Chapter 256: Charging the Limit

When Li Luo's foot landed on the thirty-fifth step, he could clearly feel the surrounding natural energy churning violently, and then that energy began to roar toward him as its center, streaming in without end.

The natural energy surged into his body as if it cost nothing.

Over this period of adjustment, Li Luo had come to understand the mechanism of the Dark Spirit Pool to some extent. The reason the natural energy within the Dark Spirit Pool actively poured into a human body was mainly because the environment inside the Dark Spirit Pool was extremely harsh—the natural energy compressed and squeezed against itself, yet none could overcome the others, so in the end it could only keep erupting outward through this constant collision.

And when someone entered, the phase palaces within their body would generate a kind of attraction, so the natural energy inside the Dark Spirit Pool would naturally be drawn over, producing this so-called energy-infusion phenomenon.

The deeper one went, the stronger this infusion became.

Endless streams of natural energy poured into his body and were ultimately absorbed entirely by Li Luo's two phase palaces. Within those two phase palaces, the two phase force seeds also swelled by a ring, the abundant phase force condensing within the seeds.

Li Luo had already faintly touched upon a feeling of breakthrough.

Boom!

Just at this moment, a violent fluctuation of phase force suddenly came from beside him. He turned his head and saw Student Xin Fu with his eyes slightly closed, his face drenched in sweat.

Soon he opened his eyes, a trace of regret within them.

He had not broken through to the second sigil of the Sigil Birth Stage as he had wished.

After all, advancement within the Sigil Birth Stage was far more difficult than within the Seed Opening Stage, so Bai Bai Mengmeng had been able to seize the momentum and break through, but Student Xin Fu still fell a little short.

Still, Student Xin Fu had not gained nothing at all. The phase force seed within his body had now become fuller and brighter, the phase force within roiling and surging, and on the surface of the phase force seed, specks of phase force markings had begun to appear—the omen of the second phase sigil about to take shape.

In other words, he was only a single step away from birthing his second sigil.

Student Xin Fu ended his energy infusion, looked toward Li Luo, and signaled that he too was about to finish his cultivation in the Dark Spirit Pool. Li Luo pondered slightly, but his gaze was cast toward the staircase formed of three layers of giant stones further below.

Clearly, he was not willing to stop here.

After all, the pressure he carried was simply too heavy—whether it was the great upheaval that would befall the Luo Lan Mansion half a year from now, or his so-called lifespan limit, these were like a guillotine suspended above his head, making it impossible for him to eat or sleep in peace.

Although Li Luo was usually calm and composed, the sense of urgency within his heart was known to no one.

This Dark Spirit Pool was a fine opportunity, and Jiang Jiang Qinge had also reminded him that the first entry into the Dark Spirit Pool yielded the best results; entering again afterward would greatly diminish the effect.

In truth, if Li Luo wished to break through now, he could have ridden the momentum to break through to the second sigil of the Sigil Birth Stage, but he did not choose to do so. Instead, he forcefully suppressed this sign of breakthrough.

Because back then, Jiang Jiang Qinge had gone straight to the thirty-eighth step in the Dark Spirit Pool, completed her breakthrough, and leapt up two stages in one breath.

Li Luo wanted to try it too.

Although the difficulty might be extremely great, there were many times when he had to fight for it.

Otherwise, the so-called five-year Marquis Realm would be nothing but a fool's daydream, a joke.

Thinking of this, Li Luo's gaze gradually grew firm.

Student Xin Fu looked at Li Luo's eyes and said nothing more, merely nodding slightly to offer encouragement, then withdrew.

Li Luo glanced around. At this point in the depths of the Dark Spirit Pool, aside from himself, there was no one else. The other two squads that had entered the Dark Spirit Pool had long since departed—after all, the thirty-fifth step was already the limit that many could endure.

He drew in a deep breath, no longer hesitating, and leapt straight down, landing toward the stone steps further below.

Outside the Dark Spirit Pool.

As the squads that had entered gradually came out one after another, it drew many gazes of attention from those present.

But soon they noticed that it seemed one person was still missing.

"Li Luo hasn't come out yet?"

"I heard from those who went in that he also reached the thirty-fifth step, but he didn't come out. He must be trying to charge toward the last three steps."

"What? His ambition is actually this great? He still dares to charge at the last three steps?"

"Tsk tsk, truly a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger. The pressure on those last three steps is far beyond what came before—forcing his way in, isn't he afraid of backlash?"

