Chapter 11

The next day, at the entrance of the old mansion.

Li Luo watched as Jiang Qing'e's carriage disappeared into the distance. Liu Shu stood beside him, hands clasped, while beside him stood the tall and curvaceous Cai Wei.

"Huh."

Li Luo watched the convoy vanish from sight, then exhaled lightly into the morning mist, turning to Liu Shu and saying, "Uncle Liu, please request a week's leave from the academy for me. I want to rest and recuperate at home for a while."

At the moment, due to the fusion of the acquired phase, his qi and blood were in a very poor state. If he went to the academy in this condition, it would likely lead to idle gossip.

Now that he possessed the Water Phase, the most urgent task was to find an energy guidance technique to cultivate and enhance his phase power level.

While the Nanfeng Academy did have many cultivation energy guidance techniques, the exchange conditions were numerous, making it more convenient to use the family's library.

However, the final exam was just next month, and taking a week off at this time would likely cause considerable discussion within the academy. But at this moment, Li Luo clearly couldn't care less about these things.

"Yes, Young Master." The honest and straightforward Liu Shu immediately agreed.

"Cai Wei." Li Luo then turned his gaze to Cai Wei beside him.

Cai Wei, with her slightly elongated, alluring eyes, smiled reservedly and asked, "What does the Young Master need?"

"Please help me purchase some Spirit Water Radiance, of the Fourth Rank." Li Luo smiled.

Cai Wei's thick eyelashes fluttered. Spirit Water Radiance was used to enhance the rank of one's phase, but Li Luo seemed to be a natural Void Phase. Why would he need this?

Though puzzled, she still agreed, her voice soft and gentle, "How many portions does the Young Master need?"

Li Luo thought for a moment and said, "Let's start with fifty portions."

Even the usually calm and rational Cai Wei was taken aback by this number, staring at Li Luo in shock, as if she had heard wrong.

"Young Master, you mean fifty portions of Fourth Rank Spirit Water Radiance?" Cai Wei couldn't help but repeat.

Li Luo met her astonished gaze and nodded seriously.

Cai Wei lightly bit her sensuous red lips. Spirit Water Radiance was an expensive item, and Fourth Rank Spirit Water Radiance was even more costly. On the market, one portion cost about a thousand Tianliang Gold, and fifty portions would be fifty thousand Tianliang Gold.

The Luolan Manor, with its numerous chambers and industries across the Tian Shu Prefecture, had an annual income of around three hundred thousand Tianliang Gold, but this figure had been gradually decreasing in recent years.

Of course, the amount of Tianliang Gold wasn't a huge issue; the Luolan Manor was a large and prosperous family, and fifty thousand Tianliang Gold wouldn't cause Cai Wei to lose her composure. However, purchasing fifty portions of Fourth Rank Spirit Water Radiance at once was indeed quite peculiar.

Spirit Water Radiance was primarily used to refine one's phase and enhance its rank, but it was well-known that it contained impurities from the fusion of various materials. These impurities would gradually erode the phase palace.

Over time, this would lead to the gradual closure of the phase palace, at which point the enhancement of the phase would reach its limit.

Many people, when using Spirit Water Radiance, would not use it without restraint. They would generally control its use to a reasonable schedule, such as one or two portions per month. This not only reduced the impact of impurities on the phase palace but also maximized the refining power of the Spirit Water Radiance.

Therefore, even if others were to purchase Spirit Water Radiance, they would buy it in small quantities. Buying fifty portions at once, like Li Luo, was it to stock up for several years?

Cai Wei truly couldn't understand why Li Luo was doing this...

However, Li Luo was the Young Master, and Jiang Qing'e had said that she was here mainly to assist Li Luo. So, she finally nodded lightly.

"Alright."

"Thank you, Cai Wei." Li Luo smiled warmly and then turned to enter the old mansion.

Cai Wei watched his back, sighing lightly in helplessness. This Young Master seemed a bit reckless. After yesterday's events, didn't he realize that the Luolan Manor was now facing internal and external troubles?

