Chapter 1556: Resplendent Crystalline Paragon's Arm

"Principal Wang Xuanjin, will the Academic Federation send more people to help since things have escalated?" Li Luo asked again after feeling a great amount of sympathy towards Old Pang.

"How can we? Do you think that the Xia Kingdom is the only place that has erupted with an Other Disaster? We still have to do battle with the Origin Reversion Institution. Thus, we truly don't have many Kings available to assist," Wang Xuanjin helplessly answered.

Li Luo gave a dry smile. "Since you seem to have time on your hands, why not drop by and give a hand? A Triple Crowned King surely has the strength to resolve the situation even if the Saturnine Hydra Devil King were to descend, much less the Four Pestilence Kings."

Wang Xuanjin scolded him with a smile. "Who said I had free time? What you're talking to is just a clone. My true body has been facing off against one of the top three Thirteen Underworld Kings, the Enigmatic Overcast Underworld King, for over a year. Despite that, I've split off a part of my will to protect you. Do you still dare to say I have nothing but time on my hands, you stinking, ungrateful brat?"

Li Luo replied with an embarrassed expression, "This only means that you are exceptionally powerful! Even when facing off against a strong enemy, you're able to split off a part of your focus. It's clear that you're superior to that rubbish Enigmatic Overcast Underworld King."

Faced with his slippery tongue, Wang Xuanjin didn't plan to continue bickering. "It's better to rely on yourself than on others. The two of you are already sixth-grade Transcendent Dukes and just a step away from becoming true Transcendent Dukes. It can be said that you both stand at the peak of the Duke Stage."

As Transcendent Dukes were comparable to ordinary Dukes three grades above them, this meant that the duo were now experts equivalent to ninth-grade Dukes. In any Heavenly Emperor power, they would be pillars that held up the bloodline with the title of Pinnacle Dukes. This was how important they were. Adding on the fact that one had the Absolute Resonance Seed and the other had the Genesis Seed, Wang Xuanjin suspected that if these two demonic geniuses were to join hands, they would be able to go toe-to-toe with a Single Crowned King.

Li Luo solemnly nodded. "The Xia Kingdom is our home, and if there is trouble there, we will definitely assist."

They weren't strong enough to make such a bold claim in the past. Now that they had matured, they would naturally do their best to protect the place that held the most precious memories in their hearts.

Wang Xuanjin felt a sense of appreciation towards Li Luo's attitude, and he grinned at them. "Before you return to the Xia Kingdom, I think you should first pay a visit to the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li. Resolve the situation there as things have turned a little chaotic. The Eight Headed Other Dominion might have caused many Others to descend, and no one knows if there are any additional Underworld Kings. If you can take some of the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li's forces to the Xia Kingdom, it will be much easier to resolve the situation."

"Could this have been your plan all along, Principal Wang Xuanjin? Using the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li's forces to resolve the danger that surrounds the Xia Kingdom?" Li Luo asked.

"All of the powers within the divine continents have a responsibility to deal with the Others," Wang Xuanjin replied.

Li Luo understood this train of thought. However, the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li wasn't exactly in a peaceful state now either. After all, the World's End River Treasure Domain had erupted with an Other Disaster of unprecedented size, and he didn't know how his people were faring after being gone for two years. That said, the Xia Kingdom should be able to hold on for a while more. Perhaps it would truly be best to return to the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li and get Tantai Lan's opinion on things first.

"In that case, I'll go to the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li and see if I can rally some troops," Li Luo said.

Wang Xuanjin smiled. "Your friend Lu Qing'er completed her breakthrough half a year ago. Her father came to pick her up."

"Qing'er has returned to Golden Dragon Mountain? How is her condition?" Li Luo probed.

"She has completely awakened the Permafrost Sacred Seed's strength and the two have fused flawlessly. Perhaps the Lu family's Permafrost Sacred Seed will turn into an acquired Genesis Seed in the near future. Of course, the price she paid was the freezing of her emotions. She will never ever have any more emotional entanglements holding her down." Wang Xuanjin gave a smile which was not a smile at this juncture.

