Chapter 0980: Li Luo's Plan

Li Luo stared at the battle in the air between the Soul Eater True Devil and Li Lingjing. He clenched his fists and his expression turned heavy.

Clearly, Li Lingjing didn't think the alliance could deal with the Soul Eater True Devil.

This was probably the truth. The three leaders with the highest cultivation levels, Li Lingjing, Qin Ying, and Zhu Zhu, were already at a disadvantage from the start, and the ones supporting them were attacked and slaughtered by the Soul Eater True Devil as time went by.

With the way things were going, their cohesive strength would be greatly depleted in just a short while. The Soul Eater True Devil would be able to do whatever it wished very soon.

Li Lingjing also understood that this was the case and had prepared an escape route for Li Luo.

Although he was a little surprised that Li Lingjing had the means to escape through the mist, he understood that she had her own secrets and did not ask too much.

However, abandoning her to escape by himself just wasn't something he planned to do.

Additionally, the situation didn't seem that dire.

Li Luo continued to observe the Soul Eater True Devil in the sky as his finger gently brushed the crimson bracelet on his wrist. He did not know if utilizing the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf's power would cause him to be similarly suppressed like the Soul Eater True Devil. That being said, he had the confidence that borrowing its strength would allow himself and Li Lingjing to escape safely.

It was his final trump card, but there was no need to use it yet.

Why? There were still numerous existences in the gilded hall that could deal with the Soul Eater True Devil.

Li Luo's eyes flickered and his gaze shot towards a certain location within the black mist. He remembered the lantern bearer, who clearly held a status that was far superior to the average Sacred Void Resonance Sect disciple. His mere presence gave Li Luo a sense of immense pressure that indicated it was likely a Duke.

Perhaps the lantern bearer was the highest ranked individual within the gilded hall and might have been tasked to oversee the area.

If he could rouse the lantern bearer from his befuddled state, he might be able to borrow his strength to deal with the Soul Eater True Devil!

If that came to be, he could save the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf for a more opportune time.

That being said, he did not know if the lantern bearer could even be manipulated, but he would still try.

With this thought in mind, his figure flashed forward as he moved towards Qin Yi and Zhu Dayu. "My two friends, I suppose you understand the current situation... right?"

Qin Yi and Zhu Dayu both had grim expressions. The sense of oppression the Soul Eater True Devil gave off was so intense that even Qin Ying and Zhu Zhu were left in a pitiful state.

The situation wasn't going well.

Qin Yi's eyes flashed as she asked, "Do you have an idea, Dragon's Head Li Luo?"

Although she did not know what Li Luo, a mere Fiend Finisher, could do in the face of such a dominant foe, she didn't reply in disdain but asked cautiously.

"I don't know if this is a solution, but I wonder, have the two of you come across the lantern bearer?" Li Luo asked.

When they heard his words, their expressions changed and they nodded. "You've also chanced upon the lantern bearer? We did meet him previously, but he is extremely dangerous, so we dared not approach. I heard that someone tried to get close to him to see if they could discover any opportunities."

Li Luo asked in surprise, "What happened after?"

Qin Yi frowned slightly. "He was completely untouchable. The lantern bearer doesn't seem to exist in our plane, and no matter how close we approach him, we cannot so much as touch him."

Zhu Dayu then asked, "Are you hoping to borrow his strength to deal with the Other? The idea is good, but it will not work out, unfortunately. The lantern bearer is a mysterious ethereal existence. We can't even tell if he truly exists, so how can you borrow his strength?"

This was met with Li Luo's calm reply. "I've got to give it a try regardless. Otherwise, if things continue progressing this way, the situation will definitely turn out to be a disaster."

"So, what do you plan to do?" Qin Yi asked after thinking deeply.

Li Luo grinned. "I was hoping you could help open a path for me. There are many corrupted individuals blocking the way, so I can’t go out there on my own. I'll see if I have any means to get the lantern bearer to act."

Zhu Dayu was taken aback. "The entire area is filled with black mist. If you were to linger inside it for too long, you might also be corrupted. Even so, you dare to take the risk?"

Qin Yi similarly stared at Li Luo in surprise. She had never expected him to take on such a risk.

"If I languish here and do nothing, I'll die in the end as well. So instead of inaction, I'll take the risk and see if I can find an opportunity," Li Luo reluctantly explained with a sense of righteousness.

