Li Luo’s dry remark was said with enough volume to be carried through the wind and across water. Many looked at him oddly, unsure of what to make of it.
Was he referring to himself? Or Jing Taixu?
They suspected it was the latter.
After all, there was no need to go all out in this challenge to the top. The rational play was what Sun Dasheng and Lu Ming had chosen.
On the other side, Jing Taixu had quickly composed himself. He did not respond, seemingly having not heard Li Luo’s remark. Looking at him, one even doubted that the intense contest had even happened at all.
Weng!
Both doors to the anima storms in front of Li Luo and Jing Taixu began to open with a hiss of worldly natural energy like a gentle mist from a pressure cooker. This one was a delicious energy, not at all like the hostile waves from before.
Some of the energy wafted out over the lake, which immediately glowed golden in response. Lotuses of glittering yellow started to bloom in mid-air, lazily drifting down to settle on the surface of the water.
The islands went crazy.
Each school desperately tried to grab as many of the golden lotuses as they could. Fights broke out immediately, bursts of resonant power flying back and forth.
One school remained unmoving in the chaos—the Astral Sage College. Qin Zhulu, Bai Doudou, and the others were still frozen in amazement. They looked at Li Luo in front of the wakening anima storm with s.h.i.+ning eyes.
Li Luo had actually rung the anima bell a second before Jing Taixu, opening the way for them.
“Hehe, Li Luo really s...o...b..ated hard on this one.”
Yu Lang casually wiped away the buckets of sweat from his worrying, and now spoke with a tone that he thought was confident, but in actuality wobbled like jelly on a plate. “T-that Jing Squishy, ahem! H-ha! How dare he try to f-fuh-fight Brother Luo? When has Li Luo ever not been the coolest guy on the field, huh?”
“It was just a contest to the top of the ladder.” Bai Doudou rolled her eyes. “Don’t get c.o.c.ky just yet. Li Luo pulled a good trick on that one, but in an actual fight, the others might not just go through the motions when using their powers.”
w.a.n.g Hejiu nodded. “Jing Taixu is still very strong. And now he’s also angry at Li Luo for beating him. We’ll have to be very careful.”
Yu Lang tutted at them. “Jing Taixu should listen to advice from his betters. If he would bend an ear in humility, the great Yu Lang here would tell him that he should know when to cut his losses and try to save some face. Otherwise, if my good brother Li Luo gets serious, he’ll end up as nothing more than a stepping stone.”
A nervous silence hung in the air as the others tried to ignore him, desperately praying that no one from other schools had heard him. This guy had no fear.
Qin Zhulu impatiently pushed past them, striding up the Stairway to Heaven briskly. Now that the energy waves had been deactivated, it was a normal staircase that they could all climb with ease.
The other three schools timidly followed.
They were now a little embarra.s.sed that they had ever doubted whether Li Luo could ascend and activate the anima storm. After all, he had barely managed to stand his ground against the first wave.
But now he had not only succeeded, he had even beaten Jing Taixu there!
They had truly won big on this gamble.
The three commanders offered Li Luo their profuse thanks, heads bobbing very politely in deference.
Li Luo waved it away with a friendly smile. “We are all here with a stake in this. Without the three schools supporting us in reducing the energy, we alone could not have made it. Now that the anima storm is open for business, you can go and check the areas that belong to you. Count the amount of anima dew and then split it as we agreed earlier.
“Hehe, I hope that none of you are thinking of cheating us out of our share.”
When the three schools had been chosen, Li Luo had, of course, discussed terms with them. Naturally, the large anima c.u.mulonimbus would belong to the Astral Sage College. That was not to be divided. As for the medium and small anima c.u.mulonimbuses, they would be delegated to the three schools. However, they would cede 50 percent to the Astral Sage College at the final harvesting.
It was not considered unfair of Li Luo—it was a common understanding that had been established.
Opening the anima storm was the hardest part of the task. Although the other schools had helped, their role was less crucial.
“As Commander Li Luo says. We understand this point well. We’re already very grateful that you’re only taking 50 percent. The other three groups demand 60 percent,” they hurriedly a.s.sured him.
Li Luo smiled and nodded. He looked out over at the lake, tutting in sympathy at the squabbling schools outside, then he walked through the doors into the anima storm. He was curious to find out just how big a bonanza the large anima c.u.mulonimbus was going to be.
He had not looked over at Jing Taixu’s side once, but he could feel a person staring at him.
Over at the Enlightened Sage College side, the white-eyebrowed youth approached their commander cautiously. “Brother Jing, are you alright? Don’t worry about Li Luo. He gamed this challenge well, but in a straight-up clash, he is definitely not your match.”
“Lu Chen, don’t underestimate him,” Jing Taixu said with a thin smile.
“If you really believe that he only won because he pulled some novelty trick out of his hat, then only pain and frustration awaits you in the near future. I sort of guessed it… that Li Luo would be my biggest threat in the Hall-level compet.i.tion, even more so than Sun Dasheng or Lu Chen.”
Lu Chen stared at him in surprise. Jing Taixu actually regarded Li Luo that highly?
Jing Taixu settled back down with a new, icy resolve in his manner.
“And so in order to demonstrate how seriously I take him, I’ve made preparations.”
With that dire announcement, he turned and walked into the large anima c.u.mulonimbus.
Lu Chen looked at his commander’s back and s.h.i.+vered a little to himself. He pitied Li Luo a little, because he knew just what their leader was capable of. Li Luo was in a whole world of trouble now…
In all the years he had known Jing Taixu, he had never seen someone earn his ire and emerge unharmed.
If someone gave Li Luo a crystal ball to see the future with, he’d probably be scurrying over right now to beg for forgiveness from Jing Taixu.
A pity…
Lu Chen shook his head.
“Li Luo, you don’t know the heat of the fires that you play with.”