Chapter 1277: Battle with Zhao Zhuoyan

Li Luo, transformed into his half-dragon form, stood in midair, his grey-white long hair whipping wildly in the wind. Behind him, two thousand-strong guards had formed a grand formation, the surging energy flowing around him like a flood, causing the void to tremble.

He felt this powerful energy, and a hint of admiration flashed through his eyes. This was the first time he had truly activated the combined formation power of two Dragon Fang Guards in actual combat.

At the Boundary River Falling Star Platform, they had only been assisting Jiang Jiang Qinge in refining the Evil Thought Qi. At that time, they hadn't entered a combat state, and the energy had been far more gentle, nowhere near as boiling and ferocious as now.

In Li Luo's perception, the formation power of these Dragon Fang Guards was clearly higher-grade and more complex than the "Qi Merging" of the Twenty Banners, but also far harder to control. As its momentum circulated, it weighed like a thousand jun. If not for the assistance of his golden wheel, perfectly operating it at this moment would truly have been a bit of a strain.

And the energy pressure comparable to a Dao Le Si Pin Marquis Realm expert radiated from within Li Luo's body, causing many gazes present to involuntarily change.

Li Luo's move had clearly greatly exceeded their expectations.

Zhao Zhuoyan's expression grew increasingly gloomy. He had originally thought the greatest opponent on this trip would be Xia Yu, which was why he had gone to such lengths, waiting for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack and grievously wound Xia Yu. But he hadn't expected that Li Luo, who was merely at the Da Tian Xiang Jing, would step up to take the banner, gathering the power of two thousand-strong guards.

"Zhao Zhu, form the formation and gather power."

Zhao Zhuoyan's low voice spread out. The current Li Luo, bolstered by two thousand-strong guards, had already reached the level of a lower Dao Le Si Pin Marquis Realm expert. So to contend with him next, they could only likewise merge their strength.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhu immediately responded. The next instant, the majestic energy of this thousand-strong guard whistled over, directly bolstering Zhao Zhuoyan.

Thus, the next moment, the two Marquis Platforms above Zhao Zhuoyan's head erupted with dazzling firelight, and an extremely scorching fluctuation radiated outward, causing the temperature across the entire heavens and earth to rise along with it.

The energy pressure from Li Luo was directly neutralized entirely.

"Li Luo, being able to control two thousand-strong guards with the strength of the Da Tian Xiang Jing is indeed astonishing. However, when two armies clash, the commander is paramount. Can a commander at the Da Tian Xiang Jing compare to me, a commander at the second-grade Marquis Realm?"

"The gap between us will not change just because of external augmentation!"

Zhao Zhuoyan's eyes seemed to have flames flowing within them. He gripped his hand, and a crimson long blade materialized. Flame patterns were inscribed upon it, these flames intertwining to form a volcano. The volcano occasionally erupted magma, which flowed out and dripped down along the long blade.

His voice was resonant, carrying tremendous pressure, clearly intending to use words to shake Li Luo's psychological defenses.

"So hand over the King Pearl, and we can still stop in time!"

Facing Zhao Zhuoyan's confident verbal offensive, Li Luo merely smiled. The Dragon Elephant Blade in his hand buzzed and trembled, emitting the sound of dragons and elephants roaring in unison. He said casually, "Slaying a Marquis at the Da Tian Xiang Jing—it's not like I haven't done it before."

"As for whether my methods are inferior to yours, why don't you come and try, and then you'll know?"

In the Spirit Phase Cave Heaven and the Lesser Chen Heaven, he had not yet reached the Da Tian Xiang Jing and had already cleaved true demons with his blade. So a Marquis Realm expert held no great intimidation in his eyes.

Zhao Zhuoyan's gaze turned utterly icy, and even a flash of killing intent surfaced. The next instant, the two Marquis Platforms roared, and scorching flames swept out, seemingly intent on incinerating the firmament.

