Chapter 1618: Battling Shen Jinxiao Again

As Shen Jinxiao's sinister laugh echoed throughout House Luolan's headquarters, the black banner in his hand began to emit a boundless blood mist with a bloody stench, covering the sky and the sun.

When the blood mist reached them, the world around Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e transformed into a sea of blood. The sea churned beneath their feet, and humongous waves kicked up. A gloomy energy filled the air.

"His banner is a Venerated Heirloom. Transforming the environment into a sea of blood is its ability. If we fight here, he'll be at an advantage," Li Luo said after assessing the situation.

"That's good. I was worried that our battle would destroy the buildings. We don't have to hold back now." Jiang Qing'e tightly gripped the Holy Phoenix Parasol. Her initial thought was to vaporize the entire blood sea, but after hearing Li Luo's words, she decided against it.

Li Luo couldn't help but grin. "This is the first time Shen Jinxiao has done something that we agree with. How does the saying go? When a man is about to die, their actions and words are gold?"

Even though this wasn't the right situation, Jiang Qing'e was a little amused at his words, and her red lips curled up slightly.

Shen Jinxiao could hear everything they were saying. His eyes overflowed with murderous intent as he said, "No matter how sharp your tongue is, you won't be able to escape death today. Jiang Qing'e, you managed to escape from the palm of my hand all those years ago. This time, I'll be sure to dig out your Heart of Light and savor it!"

Feeling annoyed by the duo’s banter, he yelled, "My friends, let's work together and kill them!"

He then took a step forward and waved the black devil banner, causing the blood sea to surge. A gigantic palm of blood rose up from the depths and swung explosively towards Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e. The hand was covered in twisted runic patterns that gave off the fluctuations of source origin energy. The blood energy alone was like a poison, capable of causing any ninth-grade Duke to be disintegrated upon contact.

Since Shen Jinxiao was on the level of a False King, he was capable of wielding the King's Blood and Bone Devil Banner, allowing his strength to reach terrifying heights.

Seeing Shen Jinxiao take action, the giant golden-armored man's eyes blazed with fury, and he let out an unintelligible, guttural roar. He kicked out with one leg and ripped open a humongous spatial rift on the surface of the blood sea. Then, blood runes appeared on his golden armor. With a bang, he shot forward in a golden beam of light speckled with red, moving so quickly that sonic booms were heard. He was flying directly at Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e!

A dark golden fist manifestation slammed towards them, shattering the void in its wake.

Li Lingjing's enchanting face remained neutral while her snake-like eyes flickered mysteriously. She looked at Shen Jinxiao and the King's Blood and Bone Devil Banner. It was an impressive Venerated Heirloom. The Emptiness Heavenly Emperor had bestowed it on him personally, and it had incredible defensive capabilities. As long as it was protecting him, she couldn't harm him. Such an ambush had to be a one-hit kill to prevent any complications. Thus, she waved her slender, scaly hands in the air, causing an onyx serpent to appear in the void. It attacked Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e.

When faced with the attacks of three False Kings, Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e didn't underestimate any of them. Jiang Qing'e was the first to block, opening up her Holy Phoenix Parasol. The Holy Phoenix adorning the surface of the umbrella flapped its wings and let out a clear cry. The golden mark between her eyebrows cracked open, releasing the Apex Resonance Crystal Core. Boundless light resonant power spilled out. The Holy Phoenix Parasol emitted billions of rays of light, forming an impenetrable shield.

Holy Phoenix's Bulwark!

The gigantic blood hand collided with the Holy Phoenix's Bulwark directly, and the titanic powers struggled to overcome each other. The void around the zone of impact fragmented and shattered, and the blood sea began to evaporate.

The Holy Phoenix's Bulwark overflowed with divine light resonant power, and easily purified the poisonous aura of the blood hand.

However, the Golden Armored Giant arrived with a loud roar, barrelling through space. His robust body was akin to an apocalyptic beast. The tyrannical fist manifestation crashed down towards Jiang Qing'e, crushing even spatial fragments into dust. However, just as the fist manifestation approached her, Li Luo stepped up and let out a draconic roar that was loud as a thunderclap.

He was equipped with the Heavenly Dragon's Five Treasures, and his eyes had transformed into those of a Heavenly Dragon. His body swiftly expanded, turning much more imposing and well-built. His hair also grew and became violet-gold, flowing in the wind. Now he resembled a humanoid Heavenly Dragon. His body had been further augmented with Heavenly Dragon resonant power and had reached a frightening state.

Despite how intimidating the Golden Armored Giant was, he didn't plan to avoid the attack—he was going to meet it head-on. He swung his fist, creating a violet-gold fist manifestation that resembled a Heavenly Dragon. It shot forward, exuding intimidating draconic might, and crashed into the dark gold fist manifestation, speckled with bloody light.

Bang!

It was like two meteorites colliding, sending shockwaves in every direction. The space around them collapsed, and the sea of blood was stirred up violently, causing tsunamis to form.

In a few short moments, the fist manifestations clashed hundreds of times. In the end, the tyrannical fist of the Golden Armored Giant was defeated.

When the Golden Armored Giant saw that Li Luo had opted to face him with brute force, he let out a berserk howl, and his crimson eyes burned with the desire to rip his opponent to shreds.

"Die for me, ant!" he roared. Afterwards, a black vertical mark appeared between his brows. It split open, revealing an obsidian sound-based Crystal Core. However, the Crystal Core seemed a little odd. Countless squirming black blood strands extended from it, spreading all across the Golden Armored Giant's body and causing him to grow even larger.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The fist manifestation from earlier began to surge with a black light.

