Chapter 8

Bang! Bang!

The sound of knocking on the door startled Li Luo from the darkness. He struggled to open his heavy eyelids, and the familiar room decor came into view.

"What... is going on?"

He muttered to himself, then realized his voice was frighteningly weak, as if he were an old man on the verge of death.

Li Luo tried to get up from the ground, but after several attempts, he found that his limbs had no strength at all.

In the end, he lay on the ground for a while, regaining some strength before he could stagger to his feet and sit down on a nearby chair.

"Master, are you okay?" A woman's voice came from outside the room. It sounded like Cai Wei, Jiang Qing'e's assistant.

Li Luo coughed and replied, "I just woke up late. What's the matter?"

"It's Qing'e who asked me to inform you that the nine pavilion masters of Luo Lan Manor have all arrived. Please prepare yourself," Cai Wei's soft and gentle voice said.

"Alright." Li Luo glanced out the window, where the sky was already bright, indicating he had lain on the ground all night.

Hearing Li Luo's response, Cai Wei, though puzzled by his weak voice, retreated.

Li Luo's gaze turned to where the crystal ball had been placed the night before. To his surprise, the black crystal ball was gone, leaving only a pile of black ashes.

Clearly, the self-destruct mechanism in the black crystal ball had been activated, erasing everything.

Li Luo looked at the mirror on the side, and his face changed when he saw his reflection.

The person in the mirror was pale to the point of being terrifying, as if all the blood had been drained from his body.

The most significant change was his hair... his once black hair had turned gray, clearly due to the loss of essence and blood.

Li Luo stared at the white-haired youth in the mirror for a long time before he finally exhaled, "Surprisingly... I look even more handsome."

Amidst his self-deprecating humor, Li Luo smiled bitterly, "Indeed, after fusing with the postnatal phase, the essence and blood I had stored for seventeen years were mostly consumed..."

This excessive loss of essence and blood made him feel extremely weak, and he felt dizzy even after taking a few steps.

Moreover, he felt an indescribable emptiness in his body, not a mental emptiness, but a loss of lifespan.

Li Luo pressed his bloodless lips together. From now on, he only had five years left to live, didn't he?

It was truly... a pressing matter.

Li Luo exhaled, closed his eyes, and began to sense his body.

His perception sank into the phase palace within his body. Previously, the three phase palaces had been empty, but now, the first phase palace was radiating a deep blue light, emitting a nourishing and gentle force that was gradually replenishing his depleted body.

Li Luo's mind focused on the deep blue phase palace. At this moment, even though he had been mentally prepared, he still felt a surge of excitement.

Indeed, the fusion of the postnatal phase had succeeded.

From today on, his empty phase problem was completely resolved!

Moreover, this once troublesome empty phase would now reveal its unique and wondrous qualities!

Li Luo opened his eyes and could feel the surrounding stray energies, two of which were automatically approaching him.

They were water and light energies.

In the future, he would be able to absorb these energies and convert them into his true phase power.

However, he still needed to practice energy guidance techniques, but that wasn't a problem. Luo Lan Manor had a vast collection of such techniques.

With this in mind, Li Luo slowly stood up, washed up, and changed into a clean set of clothes.

After changing, he looked at himself in the mirror. Despite his haggard appearance and gray hair, his handsome features were still evident, and he smiled brightly.

"Li Luo, welcome to your new life."

...

The old residence in Nanfeng City had always been rather desolate, but today, the atmosphere was unusually tense. The old residence was surrounded by numerous guards and sentries.

In the main hall of the old residence, the atmosphere was even more oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

The spacious hall was divided into two sides, with two seats in the center. One seat was empty, while the other was occupied by Jiang Qing'e, who had a calm but slightly cold expression.

Her golden eyes calmly surveyed the hall, occasionally glancing at the row on the left, where four figures emitted strong energy fluctuations.

Especially the one at the head of the left row.

He was a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, not particularly outstanding in appearance, with slightly sunken eyes and a narrow nose. A sword-shaped earring hung from his right earlobe, faintly gleaming.

He always wore a gentle smile, making people feel at ease.

