Chapter 1273: ,281: The Road Home

Boom!

The resplendent light-phase force transformed into a rainbow of light, streaking across the sky at astonishing speed. Within that rainbow of light were fully several thousand figures—the Dragon Fang Guard members. Because of the power amplification from their formation, these Dragon Fang Guard members at this moment seemed to have merged into one with Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo, so when one moved, they all moved.

At the same time, Xia Yu led a thousand-strong guard to rendezvous at this moment. All five thousand-strong guards had gathered, their momentum vast and overwhelming.

Within the rainbow of light, Li Luo glanced back and saw the sky behind them filled with howling light-shadows. Wave after wave of astonishing phase-force fluctuations shot skyward, then rocketed toward their direction at extreme speed.

Among them, the forces of the Zhao Li Tianwang lineage were the most conspicuous, with Zhao Jiyun leading five thousand-strong guards of the Divine Tiger Guard in relentless pursuit.

Seeing this scene, the corner of Li Luo's mouth twitched slightly.

"Li Luo, what did you all do?" Xia Yu stared at the many pursuing light-shadows and couldn't help but ask.

She had been some distance from Li Luo's group earlier, so when she led her people to catch up, she happened to see Jiang Jiang Qinge piloting the rainbow of light, leading everyone in a getaway.

"Nothing much, just picked up two King Pearls, that's all," Li Luo said casually.

"King Pearls?! Two of them?!!" Xia Yu was stunned, then couldn't help but shriek.

She clearly understood the value of King Pearls—they were treasures that would make many upper-rank Marquis-level strongmen fight tooth and nail, after all, this item was the primary material for refining top-grade Foundation Establishment spiritual treasures!

Only now did Xia Yu understand why so many people had come in pursuit.

"Aren't these people afraid of offending our Li Li Tianwang lineage?" Li Luo said. The King Pearls were already in hand, yet these people still came to fight over them—truly not giving their Li Li Tianwang lineage any face.

Xia Yu said irritably: "For those rogue cultivators, King Pearls are enough to make them take desperate risks. If they could really snatch them, leaving the Outer Shenzhou afterward wouldn't matter to them. But don't worry—even if they capture you, they should only take the treasure and not take your life."

"These rogue cultivators are all very smart; they know where the bottom line is."

After all, a "Virtual Triple Crown King" was still stationed at Tianlong Ridge. If Li Luo and the others simply lacked the strength to hold onto the treasure and had it taken because they were outmatched, then that was just their own inability. So as long as lives weren't taken, that Dragon Fang vein master presumably wouldn't bother to act against mere rogue cultivators.

Li Luo shook his head helplessly. To have the King Pearls taken from him—that he was unwilling to accept, after all, these were his reliance for evolving the "Heaven Dragon Phase."

"Right now we can only go full speed toward Tianlong Ridge. Once news of the King Pearls spreads, who knows how many covetous eyes it'll attract along the way. We don't have an upper-rank Marquis stationed here, so our deterrent simply isn't enough," Xia Yu said.

Although they had five thousand-strong guards gathered, along with Jiang Jiang Qinge as Dragon Fang Envoy, even all that combined was probably only equivalent to the combat power of a single Fifth Rank Marquis at most. In the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Boundary River Domain, that level probably wasn't all that intimidating.

In ordinary times it would be fine—relying on the Li Li Tianwang lineage's nameplate, those powerful rogue cultivators wouldn't dare provoke them. But with a treasure like King Pearls on the line, that would likely be another story.

Not to mention, there was still the Zhao Li Tianwang lineage right now.

"Four thousand-strong guards, take turns forming the formation to empower me, keep energy consumption to a minimum." At this moment, Jiang Jiang Qinge's calm voice rang out among the five Dragon Fang Guard thousand-strong guards.

"Hong You, please take command of one thousand-strong guard and amplify me."

The journey ahead would surely be full of hardships and dangers; combat was inevitable, so they needed to maintain fighting strength at all times and couldn't recklessly burn through energy just to travel fast.

"Yes!" several thousand people answered in unison.

Li Hongyou immediately took command of one thousand-strong guard. After receiving the energy empowerment, she used it to cast "Sincere Heart Golden Seal," keeping Jiang Jiang Qinge at peak condition at all times.

Several thousand figures, wrapped in Jiang Jiang Qinge's vast and mighty light-phase force, resembled a stream of light piercing through the sky, breaking through the air toward Tianlong Ridge with a rumbling sound.

Behind them, the sky was filled with the sound of breaking air.

At the same time, many signal flares spread out in all directions by various means.

This grand, full-speed escape continued for an hour in the blink of an eye. During this time they encountered no obstacles, yet Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo's expressions didn't relax because of it—instead growing increasingly Solemn.

Because they could sense that along their return route, from many hidden places, gazes filled with covetousness were being cast their way.

Clearly, news of the King Pearls had already spread.

