Chapter 1237: Cold Sigh

"This guy's cultivation is getting higher and higher," Yun Jianyue couldn't help but exclaim from a distance.

"His combat power is quite unique; it's much higher than his apparent cultivation level," Yan Xuehen commented. "However, his knowledge is very diverse. Fortunately, his previous battle with the Golden Crow Crown Prince benefited him greatly, allowing him to integrate his various abilities. Dealing with someone who has just broken through to the Grandmaster level is naturally not a big problem for him."

Yu Yanluo had also wanted to praise Zu An, but realizing that two Grandmasters were already offering their critiques, she felt it would be improper to join in. So, she simply kept her mouth shut, though her ears were perked up, eager for them to say more good things about him.

"That's not all," Yun Jianyue chuckled. "He also grew so rapidly thanks to a certain Grandmaster's pursuit."

Yan Xuehen: "..."

"Can you stop bringing that up?"

"I'm just telling the truth. Someone did it, but they don't want it mentioned? If you disagree, come hit me," Yun Jianyue said proudly.

Yan Xuehen compared their current states and decided to follow her instincts, ignoring Yun Jianyue and sulking by herself.

Inside the water cyclone, Tu Shan-yu's heart pounded. She wasn't usually so flustered, being a renowned fox spirit, but last night's encounter had been too embarrassing, and she hadn't fully recovered yet.

At this moment, Zu An felt the power of the surrounding water cyclone diminishing. He then used his Blue Duck abilities to send the water back to the small lake nearby.

Chi Wen, on the other side, stared wide-eyed. "You're also from the Sea Race?"

It felt as if his water manipulation was even more powerful than his own.

Zu An smiled. "I'm quite fond of seafood, actually."

Chi Wen's face darkened. "You're asking for death!"

As he spoke, the entire palace seemed enveloped by an intense killing intent. The fox maidens turned pale, feeling a tremor from their very souls. Those with lower cultivation levels were so frightened they immediately fell to their knees.

Moments ago, the sky had been clear, but now it was overcast, as if a primordial beast had been summoned into the world, with a chilling aura of slaughter swirling everywhere.

From a distance, Yan Xuehen looked surprised. "It's almost comparable to your domain."

Yun Jianyue's expression also grew serious. "This killing intent is almost tangible, as if it has drunk the blood of countless beings. Does Chi Wen possess such power?"

"It's the weapon in his hand." Yu Yanluo noticed a sudden appearance of a greenish-blue weapon in Chi Wen's hand, emanating a captivating cold light. It had three sharp prongs at the tip, with faint dark-red patterns interwoven with its metallic texture.

Yun Jianyue's gaze sharpened. "Those are traces of blood. To merge like that with the weapon, one must wonder how many lives had to be taken to achieve such an effect."

"That appears to be the legendary Dragon King's weapon, the Trident!" Yu Yanluo's expression was equally solemn.

At this moment, Zu An also got a clear look at the weapon and blurted out, "Maserati?"

"What's a Maserati?" Tu Shan-yu asked, looking bewildered. "Young Master, be careful. Chi Wen holds a weapon used by a former Dragon King. During the chaotic division of the seas, when the Dragon King unified the Sea Race, countless sea experts met their demise beneath that Trident."

Zu An was startled. "Is it a divine artifact?"

The Golden Crow Crown Prince's divine artifact, the Sun-Shooting Bow, still left him with lingering fear.

Tu Shan-yu shook her head. "It was originally a divine artifact, but legend has it that when the Dragon King slew a very powerful sea demon, the demon used its blood to curse the Trident, causing its rank to drop. Now, it only possesses Immortal-tier quality."

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good then. Also, why are you still calling me 'Young Master'? Do you need to be so distant?"

If it were truly a divine artifact, it would be troublesome, but an Immortal-tier weapon was still within acceptable limits.

Tu Shan-yu's face instantly flushed deep red. They had shared the most intimate interaction last night, and addressing him as "Young Master" indeed felt too formal now.

Yet, they had only met for the first time yesterday; it was hardly accurate to say they were close.

Chi Wen, standing nearby, saw her bashful expression and his heart burned with rage. This fellow was actually flirting with the woman he fancied, right in front of him.

Rage points from Chi Wen +399399399...