Even if he couldn't help Qing'e due to his physical condition, he didn't need to add to the chaos. With his reckless spending, the Luolan Manor's annual income in the Tian Shu Prefecture might not withstand much more turmoil.

Would they have to seek assistance from Jiang Qing'e? But the current situation of the Luolan Manor was also dire, and they needed a large amount of funds.

Cai Wei lightly rubbed her temples, realizing that her time in the Tian Shu Prefecture might not be smooth.

As for Cai Wei's various emotional reactions, Li Luo didn't pay much attention. At this moment, he was filled with excitement and anticipation as he headed directly to the library in the old mansion.

The library housed numerous energy guidance techniques and phase techniques collected by the Luolan Manor. Although most had been transferred to the headquarters in the capital, the old mansion still retained a significant number.

This place was also one of the key areas of the old mansion, with considerable protection and patrolling guards.

However, as the Young Master, Li Luo entered the library without any hindrance.

"Young Master."

In the library, the steward, upon seeing Li Luo enter, was slightly taken aback but immediately greeted him respectfully.

Li Luo nodded and instructed, "Find all the energy guidance techniques suitable for the Fourth Rank phase in the library."

The steward, though puzzled, did not dare to object. After all, Li Luo was the Young Master and had the highest authority in the old mansion.

He immediately agreed and quickly turned to find the energy guidance techniques as Li Luo requested.

Li Luo, on the other hand, found a quiet room and patiently waited. After a moment, the steward, sweating profusely, carried a pile of crystal scrolls in.

"Young Master, all the energy guidance techniques suitable for the Fourth Rank phase in the library are here. There are twenty-eight entry-level techniques and six general-level techniques."

Li Luo nodded and waved him off, then began to carefully review these energy guidance techniques.

In the Great Xia Kingdom, energy guidance techniques also had different ranks, similar to the phase power levels. They were divided into entry-level, general-level, marquis-level, and king-level. Apart from the entry-level, the other three levels were further divided into upper, middle, and lower ranks.

Entry-level energy guidance techniques could help one complete the cultivation from the Ten Imprints Realm to the Source Master Realm. To advance from the Source Master Realm to the general-level, one needed a general-level energy guidance technique, and so on.

Entry-level energy guidance techniques were common, while general-level techniques began to show distinctions, available only to some intermediate forces.

Marquis-level energy guidance techniques were even rarer, possessed only by top-tier forces.

Li Luo remembered that the Luolan Manor had two marquis-level energy guidance techniques, left by his parents.

As for king-level energy guidance techniques... their value was immeasurable. If one truly appeared, it would likely cause a frenzy among the top-tier forces in the Great Xia Kingdom.

It might even trigger a war between major countries.

However, generally speaking, the higher the rank of the energy guidance technique, the more stringent the cultivation conditions, with many requiring a specific phase rank.

Since Li Luo's "Water Light Phase" was only Fourth Rank, he could only ask the steward to find the techniques he was qualified to cultivate.

Time passed, and Li Luo quickly reviewed the crystal scrolls on the table.

In the end, he selected three energy guidance techniques.

Nine-Stage Inhale-Exhale Technique, general-level lower rank.

Canglan Meditation Diagram, general-level middle rank.

Spiritual Transformation Technique, general-level middle rank.

All three energy guidance techniques were general-level, and if cultivated to the highest level, one's rank could break through to the general-level.

These three energy guidance techniques had decent potential, not the best but not common either. The most crucial point was that they were suitable for Li Luo's Fourth Rank Water Light Phase.

After hesitating among the three energy guidance techniques, Li Luo finally chose the Canglan Meditation Diagram. The phase power cultivated from this technique had the characteristic of being continuous and substantial like the sea, which matched Li Luo's Water Light Phase better.

"You."

Li Luo waved his hand, putting away the "Canglan Meditation Diagram," his eyes filled with eagerness. He then stood up and left, heading to the underground secret chamber, where his parents had specially built a cultivation chamber.

Here, he would begin his true cultivation.