Chapter 0443: Loser

Chi Chan's advice was extremely on-point. After calibrating his Flowing Shear resonant art, he managed to separate the resonant power within him much more cleanly, and he felt like he was making good progress again.

He only spent a day experimenting with the Flowing Shear, and now he was already capable of using it at will within himself without injury.

And on the ninth day of cultivation in the volcano, he finally managed to reach the Becoming One Stage.

BOOM!

There was a deafening bang from the volcano, and then the cauldron gave way, shattering into pieces.

They fell into the magma below with a noisy splash.

Li Luo landed lightly on the mouth of the volcano, his face flushed with heat and excitement. He had finally managed it. Around his wrists, bracelets of shining blue and green power circled.

This was the sign of the Becoming One Stage!

After all that hardship, he had finally succeeded.

Clenching his fists, he could feel the energy swirling within him. Although he was still the same First Changing cultivator, his power was on a completely different level now.

He could definitely beat Lu Cāng much more easily, he believed. Clap, clap, clap.

Li Luo turned around to the source of the steady applause.

It was Bai Mengmeng, in awe. Beside her was Xin Fu.

Li Luo grinned at them. "Mentor, I've done it!" he declared proudly.

"Well, you're not completely helpless, I guess. If this didn't work, I was just about to call off the cooking," she said.

"Leader, your screaming has become good entertainment in these parts. A lot of people drop by every day to marvel at your volume," Xin Fu said with a smirk. Li Luo stared at him.

"Don't listen to him, Leader. Everyone admires your tenacity. Not everyone can tough through that sort of training," Bai Mengmeng hurriedly assured him.

Li Luo nodded glumly. If he had known, he would have held his screaming a little bit more, and gone back as a tight-lipped grim hero. But now...

"Mentor, it's quite an effective training method. It helps build resilience. You shouldn't show favoritism—Xin Fu has great potential as well. I strongly recommend him for a course."

Xin Fu blanched. This counterattack had come really swiftly. His leader was really petty.

"Er, no need. I'm not aiming to be the strongest One Star Hall student in all of the East Divine Continent or anything," Xin Fu hurriedly reassured her.

She ignored their banter. "We'll call a wrap to all of your training. Go back to school and rest."

She whirled back towards the school, and her squad followed her like little chicks behind the mother hen.

Back at school, Chi Chan indicated that Li Luo should stay a while more. Xin Fu and Bai Mengmeng headed for the tower eagerly for some well-deserved rest.

"Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, I'll begin your refining. I've already secured a location for you, a cultivation hall that only Violet Vibrance mentors can borrow. I don't know what you want to refine, but there are security wards that will provide privacy," she said.

"Mentor thinks of everything." Li Luo grinned, pleased with her foresight.

He needed the power of two Dukes for the Acquired Resonance Godly Forging Wheel, and he knew it wasn't going to be easy. Although the school was quite safe, privacy wouldn't hurt.

"The pay is very good. Of course I will give you proportional effort," she said with a half-smile.

"Go and rest, then. Oh and...

"Congratulations. You've become one of the top four competitors among the One Star Hall students. I look forward to your performance at the Holy Grail Meet."

...

The next day, Li Luo was finishing his preparations in his room when he heard a knock on his door.

When the door opened, two beautiful ladies awaited him. On his left was Lu Qing'er, in the Astral Sage College uniform, plus her signature, white-lace socks. Her face was glowing with youthful energy.

On the right was Yu Hongxi, in her usual red. Standing beside Lu Qing'er, one might even think they were sisters rather than mother and daughter.

Lu Qing'er beamed at him brightly, hanging off her mother's arm.

"President Yu, you are very punctual."

Li Luo hid his surprise that Lu Qing'er was here as well. However, he soon realized that her daughter was the best possible cover for a trip to the Astral Sage College.

Yu Hongxi took out a pocket sphere, pulling out a silver box from within. "These are the ingredients you needed," she said, handing it over to Li Luo. "They're all prepared perfectly."

Li Luo gave her a big thumbs up. "President Yu, you’re the best!" he said excitedly.

He had been quite worried about these materials. After all, if he had managed to get two Dukes and not brought the right materials, that would’ve been a huge embarrassment. But clearly Yu Hongxi was highly capable.

"A mere transaction," she said with an easy smile.

Lu Qing'er frowned at her mother's words, pinching her elbow.

"Are you going to make us wait at the door all day?" Yu Hongxi asked impatiently.

Li Luo hastily stepped aside to let them in.

To his surprise, he saw yet another person behind them.

A familiar one... Mentor Cao Sheng?

Today, he was not as slovenly looking as he usually was. He was hunched over, his stature stiff with nervousness. He was rubbing his hands nervously, but together with his hunched back, it only made him look like a suspicious character.

"Mentor Cao Sheng...?" Li Luo asked.

"Oh, keke, I was here to speak to Mentor Chi Chan about something, and I ran into Qing'er and President Yu along the way. What a coincidence, eh?"

His eyes were following Yu Hongxi into the room.

Li Luo understood immediately, although he wasn't very sure what he had understood. So Mentor Cao Sheng had a soft spot for Yu Hongxi... was there history between them? Didn't Yu Hongxi like his dad? Which meant his old man had been Mentor Cao Sheng's love rival?

No, Mentor Cao Sheng probably did not qualify as a love rival. After all, his father had only treated Yu Hongxi as a friend.

Of course, from Yu Hongxi's attitude and the fact that she had gotten married and had a daughter in the flesh with them today, it meant that Cao Sheng's feelings were unreciprocated.

Ah... one-sided love.

So sweet, yet so bitter.

Li Luo looked at Mentor Cao Sheng with some sympathy in his eyes.

In the complicated love struggle of the previous generation, this poor man had emerged the ultimate loser.