"Even if it's only an Immortal-tier weapon, it's more than enough to subdue you!" His voice was cold. With a flick of his hand, a visible greenish-blue beam swept towards Zu An.

Even with Zu An's robust body, he wasn't foolish enough to take it head-on. He instantly evaded, pulling Tu Shan-yu by the waist.

The greenish-blue beam passed through where they had just stood, directly striking a palace behind them.

With a deafening crash, the entire palace was sliced in half and collapsed with a rumble!

Everyone's eyes narrowed. An Immortal-tier weapon truly lived up to its name; such power was beyond human resistance.

Zu An gently pushed, sending Tu Shan-yu with a soft force towards Yan Xuehen and the other women, to keep her safe during the upcoming battle.

Tu Shan-yu, with a smile on her face, had intended to strike up a conversation with the women. However, just as she was about to speak, she felt three distinct waves of killing intent, emanating precisely from the three women.

Her heart skipped a beat. Had they discovered what happened last night?

Just then, Chi Wen's arrogant laughter echoed from a distance. "I'll give you one last chance: kneel and kowtow to me, acknowledging your mistake. If I'm in a good mood, I might just let you go."

Zu An looked at him with the expression one might use for an imbecile. "Are you an idiot? Why are you still spouting such nonsense at a time like this?"

Chi Wen's smile froze, and he gritted his teeth. "Watch as I chop you into mincemeat!"

Rage points from Chi Wen +444444444...

Before he could finish, Zu An had already made his move.

With a casual wave, a flame blade dozens of meters long appeared in his hand. The intense heat forced everyone to recoil, and the entire palace filled with a scorching smell, as if it were about to ignite. "How is it fire-elemental?" Chi Wen had just seen the opponent easily break his water cyclone, assuming he was also a water-elemental practitioner.

However, the scorching heat couldn't harm him at all. Protected by the Trident, the flames couldn't even get within three meters of him.

Just then, Zu An swung the long flame blade down with a move akin to 'Splitting Mount Hua'.

Chi Wen sneered. "Let me show you the power of an Immortal-tier weapon!"

He raised the Trident to meet the attack. As he moved, the space around the Trident seemed to collapse, and light became extremely distorted.

The Trident formed a greenish-blue conical shield in front of him, interspersed with an eerie, blood-red hue, emitting an intensely brutal killing aura.

With a tremendous crash, the dozens-of-meters-long flame blade was shattered to pieces.

A cruel smirk flashed across Chi Wen's face. "How can a weapon formed by elemental power contend with an Immortal-tier weapon..."

He stopped mid-sentence, his smile suddenly freezing, as a fist the size of a mixing bowl appeared before his eyes.

The fist directly struck his nose. In that instant, tears mixed with nosebleed splattered everywhere.

The moment Zu An saw the Trident, he formulated this plan. His Tai'e Sword had cracks, so he dared not risk using it to directly confront the weapon.

Other weapons would be at too great a disadvantage against the long-handled Trident.

So, he used the flame blade as a diversion: first, to disperse the Trident's protective killing aura; second, to use the scattered firelight to obscure Chi Wen's vision when the blade shattered; and then, he used the Great Wind ability to instantly teleport in front of him.

Chi Wen shrieked, desperately trying to create distance, but Zu An wouldn't give him the chance. He capitalized on the moment, straddled Chi Wen, and unleashed a rain of punches.

Bang, bang, bang!

Each punch seemed to carry the force of a mountain. Even Chi Wen, a Grandmaster with the robust physique of a dragon, could not withstand such a torrent.

At first, he was still cursing and threatening, but the more fiercely he cursed, the heavier Zu An's punches became.

Eventually, he stopped resisting, begging for mercy repeatedly. Later, he didn't even have the strength to beg, only whimpering as if on the verge of expiring.

Seeing his face utterly battered from afar, with even one of his horns broken, Tu Shan-yu opened her mouth. Chi Wen was, after all, the Ninth Prince of the Dragon Race. If he died here, the powerful Dragon King would never let it go, and the Azure Hills Kingdom might face utter destruction.

However, Zu An had done this to save them, so she found herself unable to say anything.

Just then, a cool sigh suddenly drifted from a distance: "Could you spare him, for my sake?"