Chapter 0719: Mysterious Man
A figure had appeared from the void, one that had been hidden from the senses of everyone present. Even Ox Biaobiao, Chi Chan, and Duze Yan, Dukes, had a complete change in expression. At the very next moment, a look of wariness surfaced in their eyes.
This fellow was foreign to them, and definitely not one of the Dukes they were familiar with in the Xia Kingdom.
Could it be another collaborator with the Origin Reversion Institute?
Even Li Luo was taken aback by the scene, partially because he was unsettled by Jiang Qing'e's ignited Heart of Light. He turned to glance into the air.
This was a man that was not familiar to any of them. As he stood in the void with his hands behind his back, he seemed quite handsome at first glance as he was garbed in a starlight embroidered robe, giving off an extraordinary temperament. On his ear hung a golden, dragon-shaped earring that seemed to be swimming in the air, shining with strange light.
What surprised everyone was the mighty fluctuations coming from his body. This was a feeling that definitely was not inferior to that which Shen Jinxiao previously exuded.
Chi Chan frowned as she asked sternly, "Who are you?"
Based on the intel she had, the Xia Kingdom definitely did not possess such a sixth-grade Duke.
From the person's previously uttered words, he had arrived at the scene long ago and concealed himself. This meant that he had watched the entire battle against Shen Jinxiao. He had not chosen to assist either side, only treating this as mere entertainment, which shrouded his intentions from the rest of them.
When faced with Chi Chan's direct question, the man smiled as he squinted at Li Luo. "You... are you Li Taixuan's son?"
These words caused Li Luo's gaze to flicker as he looked at the newcomer with a look of surprise. "You know my dad?"
"Know him? Of course I know him." A mischievous smile formed on his face.
However, Li Luo instinctively felt a sense of caution towards the strange man. "Greetings, elder. I don't seem to recognize you and currently I'm not free to chat. If you have nothing to add, could I suggest that you take your leave? Some of my friends are rushing over, and if they get the wrong idea and you accidentally confront each other, things would be troublesome for you."
"Just what could be troublesome to me in this backwater and desolate place?" the man indifferently replied.
Seeing how secretive the other party was also made him feel a sense of unrest. Jiang Qing'e's Heart of Light was blazing to an end and time was tight. He was in no mood to continue dragging this conversation out.
Thus, he shot a glance at Chi Chan, planning to have her take Jiang Qing'e away quickly.
At this point the mysterious man laughed. "Brat, do you want to save her?"
Li Luo's gaze flashed. "Do you have a solution, elder?"
"Well, there is a solution..." The man smiled wryly.
When Li Luo heard those words, a massive smile broke out on his face even though he didn't know whether the man was telling the truth.
Just as Li Luo was about to beg him, the man continued, "However, my solution will require you to pay a price."
Li Luo replied without hesitation, "If you are able to save Sister Qing'e, I'm willing to pay any price. Even if it's at the cost of my life!"
"Haha. Li Taixuan has given birth to a love-addled boy." The man showed an ineffable smile.
"I don't need your life. If you are willing to give me the Heavenly Emperor's Writ, I will tell you of a solution."
"Heavenly Emperor's Writ?" Li Luo was dazed for a moment, but he was suddenly reminded of something. He unclenched his fist, and the black plaque appeared in his palm. "Are you referring to this?"
Staring at the black plaque in Li Luo's hand, a burning fervor appeared in the mysterious man's eyes. "Indeed. This is the item."
Li Luo’s eyes flickered as he grasped the ancient and mottled black plaque.
This mysterious expert unknown to the Xia Kingdom not only knew his father, he also held great desire towards the black plaque that had to do with the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li... From these facts, Li Luo could guess the identity of this individual.
"Elder... would you happen to be someone with the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li?" Li Luo asked tentatively.
After hearing Li Luo's words, the mysterious man was taken aback and grinned. "You're a smart one. I am indeed from the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent's Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li. My name is Li Zhiqiu. From a certain point of view, you should call me ‘uncle.’"
At the same time, he stretched his hand out. "Give the Heavenly Emperor's Writ to me. On behalf of us being from the same clan, I will help you."
Li Luo hesitated for a moment. He did not know what other uses the Heavenly Emperor's Writ had, but it definitely was not equal to Jiang Qing'e's life.
Thus, he passed the black plaque over without hesitation.
Upon seeing Li Luo's actions, Li Zhiqiu beamed even more as he reached his hand out to receive it.
However, right at this very instant, a jade-like hand blocked Li Luo. It was none other than Jiang Qing'e.
Li Luo curiously looked at her.
She shook her head and said in a low voice, "His intentions aren't good. He holds a trace of malice towards you. You cannot give it to him."
Li Luo was startled when he heard this. He knew that Jiang Qing'e's Heart of Light allowed her to discern other's intentions, especially now that she had ignited it. Her sensitivity towards such matters was sharper than ever, and if she said so, then this person before them wasn't any saint.
Thus, he quickly retracted his hand, retrieving his black plaque as he warily stared at Li Zhiqiu.
The smile on Li Zhiqiu's face receded slightly as he batted Jiang Qing'e a glance, indifferently saying, "Little girl, being talkative is a bad habit to have."
With that, a golden light shot out of his pupils. It resembled a tiny, golden dragon silhouette, emanating an air of majesty, directly attempting to suppress Jiang Qing'e.
Jiang Qing'e remained ambivalent. She was currently empowered by the sacrificial ignition of her Heart of Light, so she was unafraid. She summoned the light resonant energy from within her like a tide, turning it into a barrier of light that merged into the void.
Bang!
The void trembled.
Ridiculous amounts of energy scattered upon the collision, causing even the void to distort violently.
Jiang Qing'e's delicate body trembled and was knocked backwards countless steps. A rosy tinge could be seen on her beautiful face. An idea floated to mind, but she quickly squashed it.
"Qing'e, don't push your Heart of Light any further. It will only cause the sacrificial ignition to occur more quickly, and hasten its exhaustion!" Chi Chan somberly reminded her as she moved between them, blocking Li Zhiqiu off from her.
Li Luo's expression changed. He could see that the burning of the Heart of Light on her chest had intensified. And it could be seen that Li Zhiqiu's actions had caused yet another portion of the Heart of Light to be ignited.
This immediately caused Li Luo to burst out in fiery anger.
"You bastard! What are you trying to do!?" Li Luo gloomily stared at Li Zhiqiu.
"How rude. Is this how Li Taixuan raised his son?" Li Zhiqiu's face similarly turned overcast as he raised a palm. Golden light resonant power surged out, manifesting in the form of a gigantic, golden dragon claw, complete with scales that radiated with scintillating light.
"I can't be bothered to talk any more with you. I'll just take you away now." As the dragon claw blotted out the sun, Ox Biaobiao, Chi Chan, and Duze Yan were equally aggravated by the audacity of this man. They erupt with majestic amounts of resonant power, preparing themselves to resist.
Just as the golden dragon claw was about to descend, a deafening boom could be heard. Then a peerlessly sharp beam of sword light swept over, slicing through the void.
This also included the golden dragon claw.
The claw shattered, and an icy voice belonging to a female thundered.
"Li Zhiqiu, you have balls! Who gave an outsider like you the right to interfere with matters of the Dragon's Fang Lineage?”