Chapter 1378: Protecting the Juniors

Boom!

When that human embryo shattered the red gourd and emerged, an indescribable pressure instantly appeared in the hearts of every living being in the Boundary River Domain.

At this moment, whether they were marquis-level experts, or king-level experts like Qin Jiujie and Zhao Zong, they all felt a strange power taking shape above the Boundary River Domain.

This power was supreme and absolute, capable of wantonly controlling and manipulating this realm of heaven and earth.

If it so willed, apart from king-level experts, no one would be able to draw even a sliver of energy from this realm.

This was the authority second only to a Heavenly King in this world.

"Three-Crowned King..."

Within the Treasure Domain, Qin Baiyan, Li Li Qingpeng, and the others all raised their heads, their expressions bitter as they gazed at the distant void. There, a towering, immensely massive grey figure radiated boundless terror, like a great demon striding out from the far shore of an abyss, standing tall in the air, its demonic might pressing down upon the world.

The entire world's energy within the Boundary River Domain rose and fell with each breath of that figure, like the tides.

Before an existence of this level, they, these upper marquises, were really no better than anyone else—merely larger ants, nothing more.

When such a being killed, it would not expend even a fraction more of its strength on their account.

After all, it was just a matter of one stomp.

Facing the appearance of a Three-Crowned King-level anomalous king, they could only feel despair. It was not that they hadn't tried frantically to attack that guiding black lotus, but none of those attacks had any effect, because the fluctuations flowing from the black lotus had reached the king-level.

That was a barrier they, these upper marquises, could not break.

Li Luo also let out a dispirited sigh. He hadn't expected that after fighting so hard, in the end, nothing had changed.

The situation he had experienced this time could absolutely be counted as the most despairing one Li Luo had ever encountered.

Because at this point, even he didn't know how he could still turn things around.

And the terror of the Guiyi Hui, he had now personally experienced it firsthand.

Jiang Jiang Qinge crouched down beside Li Luo, actively extending her slender, fair hand to grasp his palm. Their fingers interlocked tightly, feeling each other's warmth.

"Jiang Qinge-Zhong Jie, looks like we're really going to be doomed lovers this time," Li Luo said.

Jiang Jiang Qinge let out a soft laugh, her golden eyes shimmering with brightness. "Being able to die together isn't so bad."

Li Luo raised his head, gazing at the extremely distant void. There, apart from that terrifying grey-clothed figure, he could sense another familiar yet powerful fluctuation—that was Li Li Jingzhe.

"Grandfather, please leave quickly. You've already done your best," Li Luo murmured to himself, his expression complicated.

The situation in the Boundary River Domain had deteriorated to the extreme. Even Li Li Jingzhe could no longer change anything, and if he continued to linger, he might even drag himself into danger.

Although the grey-clothed figure's power had now ascended into the Three-Crowned King realm, if Li Li Jingzhe was determined to retreat, he could still preserve himself.

Compared to them, Li Li Jingzhe's safety was undoubtedly more important. After all, he was now absolutely considered a top-tier existence on the Outer Shenzhou.

Whether it was Li Li Qingpeng, Li Li Jinpan, or anyone else who perished here, the Dragon Fang Lineage would still endure. But if Li Li Jingzhe fell, then the Dragon Fang Lineage...

Would probably truly exist in name only.

In the distant void.

Li Li Jingzhe's gaze swept toward the Boundary River Treasure Domain. He seemed to have heard Li Luo's murmur, and a faint smile involuntarily surfaced on his aged face.

Then he extended his palm and formed a hand seal.

And at the very instant that hand seal was completed, on the backs of Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge's hands within the Boundary River Treasure Domain, a golden dragon scale suddenly emerged.

On that golden dragon scale, ancient and obscure runes were inscribed, while wondrous golden light radiated outward, enveloping the figures of Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge.

The sudden change greatly startled both Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge. Then they felt the surrounding space violently twisting, as if forming a spatial vortex to swallow them up.

One must understand that the current Boundary River Domain was shrouded beneath the Black Rain Ghost Tribulation, with the entire realm sealed and disrupted. Yet the golden dragon scale on the backs of their hands was actually able to tear open a spatial vortex amid such interference.

"Grandfather!"

Li Luo's heart shook violently. In this Boundary River Domain, who else but Li Li Jingzhe could accomplish this?

Clearly, without their awareness, Li Li Jingzhe had long ago planted certain special measures within their bodies, just so that at a critical moment, he could leave them a path of retreat.

