Chapter 1411: Nine-Clawed Heavenly Dragon

Sunlight poured down from the horizon, shining upon the battered battle platform, allowing everyone present to clearly see the colossal creature that had emerged from the resplendent light.

It was a giant dragon, its body several hundred zhang in length.

The giant dragon was entirely purple-gold in color, its dragon scales inscribed with ancient, primordial patterns. Within its purple-gold dragon pupils, an indescribable pressure surged out like a tide, causing the breathing of countless Marquises present to falter.

The purple-gold giant dragon before them was utterly perfect, its dragon body winding and coiling as if born from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, while also carrying an ancient, noble aura, as though it were the king among dragons.

In particular, this purple-gold giant dragon had nine claws.

The dragon claws were powerful and incomparably sharp, a cold light slowly flowing across them, causing even the void to crack under the unbearable burden.

If outsiders merely felt an inexplicable awe at the nine-clawed purple-gold giant dragon before them, then the many experts of Li Li Tianwang's lineage rose in horror at this moment, their hearts churning with monstrous waves.

The pressure emanating from the depths of their bloodlines nearly made them tremble.

"That is... a Nine-Clawed Heavenly Dragon?!"

After several breaths, a voice of utter terror rang out.

All the experts of Li Li Tianwang's lineage stared in disbelief at the living, breathing nine-clawed purple-gold giant dragon. As members of Li Li Tianwang's lineage, most of them bore dragon aspects within themselves, and naturally possessed deep knowledge of the dragon race. The giant dragon before them was clearly the supreme lineage among dragons... the Heavenly Dragon lineage!

Whether it was that pure, ancient dragon might, the purple-gold coloration, or the unique nine claws!

All of it indicated that what stood before them was a Heavenly Dragon.

But... they also knew this was impossible!

Because on this Heavenly Dragon's body still flowed Li Luo's aura, so... this Heavenly Dragon was Li Luo's transformation.

But how could Li Luo transform into such a pure Heavenly Dragon?!

"It is the superior-grade Destiny-tier Marquis Art of the Dragon Blood lineage, 'Dragon Blood Ancient Tracing Art'!" Finally, someone privy to the inside information shouted in shock, breaking the crowd's doubts.

Only then did everyone recall that Destiny-tier Marquis Art within the Dragon Blood lineage that few could cultivate.

Dragon Blood Ancient Tracing Art, superior-grade Destiny-tier, traces the origin of the bloodline, transforms into the form of a Heavenly Dragon, bears the might of a Heavenly Dragon.

A simple, brief introduction, yet it flowed with an overwhelming sense of grandeur and majesty.

After all, anything related to the Heavenly Dragon was absolutely considered a top-tier treasure within Li Li Tianwang's lineage.

One must understand that a true Heavenly Dragon was a being comparable in power to a Li Tianwang-tier expert.

This Dragon Blood Ancient Tracing Art, legend had it, was passed down by their ancestor Li Li Tianwang, and had always been regarded by the Dragon Blood lineage as one of their most top-tier Marquis Arts. Over the years, countless prodigies of the Dragon Blood lineage had coveted this Marquis Art, attempting to cultivate it.

But in the end, those who could cultivate it were few and far between.

This was solely because the cultivation conditions of this art were extremely stringent. To transform into a Heavenly Dragon, one first needed their Heavenly Dragon bloodline within to be sufficiently dense and pure, while simultaneously using a specific Mi Fa to condense their own Heavenly Dragon bloodline into a "Heavenly Dragon Seal," and finally have the "Heavenly Dragon Seal" merge into their flesh, blood, and bones. Only then could one transform into the true form of a Heavenly Dragon.

And now, the "Dragon Blood Ancient Tracing Art," which even within the Dragon Blood lineage few had cultivated, had been mastered by Li Luo in the short span of half a year. The shock this scene delivered to the many experts of Li Li Tianwang's lineage was imaginable.

Especially the upper echelons of the Dragon Blood lineage.

Their expressions were exceedingly complex. This Li Luo was clearly a person of the Dragon Fang lineage, so how could his Heavenly Dragon bloodline be purer than theirs, who built their foundation upon their bloodline?

