Chapter 1201: Crack

She had been through so much lately that she had almost forgotten about the incident.

When she heard him mention it, the image of herself standing naked before him instantly flashed in her mind, filling her with intense shame and fury.

[Anger value from Yan Xuehen: 300,300,300...]

The problem was, he also claimed that she had seen him naked as well. But was that for her eyes only?

So many people in the arena had seen it!

And even if she had seen him alone, how could that possibly make them even?

Noticing the string of anger points appearing in his system, Zu An was startled, wondering what he had done to anger her.

Luckily, just then, Yun Jianyue came to his rescue.

"What are you two whispering about over here?" she asked, her expression full of suspicion.

"Nothing," Yan Xuehen quickly replied, terrified Zu An might foolishly reveal the matter. If he did, she truly wouldn't want to live.

"How strange," Yun Jianyue muttered, but she was more interested in another matter. "Oh, by the way, do you really have a Phoenix bloodline?"

Yan Xuehen's interest was also piqued. As the leader of a human sect, she naturally wouldn't want Zu An to also possess demon lineage.

Zu An shook his head. "It's mainly because of the cultivation method I practice."

Both women suddenly understood. They had also heard about the Emperor's recent acquisition of the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra, which had caused a great sensation.

Just then, Yu Yanluo grew a little impatient. "Ah Zu is injured and needs plenty of rest. Aren't you tired of asking so many questions?"

For some reason, she always had a feeling that these two women were constantly circling around Zu An, as if they had ulterior motives.

Normally, no one would dare reprimand two Grandmasters like this, but because it concerned Zu An, they guiltily tolerated it.

Elders Bai and Qing, along with their two granddaughters and some high-ranking members of the Snake Tribe, came over. "Chieftain," Elder Bai said, "we have prepared rooms for our esteemed guests to rest comfortably, and we've also prepared various healing medicines."

After witnessing Zu An's formidable display of power, their attitude immediately took a 180-degree turn.

The demon race respects strength above all else, and Zu An, who had defeated the Golden Crow Crown Prince, was absolutely worthy of their utmost respect.

The Snake Tribe then held a grand welcoming banquet for their chieftain's return, and to honor their distinguished guests.

While Yu Yanluo was technically the guest of honor, once the banquet began, Zu An naturally became the center of attention.

Numerous young Snake Tribe women and married women flocked to him, showering him with attention. Their supple waists and fervent red lips truly made it difficult for Zu An to maintain his composure.

Of course, some Snake Tribe youths also noticed Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue and attempted to approach them. However, as soon as they got close, they felt a chill run through their bodies, and a faint, palpable killing intent seemed to permeate the air.

Seeing the two women glaring at Zu An, who was surrounded by others, the youths suddenly realized, remembering that they were Young Master Zu's companions. The group immediately dared not act presumptuously and discreetly retreated.

At the same time, their gazes towards Zu An were truly filled with utter admiration. He already had the chieftain, a woman of unparalleled beauty, yet he wasn't satisfied and could even get involved with two other women of comparable beauty. The crucial point was that the chieftain didn't seem jealous at all and even tacitly approved their relationship.

They really wanted to ask Zu An how he managed it, but recalling what they had seen earlier that day, they all turned pale, realizing they could probably never acquire his 'assets' in a lifetime. Meanwhile, on the other side, Yan Xuehen said coldly, "These Snake Tribe women are truly shameless, behaving in such a... such a way..."

With the education she had received since childhood and her pure, blank-slate life experience, she truly couldn't think of any words to describe the behavior of these women.

"Ah Zu is handsome and masculine, while the men of the Snake Tribe tend to have a softer, more effeminate aura. The contrast is already stark. What's more, he hogged all the limelight in his battle with the Golden Crow Crown Prince today, so it's only natural for these women to admire him," Yun Jianyue remarked, completely unsurprised by any of this, as she had spent years in the Demonic Sect. "Besides, he's not your man. The main one isn't even worried, so why are you?"

Yan Xuehen caught her breath, but quickly retorted, "Hmph, I'm just worried about Chuyan. This fellow clearly has a wife, yet he entertains all comers outside. It's simply outrageous!"

That guy Zu An was currently reveling in the company of women, laughing joyfully.

[Anger value from Yan Xuehen: 333,333,333...]

Yun Jianyue was immediately displeased. "What wife? Your disciple divorced him ages ago. If anyone's his wife, it's our Honglei. They pledged their love for a lifetime."

Yan Xuehen sneered, "Were there three matchmakers and six rituals? Were there tokens of love? There was nothing of the sort. Our Chuyan was properly married."

"Who was it just recently who kept saying they wanted to break them up? And now you're talking about proper marriage?" Yun Jianyue scoffed.

"The only constant in the universe is change," Yan Xuehen said flatly. "Surely you understand that much?"

