Chapter 1051: Old Ancestor Li Jun

Sharp cries of shock and astonishment rang out across every corner of the Dragon Five Veins at this moment, as everyone stared in disbelief at the handsome, long-haired youth holding a Coiling Dragon Golden Staff within the light mirror.

This person... was actually their Old Ancestor?!

Only this appearance seemed somewhat different from the portraits they had seen.

Yet no one doubted the truth of the handsome youth's words, because within the Li Li Tianwang Vein, no one dared to impersonate the Old Ancestor! Especially now, with the heads of the five great veins all watching the battle—anyone who dared to pose as the Old Ancestor would likely be erased on the spot.

After all, even the five vein heads had to bow and perform the courtesy of juniors when facing this Old Ancestor.

Li Li Tianwang, Li Jun.

He was the pillar of the Li Li Tianwang Vein! And the very origin of the Li Li Tianwang Vein!

It's just that the Old Ancestor had long resided in the Abyssal Rift, awe-inspiring trolls and other strange beings, and many within the clan had not seen him for many years. As for some of the younger generation, they had only ever caught a glimpse of this legendary Old Ancestor's appearance on the portraits within the ancestral hall.

Therefore, when they now heard that the gatekeeper of the seventy-second floor of the Sha Mo Cave was actually the Old Ancestor, they felt such shock.

Boiling, excited voices rang out across every corner of the Dragon Five Veins.

And needless to say them—even the five vein heads were at this moment staring at this scene with eyes carrying some astonishment.

Li Li Jingzhe stared at the handsome youth in the light mirror, muttering to himself: "I never expected that challenging the seventy-second floor at this time would mean running into the Old Ancestor..."

"Father, why does the Old Ancestor before us look different from the portraits?" Li Li Qingpeng beside him asked, somewhat puzzled.

The others nodded hurriedly as well—this Old Ancestor was truly the legend of the entire Li Li Tianwang Vein, so everyone was very interested in him.

"Because this is not the Old Ancestor's true body," Li Li Jingzhe said.

"Could it be a clone?" Li Li Jinpan asked.

"It can't really be called a clone either... this should merely be a single thought left behind by the Old Ancestor when he created the 'Sha Mo Cave' back then," Li Li Jingzhe said slowly.

"A single thought?" The crowd was instantly horrified—could a single thought endure for so many years?

"This is no ordinary thought. It is a manifestation formed by the Old Ancestor severing a portion of his own past. You may regard the Old Ancestor before you as the Old Ancestor during his Marquis Realm period."

"He is entirely real, yet nearly indestructible—after all, no one can extinguish a Li Tianwang's thought."

Merely a single thought, and it could be called indestructible? The crowd listened, both bewildered and horrified. Was this the divine power of a supreme great being who stood at the pinnacle of the heavens and earth? It was truly inconceivable.

"But the Old Ancestor actually hid a thought here on the seventy-second floor—surely this level is a bit too monstrous. There's absolutely no way anyone could pass it, right?" Li Li Qingpeng said with a bitter smile.

The others were also rendered speechless. Although the Old Ancestor before them seemed to be only at the Marquis Realm, the past self of a Li Tianwang-level being—what kind of world-shaking prodigy would that be? The difficulty coefficient of defeating such a being was simply outrageously high.

Li Li Jingzhe was also a bit helpless, saying: "The difficulty is indeed beyond imagination. The Old Ancestor never lost his childlike heart—he left a trump card behind to temper his juniors."

"Still, the fact that Li Luo was able to encounter this thought of the Old Ancestor's means that, in a certain sense, it isn't a failure."

The others deeply agreed. To be able to touch the hidden gatekeeper of the seventy-second floor of the Sha Mo Cave—wasn't that itself a kind of ability? After all, since the Sha Mo Cave's creation, no one had ever discovered the thought the Old Ancestor left behind.

To exchange blows with the Old Ancestor—even if this was merely a manifestation of a past thought of the Old Ancestor—for many Marquis Realm powerhouses, this would count as an immense honor.

However, while the outside world boiled over the Old Ancestor's appearance, Li Luo's own mood at this moment had collapsed.

He stared blankly at the handsome youth before him holding the Coiling Dragon Golden Staff. When the latter spoke the name "Li Jun," he knew things were about to get troublesome.

He truly never could have imagined, no matter how hard he racked his brains, that the seventy-second floor at this point in time would be terrifying to such a degree.

His old man was only fighting a single fourth-grade Marquis Realm dragon.

And here he was, going straight up against the Old Ancestor?

Li Luo was truly a mess at this moment.

"Little junior, what are you thinking about?" While Li Luo was breaking down, the handsome youth before him revealed a brilliant smile and asked gently.

Li Luo said in a strained voice: "I'm wondering if it's too late for me to give up now."

"Too late!"

The handsome youth's face immediately stiffened, saying: "It took forever for someone to come, and you don't want to let me have my fun, and you still want to leave?"

"Whose little brat are you?"

Li Luo said with a mournful face: "This junior is from the Dragon Fang Vein. The vein head Li Li Jingzhe is my grandfather. My name is Li Luo."

Li Jun laughed, saying: "So it's that little fellow Li Li Jingzhe."

