Chapter 7

In the room, silence reigned.

The black crystal ball emitted a faint glow, which illuminated Li Luo's face, which was filled with uncertainty, making it look somewhat eerie.

At this moment, he was undoubtedly caught in an extremely difficult decision.

The void phase within his body, thanks to his parents' all-out efforts, suddenly gave him great hope and a glimmer of light. However, what he did not expect was that this hope would come at such a heavy cost.

Only five years left to live.

If he could not reach the Marquis realm and evolve his life form within five years, his life would come to a complete end.

A Marquis in five years?

He was now seventeen years old, and in five years, he would be twenty-three... According to Li Luo's knowledge, in the history of the Great Xia Kingdom, there had never been a Marquis as young as that.

What kind of talent, opportunity, and effort would it take to create such a miracle?

Li Luo did not know... At this moment, he felt a tremendous pressure enveloping him, making it hard to breathe.

Now, he could choose to continue living an ordinary life. The Luo Lan Manor left by his parents was a considerable legacy. Even if he could not control it, if he were willing to make many compromises, living a life of luxury and ease would not be a problem.

If he chose the path of the acquired phase, he would have to remain constantly tense, striving to squeeze out every bit of his potential, and fight against the heavens for a slim chance of survival.

Which path should he choose?

Li Luo slowly closed his eyes, his emotions surging.

At this moment, he thought of many things. He thought of the strange looks from his peers at the academy, who often said that a tiger father has a dog son, wondering why such excellent parents would have a child with so many shortcomings.

He also thought of those pure and beautiful golden eyes. Deep down, he naturally had a liking and admiration for Jiang Qing'e, and Li Luo did not deny this. After all, as he said, Jiang Qing'e's excellence was naturally very attractive to her peers. It was not shameful, just a normal human emotion.

Actually, since childhood, Li Luo had been in competition with Jiang Qing'e in many aspects. Due to various reasons, Li Luo mostly lost. As they grew older, this competition gradually diminished.

Especially when the Phase Palace opened, Li Luo knew the gap between them was widening.

And from that point on, Jiang Qing'e rarely compared herself to him anymore.

These years of experiences made Li Luo seem more peaceful, but only he knew that deep down, he harbored a strong competitive spirit.

The deal with Jiang Qing'e was not just a deal; it was also a way to push himself.

Under normal circumstances, catching up to Jiang Qing'e, who was far ahead of him, would be almost impossible. But now... there was a glimmer of hope.

Was he going to give up this glimmer of hope?

The answer was... impossible!

Li Luo suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as never before.

He stared at the images of Li Tai Xuan and Dan Tai Lan in front of him and said softly, "Dad, Mom, I've always had an ambition, though others might find it laughable and presumptuous..."

"I don't just want to catch up to Sister Qing'e; I want to surpass her. And not just her, I want to... surpass you both."

He grinned, showing his white teeth, "I want people to see me and not say I'm the son of Li Tai Xuan and Dan Tai Lan, but to see you and say... 'These are the parents of the legendary Li Luo.'"

Li Luo chuckled, "Dad, Mom, I'm very grateful for the gift you gave me on my seventeenth birthday."

"Rest assured, I won't let you down. It's just a matter of becoming a Marquis in five years... Fine, I, Li Luo, accept this challenge!"

As the last word fell, Li Luo's gaze became resolute. Without any hesitation, he extended his palm and pressed it directly onto the black crystal ball.

Sizzle!

The crystal ball immediately reacted violently. At this moment, Li Luo felt intense pain in his palm, as if countless needles were piercing it.

Then, the black crystal ball began to

(To be continued on the next page)

slowly split, and at its deepest core, two objects lay quietly.

One was a black jade slip, which, if his guess was correct, should contain the so-called "Little Void Phase Divine Forging Technique."

The other was a peculiar object, which seemed to be a liquid and yet a kind of ethereal light flow. It was a deep blue, and within that blue, there was a faint sacred light.

Li Luo's gaze was fixed on the mysterious object that seemed to be both a liquid and a light flow.

He knew that this was the thing that could change his fate—the acquired phase that his parents had painstakingly created.

And he could also feel that when he first saw this object, he had a sense of deep soul-level compatibility.

It was as if this object had originated from within him.

It seemed that, as his parents had said, this acquired phase was forged from his soul and essence, and thus naturally had an extremely high degree of compatibility.

"Ah..."

As Li Luo stared intently at the mysterious "acquired phase," a sigh filled with complex emotions echoed softly.

Li Luo looked up and saw the images of Li Tai Xuan and Dan Tai Lan come to life again. Their faces showed a mix of complex emotions.

"Xiao Luo, it seems you've made your choice," Li Tai Xuan said slowly.

"As your father, your choice makes me feel some pain, but from a man's perspective, it makes me feel proud and relieved."

"The path ahead of you will be filled with difficulties and dangers, but as the son of Li Tai Xuan, how could you fear them?"

Beside him, Dan Tai Lan's eyes seemed to glisten with tears. When she left this image, she must have felt extremely distressed at the thought of Li Luo making this choice. After all, as a mother, it was hard for her to accept that her child would only have five years left to live.

However, she did not try to dissuade him, for she knew that this choice could only be made by Li Luo himself. Since he had made his choice, she would only support him and believe in him wholeheartedly.

"Xiao Luo... Since you've made your choice, let me tell you about the acquired phase we forged for you," Dan Tai Xuan said.

Li Luo's spirit was immediately lifted at her words.

"This acquired phase, your father and I went through countless experiments and trials to find the most compatible materials, and finally forged it."

