Chapter 1716: Golden Dragon Mountain, Lü Taiyi

"Alliance Leader Qi Huang, you clearly knew this Dragon Race's 'Ten Thousand Dragons Ancestral Blood Sacrifice' was a trap, yet you didn't warn me, nearly capsizing my boat."

After learning of the Outer Shenzhou Alliance's scheme, Li Luo also playfully expressed his feelings, since this turn of events had placed him in danger.

"Alliance Leader Li Luo is exceptionally gifted, the pillar supporting our ten Outer Shenzhou in resisting the Dark World. The hope of the entire world may rest on your shoulders—how could we possibly stand by and let something happen to you?"

King of Light Qi Huang smiled and added, "The Outer Shenzhou Alliance keeps constant watch over the Dragon Race. If things truly reached an irrecoverable point, even at the risk of failing the hunt against the 'Joyful Desire Demon King,' we would still protect your safety at the first moment."

The implication was that in the Outer Shenzhou Alliance's eyes, Li Luo's life was worth more than a Ten Calamity Demon King; naturally they wouldn't use him as a bargaining chip to trade pieces with the enemy.

While they were speaking, beyond the abyss-like spatial rift at the edge of the heavens, that enormous, ghastly pale face struck again. Endless cold ash drifted down, then coalesced, finally transforming into a grey-marked chain stretching across the heavens.

The grey-marked chain radiated boundless sinister energy, like a soul-locking chain. As it whistled down, the eyes of countless living beings beneath the heavens turned grey, as if their vitality was being drained away.

Clearly, that 'Death Calamity Demon King' from the Dark World was not giving up, still attempting to rescue the Joyful Desire Demon King.

Qi Huang smiled faintly, extending his palm. A point of dazzling, brilliant light condensed in his palm, then expanded at astonishing speed—in just a few breaths, it transformed into a Palace of Light like a towering mountain.

The palace was entirely gilded, with boundless, vast power of light's origin flowing within. Buddhist chants rang out from within, as if deities dwelt there. Vast divine might swept across heaven and earth, completely purging the cold aura emanating from the Death Calamity Demon King's soul-locking chain.

"Heavenly Gilded Palace of Light, seal and suppress all demons."

Accompanying Qi Huang's low murmur, this Palace of Light shot skyward, colliding directly with the soul-locking chain. With an earth-shaking roar, a terrifying energy storm ravaged the surroundings, as if the very heaven and earth energy of the entire Xuanling Outer Shenzhou became turbulent at this moment.

Under the impact of the Palace of Light, the soul-locking chain continuously melted and shattered beneath the holy light.

"Impressive."

Li Luo's dragon pupils held a Solemn look. This King of Light Qi Huang truly lived up to his reputation as the strongest person in the ten Outer Shenzhou today—with one strike, he directly suppressed the Death Calamity Demon King's offensive.

"Clan Leader Zhen, strike with me to contain the 'Joyful Desire Demon King'!" Immediately after, Li Luo said to Zhen Linshuang.

Because when Qi Huang struck, the previously heavily wounded 'Joyful Desire Demon King' was attempting to break free, so they had to intervene to block it.

When Zhen Linshuang heard Li Luo actually giving her orders, her conditioned reflex was to flare up, but she ultimately forced herself to hold back. With a cold snort, her abyss-like dragon maw opened, and destructive dragon breath blasted directly toward the 'Joyful Desire Demon King.'

At Li Luo's forehead, that 'Dragon Ancestor Horn' also flickered with Lei Guang, transforming into a thunderous giant dragon that roared forth.

Under their joint assault, the 'Joyful Desire Demon King' that had just been attempting to break free was immediately suppressed, letting out an angry, piercing shriek.

Li Li Tianwang, Lin Miao, and the Dragon Race's other powerhouses, seeing this scene, all secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Boom!

However, just when they thought today's victory was assured, a sudden change occurred. At Qi Huang's position, the void behind him suddenly shattered, and a withered, skeletal, ghastly pale giant palm reached out from within.

This withered giant palm was wreathed in boundless black qi, within which countless vengeful spirits seemed to wail in agony. Listening carefully, it sounded like countless hungry voices.

Any living being that heard this wailing instantly felt a hunger, while their eyes glowed crimson as they stared at their own flesh and blood, attempting to devour themselves.

Li Luo also noticed this scene, and his face immediately changed, because from that withered giant palm, he sensed a pressure no weaker than Qi Huang's and Zhen Linshuang's.

Another Ten Calamity Demon King!

And this Ten Calamity Demon King had not struck from behind the Dark World's barrier rift—it had torn through space from somewhere within the ten Outer Shenzhou!

Clearly, in response to the Outer Shenzhou Alliance's hunt, the Dark World was also employing every means to counter it.

"It's the long-descended Hunger Calamity Demon King!"

Zhen Linshuang let out a low dragon roar, attempting to intercept the 'Hunger Calamity Demon King's' sneak attack on Qi Huang.

But the 'Joyful Desire Demon King' gave her no such chance. Amid its piercing shriek, its withered flesh and blood ignited, transforming into incomparably terrifying Joyful Demon Flame.

Under its all-out eruption, the restraints Li Luo and Zhen Linshuang had placed on it immediately began to crumble.

"Damn it!"

Zhen Linshuang roared in fury, forced to retract her attack and instead strengthen her suppression of the 'Joyful Desire Demon King,' lest it escape in the chaos and render the Outer Shenzhou Alliance's scheme fruitless.

Li Luo intended to strike, but upon seeing Qi Huang's calm face, he stopped. From the look of it, the other had likely anticipated this.

Sure enough, as the withered giant palm wreathed in terrifying black qi approached Qi Huang, this space was suddenly torn apart by a force. In an instant, silver-white light flashed across heaven and earth.

A clear, ringing sword cry pierced the heavens.

Silver-white sword light surged mightily from the depths of the shattered space, slashing directly toward that withered giant hand.

Boom!

The sword light whistled past, seemingly containing indescribably terrifying cold energy. The withered giant palm wreathed in black qi was forcibly shredded, turning into a skyful of black ice shards.

From the depths of the void came a furious, enraged roar. A massive skeletal figure loomed vaguely, its green-glowing eyes seeming to have starved for countless ages, glaring viciously toward the space from which the silver-white sword light had emerged.

"Heh heh."

From within that space, an aged laughter rang out mightily at this moment.

"Hunger Calamity Demon King."

"Lü Taiyi of Golden Dragon Mountain, I've been waiting for you."

This laughter spread throughout heaven and earth, causing countless powerhouses in the Dragon Domain to look at each other in pleasant surprise.

Li Luo was also taken aback: "Lü Taiyi of Golden Dragon Mountain? Another peak Three-Crowned King, surnamed Lü? Wouldn't that mean he's from the Lü branch where Qing'er resides?"

The foundation of this Golden Dragon Mountain was indeed far beyond what ordinary Li Li Tianwang-level forces could compare to.

Li Luo gazed at that spatial rift, seeing boundless silver-white sword light pouring out from within, forming a galaxy-like torrent of sword light. Above the torrent stood a white-haired elder, carrying an ancient, simple green-edged sword on his back, his gaze piercing through layers of space to lock onto the 'Hunger Calamity Demon King' hidden in the depths of the void.

Li Luo's gaze suddenly shifted, as if drawn by something, toward the area behind that white-haired elder.

On that sword light, there was more than just Lü Taiyi.

There was another figure.

That graceful figure was so familiar.

Li Luo froze, then a tide of complex emotions welled up in his heart.

That was... Lü Qing'er.