What kind of talent, fortuitous encounters, and effort would it take to create such a miracle?
Li Luo did not know. At this moment, a massive pressure washed over him, making it somewhat difficult to breathe.
He could choose to continue living a mediocre life. Luolan Manor, left behind by his parents, was still a considerable foundation; even if he could not control it, as long as he was willing to make numerous concessions, living out his days as a wealthy, idle nobleman would certainly be no problem at all.
Yet if he chose the path of the acquired resonance, he would have to remain constantly on edge. He would have to seize every single second, squeezing out every last ounce of his potential with all his might, and then fight against the heavens to seize that exceptionally narrow sliver of survival.
How should he choose between the two?
Li Luo slowly closed his eyes, his emotions churning.
At that moment, many thoughts crossed his mind. He thought of the strange looks he received in the institution, where people loved to whisper that a tiger father had begotten a dog of a son, asking why a child born to such outstanding parents possessed so much water instead of true talent.
He also thought of that pair of pure, beautiful golden eyes. Deep down, Li Luo naturally held a measure of fondness and yearning for Jiang Qing'e. Li Luo did not deny this; after all, as he had said, Jiang Qing'e's excellence naturally exerted an immense attraction on her peers. A modest, fair maiden is a fit bride for a gentleman—there was nothing shameful in that, merely human nature.
In fact, ever since they were young, Li Luo had competed with Jiang Qing'e in many respects. But due to various reasons, Li Luo had mostly lost and rarely won. As they gradually grew older, this competition had slowly decreased.
Especially at the moment his Resonance Palace was opened, Li Luo knew that the gap between them was only widening.
It was also from that time onward that Jiang Qing'e rarely compared herself to him in such matters anymore.
The trials of these past few years had seemingly made Li Luo much more placid. Yet only Li Luo himself knew just how intense a competitive spirit was contained deep within his heart.
His deal with Jiang Qing'e was perhaps nothing less than a way of forcing his own hand.
Under normal circumstances, catching up to Jiang Qing'e—who had already left him far behind—should have been as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Yet now, a glimmer of hope had appeared.
Should he give up this glimmer of hope?
The answer was impossible!
Li Luo abruptly opened his eyes, an unprecedented sharpness in his gaze.
Staring at the projections of Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan before him, he said softly, "Dad, Mom, actually, I've always had an ambition—even though others might find it ridiculous and presumptuous."
"Not only do I want to catch up to Sister Qing'e, but I also want to surpass her. Furthermore, not just her—I even want to surpass the two of you."
He grinned, flashing his white teeth. "In the future, I want people to see me and not say, 'This is the son of Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan.' Instead, I want them to see the two of you and say, 'Those are the parents of that legendary Li Luo.'"
Giving a low chuckle, Li Luo continued, "Dad, Mom, I'm so grateful that on my seventeenth birthday, you gave me such a gift."
"Rest assured, I won't let you down. Isn't it just reaching the Duke Stage in five years? Fine! This challenge, I, Li Luo, accept it!"
As the final word fell, Li Luo's gaze turned resolute. Without a shred of hesitation, he reached out and pressed his palm directly against the black crystal ball.
Swish!
The crystal ball immediately reacted violently. At that instant, Li Luo felt a sharp pain shoot through his palm, as though countless long needles were piercing into his flesh.
Then, the black crystal ball slowly split apart, and resting quietly deep within its core were two objects.
One was a black jade slip. If he guessed correctly, it likely contained the so-called "Lesser Formless Divine Forging Art."
As for the other, it was a peculiar entity. It looked like a liquid, yet also resembled a certain illusory stream of light. It presented an azure color, and within that blue, subtle rays of sacred light refracted.
Li Luo's gaze locked dead upon that mysterious object, which was part liquid and part stream of light.
He knew that this was the very thing that could alter his destiny—an acquired resonance painstakingly refined by his parents.
Moreover, he could sense that the very first time he laid eyes on this object, a resonance born from the depths of his soul had welled up within him.
It felt as though this object had inherently been born from his own body.
