Chapter 6

The smooth, mirror-like black crystal ball reflected Li Luo's face, which was filled with evident anticipation and tension.

He was also very curious about what his parents had left for him with such great effort...

"How should I open it?"

Li Luo tried to suppress his nervousness, looked around the dark and mysterious crystal ball, and tentatively placed his palms on it.

Buzz!

As soon as his palms touched the crystal ball, it seemed to emit a subtle vibration. The originally hard and smooth surface became like a liquid, gradually covering Li Luo's palms.

At the same time, Li Luo faintly felt something like needles pricking into his palms, drawing a bit of blood.

The black liquid gradually detached from his palms, and light began to emanate from it. Finally, under Li Luo's astonished gaze, it gradually formed two figures above.

Looking at the two familiar figures, Li Luo felt a surge of emotion well up in his nose.

"Dad, Mom..."

The two figures, one male and one female, were exceptionally handsome. The man had a tall and straight figure, dressed in white, exuding a commanding presence that gave a sense of indescribable security.

The woman wore a purple coat, with her long hair tied up and her hands casually in her pockets. She was also extremely beautiful, dignified, and elegant.

They were Li Luo's parents, Li Tai Xuan and Dantai Lan.

"Haha, Xiao Luo, when you see this recording, you should be seventeen, right? Most likely, we won't be by your side at this time," Li Tai Xuan said as Li Luo gazed at the two figures.

"Xiao Luo should have become even more handsome, right? Have you been pursued by girls at the academy?" Dantai Lan said with a smile.

Li Luo rubbed his eyes and muttered to himself, "My son is now handsome, but I'm practically useless. Who would pursue me?"

"Is Xiao Luo feeling self-pity right now, thinking he's useless?" Li Tai Xuan's figure seemed to know what Li Luo was thinking and laughed again.

"Is it because of the void phase in your body?" Dantai Lan asked.

Li Luo was startled. When his phase palace appeared, Li Tai Xuan and Dantai Lan had already disappeared. How could they know his condition?

"Xiao Luo, don't be surprised. Actually, we observed the situation of your void phase using special methods before your phase palace appeared, including the three phase palaces you have," Dantai Lan said with a gentle gaze.

Li Luo opened his mouth, and at that moment, he recalled many things. It turned out his parents knew about his special condition even earlier than he did. Then, could their disappearance be related to this? Where are you now? Are you okay? Why haven't you sent any news for so many years?

"Xiao Luo, first, I want to tell you that being born with a void phase is not useless. On the contrary, I believe it is the most powerful constitution in the world. You shouldn't be disheartened; instead, you should be happy about it," Li Tai Xuan said, leaving Li Luo speechless.

"Dad, you don't have to comfort me so much, do you?" Li Luo had a look of disbelief, thinking that the void phase made it difficult to cultivate phase energy, and calling it the most powerful constitution was just a joke.

"You were born with a void phase, unable to absorb and refine the energy of heaven and earth. This is indeed a fundamental issue, but it's not unsolvable," Li Tai Xuan said with a smile.

"Since it's a void phase, just fill it in," Dantai Lan also said with a smile.

Li Luo frowned. It sounded simple, but it was practically impossible. Phase attributes were innate, and trying to add them later was unheard of. He had tried similar methods before, but all of them failed.

"Ordinary methods indeed cannot achieve this, but since we learned about your void phase, we have been working hard to find a solution."

"And our efforts paid off; we finally found it."

When Li Tai Xuan said this, Li Luo could clearly hear his heart pounding like a drum, so intense that he felt a momentary dizziness.

"We read and deduced countless ancient texts and finally found a method called the 'Little Void Phase Divine Forging Technique.' Using this technique, we can forge an acquired phase. If we add the essence and soul of the person during the forging process, the final phase can be integrated into the phase palace."

"Xiao Luo, being born with a void phase is not necessarily a bad thing. Inherent phases are random and hard to control, but the acquired phase forged with the 'Little Void Phase Divine Forging Technique' can be crafted according to your wishes."

"If you want an elemental phase, you can craft it in that direction. If you want a myriad beast phase, you can go in that direction."

"In the future, when your three phase palaces are equipped with the three phases you carefully forged, their synergy will far surpass those of inherent phases."

Li Luo's eyes lit up. This made sense. Many people's phase palaces are fixed with their attributes, and they cannot be changed. In his case, although he lacked inherent attributes, he had the advantage of being highly malleable.

"Xiao Luo, the 'Little Void Phase Divine Forging Technique' has another wonderful benefit," Dantai Lan added.

Although he knew it was just a recording, Li Luo immediately perked up. If you have a benefit to share, I'm all ears.

"Most inherent phases are single-element, but the acquired phases forged with the 'Little Void Phase Divine Forging Technique' are different. They contain two attributes, one primary and one secondary."

"If you can choose attributes that complement each other, it will greatly enhance their power. Although some rare treasures might allow other elements to appear in a phase palace, they are minimal and only provide a slight boost. Compared to your primary and secondary attributes, they are far inferior."

"Wow, wow!"

Li Luo clapped his hands. He understood how precious this was. If he chose fire as the primary attribute and added lightning as the secondary, the combination would greatly enhance the destructive power of his phase energy.

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel excited. It seemed that his so-called void phase was actually more refined than inherent phases!

"Cough, but nothing is perfect. Although the acquired phase is highly compatible with the void phase, it has one drawback: the initial rank of the forged phase will not exceed the fourth rank," Li Tai Xuan suddenly coughed and said.

