Chapter 1401: The Curtain Falls on the Boundary River Domain

Tianlong Pavilion, main tower.

The four branch leaders from Li Li Tianwang's line could no longer maintain their usual composure beneath the unparalleled divine throne that radiated overwhelming might, and all of them cried out in shock.

Even Li Li Tianji, the chief branch leader, was moved by it.

A Grand Unparalleled Marquis!

Dantai Lan has actually achieved the Grand Unparalleled Marquis!

Li Li Qingying, Li Li Xuanwu, and Li Li Jinjiao all stared blankly at the purple-clothed woman seated at the head. Back in the day, Dantai Lan was indeed dazzlingly brilliant among the younger generation of Tianyuan Shenzhou, but no matter how brilliant she was, in their eyes she was still nothing more than a greenhorn junior.

Beneath a King, all are ants.

There is only one exception.

That is the Unparalleled Marquis who has walked the Path of Unparalleled and forged the Unparalleled Divine Throne!

This is a legendary path that allows a Marquis to overcome a King. Since ancient times, countless prodigies of astonishing talent have attempted to climb this resplendent road, seeking to reverse the odds and, with the rank of Marquis, look down upon Kings!

But unfortunately, the Path of Unparalleled is fraught with hardship and peril. Those ten-pillar golden platforms, each symbolizing perfection and completion, stand like colossal mountains propping up the heavens, blocking countless prodigies at their base.

Forging a single one of these ten-pillar golden platforms is enough to make one a standout among one's peers, yet to become an Unparalleled Marquis requires seven!

The difficulty is unimaginable.

That is why, when Li Li Tianji, Li Li Qingying, and the other four branch leaders saw Dantai Lan forge the Unparalleled Divine Throne, they were so utterly shaken.

Moreover, Dantai Lan was not a Minor Unparalleled Marquis who forged seven ten-pillar golden platforms—she was a Grand Unparalleled Marquis!

A Grand Unparalleled Marquis is a realm where one can dominate even among Double-Crowned Kings.

If it truly came to a clash, among the four of them, only Li Li Tianji, a perfected Double-Crowned King, would be able to match her.

"I never expected that after more than twenty years apart, Marquis Lan has already entered the Unparalleled realm. Truly, congratulations are in order."

The atmosphere in the main tower froze for several breaths. Li Li Tianji's expression gradually recovered, and he offered a one-handed salute toward Dantai Lan at the head seat—the courtesy due to an equal. Clearly, upon discovering that Dantai Lan had stepped into the Grand Unparalleled Marquis realm, this chief branch leader of Li Li Tianwang's line immediately adjusted his mindset.

If he were to still treat Dantai Lan as the junior she once was, it would be somewhat inappropriate at this point.

Li Li Qingying, Li Li Xuanwu, and Li Li Jinjiao, the three branch leaders, also wore complex and rueful expressions as they offered their salutes alongside him.

They finally understood now why, before his fall, Li Li Jingzhe had passed the position of branch leader to Dantai Lan rather than to Li Li Qingpeng.

With the strength of a Grand Unparalleled Marquis, Dantai Lan was more than capable of crushing any dissent.

Facing the salutes of the four Kings, Dantai Lan finally ceased being overbearing. She set down the teacup in her hand, rose to return the courtesy, and said with a faint smile, "Greetings to the four branch leaders."

Although she did not care for Li Li Tianji, since she had agreed to Li Li Jingzhe's request to oversee the Dragon Fang Branch, it was naturally not appropriate to fall out with Li Li Tianji too disagreeably either, as that would affect the internal harmony of Li Li Tianwang's line.

Dantai Lan could be forceful at times, but she was not someone who disregarded the bigger picture.

Li Li Tianji smiled, then took a seat at a nearby position. Within Li Li Tianwang's line, the branch leaders all held equal status. Originally, Tianlong City this time had been under Li Li Jingzhe's authority. Now that Li Li Jingzhe had fallen, Dantai Lan, who had inherited his appointment, was naturally the one in charge here, so her taking the head seat was entirely proper.

Of course, this premise was that Dantai Lan had revealed the strength of a Grand Unparalleled Marquis.

"From now on, the Dragon Fang Branch side will have to trouble Marquis Lan to hold the fort. You are Li Taixuan's wife, so naturally you count as one of us in Li Li Tianwang's line. For you to serve as branch leader of the Dragon Fang Branch is entirely fitting and proper." Li Li Tianji said in a gentle tone.

"Afterward, our Li Li Tianwang's line will hold the grandest branch leader inauguration ceremony for you, proclaimed to all parties."

Li Luo, standing behind Dantai Lan, sighed inwardly. This Li Li Tianji truly lived up to his title as chief branch leader. Back in the day he had clearly said he would protect Li Taixuan but not Dantai Lan, yet now he acted as if he had completely forgotten those words.

There was quite the flavor of swallowing one's pride and moving on.

Dantai Lan, however, said coolly, "There's no need for an inauguration ceremony. After all, Father has only just fallen, and it wouldn't be appropriate to hold such things yet."

Li Li Tianji sighed softly upon hearing this, his expression somewhat heavy as he said, "The fall of Branch Leader Li Jingzhe is a tremendous loss to our Li Li Tianwang's line. Our Li Li Tianwang's line will definitely avenge him. That Qin Jiujie and the Faceless Underworld King must pay this blood debt!"

Dantai Lan offered no opinion either way on this. Behind the Faceless Underworld King stood the terrifying Return-to-One Society, an aloof power far more formidable than Li Li Tianwang's line. If Li Li Tianji had that kind of backbone, he would not have chosen to endure and retreat in the face of Qin Li Tianwang's line's aggressive pressure back in the day.

