Chapter 365: The Octagonal Golden Shield

The instant Lin Suo vomited blood and flew backward, Lü Qing'er and Qin Qin Zhulu were both overjoyed. This was the first time since they began fighting that they had truly wounded their opponent, and Li Luo's attack, which he had coordinated with them beforehand, had indeed achieved an unexpected effect.

However, although Qin Qin Zhulu was pleasantly surprised, he still maintained extremely sharp combat instincts. Gripping his heavy spear, he seized the opportunity of Lin Suo's injury, his figure shooting straight out. The heavy spear in his hand, wrapped in dark red phase force, tore through the air and viciously stabbed toward Lin Suo.

Don't be fooled by Qin Qin Zhulu's usual slow reactions to other matters—in combat, he was like a wild beast. His experience on the frontier had given him rich battle experience, so he understood very clearly the principle of striking while the enemy is down.

Hum!

Qin Qin Zhulu charged in, his spear light viciously stabbing down, carrying a sharp whistling sound.

However, just as his spear light was about to touch Lin Suo's body, a dark golden gleam suddenly flew out from the latter's chest, directly meeting it.

Clang!

A crisp metallic clang rang out, as if sparks were flying, and then a phase force shockwave erupted.

Qin Qin Zhulu's arm trembled, his burly figure being shaken into retreat step after step.

Li Luo and Lü Qing'er also cast their gazes over with a sharp focus. They saw floating in front of Lin Suo a small golden octagonal shield, radiating a golden halo. At the center of the small shield, a white mark could be seen, resembling an eye.

"A high-grade White-Eye treasure?!" Lü Qing'er gritted her teeth and said.

This wasn't too unexpected, after all, Lin Suo had also entered the Treasure Pool, so he would certainly have exchanged for a treasure. It was just that they hadn't expected it to be a defensive high-grade White-Eye.

And at this moment, on the octagonal golden shield, there was a deep arrow-mark indentation, clearly caused by Li Luo's arrow earlier.

On the ground, Lin Suo's body slowly crawled up. His face was overcast with dark clouds, bloodstains still hanging at the corner of his mouth. Although the octagonal golden shield had blocked Li Luo's arrow, force still penetrated through, nearly piercing his heart and lungs.

This made him feel lingering fear while also rising in shock and fury.

He hadn't expected that Li Luo, a mere third pattern of the Natal Pattern Stage, could pose such a threat to him.

If he hadn't exchanged for a defensive high-grade White-Eye in the Treasure Pool this time, he really would have capsized in a ditch.

His gaze, shadowed and sinister, turned toward Li Luo on the treetop not far away. He said, "I really underestimated you. The power of dual phases truly lives up to its reputation. But that kind of attack just now—you shouldn't have a second one in a short time, right?"

Li Luo sighed lightly in his heart. The attack he had brewed this time was indeed the strongest strike he could currently unleash. Borrowing the power of the Light Falcon Bow, combined with his dual phase force and four phase force bubbles, and then skillfully executing a "Mirror-Folding Art"—this art had no other ability, but it could increase the speed of attacks imbued with light phase force. And sometimes, speed is also power.

Driven by these multiple means, Li Luo unleashed his strongest arrow.

If Lin Suo hadn't had that octagonal golden shield, a high-grade White-Eye treasure, this sudden explosive attack would likely have ended the battle.

What a pity.

And while Li Luo was feeling regret in his heart, Lin Suo had once again erupted his own phase force. This time, his figure pointed straight at Li Luo. Although he could be certain that Li Luo couldn't unleash that kind of attack a second time in a short period, and among the three people present, only Li Luo had the ability to threaten him, so as long as Li Luo was dealt with, the other two were nothing to fear.

However, the moment his figure moved, on the route charging toward Li Luo, Qin Qin Zhulu stood guard there like an iron tower, the black heavy spear in his hand transforming into spear light that stabbed viciously over.

"Get lost, get lost, get lost!"

Lin Suo was furious. This Qin Qin Zhulu was truly annoying to the extreme. Although he had already been wounded by him, his fighting will remained extremely tenacious, coming to obstruct him again and again.

If it weren't for Qin Qin Zhulu's interference like this, Li Luo would have long been caught up and crushed by him.

Clang! Clang!

