Chapter 1376: The Black Lotus Emerges

When those figures exuding powerful phase-force fluctuations appeared above this region, Qin Beiming, Li Zhihuo, Lü Shuanglu and the others all had looks of post-disaster relief and excitement surface on their faces.

At this moment, the taut string finally snapped loose all at once.

Then everyone collapsed to the ground in a disheveled, drained heap, chests heaving violently, like drowning people struggling to crawl ashore, greedily gulping air.

They looked up at the top-tier Marquis-grade powerhouses above them, so moved they nearly wept.

After waiting and waiting like one waits for stars and the moon, they had finally endured until these powerful reinforcements arrived.

And with these top-tier Marquis-grade powerhouses from the various factions present, they naturally no longer had to bear the pressure. If the sky fell, the tall ones could hold it up; if they couldn't hold it, then they'd all die together, saving them the trouble of worrying.

The top-tier Marquis-grade powerhouses of the various factions, upon arriving here, were also shocked and enraged by the tragic scene. They descended one after another, searching for their own teams and juniors.

But the casualties were too heavy, so before long some anguished roars rang out—presumably because close ones had perished in this disaster.

Coming too late, they really could only come to attend the funeral feast.

At the same time, what had happened here earlier was also made clear to the top-tier Marquis-grade powerhouses of the various factions.

"What? Qin Qin Lian was killed by Li Luo after he self-severed a Ten-Pillar Golden Platform?!"

And among them, when they learned of Qin Qin Lian's death, even these top-tier Marquis-grade powerhouses, who enjoyed considerable fame throughout Outer Shenzhou, could not help changing color. Then gazes of disbelief were cast toward the young figure slumped on the ground, his face deathly pale.

One must remember, Qin Qin Lian was an eighth-grade Marquis!

And this was no eighth-grade Marquis from among loose cultivators, but a top-tier eighth-grade Marquis from the Qin Li Tianwang line, possessing extremely deep foundations and talent.

It could be said that among the top-tier Marquis-grade powerhouses present, those who could match Qin Qin Lian probably numbered no more than five.

Yet such an eighth-grade Marquis powerhouse, whom even they greatly feared, had fallen at the hands of Li Luo, a junior who had only just broken through to the Marquis Realm.

Although Li Luo had paid an extremely tragic price for it—that Ten-Pillar Golden Platform was something even they, these top-tier Marquis-grade powerhouses, treasured like a jewel; how would one dare risk backlash by self-severing it, then fighting to the death with it?

But then again... that was an eighth-grade Marquis powerhouse!

Even if Li Luo severed a Ten-Pillar Golden Platform to fight desperately, wasn't that still a bit too monstrous?

At the Qin Li Tianwang line's contingent, a silver-haired middle-aged man of extraordinary bearing listened with a face dark as water as Qin Beiming and the others recounted what had happened earlier.

It was precisely Qin Baiyan.

He was a person of extremely high strength and seniority within the Qin Li Tianwang line, a notch above even Qin Qin Lian, and he had advanced to Upper Eighth-Grade Marquis many years ago. Some suspected that this Qin Baiyan might already have touched the threshold of Ninth-Grade Marquis.

And once one stepped into Ninth-Grade Marquis, then taking that next step in the future would make one a true King-level powerhouse. One's status would soar in a single bound, founding a palace and establishing a manor, becoming yet another colossus within the Qin Li Tianwang line.

"Qin Qin Lian..."

A thick pang of heartache flashed through Qin Baiyan's eyes. Qin Qin Lian could be considered his cousin, and the latter had exceptional talent. For her to be lost here was no small blow to the Qin Li Tianwang line.

After all, with King-level powerhouses not lightly taking action, top-tier Marquis-grade were absolutely the pillars and foundation of every Li Tianwang line.

The resources required to cultivate a single top-tier Marquis were absolutely incalculable.

"Uncle Yan."

Qin Yi's pretty face was deathly pale; her lake-clear beautiful eyes now brimmed with sorrow, tears spilling one after another, evoking pity. And at this moment, in the entire field, only her grief was the most intense.

Qin Baiyan sighed softly and comforted her: "A-Yi, please accept my condolences."

Qin Yi gently shook her head and said with difficulty: "Mother was implanted with a poisonous curse by the Guiyi Hui, fell into pollution, and committed great killing sins. Perhaps, for her, this outcome is instead a release."

Qin Qin Lian had killed too many Heavenly Chosen—even Zhao Xiuyuan, a fifth-grade Marquis from the Zhao Li Tianwang line, had been thrown into that petal-blood-mouth as nourishment. So even if Qin Qin Lian hadn't died here, the other factions probably wouldn't have let her off easily.

Qin Baiyan gave a bitter smile and said: "This truly is something no one could have foreseen. Earlier, we were contending over a top-grade Foundation Establishment spiritual treasure inside a large Ghost Domain deep in the treasure realm. Who would have expected Qin Qin Lian to suddenly trigger a hidden power within it? That power was extremely terrifying, directly congealing space and trapping all of us within."

"To hide such terrifying power within the Boundary River Treasure Realm is absolutely not the work of a single day. Now hearing what you've said, this matter was the Guiyi Hui's scheme, and that is understandable."

"Only that mysterious and bizarre organization could make such arrangements right under the noses of our four great Li Tianwang lines."

Qin Baiyan's expression grew somewhat solemn. This disaster was too great. He felt that even with them, these top-tier Marquis, rushing here now, they might not necessarily be able to contain it.

The terrifying power Qin Qin Lian had triggered earlier had tied them down for too long.

"Li Luo, you actually slew that madwoman Qin Qin Lian?!"

