Chapter 981: The Contest for Seats

When numerous lotus seats, jade cushions, and stone seats appeared on the Golden Dew Platform, the atmosphere in this stretch of heaven and earth instantly grew lively, and gazes filled with longing and greed shot out one after another.

On the Golden Dew Platform, seats were limited; only those who occupied a seat could receive the Golden Dew Platform's baptism.

Looking over the Golden Dew Platform now, there were roughly a hundred or so seats, and at a glance one could tell that the higher-grade the seat, the greater the benefits.

Golden lotus seats were the rarest, but the competition was bound to be extremely fierce. Among the various powerhouses present, probably only Tian Zhu Jing cultivators who themselves possessed seven-star or eight-star strength would dare covet the golden lotus seats, or else some factions with powerful line-ups who could rely on their might to seize more golden lotus seats.

So in many people's view, the golden lotus seats were almost unrelated to them; if they could snatch a jade cushion, that would already be satisfying.

If it really came to it, a bluestone seat was not unacceptable either.

Li Luo withdrew his gaze from the many seats on the mountaintop, then looked at Li Li Fuling, Li Guan, and the others, and said: "Everyone, after we ascend the platform later, let's seize seats first. Whether it's lotus seats, jade cushions, or bluestone seats, we'll snatch them all and gather them together, rely on everyone's strength to hold them. Once the situation becomes clear, we'll distribute them according to contribution. How about it?"

The competition for seats later was bound to be extremely chaotic, with various factions and rogue cultivators like wolves and tigers. If one snatched alone, it would inevitably attract a pack of wolves to covet, so this was when the role of the collective came into play.

They had many people and great momentum, forming a defensive line to protect the seats they had snatched. Then even if other rogue cultivators were jealous, they wouldn't dare charge their defensive line.

Hearing this, everyone nodded, because this was indeed the method every top faction would choose; it could most effectively bring their collective strength into play.

"Defense is my specialty. When the time comes, everyone send the seats over, and I'll guard them for everyone." Li Li Jingtao said with a smile, being the first to pick a task that suited him best.

"The mission of snatching golden lotus seats may have to rely on Li Lingjing, Li Fuling elder sister, and clan brother Li Guan." Li Luo said.

The strength of the three was the topmost in their team. Li Li Lingjing, an eight-star Tian Zhu Jing, looked down on the entire field; looking around here, the number of people who could contend with her could be counted on one hand. Li Li Fuling and Li Guan were slightly weaker, but they also had the strength of seven-star Tian Zhu Jing, likewise at the top tier. These three had the most strength to compete for golden lotus seats.

Li Li Fuling and Li Guan both nodded. Li Li Lingjing, however, said: "The golden lotus seats I snatch, Li Luo has priority."

Li Li Fuling asked: "What about you, then?"

Li Li Lingjing said indifferently: "I can do without."

Li Li Fuling clicked her tongue twice and said inexplicably sourly: "You're really being a bit too generous."

Li Li Lingjing raised the Green Snake Staff of Azure Bamboo in her hand and said unhurriedly: "Li Luo gave me this; it wouldn't be unfitting for me to give him a golden lotus seat in return."

Li Li Fuling had actually been looking at the Green Snake Staff of Azure Bamboo in Li Li Lingjing's hand just now. The energy fluctuations emanating from it felt oppressive. Now, as Li Li Lingjing displayed it, everyone finally saw the three faint purple vertical marks on it, and immediately cried out involuntarily: "A Three-Purple-Eye treasure?"

A treasure of such grade, even Li Li Fuling had never possessed one. Although such treasures existed in the Dragon Fang Guard, the exchange price was outrageously high; in the past she could only feast her eyes on them.

And now, this Li Luo had actually given such a precious treasure to Li Li Lingjing? What exactly was the relationship between these two?

Li Li Fuling said sourly: "Cousin Li Luo really knows how to spare no expense."

Li Luo gave a dry laugh and said: "Earlier we happened to enter a treasure ground, but we also encountered an extremely terrifying crisis. Elder Sister Li Lingjing's treasure was destroyed. It just so happened that I obtained this item, so I gave it to her to resist powerful enemies; otherwise, we might not even have had a chance to escape."

Then he said to Li Li Lingjing: "Elder Sister Li Lingjing needn't be like this. If we ultimately only snatch one golden lotus seat, you are certainly qualified to have it; you don't need to yield to me."

Li Li Lingjing smiled and didn't say more. It seemed she would have to snatch two more, lest Li Luo lose face and find it hard to accept.