Yun Jianyue was angered. "Ice maiden, are you looking for a beating again?"

"Savage woman, I won't stoop to your level," Yan Xuehen snorted, but wisely held her tongue.

At this point, Yu Yanluo, who was at the main seat, finally couldn't take it anymore. Seeing the swarm of women seemingly about to devour Zu An, she quickly used his injury as an excuse and had Xing Nu escort him back to his room to rest.

Zu An didn't object and reluctantly left the banquet.

After escorting him to his room, Xing Nu bowed and said, "If Young Master needs anything, just call me."

"No need to trouble yourself," Zu An said. "Go back and stay with Yanluo. She's injured and needs looking after."

"Young Master is truly considerate," Xing Nu said, pursing her lips into a smile. "Then I won't disturb you any further."

After saying that, she withdrew and thoughtfully closed the door.

Zu An looked around the room. It was spacious, with several exquisite screens, a beautiful carpet covering the floor, and precious incense burning on the table.

This wasn't typical Snake Tribe style; much of it resembled the Yu family's decor, suggesting that Yu Yanluo had arranged for furniture to be transported here over the years.

This woman certainly knew how to enjoy the finer things in life.

However, Zu An's thoughts weren't on these matters now. Instead, he dropped his previous smile, took out the Tai'a Sword to examine it, and wore a pained expression.

There were several spiderweb-like cracks on the blade.

Those were wounds left by Ying Han's Sun-shooting Arrow.

The Sun-shooting Arrow was incredibly powerful; he hadn't expected even the Tai'a Sword to be unable to withstand it.

Just then, a wisp of red smoke drifted out, followed by a beautiful woman in palace attire appearing on a nearby bed. On her exquisitely beautiful face, her iconic phoenix eyes revealed a hint of disdain.

Zu An was both surprised and delighted. "Empress sister, you're awake?"

"Call me Master!" the beautiful woman in palace attire, Mi Li, corrected him sternly.

Only then did Zu An remember that he had become her disciple, so he quickly changed his address: "Master!"

"That's better," Mi Li nodded with satisfaction. "With all the commotion you caused, it would be hard for Master not to wake up."

After saying that, she let out a lazy yawn, as if she were extremely tired.

"Disturbing Master's rest is a grave offense, deserving of ten thousand deaths," Zu An said, filled with lingering fear. Mi Li's soul body was temporarily residing in the Tai'a Sword; if the Tai'a Sword were destroyed, wouldn't she also be annihilated?

Mi Li reached out, and the Tai'a Sword was already in her hand. She looked at the cracks on it in silence.

The Tai'a Sword was a divine sword of Chu and was later given to Qin, becoming the Qin King's imperial sword. It held extraordinary significance for her, as a princess of Chu and empress of Qin.

Noticing the sorrow between her brows, Zu An felt even more guilty. "It's all because of my insufficient strength that the Tai'a Sword suffered such irreparable damage."

Mi Li shook her head slightly. "The Sun-shooting Bow is a top-tier divine weapon. The Tai'a Sword has not yet recovered its former strength. It's entirely thanks to you that it wasn't shot through on the spot."

Zu An was stunned. "Can the Tai'a Sword still be restored?"

"Naturally, it can," Mi Li replied. "The Tai'a Sword's power was sealed. Over long years, its grade also declined, and it no longer possesses its former glory. If you can re-forge and temper it, not only can these cracks be repaired, but it can also regain its divine weapon grade."

Zu An was overjoyed. "I'll go find a skilled craftsman to re-forge the Tai'a Sword right away!"

Mi Li shook her head. "Although the Tai'a Sword's grade has fallen, it's still barely considered an immortal-grade weapon. How could mortal craftsmen forge it? You need some legendary artifact refining methods to forge weapons above the immortal grade."

"What kind of refining methods?" Zu An asked excitedly. "Master, you can teach me to try."

"I don't know them," Mi Li said flatly.

Zu An was speechless.

"Didn't you used to boast that you had read all the books in the world's libraries and were familiar with all schools of thought?"

Mi Li was slightly annoyed. "I did read a lot of books, but I only read what interested me. Back then, I was an empress. Why would I be interested in blacksmithing or sword forging? Moreover, the Qin dynasty's archives didn't contain methods for refining divine weapons."

"Then what do we do?" Zu An said, reaching out to stroke the cracks on the sword blade. "With these cracks, if the Tai'a Sword ever breaks, wouldn't your soul body lose its protection and be vulnerable to danger?"

Mi Li shivered and slapped his hand away. "How many times have I told you not to touch the sword's body on normal days?"

However, she immediately realized her reaction was excessive, and, worried he might infer something, quickly cleared her throat and continued:

"However, considering you have some filial piety, I suddenly recalled something I saw recorded in an ancient text. It might contain clues about methods for refining divine artifacts."