He would not tell them about the black rune Li Lingjing had given him for his protection.

Complicated gazes from all around fell upon him, coupled with respect and admiration.

Zhu Dayu's chubby face also changed upon hearing those words. "Brother, you're truly noble. If misfortune falls upon you, I will definitely burn some incense for you at the Dragon's Fang Lineage..."

Li Luo guffawed. "If I'm misfortune enough to die here, do you think you will be able to live as well?"

That damned fatty was truly dreaming. Did he really think that Li Luo was going to sacrifice himself?

Qin Yi's gaze wavered slightly. Li Luo was not an impulsive person. The fact that he wanted to look for the lantern bearer at this time indicated that he had found some sort of clue. At the very least, this was not a whim built on purely hotheaded hope.

Thus, she felt that there was a possibility of success.

"If Dragon's Head Li Luo wants to try, we will do our best to create a path for you," Qin Yi stated.

The situation was deteriorating, and Li Luo had an idea that could reverse it. This was a good thing for everyone.

The rest hurriedly assented as well.

"Then I'll have to trouble all of you," Li Luo said. He did not hesitate any longer. Based on his memory, he recalled the direction in which he had spotted the lantern bearer and rushed towards him.

Numerous corrupted individuals surged towards him, screeching at the top of their lungs.

However, Li Luo did not have to take action as the people around him swiftly activated their resonant arts, blocking the attacks before gradually tearing a hole in the encirclement of corrupted.

The gloomy mist squirmed as the rest carved a way in for Li Luo, causing all who saw it to feel a shudder run down their backs.

The group showed looks of fear as they did not dare to approach the mist.

Li Luo did not hesitate. He charged forward and directly carved a path through the corrupted under the complicated gazes of the crowd. The mist then surged forth once again, covering up the gap and swallowing up every trace of him.

Zhu Dayu glanced at his fading figure and sighed. "My good brother, I hope you will come back alive."

At this point, Li Lingjing glanced downwards. She thought he had finally taken the opportunity to escape with the help of the black rune she had given him.

With that, she heaved a sigh of relief. The previous few years of her life were like living in a hellish limbo where life was worse than death. She constantly grappled with the darkness and yet never even saw so much as a glimpse of light. Things only changed when Li Luo arrived at the desolate courtyard that everyone had abandoned.

He had rescued her from the depths of despair. After which, he even brought her to the Dragon's Fang Lineage to have the True Devil taken care of, and thus she held immense gratitude towards him.

"Cousin Li Luo... the Soul Eater True Devil is here for me. I'll stall him and give you time to escape... You have peerless talent and will eventually stand supreme amongst the heavens and the earth. I will protect your future today," Li Lingjing said to herself as she tightly grasped the cold Aquamarine Bamboo Python Staff. Her gaze turned icy and dark as the gigantic Abyssal Serpent manifestation behind her transformed into a female figure that looked identical to herself.

This manifestation exuded a sense of majesty and mystery whilst immediately allowing Li Lingjing to become more in tune with the worldly natural energy around her.

Lower ninth-grade: Abyssal Serpent resonance.

……

As Li Luo barreled through the mist, the black rune in his hand turned into a film of light that enveloped him. The black mist did not attack him, and it even seemed to treat him like an Other.

Li Luo's tense heart finally relaxed a little, but he did not slacken his pace. Instead, he sped up and rushed to the location in his memory.

He glanced in every direction as he surveyed the broken buildings he rushed past.

"Lantern bro, where are you?" Li Luo anxiously shouted. When his voice echoed, he suddenly felt the hairs on his back stand on end. His entire body screamed in warning as he quickly turned his head and glanced at a corridor to the right. It was there where he saw an ephemeral figure with a lantern, dragging his footsteps and wandering around.

Wherever he went, the black mist would part and hover a few feet away from him, making it difficult to approach him.

Li Luo's expression stiffened. Now that he had found him, he would have to test if his idea would work. Otherwise, he could only return in defeat and slaughter the True Devil Other with the aid of the Three-tailed Heavenly Wolf. If that plan failed as well, he could at least escape with Li Lingjing.

Although she wanted him to escape at the first opportunity, his personality would never allow him to do so. No matter how bad the situation was, he would never abandon her and escape by himself.