Chapter 1274: Each Harboring Their Own Schemes

Duan Tiande's neck was snapped, and the large hand casually tossed him into the blood pool. His flesh and blood quickly corroded, revealing a skeleton far more slender than that of a normal person.

This was characteristic of the Elf race, whose physiques were generally more delicate than other races.

Qiao Heng's face twitched at the sight. Although he and Duan Tiande were mortal enemies, witnessing such a gruesome death still made him feel a sense of unease.

The other demon experts were gripped by even greater terror. If even Duan Tiande could be instantly killed by this creature, their fates wouldn't be much different.

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue simultaneously looked at Zu An and exclaimed, "It's him!"

Zu An nodded. This terrifying aura felt familiar; they had vaguely sensed a powerful presence lurking in the Misty Forest before, and now it had finally revealed itself.

A dark silhouette slowly approached, and everyone finally got a clear look at it.

It was difficult to call it human; though it had a general humanoid shape, its entire body was covered in long black fur, completely obscuring its face.

Wreathed in black mist, the black-furred monster looked like a reaper from hell.

It casually stepped onto the blood pool as if on solid ground, the highly corrosive liquid apparently having no effect on it whatsoever.

A powerful oppressive aura instantly filled the entire hall, causing the demon race members to feel despair. A Grandmaster?

There was no doubt; this was the oppressive might of a Grandmaster!

Zu An looked at Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, his expression grave. "Its aura seems even stronger than yours were at your peak."

The two women didn't refute him, but quickly cautioned, "This monster is indeed very powerful, but it seems somewhat disoriented right now. Many abilities unique to the Grandmaster realm probably can't be fully utilized, so there might still be a chance."

Yu Yanluo, standing nearby, couldn't help but admire them. They were truly Grandmasters; while everyone else fell into despair, they were immediately able to pinpoint the opponent's weakness.

Princess Siren secretly observed Zu An. The other demon experts, usually so arrogant and boastful, now looked utterly terrified.

Only this man remained so calm even in the face of such a formidable foe. Could such a hero truly exist among humans?

At that moment, the black-furred monster walked between Xiong Da and Xiong Er. It raised its hands, and the two brothers, who had been clinging to the wall's carvings, could no longer hold on, their bodies flying directly towards the black-furred monster.

"Ahhh!"

The two were scared out of their wits; they had clearly witnessed what had just happened to Duan Tiande.

In desperation, the brothers summoned their respective weapons—a spiked club and a giant hammer—and, using every ounce of their strength, swung them at the monster, hoping to snatch a sliver of survival.

With their lives on the line, the brothers felt they unleashed 200% of their usual energy; even sonic boom clouds appeared around the tips of their weapons.

The black-furred monster didn't dodge. It simply raised its two large hands, grabbing the spiked club and giant hammer with its bare flesh, its body not even trembling.

Xiong Da and Xiong Er strained with all their might to push their weapons down, their chubby faces turning crimson, but the spiked club and giant hammer remained completely unmoving.

The black-furred monster moved, gently squeezing with its two large hands. The two heavy weapons, usually so formidable, twisted and crumpled into scrap metal!

Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. They had all dealt with the Black-White Twin Bears; these brothers' techniques were incredibly fierce, making it genuinely difficult to face them head-on. Their two heavy weapons were infamous, having undoubtedly smashed countless experts into pulp. Yet, they had been crushed by bare hands like this?

Could a Grandmaster truly be this terrifying?

Then, the black-furred monster extended a large hand and grabbed them. The burly Xiong Da and Xiong Er, just like Duan Tiande before them, couldn't break free, even when fighting for their lives.

The black-furred monster brought its two hands together with a thud, slamming Xiong Da and Xiong Er directly into each other.

Unlike the previous time when a gentle force had guided their attacks to collide, causing their qi and blood to churn, this collision directly shattered all their vital energy. Their bones were completely broken, their internal organs pulverized, and blood continuously gushed from their mouths and noses. They were clearly beyond saving.

