Chapter 476: Li Luo's Outburst

When over a hundred figures in the archipelago suddenly surged skyward at once, the atmosphere here boiled completely.

This grand collective spectacle, the most sensational event of the early Academy Tournament, thus began.

And everyone clearly understood that this might be the collective endpoint of the Academy Tournament; beyond this, it would likely become the stage for the topmost disciples of each academy.

Amidst the boiling atmosphere, Li Luo led the way down toward the cluster of Spirit-Gathering Altars he had activated earlier; his target was the Cloud Ladder, while Qin Qin Zhulu, Bai Bai Doudou, and others descended toward the stone platforms floating to the right of the Cloud Ladder.

There were four such stone platforms in total, distributed on both sides of the Cloud Ladder.

According to the rules, each stone platform required a team from an academy to guard it, the purpose being to share the energy torrent sweeping down from the Cloud Ladder; otherwise, the higher one climbed the Cloud Ladder, the stronger the energy torrent became, and relying on Li Luo alone would be absolutely impossible to withstand.

Not only Li Luo, but even Jing Jing Taixu, presumably, could not accomplish this.

This was a mechanism and rule deliberately set by the Academy Alliance; it seemed they did not intend for any single academy to enjoy it alone, but rather to understand cooperation for mutual benefit.

Therefore, when Li Luo landed on the Cloud Ladder again, since the Spirit-Gathering Altars had been activated, Qin Qin Zhulu and others, along with people from the other three academies, all landed on the platform simultaneously.

They did not hesitate at all, immediately sitting cross-legged on the stone platforms, with the strongest positioned at the very front, followed in order, because the person strongest would obviously face a more fierce impact from the energy torrent later.

As Li Luo and others stepped onto the first tier of the Cloud Ladder again, a violent and vast energy torrent immediately condensed at the end of the Cloud Ladder; without giving any warning, it then roared down with sheer force.

However, this time, when the energy torrent rushed down, four gaps appeared; some of the energy torrent dispersed from these gaps, exactly surging into the four stone platforms on both sides of the Cloud Ladder.

Qin Qin Zhulu, Bai Bai Doudou, and others thus welcomed the energy torrent from the Spirit-Gathering Altars for the first time.

And when the torrent roared toward them, their expressions immediately could not help but change, because that terrifying pressure was like a mountain suppressing their bodies; in that instant, they almost felt a sensation of suffocation.

So the pressure Li Luo had borne before was this immense?

Waves of Image Power rose from their bodies; everyone resisted this energy torrent with all their might; the longer they held out, the easier it would become for Li Luo over there.

Compared to the initial difficulty they faced here, Li Luo this time appeared quite relaxed; with others sharing the burden, it was obviously much more bearable than bearing it alone for the first time previously; of course, Li Luo understood that this was because it had just begun.

As one approached the Spirit-Gathering Altars continuously, that energy torrent would also become increasingly fierce.

Li Luo took a step, beginning to ascend the ladder.

He held an ancient straight blade, Image Power flowing constantly over his body, his steps slow and heavy.

At the same time, on the other three Cloud Ladders, Jing Jing Taixu, Sun Sun Dasheng, and Lu Ming all made moves; their speed was obviously faster than Li Luo's, waves of Image Power attacks exploding to block the endless surging energy torrent, while their strides flew like wind.

Among the three, Jing Jing Taixu was obviously the most relaxed, leading the way all along, while Sun Sun Dasheng and Lu Ming were evenly matched, pursuing relentlessly.

Only Li Luo fell behind.

This scene caused the various disciples on the archipelago to shake their heads in secret; at this moment, the disadvantage of Li Luo's Image Transformation Stage Second Change was revealed; when he activated the cluster of Spirit-Gathering Altars earlier, he also appeared quite strained; looking at this, he might not be able to persist until reaching the summit to activate the cluster of Spirit-Gathering Altars.

If he couldn't hold out midway and caused the whole group to be swept down, that would truly be amusing.

