Chapter 216: The Third Test

It was two days after Lu Qing'er's birthday passed uneventfully. Li Luo took advantage of the peaceful days to quickly familiarize himself with the power that accompanied his newfound breakthrough to the Pattern Genesis Tier.

There was also the matter of the second test at the Suncreek Villa. For the second-grade spirit liquid, both Tang Yun and Lu Xiaofeng still refrained from participating, and again Li Luo handily won.

The result was just as Li Luo hoped for. The branch artificers spoke of Li Luo with respect now. After all, they were all resonance artificers. Refining skill was the one thing that they did not dispute.

Li Luo might only be a second-grade resonance artificer, but his talent was exceptional. His first and second-grade spirit liquids and purifying lights were envied by even fourth-grade artificers like Tang Yun and Lu Xiaofeng, not to mention the others.

In the first two days, they had all been guarded and wary. But as Li Luo's promises had proved true, their guard had relaxed under the kindness of his ways...

Elder Zheng Ping was secretly sounding out the ground, and it seemed that the wavering had already begun among them.

Everything was moving as Li Luo had envisioned.

...

"Today's the third test," Cai Wei said with some worry. She was with Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e in the hall of House Luolan's headquarters.

"Young Lord, things have been going too smoothly," she emphasized.

Li Luo nodded thoughtfully. He was of the same mind. And yet the resonance artificers were already turning to him... and Pei Hao's trickery was nowhere to be seen.

Had he really been gifted this present?

Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e exchanged looks. Pei Hao's foresight and planning could not be underestimated. It would be naive to think they had won.

"If he's planning anything, it must be within these next two days," Jiang Qing'e said.

Today was the third test. If it passed smoothly, then the branch artificers would be sent back empty-handed. Already used to the good life here at headquarters, many would definitely choose to stay when faced with that prospect.

Pei Hao would definitely make his move before then.

"I've already prepared a sizable number of guards at the Suncreek Villa, and made many other secret preparations." Li Luo nodded seriously.

"Let's just proceed as planned for now." Jiang Qing'e agreed.

"If you can really persuade the branch artificers, the Suncreek Villa's numbers will swell significantly. With your secret watersource, we'll definitely rise up in Xia City.”

Li Luo stood up and faced the sun, exhaling deeply.

All according to plan, his plan to bring the Suncreek Villa to greatness and riches. Especially the riches.

A source of gold would go a long way to securing House Luolan's strength. And of course, it would also provide him with the high-grade spirit liquids and purifying lights he needed...

Most importantly, the defensive wards that Uncle Biao had spoken of. Surely they would recover as well, right?

"Let's go," Li Luo said to the others, leading the way out of House Luolan's headquarters. It was time to reap all the branch artificers he had spent so long nurturing.

It was time to see what Pei Hao had cooked up.

Li Luo walked out with a small smile on his face. Surely Pei Hao had never imagined that the blank palace young lord would one day face him in a head-on battle here at Xia City.

...

Suncreek Villa headquarters.

The mood today was ambivalent among many of the branch artificers, who were standing together in a tight clump.

The headquarters' resonance artificers stood by the side, but after all these days of working together, conversations diffused between the two groups, free of the mistrust and discrimination present when they had first met.

Some of the friendlier ones even mingled quite freely, and their candid exchanges put even more doubt on the faces of the branch artificers.

In front of them, Elder Zheng Ping stood with Tang Yun and Lu Xiaofeng.

He eyed the two loftily. "Today's the third test. When it ends, so does your time at headquarters."

The two were silent. 

"I say," Elder Zheng Ping burst out, "haven't you felt the Young Lord's sincerity during this time?!" 

Tang Yun grimaced. "We are branded with Pei Hao's mark. The Xiling branch has already sunk itself too deeply with him."

"He's just using you as labor! Besides, do you think he left headquarters unmolested? Look at the resonance artificers all around you. Many of them were recruited by Pei Hao. But did the Young Lord mind?

"Don't judge the Young Lord with a narrow heart and mind. He might be young, but his skill and generosity are limitless."

Both experienced artificers looked conflicted, but eventually chose to remain silent.

The young lord's kindness had softened their hearts, but it had not yet undone the years of support that Pei Hao had provided. They were not yet ready for a complete turning away from Pei Hao.

"Let's just wait until the end of the test." Tang Yun sighed. He did not know what to do. He would take it one step at a time. If they won here, then they would see whether Li Luo would keep up his end of the promise. 

If he did, they could return to the Xiling branch with the secret watersource, their goals accomplished. The branch artificers would probably follow them back then.

"Aish, you stubborn fools," Elder Zheng Ping snapped.

A murmur broke out. Li Luo, Jiang Qing'e, and his entourage had arrived.

Many resonance artificers clapped upon seeing them arrive.

Li Luo waved in acknowledgment as he reached Tang Yun and Lu Xiaofeng. "Well, gentlemen? I trust you'll face me this time?"

They exchanged a look and stepped forth. Among the resonance artificers, Tang Yun's skill was highest. He was close to a 5th-grade artificer.

The resonance artificers muttered and shook their heads in disapproval.

The young lord had been more than generous in his treatment, and now Tang Yun was going to take the stage himself? That was unbecoming.

Tang Yun ignored the muttering. "Young Lord, allow me to learn from you firsthand..."

"But this time we're competing on a third-grade spirit liquid, and the Young Lord is only a second-grade artificer.”

"Oh, I was in a good mood yesterday," Li Luo said brightly. "I managed a 3rd-grade spirit liquid...

"Guess I'm a third-grade resonance artificer now."