Chapter 1196: Mistake Revealed

Yu Yanluo stared disbelievingly at the two Grandmasters beside her. "Zu'an won just like that?" she asked.

She couldn't help but be astonished. She had heard the legends of Prince Golden Crow; his formidable reputation was forged in countless battles. The demon race revered strength, and if he were genuinely weak, he would never have achieved such widespread renown.

Yet, this seemingly invincible figure among his peers had been defeated by Zu'an so easily?

"It's not that simple. Prince Golden Crow hasn't lost yet," Yan Xuehen said, shaking her head.

As the golden-armored warriors rushed into the valley to assist, a golden figure suddenly shot skyward.

Prince Golden Crow was wreathed in golden flames, his injuries completely healed once more.

"He used the Golden Crow Holy Flame's recovery technique again," Yun Jianyue remarked with a chuckle. "This fellow is far too preoccupied with his appearance. In truth, his injuries weren't that severe, but he clearly found a bruised and swollen face beneath his valiant image, thus squandering a precious recovery chance."

Yan Xuehen nodded in agreement. "It's probably his arrogance. He looked down on Zu'an before, and now, having been beaten so badly by a mere human, he simply couldn't bear the humiliation."

"Is Zu'an truly that powerful now? Or is Prince Golden Crow simply too inept?" Yun Jianyue mused, somewhat disoriented. She hadn't seen Zu'an in a while, and his rapid progress felt almost unbelievable.

Prince Golden Crow was a Grandmaster, an elite among them, yet he was constantly being overwhelmed?

Having fought Zu'an in a life-or-death struggle, Yan Xuehen had a clearer understanding. "Zu'an is certainly powerful, but not yet to the extent of overwhelming a Grandmaster. The reason for this disparity is twofold: firstly, he appears to have condensed his spiritual essence, nullifying the Grandmasters' primary advantage; secondly, the techniques Prince Golden Crow excels at... it seems..."

She paused, then added with a strange expression, "It seems Zu'an is also proficient in those very same techniques, which caused Prince Golden Crow's every move to be countered, making the battle so one-sided."

Prince Golden Crow possessed immense physical strength, yet Zu'an's body proved even more formidable.

Prince Golden Crow's Golden Crow Flowing Light movement technique was swift, but Zu'an matched him in speed.

The Golden Crow Holy Flame was imbued with destructive power, capable of suppressing all mundane flames, yet Zu'an wielded the Phoenix Divine Flame and appeared utterly unaffected by Prince Golden Crow's fire.

With so many disadvantages stacked against him, how could he not feel utterly frustrated?

Against any other opponent, even a single one of these abilities would have granted him a significant advantage.

Just then, Prince Golden Crow's voice boomed, "Despicable human, why do you keep hitting the same spot!"

If Zu'an hadn't continuously struck his face, he wouldn't have needed to use the Golden Crow Holy Flame for recovery twice in a row. After all, even a victory achieved with a bruised and swollen face would damage his reputation if word got out.

Zu'an calmly replied, "My sister just told me to tear your mouth, so naturally, I have to obey her."

Everyone instinctively turned to look at Yun Jianyue. Even she, who usually exuded an aura of supreme arrogance, felt her face flush slightly. "This brat actually dares to tease me," she muttered.

Yan Xuehen, beside her, mercilessly exposed her insincerity. "I'd say your lips are about to split from smiling," she quipped.

Before Yun Jianyue could retort, Prince Golden Crow, still in the air, erupted in fury. "Ant! This is not over yet!"

To think he had the audacity to use him as a means to impress a woman—unforgivable!

At that moment, a colossal phantom of a golden crow materialized behind him, its wings unfurled as if to eclipse the sun.

An overwhelming killing intent surged forth, permeating the very air.

Many spectators at the foot of the mountain found themselves unable to withstand this palpable killing intent. Several began to cough up blood, utterly terrified, and hurriedly retreated, putting distance between themselves and the battlefield.

Yan Xuehen's delicate brows furrowed. "I feel sword qi," she murmured, "a towering sword qi."

Yun Jianyue's expression also grew solemn. "This must be the Blazing Sun Sword Array of the Golden Crow clan!"

No sooner had she spoken than Prince Golden Crow spread his hands, and streaks of golden sword qi materialized around him. Upon closer inspection, however, they weren't sword qi at all, but countless golden feathers.

