Chapter 1192: Bet

This statement caused an uproar among the entire audience.

Previously, Crown Prince Jinwu's arrogance was understandable; he was a Grandmaster and the heir to the Demon Emperor, giving him reason to be so.

But what justification did Zu An, a mere human, have?

Beyond being tall, handsome, and skilled at charming women, what else did he possess?

His cultivation level appeared to be only Ninth Rank, at least one major realm below Crown Prince Jinwu.

It was well-known that Crown Prince Jinwu was a renowned genius. Many years ago, he had already surpassed all other experts of his generation among the demon race, proving invincible among those of the same rank and even frequently defeating opponents one or two levels above him.

Now, facing someone with an inferior cultivation level, the outcome was bound to be brutal.

Elders Bai and Qing secretly shook their heads, thinking that young people often valued face and were prone to impulsive behavior. Crown Prince Jinwu had offered to suppress his cultivation to the same level, which would have been an excellent opportunity for Zu An, perhaps even giving him a slim chance of victory.

Yet, this fellow insisted on being overly ambitious, outright rejecting a condition that would have benefited him.

How could the Matriarch have taken a liking to such a hothead?

However, Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen held different views. They secretly nodded, believing that true power stemmed from such an unyielding spirit.

The opponent was only one realm higher, not creating an insurmountable gap. If Zu An had truly accepted those terms, he might have lost his belief in victory, potentially leaving a crack in his cultivation path.

Still, Crown Prince Jinwu's strength was indeed extraordinary, and Zu An had recently sustained an injury. A real fight would likely still be dangerous for him.

At this moment, Crown Prince Jinwu burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the hall and causing those with lower cultivation levels to turn pale.

"Very good, I have never encountered such arrogance," he said, his gaze fixed on Zu An as if he were already dead. "But a mere contest is somewhat dull. How about we raise the stakes? If you lose, your two women will spend a night with me."

He had noticed the seemingly intimate relationship between the individuals but inferred that it hadn't yet reached its final stage.

After their recent verbal exchange, Crown Prince Jinwu was furious. He decided to not only conquer this man but also the women who liked him, taking their "first prize" before him and completely shattering the man's Dao heart.

This was the consequence of opposing him.

Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen's faces were so dark they looked like a storm was brewing. That "birdman" truly had a foul mouth.

Yu Yanluo also wore a strange expression. She was the only one in the room who knew the true identities of the two women. She mused that if these two were truly Ah Zu's women, he could effectively walk sideways across the entire world from then on.

Everyone expected Zu An to refuse, as the stakes were simply too high. No man could tolerate wagering his women.

To everyone's surprise, Zu An readily agreed: "No problem. But since it's a wager, it must be fair. What will you give me if you lose?"

Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen, however, glared at Zu An. They had just been worried about him, and now he had turned around and "sold" them?

Rage value from Yun Jianyue: 222,222,222…

Rage value from Yan Xuehen: 222,222,222…

"Are we your women to be wagered?"

"Besides, what if you lose?"

Yu Yanluo, however, secretly chuckled. She had known Zu An for a considerable time and understood his mischievous nature. He was clearly thinking that even if he lost, Crown Prince Jinwu wouldn't be able to do anything to two Grandmasters. He was essentially pulling off a scheme for nothing.

Crown Prince Jinwu arrogantly declared, "How could I possibly lose!"

Zu An retorted coldly, "In any gamble, there's no winning without the possibility of losing. How about this: if you lose, you hand over your Crown Princess to me."

"How dare you!" the golden-armored warriors standing behind him roared, glaring at Zu An.

Elders Bai and Qing also paled with shock. To utter such treasonous words—if they reached the Demon Emperor's ears, not even the Matriarch could protect him.

"You seek death!" Crown Prince Jinwu exploded in rage, instantly flashing forward and charging at Zu An.

Rage value from Crown Prince Jinwu: 566,566,566…

Zu An exerted a gentle force, pushing Yu Yanluo toward Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen to prevent her from being accidentally injured.

Yun Jianyue caught her, her expression incredibly strange. "This brat desires the Crown Princess; why didn't he wager you instead of us?"

Yu Yanluo explained on Zu An's behalf, "Precisely because you two aren't officially involved with him, he can say that. If he truly loses, you won't be held accountable."

Yan Xuehen was both embarrassed and annoyed. "I still feel like we got the raw end of the deal."

Yun Jianyue cast a sidelong glance at Yu Yanluo. This woman had only recently become intimate with Zu An, and now she was acting as if they were "insiders" while Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen were "outsiders." While technically true, it sounded incredibly displeasing.

After much thought, she concluded that Zu An was the real culprit. Gritting her teeth, she declared, "Once my injuries heal, I'll string that guy up and beat him!"

