Chapter 1253: The Husband-and-Wife Team Claims Victory

When Jiang Jiang Qinge's icy voice spread across the battle stage, Li Yuanshan and Li Qingbai's hearts began to pound wildly. Originally, they had been counting on the Mi Fa of the Mother-Son Blood Fusion Lamp to strengthen Li Yuanshan's power so he could crush Jiang Jiang Qinge in one strike.

But who could have expected that, although the strengthening did take effect, the subsequent Illusion Art from Li Luo not only knocked Li Yuanshan back to his original form, but even chopped him down to a Second Rank Marquis Realm.

And originally, Li Yuanshan's strength as an Upper Third Rank Marquis Realm was only evenly matched with Jiang Jiang Qinge. Now that one Marquis Platform had been severed, a Second Rank Marquis Realm—could he still fight Jiang Jiang Qinge?

While their hearts were uneasy, Jiang Jiang Qinge showed them no courtesy whatsoever. The ten-pillar golden platform atop her head, its entire body like colored glaze and emanating boundless sacred fluctuations, now revealed ten thousand beams of holy light. Wherever the holy light reached, the world's energy was converted one after another into light-phase power.

Boom!

The next instant, on the ten-pillar golden platform, energy roared and erupted. A massive pillar of holy light, like divine punishment, descended from the sky, carrying extremely surging and astonishing light-phase power, and whistled straight toward the spot where Li Yuanshan stood.

Feeling the viciousness of Jiang Jiang Qinge's strike this time, Li Yuanshan's scalp also went a little numb, but admitting defeat was impossible—after all, they represented the honor of the Dragon Blood Guard. So for now, he could only brace himself and take it.

Best to temporarily withstand a few attacks first and salvage some face.

At this thought, Li Yuanshan took a deep breath, and the phase power within his body was also driven without reservation. The only two Marquis Platforms remaining above his head immediately poured down surging grayish-yellow phase power.

Within the phase power, a sense of heaviness permeated.

Li Yuanshan possessed the Earth Dragon Phase and the Rock Phase, so defense was also what he excelled at.

Li Yuanshan's hands formed seals like lightning, then he slammed them violently against the ground ahead.

Rumble!

The earth trembled violently, and a colossal city wall rose from the ground. Upon the wall, dragon shadows were inscribed, coiled and crouching, appearing infinitely thick and solid.

At the same time, a grayish-white luster spread, rendering the dragon wall like stubborn stone.

Many among the Five Guards secretly cried out in surprise, clearly recognizing Li Yuanshan's move for what it was—precisely the defensive art he was most adept at.

Spirit-Derivation Grade Marquis Art, Great Dragon Wall!

The dragon wall rose, like a wall ten thousand li long.

And at this moment, the vast, sacred pillar of light also pierced through and came crashing into the dragon wall. At the moment of contact, the dragon wall was seen being melted away at a terrifying speed.

The light-phase power contained within that pillar of light was too pure, and the purifying force it radiated—even though Li Yuanshan's phase power was extremely adept at defense—was somewhat difficult to withstand.

"Light-phase power refined through three Nine-Rank Light Hammers—truly overbearing." At this, the many Marquis Realm powerhouses present all sighed with deep feeling.

Li Yuanshan also felt extremely heavy pressure at this moment. He immediately gritted his teeth, swept his hand across the spatial orb on his wrist, and a jar appeared in his hand.

Li Yuanshan slapped open the mouth of the jar, and brownish-yellow mud actually whistled out from within, then poured down upon that "Great Dragon Wall."

This was Mysterious Heavy Mud, a kind of Lower Grade Marquis Treasure refined through many complicated methods.

However, this item was a Consumable—once exhausted, Li Yuanshan would have to refine it anew, which would undoubtedly consume no small amount of wealth.

But right now, in order to salvage some face for the Dragon Blood Guard, Li Yuanshan could only use it despite the heartache.

And as that mud poured down, the thick dragon wall seemed to have been granted even stronger defense; the mud rolled and flowed, actually temporarily blocking the purification of Jiang Jiang Qinge's light-phase power.

Li Yuanshan let out a slight sigh of relief, but feeling those portions of "Mysterious Heavy Mud" continuously melting away under the purification of the light-phase power, his heart ached again in waves.

However, his heartache did not last long, because at this very instant, he suddenly sensed an extremely piercing fluctuation surging forth from within that sacred pillar of light.

Li Yuanshan hurriedly cast his gaze, and then his pupils contracted sharply.

Because he saw that within that sacred pillar of light, a light nail had actually condensed into being, and that light nail now revealed an extremely terrifying piercing power.

Boom!

The light nail made contact with the dragon wall, the sacred light-phase power paving the way for it, attacking at a single point.

Directly breaking the surface with a point.

Thus, in merely a few breaths' time, a small hole was pierced through the dragon wall by that sacred light nail.

A streak of light flashed and vanished.

But Li Yuanshan's body hair stood on end at this moment. His figure retreated wildly in flashes, actually leaving behind row upon row of clay-like statues in his original spot.

Pfft, pfft!

Yet the moment those clay statues appeared, they shattered with a thunderous crash.

It seemed a streak of light had pierced through the void at lightning speed.

After a few breaths, Li Yuanshan's rapidly retreating figure suddenly stiffened, and the phase power surging throughout his body also came to an abrupt halt at this moment.

