Chapter 1678: Light Breaks the Night

The heavens were like a black curtain, the night thick as ink.

This vast battlefield had thus become chaotic, for that night was far too domineering—even marquis-level experts caught within it found their sight and perception sealed to a short range, and those below marquis level were reduced to near-blindness.

That was the Night Aspect of Candle Yin, the Dark Monarch.

Only those at the Monarch realm could draw upon the power of origin to remain unaffected by the night, but beneath the curtain of darkness, everything lay within Candle Yin's perception. Within this domain of night, he could control the energies of heaven and earth with far greater ease, and while ordinary Monarchs were not restricted in sight, they could not contest Candle Yin for the energies of heaven and earth within this night domain.

Li Luo stood in the void, his expression unusually solemn as he gazed at Candle Yin's figure in the distance. Above the latter's head sat three layers of Monarch crowns—the thickest and most magnificent he had ever seen—with the power of origin flowing upon them in overwhelming measure.

It had to be said, this Candle Yin was the strongest Monarch-level expert Li Luo had encountered to date.

With an unparalleled eighth-grade, he had carved out an unparalleled path and ascended to the peak of the Triple-Crowned Monarch, and on top of that he possessed the Myriad Aspects Seed, with three palaces and five aspects—what terrifying foundations were these?

Yet from a certain angle, this also highlighted just how arduous the ninth-grade unparalleled was.

Even Candle Yin, with his foundations of three palaces and five aspects, had actually failed in his attempt to break through to the ninth-grade unparalleled.

But Candle Yin must be feeling great regret now, for if he had been able to delay his attempt at the ninth-grade unparalleled until this Year of Ten of Heaven's Fortune, borrowing that momentum of heaven and earth, he would very likely have smoothly ascended to the ninth-grade unparalleled, just like Dantai Lan.

The thick night between heaven and earth, as if possessed of some eerie vitality, ceaselessly eroded toward the positions of Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge, while the Unparalleled Divine Thrones above their heads poured forth mysterious light to resist it.

But the night came on without end, gradually eating its way in.

Boom!

Within the night curtain, suddenly a thunderous rumble shook the air. From behind Candle Yin, that enormous human-faced serpent shadow opened its abyss-like maw and spewed forth endless thunder-light; the thunder-light merged into the night curtain, transforming into a bizarre and unfathomable black thunder, which then bombarded toward Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge.

Boom, boom!

Under the bombardment of black thunder, the towering Unparalleled Divine Thrones above Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge's heads also began to tremble violently, the protective mysterious light they emitted growing dim.

Li Luo's gaze turned icy. Behind him, the "Ten-Inscription Myriad Aspects Wheel" in the void began to revolve, and the "Rank Divine Aspect Tree" between his brows suddenly blazed bright as the supreme, most powerful force of rank gathered and manifested.

And the Celestial Dragon coiled upon the crown of the "Rank Divine Aspect Tree" opened its dragon maw and spewed forth rolling dragon breath.

This was no ordinary dragon breath, for what condensed within it was the power of rank.

The rank dragon breath pierced through the night, drowning out the countless bolts of black thunder, attempting to tear apart this heavy, oppressive curtain of darkness—but the power of rank, so unstoppable before, failed to take effect this time.

The dazzling rank dragon breath streaked across a thousand li, only to be gradually eroded by the night, and finally vanished.

Li Luo's gaze sharpened slightly, his expression growing ever more solemn, and he said in a low voice: "There is the power of rank within the night curtain as well!"

That's right—this Candle Yin also possessed the Myriad Aspects Seed, and naturally, just like him, could fuse all aspects together. Although the other's number of aspect palaces and aspects fell short of his own, the other was after all at the peak of the Triple-Crowned Monarch, a level already extremely close to a Heavenly Monarch, so...

Candle Yin could also fuse forth an aspect exceeding the ninth grade!

Li Luo's gaze turned toward Candle Yin. The latter now stood at the horizon, long hair fluttering, and between his brows, the tree-pattern of a black "Rank Divine Aspect Tree" quietly streamed with black radiance.

Exceeding the ninth grade—the Night Aspect!

Meeting Li Luo's gaze, Candle Yin smiled faintly and said: "Li Luo, beneath the Heavenly Monarch, the power of rank is not your exclusive domain."

Clearly, Candle Yin understood Li Luo extremely well, knowing that all of Li Luo's past victories had relied on the overwhelming might of the power of rank to suppress other Monarch-level experts. Yet now, this advantage of Li Luo's had been countered by him.

Without the advantage of the power of rank, Li Luo was clearly at a disadvantage in every respect.

"Li Luo, this curtain of night is not quite right—it's gradually closing in." At this moment, Jiang Jiang Qinge beside him suddenly warned.