"Ultimate Devil Corruption Seed?" Li Luo mumbled to himself. He then activated the Dragon Sacred Seed, and a violet-gold mark appeared between his brows, splitting open to reveal a violet-gold Crystal Core that resembled a vertical divine eye.

Upper ninth-grade Heavenly Dragon resonance!

At the same time, the Clarion Horn on his waist emitted a low and primordial draconic roar. The sound waves penetrated his body and roused his flesh and blood. The horn had enhanced his physical capabilities and greatly amplified the Heavenly Dragon resonant power.

He took a step forward, shattering the void beneath his feet as he swung his fist once more. The fist manifestation he had created this time was like a Heavenly Dragon piercing the firmament, barreling right at the Golden Armored Giant's fist manifestation.

Bang!

Terrifying energy undulations rippled in every direction as the blood sea tossed and turned beneath. The void was obliterated as the Golden Armored Giant crashed down like a meteor, the impact creating a wave that reached the skies.

Li Luo had actually managed to come out on top of this clash despite the Ultimate Devil Corruption Seed being activated!

"So what if you're a False King? Even without the Heavenly Dragon Formation, I have nothing to fear!" Li Luo declared as he floated in the air. He emanated an aura that would instill fear in any foe. The violet-gold Apex Resonance Crystal Core emitted a roar of its own. Above him, the six Ten-Pillar Golden Duke Bergfrieds emitted scintillating light of all colors.

At this moment, the void trembled, and a titanic serpent blasted towards him from the void, spewing a mouthful of gloomy mist. The mist emitted a hissing sound capable of enrapturing one’s soul, penetrating physical defenses, and harming one's mental state. This caused Li Luo's vision to dim slightly. However, before he could make a move, vast amounts of divine light imbued with sacred flames flew over and purified the roiling fog, destroying the serpent.

The blood sea then exploded. A figure radiating a violent aura rushed into the skies yet again. It was the Golden Armored Giant, and there was now a bloody hole about a foot deep in his chest. If one were to look closer, they would see countless black vine-like objects sprouting out of the injury. They squirmed and spread, closing up the wound.

"I want you to die!" The scarlet eyes of the Golden Armored Giant were overflowing with murderous madness. It seemed Li Luo's strike had enraged him further.

Clearly, this fellow wasn't of sound mind. Maybe slaughter was the only thing on his mind, possibly a side-effect of assimilating the Ultimate Devil Corruption Seed.

"Blackgold Vine Monster's Eight Hand Strikes!" the Golden Armored Giant bellowed brutally as his body flickered and reappeared right in front of Li Luo.

His flesh and blood ripped apart, and countless black vines shot out of his chest, covering his hands like a pair of gauntlets. The vines piled up in countless layers, growing until his hands were a hundred feet wide. The expanded hands then formed a hand seal, and a frightful attack was launched at Li Luo.

Li Luo's eyes narrowed slightly as he could sense how ferocious the incoming move was. The Apex Resonance Crystal Core on his head flashed with violet-gold light, and he opened his mouth, spewing out violet-gold light dragonbreath that was created with source origin energy.

Bang!

The void was shaken by their attacks yet again. The Golden Armored Giant's black vines were constantly disintegrated, but their tenacious vitality allowed them to regenerate just as quickly. Soon, he managed to break through the dragonbreath and attempted to entangle Li Luo.

Li Luo's expression was icy as he ignored the black vines. He waved his hand, and the Light and Dark Spear appeared, glinting with cold light. He threw it forward like a javelin, spiraling towards the Golden Armored Giant's chest in a beam of golden light.

The Golden Armored Giant's chest exploded, but there was no heart to be stabbed. Instead, black vines crept out of the gap endlessly, entwining themselves around the spear and preventing it from piercing deeper. However, the Light and Dark Spear released tyrannical resonant power that melted the vines. It then forced itself deeper into the body of the Golden Armored Giant.

The Golden Armored Giant then roared violently, his vine hands covering half of Li Luo's body.

"This is a good opportunity! Aquamarine Python! I'll hold back Jiang Qing'e! You assist Golden Armor in killing Li Luo!" Shen Jinxiao shouted.

He then waved the pitch-black banner, unleashing a surging river of blood. Billions of souls could be seen within the waters as they flooded Jiang Qing'e, attempting to restrain her from taking action.

When Li Lingjing saw this, her slender body disappeared like a ghost. In the next instant, she reappeared behind the Golden Armored Giant. Gripping the Aquamarine Bamboo Python Staff, the Ultimate Devil Corruption Seed on her forehead erupted with evil light, casting a dreadful glow upon her devilish features. Her expression was callous and indifferent as she brought the staff down with boundless killing intent, the overbearing force causing the void to shatter.

Shen Jinxiao's eyes lit up with excitement. Li Lingjing had clearly struck with all her strength! He was certain Li Luo would be critically injured, no matter how powerful his Heavenly Dragon physique was.

"Jiang Qing'e, I'll let you watch powerlessly as Li Luo dies before your eyes!" Shen Jinxiao's expression twisted into a perverted smile.

But just as he burst into sinister laughter, Li Lingjing's full-power strike landed viciously... on the Golden Armored Giant's cranium.

Bang!

Flesh and bone exploded, scattering in every direction, along with a spray of liquified brain matter.

Shen Jinxiao's deranged laughter died down immediately.