In his fury, the blood-red iron mace in Lin Suo's hand seemed to transform into streaks of blood light, wrapped in heavy force and smashing viciously toward Qin Qin Zhulu. Spear light and blood light collided, erupting with a piercing sound.

Qin Qin Zhulu glared furiously, his eyes blood-red. Facing the furious assault of a powerful enemy at the third transformation of the Transformation Phase Stage, every pore on his body was seeping blood, yet he paid no attention at all to the violently churning qi and blood within his body, instead counterattacking with an increasingly vicious offensive.

Li Luo stood on the treetop, his gaze piercingly watching this scene.

Then he waved his hand, and Lü Qing'er swiftly appeared beside him.

"Qing'er, give me a burst of Ice Heart Mysterious Qi," Li Luo said in a low voice.

Lü Qing'er's beautiful eyes sharpened. Knowing that Li Luo intended to use that extremely dangerous secret art, she couldn't help but feel some worry in her heart, but she also understood that now was not the time for indecision. Immediately clenching her silver teeth, she slapped her palm onto Li Luo's back.

"Ice Heart Mysterious Qi!"

A wisp of extremely cold aura surged directly from his back into Li Luo's body. The cold qi spread within his body, yet caused no harm. Instead, it gradually made Li Luo's state of mind become like an ice mirror, seemingly able to shield against many negative emotions.

"Li Luo, be careful yourself."

After infusing Li Luo with the "Ice Heart Mysterious Qi," Lü Qing'er forcefully suppressed the worry in her heart and reminded him, then leaped down to go help Qin Qin Zhulu share the pressure.

Li Luo's heart was clear as a mirror, his eyes without ripples, yet he knew this was still not enough. The will-corruption of the Three-Tailed Heavenly Wolf was too fierce. Lü Qing'er's "Ice Heart Mysterious Qi" alone could only provide slight relief.

Li Luo clenched his palm, and a pearl emitting a faint holy light appeared in his hand. It was precisely the high-grade White-Eye "Holy Light Still-Heart Pearl" he had exchanged for in the Treasure Pool earlier.

This item was truly the reliance that gave Li Luo the courage to truly draw upon the power of the Three-Tailed Heavenly Wolf this time.

He raised his palm and directly placed the "Holy Light Still-Heart Pearl" in his mouth. Immediately, a clear and pure aura spread from his mouth, gradually pervading his entire mind.

This effect of calming the heart and focusing the spirit far surpassed Lü Qing'er's "Ice Heart Mysterious Qi."

Li Luo's fingertip swept across his wrist, cutting open a blood mark. Fresh blood flowed down. He formed hand seals, merging his own mind and intent into the blood. Immediately, blood lines began to outline, and gradually a complex and profound fresh-blood curse pattern took shape on his arm.

Tian Ji Curse Pattern.

According to the "Tian Ji Zhou" given to him by Dean Pang Pang Qianyuan, this Tian Ji Curse Pattern had three grades, called the Three-Ring Tian Ji Curse Pattern. What Li Luo was currently outlining was only the most basic first-ring curse. The second-ring curse had yet to be mastered, and he didn't dare use it rashly, because doing so would unleash an even greater power of the Three-Tailed Heavenly Wolf, which Li Luo, with his current strength, simply could not control.

As for the third-ring curse, it was in the lower volume of the Tian Ji Zhou, and the dean hadn't given it to him yet.

Previously, when Li Luo was practicing, he often had to fail several times before successfully constructing this Tian Ji Curse Pattern. But this time, perhaps because of the mind-focusing effects of the "Ice Heart Mysterious Qi" and the "Holy Light Still-Heart Pearl," it led to him succeeding in one go.

But this was no reason to relax, because Li Luo understood very clearly where the true difficulty lay.

It lay in the powerful will-corruption of the Three-Tailed Heavenly Wolf. If he couldn't withstand that corruption, not only would he be unable to borrow the power of the Three-Tailed Heavenly Wolf, but he would instead be infected by the vicious and brutal will contained within its power, and lose his rationality.

However, in his current state of a heart like an ice mirror, Li Luo didn't hesitate much. His fingertip lightly traced.

The Tian Ji Curse Pattern trembled slightly. A blood line spread down along his arm, and finally directly connected with that dark-red bracelet.

Then, in the next instant, that familiar and brutal power surged in like a tide.