Chapter 497: Each Unveils Their Trump Card

On the cloud-veiled peak, when Li Luo saw Jing Jing Taixu's figure, the latter sensed it as well, then slowly turned around to gaze at Li Luo.

"Li Luo, you truly were not eliminated above the Dragon Blood Fire Domain." Jing Jing Taixu looked at Li Luo, appearing not overly surprised; instead, he chuckled lightly and said.

"However, your ability to reach here proves my intuition was correct; you are the person posing the greatest threat to me in this Academy-level competition."

Li Luo stared at Jing Jing Taixu; the latter's robes were slightly tattered, clearly having endured an extremely fierce battle with Sun Sun Dasheng beforehand.

"It seems Sun Sun Dasheng failed to stop you," Li Luo said slowly.

He had previously clashed with Sun Sun Dasheng and knew the latter's ferocity; moreover, it was said Sun Sun Dasheng possessed the "Sealing Marquis Technique," an extremely terrifying trump card, and for Jing Jing Taixu to defeat Sun Sun Dasheng and reach the peak, he had clearly withstood Sun Sun Dasheng's "Sealing Marquis Technique."

This point was somewhat terrifying.

Jing Jing Taixu smiled and said, "You need not think too highly of Sun Sun Dasheng's 'Sealing Marquis Technique'; strictly speaking, his was not the true 'Sealing Marquis Technique,' merely a clever trick, and rumors about him have been exaggerated."

"Of course, even as a clever, incomplete 'Sealing Marquis Technique,' its power exceeded my imagination; if I did not possess some trump cards myself, I would truly have been eliminated by him, after all, that is a Phantasm Art only a Marquis-level powerhouse can control."

His words were humble, yet carried a hint of pride.

"As for you, being able to defeat Lu Ming is what surprised me; after all, from any angle, Lu Ming should have suppressed you." He sized up Li Luo and said.

"Just a clever trick," Li Luo smiled.

"In a gamble of this caliber, there is no such thing as a clever trick; Li Luo, you are too modest," Jing Jing Taixu shook his head.

"Then I truly must thank you for your high regard."

Li Luo clenched his palm, and the Profound Elephant Blade appeared in his hand; the ancient, mottled blade shimmered with cold light. He gazed calmly at Jing Jing Taixu and said, "Just as well, the grudge between us can be settled here."

Jing Jing Taixu smiled and said, "Is it because of those flyers from before? Actually, that had nothing to do with me; it was the Academy targeting Jiang Jiang Qinge, after all, in the Three-Star Academy-level competition, Jiang Jiang Qinge was too strong."

"Actually, provoking her anger is a very foolish act."

Li Luo said indifferently, "That Lu Lu Jinci of your Three-Star Academy might be beaten very badly; if killing were not forbidden here, you might all be able to help collect his corpse."

"Perhaps."

Jing Jing Taixu shrugged and said, "I cannot control matters over there; I only need to secure the title of strongest in the One-Star Academy."

"Then you must ask the blade in my hand," Li Luo slowly raised the Profound Elephant Blade.

Hearing this, Jing Jing Taixu smiled slightly and said, "Li Luo, do you truly think you can fight me?"

He slowly took a step forward.

Boom!

In that instant, astonishing Phantasm Power erupted violently from his body; the Phantasm Power roared like a green hurricane through the heavens and earth behind him, and deep cracks immediately appeared on the surrounding ground.

A powerful pressure of Phantasm Power slowly radiated outward.

Li Luo's expression immediately changed slightly.

Because this pressure of Phantasm Power was not the Third Transformation of the Phantasm Transformation Stage!

"You have already stepped into the Fourth Transformation of the Phantasm Transformation Stage!" Li Luo stared at Jing Jing Taixu, his voice also becoming low.

So this was the trump card Jing Jing Taixu had hidden; he was not in the Third Transformation, but the Fourth! However, for some reason, Jing Jing Taixu's Phantasm Power seemed not entirely stable, possessing a somewhat unsteady feeling; perhaps Jing Jing Taixu's breakthrough was not entirely reliant on his own strength.

However, this did not matter much; to reach this level while still in the One-Star Academy, this Jing Jing Taixu was truly formidable; although this was undoubtedly due to the approaching Holy Grail War, where the Academy would provide numerous scarce cultivation resources, it still revealed Jing Jing Taixu's talent and capability.

After all, he remembered that even Jiang Jiang Qinge, back at the end of the year in the One-Star Academy, was only in the Second Transformation of the Phantasm Transformation Stage, at least on the surface, since no one had forced her to truly reveal her strength back then.

