Chapter 1271: Breakup

Everyone was startled and quickly looked closer. They saw no signs of her breathing, but her skin appeared incredibly delicate and porcelain-like, with a rosy glow, truly resembling a living person.

"Everything we've encountered on our journey here points to the immense age of this tomb. Even an expert of such high cultivation as the one we just saw has been reduced to bones, yet this woman remains perfectly lifelike. It's truly unsettling," Jinshi of the Great Peng clan muttered, swallowing hard.

Princess Changning gazed at the woman in the coffin with a hint of jealousy. "How can she be so beautiful, even in death? She retains such allure," she mused. "It must be the work of this divine essence stone, preserving her most beautiful features."

Princess Sorun, however, sighed softly. "She died in the prime of her life. What a true pity."

Yu Yanluo, meanwhile, stared intently at the woman encased in the divine essence stone. For reasons unknown to her, she felt a strange sense of familiarity. Initially, she even wondered if the woman might be a Medusa, but a closer examination revealed she was not of the same kind.

Just then, Ma Huang chuckled. "We can't get those Three-Flower-Three plants below. How about we divide this divine essence stone instead? It's such a large piece; there's enough for everyone to get a substantial portion."

The others' eyes also lit up. If there had been only one divine essence stone, they might have fought tooth and nail for it.

But with a piece as large as the coffin itself, each person could receive a considerable share, eliminating the need to risk a deadly conflict with others.

Of course, the ideal scenario would be to claim the entire divine essence stone, thereby acquiring the beautiful female corpse within. However, everyone understood they lacked the power to overpower the others and claim it for themselves, making an equitable division the most sensible approach.

At this point, Yu Yanluo's expression shifted. "The woman inside remains preserved solely because of this divine essence stone," she warned. "If you break it, won't her body instantly turn to dust?"

Due to that inexplicable sense of closeness, she naturally wished to spare the woman such a tragic fate.

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue exchanged surprised glances but offered no objection. As Grandmasters, they possessed a certain inherent arrogance; they believed the entire divine essence stone should rightfully belong to them, with no reason to share it with these demon clans.

Zu An naturally stood by Yu Yanluo's side, serving as her steadfast support.

The others' expressions shifted. "Are you trying to claim it all for yourselves?" Prince Silver Shark demanded furiously.

His words came out with a lisp due to his broken teeth, and realizing this, he became even more enraged.

Jinshi's expression also showed displeasure. "You are being far too greedy," he stated. "We already yielded to you once regarding the Vital Spirit Dew and the Elixir of Immortality, and now you want to monopolize the divine essence stone as well."

A timid voice from Qiao Heng chimed in: "We didn't exactly 'yield' on the Elixir of Immortality, did we?"

They had clearly tried to seize it but couldn't breach the defensive array. How could that be construed as willingly ceding it?

Jinshi's breath caught, and for a moment he struggled to find a retort. Duan Tiande was the first to sneer. "Qiao, whose side are you on?" he demanded. "They saved you, and you've already repaid that debt. Why would you want to make enemies of all our tribes for outsiders?"

Xiong Da and Xiong Er also brandished their weapons, rumbling, "Exactly. This person's origins are unknown. All our demon tribes should remain united against outsiders."

"'United against outsiders?'" Qiao Heng sneered. "These Dark Elves and our Elf tribe are mortal enemies; they even tried to kill me earlier. And you talk about unity with me?"

The others were momentarily speechless. The animosity between the two tribes was indeed profound, and they didn't know how to mediate.

At this point, Ma Huang spoke with a sinister undertone. "No matter how deep the animosity between your two tribes, it remains an internal conflict. However, these individuals are from the human race, the common great enemy of all demonkind. Are you certain you still wish to side with them?"

As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Princess Sorun, though his words were ostensibly directed at Qiao Heng.

Clearly, Zu An's strength was too unfathomable. They certainly didn't want Qiao Heng and Princess Sorun to side with him; rather, they hoped both would join them, making it easier to deal with Zu An.

"What, he's human?" Princess Sorun exclaimed, shocked, before Qiao Heng could even react.

