Chapter 1045: Interrogation
Zhao Jinwu's sudden attack caused Li Luo's expression to change. He had never expected that a Duke from the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Zhao would attack him without a second thought for his own reputation.
He must have been affected by the death of Zhao Yan.
However, Li Luo did not show any signs of fear or anxiety. He looked calmly at the falling golden claw. Its overwehlmingly tremendous energy undulations had sealed his surroundings the moment it was launched. There was nowhere for him to escape to in this situation.
Hence, it was pointless for him to even attempt to dodge it.
Besides, even though Zhao Jinwu was a Duke from the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Zhao, Li Luo was not some rogue cultivator with no backing, so killing him in front of everyone was a pipe dream.
As Li Luo expected, a ferocious and thunderous voice roared out just as the golden claw enveloped the whole sky. "Zhao Jinwu, you're an eighth-grade Duke! Aren't you ashamed to attack a junior like this?"
The angry cry had come from Li Jinpan. Along with his words, he punched out, creating a fist manifestation that emanated overwhelming waves of energy. It exuded a monstrously sharp energy, tearing the sky apart with its presence.
Boom!
The fist manifestation clashed against the golden claw. Unsurprisingly, the eighth-grade Duke Zhao Jinwu clearly held the upper hand. After a loud explosion, the golden claw ripped through the energy fist cleanly.
However, it was eventually blocked.
A figure appeared in front of Li Luo in a flash. It was Li Qingpeng.
With a wave of his sleeves, azure light swept across the sky, causing a storm to kick up. The raging winds struck the now dim, golden claw, causing it to tremble before finally breaking apart completely into motes of golden light.
Li Qingpeng kept Li Luo sheltered behind him, and a chilly expression appeared on his usually friendly face. He said coldly, "Zhao Jinwu, do you really think there's no one in the Dragon's Fang Lineage who can deal with you?"
At this moment, the other experts from the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li watched on with furious glares. Strong energy undulations erupted from their bodies, causing the worldly natural energy in the Heavenly Star Plains to shudder violently.
Li Jiluo shouted, "Zhao Jinwu, is the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Zhao just a bunch of sore losers? It's alright to kill our geniuses, but you can't afford to lose if we return the favor? When did the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Zhao become the sole overlord of the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent?"
Tensions rose amongst the two sides. Weapons were drawn and the two forces eyed each other cautiously. A deep grudge existed between them, so they knew that words were meaningless.
Zhao Jinwu's face turned extremely gloomy as he glanced at Li Luo. His expression gradually calmed down as he said indifferently, "I did not strike him because of Zhao Yan's death. I was trying to question Li Luo on his involvement with the True Devil Other that appeared in the Spiritual Resonance Cave!"
Li Jinpan immediately yelled, "Zhao Jinwu, stop maligning others! If throwing accusations is that simple, I could say that the True Devil Other was brought in by your people! Should I capture your juniors and question them in that case?"
"Nonsense!" Zhao Jinwu retorted coldly.
"b.a.s.t.a.r.d Zhao, I bet you were beaten so hard by our Third Brother back that now you're dealing with some post-traumatic stress. The moment his son appeared in front of you, you lost your mind and tried to bully him! Oh right, it wasn't just my Third Brother—my sister-in-law has thrashed you countless times as well." Li Jinpan sneered back angrily.
The veins on Zhao Jinwu's head were visibly throbbing as all the embarra.s.sing matters from the past were revealed in front of the juniors. He glared back at him with eyes full of murderous intent.
"Li Jinpan, you can stop trying to change the topic. At the end of the day, the juniors here did come across the True Devil Other, and it's best that we check to see if any Others have infiltrated their ranks," Qin Lian from the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qing said coolly.
Everyone nodded in agreement after hearing her words. Others were exceptional at hiding, and since the juniors had come into contact with a True Devil Other, it was wise to check them thoroughly.
Qin Lian flicked her finger, and a wisp of flame rose into the air. It slowly transformed into a flame mirror with nine lotus flowers carved into it.
"My Nine Lotus Flaming Mirror of Truth possesses the ability to restrain Others. It's the best tool to use for detecting them. What do you guys think?"
The other experts had no objections. The Nine Lotus Flaming Mirror of Truth was a well known treasure amongst them.