And within that sea of fire, the phantom of a crimson giant rhinoceros spewing magma emerged.

This was Zhao Zhuoyan's phase nature—the Flame Rhino Phase and the Fire Phase—both domineering and ferocious phase natures.

"Stubbornly obstinate, then don't blame me for being ruthless."

Zhao Zhuoyan stepped forward, and the boundless sea of fire surged. The crimson long blade in his hand slashed down directly. At the same time, he formed a seal with one hand, and crimson blade-light tore through the heavens. One could see the sky there seemingly splitting apart, with endless flames pouring down, as if forming a Heavenly Fire Waterfall stretching tens of thousands of zhang across the horizon.

Boom!

The Crimson Fire Waterfall roared, carrying an extremely terrifying scorching fluctuation, like an apocalyptic fire dragon, crashing down toward Li Luo's position with a thunderous whistle.

The entire heavens and earth at this moment resembled a furnace, unbearably sweltering.

Marquis Art, Extreme Flame Heavenly Waterfall Art!

Li Luo gazed at the Heavenly Fire Waterfall surging toward him in his pupils and laughed. "Fire phase? I happen to be the Water phase. Looks like the heavens truly counter you."

The blade edge in his hand slashed down, cracks appearing in the void. The next instant, the sound of roaring water rang out.

Boom!

From behind the spatial rift, a black dragon riding chilling dark waters broke through the air. The dragon's roar and the sound of water converged together, echoing across the heavens.

Black Dragon Dark Water Banner!

The black dragon, wrapped in pitch-black dark waters, collided head-on with the Heavenly Fire Waterfall. Immediately, a deafening roar rang out, and the mist formed by the alternation of water and fire rolled outward, blotting out the sky.

"Counter me? A trickling stream, and you wish to extinguish a world-destroying volcano?"

Zhao Zhuoyan snorted coldly. He watched the Heavenly Fire Waterfall and the Black Dragon Dark Water gradually dissipating within the mist, and the crimson long blade inscribed with a volcano in his hand directly transformed into a crimson rainbow and flew up.

At the same time, rolling Marquis Divine Smoke billowed from the two Marquis Platforms atop his head. The Divine Smoke augmented the crimson long blade, and one could see the blade body tremble. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into countless crimson blade shadows.

Scorching heat and a sharp aura filled the firmament.

This crimson long blade was clearly a Marquis Treasure!

This Zhao Zhuoyan showed not the slightest courtesy. Not only did he rely on the Marquis Divine Smoke that Li Luo lacked, he even brought out a Marquis Treasure. It was clear he intended to leverage every advantage to grievously wound Li Luo directly.

Lü Shuanglu on the mountain peak clicked her tongue at the sight and said, "A Da Tian Xiang Jing dueling a Marquis Realm expert is truly too disadvantageous. No Marquis Divine Smoke, no Marquis Treasure—how is Li Luo going to block this?"

Moreover, although both sides had currently surged to the Dao Le Si Pin Marquis Realm by borrowing the power of two thousand-strong guards, the energy fluctuation on Zhao Zhuoyan's side was clearly still much stronger. If one were to truly calculate by tier, perhaps it already counted as a peak lower Dao Le Si Pin.

This wasn't because the Dragon Fang Guards were weaker than the Divine Tiger Guards, but solely due to the disparity in the phase force grades of the two commanders.

Li Luo also noticed those countless crimson blade shadows. All of them locked onto him. Before the blade-light even swept over, an extreme scorching heat rose within his heart. Fortunately, he had already transformed into his half-dragon form with a tyrannical physical body; otherwise, the fire poison alone would have caused his flesh to show signs of melting.

However, facing Zhao Zhuoyan's increasingly aggressive attacks, Li Luo's gaze remained utterly calm. Some of the advantages Zhao Zhuoyan possessed, he indeed lacked. But equally, the things he had, Zhao Zhuoyan also lacked.

For instance...

Dragon Seed True Pill, Ascending Dragon!