"It is a fourth-grade phase, primarily a water phase with a light phase as an auxiliary."

Li Luo was taken aback and then smiled bitterly, "This... How can it be a water phase?"

Among the elemental phases, there was no hierarchy, but if one were to talk about attack and destruction, the fire, lightning, and metal phases were the strongest. The water phase, on the other hand, was more gentle and soft, which was clearly a bit weaker.

He certainly did not expect that the first acquired phase his parents forged for him would be of this nature.

"Hehe, Xiao Luo, do you think the water phase is weak and doesn't fit your expectations? Don't underestimate the water phase. While it may be slightly weaker in attack and destruction, its enduring and powerful nature surpasses other phases. If you can bring out the advantages of the water phase, it won't be weaker than any other phase."

"Moreover... Your water phase is not ordinary, as it also has a light phase as an auxiliary. The combination of water and light, if you can develop it well, will likely surprise you."

"Of course, there are two other extremely important reasons why your father and I chose water and light as your first acquired phase."

"After you fuse with this first acquired phase, you will lose a large amount of essence and blood, and the loss of lifespan will also cause you great damage. The gentle nature of the water phase and the water phase power you cultivate can nourish your damaged body and help you recover quickly."

Li Luo was enlightened. Indeed, if one were to talk about nourishing and healing, the water phase and light phase were the best.

"What is the second reason?" Li Luo wondered.

His question did not wait long, and Li Tai Xuan smiled, "The second reason is that we hope you will become a Phase Forger to assist your future cultivation."

"Do you remember the basic requirements to become a Phase Forger?"

Li Luo was taken aback and then replied, "The basic requirement to become a Phase Forger is to have... a water phase or a light phase?"

With the prevalence of elemental phases, many auxiliary professions have emerged,

(To be continued on the next page)

Phase Forgers are one of them, with the ability to forge various spiritual waters and lights that can refine and enhance the quality of elemental phases.

There are also Alchemists, but they require wood and fire phases.

And Phase Artisans, who create various phase tools, which require metal, fire, and earth phases.

Phase Forgers and Alchemists are somewhat similar, but the fundamental difference is that Phase Forgers can only enhance the quality of elemental phases, while the pills created by Alchemists mostly enhance phase power.

The water phase and light phase both have purifying effects, making them the basic and necessary conditions to become a Phase Forger.

"But why become a Phase Forger?" Li Luo was puzzled.

Before he could ask, Li Tai Xuan's voice rang out, "Because you have the void phase, which can infinitely refine the quality of your elemental phase. If you become a Phase Forger, you will gain a deeper understanding of this, and in the future, you will have a better chance of making your phase perfect."

"Moreover, other Phase Forgers likely only have one of the water phase or light phase, while you have the water phase as the primary and the light phase as the auxiliary. The two purifying forces complement each other. Honestly, with such conditions, if you don't become a Phase Forger, it would be a waste of talent."

"The spiritual waters and lights you forge will likely be of much higher quality than those of other Phase Forgers."

Dan Tai Lan covered her mouth and laughed lightly, "Xiao Luo, this is also a backup plan your parents left for you. If the Luo Lan Manor goes bankrupt, at least you will have a skill to rely on, and you won't be at a disadvantage wherever you go."

Li Luo opened his mouth but could only scratch his head. What could he say? He could only admit that his parents were indeed very thoughtful, as the profession they planned for him would maximize the potential of his first acquired phase.

"However, Xiao Luo, this first acquired phase is just the beginning, so your parents could forge it using your soul and essence. The second and third phases are more advanced and complex, so you will have to explore them on your own."

"Your parents suggest that when you reach the Phase Master realm, you consider forging your second acquired phase. Some forging ideas are recorded in the jade slip for your reference."

"The 'Little Void Phase Divine Forging Technique' in the jade slip can only forge the second phase. As for the divine forging technique for the third phase, we have placed it in the capital. The specific information is in the jade slip. When the time comes, you can go to the capital to retrieve it."

As he spoke, Li Luo noticed that the images of Li Tai Xuan and Dan Tai Lan were beginning to fade, making him tense. He knew that this exchange was about to end.

"Dad, Mom..."

Li Luo couldn't help but reach out to grab the images, but his hand passed through them.

Li Tai Xuan and Dan Tai Lan looked down at him, their eyes filled with affection and love.

"Xiao Luo, this time, it may have to end here..."

"Your father and mother both believe that since you have chosen this path, you will surely succeed in breaking through the five-year deadlock."

"Your parents know you are worried about us, but rest assured, we won't let anything happen to us before we see you again."

"Finally, Xiao Luo, remember, no matter how worried you are about us, you must not come looking for us until you become a Marquis."

The images continued to fade and finally disappeared, leaving the room once again silent and dim.

Li Luo sat in front of the black crystal ball, his eyes red, but he did not shed a tear. He wiped his eyes and said softly, "Dad, Mom... Thank you for everything you've done for me."

"Please wait... When we meet again, I will make you proud and amazed."

Gradually, he calmed his surging emotions, first putting away the black jade slip from the crystal ball, then focusing his gaze on the other object that shimmered with blue and sacred light.

"From today on..."

"I am also a person with an elemental phase."

Li Luo's eyes burned with fervor. Without hesitation, he extended his palm and grabbed the acquired phase.

Sizzle!

The moment he touched it, a cold sensation surged from his palm, followed by an indescribable intense pain that exploded within him.

The pain was so intense that it instantly overwhelmed his reason, and his vision went black as he slowly collapsed.