Li Luo was taken aback. A fourth-rank phase was indeed low, especially compared to Jiang Qing'e's ninth-rank Light phase.

Given the rank difference, even with the dual attributes of his acquired phase, it might not be easy to catch up.

However, this hesitation was short-lived. His current situation was already at its worst, so even a fourth-rank phase was still a good start!

"Of course, you don't need to worry. Although the starting point of the acquired phase is low, you can improve it using acquired methods," Dantai Lan, who loved her son, immediately reminded him.

Li Luo realized this. There were many rare medicines and treasures that could enhance phase attributes, especially those crafted by phase refiners, who were highly sought after by phase masters.

However, using external means to enhance phase attributes had its limits. Generally, they could only improve the rank by one or two levels.

For his acquired phase, if it started at the fourth rank, it would likely reach the fifth or sixth rank after various enhancements.

"Xiao Luo, are you worried that the external means to enhance phase attributes have limits?" As Li Luo pondered, Li Tai Xuan's laughter echoed.

"Oh?" Seeing Li Tai Xuan's smile, Li Luo raised an eyebrow. Could this drawback be remedied?

Just as Li Luo waited expectantly, Dantai Lan suddenly coughed, interrupting Li Tai Xuan. She said, somewhat displeased, "You've said everything. What else can I tell Xiao Luo?"

Li Tai Xuan was taken aback and quickly said, "Sorry, dear. I was wrong. You can continue talking to our son."

Li Luo couldn't help but shake his head. His father's survival instinct was impressive. Had he been beaten into submission?

"Brat, are you mocking your father?"

Li Tai Xuan's image seemed to know Li Luo's reaction and immediately said sternly, "You're still young. You don't understand. I'm not afraid of your mother; I love her deeply. I've told you many times that loving your wife is the first family rule. When you're with Qing'e, you must follow this rule, understand?"

Li Luo couldn't help but sneer. Dad, every time you say this, if it weren't for the fresh bruises on your face, I might have believed you.

But thinking about Jiang Qing'e, Li Luo sighed. Qing'e was raised by his mother, so her personality was similar. She often wanted to hit him.

What will I do in the future?

Feeling worried, Li Luo looked up at his father's image. His father seemed to understand his thoughts, and for a moment, they shared a mutual understanding.

"Li Tai Xuan, stop wasting my time with your antics," Dantai Lan said, her eyebrows furrowed.

Li Tai Xuan quickly nodded in agreement.

Then Dantai Lan looked at Li Luo, her tone becoming gentle. "The limitation of external means to enhance phase attributes applies only to inherent phases. These external means, no matter how pure, contain impurities that eventually cause the phase palace to close, preventing further enhancement."

"But Xiao Luo, your void phase is different. Since others' phase palaces have inherent attributes, they reject external enhancements. However, your void phase has no attributes. Void means nothing, and nothing means it can contain everything."

"Therefore, your phase can continuously be enhanced using external means. Although the higher the rank, the more difficult it becomes, you do have the opportunity to make your acquired phase perfect."

"That's why I say, Xiao Luo, this so-called void phase is likely the most powerful phase in the world. What it lacks is the key to unlock it."

Li Luo's heart raced. Over the years, his void phase had caused him much hardship. Initially, he felt resentment and anger, but eventually, his efforts turned into futility, and he had to accept reality.

But now, his father was telling him that the void phase was not useless but the most powerful. At this moment, Li Luo couldn't help but feel his eyes well up.

"Xiao Luo, the first acquired phase, we have already forged using your essence and a thread of your soul. It is inside this crystal ball."

"The 'Little Void Phase Divine Forging Technique' is also inside," Dantai Lan said.

A warm current flowed through Li Luo's heart. He opened his hands and said, "Dad, Mom, thank you. Come, I'm ready. Pass the acquired phase and the 'Little Void Phase Divine Forging Technique' to me. Let your son start this journey of transformation."

However, Li Tai Xuan's expression became serious. He paused for a moment and said, "There is one last thing I need to tell you. Integrating the acquired phase into your body is not as simple as you think."

"When the acquired phase is integrated, it will draw a large amount of your essence. We required you to be seventeen to open this because at this age, you can barely withstand the loss of essence."

"But most importantly... integrating the acquired phase will not only cost you essence but also... your lifespan."

"From the moment of integration, you will have only five years left... unless you can reach the Marquis realm and evolve your life stage within five years. Otherwise, your lifespan will end after five years."

"This matter has been a point of contention between your mother and me. The cost is indeed high, but Xiao Luo, you are grown up. We decided to tell you and let you make the choice. Xiao Luo, do you choose to maintain the status quo and live a life of comfort, or do you choose to integrate the acquired phase and challenge fate, embarking on a perilous journey?"

"If you choose the former, just close the crystal ball, and everything inside will self-destruct. If you choose the latter, place your hand inside. The choice is yours, but no matter what you decide, your father and mother will always support you."

The words stopped, and Li Tai Xuan and Dantai Lan's images remained silent, gazing forward with gentle eyes.

Li Luo slowly sat down, his eyes fixed on the dark crystal ball, his expression fluctuating.

He had always felt that such a powerful void phase would have some drawbacks. Now, he knew what they were.

Now, the choice he made would determine whether he would be a weakling or a short-lived one.

(4000 words, a labor of love, please vote.)