Chapter 903: Slaying the Dragon

When the dark-golden dragon flame roared toward him, Li Luo experienced its terror instantly; the bright, body-protecting Glazed Three Lights surrounding him were almost entirely melted away in an instant.

Only his dual-phase power, which contained the Spirit Mark, displayed exceptional resilience, briefly tangling with the dark-golden dragon flame, but though its grade was high, its strength was ultimately insufficient; as the dragon flame surged violently, the dual-phase power rapidly dissolved into nothingness.

Li Luo's flesh received a sharp pain, serving as a warning to him.

Li Luo's eyes darkened slightly; although he had not underestimated the terror of this dark-golden dragon flame, upon making direct contact, he could not help but be shocked by its power.

No wonder even Li Li Qingfeng was unwilling to try, but instead decisively chose to abandon it.

The rapidly melting body-protecting Glazed Three Lights on Li Luo's side also fell into many gazes, immediately causing countless exclamations; seeing this, it seemed Li Luo would also find it difficult to endure this terrifying dragon flame.

Li Li Fengyi and Li Li Jingtao's faces both showed expressions of worry.

Li Li Qingfeng stared with a blank expression, while Lu Lu Qingmei silently shook her head; indeed, it was still not possible.

Li Li Hongli sneered; the depression in her heart earlier finally dissipated somewhat at this moment, and she said, "Arrogant and conceited! A mere Evil Body Realm cultivator dares to attempt this step; do you truly think miracles will always happen to you?"

In the void above, the high-ranking elders of each branch watched with varying expressions, staring at the tall figure wrapped in dark-golden dragon flame.

As for the many gazes from the outside world, Li Luo paid them no mind; all his mental focus was devoted to resisting the dark-golden dragon flame.

In that instant of contact, he immediately understood that relying solely on defense against this Nine Dragons Fused Fire would likely be ineffective.

After all, even Li Li Jingtao's monstrous defense, so formidable, could only endure and take a single step.

Therefore, this was absolutely not the path to climb the three thousand zhang; at the very least, it was not the path suitable for him, Li Luo.

And Li Luo had never intended to choose this path from the beginning.

Li Luo opened and closed his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them; since he could not endure the Nine Dragons Fused Fire through sheer force, then... what if he directly slashed it apart?

But to slice apart such terrifying dragon flame, how ferocious and domineering would the required power need to be?

Regarding this, Li Luo did not think much; he only wished to unleash a single slash with all his might.

Li Luo took a step forward, and an ancient, straight blade appeared in his hand; it was the Jin Yu Xuanxiang Blade.

He gripped the blade's hilt tightly with his five fingers, the blade body pointing diagonally.

But he did not strike immediately; instead, his entire body remained silent, muscles gradually tensing like a beast about to erupt.

The body-protecting Glazed Three Lights rapidly melted away under many fearful gazes.

After more than ten breaths, the body-protecting mysterious light vanished completely; in that instant, Li Luo's body surface turned red, the high temperature burning his skin until it cracked and flesh tore open, with blood seeping out, only to be evaporated instantly.

But in Li Luo's eyes, at this very moment, a towering sharpness erupted.

Boom!

At this moment, dense and formidable phase power erupted like a volcano; the strength of that phase power was several times greater than Li Luo's usual might.

Moreover, within that pure phase power, deep mysterious qi surged and flowed, emitting a sharpness that made one's eyes sting.

The deep mysterious qi circulated, rushing straight toward the sky, reaching about forty zhang!

Countless gazes were filled with shock at this moment, and the noise boiled over.

Because that deep evil qi was something they knew all too well.

That was evil qi!

The mark of the Extreme Evil Realm!

Li Luo had actually completed a breakthrough at this very moment, stepping directly into the Extreme Evil Realm!

Moreover, with this breakthrough, his evil qi reached a height of forty zhang!

What an incredibly profound foundation!

Only the high-ranking elders in the void understood that Li Luo's breakthrough this time was achieved by using the Dragon Ascent to temper himself; just like a blade edge, the harder it is pressed down, the stronger the rebound force will be.

Li Luo was using this to temper himself, allowing him to achieve a breakthrough under that extreme pressure; and upon breaking through, his evil qi immediately reached forty zhang!

However, ordinary people could not use this method, because there was a risk that under such extreme pressure, their own blade edge would be pressed to the point of snapping, which would be counterproductive.

And Li Luo, at this moment, was attempting to use this extreme rebound force to assault the dark-golden dragon flame.

What a good idea, what courage.

However...

The high-ranking elders of each branch had deep eyes; the dark-golden dragon flame contained a trace of Heavenly Dragon Will, and although Li Luo's extreme rebound was astonishing, breaking out of the fire was not necessarily guaranteed.

Li Li Jingzhe stared at Li Luo's figure with a calm expression, but the hand gripping the armrest tightened slightly.