While they were talking here, the Golden Dew Platform on the mountaintop suddenly blazed with light, and faintly there seemed to be the sound of bells and drums rumbling across heaven and earth.

Then everyone discovered at this moment that the tally tokens in their hands bloomed with light, as if summoned by something.

"The Golden Dew Platform has opened, ascend the platform!"

Someone shouted joyfully.

Boom!

In the next instant, countless powerful phase force light pillars shot skyward, phase force radiance of every color illuminated heaven and earth, then the sound of breaking wind rang out, and streams of light shot up, pouncing straight toward the golden platform on the mountaintop.

Li Luo and the others also set off at this moment, over a dozen people gathered together, their momentum like a rainbow as they pierced through the air.

In the span of a brief moment, they had reached the summit and arrived at the Golden Dew Platform area.

Then fiery gazes locked directly onto the seats drifting across the sky.

Li Li Lingjing, Li Li Fuling, and Li Guan charged without hesitation toward the dazzling golden lotus seats at the very front. Brilliant Tian Zhu manifested behind them, drawing in the energy of heaven and earth, emitting powerful energy pressure as a deterrent.

But no one was willing to give up these highest-quality golden lotus seats easily. The prodigies of various factions and some unruly, vicious rogue cultivators all charged over at this moment.

Violent attacks swept across the sky; everyone who tried to approach the golden lotus seats encountered obstruction.

Even Li Li Lingjing, when she charged toward a golden lotus seat, three streams of light pounced over from nearby, all at the six-star Tian Zhu Jing level. The three joined forces and launched an attack on Li Li Lingjing.

Li Li Lingjing's fair and delicate cheeks were utterly cold. She swung the Green Snake Staff in her hand, and domineering green poisonous light smashed down on the three of them head-on.

Boom boom!

The three blocked with everything they had, but the moment they made contact their expressions changed drastically. They saw the poisonous light instantly erode their phase force. One of them, slightly weaker, had his phase force defense melted away; when the poisonous light swept past, one of his arms was directly dissolved into white bone by the venom.

Ah!

This person let out a shrill scream, realized how fearsome Li Li Lingjing before him was, and no longer dared to team up with others, retreating frantically.

Having lost one person's help, the other two were also beaten into a sorry retreat by Li Li Lingjing in an instant. Every swing of the Green Snake Staff seemed to carry force enough to split mountains, battering the two until they kept vomiting blood.

After a moment, the two were seized with fear, no longer dared to entangle, and tried to flee.

But Li Li Lingjing had developed the intent to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys. A cold killing intent flashed in her eyes, the eight Tian Zhu behind her erupted with brilliant light, and two enormous green python staff shadows smashed down through the air.

Boom! Boom!

When the staff shadows fell, the two powerhouses at the six-star Tian Zhu Jing level had their heads smashed on the spot, brains splattering everywhere, extremely bloody.

The gazes watching this battle from all around fell silent as cicadas in winter at the sight. Looking at Li Li Lingjing, fear surfaced in their eyes. The latter looked so delicate and beautiful, yet when she struck, she was like an abyss Rakshasa, cruel and vicious.

Having slain two six-star Tian Zhu practitioners with thunderous means, Li Li Lingjing seized the moment when everyone was chilled with fear, her figure moved, and she landed on a golden lotus seat.

And when Li Li Lingjing occupied a golden lotus seat, figures immediately appeared around her again, thick greed surfacing in their eyes.

"Attack together. Although she's an eight-star Tian Zhu, if we join forces, we can exhaust her to death!" someone incited.

The crowd was eager to try.

But before they could strike, behind Li Li Lingjing a giant pitch-black profound serpent manifested. Her eyes were icy cold; she had already driven surging phase force and struck at the crowd first.

Thus another chaotic great battle erupted.

Similar battles were occurring almost everywhere on this mountaintop.

Let alone the highest-grade golden lotus seats, even at the lowest-grade bluestone seats, fierce contention was erupting.

The struggle for opportunity concerned the future path of cultivation; no one would yield.

The golden lotus seats side was too dangerous—at the very least one needed four-star Tian Zhu Jing strength to dare enter that battle circle—so Li Luo didn't overestimate himself and charge in. He chose the "jade cushion" area as his target; the competitors here were slightly weaker, which suited him best.

But even so, he encountered quite a bit of obstruction.

At this moment, Li Luo stood atop a "Jade Cushion," and the golden jade Mystic Elephant Blade in his hand suddenly slashed down, shattering the void as a black dragon rode the waters and roared forth.

Marquis-class Art, Black Dragon Dark Water Banner!