"Regarding the incident in the Boundary River Domain earlier—although the spatial passage was sealed because of the Black Rain Ghost Calamity, surely you must have had some means to provide support? Why have you only arrived now?" Dantai Lan asked slowly, her words carrying a note of reproach.

Li Li Tianji gave a bitter smile and explained, "It's not that we didn't want to find a way to support you. It's that Qin Jiujie invited the Grand Hall Master of the Beast-Subduing Spirit Hall, Lin Miao, to be a guest at Qin Li Tianwang's line, and our Li Li Tianwang's line has quite a bit of enmity with this Beast-Subduing Spirit Hall. When these two suddenly linked up, how could we dare take them lightly? All our attention was drawn away by them."

"We didn't anticipate that such a tremendous incident would occur within the Boundary River Domain this time. Still, in the end, this is my failure as chief branch leader. I have let down Branch Leader Li Jingzhe's trust."

Li Li Jingzhe's fall was of enormous consequence to the Dragon Fang Branch. Their failure to provide timely support would likely draw complaints not only from Dantai Lan but from everyone in the Dragon Fang Branch.

Li Li Tianji could not argue against it, and he also understood that shifting blame at this point was meaningless. Instead, he took the initiative to shoulder the responsibility.

"Beast-Subduing Spirit Hall, Lin Miao."

Dantai Lan's eyes narrowed slightly. She naturally knew of this top-tier King-level power in Xuanling Shenzhou, but she hadn't expected Qin Jiujie to have invited them over in advance.

"How is Qin Li Tianwang's line faring now?" Dantai Lan shifted the topic and asked.

Li Luo, Jiang Qing, and the others pricked up their ears as well. Now that the blood bridge in the Boundary River Domain had scattered the waters of the Boundary River over Qin Li Tianwang's line, they too wanted to know the situation outside.

"Starting yesterday, within the territory of Qin Li Tianwang's line, the waters of the Boundary River pierced through the void and poured down, bringing with them countless alien creatures and evolving into an alien calamity of terrifying scale."

"The five King-level experts of Qin Li Tianwang's line attempted to intervene and suppress it, but they failed, because as the waters of the Boundary River spread, a kind of force dissolved all of their efforts."

Li Li Tianji looked up at this point, his gaze wary as he stared at the blood bridge above the Boundary River Domain—or more precisely, at the stone stele upon the blood bridge.

Four ancient, primordial characters were inscribed upon the stele.

Kings May Not Enter.

They had originally been guessing at the source of that mysterious force capable of neutralizing the five King-level experts of Qin Li Tianwang's line, but now that they had entered the Boundary River Domain, they finally understood where that power came from.

It turned out to be a "King's Amnesty Edict" set down by a Great Demon King.

"'Kings May Not Enter'—no wonder the power of the five King-level experts of Qin Li Tianwang's line couldn't enter the area where the alien calamity was spreading. They had originally wanted to ask that Lin Miao to lend a hand, but the latter merely took one look and left without a moment's hesitation," Li Li Qingying remarked with feeling.

What a joke. This "King's Amnesty Edict" was set down by a Great Demon King. Although Lin Miao was a Double-Crowned King, he didn't dare get involved, lest he drag himself into it as well.

"If Lin Miao knew about this, he'd be furious. He was invited by Qin Jiujie, crossed Shenzhou to come, and the result was that Qin Jiujie betrayed Qin Li Tianwang's line and threw in his lot with the Return-to-One Society," Li Li Xuanwu said with a booming laugh that made the entire Tianlong Pavilion tremble slightly.

Many people secretly laughed as well. Qin Jiujie would surely become infamous throughout Tianyuan Shenzhou from now on. Lin Miao's collusion with him would naturally feel like a terrible stroke of bad luck, lest he himself be suspected of having ties to the Return-to-One Society.

"Qin Li Tianwang's line has reaped what they sowed. They deserve it," Li Li Jinjiao said.

Li Li Tianji, however, shook his head and said, "Because of this 'King's Amnesty Edict,' this alien calamity has become extremely troublesome. All King-level power and King-level strength cannot enter it, so there's no way to swiftly eliminate the source."

"Right now, this alien calamity is spreading at an astonishing speed. In just a single day, hundreds of cities and tens of thousands of miles have already been covered by it. It truly is a scene of utter devastation for all living things."

"And the northwestern border of the Dragon Fang Branch happens to border Qin Li Tianwang's line. Although this place is several hundred thousand miles from where the alien calamity erupted, if the calamity continues to spread at this rate, it will inevitably reach the Dragon Fang Branch's border sooner or later."

At these words, the faces of Li Li Qingpeng, Li Li Jinpan, and the others shifted slightly. Earlier they had assumed the alien calamity was within Qin Li Tianwang's line's territory, so naturally it was their headache to deal with. They hadn't expected the calamity to spread so quickly.

If this strange disaster were really allowed to enter the territory of the Dragon Fang Vein, then they would have a real headache.

Dantai Lan's willow brows furrowed slightly as well. She was now the Vein Head of the Dragon Fang Vein, so naturally she also needed to maintain the peace of the Dragon Fang Vein's territory, but because of this strange disaster and the matter of the "Li Tianwang's Edict of Pardon," she too had been interfered with.

Kings may not enter does not simply refer to King-level experts, but rather any power that reaches this level will be restricted by it.

Otherwise, given the methods of that Three-Pupil Mysterious Fetus Great Demon King, how could he have left behind such a huge opening.

This strange disaster was extremely ferocious, and even the lineage of Qin Li Tianwang had been caught off guard and beaten back step by step. If it really were to invade the Dragon Fang Vein, it would likely cause enormous losses.

"What do you plan to do?" Dantai Lan raised her head and looked at Li Li Tianji and the other three, asking.