However, Jiang Qing'e, who knew him well, understood that this person was not someone to be trifled with. Since she took charge of Luo Lan Manor, he had caused her many obstacles.

This person was Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan's registered disciple, now a powerful figure in Luo Lan Manor... Pei Hao.

The three figures below him were the three pavilion masters he had rallied.

On the opposite side, the other six pavilion masters of Luo Lan Manor were seated. Four of them supported Jiang Qing'e, while the other two remained neutral, not leaning towards either side.

From this alone, it was clear how chaotic Luo Lan Manor had become...

Without Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan, the foundation of Luo Lan Manor was shallow, and it was indeed in a precarious state.

The tense atmosphere in the hall persisted for a long time, with only the faint sounds of people sipping tea breaking the silence.

At a certain moment, Pei Hao, seated at the head of the left row, placed his teacup on the table with a light thud. The crisp sound echoed in the hall, causing the atmosphere to freeze.

Pei Hao looked up and met Jiang Qing'e's gaze, smiling, "Little Sister, everyone has been waiting for a long time. Why hasn't the Young Master come out yet?"

"Although he is the Young Master, we have all been working hard for Luo Lan Manor. Even when Master and Mistress were around, they would always be punctual for such occasions, showing their respect for us."

His words caused varied reactions among the nine pavilion masters. Some remained calm, some frowned, and others muttered to themselves.

Jiang Qing'e replied coldly, "When Master and Mistress were around, I never saw you be so impatient."

Pei Hao's eyes narrowed slightly, and he smiled at Jiang Qing'e, "Little Sister, we must look forward."

He paused, looking at everyone, "Since the Young Master hasn't shown up, I suggest we start the meeting without waiting any longer. After all..."

Pei Hao smiled somewhat helplessly, "Everyone knows the Young Master's condition. It might be better for him not to be here today, so let's give him some peace."

The expressions of the people in the hall varied, and for a moment, no one spoke except Jiang Qing'e.

"Since there are no objections, let's start," Pei Hao smiled, waved his hand, and was about to make a decision.

Jiang Qing'e's expression turned cold, and just as she was about to speak, a laugh suddenly echoed from behind the pearl curtain.

"Years have passed, and Pei Hao Senior Brother has truly become much more domineering. If my parents knew how successful you've become, they would surely be pleased."

As the laughter sounded, the pearl curtain was lifted, and a tall, handsome youth walked out with a smile.

When the people in the hall suddenly saw his face, their bodies involuntarily trembled, and they reflexively stood up.

For that face was strikingly similar to the two people they revered.

Even Pei Hao's smile froze for a moment, and his body seemed to involuntarily bend. However, just as he was about to stand up out of habit, his mind suddenly cleared.

Because the person in front of him was not those two...

He was just a waste with an empty phase.

So, he reached out and slapped the teacup on the table, shattering it into powder with a crisp sound.

This sound startled the nine pavilion masters, and they quickly regained their senses.

Then, their faces turned slightly awkward, and the three pavilion masters next to Pei Hao immediately sat back down.

The other six pavilion masters hesitated for a moment before bowing to Li Luo.

"Welcome, Young Master."

When they focused on Li Luo again, they noticed that although he resembled Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan, he lacked their commanding presence, appearing much younger and more inexperienced.

The initial illusion had been just a momentary lapse.

What surprised them the most was Li Luo's gray hair.

Even Jiang Qing'e's eyes showed some surprise and doubt as she looked at Li Luo's head. He had been fine yesterday...

Li Luo nodded to the six pavilion masters, then turned his gaze to Pei Hao, who remained seated, and smiled, "Years have passed, and Pei Hao Senior Brother has truly changed a lot."

The nine pavilion masters' eyes flickered, sensing the implications in Li Luo's words.

In the past, when Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan were still around, every time Pei Hao saw Li Luo, he would smile warmly like an older brother and even go out of his way to bring him many gifts.

But even Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan probably never imagined that this respectful disciple would reveal his true nature after their long absence.

Pei Hao smiled slightly, looked up at Li Luo, and said, "It's been a long time, Xiao Luo. You've grown a lot."

He paused, frowned, and said seriously, "But why are you so pale, and your hair is white? You look... like you don't have many years left to live."