Chapter 1409: Li Luo, the Marquis

The figure that suddenly descended from the sky and landed on the battle stage also fell into the countless gazes from the surrounding stands, and immediately numerous puzzled voices spread out.

"Who is that?"

"Hey, you're really ignorant. That's Li Luo, the one who self-severed a Ten-Pillar Golden Platform and killed Qin Qin Lian. Nowadays he's a hot figure on Outer Shenzhou."

"Li Luo disappeared for half a year, and everyone said he was recuperating from injuries, so he would be absent from this Great Marquis Contest. Who would have thought he'd rush over at the last moment. This is getting interesting now."

"Li Luo forged a Ten-Pillar Golden Platform, which is the strength of an Unparalleled Upper First Rank. Even if it's Unparalleled Leaping Three Ranks, plus other means, his true combat power is at most barely comparable to an ordinary Fifth Rank Marquis, right? Li Zhihuo is now an Upper Fifth Rank Marquis, and his own foundation is extraordinary. Li Luo contending with him—the outcome is hard to predict."

"That's right. For the sake of a Great Marquis, Li Luo can't possibly sever another Ten-Pillar Golden Platform, can he? Moreover, last time it was right after a breakthrough, so the second Ten-Pillar Golden Platform wasn't stable. If he did it again, the backlash alone could take his life on the spot."

"That's not necessarily so either. If you knew Li Luo's record along the way, you'd find this guy is extremely monstrous. Every strong enemy he meets, he overcomes them from below and becomes the final victor."

"..."

Countless discussions spread around the battle stage, but no matter what, Li Luo's arrival pushed the atmosphere to its peak.

Countless people craned their necks, eager to see what was so extraordinary about this young prodigy whose fame had recently been soaring on Outer Shenzhou.

"Li Luo, you've finally come!"

On the battle stage, Li Foluo's stern face now showed a trace of a long-awaited smile. If Li Luo hadn't come today, the position of Great Marquis would have fallen into Li Zhihuo's hands.

And this session of the Heavenly Dragon Five Guards would then be led by the Dragon Blood Guard. If they wanted to reverse it in the future, they'd have to wait for the next session of the Heavenly Dragon Five Guards.

"Here, from now on, you are the Marquis of the Dragon Fang Guard!" Li Foluo didn't waste words. With a wave of his hand, he tossed a token toward Li Luo—it was precisely the Marquis Token of the Dragon Fang Guard.

Li Luo reached out to catch it, his fingers rubbing the Marquis Token, then cupped his fists toward Li Foluo and said, "Many thanks."

Li Foluo had a magnanimous nature. He didn't cling to the status and position of the Dragon Fang Guard's Marquis, because he knew that with his strength, it would be very hard to bring glory to the Dragon Fang Guard.

And the current Li Luo was stronger than him, so naturally he was more suited to this position.

Only in Li Luo's hands could the Dragon Fang Guard reach its former peak.

For this reason, he chose to step aside willingly.

"The one who should be thanking is me. Li Luo, promise me—take back our Dragon Fang Guard's 'Heavenly Dragon Mysterious Yellow Spear'!" Li Foluo said in a deep voice.

Each of the Heavenly Dragon Five Guards possessed a treasure, all of them Upper Marquis Treasures, and theirs in the Dragon Fang Guard was that "Heavenly Dragon Mysterious Yellow Spear"—the spiritual symbol of the Dragon Fang Guard.

But in the Marquis Contest back then, he had been defeated by Li Zhihuo, and according to the rules, this "Heavenly Dragon Mysterious Yellow Spear" fell into the hands of the Dragon Blood Branch. Every time they wanted to use this treasure, they had to go borrow it from the Dragon Blood Guard.

Their own treasure, yet to use it they needed another's consent—what a humiliation that was.

Li Foluo had been cultivating desperately over these years, all for the sake of one day snatching the "Heavenly Dragon Mysterious Yellow Spear" back from Li Zhihuo's hands. But Li Zhihuo's strength had always been a notch above him.

Originally, Li Foluo had already despaired in his heart, but Li Luo's appearance today gave him a glimpse of dawn once more.

Li Luo's gaze met Li Foluo's. From the latter's eyes, he saw a trace of entreaty, so he slowly nodded and said with a smile, "Don't worry. The Heavenly Dragon Mysterious Yellow Spear should return to our Dragon Fang Guard today, and... I'm afraid it won't stop at just that."

"Go for it, Marquis Li Luo."

Li Foluo laughed, then resolutely turned around, swept directly off the battle stage, and headed toward the Dragon Fang Guard's side.

From this moment on, Li Luo was no longer the Commander of the Dragon Fang Guard, but the new Marquis of the Dragon Fang Guard.

And at the same time, thunderous, excited cheers erupted from the Dragon Fang Guard's side.

"Marquis Li Luo, mighty!"

"Marquis Li Luo, invincible!"

Luo Jiang, the Dragon Fang Envoy, looked at Li Foluo and said with a smile, "From the day Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e came to the Dragon Fang Guard, I knew your seat as Marquis wouldn't last long."

Li Foluo had shed the position of Marquis, and the perpetually taut expression on his face seemed to have relaxed considerably. He gazed at Li Luo on the field, and faintly, it was as if he saw that figure from back then—the one who dominated the entire younger generation of Li Li Tianwang's lineage with overwhelming, peerless might.

"Today's Dragon Fang Guard will probably reach an unprecedented peak," Li Foluo said.