A tremendous dragon roar emanated from within Li Luo's body. His dragon phase underwent a rapid metamorphosis at this moment, and in just a few breaths, it was elevated to the lower ninth grade!

And the elevation of his dragon phase also brought Li Luo an immense boost. The massive energy surging around him also rose with the tide at this moment, gradually approaching Zhao Zhuoyan's level.

However, this was not the end.

Li Luo's blade edge slashed down repeatedly, the void shattering, and majestic energy being consumed. But three dragon roars also rang out in succession, and three giant dragons drilled out from the spatial rifts.

Black Dragon Dark Water Banner!

Silver Dragon Heavenly Thunder Banner!

Crimson Dragon Departing Fire Banner!

This is the Three Dragon Heavenly Banner Codex!

The three enormous dragon shadows, wrapped in energies of different attributes, crashed together thunderously under the gazes of countless shocked onlookers in this stretch of heaven and earth, then merged into an ancient banner a hundred zhang in size.

Upon the banner, three dragon shadows coiled and moved, and an indescribable pressure was released.

Under this pressure, the scorching energy from Zhao Zhuoyan was weakened.

The many Marquis Realm experts watching this location all had their expressions change involuntarily at this moment, and they muttered in horror, "This is... a Si Si Tianming-grade Marquis Art?!"

Only such a high-rank Marquis Art can stir celestial and terrestrial anomalies.

Lü Shuanglu's gaze sharpened slightly; a Si Si Tianming-level Marquis Art, even within their Golden Dragon Mountain, was top-tier—typically, a Marquis Stronghold could master just one Si Si Tianming-level Marquis Art and still tower above peers.

But Si Si Tianming-level Marquis Arts were not only exorbitantly valuable and difficult to obtain, their cultivation demands were also excruciatingly strict; many Marquis Strongholds hesitated to even attempt them, yet Li Luo, at Da Tian Xiang Jing strength, had mastered it—this talent for Xiang Art was nothing short of astonishing.

Amid countless stunned gazes, Li Luo extended his palm and gripped the ancient dragon flag, impossibly heavy; the dragon scales upon his skin trembled as he pushed his physical strength to its limit.

After all, the dragon flag required physical strength to move.

Fortunately, with the aid of his Dragon Transformation form, Li Luo could still lift it.

Zhao Zhuoyan's face was utterly dark; after all, even he had not mastered a Si Si Tianming-level Marquis Art!

Beneath Li Luo's Si Si Tianming-level Marquis Art, he sensed an intensely dangerous aura—this made Zhao Zhuoyan realize that if he did not pour out every ounce of his strength today, he might truly suffer a humiliating defeat.

To be defeated by a Da Tian Xiang Jing cultivator while wielding Er Pin Marquis strength would utterly strip the Divine Tiger Guard of all face!

Zhao Zhuoyan formed seals with both palms and slowly pushed forward; countless crimson fire-blade shadows erupted with blade cries, finally soaring upward as firebirds, converging upon his body.

A ten-thousand-zhang fire blade materialized in the void.

Terrifying heat radiated forth, scorching the space into distortion.

"Yan Shen-level Marquis Art: Divine Flame Blade!"

Zhao Zhuoyan let out a long roar; the ten-thousand-zhang fire blade slashed straight through the heavens, leaving a massive crack in its wake, then descended upon Li Luo with a destructive fury.

Li Luo stood midair, his gaze as still as a deep well as he watched the descending flame divine blade; slowly, he swung the ancient dragon flag, heavy as a mountain, and the vast, surging energy around him surged violently.

Three Dragon Heavenly Flag Scripture.

Three Dragons Subdue Demon Divine Light!

To intimidate more would-be opportunists, Li Luo needed no testing—he struck with his deadliest move.

As the dragon flag descended, brilliant divine light spilled across heaven and earth, like a five-colored dragon surging through the sky; before countless shocked gazes, it collided head-on with the ten-thousand-zhang fire blade.