Outside the arena, Li Li Jingzhe's cold, solemn, aged face showed a flicker of embarrassment. Within the entire Li Li Tianwang Vein, probably only this one person was qualified to call him "little fellow."

"Your Dragon Fang Vein produced a pretty good little brat before too, called Li Taixuan, right?" Li Jun asked again.

"That's my father," Li Luo replied honestly.

Li Jun was somewhat surprised, and laughed: "It seems your vein has produced quite a few talents."

"I wouldn't dare. Compared to you, Old Ancestor, we're all but fireflies' light," Li Luo felt that he was behaving just like a little bootlicker.

However, a Li Tianwang wasn't someone just anyone got the chance to lick.

"The little brat is amusing, but since you've come all this way, we still need to have a fight. Since the Sha Mo Cave was established, you're the first one to see me, so if you truly can pass, the benefits will be considerable," Li Jun said with a smile.

Judging from the personality Li Jun revealed, he had also been somewhat combative in his youth.

Hearing this, Li Luo's heart stirred—clearly enticed by the so-called benefits Li Jun mentioned. The benefits spoken of by a Li Tianwang-level powerhouse—how could they be ordinary?

Moreover, Li Luo had never had any intention of retreating from the very beginning.

"Then please grant me your guidance, Old Ancestor!"

Li Luo cupped his fists, and then his expression suddenly turned Solemn. Vast, surging energy swept across heaven and earth, and at the same time a long saber flowing with azure light appeared in his hand. This azure saber was a single purple-eyed treasure. Because his Jin Yu Zhu Xuan Xiang Saber had shattered and hadn't been recast yet, when Li Luo came, he had borrowed this azure saber from the Green Dark Court treasury as a backup.

And just as Li Luo focused himself in readiness, Li Jun also made his move. He was seen to take a single step forward, and the void seemed to be smashed through with a hole by him. Then his figure, like a teleportation, appeared right in front of Li Luo.

Boom!

The Coiling Dragon Golden Staff in his hand came smashing down toward Li Luo with a casual swing.

Li Luo hurriedly urged his surging energy, empowering his "azure saber," wrapping it in towering saber light, and collided with the golden staff.

Bang!

Yet the instant saber and staff collided, Li Luo's pupils suddenly contracted, because he felt the "azure saber" in his hand seemingly let out a wail, and then in the next instant, cracks rapidly appeared, and with a boom, it shattered apart.

Li Luo's heart was horrified—this single purple-eyed treasure, just scrapped like that?

His figure hurriedly retreated violently.

But that golden staff pursued relentlessly, smashing down without pause.

Li Luo hurriedly summoned several prepared defensive treasures, which transformed into layer upon layer of protection.

Yet these defenses were as fragile as paper beneath that golden staff; wherever the staff's shadow swept, so-called defensive treasures shattered one after another.

At this moment, Li Luo finally saw clearly that the Coiling Dragon Golden Staff in Old Ancestor Li Jun's hand was no ordinary item—it seemed to possess a marvelous power capable of shattering treasures.

Ordinary treasures, even single purple-eye treasures, could not withstand a collision with it.

How overbearing!

Li Luo groaned inwardly—how did this old ancestor come with his own divine weapon?!

Did he have to pull out the "Heavenly Dragon Sun-Chasing Bow"? But that was after all a long-range attack treasure; it couldn't be used to clash head-on. While losing a single purple-eye treasure hurt a bit, it was still acceptable. But if his precious "Heavenly Dragon Sun-Chasing Bow" were destroyed too, Li Luo really would have nowhere to cry.

So, in this initial exchange, before Old Ancestor Li Jun had even really made a move, the Coiling Dragon Golden Staff alone had already left Li Luo looking rather wretched.

Yashan, within Shi Ting.

Li Li Jingzhe, seeing this scene, said with some helplessness: "Back in the day, no one knows how many opponents this old ancestor's Coiling Dragon Golden Staff shattered their hearts."

"Li Luo still lacks a close-combat treasure."

As he spoke, Li Li Jingzhe's expression suddenly shifted, and then he smiled: "But it's come just in time."

He immediately extended a finger and slashed it across the empty space before him.

The space was directly torn apart, and faintly, what seemed like a piercing blade-cry rang out—within that blade-cry was the sound of dragon and elephant.

A flash of blade-light suddenly appeared, then, as Li Li Jingzhe swept his sleeve, that flash of blade-light actually pierced through the void.

On the seventy-second floor.

Li Luo, who had been retreating continuously, suddenly heard a somewhat familiar blade-cry in his ears. The next instant, the space beside him split open, and a flash of blade-light leapt out.

Li Luo, with a tacit understanding, extended his palm and grabbed that blade-light in his hand.

Boom!

At this moment, a golden staff-shadow pierced through the void toward him.

Li Luo roared forth with surging energy, wrapping the blade-light in his hand, and collided with the staff-shadow.

Clang!

A crisp sound of metal on metal exploded forth, raising towering waves across the vast lake below.

But what delighted Li Luo was that this time, the blade in his hand did not shatter.

The old ancestor's Coiling Dragon Golden Staff, which specialized in shattering treasures, seemed to have lost its effect for the first time.

Li Luo retreated and cast a delighted gaze toward the blade in his hand.

This is... the recast Jin Yu Profound Elephant Blade?