Yan Xuehen nodded in strong agreement, "Agreed!"

However, the three women's attention was quickly drawn to the battle. To prevent the aftershocks of their fight from collapsing the Snake Race's council hall or harming the city's inhabitants, Zu An and Crown Prince Jinwu fought their way, by mutual unspoken agreement, towards a valley outside the city.

The others hastily followed, but with many injured or weak, their speed was far inferior to the two combatants.

From afar, they saw the two combatants each fly to a mountain peak and confront each other.

Crown Prince Jinwu stood tall, his eyes gleaming fiercely. He resembled a demonic god on the mountaintop, exuding an intense pressure that could be felt from a great distance. "You're not even at the Grandmaster realm, yet you can fly, and so fast?"

Zu An chuckled, "What's wrong? Are you scared?"

"Ridiculous! Would I, the Crown Prince, be scared?" Crown Prince Jinwu flared in anger. "Your speed is no different from an ant's in the eyes of our Golden Crow Royal Family."

Rage value from Crown Prince Jinwu: 277,277,277…

No sooner had he spoken than he attacked. Among the demon race, the most incredible speed technique was the "Heavenly Roc Traverse" of the Golden Roc Royal Family.

"A great roc rises with the wind in a single day, soaring ninety thousand miles straight into the heavens!"

And their Golden Crow Royal Family's "Golden Crow Streamer" could rival the Heavenly Roc Traverse!

He transformed into a golden streak of light and surged forward. His golden claws seemed to compress the very space around them.

"So fast!" Zu An was startled, but thankfully, in the past two years, he had exchanged blows with countless top-tier masters. He had fought not only Grandmasters like Yan Xuehen but also Earth Immortals like the Emperor and terrifying entities within secret realms, many times over.

Many of his instincts had already evolved into combat reflexes. With a mind as clear as a mirror, he directly threw a punch, cleverly intercepting an attack trajectory that was invisible to the naked eye.

*Bang!*

Like a clap of thunder from a clear sky, a visible wave of energy spread out. The entire forest on the mountaintop snapped, and countless rocks, shaken by the impact, tumbled down from the summit.

The commotion here terrified countless members of the Snake Race, who believed some natural disaster had occurred.

Fortunately, Yu Yanluo had already dispatched her subordinates to evacuate the crowd, preventing them from being injured by the battle's aftershocks while watching the spectacle.

"Huh?" Crown Prince Jinwu was somewhat puzzled. How could a mere Ninth Rank cultivator block his attack?

Not only was Zu An's primal qi impossibly dense, but his own move, without a Grandmaster's spiritual perception, should have been impossible to keep up with.

"No wonder you dared to challenge me!" He felt no concern. After all, over the years, he had encountered many geniuses with unusual abilities, but all had ultimately been decisively defeated by him.

His eyes blazed with fierce light, and he charged again, appearing like a golden flame that no one dared to look directly at.

Zu An's fighting spirit also surged, and he met the attack with his fists.

The energy vibrations from their clash were like a tsunami, shattering everything in their path. On the mountaintop, not only trees but also massive boulders were pulverized into dust.

By this time, the others had reached the foot of a nearby mountain. Little Bai and Little Qing exclaimed repeatedly, "He's matching Crown Prince Jinwu blow for blow without falling behind?"

They then looked at Yu Yanluo, thinking, "No wonder the Matriarch chose him. This man truly has his unique strengths."

Elders Bai and Qing stroked their beards and explained, "His Ninth Rank cultivation can unleash energy comparable to a Grandmaster's. He must be using some secret technique, which certainly won't last long. The Golden Crow Royal Family's physical bodies are incredibly powerful, far beyond what a human can achieve. He'll likely be defeated within half an incense stick's time."

Hearing them disparage her lover, Yu Yanluo retorted coldly, "Ah Zu's physical body is stronger and more enduring than anyone else's. I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, standing nearby, exchanged odd glances. Recalling the scene of the two healing in the mine shaft not long ago, they wondered if this woman was deliberately showing off in front of them.

Just then, a collective gasp arose from the surroundings. Crown Prince Jinwu, seeing his initial attacks ineffective, felt his pride stung. He changed his claw into a hand-blade and, with a casual swing, unleashed a golden blade aura dozens of meters long, cleaving towards Zu An.

The power of this strike made the very heavens and earth change color, as if it would cleave the entire mountain peak in two. Compared to the dozens-of-meters-long blade, Zu An's figure opposite seemed incredibly small.

Now, even Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue grew tense, for during the ancient war between humans and demons, the Demon Emperor had used this very move to slay countless masters!