriedly said upon hearing this.

Although Li Luo also had a light phase, it was after all only an auxiliary phase. Even adding him in, their side would only have four light phases in total, and the strongest among them was a True Seal-level student with a Lower Eighth Grade light phase. Compared to the Holy Light Ancient Academy's side, this was honestly a bit shabby.

After all, the other side still had Yin Yue Zhiyu, a Da Tian Xiang Jing powerhouse with a Lower Ninth Grade light phase. With her protection, the sense of safety was through the roof.

"Sorry, we can barely look after ourselves." Wei Zhonglou declined blandly, and his words drew agreement from many Holy Light Ancient Academy students. This Black Marsh was bizarre and terrifying right now — only light phase was the lamp of guidance and shelter. If Wei Zhonglou casually gave away their own light phase users, that would instead earn contempt.

"Let's go." Wei Zhonglou looked at Yin Yue Zhiyu and said.

Yin Yue Zhiyu withdrew her gaze from Li Luo. She didn't say anything more, but instead, holding a human-skin lantern, stepped directly onto the water's surface and took the lead.

Light radiated from the lantern in her hand, dispersing the thick white fog and the eerie figures beneath the pitch-black water.

Then the other Holy Light Ancient Academy students hurriedly followed. The other students who possessed light phases held lanterns and stood at the four corners of the formation, beams of light radiating outward to envelop the entire group.

It was indeed quite ample.

Watching the Holy Light Ancient Academy's team begin to cross the water, Feng Lingyuan hesitated for a moment, then could only instruct: "Let's set off too. Zhou Yao, you take the front — I'll stick close to protect you."

The one named Zhou Yao was a delicate-looking girl, the highest-grade light phase user in the team, reaching Lower Eighth Grade. She was a student of the Lower Academy of the Celestial Star Academy, her strength at the Xiao Tian Xiang Jing True Seal level.

This Zhou Yao clearly had an introverted and timid personality, usually keeping an extremely low profile and drawing no attention. Upon hearing Feng Lingyuan's words now, her small face also showed some fear and hesitation, but there was no choice. She could usually hide, but right now she was the only Lower Eighth Grade light phase user — the highest in the team — so she could only grit her teeth and step onto the water's surface, her small hand gripping the human-skin lantern tightly.

Then the rest of the team followed one after another, but because they had too few light phase users on their side, to ensure safety everyone stuck extremely close together, their breaths hitting each other's faces, full of tension and unease.

After all, the Black Marsh before them, deep as an abyss, was truly daunting to behold.

Li Luo was also holding a human-skin lantern at this moment. He activated the light phase within his body, and strands of light phase energy flowed into it. The sacred phase energy intertwined with the alien aura within, and instantly, like cold water splashed into a hot oil pan, a shrill shriek erupted, while an unusual radiance spread outward.

The pitch-black water beneath their feet also began to turn clear.

However, the light from Li Luo's lantern only extended about a zhang or so, barely covering a circle around him. Compared to Zhou Yao and the other two, his light was noticeably dimmer, and compared to Yin Yue Zhiyu there was simply no comparison — hers blazed like a raging bonfire in the darkness.

At this moment Li Luo found himself missing Jiang Jiang Qinge. If her pair of Ninth Grade light phases were here, the sacred light from one person alone could probably shelter everyone.

The sacred and purifying effect of the light phase did indeed hold tremendous advantage when facing aliens.

"Stay close behind me," Li Luo said to Lu Ming, Jing Jing Taixu, Sun Sun Dasheng, and the others beside him.

These Three Star Academy students from the Holy Academies were the most vulnerable here, with almost no ability to protect themselves. Yet the team couldn't abandon them either, because when fierce battles arose, they came with their own "energy pack" auxiliary effect, and this effect could often provide decisive help.

The three of them understood their situation and all nodded solemnly. After experiencing the Ancient Academy's missions, they felt that the Dark Cave missions they had carried out before were honestly beneath contempt.

But this only made them feel even more keenly how vast the gap between themselves and Li Luo was. They were all of similar age, yet Li Luo here not only didn't need anyone's protection — he could shelter others.

While complex emotions flowed through their hearts, everyone had already stepped onto the pitch-black water's surface. Through the thick white fog, eerie, chilling whispers kept drifting over, stirring fear in people's hearts.

"Move!"

Accompanied by Feng Lingyuan's soft command, the team stepped forward across the water. Protected by the sacred radiance from four lanterns, they tore through the eerie, chilling white fog and gradually made their way toward the depths of this vast, expansive Black Marsh.

Beneath the black water, countless white shadows writhed, and one pair after another of sinister, eerie eyes stared at the people walking on the water's surface.

Meanwhile, in another direction of the Black Marsh, figures carrying coffins on their backs also revealed themselves. They gazed at the people sheltered within the lantern lights on the distant water's surface, and a crimson gleam surfaced in their eyes.

The figure carrying the blood coffin grinned, the smile looking somewhat ferocious: "Looks like we might be able to use this Black Marsh to get some blood food for our baby to whet its appetite first."

As the words fell, he walked straight into the Black Marsh, and his body gradually sank into the pitch-black water.

The black water engulfed his body, and countless aliens swarmed toward him. But just then, the blood coffin on his back suddenly let out a piercing, eerie shriek, and even the coffin lid was trembling — tentacles of sticky, blood-red flesh poked out from the cracks.

The swarming aliens hearing this sound immediately scattered and fled in all directions.

The blood coffin bearer, along with the black coffin bearers, swiftly departed into the distance beneath the water.

And their direction was precisely where the two academy teams were.