Chapter 0597: Completed Heavenly Libation Chant
“The Dragon Bone Holy Grail. Your biggest reward from the Holy Grail Meet.”
Vice Principal Su Xin gave a wry smile as she grasped the chalice. Her voice was filled with emotion. “This is the object that countless sage colleges throughout the East Divine Continent have struggled over. We are lucky to have you here, to have obtained this. Our college can now suppress the Umbra Cave with it, bringing about a period of peace.”
Li Luo’s gaze flashed and he replied without hesitation, “That’s too much credit! I’m just a mere hoodlum riding upon the coattails of Qing’e and the First Princess.”
“You don’t need to play dumb with me around.” Vice Principal Su Xin grinned as she beckoned at the red bracelet around Li Luo’s wrist. “So how did the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf’s power feel?”
A look of dismay and that of being wronged hung on his face. He had never expected anyone else to know this secret.
“Principal Pang told me about it,” she explained curtly. “However, I had my doubts when he chose you, a new student from the One Star Hall. On the contrary, he had confidently assured me that you would be the reason that the college would return in triumph with the Dragon Bone Holy Grail. I suppose what’s truly shocking is that his prediction came true to the very letter.”
Li Luo gave a bitter smile. “Well, this is just borrowed strength, a silver bullet in a time of need—it doesn’t count for much.” He truly did not think much of this trump card. The only reason he had been able to defeat the crimson knight-general was due to the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf’s borrowed strength. It was all external aid.
“There’s no need to unnecessarily humble yourself. This sort of power is not something that just anyone is able to control. An ordinary Resonant Master would never be able to harness the power of the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf, as its influence would drive them to the depths of insanity. If you were replaced with someone like Zhu Xuan… Well, the best case scenario is that he would be directly seduced by its almighty power, losing all sense of rationality and turning into a puppet only capable of mindless slaughter. Your ability to remain calm and take advantage of the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf is the most important part. The Heavenly Libation Chant is just a key to this power, nothing more. Your personal ability is what allows you to effectively control it. The Principal has always been exceptionally discerning. He could tell from a glance that you were someone with the capability to wield this.”
Li Luo scratched his head awkwardly. Who was this person Vice Principal Su Xin was complimenting? It definitely couldn’t be him! “Well, I didn’t actually fully control the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf’s power. I had to pay a price, and without Sister Qing’e’s assistance, I probably wouldn’t be standing here right now. I’m pretty sure of that too…”
“Regardless, you’ve performed magnificently. As a Resonant Master, the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf’s influence and power is nothing to scoff at,” Su Xin continued while lightly shaking her head. At this moment, she raised her palm and the Dragon Bone Holy Grail floated before Li Luo.
“Principal Pang is unable to leave the Umbra Cave at the moment and thus he has entrusted me to resolve the other half of the promise he made to you.”
The pocket sphere on her wrist was activated, and a jade slip appeared, which she placed before Li Luo. “This is the other half of the Heavenly Libation Chant. With this, you should be able to fully harness the entire strength of the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf. However, I must remind you that using this power too often is playing with fire. You have to remain disciplined and alert.” Li Luo gleefully received the art, channeling his resonant power into it. Familiar information poured into his mind, completing the Heavenly Libation Chant which he had desperately sought to attain.
Storing away the jade slip, he now turned his gaze towards the Dragon Bone Holy Grail. Now that he had received the benefits, it was time to pay the price.
Yet he still had no idea why Principal Pang had wanted his blood essence.
Countless possibilities ran through Li Luo’s mind, but nothing made sense. Without further hesitation, he took out a small blade and pierced his thumb with it, letting rivulets of fresh blood fall upon the Dragon Bone Holy Grail.
This chalice seemed to possess some unmentioned mysteries. It was clearly an object that held a massive pocket dimension; however, the droplets of blood did not disappear into the void as expected. Instead, it seemed to have turned into an unremarkable everyday cup, gradually filling up with blood.
Half a minute later, dear Li Luo’s face started turning pale as blood continued to flow out of him like a tap. A momentary sense of weakness shrouded him when he finally stopped providing blood essence.
Vice Principal Su Xin retrieved the Dragon Bone Holy Grail and carefully stored it away before reminding him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Anything to do with Principal Pang will undoubtedly attract unwanted attention. Even a mere rumor could lead to unwanted stalking and supervision.”
Li Luo nodded knowingly. “Vice Principal, now that we have the Dragon Bone Holy Grail, will Principal Pang finally take the stage within the college?”
This question was met with a deep sigh. “I’m afraid things are not as easy as you might think. There are some specific troubles within the depths of the Umbra Cave that cannot be extricated from so easily. As a result, Principal Pang has been kept busy for many years. However, with the assistance of the Dragon Bone Holy Grail, he will definitely have a much easier time. And with some preparations, it’s not impossible.”
Hearing these words brought Li Luo a sense of regret for the principal. Just who knew how long these “preparations” could take?
“Vice Principal Su Xin, now that I’ve victoriously returned with this, would you say that the college owes me a favor?” A sneaky glint flickered through Li Luo’s eyes as he grinned like a cat that got the cream.
Vice Principal Su Xin smiled. “Well, didn’t I promise a Holy Tree Marrow Crystal in return?”
“We’ll talk about that in time.” Li Luo was quick to reply.
“So, what do you want?”
No longer beating around the bush, Li Luo honestly explained himself. “Well, I would like to seek the Astral Sage College’s support for House Luolan.”
The upcoming Housemeet would be the culmination of hidden plots and machinations. The hidden powers causing trouble were mighty, and Dukes would likely make an appearance. Although House Luolan had the assistance of Uncle Biao, he wasn’t in peak condition and was merely one man…
Based on Li Luo’s expectations, the opponents he would be facing would consist of House Duze, House Jiyan, and the rest. Additionally, the mysterious House Lanling specialized in assassinations and covert intelligence. If someone were to pay a sufficient price, they would undoubtedly intervene as well.
Even the friendly House Jinque could not be fully trusted. Ties of friendship were weak and easily broken, and the crux of the relationship was built on the graces of his parents’ presence. Considering that they had disappeared for untold years, who knew how things would have changed?
As a result, all of the other four great houses were opponents he had to be wary of.
One had to also take note of the Xia Kingdom’s royal court and take the necessary precautions. Even though the First Princess’ faction was on good terms with him, they could not be compared with the Regent’s side just yet.
Just the thought of the Regent caused Li Luo to feel a faint premonition of danger. As a result, both he and Jiang Qing’e had opted to stay as far away as they could.
Conversely, they had no idea where the Regent stood when it came to the Housemeet, especially with their limited interactions.
Hearing Li Luo’s words caused Vice Principal Su Xin to go silent. She did not seem to be surprised in any way, and it was clear that she had expected this. After a moment of consideration, she gradually shook her head.
A gentle sigh came from Su Xin before she reluctantly replied, “Li Luo, you must know that I am incredibly sorry. I truly want to assist you. Unfortunately, the Astral Sage College is an independent party, and we definitely cannot be embroiled into the Xia Kingdom’s internal turmoil. Thus, the Astral Sage College will be unable to assist you when it comes to House Luolan’s Housemeet.”