Of course, Jiang Jiang Qinge's situation was somewhat special and could not be used as a measuring index, because her own self-suppression alone was enough to make one unable to fathom her cultivation progress.

So in many people's eyes, Jiang Jiang Qinge's strength was mysterious.

"I originally wanted to hide it a bit longer, but when I fought Sun Sun Dasheng just now, his 'Sealing Marquis Technique' forced me to uncover my concealment and expose the strength of this Fourth Transformation," Jing Jing Taixu said somewhat regretfully.

If not for Sun Sun Dasheng, he could have continued to hide this trump card, waiting to suddenly erupt when clashing with Li Luo, surely catching Li Luo off guard and suppressing him with a mere flip of his hand.

However, it did not matter; since he could not take Li Luo by surprise, he would simply crush Li Luo openly and fairly.

The strength of the Fourth Transformation of the Phantasm Transformation Stage gave him sufficient confidence.

"Li Luo, the huge gap in Phantasm Power between us cannot be bridged by any means you use; if you are only at your current level, then in this decisive battle, I am sorry, but I am certain to win."

Li Luo looked at the calm and confident Jing Jing Taixu and did not refute the latter's words; the latter possessed the Void Ninth Grade Wind Phantasm, and his own strength was already far beyond that of peers at the same level; now that his strength had risen to the Fourth Transformation of the Phantasm Transformation Stage, he surpassed Li Luo by far in every aspect.

Even with his Dual Phantasm, it was impossible to defeat an enemy of this caliber by crossing two levels; after all, given both sides' conditions, who hadn't achieved victory over a higher-level enemy?

However, Li Luo did not appear panicked; instead, he sighed and said, "The Fourth Transformation of the Phantasm Transformation Stage; this indeed is somewhat beyond my expectations."

Jing Jing Taixu narrowed his eyes slightly as he gazed at Li Luo and said with some surprise, "You are not afraid... so you truly are hiding a trump card as well."

Li Luo smiled and said, "It is not exactly a hidden trump card... speaking of which, I actually have you to thank."

"You caused me to linger in the Dragon Blood Fire Domain for much longer, which also allowed me to gain some other harvests."

He also stepped forward; in that instant, surging Phantasm Power flowed from his body, and simultaneously, the Phantasm Power pressure radiating from Li Luo climbed steadily.

That was stepping into the Third Transformation of the Phantasm Transformation Stage.

Actually, this was not too unexpected; when the Holy Grail War began, Li Luo was already at the peak of the Second Transformation of the Phantasm Transformation Stage, merely half a step away from the Third Transformation; moreover, his wandering in the Dragon Blood Fire Domain beforehand allowed the black token to absorb quite a bit of Dragon Blood Fire, granting Li Luo some benefits, and his own Phantasm Power was at the edge of breakthrough at that time.

However, he initially held the same intention as Jing Jing Taixu, wanting to suppress this breakthrough as much as possible to catch the opponent off guard later.

So even during his previous clash with Lu Ming, he had not revealed it.

But now he had no choice but to release the suppression.

Because Jing Jing Taixu's strength had already increased greatly; if he continued to hide, he would inevitably pay a heavy price.

"Isn't it just a breakthrough during battle... it is not such a rare thing," Li Luo extended his palm, feeling the increasingly surging Phantasm Power within his body, and said with a smile.

Jing Jing Taixu was also somewhat speechless, then said, "Rising to the Third Transformation of the Phantasm Transformation Stage changes nothing; in terms of Phantasm Power level, I still hold the advantage."

Li Luo heard this and merely smiled, saying, "Do you think this is the end?"

Jing Jing Taixu's eyes narrowed slightly.

Li Luo clenched his palm, and a crimson dragon pearl appeared in his hand; it was the object condensed from the Dragon Blood Fire swallowed by the black token. Within it, not only was the essence of Dragon Blood condensed, but vast heavenly and earthly energy was also gathered.

Li Luo directly placed the crimson dragon pearl into his mouth; in that instant, a faint dragon roar seemed to echo in his mind, and immediately, a violent energy erupted from within his body like a torrent.

The Phantasm Power fluctuations radiating from Li Luo's body surged once more.

This time, Jing Jing Taixu's expression finally gradually became Solemn.

Because at this moment, Li Luo's phasing force fluctuations were already no weaker than his.

His premonition had indeed not been wrong; this Li Luo was the greatest threat in this academy-level competition.

But Jing Jing Taixu did not panic; instead, he smiled, clenched his palm, and the green plantain fan appeared.

However, only by defeating such a powerful enemy and seizing the title of strongest could that title carry even more weight, could it not?