Chapter 0473: Forces Meet

With the rising cluster of resonant powers popping across the treeline, the battle for the anima cumulonimbus began.

Li Luo was calm in the face of superior numbers. He had no illusions that it would be otherwise.

He watched the resonant power flares with a studied expression, even as their users came towards him. He could see that three of them were at the Second Changing.

Zhao Xingying was among them.

These three had to be the commanders of the three sage colleges.

They were definitely very strong.

Again, he had never doubted that they would be this strong. They were at the top of their respective classes in their schools. The classic combination of talent waiting to be honed, and a willing shower of resources to provide that honing from their schools. It would be disrespectful and foolish to even hope that any of them would be weak.

The three of them teamed up together was a force to be reckoned with.

They slowed a few dozen meters away from him.

Zhao Xingying smiled at him. "Commander Li Luo, this is the Imperial Gem Sage College's commander, Zheng Fuxing, and that is the Heaven's Path Sage College's commander, Zhang Dingchi."

Li Luo gave them a slow, calm nod. He knew that Zhao Xingying was just trying to intimidate him.

Three strong commanders.

"Commander Li Luo, I'll ask but one time. Do you intend to keep the entire anima cumulonimbus for yourself?" Zheng Fuxing asked in a bassy voice that came from deep within his chest.

Li Luo nodded.

"Commander Li Luo, the fight here will attract even more schools. They might not act yet, but once the first sign of weakness appears in your defensive line, they will definitely come like piranhas for blood. Are you sure this is the wise choice?" the Heaven's Path Sage College's commander, Ding Chi, asked again.

"Ah, so I will prevent any signs of weakness from appearing in my defensive line... by attacking." Li Luo chuckled.

Zhao Xingying laughed as well. "You mean to make examples of the three of us?"

"Can't I?" Li Luo asked mildly.

"Do you really think you are on the level of Jing Taixu, Sun Dasheng, or Lu Ming? If you're really so strong, why hasn't your name been put alongside theirs?"

"Well, I guess it'll be there after today," Li Luo said with all seriousness.

The three were a little uncertain about how to respond, so they chose to act instead. Their resonant powers surged forth.

Zhao Xingying's was a dark, burnished gold, but it was wielded in a sinuous form that was not usually associated with the color of hard and metallic resonances. He had the saffron crawler resonance.

Zheng Fuxing's resonant power was black, and it was announced by an ox's bellow. This was the Demonic Battle Bull resonance.

Ding Chi had a standard fire resonance, which immediately turned the leaves under his feet to a powdery ash.

The three commanders leaped forth as one.

They were not foolish enough to "test" Li Luo's depths one by one. There was no need. Strong or weak, their only goal was to defeat him and take the anima cumulonimbus.

Besides, he was the commander of the Astral Sage College. Once he fell, the Astral Sage College would be thoroughly demoralized.

Swoosh!

Zhao Xingying struck first, his golden vines snaking forth quick as lightning.

The sharp, whip-like crack punctured the air.

Li Luo stomped a foot on the ground, awakening his wood resonant power.

"Arboreal Bindings!"

A tree sprung out of the ground, sending its vines out in answer to Zhao Xingying's attack.

Gold and brown vines twisted against each other in a wondrous arch of color.

Black light exploded from beneath. Zheng Fuxing was clutching an enormous axe. He smashed it downwards with enough strength to shake the ground.

Li Luo did not even flinch. With a quick twist, he had the Golden-Jade Onyx-Elephant Blade in hand, and he used it to parry Zheng Fuxing's huge axe.

Clang!

The ring of metal sent a blast of resonant power booming out from their weapons.

"Meteoric Pearl!"

An orb of fire came straight at Li Luo's face.

Pfft!

A spout of water resonant power from Li Luo's mouth morphed into the arrow as he spat it out. It crashed into the fiery attack and neutralized it.

The three-on-one battle had gotten off to an explosive start, a furious, urgent pace that was as deadly as it was relentless.

Li Luo weaved in and out of their attacks, choosing not to retreat even when he could have.

Instead, he met all their attacks head-on and subdued them with even more power.

Within his waterlight resonant palace, the lake's water rippled as though it were vibrating. The large sun burned brightly within it.

Within his woodearth resonant palace, a lush, green tree of resonant power dug its roots deep into the soil and stretched its branches without care.

Both of them supplied Li Luo with a flood of resonant power.

Clang!

The Onyx-Elephant Blade was a slim piece, and yet it moved against the brutal ax of his opponent with quick efficiency. Coated in blue power, it thrust and parried, occasionally spilling splashes of power out from the blade. Li Luo was able to keep both Zhao Xingying and Ding Chi at bay.

He clasped both hands together, merging his resonant powers.

Dual resonances!

Weng!

A watery crescent of power slashed through the air. Li Luo's Water Edge Art had been raised to heights unheard of thanks to his waterlight resonant power. Conducted through a vessel as worthy as the Onyx-Elephant Blade, it punched way above its resonant art class.

Zhao Xingying and his allies could sense it. They had been through countless battles, and their experience told them that this attack could not be avoided. With a shout, they bunched up together and combined their strength against the attack.

Clang!

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A violent clash.

Li Luo swayed on the spot, while Zhao Xingying and the others were sent stumbling back a dozen paces.

Their expressions were different now.

"Water resonance, wood resonance... What strength. So, Commander Li Luo really has dual resonances," Zhao Xingying said in a low voice.

All four of them were at the Second Changing, but Li Luo had come off better in the clash. This was something that only a true dual resonance user could accomplish.

After all, he had two resonant palaces, so his maximum resonant power capacity was much higher than theirs.

If they had not banded together, they would have been badly injured from that attack.

Li Luo did not reply. With a grim smile, he lifted his sword again slowly, holding it up above his head with both hands. His three opponents trembled.

"Commander Li Luo, you are very strong, and there is no doubt that we would lose to you individually. You might win the battle, but you will lose the war," Zhao Xingying ground out.

"Our squads are advancing along the other two routes. As long as they can punch through into the anima cumulonimbus, it does not matter that you and I are held here together.

"And I am sure you can sense that more squads are still lurking in the shadows, watching for opportunities. Aren't you afraid that we will wound each other and allow the profit to go to others?

"This is the time when you should be making some concessions."

Li Luo just looked at him with a neutral expression.

"I trust my companions," he said simply. "It will not be so simple for you to break past them.

"Besides... I've already said that I don't care about the peanut gallery. I just have to destroy you three, and no one will dare to make another move."

Resolve crept back into their eyes.

"Well then, I guess we will find out if dual resonances are as great as they say, or if you're greater than you say!"