It seemed that, just as his parents had said, this acquired resonance had been forged precisely using his soul and vital blood, so the two were naturally incomparably compatible.
"Sigh..."
As Li Luo stared infatuatedly at that mysterious "acquired resonance," a sigh laden with complex emotions sounded softly.
Li Luo raised his head and saw that the projections of Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan had grown vivid once more, their expressions revealing hints of complexity.
"Xiaoluo, it seems you've made your choice after all," Li Taixuan said slowly.
"As your father, while this choice of yours makes my heart ache, from the perspective of a man, it makes me feel gratified and proud."
"Although the path ahead of you will be fraught with difficulties and dangers, how could the son of Li Taixuan ever fear such things?"
Beside him, Dantai Lan's eyes seemed to shimmer with moisture. No doubt, when recording this projection, the thought of Li Luo making such a choice had filled her with anguish. After all, as a mother, it was hard for her to accept that her child's future would be limited to a mere five years of life.
Yet she offered no dissuasion, for she knew that this choice had to be made by Li Luo himself. And since he had made his choice, she would only give him her full support and belief.
"Since you've made your choice, Xiaoluo, let Mom tell you about this acquired resonance we've refined for you."
Hearing Dantai Lan's words, Li Luo's spirits lifted.
"For this acquired resonance, your father and I went through countless tests and trials, sifting through innumerable materials to find the most compatible substance before finally refining it."
"This resonance is of the fourth grade, with water resonance as the primary and light resonance as the secondary."
Hearing this, Li Luo was momentarily stunned, and then he gave a wry smile. "How can it be a water resonance?"
Among elemental resonances, while there were no absolute distinctions of superiority or inferiority, when it came to offensive power and destructiveness, resonances like fire, lightning, and metal were naturally the strongest. Water resonance, among the many resonances, tended toward the gentle and mild—a nature that was evidently somewhat soft.
He clearly had not expected that the first acquired resonance his parents refined for him would possess this nature.
"Hehe, Xiaoluo, do you feel that water resonance is weak and doesn't match what you had in mind? You shouldn't underestimate water resonance. Its attack and destructive power might be slightly weaker, but its enduring and mighty nature surpasses all other resonances. As long as you can bring out the advantages of water resonance, it will be no weaker than any other."
"Besides, your water resonance is far from ordinary, because it has light resonance as a supplement. The combination of water and light—if you can develop it properly, the ultimate effect will likely exceed your expectations."
"Of course, there are two other extremely important reasons why your father and I decided that your first resonance should be water and light."
"Once you integrate this first acquired resonance, you will lose a massive amount of vital blood. The damage to your lifespan will also inflict severe trauma upon you. Water resonance is mild and gentle, and the water resonance power you cultivate from it will nourish your injured body and allow you to recover rapidly."
Only then did understanding dawn upon Li Luo. So that was it. When it came to nourishing and repairing injuries, water resonance and light resonance were indeed the absolute best.
"Then what is the second reason?" Li Luo wondered, a trace of curiosity arising in his heart.
He didn't have to wait long for the answer. Li Taixuan smiled and said, "The second reason is that we hope you can become a Phase Tempering Master to assist in your own future cultivation."
"Do you remember the basic requirement for a Phase Tempering Master?"
Li Luo was startled, and then couldn't help replying, "The basic requirement for a Phase Tempering Master is possessing either a water resonance or a light resonance?"
Resonances dominated the world, which naturally gave rise to many auxiliary professions.
The Phase Tempering Master was one of them, and their ability was to refine Spiritual Water and Strange Light capable of tempering and improving the quality of resonances.
In addition, there were Alchemists, though that required resonances like wood or fire.
There were also Artifact Makers who crafted various resonance artifacts, which required resonances like metal, fire, or earth.
Phase Tempering Masters were somewhat similar to Alchemists, but the fundamental difference was that Phase Tempering Masters could only improve resonance quality, whereas the medicinal pills refined by Alchemists mostly served to enhance resonance power.