It was just that no one was willing to be the first to make a move yet, but that was only a matter of time, because everyone understood that once Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge got close to Tianlong Ridge, they would have no more chances.

An invisible pressure settled over the hearts of the five thousand Dragon Fang Guard members.

Yet none of them showed fear for it. These five thousand were the true elites of the Dragon Fang vein after layers of screening—tempered and tested, their hearts long since firm as stone. No matter how formidable the enemy before them, they would fight to the last.

The Holy Thorn Crown atop Jiang Jiang Qinge's head circulated holy light at this moment, illuminating her already exquisitely beautiful jade countenance as if it were a perfect work of art in this world. A sharp brilliance flowed within her golden eyes, and she said softly: "They're coming."

Hearing this, Li Luo's gaze instantly sharpened as he looked forward, only to see several light-shadows suddenly rise from among the mountain ranges ahead, blocking the path.

The moment these figures appeared, they summoned towering Marquis Platforms one after another.

They were four Third Rank Marquis-level strongmen!

They all wore white robes, with bone-chilling cold air sweeping across heaven and earth.

"Li Luo, hand over the King Pearls!" they roared in unison, their shouts rolling like a cold current, causing the temperature between heaven and earth to plummet.

A full twelve towering Marquis Platforms stood against the sky like ancient city walls, cutting off the path ahead.

"Those are Marquis-level strongmen from the Mystic Ice Sect. The Mystic Ice Sect has always followed the Zhao Li Tianwang lineage's lead—looks like they received orders!" Xia Yu said hurriedly upon seeing this.

However, facing the interception of four Third Rank Marquis-level strongmen, Jiang Jiang Qinge had no intention of slowing down in the slightest. The "Holy Thorn Crown" between her hair blazed with light, and a ten-pillar golden platform cast as if from glazed glass emerged. At the same time, the vast energy amplified by the formation of four thousand-strong guards surged onto it.

Jiang Jiang Qinge's jade finger pointed, and from the Holy Thorn Crown, a streak of light shot forth violently, while "Peerless Divine Mist" rolled out like holy light to empower it.

Holy Thorn Crown, Light Nail!

Boom!

The next instant, the air itself seemed to emit a tremendous roar. A streak of flowing light pierced the void and blasted directly toward the four Third Rank Marquis-level strongmen.

Where the flowing light passed, the heavens seemed to be split in two.

With the empowerment of four thousand-strong guards, plus Li Hongyou's amplification, Jiang Jiang Qinge at this moment was terrifyingly strong.

Seeing this, the four intercepting Third Rank Marquis-level strongmen's expressions changed drastically. They hurriedly formed hand seals, and all twelve Marquis Platforms roared in unison. Marquis Divine Mist imbued with icy cold aura swept down, condensing directly into a ten-thousand-zhang nine-angled ice shield ahead of them.

Ancient patterns were inscribed upon the ice shield.

The flowing light that split the heavens didn't pause for even a moment, slamming directly into the ten-thousand-zhang nine-angled ice shield.

Crack!

At the moment of impact, the four Third Rank Marquis-level strongmen revealed horror on their faces, because cracks rapidly spread across the ice shield, and that terrifying light-phase force was purifying their phase force at astonishing speed.

"Not good, retreat!" the leading Marquis-level strongman cried in horror.

Boom!

But the moment his voice fell, the nine-angled ice shield exploded into pieces. A wisp of light rapidly expanded within the horrified pupils of the four Third Rank Marquis-level strongmen, and the next instant, it pierced straight through the phase-force defenses around their bodies.

Pfft! Pfft!

The sound of bodies being pierced seemed to ring out at the same moment.

Then, the numerous gazes spying on this stretch of heaven and earth watched in horror as the marquis platforms atop the four Third Rank marquis-level powerhouses rapidly dissipated, transforming into spiritual light that fell down, and those four vomited fresh blood wildly, their bodies plummeting down among the mountain ranges.

In the span of a single brief encounter, all four Third Rank marquis-level experts were cut down by Jiang Jiang Qinge.

Such a clean and decisive method made quite a few of the onlookers secretly tremble in their hearts.

At the same time, they now witnessed Jiang Jiang Qinge's foundation—ten golden platforms, three Ninth Grade Radiance Aspects, a peerless heaven's pride, truly domineering.

This stretch of heaven and earth seemed to fall into a brief silence because of the ferocity and might Jiang Jiang Qinge had revealed.

But Jiang Jiang Qinge did not pause for it at all, wrapping up five thousand Dragon Fang Guard members and tearing across the long sky as she left.

She understood that this strike by Lei Ting, although it could achieve some deterrent effect, could not possibly block all coveters, so afterward, if more blockers appeared, their strength would surely begin to pose a threat to her.

This return journey would be even more arduous than imagined.

Jiang Jiang Qinge's eyes shimmered with a cold, piercing light, the hand gripping the sword hilt gradually tightening, and on her snow-white skin, bluish veins surfaced.

But no matter how difficult, could it be harder than the estate sacrifice back then?