Chapter 1283: A Stir, The Distribution

Li Luo, Jiang Jiang Qinge and the main force, on their way back to Tianlong Ridge, also encountered the Dragon Scale Guard led by Commander Li Tingyue, who had gone to intercept the Black Water Guard's reinforcements. Afterwards the main force gathered together and swept straight toward Tianlong Ridge.

The rest of the journey was free of obstacles.

When the main force arrived at Tianlong City, a faint stir rippled through this majestic city, and countless gazes of astonishment came shooting their way.

Clearly, the news of Li Luo and the others seizing the King Pearl and breaking through layer upon layer of obstruction had already spread through Tianlong City a step ahead, drawing endless excited discussion.

Many people had felt that Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge probably could not hold out until Tianlong Ridge's reinforcements arrived. After all, the road was ringed with powerful enemies — not only numerous rogue cultivators eyeing them greedily, but also the Zhao Li Tianwang faction watching like a tiger, and in the end even other Li Tianwang factions had been drawn in.

Jiang Jiang Qinge was indeed a peerless prodigy who had forged a Ten-Pillar Golden Platform, but after all she was still only a first-rank Marquis, still somewhat green. In the Boundary River Domain where experts gathered like clouds, a single Ten-Pillar Golden Platform on her would hardly be enough to intimidate anyone.

As for Li Luo, no one paid him much attention — after all, the strength of Da Tian Xiang Jing was honestly a bit lacking in a clash at this level. However, as more and more news came in, they also learned that Li Luo had led two thousand-man guards and defeated the Divine Tiger Guard's Grand Commander Zhao Zhuoyan, which undoubtedly caused quite a stir.

One had to remember that Zhao Zhuoyan possessed the strength of a peak lower-second-rank Marquis! With the same two thousand-man guards backing him, Zhao Zhuoyan was absolutely a match for a fourth-rank Marquis!

Yet even so, Zhao Zhuoyan still lost.

From this one could see just how astonishing Li Luo's methods were.

This feat was in no way inferior to Jiang Jiang Qinge's.

It was precisely the brilliant performances of Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge that allowed them, ringed by powerful enemies, to drag things out long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

Within Tianlong City, countless experts sighed to themselves. After this battle, Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo were truly going to rise to sudden fame in the Boundary River Domain, and many old-school Marquis-level powerhouses would take note of them because of it.

At the Dragon Blood Guard's garrison.

Commander Li Zhihuo gazed at the main force entering from above the city, his eyes somewhat complicated. This time the Tianlong Five Guards had dispatched three guards to provide support — the commotion was considerable.

The illustrious battle record of Jiang Jiang Qinge, Li Luo and the others fighting their way back was known even to the rest of Tianlong City, so as Commander of the Dragon Blood Guard he naturally knew it in even greater detail.

"That Jiang Jiang Qinge, with three thousand-man guards, single-handedly intercepted the Divine Tiger Guard's Zhao Jiyun and three fifth-rank Marquises. Three ninth-grade Light Phase, Ten-Pillar Golden Platform — truly overbearing. If her second Marquis Platform can also be forged with ten pillars, even I would have to be wary of her by a few degrees," Li Zhihuo said with a complicated expression.

Li Hongque's pretty face beside him shifted through several expressions. She too was so shaken by this battle record that she could not find any words to belittle it, and could only say in the end: "Forging a second Ten-Pillar Golden Platform is easier said than done. Since ancient times there has been no shortage of top prodigies who, after forging one Ten-Pillar Golden Platform, exhausted tremendous potential and could never repeat that glory afterward — some even started high and went lower, unable to even reach nine pillars."

Li Zhihuo shook his head and continued: "That Li Luo was able to defeat Zhao Zhuoyan — it seems we underestimated him in the past. With a battle record like this, as long as his seniority is sufficient, he would be fit to serve as Grand Commander of the Dragon Fang Guard. When that time comes, your title as the Five Guards' strongest Grand Commander will face a challenge."

Li Hongque curled her lip and said: "I once crossed hands with that Zhao Zhuoyan. There was nothing worth praising about him."

Li Hongque possessed the strength of an upper-second-rank Marquis, making her the strongest Grand Commander among the Tianlong Five Guards, naturally a few notches above that Zhao Zhuoyan.

"But Li Luo is still only at Da Tian Xiang Jing," Li Zhihuo said slowly.

Li Hongque faltered. Li Luo's Da Tian Xiang Jing was indeed his weakness, but it also meant he still had enormous room to grow. If in the future he forged a Marquis Platform and broke through to Marquis Realm, just how monstrous would he be?

She sulked in silence. Although she found Li Luo extremely disagreeable in her heart, she had to admit that Li Luo now posed a threat to their Dragon Blood Guard.

Moreover, Li Hongque also knew the worry in Li Zhihuo's heart. As Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo gradually rose within the Tianlong Five Guards, this would also affect Li Zhihuo's plan to vie for the position of "Grand Commander."

For now, they could only hope that Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo's growth would not be too fast.

Under countless gazes of astonishment, the main force entered Tianlong City. After a brief handover, they dispersed. The five Dragon Fang thousand-man guards in particular, having endured bitter fighting, had many members utterly exhausted and in urgent need of rest.

So Li Foluo first ordered them to disband, then led Li Luo, Jiang Jiang Qinge, Li Hongyou, Xia Yu and the others straight to the Tianlong Pavilion at the center of Tianlong City.