Both water and light resonances possessed purifying effects, making them the fundamental and necessary conditions for becoming a Phase Tempering Master.
"But why become a Phase Tempering Master?" Li Luo asked, somewhat puzzled.
Before he could voice his question further, Li Taixuan's voice rang out: "Because you possess an empty resonance, capable of endlessly tempering your own resonance quality. If you become a Phase Tempering Master, you will gain a deeper understanding of this down the line, and it will be all the more likely for you to bring your own resonance toward perfection."
"Furthermore, other Phase Tempering Masters likely possess only a water resonance or a light resonance, but you have water as your primary and light as your secondary. The two purifying powers complement each other. Honestly, with conditions like these, if you didn't become a Phase Tempering Master, it truly would be a terrible waste of heaven's gifts."
"The Spiritual Water and Strange Light you refine will likely far surpass those of other Phase Tempering Masters."
Dantai Lan covered her mouth with a light chuckle. "Xiaoluo, this can also be considered a fallback plan your father and I left for you. If you manage to bankrupt Luolan Manor, at least you'll have a specialized skill to fall back on, and you won't suffer wherever you go."
Li Luo opened his mouth, ultimately able only to scratch his head. What more could he say? He could only conclude that his mom and dad were truly far-sighted. The profession they had devised for him pushed the abilities of this first acquired resonance to their absolute limits.
"However, Xiaoluo, this first acquired resonance is merely the entry point, which is why your father and I were able to forge it for you using your soul and vital blood. The second and third resonances are far more profound and complex, so you will have to rely on your own exploration."
"Your father and I suggest that you wait until your strength steps into the Adept Stage before considering forging the second acquired resonance. We've left some specific forging concepts and experiences in the jade slip for your reference."
"The 'Lesser Formless Divine Forging Art' contained within this jade slip can only forge the second resonance. As for the divine forging art for the third resonance, we've placed it in the royal capital. Detailed information is inside the jade slip; when the time is right, you can simply go to the royal capital and retrieve it."
As they reached this point, Li Luo noticed that the projections of Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan suddenly began to grow dim. This made his expression tighten, and he knew in his heart that this exchange was likely coming to an end.
"Dad, Mom..."
Li Luo instinctively reached out, grabbing toward the projections, but his hands passed straight through them.
Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan looked down at him, their gazes filled with gentleness and deep affection.
"Xiaoluo, this time, it seems we must end here..."
"Both your father and I believe that since you've chosen this path, you will certainly manage to walk out of those five years of desperate peril."
"Your father and I both know you worry about us, but rest assured—before we see you again, neither of us is willing to come to any harm."
"Lastly, Xiaoluo, you must remember: no matter how worried you are about us, before you reach the Duke Stage, you must never come looking for us."
The projections grew continually dimmer until they finally vanished completely. The room returned once more to silence and dimness.
Li Luo sat before the black crystal ball, his eyes red. Ultimately, he shed no tears; he simply wiped his eyes and spoke softly, "Dad, Mom... thank you for everything you've done for me."
"Please wait for me... when we meet again in the future, I will surely make you feel astonished and proud of me."
Gradually collecting his surging emotions, Li Luo first reached out to store away the black jade slip inside the crystal ball, then turned his gaze toward that other miraculous object flickering with azure and sacred light.
"Starting today..."
"I, too, am someone who possesses a resonance."
A fervent glow surged within Li Luo's pupils. Without a moment's hesitation, he stretched out his palm and fiercely grabbed toward the acquired resonance.
Swish!
The moment they made contact, a chilling sensation first welled up from his palm, immediately followed by an indescribable, agonizing pain that erupted suddenly within Li Luo's body.
So intense was that agonizing pain that it instantly overwhelmed Li Luo's sanity. Darkness suddenly fell before his eyes, and his entire body slowly slumped to the floor.
Chapter 8: A New Beginning
Clank! Clank!
What startled Li Luo awake from the darkness was the sound of a series of knocks on the door. He forced his heavy eyelids open with all his might, and the familiar interior of his room came into view.
"What is going on?"