"Indeed, the scent of human blood on him cannot deceive me," Ma Huang chuckled, deliberately licking his lips as if he yearned to pounce and drain a few mouthfuls.

Hearing his words, the others no longer harbored any doubt, as the Blood Tribe was notoriously sensitive to such scents.

Qiao Heng stood dumbfounded, while Princess Sorun made one last, desperate attempt. "Young Master, are you truly human?"

Zu An made no attempt to conceal it. "Yes, I am indeed human," he affirmed.

His declaration caused an uproar, and many people began to curse. "Damn humans!" they spat.

The collective surge of anger was palpable, clearly a legacy of the ancient war between humans and demons, which had sown deep-seated hatred in the hearts of both races.

Zu An sighed inwardly. This was a rift no one could bridge. Though he had previously advocated for the demon race in the human world, recognizing the distinction between good and bad demons, in this immediate situation, he saw no point in wasting his breath.

The demon experts then turned to Qiao Heng. "What do you say now?" they pressed.

Seeing the wary, threatening gazes of the other experts, Qiao Heng's heart skipped a beat. As the saying went, it was unwise to incur the wrath of the many. The Elf tribe would inevitably need to interact with other demon races in the future. If his actions inadvertently created so many powerful enemies for his tribe, he would truly become a sinner against his own kind.

He could only sigh apologetically to Zu An. "My apologies, brother, but many of our Elf brethren have also perished at the hands of humans."

Princess Sorun remained silent but quietly moved to stand with the other demon experts.

Princess Changning had already been displeased because, despite speaking up for Zu An earlier, he had not shared any benefits with her and had shown more affinity for Princess Sorun. Now, seeing the shift in allegiance, she hastily distanced herself from him. "To think I just spoke on your behalf!" she exclaimed. "You're nothing but a heinous human! You slaughtered countless members of our tribe back then. This time, I'll make you pay for your blood debt!"

Her companions immediately lauded Princess Changning for her righteousness.

Yun Jianyue sneered. "This woman may seem clever on the surface, but in reality, she's quite foolish."

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue nodded in profound agreement. Given their status and discernment, they could naturally see through Princess Changning's opportunistic shifts in allegiance.

They thought to themselves that if Zu An were to fall for such a woman, they must truly be mistaken in their judgment of him.

However, seeing Zu An's clear gaze, they immediately felt relieved. While he might be somewhat lecherous, his taste surely wasn't that poor.

Princess Changning had never been humiliated like this. "You shrew, you're asking for death!" she shrieked.

With that, she swung a hand directly at Yun Jianyue. Her move was both swift and aggressive, simultaneously forming a spectral handprint dozens of feet away, clearly a unique technique of the Peacock clan.

Yun Jianyue's expression, however, turned cold. With a mere lift of her hand, the incoming handprint targeting her face dissolved into nothingness, its mechanism unknown to observers.

Simultaneously, with a sharp crack, Princess Changning clutched her face in disbelief, utterly bewildered by how her opponent had managed such a feat.

The others were also somewhat dumbfounded. They had assumed only Zu An was unfathomably powerful, but now they realized the woman beside him was just as formidable.

Zu An chuckled faintly. Although Yun Jianyue was currently gravely injured and could only wield the power of an eighth or ninth-grade cultivator, her combat experience and keen insight remained at the Grandmaster level—far beyond the comprehension of these youngsters.

By then, Princess Changning had recovered her wits. "Are you all standing there dead? Attack her, together!" she shrieked.

The others, as if awakening from a trance, realized that attacking one by one would be a foolish, piecemeal strategy. Their advantage lay in their numbers. No matter how formidable that fierce woman was, her aura fluctuations indicated at most a ninth-grade cultivation, meaning she couldn't truly turn the tide against so many of them.

And so, everyone surged forward. Princess Changning went to seek revenge on Yun Jianyue, Princess Sorun hesitated briefly before engaging Yu Yanluo, while all the others began to besiege Zu An. They understood clearly that he was the key; once he was subdued, his female companions wouldn't be able to stir up any significant trouble.