Absolute Resonance Chapter 7.1 - Indecisiveness

Chapter 7: Indecisiveness

The room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

The black crystal ball was emitting a faint radiance that reflected Li Luo’s unsettled countenance; it was a strange sight.

He was currently embroiled in an impossible choice.

His parents’ hard work had unearthed hope of a new dawn for his blank palaces. However, he had never expected that this hope would come with such a heavy cost.

Li Luo would only have five years left to live.

If in five years he could not enter the Duke Stage and undergo a life-changing metamorphosis, then he would come to an unsatisfactory end.  

Five years to become a Duke?

He was only seventeen now, and in five years he would be twenty-two… [1]

Even after reaching deep into his knowledge, he had never heard of such a young Duke in the history of the Xia Kingdom.

Exactly what sort of culmination of talent, opportunities, and effort would allow one to construct such a miracle?

Li Luo did not know… and hence he could feel a huge sense of pressure envelop him. He even found it hard to breathe. 

The current him could continue to live a mediocre life. His parents had left behind House Luolan, which still possessed a decent amount of businesses. Even if he could not control any of it and gave it all up, he could still live the life of a leisurely Young Lord, free from any worldly worries.

The path of the acquired resonance would place him on the edge, constantly struggling and making every second count. He would have to struggle and wholly strive, squeezing out every last ounce of potential, all to fight against the heavens and to eke out a shred of vitality, all just to barely survive.  

Two wholly different paths—just what should he do?

Li Luo closed his eyes, his heart engulfed in turmoil.

His mind flitted through numerous scenes. He thought of the strange gazes he received from others at the academy. People often liked to say that a tiger had given birth to a dog. How could such ill.u.s.trious parents give birth to a son with such poor abilities? 

He thought of the person with a pair of pure and beautiful golden pupils. Deep down, he did feel a sense of love and yearning towards Jiang Qing’e, this he did not deny. However, Jiang Qing’e’s exceptionalism was attractive and she had a h.o.a.rd of other fans. Such an elegant and unparalleled lady could only be matched by a man of heroic and extraordinary temperament. This was only human nature, and there was nothing shameful about it.

When they were young, Li Luo and Jiang Qing’e often competed in all sorts of areas. However, due to all sorts of different reasons, Li Luo lost more than he won. As the two of them grew older, such interactions lessened.

This was especially noticeable after their palaces manifested. Li Luo knew that the gap between the two had only widened, transforming into an uncrossable chasm.

Jiang Qing’e had also begun to reduce their friendly compet.i.tions from that point on.

The encounters over the years looked as though they had smoothened Li Luo’s edge over time, as he seemingly became much more mellow. Only he knew that deep down, his desire to win and compete had never diminished, only further stoked ablaze by his apparent weakness.

The reason he was willing to challenge Jiang Qing’e was not simply because he was coerced—he wanted to do so.

In a normal situation, even catching up to Jiang Qing’e, who had already left him in the dust in the cultivation race, was as impossible as surmounting the heavens. However, there was a brief sense of hope now.  

Was he going to give up on this hope?

His real answer was that this was impossible!

Li Luo eyes flashed open, and a trace of sharpness could be seen in his gaze. 

He stared at the apparitions of Li Taixuan and Tan Tailan before saying, “Dad, Mom, I have always had a wild heart. However, those who know of my condition would laugh at me if they heard this, as if I don’t understand my own situation… I’m not only interested in catching up to Sister Qing’e, I want to surpa.s.s her! And not just her, I want to surpa.s.s the two of you!” A grin hung on his face, displaying his pearly-white teeth. 

“I dream that in the future, people will not recognize me for being Li Taixuan and Tan Tailan’s son. Instead, I want others to see you and know you as Li Luo’s parents!” He chuckled. “Dad, Mom, I am very thankful for this gift you have left for my seventeenth birthday. Rest a.s.sured, I will not let you down. All I have to do is reach the Duke Stage in five years. No biggie. I, Li Luo, accept this challenge!”

As he made his final declaration, his eyes lit up with resolve and he no longer hesitated, reaching out with his palm, lightly pressing them onto the black crystall ball. 

Weng!

The black crystal ball responded brilliantly, and Li Luo could feel a piercing pain transmitting through his palms. It was as though countless needles were piercing into him.

At the same time, the black crystal ball began to shatter, and within its interior quietly lay two objects.

One was a black-colored jade slip. As expected, this ought to be the instructions to cultivate the Acquired Resonance G.o.dly Forging Art. 

The other item was mysterious-looking. It looked like a liquid and yet seemed to be an illusory item made of flowing light. It was azure in color and seemed to be emitting minute rays of sacred light.

Li Luo’s gaze was affixed onto that illusory liquid object.

He knew that this was something that would change his destiny…. His parents had spent blood, sweat, and tears to refine this acquired resonance.

Additionally, by merely setting his eyes on this strange object, Li Luo could feel a sense of compatibility with it from the depths of his soul.

It was as though this was something that had always belonged to him.

His parents clearly weren’t lying when they said that this acquired resonance was crafted from his own blood essence and spirit soul. The compatibility between man and resonance was instinctive.

“Ah…”  Just as Li Luo was completely enthralled by the mystical acquired resonance, a complicated sigh echoed from behind him.