Chapter 21

Around the wooden platform on the Phase Force Tree, the noise and excitement continued. All the students except those from the First Academy were marveling.

No one had expected this outcome.

At first, everyone thought today's competition was just a reason for the First Academy to take the five golden leaves from the Second Academy. But who would have thought that the three Sixth Seal Realm students from the First Academy would all be defeated by Li Luo alone.

This was truly a rare and exciting spectacle.

The most crucial part was the dramatic effect, such as Li Luo being demoted from the First Academy to the Second Academy because he was born with an Empty Phase, which meant limited potential...

But now, Li Luo's sudden appearance with a Phase and strength must have made the First Academy's mentor, Lin Feng, feel quite complicated.

Amid the astonishment of the students, they couldn't help but reassess Li Luo. Was this once-fallen prodigy about to rise again? But now... wouldn't it be a bit too late?

The noise continued, but the First Academy was relatively quiet. The students looked at each other, their expressions complex.

Difa Qing stared at Li Luo's figure, and after a moment, she said in disbelief, "Wasn't he born with an Empty Phase? How could he suddenly have a Phase?"

Song Yunfeng had a blank expression and couldn't answer this question either.

"Although Postnatal Phases are extremely rare, they are not impossible. Some special treasures can help a person develop a Postnatal Phase, but they are extremely rare. Our Great Xia Kingdom hasn't seen one in hundreds of years. However, Li Luo's parents are two remarkable people, so they might have the means to obtain such treasures," Lü Qing'er said from the side.

The Golden Dragon Treasure House deals with a wide variety of items, and Lü Qing'er's second uncle is the president of the Golden Dragon Treasure House in Nanfeng City, so she has learned many things that ordinary people don't know.

"If he had such treasures, why did he wait until now to use them?" Difa Qing asked.

"Perhaps it required some special conditions. I don't know the specifics," Lü Qing'er said with a faint smile.

Difa Qing fell silent for a moment and then said, "Is this guy really going to make a comeback?"

Her tone was complex. Her family, the Difa family, had some conflicts of interest with the Luo family, but they were much smaller compared to the Song family. She and Li Luo had no special grudges, except for the marriage contract between Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e.

"It's not that easy."

Song Yunfeng said indifferently, "Li Luo's Phase is likely a Water Phase. From his battle with Bei Kun, we can roughly guess its rank, which is probably between fifth and sixth grade. This level of Phase, while not bad, is far from excellent."

"And his Phase Force level is at the Fifth Seal... Do you think a Fifth Seal with a fifth or sixth-grade Phase is really that rare?"

Difa Qing nodded thoughtfully. With this configuration, Li Luo wouldn't even make the top ten in the First Academy. Even if he has exceptional talent in Phase Techniques, it would still be difficult for him to reach his former glory.

Of course, the most important thing is that the Academy's major exam is less than a month away... Can Li Luo catch up in such a short time?

Difa Qing could only say it was impossible.

Thinking about this, Difa Qing seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, though she wasn't sure if she was happy to see Li Luo's potential resurgence.

Lü Qing'er didn't join in the conversation. Her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Li Luo.

You've finally solved your Empty Phase problem... Can you really catch up in the remaining time?

As the students were in an uproar, the high platform was relatively quiet. Even Xu Shanyue was a bit surprised by the outcome.

As for Lin Feng, he hadn't said a word from the beginning, his expression as blank as a wooden stake.

The other mentors occasionally glanced at Lin Feng, their eyes carrying a hint of amusement.

Finally, the old principal clapped his hands and said with a smile, "No wonder he's the son of those two. Is this what you call late blooming?"

Lin Feng said indifferently, "Principal, you might be using the wrong term. A Fifth Seal with a fifth or sixth-grade Water Phase, no matter how you look at it, is not what you'd call a late bloomer."

The old principal shook his head. He knew Lin Feng was probably feeling a bit frustrated. He then said with a smile, "You're too proud. You'll eventually suffer for it."

Lin Feng didn't respond and then looked at Xu Shanyue, saying, "This time, the First Academy was outmatched. We will give the ten golden leaves as promised. If these boys can't hold their ground, they should pay the price."

Xu Shanyue mocked, "I thought you'd say to let Li Luo return to the First Academy."

Lin Feng smiled coldly and said, "You're overthinking it. As I said before, he's not a late bloomer. The First Academy doesn't lack such a normal student. What he should be thinking about now is whether he can catch up in the remaining month and meet the admission requirements for the Holy玄Star Academy."

Indeed, although Li Luo's sudden Water Phase caught him off guard, he didn't feel particularly regretful.

After all, the Water Phase came too late. Li Luo is only at the Fifth Seal level, and the Water Phase isn't particularly high-grade. In Lin Feng's view, Li Luo has only managed to struggle out of the mud a little. To think he can stand at the peak again is to underestimate the First Academy's outstanding students.

Moreover, the Academy's major exam is approaching, and Li Luo doesn't have much time to catch up. If he misses this opportunity, he will miss the age requirement for the Holy玄Star Academy. In that case, would Lin Feng need to care about Li Luo's future achievements?

