Chapter 389: Special Training Ends

When Li Luo opened his eyes, he found that Qin Qin Zhulu, Lu Qing'er, Bai Bai Mengmeng, and the others had already finished, and were now gathered around him, watching with curiosity.

"Captain, did you succeed in breaking through?" Bai Bai Mengmeng asked excitedly.

Earlier, they had clearly felt the fluctuations of Li Luo's Xiang power surging rapidly within his body, and the Xiang power flowing over his surface had also become more condensed.

This level of Xiang power was no longer something the Life-Texture stage could achieve.

Li Luo met their gazes and nodded with a smile; now he had indeed stepped into the Transformation-Xiang stage, though strictly speaking, only his "Wood-Earth Xiang" had completed the breakthrough, while his "Water-Light Xiang" remained at the fifth texture of the Life-Texture stage.

However, there was no rush; with the successful breakthrough of the "Wood-Earth Xiang," the heavenly and earthly energy gathered through daily cultivation would henceforth be prioritized for the "Water-Light Xiang," at which point the latter's breakthrough would merely be a matter of time.

Moreover, once the "Water-Light Xiang" broke through, his Xiang power would surge again; one could say that as his Xiang power level continued to rise, the advantage of having dual Xiangs would grow ever greater.

"That's wonderful." A joyful smile appeared on Bai Bai Mengmeng's pure and charming little face; she knew that recently Li Luo had faced some criticism within the academy for failing to break through to the Transformation-Xiang stage for so long, and now that he had succeeded, those rumors would finally quiet down.

"Captain, this time you've truly given the One-Star Dean some face," Student Xin Fu sighed, his words carrying genuine admiration, for they all knew that their victory this time was almost entirely due to Li Luo single-handedly shifting the entire situation, thereby gaining the upper hand over Wang Wang Hejiu, Ye Ye Qiuding, and the others.

"Everyone's contribution must not be overlooked," Li Luo said, shaking his head with a smile.

"Li Luo, you've become even stronger now; although I feel I've been surpassed by you again, if you wish to become the One-Star Academy's representative to battle the Blue Abyss Holy Academy, you still must fight me."

Qin Qin Zhulu stared at Li Luo with burning eyes and said eagerly, "How about right now!"

No sooner had he spoken than Lu Qing'er turned her cold gaze upon him and said, "Li Luo just exhausted nearly all his strength and spirit in pursuit of ultimate speed; do you think it's fair to fight him now?"

Bai Bai Mengmeng also spoke softly, "Captain Qin, taking advantage of someone's weakness is not a good thing, you know."

"Uh..."

Qin Qin Zhulu's excited expression instantly froze; he actually wanted to say that although Li Luo had indeed pushed himself to the limit before, after his breakthrough his condition had clearly recovered significantly, so there was no way this could be framed as unfair or taking advantage of someone's weakness...

Qin Qin Zhulu's lips moved, but in the end he uttered no rebuttal, only letting out a silent sigh; women were truly terrifying.

Li Luo waved his hand and said with a smile, "This is indeed not the place for sparring; as for the Ticket Match, let's first see what the Purple-Glow Mentors have to say."

Hearing this, Qin Qin Zhulu nodded; he did not care about the Ticket Match itself; he simply wanted to fight Li Luo in a thorough and satisfying battle, to test exactly how much gap remained between his current self and Li Luo.

Just as they finished their cultivation, the figures of the five Purple-Glow Mentors appeared in midair, their gazes sweeping over the people on both sides.

"Today's cultivation ends here; furthermore, this is the final day of special training; starting tomorrow, the Sacred Wood Realm Cave will be closed," Mentor Xi Chan's voice rang out.

Everyone nodded; Li Luo's expression held some melancholy and reluctance, for the Sacred Wood Realm Cave was truly an excellent place for cultivation; in just one month, it had enabled him to bridge the gap from the Life-Texture stage to the Transformation-Xiang stage, and in a sense, the cultivation effect here was even better than that in the outer area of the Golden Dragon Dojo.

If he could continue cultivating here until the end of the year, Li Luo felt... that reaching the fourth transformation of the Transformation-Xiang stage might even be possible.

But obviously, he was being too idealistic; the Qingling energy within the Sacred Wood Realm Cave was extremely rare and precious; each time it was opened, it required a long period of accumulation, and it was impossible for him to squander and enjoy it without restraint.

"This month of special training has been hard work for everyone; rest well today."

Mentor Xi Chan paused briefly, then continued, "Additionally, in three days, the delegation from the Blue Abyss Holy Academy will arrive at the Holy Xuanxing Academy; at that time, the Ticket Match will officially begin."

Upon hearing this, everyone present's expressions instantly grew solemn.

Everyone knew the importance of the Ticket Match; only by securing a ticket could they qualify to participate in the Holy Cup War, the most prestigious competition among all top academies in the Eastern Region of Outer Shenzhou, for this involved not mere so-called honor, but real interests.

That interest included the lives of hundreds, or even more, students every year.

The Dark Caves were the foundation upon which all academies were established, but they also brought indelible pain to those academies; within the Dark Caves suppressed by the various academies, countless young bodies had been buried, yet this was a responsibility they could not avoid; since they had become members of a Holy Academy, they must pay the price for it.

And if they could obtain the "Dragon Bone Holy Cup," then for several years the Dark Caves would be unlikely to stir up any waves; for a Holy Academy, this would not only save countless resources but also prevent the deaths of many young students.

Therefore, every Holy Academy, when facing the "Holy Cup War," would go all out, even resorting to any means necessary!

For that interest could not be abandoned.

"You already know the mechanism of the Ticket Match; among the seven battles, one belongs to our One-Star Academy; how the other academies fare is beyond our control, but we hope that in our One-Star Academy's match, we must secure victory."

"As for the representative from the One-Star Academy to compete, we will make a decision within these two days."

"Additionally, intelligence materials regarding the Blue Abyss Holy Academy delegation will be distributed to you shortly; you may study them carefully; although our Holy Xuanxing Academy surpasses the Blue Abyss Holy Academy in strength and foundation, as I mentioned before, do not underestimate any Holy Academy; if they are determined to cultivate a group of geniuses regardless of the cost, they can still achieve it."

Listening to Mentor Xi Chan's words, everyone present nodded solemnly.

Then Mentor Xi Chan waved her hand, signifying that this special training had come to a complete end.

Li Luo and the others promptly set off and left the Sacred Wood Realm Cave.

Exiting the Sacred Wood Realm Cave and standing atop the magnificent and imposing Xiang Power Tree, Li Luo gazed down upon the Holy Xuanxing Academy, then looked out toward the distant Great Xia City on the horizon.

In nearly a year, he had advanced from the Empty-Xiang stage to the Transformation-Xiang stage.

However, none of this warranted pride or relaxation, for Li Luo knew clearly that the true battle of fate lay in the Luo Lan Manor "Manor Sacrifice," which was already drawing near; for this great battle, both he and Jiang Jiang Qinge had been doing their utmost to improve themselves and make all preparations.

But regardless, the Luo Lan Manor was the legacy and life's work of his parents; he would not let anyone easily destroy it.