Li Luo felt disappointment coursing through him. If he crossed paths with her again, did that mean she would no longer be the Lu Qing'er he was familiar with?

"Is there any way to change this?" he asked hopefully.

"Things may change when she reaches the Heavenly Emperor Stage. But that is dependent on her own wishes. If she thinks that it's better to remain the way she is, then nothing will happen."

Li Luo fell silent. A stifling atmosphere pressed down upon them.

However Wang Xuanjin broke the silence and changed the topic. "There is one more thing."

"What?" Li Luo asked curiously.

"Can you leave the bronze lamp here? There might still be traces of that elder left behind. The Heavenly Emperors of the Academic Federation say that if you leave it on the Heavenly Emperor's remains, the lamp might receive some nourishment. Even though we can't revive him, there is a possibility that they might uncover some of the Sacred Void Resonance Sect's secrets that led to its demise."

Li Luo paused and then stretched his hand out, causing the bronze lamp that he had obtained in the Spiritual Resonance Cave to appear. Currently, its light was dim and there were no undulations coming from it. It was almost as though Wang Taixi's traces had completely vanished. There probably wasn't much benefit in keeping it.

Li Luo turned his head towards the depths of the Celestial Mirror Pagoda, where Wang Taixi's gigantic corpse quietly floated, giving off a mighty pressure. He thought about it for a few moments and then passed the lamp over.

"On behalf of the Academic Federation, I thank you for your contribution," Wang Xuanjin said with a grin as he received the object.

Li Luo pouted. "You say you're grateful, but don't you think those words lacks sincerity?"

"What do you want, then?" Wang Xuanjin replied in dissatisfaction.

"Do you have any Transcendent Arts suitable for crystal resonances?"

Wang Xuanjin remained silent.

"No? What about upper ninth-grade spirit liquids and purifying lights? I'll take two portions."

Wang Xuanjin didn't budge that time either.

"Alright, how about a venerated heirloom meant for Kings? No? Then..."[1]

Before Li Luo could finish speaking, Wang Xuanjin's robes rustled and he waved his hands, causing the space around him to distort. It was as though the world around him was spinning, and when the duo came to, they found themselves before a gigantic transportation formation within Celestial Mirror City.

Wang Xuanjin's voice was transmitted to them across space. "If you leave from here, you'll come out at the Heavenly Origin Ancient College. You can then head to the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li from there." Afterwards, a ray of crystal light descended, and Li Luo hurriedly clutched at a somewhat ancient crystal jade that suddenly appeared in his hand.

"That Duke Art was passed down from the Sacred Void Resonance Sect. It's something that the Legendary Sect Master himself cultivated. Since you've also obtained a crystal resonance, this should be suitable for you and can be considered a gift."

As Li Luo gripped the ancient crystal jade, vast amounts of information flooded his mind. After briefly running through it, the key points of the Duke Art were imprinted into his brain.

Upper Destiny-grade Duke Art: Resplendent Crystalline Paragon's Arm. Li Luo paused and then began to beam happily. This was an upper Destiny-grade Duke Art! Furthermore, it seemed to suit his crystal resonance well. This was a treasure! Now that his strongest resonance was his middle ninth-grade ice crystal resonance, cultivating this Duke Art would give him yet another trump card.

It looked like Old Wang was pretty magnanimous after all and had not mistreated him. He then clasped his hands respectively towards the void with a smile. "Thank you, Principal Wang."

After which, he no longer hesitated, pulling Jiang Qing'e's hand as the two entered the transportation formation. A moment later, boundless amounts of energy surged and caused the space around them to warp. Finally, the duo vanished.

1. TL Note: Treasured artifacts (Below Duke) < Mythic armaments (Dukes) < Venerated heirlooms (Kings) < Ancestral relics (Heavenly Emperors) ☜