The black-furred monster casually tossed the brothers aside, adding two more tormented souls to the blood pool. The Sansan Flower in the center of the pool seemed to become even more vibrant, subtly showing signs of blooming.

At that moment, Jin Shi and Ma Huang simultaneously called out, "Brother over there, how about we set aside our past grievances and work together to deal with this powerful enemy?"

They now understood that fighting this black-furred monster alone was impossible. With the help of Zu An, another equally powerful being, there might still be a glimmer of hope.

Zu An revealed a hint of a playful smile. "Alright!"

At that moment, Kong Nanqing, who was nearby, reacted and quickly pulled him back. "Don't go!"

She whispered, "They're closer to the monster now. If anyone dies, they'll die first. Perhaps the monster will be satisfied after killing them."

Zu An was her only reliance now, and if he left, she would feel utterly insecure.

Furthermore, according to their suggestion, they clearly intended to gang up on the black-furred monster. She couldn't just stand by and watch; what difference would that be from a suicide mission?

At that moment, Princess Siren indignantly rebuked, "At this point, only by fighting do we have a sliver of hope. Sacrificing others' lives to sate the monster's desires, what if it's not satisfied? Then we won't even have the last bit of strength to resist."

Seeing herself rebuffed in such a manner, Kong Nanqing's expression changed. "You're truly impressive, speaking such grand words. But you just cruelly killed your own suitor. Who is truly more heartless?"

Princess Siren was momentarily vexed, eventually turning away and muttering, "One cannot discuss ice with a summer insect!"

After speaking, she was about to join Zu An in battle but was stopped by Yan Xuehen. "That monster is too strong. You going up won't be much help; instead, he'll have to be distracted protecting you."

Princess Siren grew anxious. "But we can't just stand here and watch, can we?"

"Let's observe the situation first," Yun Jianyue interjected, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Princess Siren opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing more.

Kong Nanqing, from the side, gloated, "You were just bragging so loudly, and now you're still here, clinging to life and fearing death, aren't you?"

"You!" Princess Siren, angered, turned her head away and ignored her.

Kong Nanqing, meanwhile, quietly retreated further back. Staying in the safe rear meant that even if she were to die, she would be the last. No, perhaps the monster would stop after it had killed enough.

She glanced at the Sansan Flower in the blood pool, realizing the monster seemed to be using everyone's vital essence to nurture that immortal medicine. Therefore, hiding at the very back truly offered a hope of preserving her life.

At that moment, Zu An slowly flew forward on his Wind-Fire Wheels. Jin Shi flapped his wings, moving along the wall, while Ma Huang transformed into a cloud of blood mist, circling the area. The three subtly surrounded the monster.

The monster seemed to sense Zu An's extraordinary nature, directly raising its hand and lunging for him.

In that instant, an aura tightly locked onto his entire body. The palm seemed to fill the very heavens and earth, carrying a terrifying might that left no room for escape.

Zu An finally understood why neither Duan Tiande nor the Xiong brothers had been able to offer any resistance to that grab.

At that moment, Jin Shi did not attack from the side to alleviate Zu An's pressure. Instead, he seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, transforming into a streak of golden light and dashing out of the hall.

This was the Sky Roc Soaring, the supreme movement technique of the demon race!

Though he had only grasped a fraction of it, his speed was already terrifyingly fast.

On the other side, Ma Huang also didn't attack. Instead, he rushed directly in the opposite direction, aiming to seize the opportunity while Zu An held off the monster to get his hands on the peerless divine medicine, the Sansan Flower, from the center of the blood pool.

Princess Siren watched, both angry and anxious. "How can you be so shameless!"

Even Kong Nanqing started scolding, "Have you no shame!"

Zu An was her last hope now; what would she do if he died?

Unfortunately, no matter how much they cursed, the facts could not be changed.