Chapter 8

Bang! Bang!

The sound of knocking on the door jolted Li Luo awake from the darkness. He slowly opened his heavy eyelids, and the familiar room decor came into view.

"What... is going on?"

He muttered to himself, then realized his voice was weak and feeble, like that of an old man on the verge of death.

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

In the end, he could only lie on the ground for a while before he had the strength to stagger to his feet and sit down on the chair beside him.

"Young Master, are you alright?" 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 woke up late. What's the matter?"

"It's Qing'e who sent me to inform you that all the Nine Pavilion Masters of Luo Lan Manor have arrived. Please prepare yourself," Cai Wei's smooth 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, left.

Li Luo's gaze turned to where the crystal ball had been placed last night, only to find that the black crystal ball was gone, leaving behind 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 the reflection of his face made him change expression involuntarily.

The person in the mirror had a terrifyingly pale face, as if all the blood had been drained from his body.

The most significant change was his hair... originally black, it had now turned gray, clearly due to the loss of vital essence.

Li Luo stared at the white-haired youth in the mirror, and after a long while, he let out a breath, "Surprisingly... I look even more handsome."

Amidst the bitter jest, Li Luo smiled bitterly, "Indeed, after fusing with the acquired phase, the vital essence I had stored for seventeen years has been consumed by more than half..."

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

Moreover, he felt a strange and indescribable emptiness in his body, not a mental emptiness, but... a lack of lifespan.

Li Luo pressed his bloodless lips together. From now on, he only had five years left to live, did he?

It was truly... a pressing matter.

Li Luo took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to sense his body.

His perception sank directly into the phase palace within his body. Previously, the three phase palaces were all empty, but now, the first phase palace was radiating a blue light, emitting a nourishing and gentle force that was continuously seeping into his depleted body.

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

Indeed, the fusion of the acquired phase had succeeded.

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

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

Li Luo opened his eyes and could feel the free-floating energies of heaven and earth around him, with two types of energy automatically gravitating towards him.

They were the energies of water and light.

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

However, he still needed to practice energy guidance techniques, but this was not a problem, as Luo Lan Manor had a vast collection of such techniques.

Thinking about this, 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 house in Nanfeng City was usually quite desolate, but today the atmosphere was unusually solemn. The area around the old house was filled with guards and sentries.

In the main hall of the old house, 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 somewhat cold expression.

Her golden eyes calmly scanned 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 in his late twenties, with a rather ordinary appearance. His eyes were slightly sunken, his nose was narrow, and he wore a sword-shaped earring on his right ear, which occasionally emitted a cold light.

He always wore a gentle smile, making people feel comfortable.

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 been a constant thorn in her side.

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 Pavilion Masters he had rallied.

On the opposite side, six other Pavilion Masters were seated. Among these six, four 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 heavy atmosphere in the hall persisted for a long time, with only the faint sounds of people sipping tea breaking the silence.

Until a moment came when Pei Hao, 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 become even more tense.

Pei Hao lifted his head and looked at Jiang Qing'e, 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 our 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 some muttered to themselves.

Jiang Qing'e replied coldly, "When our 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 always look forward."

He paused and looked at everyone, "Since the Young Master has not 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 for today's discussion, so let's let him have some peace."

The nine Pavilion Masters in the hall had varied expressions, and for a moment, no one spoke except Jiang Qing'e.

"Since no one objects, let's start the meeting," Pei Hao smiled and waved his hand, ready to make the decision.

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

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

As the laughter echoed, the beaded 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 instinctively stood up.

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

Even Pei Hao, whose smile had stiffened for a moment, seemed to lose control of his body and slightly bent. However, just as he was about to stand up out of habit, his mind suddenly became clear.

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

He was just a waste of 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.

Their faces then showed a hint of embarrassment, and the three Pavilion Masters next to Pei Hao immediately sat back down.

The six Pavilion Masters on the other side hesitated for a moment before bowing to Li Luo, who had just walked out.

"Welcome, Young Master."

They now noticed that although Li Luo resembled Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan, he lacked the awe-inspiring presence and appeared much more youthful and inexperienced.

The initial illusion had been just a momentary lapse in their senses.

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

Even Jiang Qing'e's eyes showed some surprise as they lingered on Li Luo's head. This guy was fine yesterday...

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

The nine Pavilion Masters in the hall exchanged glances, 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 always smile warmly like a big brother and even go to great lengths to bring him many gifts.

However, even Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan probably never imagined that this disciple, who had always been respectful to them, would reveal his true nature after they had been missing for many years.

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

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