"Grandfather, don't bother with us!"

Li Luo's eyes turned blood-red as he roared out. Although he didn't know what price Li Li Jingzhe would have to pay to forcibly send them out of the Boundary River Domain, with a powerful enemy before them, Li Li Jingzhe's actions would surely give the opponent an opening.

At the same time, when that golden dragon scale appeared, Li Luo also sensed that within the Heavenly Dragon City, two identical faint fluctuations had likewise appeared.

That was... Li Li Jingtao and Li Li Fengyi!

Clearly, at this moment when the situation had turned for the worse, Li Li Jingzhe had no intention of preserving himself and retreating. Instead, he chose to send all of these juniors away.

This old man, who usually appeared cold and stern, was now revealing the softest side of his heart.

At this moment, he no longer seemed like a lofty Dragon Fang Lineage patriarch, but merely an old man of the family who wished to protect his juniors.

The change happening to Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge was also noticed by the other experts present.

Qin Baiyan's eyes were complicated as he said to Li Li Qingpeng and Li Li Jinpan, "It seems the patriarch Li Jingzhe has no intention of protecting you two sons."

A simple, honest smile surfaced on Li Li Qingpeng's plump face. He bore no grudge over this and said, "This is fine. I'll just stay with him and be buried together here in the Boundary River Domain."

Li Li Jinpan also laughed heartily and said, "Li Luo, Jiang Qinge, take good care of yourselves. Don't disappoint the old man's heartfelt efforts! As long as you're here, our Dragon Fang Lineage still has a day when we can rise again!"

Li Luo's eyes were blood-red as he struggled frantically, because he knew that if he was truly sent away, he would likely never have another chance to see Li Li Jingzhe, Li Li Qingpeng, Li Li Jinpan, or Niu Niu Biaobiao and the others.

But his struggles could not shake the golden light enveloping his body.

Ah!

He could only let out a pained, low roar, his fingers clenched tight, fingernails digging into his palms, with fresh blood flowing down.

In the distant void.

The fluctuations surging from within the grey-clothed human embryo gradually steadied when Li Li Jingzhe moved to try and send Li Luo's group of four away. At this point, it had completely stepped into the Three-Crowned King realm.

The grey-clothed human embryo looked at Li Li Jingzhe with a smile and said, "Earlier, if you had taken advantage of my unstable realm and simply broken through the void to leave, I truly wouldn't have been able to keep you."

"But what I didn't expect was that in this final chance, you actually chose to protect these four ant-like things."

"Is this what you call sentiment? How truly foolish."

Facing the mockery of the human embryo, Li Li Jingzhe merely said calmly, "Back then I failed to protect my third son. Now, as long as I haven't died, no one can touch his children."

The grey-clothed human embryo sighed softly and said, "What a pity, the affairs of this world simply cannot go as you wish."

"Today, I'm afraid you won't be able to protect anyone."

Li Jingzhué's aged face suddenly shifted slightly, his gaze abruptly shooting toward the Realm River Treasure Domain, and an ice-cold voice came from his mouth.

"The Faceless King of the Underworld!"

He raised his palm, and vast power surged forth.

But the Human Embryo merely extended a finger and flicked lightly.

In that boundless void, an abyss with no visible end appeared out of thin air, as if severing heaven and earth, rendering Li Jingzhué completely unable to intervene any longer.

And at the same time, within the Realm River Treasure Domain, countless ghastly-white fragments of skin fluttered about. Those skin fragments emanated endless bone-chilling cold, and even top-tier marquis-level powerhouses like Qin Baiyan and Li Li Qingpeng felt within them a fluctuation that struck them with dread.

These paper-like ghastly-white skin fragments directly pierced through the golden light surrounding Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge, then covered the golden dragon scales on the backs of their hands.

With layer upon layer of coverage, the golden dragon scales rapidly dimmed.

The spatial vortex also dissipated at this moment.

Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge tumbled down.

Amid the fluttering of broken skin fragments filling the sky, space twisted, and a human figure appeared out of thin air.

That figure had a completely blank face, slowly writhing—it was none other than...

The Faceless King of the Underworld.

And with the Faceless King of the Underworld's appearance, his eerie, cold laughter slowly spread across heaven and earth.

"Hehe, Li Jingzhué, you can barely protect yourself now, yet you still want to protect others from leaving. Have you gone senile?"