Li Luo nodded slightly. He had actually sensed it as well: this curtain of night seemed to sever heaven and earth, and yet also seemed to possess a vitality of its own, constantly drawing inward. As it did so, the night filling it grew thicker and more viscous, so that in the end, this curtain of night would become a true, impenetrable prison.

This was likely Candle Yin's aim—to imprison and seal them within a night prison.

It had to be said, this Candle Yin was very strong. Originally, with Li Luo's current strength, beneath the Heavenly Monarch, there were very few who could still make him feel pressure, yet this Candle Yin had done it.

"Noticed? But it means nothing—your power of rank is, after all, still a notch inferior. You cannot break the deadlock." Candle Yin smiled.

Li Luo's face was expressionless. With a shift of his will, within the fire cauldron at the center of the Myriad Aspects Wheel, a "Divine Fruit Fragment" emerged.

This "Divine Fruit Fragment" had already become rather illusory—clearly, after the previous sacrificial burning, most of its power had been consumed, and if it were burned again now, it would likely vanish entirely.

But to break the deadlock, this measure had to be used.

Yet at this moment, Jiang Jiang Qinge suddenly took his hand and said: "Though the night is heavy, it fears light the most."

Li Luo's gaze shifted slightly, and he said: "Your Light rank is still not enough either."

Jiang Jiang Qinge smiled bewitchingly, her matchless elegance seeming to brighten even the thick night around them by a fraction: "Isn't there still you?"

Li Luo suddenly understood. The next instant, behind him the Myriad Aspects Wheel thundered into motion, all aspects fusing anew, while the "Rank Divine Aspect Tree" between his brows began to transform into vast, boundless light.

The Celestial Dragon dispersed; the divine tree became like a tree of light, every tree-pattern flowing with boundless holy radiance.

Exceeding the ninth grade—the Light Aspect!

The next instant, Li Luo clenched his hand, and the power of the Light rank transformed within his grasp into a longsword of light.

And Jiang Jiang Qinge, wielding the Sacred Phoenix Umbrella, used the umbrella as a sword, her steps light and graceful, evolving into countless elegant, holy sword postures.

At the same time, Jiang Jiang Qinge activated the "Divine Perception" state of her Primordial Seed, and in an instant the two became of one heart and one body; the two powers of Light rank now flowed and merged together in perfect harmony.

In a flash, an indescribably dazzling brilliance surged skyward.

Behind the two of them, a towering figure of light appeared, and behind that figure, twelve sacred wings beat slowly—like a god of light.

Unparalleled Art—Twelve-Wing Sacred Spirit Sword Dance Art!

Endless light transformed into sword qi of light, flooding outward.

This time, the heavy, extreme night seemed to have met its bane; the darkness began to recede at a startling speed, and the power of the Night rank within it, under the assault of those two merged powers of Light rank, began to collapse.

In just a few breaths, light filled heaven and earth.

The night that had shrouded the heavens was, at this moment, utterly torn apart.

The view of heaven and earth was suddenly restored, and the familiar sky and land came into sight.

Candle Yin's "Night Domain" had been broken.

This scene, falling into the eyes of the many Monarch-level experts present, undoubtedly stirred monstrous waves in their hearts.

Even Qin Jiujie and the Spirit Eye Dark Monarch could not help but change color; they found it hard to believe that Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge had actually broken through the very technique Candle Yin was famed for.

He was Candle Yin, after all! It could be said that in the present era when Heavenly Monarchs no longer appeared across the ten Outer Shenzhou, Candle Yin counted as one of the strongest Monarchs.

Their gazes turned toward Candle Yin. At this moment, the smile on the latter's handsome face had also gradually vanished, replaced by a dark, sullen look. Clearly, he had not expected that Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge could still join hands to combine their respective Light ranks and thereby break through his "Night Rank."

The cooperation of the Primordial Seed and the Myriad Aspects Seed.

Even with his breadth of experience, he had never seen anything like it.

"Candle Shadow Underworld King, since we cannot seal them away in silence, let us strike together and suppress them by force," Qin Jiujie said.

Candle Shadow Underworld King's grim expression gradually calmed. He raised his head, gazing toward the distant void beyond, and gave a slight shake of his head. "It's too late. He's here."

And as his voice fell, high above Outer Shenzhou of the Eastern Region, a vast rain of radiant light suddenly came pouring down.

A great avenue of light pierced through layer upon layer of space, arriving above this battlefield.

Upon that avenue of light strode a tall, stalwart figure, stepping forth amid the radiance—a man whose aura was deep as an abyss, his hair the color of molten platinum, flowing with luster.

His eyes were twin burning suns, his might overshadowing the heavens.

That was...

The Light King, Qi Huang!