Chapter 7 - Orga Lux!
Luke's triumph over Fan Xinglu left Wu Xiaohui profoundly affected in a way neither Zhao Hufeng nor Cecily could have envisioned.
This incident amounted to a complete rejection of the life belief he had held since commencing his training at the age of six.
He had always revered Fan Xinglu as the epitome of strength, invincibility, and omnipotence, shaping his entire practice around this belief.
Witnessing Luke's "defeat" of Fan Xinglu with his own eyes served as a wake-up call, making him realize his past mistakes and the reasons behind Fan Xinglu's growing disappointment in him.
The day after the showdown between Luke and Fan Xinglu, Wu Xiaohui secluded himself in his room, with even meals being delivered by Zhao Hufeng and others.
This retreat persisted for a whole year.
Now, two years have elapsed. Under Luke's influence, Wu Xiaohui and the other two disciples have grown significantly stronger than when the original storyline commenced.
…
"Eh?! Junior Brother Luke, do you also intend to participate in this year's Lindwurm?"
When Luke expressed his desire to join the 'Lindwurm Festa' to Fan Xinglu, Zhao Hufeng was the first to pose the question.
Luke looked at Zhao Hufeng and chuckled inwardly, understanding the reason behind Zhao Hufeng's reaction.
"Why do you ask? Does Senior Brother Zhao doubt my qualifications for this year's Lindwurm?"
"Ah, no, that's not what I meant... it's just... it's just..."
Zhao Hufeng's face reddened with embarrassment, silently muttering to himself, 'I think you are just bullying others.'
Luke observed the flustered Zhao Hufeng and refrained from teasing further. Instead, he patted him on the shoulder and remarked, "I understand what you mean, Senior Brother Zhao, but this year's 'Lindwurm' is more complicated than you think."
"Oh ho?"
While Zhao Hufeng remained silent, Fan Xinglu became intrigued.
"Luke, do you already know that 'those two' are gearing up for this year's Lindwurm?"
Fan Xinglu sat in her chair, her legs swaying rhythmically, exuding a joyful demeanor.
Zhao Hufeng, standing beside her, glanced at Fan Xinglu's delighted expression and hesitated to speak. Eventually, recalling the events of the past year, he sighed inwardly, choosing silence.
Indeed, Fan Xinglu had been in high spirits for nearly a year.
Since Wu Xiaohui emerged from seclusion a year ago, Fan Xinglu closely followed the progress of Luke, Wu Xiaohui, and her other disciples, and her mood improved day by day.
Luke, the catalyst for these changes, had become a lucky star for Fan Xinglu. This, in turn, elevated Fan Xinglu's attitude toward Luke, evolving into a relationship of mutual support.
To be honest, this stirred a tinge of jealousy in Zhao Hufeng.
"Even if you didn't mention it, I would have allowed you to participate in this year's Lindwurm."
Fan Xinglu gazed at Luke, contemplating his growth over the past two years.
"In just two years, you've comprehended my millennia-old swordsmanship accumulation."
"However, your progress in Seisenjutsu, though also at a genius level, is perplexingly different from your exceptional swordsmanship talent."
As she spoke, even Fan Xinglu seemed a bit puzzled.
Under normal circumstances, given Luke's astounding swordsmanship qualifications, he should have surpassed the average genius in various aspects, even if other aspects of his learning weren't as exceptional.
Luke's performance in the past two years, however, deviated from the norm. Not only did his swordsmanship advance significantly, but his Seisenjutsu also progressed rapidly.
For instance, he could utilize spells to envelop his sword, add diverse effects through Seisenjutsu, and even activate Seisenjutsu by merely swinging his sword in a specific pattern, bypassing spells and talismans.
Yet, when it came to conventional Seisenjutsu such as wind control, lightning, enchantment, invisibility, etc., Luke's once unparalleled performance transformed to merely impressive.
It seemed as if his talent could only be fully realized when it involved the 'sword,' leaving Fan Xinglu intrigued. Despite her research, she couldn't draw any concrete conclusions.
"By the way, since Luke plans to participate in this year's 'Lindwurm,' he and I will go out this afternoon."
Suddenly, Fan Xinglu seemed to recall something, a playful smile gracing her face.
Luke was taken aback at the mention of going out with Fan Xinglu.
"Going out? Do you have something to attend to outside?"
Luke's confusion was understandable. Typically, it was Zhao Hufeng who accompanied Fan Xinglu, while Luke and Wu Xiaohui focused on their practice in Oushinden.
Fan Xinglu, not intending to conceal anything, explained, "Well, it's a reward bestowed by the master to outstanding disciples. I recall you don't have a suitable weapon yet."
Fan Xinglu's response enlightened Luke, though he remained somewhat surprised. In Asterisk City, weapons were synonymous with Lux.
Lux, the most common weapon type, started as small, palm-sized objects containing a green Manadyte. Upon activation, Lux materialized into various forms like swords, bows, spears, or guns.
Luke currently possessed two Lux crafted from 'Manadyte Ore':
Tachi-type Lux: D+ level, a beam-bladed Tachi with a sharper edge than ordinary swords.
Within 'Manadyte Ore,' there existed an even rarer type, the 'Urm Manadyte.'
Urm Manadyte referred to Manadyte of exceptional purity, each displaying unique colors and sizes, believed to possess individual wills.
Lux created using Urm Manadyte as the core were known as Orga Lux, distinguished by unparalleled energy and special abilities akin to Stregas and Dantes.
All Orga Lux were semi-sentient, featuring distinct abilities and independent wills. However, their use incurred a cost on the wielder, with some being manageable and others exceedingly challenging.
The adaptation rate served as a metric to measure user qualifications, with users exhibiting vastly different energy levels generated by Orga Lux.
Other than power levels, this is usually the key as to why so few Genestella, even exceptionally powerful ones, are not compatible with all Orga Lux. So forming a long term relationship with suitable Orga Lux is a given.
Therefore, choosing a suitable Lux was imperative.
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