Further below, Li Li Qingpeng and Li Li Jinpan were even more filled with tense expressions.

Under the gaze of the multitude, Li Luo's essence, energy, and spirit at this moment reached an unprecedented peak; his eyes became extremely fierce as he stared at the dark-golden dragon flame.

The dragon flame surged, and within it, as if a giant dragon was watching him coldly.

Under that gaze, Li Luo's highly condensed essence, energy, and spirit seemed to be impacted as well; that feeling was as if he, right now, was charging with a blade against a true giant dragon.

Like an ant shaking Mount Tai.

Tragic and despairing.

Yet Li Luo did not feel the slightest fear; he had come to the Dragon Tooth Branch not to enjoy himself; his short lifespan, a sword hanging over his head, constantly kept him in a state of urgency.

Strictly speaking, he had only about three years of life remaining.

If he failed to reach the Marquis Realm within three years, he might truly die directly.

This was a secret he had told no one in the Dragon Tooth Branch; even the old man, he had not spoken of it, because the arrogance of youth was at play; although he sometimes always said, "If I have a backer, why strive?", as the son of Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan, how could he lack pride?

He did not want others to know he was a short-lived person, thereby attracting looks of pity and sympathy.

Because in his view, this was not a desperate situation.

Now that he was in the Extreme Evil Realm, the only gap between him and the Marquis Realm was one Heavenly General Rank!

Reaching the Marquis Realm in three years was not unattainable.

Since he could achieve it through his own efforts, there was naturally no need to tell others, lest he invite trouble for no reason.

His thoughts circulated in an instant; Li Luo gripped the blade hilt tightly, and his eyes slowly closed; in his mind, he visualized the "Myriad Phase Dragon Tooth Sword Array."

Thus, that towering and vast "River of Sword Intent Stars" appeared in his mind.

Within it, boundless sword intent surged, its sharpness seemingly capable of cleaving the sun, moon, and stars.

At this moment, the knight charging the great dragon with a tragic air seemed to begin changing; behind the knight, a vast "River of Sword Intent" surged, rushing toward the great dragon alongside him.

Li Luo's blade also slashed out fiercely at this very instant.

It struck directly at the dark-golden dragon fire ahead.

That slash tore through the void, its deep, grim aura ebbing and flowing.

In the void, the gazes of the five Pulse Heads suddenly froze; they seemed to have sensed Li Luo's change. In a vision others could not see, they appeared to witness the surging, vast "River of Sword Intent" behind Li Luo.

The intensity of that sword intent made them squint slightly.

However, in the eyes of the majority, they merely saw Li Luo raising his blade to meet the dark-golden dragon fire; this tragic scene seemed like a desperate struggle at the end of a road.

In the next instant, the blade light collided with the dark-golden dragon fire.

No energy explosion sounded, nor did any shockwave spread.

For the moment contact was made, the blade light passed through the dark-golden dragon fire.

The dark-golden dragon fire underwent no change whatsoever.

Yet, everyone clearly heard that from the depths of the dragon fire, a dragon's roar seemed to sound, and within that roar, an emotion of fear was carried.

It seemed as though something had been obliterated.

Only the five Pulse Heads could see that at the moment of contact, the "River of Sword Intent" collided with the "Heavenly Dragon Will" contained within the depths of the dragon fire, then washed it away completely.

With the dissipation of the "Heavenly Dragon Will," the so-called dragon fire naturally lost its essence.

Therefore, at this moment, countless gazes from inside and outside the Stone Dragon Space witnessed with shock that the originally blazing dark-golden dragon fire began to fade.

The dark gold faded away, gradually turning into the color of ordinary flames.

The hand gripping Li Luo's blade hilt slowly lowered; at this very moment, his spirit was extremely exhausted. The previous slash had not employed any Sealing Marquis Art, yet the consumption upon himself was terrifying.

For that was a battle of wills.

Fortunately, he had won.

Borrowing the "River of Sword Intent" from the "Myriad Aspects Dragon Tooth Sword Array," he obliterated the will contained within that strand of dark-golden dragon fire.

Silence reigned throughout heaven and earth; everyone gazed with shock and confusion at the fading dragon fire, unable to understand how Li Luo had accomplished this.

But Li Luo had no mood to explain to them now, for he lifted his blade and took a step forward.

One step after another.

He encountered no obstruction whatsoever.

His steps were light.

It seemed as though the so-called scorching of dragon fire and the suppression of dragon aura had lost their effect at this very moment.

Finally, amidst countless dazed gazes, he walked directly to the end of the stone stairs, standing at the three-thousand-zhang mark.

At the head of the stone dragon, the youth stood with his blade planted; this fleeting brilliance made the high-ranking elders of the various pulses in the void slightly dazed, as if they had seen Li Taixuan of years past, who had suppressed the peers of the five pulses.