Chapter 0960: Pairs

When the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li left the forest, they did not encounter a single individual from the rival Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Zhao. It seemed as though Zhao Yan did not wish to engage in a decisive battle at this point in time.

The two parties did not differ too much in strength, and if push came to shove, achieving victory would not be a simple matter. The most likely scenario would be that both sides would end up heavily injured and retreating to lick their wounds.

If enemies were plotting in the shadows, both parties might very well depart the Spiritual Resonance Cave prematurely.

Thus, despite the fact that Zhao Yan was absolutely incensed and hated Li Luo, wishing to tear him into thousands of pieces, he had to retreat.

Meanwhile, the Devil Fire Hall had received news of Zhao Yan retreating much earlier, so Tian Miao naturally did the same as well. However, he berated Zhao Yan deep in his heart.

...

Despite not seeing any traces of the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Zhao, the Heavenly Dragon's Five Lineages continued to maintain a single body as they retreated, in order to ensure that they would be guarded from any retaliatory measures by them.

The entire squad began to head in the direction of the Golden Dew Platform and the deeper regions of the Spiritual Resonance Cave.

This situation persisted for half a day before the leaders of the respective lineages gathered again to determine the next course of action.

"Everyone, now that we have reached this point, I believe it is time we split up." The one who spoke first was none other than Li Wuyuan. His expression was slightly helpless. The group had encountered droplets of Spirit Resonance Golden Dew, but what they had received was far too lacking when compared to what was gathered in the forest.

Only a few droplets would be found during each encounter, and with almost a hundred individuals gathered together, such a pitiful trickle was insufficient for everyone's needs. In fact, it would only lead to strife as people bickered over the distribution. At the end of the day, it would also affect the overall efficiency of distribution and it only cause frustration.

"The Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Zhao has left, and it's unlikely they are still chasing us. Thus, we should change the way we move." Li Luo agreed. Based on past experience, it made more sense to split into groups of two to scour for Spirit Resonance Golden Dew. This way, when the Golden Dew Platforms opened up, there would be a larger number of individuals who could reap the benefits.

The other leaders nodded in agreement as well.

"Since that's the case, let us divide ourselves into new groups and scatter from here. When the Golden Dew Platform is ready, we can gather," Li Wuyuan continued. Everyone nodded, and Li Luo and Li Fuling returned to the Dragon's Fang Lineage's squad.

Li Luo explained the situation to the rest. "We are going to scatter, and the most effective way to do so will be in pairs, with one stronger and one weaker. This way, everyone can be taken care of." This meant that an individual of a higher Heavenly Pearl Tier would be matched with someone with weaker combat strength. Only by doing this could each group possess significant might and successfully obtain more dew.

"I'll group up with you, Cousin Li Luo, since my role is to protect you." Li Lingjing immediately spoke up before she glanced at Li Fuling with a smile.

"Fuling, I don't believe you'll fight me for this chance, will you?"

Li Fuling pouted. "It's not like he's some sort of amazing steamed bun. What is there to fight over? I'll group up with Fengyi."

The rest similarly formed their own pairs, which, to a certain extent, were already decided beforehand. Deng Fengxian and Lu Ze were one pair, and Li Jingtao was paired with the previous generation's Violet Spirit Banner Leader.

After this was complete, Li Luo smiled. "Since this is the case, I'll congratulate everyone in advance for successfully obtaining ample amounts of Spirit Resonance Golden Dew. Let us butt heads again at the Golden Dew Platform."

"Take care, Little Brother," Li Fengyi teased.

Li Luo grinned and nodded. "If you encounter danger, don't forget to release the Dragon's Fang Lineage's signal for help. If I'm nearby, I will definitely come to your assistance."

"You too. Now that the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Zhao hates you to the bone, they will definitely take revenge if the opportunity surfaces," Li Jingtao reminded.

Li Luo nodded.

After the Heavenly Dragon's Five Lineages had completed their own arrangements, they said their goodbyes and the pairs scattered.

Li Luo and Li Lingjing similarly picked a direction, and he activated his energy wings whilst she surrounded her body with dense amounts of resonant power. The duo then soared away steadily.