And on the Li Li Tianwang line's side, Niu Niu Biaobiao, Li Li Jinpan and the other top-tier Marquis were also shocked to the extreme—even Li Li Qingpeng and Li Li Jiluo showed strange expressions.

Such a battle record was simply inconceivable.

Li Li Zhiqiu beside them also had an unsettled expression, his eyes fixed on Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge revealing a trace of wariness. He was well aware that there was still some friction between him and Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge.

In the past, he hadn't really cared, since Jiang Jiang Qinge had only been a Unique Grade One, and Li Luo hadn't even stepped into the Marquis Realm. But who could have known that Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge were too ferocious—in less than a month of not seeing them, they had both advanced to Unique Grade Two, and Li Luo had even slain Qin Qin Lian, an eighth-grade Marquis.

It simply startled him until his scalp tingled.

He himself was only at the Seventh-Grade Marquis Realm now. Didn't that mean, if Li Luo truly was willing to part with a Ten-Pillar Golden Platform, he could also cut him down?

Although he also understood that given the small grudge between them, it wouldn't drive Li Luo to such madness, but wanting to do something and being able to do it were, after all, two different concepts.

So at this moment, Li Li Zhiqiu couldn't help feeling some regret—that years ago, when he had gone to Daxia to receive Li Luo, he shouldn't have looked down on him and clashed with the two of them.

But Li Luo paid no heed to Li Li Zhiqiu's mood over there. He only said with a complicated expression: "Qin Qin Lian was polluted, her state of mind completely mad—that's what gave me an opening. Moreover, she likely had a death wish at the end; otherwise, who would live and who would die is really hard to say."

He didn't, just because he had slain Qin Qin Lian this time, truly feel that he now had the means to threaten top-tier Marquis. After all, self-severing a Marquis Platform was far too dangerous in terms of backlash. His second Ten-Pillar Golden Platform had only fused with him shallowly, which was why he had narrowly survived.

If in the future he truly encountered a top-tier Marquis and tried to threaten them with such a method, they would probably be only too happy to sit and wait for his backlash.

"Good, good, good!"

Niu Niu Biaobiao couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh heartily, his face full of hatred and satisfaction: "That madwoman is finally dead! Back then she forced us to leave Outer Shenzhou. I've kept this grudge in mind, just waiting for a chance to cut her down myself!"

"Now that she died at your hands, it's karma!"

Li Li Jinpan also patted Li Luo's shoulder and laughed: "Good lad, a Grade Two slaying a Grade Eight—this feat is far stronger than even your old man's."

Li Luo shook his head helplessly. Qin Qin Lian's actions toward him were indeed hateful, but since she had now paid the price, all grievances had dissipated like smoke. So he didn't want to comment on her further.

"I say, you big shots, hurry up and deal with the trouble here. That blood-red flower bud is gestating a summoning object that can channel down the power of that terrifying existence. Even Grandfather has already been tied down," Li Luo said.

Li Li Qingpeng and Li Li Jiluo nodded slightly, and then their figures shot into the air, standing in midair.

At this moment, Qin Baiyan also stepped through the air, along with the Zhao Li Tianwang line's eighth-grade Marquis powerhouse, Zhao Jinwu, and the Zhu Li Tianwang line's eighth-grade Marquis named Zhu Gang.

Zhao Jinwu's expression toward Qin Baiyan was rather unpleasant, presumably because he had also learned of Zhao Xiuyuan being killed by Qin Qin Lian. But now that Qin Qin Lian was dead, he could only suppress his anger.

And moreover, now was not the time to get tangled up in these matters. The grave gazes of several eighth-grade Marquis powerhouses were all cast toward the enormous blood-red flower bud.

At the same time, they also saw Qin Qin Lian's face appear on the petals.

"Strike together, kill this thing first!"

The many upper-rank Feng Hou powerhouses quickly reached a consensus. The next instant, one after another Feng Hou domains spread outward, and the overwhelming phase force, wrapped within the Feng Hou domains, condensed into a variety of terrifying powers.

However, just as they moved to act, the enormous blood-red flower bud suddenly let out a wail at that moment, and the bud began to wither at a startling speed.

At the same time, the enormous face of Qin Qin Lian on the petals also dimmed away little by little.

In the span of mere moments, the blood-red flower bud completely withered, turning into a skyful of ash.

The crowd was overjoyed at the sight.

But before that elation could spread across their faces, they saw that although the blood-red flower bud had withered and dissipated, the bizarre black lotus at the center of the bud was instead blooming more and more vigorously.

Layer upon layer of black lotus petals spread out in all four directions around the black lotus.

It appeared elaborate and obscure, while also emanating a cold, mysterious air.

That feeling was as if the blood-red flower bud had channeled all of its energy into this bizarre black lotus platform.

Seeing this scene, Qin Bai Yan, Li Qing Peng, Li Ji Luo, and the other eighth-rank Feng Hou powerhouses' gazes instantly sharpened, and the devastating offensive they had long since honed to the utmost pierced through the heavens, pouring down toward the black lotus platform.

Clearly intending to gather the power of many upper-rank Feng Hou to swiftly cut it down.

Boom!

Strike after strike of terrifying offensive landed upon the black lotus platform, and instantly the void there completely collapsed, turning into a stretch of black emptiness.

Every gaze stared fixedly at that spot.

After several breaths, a black lotus platform slowly rotated, reflected in the pupils of many horrified eyes.

The attacks of so many upper-rank Feng Hou powerhouses had failed to harm it in the slightest.

Li Luo's heart sank instantly at the sight.

As expected...

They were still too late.