Luo Jiang was somewhat surprised upon hearing this and said, "At its peak, the Dragon Fang Guard had Li Taixuan as Marquis. He defeated three Marqui at the time single-handedly, and ultimately gathered the four Heavenly Dragon Treasures into the Dragon Fang Guard. That was the most glorious record since the founding of the Heavenly Dragon Five Guards. No matter how strong Li Luo is, could he possibly surpass this record?"

Commanders like Xia Yu were also somewhat doubtful about this. If they were talking about Li Luo taking back their Dragon Fang Guard's "Heavenly Dragon Mysterious Yellow Spear" from Li Zhihuo's hands, they still had some confidence. But if they were saying Li Luo would create a record surpassing Li Taixuan's, the difficulty would be far too great.

Moreover, back when Li Taixuan participated in the Great Marquis Contest, he at least held an ultimate Upper Marquis Treasure like the "Heavenly Dragon Mysterious Yellow Spear" in his hands. Yet now, this Heavenly Dragon Treasure belonging to their Dragon Fang Guard had fallen into Li Zhihuo's hands.

With this ebb and flow, Li Luo merely defeating Li Zhihuo was already a rather difficult matter, let alone achieving a record surpassing Li Taixuan's.

Because according to the rules for contesting the Heavenly Dragon Five Treasures, anyone who has claimed one of the Heavenly Dragon Five Treasures, if they wish to claim another, such a challenge is not simply another single challenge—it requires defeating two Marqui single-handedly.

Back then, Li Zhihuo could defeat Li Foluo and seize the "Heavenly Dragon Mysterious Yellow Spear," but he had no way to covet the Heavenly Dragon Five Treasures of the other three Guards, because if he did, he would face the joint attack of Li Foluo and another Marquis.

Back then, Li Taixuan gathered four treasures into the Dragon Fang Guard because he defeated three Marqui single-handedly.

If Li Luo wanted to go one better, he could only take all the Heavenly Dragon Five Treasures into his hands. In that case... he would have to defeat the joint attack of four Marqui single-handedly.

But what was the strength of these four Marqui right now?

Li Zhihuo was an Upper Fifth Rank Marquis, while Li Tingyue, Li Jushen, and Li Boyuan had all advanced in strength over the past half year, stepping into the Lower Fifth Rank Marquis realm.

And Li Luo was only Unparalleled First Rank.

With a First Rank body, battling four Fifth Rank Marqui—even an Unparalleled First Rank probably couldn't be that domineering, right?

Li Luo shouldn't be that crazy, right?

While their hearts were trembling, a referee had already entered the field and begun loudly announcing the rules of the Heavenly Dragon Five Guards' Great Marquis Contest.

Boom!

At the same time, the figures of Li Tingyue, Li Jushen, and Li Boyuan retreated as vast surges of phase energy swept in, and in each of their hands appeared a treasure radiating astonishing energy fluctuations.

In Li Tingyue's hand was a golden mirror, covered in dragon scales, with mysterious light flowing across it.

What Li Jushen held was a golden bone hammer.

In Li Boyuan's hand was a dark-golden horn, faintly emitting the sound of dragon cries, causing the void to tremble.

The most astonishing presence belonged to Li Zhihuo. He reached out and gripped, and a spear over a zhang long appeared in his hand. The shaft was covered in mottled marks of time, but the spear tip exuded a chilling, bone-piercing sharpness.

It was precisely the "Heavenly Dragon Mysterious Yellow Spear" belonging to the Dragon Fang Guard.

At the same time, on the surface of Li Zhihuo's body, a purple-gold battle armor emerged. Ancient dragon marks were inscribed on the armor, and as the dragon marks slowly slithered, they emanated a vast, surging battle intent, amplifying the phase energy within his body.

This was the Dragon Blood Guard's "Heavenly Dragon Hundred Battles Armor"!

These were all ultimate Upper Marquis Treasures, with extraordinary might. Normally, even the Marqui of each Guard couldn't casually employ them, but today's Great Marquis Contest happened to fall within their permitted use.

For a moment on the battle stage, all four Marqui radiated flowing treasure-light. Only Li Luo's side was empty-handed, looking somewhat shabby.

"The battle for the Five Great Guardian Lords is also a battle for the Five Heavenly Dragon Treasures. In the end, whoever holds more of the Five Heavenly Dragon Treasures will naturally be the final victor!"

"The five Guardian Lords may freely choose their opponents."

As the referee's shout fell, a roaring tide of sound erupted around the battle stage, but upon the battle stage itself, silence fell.

Although Li Zhihuo's aura was the most overwhelming, he did not dare to challenge anyone lightly, because his gaze was fixed on Li Luo with a hint of wariness and vigilance.

While the four Guardian Lords chose to wait and watch, Li Luo slowly stepped into the arena, walking straight to the center of the battle stage. He raised his head, and within his pupils were reflected those four towering figures brimming with overwhelming aura.

That calm voice spread across the battle stage.

"Four of you, I have a wish, please grant it."

The eyes of the four Guardian Lords—Li Zhihuo and the others—all narrowed, their gazes fixed intently on Li Luo. Li Tingyue's pretty face grew solemn as she slowly asked, "May I ask what Guardian Lord Li Luo's wish is?"

Li Luo raised his head, a brilliant smile surfacing on his handsome face.

"I want..."

"The Five Treasures to return to me."

Two beams of spiritual light suddenly shot skyward from the crown of his head, transforming into two ten-pillar golden platforms radiating an aura of perfection and completeness, suspended in mid-air like two great suns illuminating heaven and earth.

In that instant, the entire audience turned pale with shock.