On the highest viewing platform, Li Li Tianji also stared blankly at the Nine-Clawed Heavenly Dragon that had appeared on the battle platform, then sighed: "The purity and density of Li Luo's Heavenly Dragon bloodline should be the foremost among my Li Li Tianwang's lineage in the past hundred years."

Dantai Lan's lips curled almost imperceptibly. Was a Heavenly Dragon bloodline that amazing? Li Luo possessed the Ten Thousand Aspects Seed, that supreme treasure created by the Formless Saint Sect. Compared to it, a Heavenly Dragon bloodline was nothing remarkable.

After all, when the Formless Saint Sect was at its peak, even true Heavenly Dragons had no choice but to bow their heads before it.

The area outside the arena was in an unending uproar, while within the arena, the four Guard Commandants Li Zhihuo and Li Tingyue also stared at the colossal creature before them with faces full of horror. The Heavenly Dragon pressure emanating from that Heavenly Dragon's body caused the bloodlines within them to tremble, and for an instant, they even felt an impulse to prostrate themselves in worship.

That was the suppression originating from bloodlines.

But fortunately, although Li Luo could transform into the form of a Heavenly Dragon, he was ultimately not yet a true Heavenly Dragon, and the willpower of Li Zhihuo and the others was extraordinary, forcibly suppressing the trembling within their bodies.

Yet their expressions were still very unsightly.

After transforming into the form of a Heavenly Dragon, Li Luo's physical strength would reach an astonishingly terrifying level. Even Li Jushen, who had cultivated numerous body-tempering Marquis Arts, would likely find it difficult to compare.

They had seen Li Luo previously activate the "Dragon Seed True Pill" to transform into a dragon. At that time, it was only a half-dragon-human form, yet it had already caused Li Luo's combat power to surge. How much more so with the true Heavenly Dragon body before them now.

With the foundation of two Ten-Pillar Golden Platforms, coupled with the augmentation of the Heavenly Dragon form, what terrifying level would Li Luo's strength reach at this moment? Even true Sixth-Grade Marquis experts would have to feel some wariness.

At this moment, a thick unease welled up in the hearts of Li Zhihuo, Li Tingyue, and the other four.

Roar!

And it was at this moment that Li Luo, transformed into a Heavenly Dragon, struck. A purple-gold dragon claw reached out, and the void directly shattered like tofu. The dragon claw continuously enlarged in the pupils of Li Zhihuo and the other four, as if the entire heavens and earth were being obscured.

The Marquis Platforms above the heads of Li Zhihuo, Li Tingyue, and the other four erupted with extreme rumbling sounds. Vast, surging phase force poured out entirely at this moment, and then they channeled the treasures in their hands, unleashing their strongest attacks.

Clang!

The purple-gold dragon claw directly clashed head-on with five superior-grade Marquis treasures.

Piercing sonic booms rolled on without cease.

The energy shockwaves ravaged like a storm. Fortunately, many experts outside the arena immediately acted, forming a phase force barrier to fully resist those shockwaves.

Countless gazes stared fixedly at the collision within the arena.

They saw the figures of Li Zhihuo, Li Tingyue, and the other four shoot back somewhat disheveled for over a thousand zhang. The treasures in their hands flowed with intense radiance, bloodstains appeared at the corners of their mouths, and their complexions were slightly pale.

And the Heavenly Dragon that Li Luo had transformed into was also blasted back a certain distance, but having transformed into a Heavenly Dragon, his physical body was simply too overwhelmingly powerful. The previous energy shockwaves had not caused him any injury whatsoever.

Waaaah!

Sounds of incredulous uproar rose from outside the arena.

In this collision, Li Luo had actually relied on his own strength alone to directly force back Li Zhihuo and the other four, who wielded superior-grade Marquis treasures, in a head-on clash!

"Is this a Heavenly Dragon? What terrifying power." Li Tingyue stared at the mysterious, majestic colossal creature, his voice trembling, filled with dread.

From the previous collision, they all felt that the strength of Li Luo's Heavenly Dragon body was probably comparable to a superior-grade Marquis treasure.

A walking, dragon-shaped superior-grade Marquis treasure!