Losing the opportunity to enter the Holy玄Star Academy would be a significant loss for Li Luo, and this wouldn't change just because he is the young master of the Luo family.

Thinking about this, Lin Feng's demeanor became even more casual.

At this moment, the old principal waved to Li Luo, who, after a moment's thought, climbed up to the platform.

"Hello, Principal," Li Luo greeted with a smile.

The old principal looked at Li Luo with a smile and said, "You've solved your Empty Phase problem?"

Li Luo nodded and said, "Yes, it's a fifth-grade Water Phase."

Hearing "fifth-grade Water Phase," Lin Feng couldn't help but smile and said, "Li Luo, a fifth-grade Water Phase is average, but with more effort, you can still achieve something."

"That's not for you to worry about, Mentor Lin Feng. While Phase grade can influence Phase Force cultivation, there are still fifth-grade Phases that have achieved great things," Li Luo said.

Lin Feng said mockingly, "Fifth-grade Phase, achieving great things? That's just childish. Do you really believe it?"

The old principal waved his hand to stop Lin Feng and then said to Li Luo, "It's good that you have this confidence, but there's less than a month until the Academy's major exam. If you want to catch up, you'll need to work even harder."

Li Luo nodded, "Understood."

The old principal gave a few more instructions and then let Li Luo leave. Taking advantage of the crowd, he announced, "There's less than a month until the Academy's major exam. In two weeks, the Academy will hold a preliminary exam. Also, the Holy玄Star Academy's admission requirements for this year have been released. The Phase Force level must be at least Seventh Seal."

This announcement caused widespread dismay. Many students looked dejected, as Seventh Seal was a very high threshold for them.

Only the top students of the First Academy wore faint smiles.

As the most prestigious academy in the Great Xia Kingdom, and even among the neighboring countries, the Holy玄Star Academy is not open to everyone.

"Seventh Seal or higher..."

Li Luo clicked his tongue, not surprised. He was currently at the Fifth Seal, two levels away. It seemed he would need to train intensively in the next half-month.

And Seventh Seal is just the basic requirement. There will be more competition, so Li Luo felt he needed to enhance his "Water Light Phase" to be more secure.

However, the gap between a fifth-grade and sixth-grade Phase is significant. Li Luo estimated that if he did this, the Luo family's income in Tian Shu County would be drained by him alone.

As Li Luo pondered, the students gradually dispersed, and he suddenly noticed someone walking beside him.

Turning his head, he saw Lü Qing'er looking at him with a calm expression.

"Congratulations, Young Master," she said.

Seeing her, Li Luo instinctively wanted to avoid her, but he awkwardly stopped after taking a step.

"Hello, hello," Li Luo greeted half-heartedly.

"You're not avoiding me anymore?" Lü Qing'er asked.

"Really not," Li Luo said awkwardly.

Lü Qing'er said, "Li Luo, I'm grateful for your guidance in Phase Techniques back then. But I think you shouldn't have been so childish and avoided me all these years. I didn't take your place, and you should understand that positions are earned through strength."

"Li Luo, I am now the top student in Nanfeng Academy. If you want to reclaim your position, come and defeat me. I didn't say this before because of your sensitive feelings, but now that you've solved your Empty Phase problem, if you're a man, you should take back what you lost."

Li Luo nodded with a bitter smile, "I'll try my best."

Lü Qing'er smiled, and Li Luo saw a cold and annoyed look in her eyes.

"I'm waiting for you... Also, I want to tell you that your behavior over the years has diminished my admiration for you. So if there's a chance..."

She stopped, but her cold eyes said it all.

With that, she turned and left.

Li Luo watched her go, shaking his head helplessly. It seemed he had offended Lü Qing'er. Indeed, the prettier the woman, the more petty she is!

As he sighed, he suddenly felt a piercing gaze on him and turned his head.

He saw a figure on a nearby platform, staring at him with cold eyes, filled with a warning.

It was Song Yunfeng, the current second-best student in the First Academy.

Their eyes met, and Song Yunfeng's gaze was sharp and aggressive. He then shook his head disdainfully, and his lips moved silently.

"Li Luo, don't cause trouble. Stay away from Lü Qing'er."

Li Luo believed he understood the lip movement, as it was a basic operation.

But Li Luo frowned, muttering to himself, "What's this fool doing? If he wants to say something, just shout it out. Moving his lips like a rat stealing food, who knows what he's saying."

Unable to understand what the other person was doing, Li Luo finally shook his head, ignoring him, and left.

Song Yunfeng watched Li Luo leave, his eyes narrowing, filled with shadows.

To ignore me like this? Too arrogant.

Li Luo's previous gaze reminded him of when Li Luo was at his peak in Nanfeng Academy, shining brightly.

But...

Song Yunfeng's hand involuntarily clenched the wooden pole, leaving cracks.

What are you pretending? Do you really think a fifth-grade Phase can bring you back to your former glory?