The Golden Crow's Blazing Sun Sword Array involves refining each feather from their own body, transforming every single one into an incomparably sharp blade. Legend has it that each feather-sword of the Demon Emperor is equivalent to a Heaven-tier divine weapon.

Considering a Golden Crow possesses tens of thousands of feathers, what kind of power would an assault of tens of thousands of Heaven-tier divine weapons unleash?

Prince Golden Crow, of course, had not yet refined his feathers to the level of Heaven-tier divine weapons, but they were already comparable to Earth-tier divine weapons.

With a flick of Prince Golden Crow's hand, a deluge of feather-swords shot forth, weaving an inescapable net that threatened to shred any target caught within it.

Witnessing the sky-piercing divine radiance, the spectators' own swords hummed in response, as if called upon. They were aghast, realizing the horrifying potency of Prince Golden Crow's sword intent.

Elder Bai and Elder Qing spoke to Yu Yanluo with expressions of regret. "Clan Leader," Elder Bai began, "your friend is indeed formidable, but excessively arrogant. This was initially just a spar, and a loss would have been acceptable. Yet, he repeatedly provoked Prince Golden Crow, escalating it into a life-or-death battle. Under the might of this terrifying sword array, defeat means only death, and not even a complete corpse will remain."

"Precisely," Elder Qing echoed. "Our clan would have gained such a powerful ally, but now, not only have we lost that potential support, we've also offended Prince Golden Crow—which means offending the future Demon Emperor. The future of our Serpent clan likely looks grim."

"But Prince Golden Crow was the aggressor first!" Xiaobai, unable to bear it any longer, whispered in protest.

Elder Bai scolded, "What do you know, little girl? Given Prince Golden Crow's status, he naturally has the right to be arrogant. He is the next Demon Emperor; who knows how many hidden techniques he possesses? How could this human possibly be his match?"

Elder Qing agreed. "Indeed, he should have retreated when he had the chance, but he just doesn't know when to stop..."

"Enough!" Yu Yanluo's face turned ashen. "He hasn't lost yet; don't jump to conclusions so soon."

"Clan Leader, I understand this is hard for you emotionally, but you must be rational..."

Elder Bai was about to continue his remonstrance when his granddaughter beside him exclaimed excitedly, "Look!"

Everyone looked up. Behind Zu'an, concentric ripples appeared in the sky, from which countless azure sword qi slowly extended, quickly forming a dense array suspended in the air.

Zu'an's voice resonated through the entire valley: "A sword fight, you say? This happens to be my greatest strength."

No sooner had he spoken than countless azure sword qi shot forth, continuously colliding and intertwining with Prince Golden Crow's golden feather-swords, erupting in a blinding brilliance.

"He's so handsome!" Xiaobai and Xiaoqing's eyes sparkled with admiration.

Elder Bai and Elder Qing were dumbfounded. "This... how is this possible!" they gasped.

Watching Zu'an hover in mid-air, with the sky behind him shimmering and countless sword qi streaking forth, he truly resembled a banished immortal.

Yu Yanluo's eyes were filled with tender affection. Even Yan Xuehen felt her heart pound, her usually pristine, ice-like skin now tinged with a faint blush.

She tried to avert her gaze, but each time, she found herself irresistibly looking back up. She knew she would likely never forget the sight before her.

"How did I not know this boy had such a move?" Yun Jianyue watched, her face suddenly flushing. "This brat is actually quite handsome, isn't he? It's a good thing Hong Lei isn't here to see this, or she'd be even more captivated."

Meanwhile, in Yunzhong Commandery City, Sang Hong and the city's key officials were in a meeting.

"Is there any news on the suspect Yu Yanluo?" Sang Hong inquired.

"We've been searching diligently for some time, but unfortunately, she seems to have vanished without a trace," Xu Yu said, suddenly fixing a sharp gaze on Sang Hong. "By the way, why haven't we seen Master Zu?"

Sang Hong held his teacup, gently stirring the tea leaves with the lid. Though equally troubled by the matter, he betrayed no hint of his worry. "Master Zu is on a secret mission," he replied.

"Wasn't Master Zu recently in seclusion recuperating from injuries? Why is he suddenly off on another mission?" Xu Yu sneered. "Everyone knows his close association with Yu Yanluo. His disappearance at this crucial juncture couldn't possibly be connected to her prison break, could it?"