Chapter 801: The Fortieth Floor's Suppressed Ambition

Sha Mo Cave, the fortieth floor.

Li Luo stood atop a mountain peak, his gaze solemn as he looked toward the depths of the mountain range. From there, five terrifying waves of energy surged skyward, their pressure rippling outward in waves, rubbing against the air and producing a muffled thunder-like sound.

Those were the Sha Mo leaders of the fortieth floor of Sha Mo Cave.

Originally there had been six, but because Li Luo had previously led the Qing Ming Banner in once before, their first clash had cost the Qing Ming Banner dearly due to being caught off guard.

Because they had been ambushed by the six Sha Mo leaders.

After reaching the fortieth floor, these Sha Mo leaders seemed to have gained some spiritual intelligence. Previously they had merely sat waiting for challengers to come, but this time, they had chosen to strike proactively.

Even Li Luo hadn't anticipated this kind of ambush.

As a result, the Qing Ming Banner suffered heavy damage right from the start, with over a thousand members seriously injured and eliminated. Fortunately, in the end Li Luo went all out and managed to take down one Sha Mo leader.

But afterward, the Qing Ming Banner no longer had the strength to continue fighting, and Li Luo decisively chose to withdraw.

Then, after more than half a day of rest, they came back again.

"Five Void Marquis-level Sha Mo leaders—when they join forces, their power is no less than a First Grade Marquis." Beside Li Luo, Zhao Zhao Yanzhi also gazed solemnly toward the five ferocious creatures deep in the forest and remarked.

"The fortieth floor is a major checkpoint, so naturally the difficulty isn't low. Previously, Deng Deng Fengxian was also stuck here for several days. Later, by wearing them down again and again, she reduced the number of Sha Mo leaders before finally passing through." Li Luo nodded and said.

"We must clear this checkpoint today!" Li Luo said with iron resolve, because in a few more days would be the birthday of the head of the "Dragon Blood Line," and they would all attend. This was also considered a grand event for Li Li Tianwang's lineage, and would invite many guests from Outer Shenzhou.

Of course, Li Luo cared about this matter not to celebrate, but entirely for the sake of the "Mystic Yellow Dragon Qi Pool." So he hoped to clear the fortieth floor today, so that in the next few days he could attempt to access the Dragon Fang Line's Marquis Conferring Art.

This might be able to enhance some of his combat power.

After all, at the Mystic Yellow Dragon Qi Pool, the banner leaders of each banner would surely go all out, and a great battle was inevitable.

"United Qi!"

Li Luo's eyes turned icy, and his shout rang out.

Boom!

The next moment, tremendous energy surged skyward, spreading across the sky like an ocean of energy. The energy pressure bore down like a mountain range, and even the towering trees around them bent and snapped one after another.

At the very same moment this energy appeared, the five Void Marquis-level Sha Mo leaders had already sensed it. Immediately, thunderous roars echoed as their fierce gazes locked onto this side. As their massive jaws opened and closed, five energy ribbons directly tore through the long sky and bombarded toward the location of Li Luo and his group.

Li Luo, already well-practiced, merged with the "United Qi." Feeling that seemingly inexhaustible power, he directly extended five fingers.

Brilliant energy gathered at his fingertips, and in just a few breaths, transformed into five blade wheels roughly a hundred zhang in size.

Hum!

The blade wheels spun at high speed, and in the next instant, shot out with a sonic boom, colliding with the five energy ribbons.

Hum hum!

Piercing sounds reverberated through the void, and the violent energy shockwaves caused the mountains to collapse continuously—the destructive power was terrifying.

But in the end, both sides' energies were completely exhausted, transforming into a sky full of light points that drifted down like a gorgeous rain.

Yet beneath this gorgeousness lurked killing intent.

Five Sha Mo leaders with eight arms each charged out like giant beasts. Their bodies reflected a metallic sheen, giving an indestructible impression, and terrifying energy storms continuously ravaged outward from them as the source.

