Chapter 1232: Refining Star Pearls, Strength Advances

A star pearl transformed into pure energy that surged into Li Luo's body, then was swiftly refined into wisps of phase force that flowed into the three phase palaces.

"The energy is indeed very pure, and refining it is relatively easy. One star pearl is worth several days of effort for an ordinary person."

However, for Li Luo, the effect wasn't that strong, but it was still better than normal cultivation. Moreover, he possessed a massive quantity of star pearls, and with the advantage of sheer volume, they could still bring him tremendous benefits.

Additionally, Li Luo discovered that as the star pearl's energy was refined, a faint trace of golden energy rose up and took roost within his body.

Li Luo's mind sensed it, and this wisp of energy seemed to emit an extremely violent fluctuation, like a wild and untamed little young beast.

"What is this?"

Li Luo was somewhat surprised. When his mind made contact with it, he actually sensed a thread of information transmitted from within.

"Heavenly Dragon Golden Gang: when a meteor from the River of Boundaries passes through the 'Golden Scaled Cloud Dragon Array', it is transformed by the great formation into a stream of energy that can condense into gang within the body. This gang possesses both offensive and defensive power. All members of the Heavenly Dragon Five Guards must cultivate it within themselves. When forming the array, furious gang erupts forth, capable of annihilating all enemies."

Only then did Li Luo realize that this was a special secret art configured by Li Li Tianwang's lineage for the Heavenly Dragon Five Guards. This so-called star pearl could not only enhance one's strength, but refining it would also grant him this breath of golden gang energy.

This would evidently be a powerful offensive technique of the Heavenly Dragon Five Guards.

This technique also didn't require deliberate cultivation, because its source relied on star pearls. The more star pearls refined, the stronger the might of this breath of golden gang.

"Looks like I picked up a free trick."

Li Luo's mind stirred, and a hundred star pearls spiraled around his body. As they rotated, he crushed them all at once, and immediately surging energy flooded into his body.

The energy transformed from a hundred star pearls instantly became enormous, flooding into Li Luo's body and for a time making him slightly flustered. Fortunately, however, this energy was extremely pure, so after roughly one shichen, it transformed into majestic phase force that flowed into the phase palaces.

At the same time, the so-called "Heavenly Dragon Golden Gang's" somewhat violent energy also began to grow majestic.

Feeling his phase force gradually rising, Li Luo was quite satisfied. Then he suddenly opened his eyes, because he sensed the appearance of an extremely enormous energy fluctuation.

And when he opened his eyes, he was astonished to see tens of thousands of star pearls spiraling in mid-air above this golden lotus platform. At the same time, numerous Dragon Fang Guard members held Heavenly Dragon Jade in their hands, from which wisps of flowing light drilled out and landed upon this massive lotus platform.

Immediately the lotus platform erupted with dazzling golden light. The golden light swept outward, seemingly transforming into an incomparably massive dragon shadow. The dragon shadow coiled, encircling the tens of thousands of star pearls. The next instant, it breathed out a breath of dragon and began refining these star pearls.

As the dragon breath gradually refined the star pearls, an immensely enormous energy immediately emanated, like a pool of pure energy water.

However, Li Luo discovered that this energy pool formed from the star pearls in the hands of the numerous Dragon Fang Guard members, under the burning of that dragon breath, was instead gradually becoming somewhat mottled.

But the thickness of its energy was increasing at a startling speed.

Li Luo gazed at this scene, lost in thought.

Evidently, this was also a special method belonging to the Heavenly Dragon Five Guards—gathering the star pearls of other ordinary members, then activating a formation within the golden lotus platform, using the power of the great formation to perform some kind of enhancement upon these star pearls.

This enhancement would increase the thickness of the star pearls' energy, but it would also bring some drawbacks, namely causing the energy to lose its previous purity.

To absorb and refine this kind of energy required not only more time, but afterward one would also have to find a way to purge the impurities within one's body. It was indeed a rather troublesome matter.

But everything ultimately required paying some price. At the very least, the energy they had currently obtained was already a hundred times more than the star pearls they originally possessed.

This should be a welfare measure the Heavenly Dragon Five Guards had set up for ordinary members—it both guaranteed resources for top-tier members and gave ordinary members more opportunities.

Li Luo merely watched curiously for a while, then withdrew his gaze. This method was prepared for ordinary members of the Five Guards and wasn't suitable for him. After all, for him, the most precious thing right now was time. He wished he could directly refine the more than thirty thousand star pearls in his hands within a single day—how could he possibly use that method to make them mottled, thereby making them even harder to absorb?