They passed through mountains and rivers before discovering places with dense amounts of worldly natural energy which they would then descend to and investigate.

Generally, it would be Li Luo doing the searching as Li Lingjing leisurely followed behind. She even picked up a small branch and twirled it around for fun, rolling up a leaf into a whistle and creating a pleasant melody.

It was an indescribably leisurely and elegant sight.

They occasionally encountered Guardian Spirits, and Li Luo was the one who almost always took action. Whenever she watched from the side, she would beam happily whilst cheering him on.

They also came across groups of rogue cultivators who were similar to jackals, greedy and vicious. These cultivators were mostly above the Fiend Body Tier, and some even had multiple Heavenly Pearls. Li Luo might have had a hard time escaping their clutches if he were alone. They didn't care about his background, and if they did take action to rob and plunder, no one would know.

The bright side was that Li Luo had Li Lingjing as a reliable guardian. With strength at the eight-pearl tier, none of the rogue cultivators dared to even set their sights upon them.

Two days passed quietly this way, with a tacit understanding between them.

They had obtained eight droplets of Spirit Resonance Golden Dew. Combined with the dew they had obtained in the valley, each of them had fifteen droplets to their name, which was halfway to the required amount.

However, no one would resent having more droplets. Even though thirty droplets were needed to activate the Golden Dew Platform, the extra amounts could be used to temper one's resonance. It could be considered a type of spirit liquid and purifying light that was created by the world around them.

If this liquid were placed in the outside world, it would undoubtedly attract endless demand. It was thus a pity that the Spirit Resonance Golden Dew would dissipate shortly after it was taken out of the Spiritual Resonance Cave.

However, Li Luo and Li Lingjing were not in a rush. There was still plenty of time, so obtaining thirty droplets should not be a problem.

A small fire was lit in a vast field, sending smoke wafting into the sky.

Li Luo took out some meat that he had prepared beforehand from his pocket sphere and roasted it above the fire. The golden-yellow fat glistened as it dripped off the bone, resulting in an unbelievable fragrance that permeated through the area.

Li Lingjing was sitting beside the fire, focused on the meat with a look of anticipation.

As the meat slowly reached the ideal temperature, Li Luo flashed Li Lingjing a smile. "You seem a lot more carefree these days."

She took a light whiff of the delicious aroma before she replied, "Well, there's no one else around. Of course I can feel more relaxed."

"Do you dislike interacting with others, Cousin Lingjing?" Li Luo asked after a short pause.

Her eyes seemed to droop at this point. "Perhaps it's mental trauma after all these years."

Hearing this, Li Luo picked up a perfectly grilled piece of meat and handed it to her before he said with a soft voice, "You don’t need to worry any longer. The nightmare has passed, and with your talent, we will become the Dragon's Fang Lineage's dual geniuses. Becoming a Duke or even a King is just a matter of time!"

Li Lingjing covered her mouth coyly as she gently bit into the piece of meat. Her red lips seemed even more delicate when smudged with a hint of oil, and her gaze seemed to be filled with happiness. "You speak such honeyed words, Cousin. Before we separated, Cousin Fengyi reminded me to protect you properly. Your enemies are not few—on top of the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Zhao, there's also the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qing's renowned Fairy of Water. So you can relax—'ll still do my best to ensure your safety even if you don't say such nice things."

She then gave a strange smile. "Of course, the Fairy of Water is an exceptional lady, so I can leave her to you if you don't want me to interfere."

Li Luo rolled his eyes as he scarfed down the remaining pieces of meat before starting to cultivate.

Li Lingjing, on the other hand, continued to sit by the fire, tending to the flame with a stick. Then she paused all of a sudden, and a frown crept up on her face. At the same time, she looked towards the darkness in the distance.

There was a strange feeling tugging at her ever since she entered the Spiritual Resonance Cave, as though she was being watched.

The feeling was eerie and cold. It even seemed a little familiar.

Her eyes shrunk, and a frightening look surfaced from the depths of her eyes. Her slender fingers slowly ground the wooden stick into dust.

As the fire crackled lightly, she whispered almost indiscernibly, "Don't force me..."