They had a clear division of labor—three charged toward Li Luo in midair, while the other two headed for the Qing Ming Banner members in the "United Qi" state. They seemed to understand that Li Luo's power came precisely from these banner members.

"Cunning."

Li Luo's expression was cold. The next moment, his hands suddenly formed seals, and within the tremendous ocean of energy, a massive dragon shadow appeared. The dragon shadow opened its dragon maw, within which seemed to be a world of thunder brewing.

"Nine Revolving Art, Heavenly Dragon Thunder Breath!"

Li Luo's low shout suddenly rang out. The vast thunder-liquid dragon breath descended like a silver waterfall, carrying destructive might, and swept directly toward the three charging Sha Mo leaders.

The three Sha Mo leaders sensed the danger and immediately halted. Their eight arms behind them all formed seals, and tremendous brilliant energy condensed between their eight palms at lightning speed, finally transforming into three thousand-zhang light spheres.

The moment these three light spheres appeared, they were like three blazing suns, illuminating ten thousand li.

Boom!

The three light spheres, which condensed all the power of the Sha Mo leaders, pierced through the sky and collided with the vast thunder dragon breath.

Boom boom!

An indescribable energy hurricane swept across the sky, directly causing this space to become somewhat unstable. The void showed signs of distortion and collapse.

The combined might of three Void Marquis-level Sha Mo leaders was extraordinary, but to shake Li Luo, who currently controlled the Qing Ming Banner's "United Qi," was no simple matter. After all, in terms of energy intensity, the current Li Luo was no less than a true First Grade Marquis.

Rumble!

The thunder dragon breath washed over them, and the three Sha Mo leaders let out miserable howls. Their massive bodies shot awkwardly into the mountain range, smashing mountain peak after mountain peak to pieces.

Struck by the thunder dragon breath, half of their eight arms were directly melted away.

But in the brief moment Li Luo was entangled by the three Sha Mo leaders, the other two Sha Mo leaders had charged into the area where the Qing Ming Banner members were. They shattered layer after layer of energy barriers, and finally the eight thousand banner members were exposed before their eyes.

Then, the two Sha Mo leaders charged in like wolves among sheep and immediately began slaughtering.

But strangely, as their attacks swept through, the eight thousand banner members sitting cross-legged on the ground gradually became illusory.

This scene made the two Sha Mo leaders pause in bewilderment.

"Fools, they're just phantoms."

From high above came Li Luo's cold laugh. It turned out that the position of the Qing Ming Banner members had long been hidden by him using a refraction illusion formed by his water phase power. What these two Sha Mo leaders had found were merely phantoms.

Roar!

As Li Luo's voice fell, a dragon cry rang out. The void shattered, and a black dragon rode forth on jet-black black water, piercing through the sky, and then submerged the two Sha Mo leaders.

When the black water dissipated, these two Sha Mo leaders, whose strength rivaled the Void Marquis level, were directly melted away.

In just a brief exchange, of the five Sha Mo leaders, three were wounded and two were eliminated.

Li Luo saw this scene and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, but the force of his attacks did not diminish in the slightest. He directly drove the tremendous energy to brew wave after wave of attacks, beginning to sweep toward the remaining three Sha Mo leaders.

Under Li Luo's offensive, the three Sha Mo leaders gradually revealed their disadvantage. Finally, when Li Luo used his last strength to unleash the Heavenly Dragon Thunder Breath and the Black Dragon Dark Water Banner's attack, the three Sha Mo leaders were completely defeated.

The mountain range was a scene of utter devastation.

Li Luo descended from the sky with a pale face, and from the dense forest behind, the eight thousand banner members erupted in thunderous cheers.

Because from now on, their Qing Ming Banner had finally joined the ranks of those who had entered the fortieth floor!

Li Luo listened to the cheering, and a smile also surfaced on his face. Having cleared the fortieth floor, he would finally have the chance to come into contact with the Dragon Fang Lineage's Marquis-Grade Art.

All the effort of this period had finally come time to harvest its rewards.