The Da Cheng Jing Black Dragon Dark Water Banner roared forth with terrifying momentum. A loose cultivator at the Two-Star Tian Zhu Jing showed a look of horror as the phase force around his body was instantly shattered, his flesh riddled with blood holes by the dark water, and then his figure tumbled down from the sky in a sorry state.

Having crushed a Two-Star Tian Zhu Jing loose cultivator in a single strike, Li Luo released the ancient, unadorned straight blade in his hand. With a clench of his palm, a great bow exuding a wild, ferocious aura appeared in his grasp.

Heaven Dragon Sun-Chasing Bow.

He instantly drew the bowstring. The string trembled, and three light arrows of considerable might tore through the long sky and shot forth, violently repelling the three figures that had tried to charge at him from nearby.

"Three-Purple-Eye treasure?!"

Someone cried out in shock. The great bow in Li Luo's hands revealed an extremely threatening power.

So some hesitated briefly, then gave up on his side, turning to snatch the other "Jade Cushions."

Seeing this, Li Luo still did not dare to relax. With an icy expression, he drew the bowstring again while steering the "Jade Cushion" beneath his feet, gradually approaching a region not far away.

There, Li Li Jingtao, Li Li Fengyi and others had formed a circular defensive line. One after another, defensive treasures were activated, guarding the area as if fortified with gold and iron.

Li Luo tossed the "Jade Cushion" beneath his feet into their defensive line, and Li Li Jingtao and the others channeled their phase force, transforming it into a light shield to lock down the "Jade Cushion."

Only then did Li Luo look toward the deepest region. The biggest commotion was on Li Li Lingjing's side. She stood atop a golden lotus seat, drawing a great deal of firepower, but she did not yield even half a step. Anyone who dared to approach was met with her fierce, cold-blooded assault.

On that green serpent staff, fresh blood continuously dripped down.

Li Guan and Li Li Fuling were gradually closing in at this moment, attempting to link up with Li Li Lingjing.

Seeing the two of them, Li Li Lingjing suddenly smacked the golden lotus seat beneath her feet with her green serpent staff, and the lotus seat transformed into a golden light that flew toward them.

"You two, escort it to Li Luo and the others," Li Li Lingjing called crisply. Then the green bamboo serpent staff in her hand transformed into a massive green python that coiled across the sky, its poisonous light sweeping horizontally to force back those who tried to pursue the golden lotus seat.

Li Guan and Li Li Fuling caught the golden lotus seat and swiftly sprinted toward Li Luo's side, shouting fiercely: "This is an item of our Li Li Tianwang lineage. Who dares to snatch it?"

These words did have some effect. The strongest group of people was now fighting over the other golden lotus seats in the inner ring, so the others might not necessarily be able to stop Li Guan and Li Li Fuling, whose strength had reached Seven-Star Tian Zhu Jing.

So the two took the opportunity to shoot through this chaotic region, attempting to cross it.

However, just at this moment, a streak of extremely fierce golden-light phase force suddenly descended like a heavenly sword, slashing straight toward the two of them.

Li Guan and Li Li Fuling's expressions changed. The Tian Pearls behind them spun wildly, and two torrents of phase force surged forth.

Boom!

The two sides clashed head-on, but the attacks of the two were actually shattered outright. The golden-light phase force swept in, blasting them backward again and again.

Li Li Fuling and Li Guan's faces turned ashen. They cast their gazes toward the direction from which the golden-light phase force had come, and saw a figure stepping through the air toward them.

It was Zhao Yan!

Behind Zhao Yan, eight Tian Pearls rotated like stars. His eyes glinted coldly, and he let out a chilling laugh.

"Others don't dare to snatch it, but I do!"

Li Li Fuling and Li Guan's expressions darkened. Facing the prepared Zhao Yan, they were not afraid. Instead, they slapped the golden lotus seat backward, and their figures charged straight at Zhao Yan.

"Li Luo, catch!"

Accompanying their shout, the golden lotus seat flew toward Li Luo, who had noticed the commotion and was rushing over at top speed.

The energy dragon wings behind Li Luo flapped, and he shot forth like a bolt of lightning, his foot stepping onto the golden lotus seat.

Zhao Yan glanced indifferently at Li Luo, then waved his hand.

"Divine General, leave him to you."

As his voice fell, an extremely ferocious figure tore through the air. There was Zhao Divine General, gripping a heavy black spear in his hand, his gaze sinister as he swept in.

He revealed an utterly savage grin at Li Luo.

"Li Luo, this time, who are you counting on to save you?"