Seeing no one speak up, Qin Lian went on to activate the Nine Lotus Flaming Mirror of Truth. Flames lit up around the mirror, shining brightly onto the youths that had just returned from the Spiritual Resonance Cave.
They could all feel an extreme burning sensation as the mirror's light shone onto them. Under the domineering light, their bodies scorched with burning pain. Fortunately, the light moved away from them after a moment and swiftly swept through the crowd.
Li Luo could also feel his body burning from the light. His skin was stinging from the heat, but he endured it and kept quiet.
However, he soon sensed that something was amiss. The light was shining on him much longer than it had on others.
Additionally, it was extremely tyrannical, making him feel like he had been set ablaze.
Thankfully, a wide palm tapped on his shoulder at this point, and a stream of azure light swept across him, causing the light that was focused upon him to dissipate immediately.
Li Qingpeng had taken action.
He frowned and stared at Qin Lian. "Hall Master Qin Lian, why did you spend so much time on Li Luo?"
Qin Lian's expression did not change as she replied, "Since he's under suspicion, I'll naturally have to check more thoroughly. Hall Master Li Qingpeng, please do not get overly anxious."
"So, what did you discover?" Li Qingpeng asked.
Qin Lian shook her head, clearly disappointed at her results. She withdrew the mirror with a wave of her hand as she explained to the crowd, "There's no traces of Others amongst them."
Everyone finally heaved sighs of relief after hearing her words.
Then Qin Lian said, "Qin Yi, can you share with us in detail what had happened in the Spiritual Resonance Cave?"
Qin Yi nodded gently and recounted the numerous incidents that had occurred in a calm tone. This included the first time they encountered the Other back in the gilded hall.
Many of the experts were surprised when they heard that Li Luo had slain the True Devil Other.
Some of the sharper ones glanced over at the crimson bracelet on Li Luo's wrist. They could faintly sense a wild and savage energy radiating from it. From the looks of it, there was Duke-level spirit beast sealed within.
But... wouldn't a Heavenly Pearl cultivator be concerned about being consumed by the beast?
Regardless, it was still a stunning result that Li Luo could finish off the True Devil.
"Haha, nice one, kid. You've really done well, just like your father back then!" Li Jinpan praised him happily as he slapped Li Luo on the shoulder.
Li Luo smiled bitterly. "I simply borrowed a blade to deal with it, it's nothing much to brag about."
Li Jinpan clicked his tongue. "Do you think anyone can tap upon such a form of external power and wield it casually? If you gave that bracelet to any other Heavenly Pearl cultivator, we'd have someone crippled permanently with each usage!"
On his side, Li Qingpeng also laughed loudly. "Little Luo, you've really made a name for yourself this time. A Heavenly Pearl that slayed a True Devil. Even though the result was not solely due to your strength, it's enough to leave a mark on the Empyrean Chronicle."
As they were praising Li Luo, Qin Yi then proceeded to recount the incident where the mysterious King appeared.
Everyone's face turned serious upon understanding the gravity of the situation.
"Do you know why the King decided to make an appearance?"
Qin Yi shook her head. She continued calmly, "The last scene I saw was Li Luo raising his blade against the King. When I regained consciousness again, the King had already left."
Many of the experts could not help but feel a little unsettled. Li Luo had raised his blade against a King?
Wasn't this brat afraid of dying?
It was akin to an ant charging at a dragon, no?
Even they would be left motionless and in awe before the presence of a regal King. Where had this Li Luo brat found the courage to strike at him?
Qin Lian also frowned as she looked at Qin Yi. This girl was usually quite smart and knew what to say. Why had she chosen to highlight Li Luo's spectacular moment of bravery? Was she looking to cause trouble for him or trying to make him famous? Everyone fell silent momentarily.
After a while, Zhao Jinwu's cold voice broke the silence.
"Everyone, don't you think there's something wrong here? Li Luo and Li Lingjing were present every time the Others appeared. In the end, the mysterious King also chose to appear before the two of them. Isn't that too much of a coincidence? This is why I suspect that the two of them are the reason the Others were attracted to this place! They are the main culprits that caused our talented youths to suffer such great injuries! In fact, I am most curious as to what the two of them possess that could incite even a King into taking action personally!"
When Zhao Jinwu finished his last sentence, everyone's gazes froze.