It was fortunate that the four of them had joined forces earlier. Otherwise, if they had fought alone, even Li Zhihuo would have been severely wounded by that single claw from Li Luo.

Li Zhihuo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said through gritted teeth: "Don't lose heart. The consumption of his transformation into a Heavenly Dragon is equally terrifying. As long as we hold out a little longer, he naturally won't be able to maintain the Heavenly Dragon body!"

"Spread out, skirmish, avoid his sharp edge!"

Li Zhihuo was indeed worthy of being the strongest Guard Commandant of the Heavenly Dragon Five Guards. Although the situation had instantly turned against them, he still keenly sought out a method to counter it.

Li Tingyue and the other three nodded, and so the four figures suddenly dispersed, while simultaneously maintaining vigilance and warily locking onto Li Luo.

Facing the four who had scattered, the dragon pupils of the Heavenly Dragon Li Luo had transformed into flickered with a hint of playfulness. He did not give chase; instead, he spread his dragon claws, and on the claw tips, four streaks of blood appeared.

He opened his dragon maw and spewed a glob of dragon breath flowing with purple-gold hues, wrapping those four streaks of blood within it.

The commotion on Li Luo's side also fell into the eyes of Li Zhihuo and the other three, and their brows all furrowed tightly.

"What is he doing?" Li Tingyue couldn't help but speak up.

Li Zhihuo's gaze flickered. He stared at those four writhing balls of purple-gold blood-light, and after a few breaths, his heart jolted violently. He hurriedly barked, "He wants to cast the Dragon Blood Nightmare Art!"

"Quick, stop him!"

At this moment, Li Zhihuo was even more panicked than when Li Luo had cast the Myriad Aspects Dragon Fang Sword Formation earlier, because although that "Dragon Blood Nightmare Art" was only a Spirit-Derived-grade Marquis Art, for those of the Li Li Tianwang lineage, if the conditions were met, this art could be called the king of internal warfare.

The last time Li Luo had only been at the Da Tian Xiang Jing, he had cast this art against Li Yuanshan, whose strength had reached the Third Rank Marquis Realm, and at that time he had directly cut down the opponent by one rank.

Right now Li Luo had transformed into a Heavenly Dragon, and his own Heavenly Dragon bloodline was at its most abundant. If he were allowed to cast the "Dragon Blood Nightmare Art," then when a blade was slashed out, how many ranks would it cut the four of them down by?

Even if it only cut them down by one rank, under such a shift in fortunes, they would no longer be able to contend with the current Li Luo.

Therefore, he had to be stopped!

At this moment, Li Zhihuo, Li Tingyue, and the other two all pushed the Marquis Treasures in their hands with full force, simultaneously casting one Marquis Art after another with terrifying power, sweeping them down in an overwhelming tide toward the Heavenly Dragon Li Luo had transformed into.

But facing their attacks, the Heavenly Dragon Li Luo had transformed into merely coiled slightly. Across its dragon body flowed purple-gond profound light, and that profound light seemed to contain an astonishing defensive force, actually forcibly withstanding the four's counterattack.

At the same time, between the dragon claws, the purple-gold blood-light fully condensed.

Finally, under the horrified gazes of Li Zhihuo and the other three, it transformed into four puppets that resembled them in appearance.

Between Li Luo's dragon claws, blood-light surged upward, transforming into blood-red blade-shards as thin as cicada wings.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, he swung the blade and slashed down at the four puppets.

Boom!

The blade-shards sliced through the puppets.

Between heaven and earth, it was as if thunder rumbled faintly in echo.

Li Zhihuo and the other three raised their heads with ashen faces, then watched in absolute horror as, above each of their heads, of their five Marquis Platforms, three had begun to collapse.

Rumble!

In the end, the three Marquis Platforms shattered, transforming into spiritual light that fell, pouring into the four's crown.

Li Zhihuo's entire body went cold. He could feel the phase force within his body vanishing rapidly.

At this moment, they had been cut down three ranks by Li Luo in a single slash.

In other words, the current them had fallen from the Fifth Rank Marquis Realm down to the Second Rank.

This... what's even the point of fighting?!