Chapter 1382

Eight immensely massive Marquis Platforms, like mountains, hung silently in the sky, radiating an indescribably vast fluctuation that formed an unfathomable ocean.

Those eight Marquis Platforms pulsed with perfect energy, as if they were the most flawless creations of heaven and earth, every mark upon them brimming with mysterious resonance.

At this moment, above the heads of Qin Baiyan, Li Li Qingpeng, Li Li Jiluo, and others, their own Marquis Platforms also floated—once the most majestic in the arena—but when Dan Tai Lan's eight peerless Marquis Platforms appeared, all their platforms trembled faintly, humming softly, their glowing auras instantly dimming.

It felt as if they were afraid.

For what stood before them was the ultimate peak of the Marquis Realm—the Peerless Marquis!

In the cultivation realms of Xiangli, many extreme states exist, but only the Peerless Marquis qualifies as the true pinnacle of extremity.

This step can ascend to heaven!

It is the only realm capable of surpassing King-level experts while still remaining within the Marquis Realm.

Though the Peerless Marquis is famed throughout history, the difficulty of achieving it is beyond imagination, requiring talents, foundations, and opportunities exceedingly rare in the world.

Since ancient times, countless brilliant prodigies have attempted to challenge the Peerless Path, yet each of those ten-pillar golden platforms stood like an insurmountable abyss, gradually draining their once-proud potential.

In the end, the number of supreme prodigies who completed this path was vanishingly small.

Casting seven ten-pillar golden platforms qualifies one as a Minor Peerless Marquis.

Dan Tai Lan's eight platforms, however, are the Major Peerless Marquis.

In rank, the Major Peerless Marquis can rival a Dual-Crowned King, and due to its unique nature, even among Dual-Crowned Kings, the Major Peerless Marquis stands among the very top tier in combat power.

Precisely because of this, when Dan Dan Tai Lan's eight ten-pillar golden platforms appeared, the entire heavens and earth were stunned—not only Qin Baiyan, Li Li Qingpeng, and others, but even the Faceless Nether King's blank face writhed violently.

Amidst those stunned gazes, the tops of the eight ten-pillar golden platforms erupted with vast Xiangli torrents, which merged in the void; the next instant, a colossal golden divine throne slowly solidified into existence.

With the appearance of this golden divine throne, the heavenly energy of the Jiehe Domain seemed drawn by some force, instantly transforming into countless energy rivers that tore through the sky, like ten thousand rivers returning to the sea, surging into the golden throne.

Upon the throne were engraved countless ancient, obscure talismans, exuding a thick essence of primordial energy.

Most striking was the golden great roc carved upon the throne's backrest—the roc appeared alive, its piercing eyes gazing down upon the boundless earth, filling heaven and earth with arrogance and dominance.

"Peerless Divine Throne!"

Qin Baiyan, Li Li Qingpeng, Li Li Jiluo, and other high-grade Marquis experts gazed at the throne with a hint of obsession, its aura of perfection and completeness.

This throne was the most unreachable dream deep within every Marquis expert's heart.

It was also the key to why the Peerless Marquis could ignore rank and surpass King-level experts.

Thus, when this Peerless Divine Throne appeared, no one could doubt the authenticity and value of Dan Tai Lan's Major Peerless Marquis status.

"Back then, Dan Tai Lan clearly hadn't fully forged all ten-pillar golden platforms—why, after twenty years, has she now completed her former deficiency?"

"Did she find a great opportunity?" Qin Baiyan's eyes held a trace of bitterness; back then, Dan Tai Lan had indeed been brilliant and unmatched among her peers in Tianyuan Outer Shenzhou, even suppressing many veteran Marquis experts.

But everyone remembered—back then, Dan Tai Lan had not reached this level.

Thus, the only explanation was that during these twenty years, Dan Tai Lan had gained a great opportunity.

This left those who had once been "old acquaintances" on Tianyuan Outer Shenzhou with complex emotions—they had assumed that leaving Tianyuan Outer Shenzhou would cause Dan Tai Lan to lose her former luster, yet who could have imagined that upon her return, she had reached a height they could never attain?

"It's fortunate Qin Qin Lian is already dead..."

A strange thought flashed through Qin Baiyan's mind—if Qin Qin Lian were still alive, given her temperament and hatred toward Dan Tai Lan, she would likely have been driven into madness and died on the spot from sheer rage at Dan Tai Lan's achievement.

