Absolute Resonance

Chi Chan understood why Li Luo was left in a daze when he heard that. The more outstanding a talent, the more they desired to break through perfectly. Li Luo was on the Path of Ascension, and he wanted to ensure that every step was perfect. Thus, he required over ten times more effort and resources than the average individual. However, a perfect breakthrough utilizing Celestial Mirror Sand would save him an immense amount of time and energy. It was fatally attractive.

"However, it is extremely difficult to do so. The Celestial Mirror Pagoda has been open for over a hundred years, and the number of people who have succeeded can be counted with one's fingers." Chi Chan spelled out the facts to Li Luo to prevent his expectations from becoming too high. 

Vice Principal Chen Chi poured another bucket of cold water over him. "In the last hundred years, there hasn't been anyone from the outer divine continents that has achieved this."

Li Luo remained unfazed by their words and simply smiled. "Everything depends on the individual himself. If you don't even dare to dream, then there won't be any hope at all."

Chen Chi was taken aback by his words, then he nodded and sighed. "Your words are the truth. Perhaps youths need that mindset."

"Someone as talented and strong as you is rare even in the ancient colleges. But you are now at a disadvantage because you're representing an outer divine continent sage college."

"Why?" Li Luo asked curiously.

Chi Chan explained, "Only a limited amount of Celestial Mirror Sand can be found in each layer of the Celestial Mirror Pagoda's Heavenly Domains. Thus, the total amount allocated to the outer divine continents isn’t a lot. Advancing from the second to the thirtieth Heavenly Domain is known as the Domain Traversal Battles, and the true competition is to battle for control of each of the twenty-nine Heavenly Domains. Of those, twelve belong to the ancient colleges and are their territory. Nine belong to the sage colleges of the inner divine continents, while the remaining eight are the territory of the six outer divine continents' sage colleges."

Li Luo frowned. "The six outer divine continents have the largest number of participants and yet they only have eight Heavenly Domains?"

How much Celestial Mirror Sand could be found in that case? There were simply too many monks and too little gruel. The battle over this resource would undoubtedly be cruel. The ancient colleges were the strongest and thus, it was understandable that twelve Heavenly Domains were divided amongst them. After all, sage colleges had no way to compete against them. Yet the sage colleges from the inner divine continents had an extra Heavenly Domain when compared to the six outer divine continents? 

Chi Chan nodded. "Sage colleges from the inner divine continent have greater strength, foundations, and resources than the colleges in the outer divine continents."

Li Luo sighed. In truth, the outer divine continents were not lacking in terms of geniuses—they weren’t at all inferior to the inner divine continent in that regard. However, the cultivation environment and resources they had access to were vastly inferior. Thus, if two individuals with the same talent started their cultivation in different continents, there would be an insurmountable gap between them over time.

"Are we able to compete for more Heavenly Domains?" Li Luo asked.  

Vice Principal Chen Chi unhappily retorted, "You might not even be able to hold onto your territory and you're thinking of grabbing someone else's? How far do you want to go? Do you think that the inner divine continents’ sage colleges are easy to provoke? In fact, they are like ravenous wolves coveting our existing territories!"

Chi Chan nodded. "We have to ensure that we've had our fill of the outer divine continents’ eight Heavenly Domains before anything else. In a Heavenly Domain battle, every divine continent's participants work together to compete and battle against the other outer divine continents. The East Divine Continent has thirty-seven sage colleges and possesses five main seats. The main seats are the goal of anyone attempting to capture a Heavenly Domain. You can regard them as the main players of the competition, and when it comes to the final distribution of Celestial Mirror Sand, they will naturally receive more. As the Astral Sage College was the champion of the Holy Grail Meet in the East Divine Continent, one of the main seats belongs to us."  

At this point, she paused. 

"However, it looks like we should voluntarily give it up."

Their vice principal wasn't participating, and if only Li Luo were to hold the figurative door, he would barely be able to hold his ground. With his strength, he indeed didn't have the right to monopolize a main seat, and the sage colleges of the East Divine Continent wouldn't be happy if he did.

Li Luo frowned. The six outer divine continents only had eight Heavenly Domains, and if they were to give up the main seat, the final distribution of rewards would likely just be some left-over scraps. How could he have his fill?

He hadn't come all the way here for leftovers.

"How many grains of Celestial Mirror Sand are produced in a single Heavenly Domain?" Li Luo asked.

"Ten to twenty grains."

"How many grains are required for a perfect breakthrough?"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"The requirements are strict and there is no definite amount of Celestial Mirror Sand required. However, based on past precedence, one would require over forty grains to have a chance," Chi Chan explained.

"Over forty grains?" Li Luo was shocked. The eight Heavenly Domains controlled by the outer divine continents would only produce at best a hundred and sixty grains of Celestial Mirror Sand. Those had to be divided amongst six of them, so just how many would the East Divine Continent even get? How many would end up in the Astral Sage College’s hands after they were distributed? 

Chi Chan apologetically replied, "I'm sorry Li Luo."

The outer divine continents had too little to fight over, so it was too difficult to obtain the amount of resources Li Luo wanted. If he had represented the Heavenly Origin Ancient College, then he would have had twelve Heavenly Domains to fight over.

Li Luo waved his hand and smiled consolingly. "Mentor Chi Chan, you shouldn't say that. The four ancient colleges might have a larger amount of Heavenly Domains, but the competition is even stiffer. A second-grade Transcendent like me wouldn't be able to stand out a fight between them."

He then sighed deeply. "However, there is no way we can give up the main seat of the Astral Sage College."

There wasn't much to go around to begin with, and if the rewards were too little, he would truly squander his opportunity here, which was something he couldn't bear.

When Chen Chi heard his words, she sighed. "It's not about whether you wish for it or not. It's whether you are able to protect it."

"Vice Principal Chen Chi, which sage college from the East Divine Continent is coveting our main seat?" Chi Chan asked with a sigh.

Chen Chi answered, "The Sacredspring Sage College."

"Sacredspring Sage College?" Chi Chan frowned and then fell into deep thought. "I think I have heard of it. It's a newer one that was established not long ago."

"Mhm. The vice principal they dispatched is an upper sixth-grade Duke. His foundation is strong as well, with two of his Duke Bergfrieds being Nine-Pillar Duke Bergfrieds."

Chen Chi sighed. "That sort of strength is exceptional amongst the East Divine Continent's sage colleges. I'm afraid only the Enlightened Sage College's Vice Principal Guo Jiufeng is his match."

Chi Chan's expression changed. "As expected of someone who could forge two Nine-Pillar Duke Bergfrieds and reach the sixth-grade..."

This sort of strength was indeed mighty. Even if Vice Principal Su Xin was here, she likely wouldn’t be his opponent. When Li Luo had sent Chi Chi running with a single strike, the latter only had six Eight-Pillar Duke Bergfrieds. In terms of foundation, he was far surpassed by the vice principal from the Sacredspring Sage College. When Li Luo heard this, he was a little surprised. Nine-Pillar Duke Bergfried Dukes meant that his background and skill were definitely among the best, and this was not including the sheer power he possessed. 

"So is the Sacredspring Sage College planning to treat the Astral Sage College as a soft persimmon and plans to challenge us?" Li Luo laughed shallowly. He was already enraptured by the idea of a perfect breakthrough, and he would not take a single step back when it came to the distribution of Celestial Mirror Sand.

Even if he had six Nine-Pillar Duke Bergfrieds, Li Luo wouldn't give in. 

After Li Luo spoke out, a mocking voice rang out in response. The void before them rippled, and several new people appeared. "What? Challenge the Astral Sage College?"