Chapter 1157: Desperate to Cover Up

"What an elaborate scheme, a perfect substitution! Hahaha, the collaboration between the Sixth Prince and the Third Prince is truly seamless, as expected of such high-ranking figures. Perhaps only someone of your standing could have seen through their machinations! But what leaves us puzzled is what kind of unknown secret a woman like her could possibly convey?"

Xu Yang sneered. "The loves and affections of this world cannot be perfectly described in a few words. Even if this woman, in her lifetime, managed to win the hearts of both the Third Prince and the Sixth Prince, that is all in the past now. These two powerful princes have no time to wallow in the pain of their loss.

"What they must do now is utilize all available resources to contend for control of the empire. If my judgment is correct, this woman very likely holds a crucial secret concerning both the Third Prince and the Sixth Prince.

"However, her body is currently sealed within this ice coffin. If I were to forcibly open it, her unparalleled beauty would quickly decay once exposed to the air. Furthermore, her corpse is of great use to me. Therefore, our immediate priority is to first assist our patron in bringing this whole spectacle to its conclusion."

During their exchange, Old Wu communicated orally. However, Xu Yang, being of a higher caliber, directly projected his spiritual energy into Old Wu's mind, allowing his voice to resonate within Old Wu's consciousness. This method ensured that the plans Xu Yang and Old Wu discussed could not be intercepted by any third party.

Consequently, the spies and assassins from various factions, lurking in the shadows nearby, had no clue about Xu Yang and Old Wu's next moves.

"Come out, all of you. You've been lurking around for quite some time now, and I know that feeling isn't pleasant. Why not speak your minds directly? What's with all the cowering?"

Suddenly, Xu Yang unleashed a powerful wave of sound, which swept through the surrounding mountains and forests in every direction. Soon after, black figures began to emerge one after another. Over three hundred individuals appeared in total. They were all spies and assassins from various factions, drawn there by the treasure the Sixth Prince was transporting to the Third Prince.

However, upon seeing the unparalleled beauty of the Alluring Princess lying within the ice coffin, each of the assassins fell into a momentary trance.

"My heavens, can such an exquisitely beautiful woman truly exist in this world? I always thought the legends about the Alluring Princess were merely exaggerations and fabrications by ordinary folk, embellishing the image of a beautiful woman.

"But to see her today is truly astonishing. What a pity for such a beauty with such a tragic fate; the two men she deeply loved were both willing to forsake a beautiful woman for the sake of their dominion. Otherwise, how could such an unparalleled beauty have met such a lamentable end today?"

Several black-clad assassins nearby couldn't help but lament the woman's tragic life, oblivious to the fact that whether the Alluring Princess had lived happily or not was certainly not for outsiders like them to judge.

Even if her life was filled with hardship, the name "Alluring Princess" has endured through the ages, living a more meaningful existence than these nameless assassin "extras."

"To be frank, we've been following you for a long time. What truly shocks us, however, is that this individual named A-Yang is undeniably an invincible powerhouse. I recently visited the Western Regions, where a newly emerged power called 'Glory' has arisen. Their leader is also named A-Yang. I wonder if you have any connection to him?"

The leading black-clad assassin posed this question, but Xu Yang merely turned, offering him a knowing smile.

"You can guess whatever you like. There are many people in this world who share names. You don't need to know my relationship with that person. What you do need to consider is how you'll escape, because I've decided to focus my power on you."

As Xu Yang's words faded, he raised his hand, and an incredibly potent beam of light from the Jade Bone Divine Sword shot forth into the void. This sword light, now further empowered and intensified by Xu Yang's formidable killing aura, had ascended more than one level in might. In a single instant, it utterly annihilated the leading black-clad man, slicing him into fragments on the spot.

The entire descent of the sword light, as it pulverized the man, felt like destiny itself was rendering judgment on his fate, instilling an overwhelming sense of oppression and helplessness. It seemed that once targeted by the Jade Bone Divine Sword's light from above, no matter how formidable one's strength, death was inescapable.

Of course, reality wasn't as exaggerated as these individuals imagined. It was simply because they completely underestimated Xu Yang's true power, and in their environment, it was rare to encounter a peerless master of Xu Yang's caliber.

Consequently, when Xu Yang's power manifested before them, everyone instinctively perceived him as a god-like being. Furthermore, under the influence of his immensely powerful killing aura, an overwhelming and infinite fear of Xu Yang took root deep within their hearts.

As a result, where they initially had a fifty percent chance of matching Xu Yang, they now found themselves unable to unleash even thirty percent of their strength. The fear and tremor that originated from the depths of their souls simply could not be completely purged.

This was precisely why Xu Yang was currently dedicated to cultivating his killing aura. An individual possessing a sufficiently potent killing aura naturally possessed greater innate battlefield prowess than others of their same rank, enabling them to unleash even more formidable combat capabilities.

"Everyone, seize this coffin! Whoever succeeds will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold!" Several black-masked figures nearby immediately issued this command. It was evident they were allied with the leader Xu Yang had just struck down with his sword.

Hundreds of dark figures soared into the void in different directions, yet their focus remained singularly fixed on the coffin beside Xu Yang, which contained the sealed Alluring Princess.

Xu Yang, however, was exceptionally clever. He simply waved his palm, and an incredibly potent source of energy swiftly converged above the ancient coffin, forming a powerful, devouring barrier around it.

With this barrier serving as a safeguard, even if Xu Yang were to leave the area for a short time, others would be unable to easily seize the coffin. This was because the assassins' strength was simply no match for Xu Yang's god-like power.