Chapter 1261: Standoff

The sudden appearance of a Seventh-Rank Marquis-tier expert from the Zhao Li Tianwang lineage immediately drew gazes from all over the Jin Shi Water Abyss, and quite a few loose cultivators sneered inwardly—two great Li Tianwang lineages vying for dominance was a sight they were more than happy to see.

Li Li Jinpan looked at the burly figure standing in the void in the distance, seven Marquis Platforms standing silently behind him, and a cold smile surfaced on his face as he said, "I wondered who it was. So it's you, Zhao Jiao."

He took a single step forward, and his own phase force erupted like a vast ocean, sweeping mightily from between heaven and earth, while at the same time his seven Marquis Platforms were revealed.

Li Luo and the others immediately felt the oppressive pressure from Zhao Jiao dissipate.

"Zhao Jiao, this Jin Shi Water Abyss is not territory controlled by your Zhao Li Tianwang lineage. What right do you have to drive us away?" Li Li Jinpan said with a cold laugh.

That burly man gripping a trident fixed a fierce, domineering stare on Li Li Jinpan and said, "The Jin Shi Water Abyss has always bordered the region of our Zhao Li Tianwang lineage. Every time, we send people to harvest—this has long been an agreement reached with all parties!"

"An agreement? Is this 'Jin Shi Water Abyss' the hunting ground of your Zhao Li Tianwang lineage? If not, what the hell are you setting rules for?" Li Li Jinpan shot back without the slightest courtesy.

"This place has always been unowned territory. Anyone with the ability can come and take a share. Are you, Zhao Jiao, trying to treat this place as your Zhao Li Tianwang lineage's private preserve, not allowing outsiders to touch it?"

"I reckon if this keeps up, it won't be long before this 'Jin Shi Water Abyss' truly gets swallowed up by your Zhao Li Tianwang lineage, and by then the others probably won't even get a scrap of leftovers, will they?"

"We came just to take a share, but your Zhao Li Tianwang lineage is planning to take the whole pot away. That's truly overbearing."

The expressions of some loose-cultivator experts throughout the Jin Shi Water Abyss shifted slightly. Li Li Jinpan's words had genuinely struck a nerve—in recent years the Zhao Li Tianwang lineage had indeed grown increasingly domineering in the Jin Shi Water Abyss, and the share they demanded had been rising year by year.

But when facing a behemoth like the Zhao Li Tianwang lineage, even when these loose cultivators banded together, they could only make the other party restrain itself slightly, to avoid people saying the Zhao Li Tianwang lineage was making an ugly spectacle of itself.

But that was all it amounted to.

The Zhao Li Tianwang lineage was still constantly encroaching on the "Jin Shi Water Abyss," while also employing various means to divide and weaken the strength of the loose cultivators who had banded together here. Its ambitions were already plain for all to see.

"Li Li Jinpan! It seems your Li Li Tianwang lineage is determined to meddle in the 'Jin Shi Water Abyss'! Since that's the case, then let me see whether you have the right to!"

Killing intent surfaced in Zhao Jiao's eyes along with his anger. He took a step forward, and vast, mighty phase force roared out—the phase force was a pale blue color, clearly the Water Phase.

Boom!

The next instant, the ocean waves parted, and a giant-horned black shark phantom emerged. Countless light patterns flowed across its massive horn, transforming into surging thunder-light that tore across the sky and came crashing straight toward Li Li Jinpan.

This Zhao Jiao possessed both the Giant-Horned Thunder Shark Phase and the Water Phase!

Seeing Zhao Jiao strike directly, Li Li Jinpan's gaze also turned cold. He said to Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge, "You two fall back first."

He took a step forward, and the seven towering Marquis Platforms atop his head erupted with a thunderous roar. Rolling divine smoke rose into the air, and within that divine smoke, golden light swept forth, while a resonant dragon cry rang out clearly.

Within the divine smoke, a massive dragon phantom appeared. That dragon phantom was quite peculiar—bone spurs like sharp swords grew from its winding dragon back, radiating an extremely sharp aura.

The dragon phantom flowed, and the sword-like spurs on its back tore even the void apart.

That was the Sword Dragon Phase.

At the same time, a dark light spread forth, emanating a fierce aura. As it flowed over those sword-like bone spurs, it immediately rendered them even sharper.