In contrast to Qin Baiyan's complex emotions, Li Li Qingpeng and Li Li Jinpan were overjoyed—the birth of a Major Peerless Marquis caused a commotion no less than when Li Li Jingzhe had revealed his Void Triple-Crowned King status.

Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge were likewise stunned by Dan Tai Lan's revealed Peerless Divine Throne; they had never imagined Dan Tai Lan would return with such power.

Beyond shock, a deep joy surged—they believed that with the power of a Major Peerless Marquis, Dan Tai Lan might truly reverse the current situation.

"Major Peerless Marquis..."

Amidst the stunned gazes, the Faceless Nether King's blank face writhed violently—Dan Dan Tai Lan's appearance and power had completely shattered their plans.

The combat prowess of a Major Peerless Marquis was something even the Faceless Nether King in his prime would deeply fear, let alone now, when his injuries from Li Li Jingzhe had not fully healed.

"We must buy time now, waiting to summon the Black Lotus and once again draw down the Ghost Embryo or Beast Embryo of the Three-Eyed Dark Emperor."

As long as one of these two embryos descends, the situation will return to our control.

With this thought, the Faceless Nether King swiftly formed hand seals; the next instant, a ripple surged outward, and within mere seconds, it seemed to obscure the entire heavens and earth.

"Faceless Realm!"

The heavens and earth turned a pale white, and countless faceless figures emerged from the void, then ignited without flame, rapidly melting into wax-like liquid.

Yet this pale-white liquid exuded endless coldness and eerie energy.

Moreover, anyone within this pale-white realm—even Qin Baiyan, Li Li Qingpeng, and other high-grade Marquis experts—felt their faces writhing, their features vanishing.

But just as panic arose, mysterious light spread through the void; wherever it passed, the pale-white color melted and retreated.

The mysterious light came from the perfect, flawless Peerless Divine Throne.

Meanwhile, as the boundless pale-white liquid howled across the heavens and earth, it coalesced in the void into a colossal face nearly obscuring the entire sky.

Upon that colossal face, only a deep, vast mouth slowly writhed.

"Major Peerless Marquis, test my 'Faceless Devouring Smoke'!"

The heavens echoed with the Faceless Nether King's chilling voice, and from the deep maw of the colossal face, rolling white smoke erupted.

As soon as the white smoke appeared, it seemed to penetrate everywhere, instantly traversing the void; at this moment, white mist arose across countless regions of the Jiehe Domain.

All who saw the white smoke were terrified to find their faces mysteriously vanishing—and when their features disappeared completely, their bodies began to melt, finally turning into fine threads of white smoke.

A Dual-Crowned King's attack was nothing short of mass annihilation.

Qin Baiyan and other high-grade Marquis experts avoided the white smoke as if it were venomous scorpions, for they had heard that this "Faceless Devouring Smoke" was the Faceless Nether King's signature technique—he had once used it to turn an entire empire at its peak into faceless beings.

Once touched by that white smoke, even a high-grade Marquis expert could not survive.

Amidst the collective horror, Dan Tai Lan drew her hands from her sleeves, her beautiful, elegant face carrying a faint smile.

Lì!

Suddenly, a deafening cry of a hawk echoed through the heavens; vast golden light erupted behind her, and from within it emerged a colossal golden roc.

The roc spread its wings like clouds hanging from the sky, obscuring sun and moon; razor-sharp golden light flowed along its feathers, as if capable of slicing heaven and earth with ease.

Upon the roc's talons flowed divine light patterns, faintly radiating terrifying power—beneath those talons, even a dragon's body would be effortlessly torn apart.

This is Tantai Lan's first aspect.

Middle Ninth Grade, the Jin Chida aspect!

But this was not over; as the Jin Chida soared through the sky, the space here suddenly began to violently distort, with mysterious silver light flowing forth.

Where the silver light was, space was seen beginning to deform, as if perfectly attuned to it, transforming into various forms.

Many gazes present were dazzled and entranced, watching that shifting void; at this moment, even space itself seemed to be under Tantai Lan's control.

At this instant, Qin Baiyan, Li Li Qingpeng, and others recalled in their minds that rare aspect that had once stunned the entire Outer Shenzhou.

That was Tantai Lan's second aspect.

The Space aspect.

Moreover, the Space aspect revealed by Tantai Lan now possessed far greater spiritual vitality than in those days, and the divine essence it radiated was enough to make hearts tremble.

Indeed, it was even more spiritually vibrant than the Jin Chida aspect.

And the Jin Chida aspect was already Middle Ninth Grade.

Then this Space aspect, possessing even greater spiritual vitality, could it not be...

Upper Ninth Grade?!