Some could not help but take malicious joy; after all, they had no qualification to enjoy the cluster of Spirit-Gathering Altars, so naturally they were happy to see others in a situation like theirs.

Regarding the many eyes outside watching the show, Li Luo acted as if he heard nothing; of course, he saw the rapid advance of Jing Jing Taixu and the other three, and he understood that this was because they possessed the advantage of abundant Image Power; however, he was not anxious, because he was not unprepared.

Li Luo continued stepping upward, the Mystic Image Blade in his hand occasionally slashing, the blade light sharp and tearing apart some of the roaring energy torrent.

At the same time, on his other palm, water-light Image Power was constantly condensing; accompanied by the changes in his hand seals, it seemed water light was faintly flashing.

And after a period of probing, Li Luo finally understood the mechanism of ascending the Cloud Ladder: each energy torrent would last for about thirty rungs, and after thirty rungs, an even stronger energy torrent would sweep over, continuing like this until reaching the summit.

Visually estimating the Cloud Ladder had several hundred rungs, so the energy torrent, overall, would have about ten waves.

Li Luo's eyes flickered; he lifted his foot and ascended the thirtieth rung.

Ahead, it seemed as if a furious dragon roared; a gorgeous energy torrent filled the eyes, surging forward in an extremely forceful posture.

However, facing this energy torrent impact even more terrible than before, the straight blade in Li Luo's hand did not swing down to cut and slow its momentum; instead, his foot stomped, and his figure shot straight upward.

Then he collided head-on with that gorgeous energy torrent.

That scene was like a young lion roaring at the river surging down the river channel.

Many gazes noticed this scene and immediately exclaimed; was this Li Luo crazy, daring to directly clash with the energy torrent? They knew that even Jing Jing Taixu and the others had to first weaken the momentum of the energy torrent with attacks before choosing to resist it directly, yet Li Luo had actually skipped this step?

Li Luo raised his palm; water light blazed brightly in his palm; in the next instant, several exceptionally bright and clear water mirrors appeared before him, with flowing light turning upon the water mirrors.

These water mirrors connected to each other, resembling a water mirror shield about several zhang in size.

"Water Light Demon Mirror Formation."

Accompanied by Li Luo's low whisper, the energy torrent roared down, directly colliding with that large water mirror reflecting light; in the instant of impact, the energy torrent was reflected in the water mirrors, and in the instant those water mirrors shattered, an extremely astonishing force rebounded from within the water mirrors, then violently collided with that energy torrent.

That feeling was like two rivers passing through a river channel, converging at the center, and suddenly colliding.

Earth-shattering.

Boom!

A thunderous giant sound suddenly exploded from the Cloud Ladder; the entire Cloud Ladder seemed to tremble violently at this moment.

Countless gazes, horrified and terrified, stared at this side, because they saw that the energy torrent, which had originally been surging down with sheer force, was at this very moment seemingly torn apart by a sudden immense force; a vacant gap appeared from within the torrent.

Just at the instant that gap appeared, Li Luo held the straight blade in his hand, his toe tapped, and his figure darted out.

With one step, he crossed five rungs.

In this vacant gap, the energy torrent was momentarily scattered and had not yet condensed in the short term; this gave him the best opportunity.

So in merely a few breaths of time, he consecutively crossed more than twenty rungs.

He directly surpassed Sun Sun Dasheng and Lu Ming, chasing straight after Jing Jing Taixu.

His sprinting speed like this directly left countless people dumbfounded; for a moment, they even did not understand what exactly had happened; how could Li Luo ignore the energy torrent and rush straight upward?

Where did that power, which had torn apart the energy torrent just now, come from?

Was that a power a Image Master realm could explode with?!

And it was not only them who were shocked; even Jing Jing Taixu, Lu Ming, and Sun Sun Dasheng, who were fully focused on ascending the ladder on the other three Cloud Ladders, could not help but cast their gazes over, then showing emotion for the first time.

What exactly happened just now?!