For the next few days, Li Luo was very busy.
First was the refining of spirit liquids and purifying lights. He could feel his sixth-grade waterlight resonance tingling already. He fed it accordingly with spirit liquids, and it absorbed it all with supernatural efficiency. If anyone else could see the speed at which he consumed them, they would have thought that he had lost his mind.
Only someone like Li Luo, with the void affinity of his blank palaces, could hold such a tremendous capacity of spirit liquids. Any other resonance would have been completely saturated and be unable to evolve any further.
Improving his waterlight resonance was the most important task for the Artificers' Fair. He would be the one to create the Budding Butterfly Spirit Liquid. Although Yan Lingqing and Tang Yun were fourth-grade resonance artificers, Li Luo did not believe they could make a better third-grade spirit liquid.
Most importantly, the other villas would not send a third-grade resonance artificer to make third-grade spirit liquids. They would choose more experienced resonance artificers, to show off the range and depth of their expertise.
That was how Li Luo would distinguish himself. If a third-grade resonance artificer like him could stand out, that would be truly sensational. He would be the dark horse that stole the thunder of the show.
It was the hardest approach, but also the one that would pay off the best.
With the completion of his four-star formula and his waterlight resonance on the cusp of reaching the seventh-grade, Li Luo felt confidence building in him.
Of course, all of this rested on the assumption that he could reach the seventh-grade. Which came back to him gulping spirit liquids like a drunkard at the inn.
Besides absorbing the spirit liquids and purifying lights, Li Luo's spare time was spent in the refining workshop. He had to familiarize himself with every step of the Budding Butterfly Spirit Liquid. A four-star formula was many levels harder to craft than a three-star formula.
He wasn't planning to fail dozens of times at the Artificers' Fair. The Suncreek Villa would become a laughing stock if he did that.
He was so busy that time seemed to fly by each time he checked.
During these days, stories of the Heavenly Disaster Class Other at purified spot 13 had spread throughout the school, drawing more attention and bolstering Li Luo's reputation further.
Many of the students spoke admiringly of his daring plan to lure the spirit beast over from the forbidden zone.
It was a mad plan, but pulling it off required courage in the face of a bleak situation.
Even the proud and experienced Four Star Hall students paled at the thought of luring something even stronger than a Heavenly Disaster Class Other. They shook their heads and muttered about young calves not knowing to fear tigers.
They knew that even among the Seven Astral Pillars, no student in the Astral Sage College would've dared to take on the great spirit beast.
Except Li Luo, apparently. He had escaped, and he was only a puny, little Resonant Master.
Purified spot 13 had held out until the reinforcements arrived… No, actually, the reinforcements hadn't even been important. According to the accounts, Li Luo had used the principal's seal to take care of the great spirit beast as well.
Which meant that Li Luo was the MVP for sure. They had him to thank for their lives.
A glory unparalleled in the history of the Astral Sage College.
He was truly a legend in the school now. And his status reached this point in a day more or less.
Of course, there were suggestions floating around that Li Luo should be generously rewarded. Otherwise, there would be no proper closure to the affair.
The voices built up some significant momentum.
Finally, the Gilded Palace, the highest administrative body of the school, announced that discussions were ongoing regarding the reward, and of course the school would not let such merit go unrewarded.
There was only a day left before the Artificers' Fair now.
Li Luo's waterlight resonance still had not reached the seventh-grade.
And he had already finished the batch of spirit liquids and purifying lights.
He had truly underestimated the chasm that divided a middle-grade resonance from a high-grade one.
Li Luo walked out of the tower in a daze. It was noon, and the sun's warmth was welcome.
He shook his befuddled head. The intense absorbing and refining practice had left him in a poor state.
He could feel that his waterlight resonance was powerful enough to evolve, and yet he lacked one final push to trigger it.
As if there was a thin barrier stopping him.
He knew that this was the infamous bottleneck.
Li Luo wasn't panicking. On the contrary, he was quite calm. He knew that the more anxious he was, the slower things would move along.
There was a lake just on the other side of the road, so Li Luo took a stroll along its banks and headed for the little island at the center.
Along the way, he passed many students, who now regarded him with an equal mix of curiosity and respect.
Li Luo knew that Yu Lang must have been busy helping him boost his reputation further. It seemed like his 100,000 points might well land in his lap soon.
Cheered by the thought, Li Luo walked on until he reached the center of the lake. He warily eyed the figure amidst the large gravel.
Mentor Chi Chan.
Li Luo hesitated before walking up to her.
She was in her customary black outfit, but now she was barefoot, letting her feet rest gently on the smooth pebbles.
"Mentor." Li Luo greeted her.
"Your primary resonance is on the verge of a breakthrough."
Li Luo stared at her in surprise.
"The resonant power is overflowing out of you. That's one of the sure signs. I've been watching you for a few days now. Of course I know."
Li Luo grinned. "And of course you are going to give me some advice, right?"
She arranged herself into a more comfortable sitting position, letting her feet trail in the cool lake water. "The jump from sixth to seventh-grade is particularly drastic. Crossing the barrier from middle to high changes things at a fundamental level.
"The mark of a high-grade resonance is sentience in one's resonant power. This tiny spark of awareness cannot be underestimated. You have tangled with many opponents with strong resonances. You know as well that their attacks were harder to deal with.
"Imagine two armies fighting. One faction only knows how to make a straight charge, while the other understands the principles of formations, of strategy, to divide and conquer… If they clash, the former always loses."
Li Luo nodded. He understood the principle of it, and he had faced many strong opponents, but…
"Sorry, Mentor, I haven't really felt it myself before, to be honest. When I clashed with Duze Beixuan and Wang Hejiu, I didn't feel it too clearly." He shrugged. "Dual resonances are too strong, and I smashed their resonant power cleanly."
From his reading of her mood, Li Luo felt like he had said the wrong thing almost the moment he finished speaking.
Chi Chan slowly turned to him and began to laugh. A nasty sort of laugh.
BOOM!
A gigantic wave of lake water broke the calm surface, and a water tiger roared. With a swishing crack of its tail, it batted Li Luo, who flew into the lake.
Li Luo howled and splashed. It was cold inside.
Chi Chan sniffed. “I was instructing you on resonant powers, and you want to show off your dual resonances?
“Better cool your swollen head in the lake for a bit.”