Li Qingbai hurriedly looked, and then his face went pale as he saw, at the center of Li Yuanshan's brow, a light nail hovering quietly.

It was like a venomous snake—as long as Li Yuanshan made the slightest unusual move, it would pierce through his brain in an instant.

Although the light nail had not touched Li Yuanshan's body, the sharp aura it radiated had still pricked a bead of crimson blood from his brow.

Li Yuanshan swallowed, not daring to move, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

In the end, he revealed a bitter smile and said softly: "I concede."

His voice was not loud, yet it fell into the ears of everyone present.

Li Qingbai slumped to the ground in dejection.

The entire arena fell silent for a moment, then a boiling clamor of voices arose.

On the Dragon Fang Guard's side, earth-shattering cheers erupted.

"Dragon Fang Commander Jiang, majestic!"

"Commander Li Luo, majestic!"

Li Li Fengyi, Li Li Jingtao, Li Li Fuling and the others were all overjoyed. At this moment, the great stone weighing on their hearts had finally fallen to the ground.

Even Li Foluo secretly let out a sigh of relief. Beside him, Luo Jiang laughed and sighed: "What a formidable husband-and-wife team. I seem to see the glorious future of our Dragon Fang Guard upon their shoulders."

"Perhaps, it will even surpass the era when the Grand Mystic Guard Venerable was still here."

Back then, Li Taixuan was indeed dazzling, but in the end he was only one person. Yet this husband-and-wife team now possessed terrifying potential.

Li Luo was only a single step away from the Marquis Realm. If he too managed to produce a ten-pillar golden platform by then, these two would truly be invincible.

Li Foluo nodded slowly and said with a faint smile: "It seems my seat here won't last long."

Li Hongyou, who had been listening to their conversation nearby, also had a faint smile appear on her cold, beautiful cheeks. Then she raised her head, her gaze shooting toward the Dragon Blood Guard's side in the distance, which had fallen silent as a graveyard.

She saw Li Hongque standing there dumb as a wooden chicken. The latter's expression of shock and anger made the smile at the corner of her lips grow all the richer.

And her gaze immediately jolted Li Hongque awake; Li Hongque's eyes blazed as she shot a look over, her gaze fixed on Li Hongyou filled with unwilling fury.

Li Hongque had never imagined that in this Stair-Step Trial, their side would actually lose!

If so, she would completely lose her chance to drive Li Hongyou away.

At this thought, Li Hongque's face twisted.

"How could we lose? How is it possible we lost!"

"What exactly were Li Qingbai and the others doing?!" she couldn't help wanting to take her anger out on Li Qingbai.

But Li Zhihuo frowned and stopped her: "Hongque, the fault is not theirs. If blame must fall, it can only be that Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge are too extraordinary."

His eyes also held a few shades of gloom, because if this trial was lost, he would have to pay the price of eighty thousand dragon essences, which even for him, a Guard Commander, was somewhat painful.

And Most Important, this Stair-Step Trial had not only failed to suppress Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo, but had instead spread their fame.

This truly meant losing both the dragon essences and face.

From now on, when people spoke of Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo first arriving at the Dragon Fang Guard, who helped them through their most straitened moment—his Li Zhihuo would surely be top of the list.

A bloody loss all the way to grandmother's house.

And at that moment, amid the countless uproars, Li Luo in the battle platform also cast his gaze over, then cupped his fist toward Li Zhihuo from afar, and said with a gentle smile: "Eighty thousand dragon essences, thanks for your patronage."

He was all smiles. Split evenly between him and Jiang Jiang Qinge, these eighty thousand dragon essences could not only cover the previous debts but leave a large sum to spare.

With these dragon essences, he could then exchange for Some High Ranks of spiritual water and strange light.

Although with the aid of the Dragon Seed True Pill, Li Luo's Dragon Phase could briefly Rise to Eighth Rank, this was ultimately an external boost, not a true rank evolution.

The current Dragon Lightning Phase's true rank is upper Seventh Rank. For the next stretch of time, Li Luo wants to try whether he can first raise it to Eighth Rank.

Li Luo is now not far from the Marquis Realm. If his ambition is also to forge a Ten-Pillar Golden Platform, then this upper Seventh Rank Dragon Lightning Phase would be somewhat of a drag, so it needs to be made up as soon as possible.

Moreover, the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Treasure must also begin to be planned for.

Li Luo does not dare hope to obtain another top-tier Foundation Establishment Spiritual Treasure comparable to the "Nine-Stripe Sacred Heart Lotus," but a top-grade Foundation Establishment Spiritual Treasure is absolutely essential.

With such a reckoning, there is indeed plenty to work hard for from here on.

Faced with Li Luo's thanks, Li Zhihuo could only keep his face expressionless.

And at this moment, as this trial gradually drew to a close, the other guards saw no point in wasting more time, so this Stair-Step also drew near its end.

Li Li Jingzhe finally rose at this moment, his gaze sweeping the whole field, and began to speak, offering some words of encouragement to the members of the five guards.

In the end, he also gave a reminder.

"The Black Rain Ghost Tribulation is approaching, and the 'Boundary River Treasure Domain' deep within the Boundary River Domain is also about to open. This is the greatest opportunity in the Boundary River Domain. You must train well to prepare for the great battle, and do not disgrace our Li Li Tianwang lineage."

As his words fell, the old man turned and left.

Leaving behind the sudden burst of exclamations and roars in the field.