"After all, bearing dual phases, having ambition is normal."

"Well then, let's see whether this dual phase is really as powerful as they say..."

"......"

Amid the crowd's discussion, Song Song Qiuyu and Wang Wang Yufeng's expressions also shifted slightly.

"This Li Luo truly doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. Even I right now can only reach the thirty-sixth step, and he, a first sigil of the Sigil Birth Stage, dares to do this?" Wang Wang Yufeng shook his head and commented.

Although Song Song Qiuyu said nothing, a cold smile flashed through her eyes. Letting this Li Luo suffer a setback could also relieve some of the pent-up frustration in her heart.

On the tree trunk.

Tian Tian said with some surprise, "Looks like he really is planning to charge at the last three steps?"

Senior Qiu Bai nodded, "Ambitious."

Jiang Jiang Qinge's exquisitely beautiful jade-like face remained perfectly calm. She was not surprised by Li Luo's choice, after all she also understood very well the pressure Li Luo bore.

In the past, she had still been thinking that if she could break through to the Marquis Realm, she would naturally be able to shoulder the Luo Lan Mansion, and Li Luo would have no pressure then. But ever since learning of Li Luo's lifespan limit, she understood that she could no longer let Li Luo live a leisurely life.

Therefore, after entering the Dark Cavern, she had only then let Li Luo go through those dangers.

Since a leisurely life was impossible, then he could only fight with his life for that slim chance of survival.

Her gaze rested on the Dark Spirit Pool where the energy vortex churned, and the jade hand gripping the heavy sword's hilt slowly tightened.

Li Luo, I believe you can definitely do it.

Outsiders always said the Luo Lan Mansion had a fledgling phoenix radiating with boundless light, but they did not know that the Luo Lan Mansion also had a hidden dragon biding its time.

Whoosh!

Li Luo's figure plunged downward rapidly. A moment later, his form landed on the thirty-sixth step. The instant he landed, his face changed sharply—terrifying pressure spread in from all directions, as if about to swallow him whole.

He could even hear the faint sounds coming from the bones within his body.

Natural energy poured into his body madly, and that violent sensation even caused a dull ache within his body.

Li Luo's face was solemn, but his eyes were perfectly calm—clearly he had long anticipated this.

The natural energy all around was extraordinarily violent, and at this moment, the grade of one's own phase affinity would play a very large role.

The higher the grade of the phase affinity, the higher the compatibility with the energy corresponding to that phase affinity, and then through this one could echo that energy to resist the other violent energies trying to pour into the body.

For example, Jiang Jiang Qinge—when she came here, it should have been by relying on that Nine-Rank Light Phase that she forcibly mobilized light energy to withstand the pressure exerted by the other natural energies.

As for Li Luo, although the grade of any single phase affinity of his was far inferior to Jiang Jiang Qinge's Nine-Rank Light Phase, he also had an advantage unique to him—dual phases, four attributes!

Although the Light Phase and Earth Phase were only auxiliary phases, they could still provide Li Luo with assistance—at the very least, they allowed him to mobilize these two attributes within the world's energy.

So Li Luo took a deep breath, and the two phase palaces within his body bloomed with bright radiance at this moment.

Each phase palace presented two colors.

Among the violent world energy all around, four kinds of attribute energy seemed to be stirred by something, gradually forming flowing, shifting radiance on the surface of Li Luo's body.

Like a thin layer of energy light film.

Those originally violent, invading streams of world energy gradually grew calm—blocked by the four-colored energy light film.

Inside Li Luo's body, the two phase palaces took the chance to breathe in and out, swallowing the continuous stream of phase force and sending it into the two phase force seeds.

Thus, the two phase force seeds grew increasingly active; amid their fierce trembling, the phase force within nearly gushed forth.

However, Li Luo still forcibly suppressed this feeling of breakthrough. His Face Turns Solemn, he directly took a step forward, his figure once again plunging downward.

Several dozen breaths later, he landed on the thirty-seventh step.

With the previous experience, although the world energy pouring into the body on the thirty-seventh step was even more violent and ferocious, under the stirring of Li Luo's dual phases and four attributes, he still managed to endure it.

Only now Li Luo's skin had already begun to crack somewhat; fresh blood flowed out along the skin, leaving streaks of blood marks, looking rather ghastly.

Yet Li Luo did not spare it a glance. His gaze fixed on the giant stone below, concealed by the energy vortex, and without the slightest hesitation, he stepped forward and dropped down.

Straight toward the thirty-eighth step!