This was the Dark Iron Phase, a derivative of the Gold Phase.

The Sword Dragon roared, and sword qi and dragon breath wrapped in black light shot forth like an unrivaled sharp sword, piercing straight through the void to collide with Zhao Jiao's thunder-light.

Boom boom!

Wildly violent energy ripples ravaged outward, whipping up a hurricane between heaven and earth that howled as it blew.

The full-force clash between two Seventh-Rank Marquis experts was truly earth-shattering.

Seeing this, Niu Niu Biaobiao and Li Li Rouyun exchanged a glance, then also stepped into the void. Towering Marquis Platforms immediately appeared, drawing in the energy of heaven and earth.

However, they did not make a move. Instead, their sharp gazes fixed on the distant mountain peak, where a large contingent of figures stood in neat formation. At the very front, three silhouettes emanated extremely powerful phase force fluctuations.

Those were other Marquis-tier experts of the Zhao Li Tianwang lineage—one Seventh-Rank Marquis and two Sixth-Rank Marquises.

Seeing Niu Niu Biaobiao and Li Li Rouyun reveal their Marquis Platforms, the three Marquis-tier experts of the Zhao Li Tianwang lineage immediately sneered. The three soared into the air, and Marquis Platforms rose like mountains between heaven and earth, exuding a tremendous imposing presence.

At the same time, on that mountain peak, several thousand figures rose to their feet. With their appearance, the several thousand auras immediately showed signs of merging. Surging, majestic phase force shot skyward, and as it flowed, it faintly transformed into a giant tiger radiating endless ferocious, baleful energy.

At the very top of those several thousand figures, several silhouettes rose. The one in the lead was a youth with long hair flowing loose, whose appearance carried quite an elegant, refined air. With one hand behind his back, his gaze turned toward the distant Dragon Fang Guard and he said with a faint smile, "I am Zhao Jiyun, the Divine Tiger Envoy of the Divine Tiger Guard. I've heard the Dragon Fang Guard recently gained a newly appointed Dragon Fang Envoy—a peerless prodigy of the Ten-Pillar Golden Platform. Might I ask if he is present?"

The moment his voice fell, the Dragon Fang Guard's side had already gathered phase force, channeling it onto Jiang Jiang Qinge. Gripping her golden heavy sword, she stepped forward through the void several paces.

She had no interest in exchanging words with this Zhao Jiyun. The heavy sword in her hand simply pulsed with sword-light as she pointed it from afar at the latter.

At the same time, a flawless, peerless Ten-Pillar Golden Platform appeared above her head, its radiance shining for a hundred li, drawing countless gazes of astonishment to peek over.

The moment these two sides met, they fully bared fangs and edges, forming a standoff.

The atmosphere instantly became taut as a drawn bow.

And while the people of these two great Li Tianwang lineages were in a standoff, on a mountain peak not far away, there were also some gazes watching this scene with great interest.

On these people's robes, the emblem of the Golden Dragon Treasure House was embroidered—that was the mark of the Golden Dragon Treasure House.

"A Ten-Pillar Golden Platform—what remarkable talent. But who knows how many platforms can actually be forged. Throughout history, there have been no shortage of prodigies who exhausted their potential with a single Ten-Pillar Golden Platform and then fell further and further behind with every step thereafter." Among this group from the Golden Dragon Treasure House, a woman laughed lightly.

The woman's hair was a faint blue. She had a slender figure, her long dress outlining enchanting curves. Her skin was extremely fair, like ice and snow, emanating a faint coolness.

Her features were also quite exquisite—a beauty of flower-like grace that drew gasps of admiration.

Beside the woman, a man suddenly spoke up at this moment, saying, "Second Young Lady, that person with gray-white hair behind the Ten-Pillar Golden Platform is Li Luo."

This man was actually an acquaintance—clearly Mu Yao, who had previously suffered a great loss at Li Luo's hands in the Spiritual Phase Cave Heaven.

His grandfather was also the Grand Elder of the Golden Dragon Treasure House in Tianyuan Outer Shenzhou.

Hearing these words, the woman's gaze shifted slightly, her eyes turning toward Li Luo's position, while a strange smile curved her lips.

"Oh? So this is the Li Luo my younger sister has been pining over?