When they arrived, many of the higher-ups were already waiting there, among them Li Li Jinpan, Seeing Niu Niu Biaobiao, Li Li Rouyun and others — they had actually returned a step ahead.

"Second Uncle, Uncle Biao, Aunt Yun, are you all alright?" Li Luo asked with concern the moment he saw the three.

If the three of them had not held off so many upper-rank Marquises in the Jin Shi Water Abyss, there would never have been a ten-thousand-mile flight for them in the first place.

Li Li Jinpan laughed heartily and said: "We're fine. It's you and Jiang Jiang Qinge who are the real surprise. I had originally thought you two wouldn't be able to hold out for long."

He had actually held no expectation from the start that Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge could bring back the King Pearl, because the cultivators eyeing it were simply too many. Even though Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge carried five thousand-man guards with them, it was still extremely difficult.

But who could have expected that these two youngsters would stubbornly hold off wave after wave of interception and drag things out until Tianlong Ridge's reinforcements arrived — a performance that was truly astonishing.

A light cough rang out in the hall. Li Li Jinpan immediately shut his mouth, then turned toward Li Li Jingzhe seated at the head seat and gave an awkward smile.

"Letting the juniors fight their way back the whole way, and you still have the nerve to show your face. If you had cultivated seriously and broken through to eighth-rank Marquis sooner, would any of this have happened?" Li Li Jingzhe rebuked.

Li Li Jinpan's face turned bitter. Eighth-rank Marquis was hardly so easy to break through to — he had been stuck at this step for years, and his eighth Marquis Platform had yet to be honed out.

Li Luo quickly stepped in to rescue Li Li Jinpan, saying: "It was all thanks to Grandfather's central coordination, dispatching powerful reinforcements in time. Otherwise we wouldn't have been able to return smoothly today."

Dispatching three of the Tianlong Five Guards in one go — this was clearly something only Li Li Jingzhe personally ordering could achieve with such efficiency.

Li Li Jingzhe looked at Li Luo and said: "Your luck really is quite something. The King Pearl is rare — one is hardly encountered in decades — yet the moment you went, you ran right into one."

With this King Pearl, Li Luo's next step of evolving the Tianlong Phase would be that much more assured.

Li Luo smiled, then said: "Grandfather, it wasn't one — actually it was two."

He did not conceal anything. He not only directly took out the two King Pearls, but also brought out all the other "Spirit Clam Pearls" he had collected earlier.

Instantly, countless beams of light spilled out, illuminating the hall with extraordinary brightness.

In the hall, many of the higher-ups stared somewhat stunned at the two golden pearls radiating a hundred-zhang glow. This precious King Pearl — Li Luo had actually obtained two? What kind of luck was this?

Li Li Jingzhe was also somewhat surprised, and gave a slight nod. Then Li Li Qingpeng stepped forward, gathered up the King Pearls and the other spirit pearls, and began tallying them.

Some of the other higher-ups present had slightly heated gazes, because the King Pearl was a top-grade Foundation Establishment material that could be used to refine top-grade Foundation Establishment spirit treasures — and for them, it held an enormous attraction as well.

But they also understood that, according to the rules, only those who had participated in the mission and made tremendous contributions had priority in exchanging for mission items.

"Your contributions on this mission were all considerable. If any of you wish to exchange for the King Pearl, speak up." Li Li Jingzhe said this to Jiang Jiang Qinge, Li Luo, and also Li Li Jinpan, Seeing Niu Niu Biaobiao, and Li Li Rouyun.

Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo had fought their way back, their contributions the greatest, but Li Li Jinpan and the other two had contributed no less — after all, without them holding back those upper-rank Marquises, Li Luo and the others likely could not have left the Jin Shi Water Abyss, so they too had priority.

Li Li Jinpan rubbed his nose. The King Pearl was a fine thing indeed. He had just been about to speak when he caught a faint glance from Li Li Jingzhe.

So he gave a dry laugh and said: "Hah, would we elders still snatch things from the juniors? Let's give them to Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge first."

Seeing Niu Niu Biaobiao nodded indifferently, and Li Li Rouyun also smiled and inclined her head.

"Second Uncle and the others paid a tremendous price. I can give up this item. Li Luo just needs the King Pearl very badly — as long as one is left for him, that's enough," Jiang Jiang Qinge said softly at this moment.

Li Li Jingzhe waved his hand and, deciding alone with absolute authority, said: "All of your contributions will be converted into Dragon Essence, which will then be used to exchange for the King Pearl — but that still won't be enough."

He looked toward Li Li Qingpeng, who calculated briefly and said: "The two of them together still need to make up seventy thousand Dragon Essence."

Li Li Jingzhe nodded and said: "Let them owe it for now. They can pay it back later."

Then with a flick of his finger, the two King Pearls flew straight toward Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge.

Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge exchanged a glance, and in the end still reached out and accepted them.

In the hall, many of the higher-ups who saw this scene all twitched at the corners of their mouths — especially Li Li Jiluo, Li Li Zhiqiu and the other higher-ups from the various branches. They had not even had a chance to express their thoughts on the King Pearl, and the things had already been distributed by Li Li Jingzhe.

And the Dragon Essence even allows credit?

This is simply...

Too blatantly favoring the child.

But what could they say in the face of Li Li Jingzhe, whose strength had now reached the Void Third Crown King?

They could only reluctantly grit their teeth and accept it.