Moreover, this method seemed to only be activated by relying on large numbers of ordinary members using their respective Heavenly Dragon Jade. Otherwise, even Li Foluo alone could not use it.

At this thought, Li Luo's palm swept across his spatial orb, and immediately starry light scattered across the sky. Several hundred more star pearls spiraled around his body, then shattered one by one, transforming into resplendent star rainbows that he drew into his body.

As surging phase force flowed into the three phase palaces, Li Luo also sensed that his Heavenly Xiang Diagram was gradually becoming increasingly vast and magnificent.

In this immersion, seven days passed unnoticed.

During those seven days, the golden lotus platform, originally packed with people, had become sparsely populated. The Five Guards members had successively withdrawn and gone to continue carrying out their various tasks.

Only a handful of figures remained, perhaps because their harvest this time was so abundant that they were still immersed in cultivation.

Among them was Li Luo.

At this moment, a massive energy vortex flowed around him, concealing his figure within it. Although one couldn't see his form, from the continuously emanating majestic energy fluctuations, one could still sense that Li Luo's strength seemed to be advancing by leaps and bounds.

Jiang Qing stood not far away, her gaze fixed upon that massive energy vortex. Her refinement had ended several days earlier—after all, she herself was at the Marquis Realm and possessed a Ten-Pillar Golden Platform, so her refinement speed naturally far surpassed Li Luo's.

After finishing her refinement, she did not leave, but stayed here guarding Li Luo to prevent any accidents.

Beside her were Li Hongyou, Li Li Fengyi, Li Li Jingtao, and others keeping her company—evidently they all cared greatly about Li Luo's progress this time.

After all, there were only three days left until the day of ascending the stairs.

"That Long Xue Guard's Li Qingbai has been spouting nonsense everywhere these past few days, saying that although Commander Li Luo has talent, his temperament is overly arrogant—that a mere Da Tian Xiang Jing dares to reach for the position of Commander, and that he's using his status to seek personal gain." While waiting, Li Li Fuling said beside Li Li Fengyi.

Li Li Fengyi, upon hearing this, immediately raised her willow brows and cursed: "This Li Qingbai is truly shameless! He's clearly just jealous of Third Brother's performance on the Falling Star Platform! He's deliberately trying to slander him!"

Li Li Fuling nodded and said: "Just based on the benefits Li Luo secured for Dragon Fang Guard on this Falling Star Platform, let alone him being merely at Da Tian Xiang Jing—even if he were an ordinary Tian Zhu Jing, this Commander position would be deserved."

Li Li Jingtao said: "Li Qingbai is merely building momentum for the stair-climbing wager three days from now."

Li Li Fuling said worriedly: "That Li Qingbai has the strength of a top-grade Marquis. Li Luo at Da Tian Xiang Jing truly doesn't have the advantage. If he really loses, does he really have to drive the Hongyou Thousand Guard out of Dragon Fang Guard?"

Li Hongyou's coldly beautiful face showed no worry. She merely fixed her gaze upon that massive energy vortex and said: "I believe in Li Luo."

Jiang Qing also slightly nodded and said: "He won't lose."

Li Li Fuling smiled helplessly. Fine, your confidence is too strong. This gap between Da Tian Xiang Jing and a top-grade Marquis seemed to simply not exist in their eyes.

Hopefully Li Luo can truly do it—otherwise when the wager is lost, who knows how to wrap things up.

Boom!

And just as she was worrying, a tremendous rumbling suddenly emanated from where Li Luo was. The energy vortex was seen gradually dissipating, and at the same time, a magnificent Heavenly Xiang Diagram slowly unfurled in mid-air.

Within the Heavenly Xiang Diagram, it seemed as if an ocean surged, towering trees took root in the continuous brown earth, thunderclouds appeared at the horizon with dragon shadows weaving through them, and numerous phase natures converged—truly a rare spectacle.

The onlookers watched with some amazement. So many phase natures gathered in one body—this truly was no inferior to Jiang Qing's Three Light Phases.

And then they noticed that the scale of this Heavenly Xiang Diagram had suddenly reached eight thousand four hundred zhang.

In just seven days, Li Luo's Heavenly Xiang Diagram had surged upward by over a thousand zhang.

Such an improvement could not be called anything but astonishing.