Chapter 1322: Sky Eye

“Ah!” the Golden Crow Prince shrieked, a bloodcurdling scream that echoed through the air. Due to the recent events, a large portion of his blood had rushed to his lower body, making the impact of this blow truly devastating. He might well be referred to as the Golden Crow Eunuch from now on, given his crippling injury.

The newcomer was, of course, Zu An. He had followed the guard into the palace, mapping out the surroundings while inquiring about Xue’er’s whereabouts.

A regular guard wouldn't normally know the inner workings of the deep palace, but this one mentioned something unusual: people from the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace had cleared out a secluded courtyard today. No palace maids or eunuchs were allowed nearby, and even the guards had been sent far away.

Zu An immediately realized that the Prince was likely seeking a secluded and quiet place for some nefarious deed. After all, Xue'er was now the Elf Princess, and if his actions towards her became public, it would greatly tarnish the royal family's reputation and make it impossible to explain to the various tribes.

Just then, he received a series of "Rage points" from the Golden Crow Prince, immediately realizing he was quite close to his target. Rage points were gathered from soul fluctuations and couldn't be detected beyond a certain distance.

So, after confirming the courtyard's direction, he directly knocked out the guiding guard.

As for whether it would implicate Blacktooth Ran later or lead to suspicions of someone using disguise, he couldn't afford to worry about that now. He only wanted to rescue Xue'er immediately and dared not waste a single second.

It must be said that the Golden Crow Prince, by sending away guards, eunuchs, and palace maids for his convenience, inadvertently made it easier for Zu An to enter. Otherwise, with so many experts around him, it would have been quite difficult to breach the defenses.

Fortunately, he arrived just in the nick of time. Seeing the Prince's intention to bully Xue'er, a surge of rage rushed to Zu An's head. He no longer cared that the man was a demon prince, striking with lethal intent from the very first move.

Unfortunately, a strange feather appeared on the Prince's body, blocking his lethal blow.

The Golden Crow Prince was, after all, an outstanding young expert of the demon race, so it wasn't easy for Zu An to defeat him. As the deadly dagger was parried, there wasn't enough time to strike a second blow. He could only unleash a palm strike at the Prince with his other hand.

After severely damaging the Golden Crow Prince's lower body, Zu An's right hand finally recovered. He thrust the poisoned dagger at the Prince again, ready to seize the opportunity and end his life.

Just then, an angry shout came from the side: "How dare you, rogue!"

Immediately, an overwhelming force surged from the side. Zu An met it with a returning palm, and the two forces collided with a thunderous boom, shattering all the tables, chairs, and vases in the room.

Zu An felt his blood churning. He had already recognized his opponent: it was none other than the Grandmaster protector who accompanied the Golden Crow Prince.

Almost simultaneously, two enormous eyes slowly opened in the clouds above the imperial palace. They were long and narrow, like phoenix eyes but even more elongated, and glowed with a red light.

These two eyes alone seemed to occupy the entire sky, and in that instant, a terrifying pressure spread everywhere.

In the Royal Court, people of various races rose, staring at the sky, each filled with inexplicable shock:

"Who provoked the Demon Emperor enough for him to act?"

"Could it be that the Human Emperor has come knocking?"

For many years, no one had seen the Demon Emperor make a move, or even get angry.

He had lived in seclusion for years, and some of the younger generation had even forgotten the Demon Emperor's terror.

Yet, in that instant, countless demons were forced to their knees by the oppressive aura, trembling with a mix of fear and worship.

In the Snake Tribe's residence, Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue abruptly stood up, their expressions grave.

"The Demon Emperor truly lives up to his reputation," Yun Jianyue remarked. "And judging by this oppressive aura, he's certainly no less powerful than Zhao Hao." Yun Jianyue had once fought Zhao Hao, so she was certainly qualified to make such a judgment.

"Why has the Demon Emperor suddenly appeared?" Yan Xuehen wondered. "Experts at their level usually go into secluded cultivation to delay the onset of the Five Heavenly Decays."

"Perhaps a powerful enemy has arrived," Yun Jianyue said, then shook her head halfway through. At that moment, besides Zhao Hao himself, who else would warrant the Demon Emperor's personal intervention? She stood by the window, looking towards the palace, and noticed the commotion there. "Something must have happened in the imperial palace."

"Who would be so audacious as to cause trouble in the Demon Imperial Palace?" Yan Xuehen glanced at Yun Jianyue. The Demon Imperial Palace, like the Human Imperial Palace, was no less perilous than the world's most forbidden lands. Only someone as daring as this "demoness" would dare to force their way into the palace.

Yu Yanluo also came to the window to look, a hint of worry in her brows: "Do you think... it could be Ah Zu?"

"How could that be? That guy is so clever, how could he do something so suicidal... " Yun Jianyue began confidently, but by the end, she sounded less certain herself.

Yan Xuehen's heart also skipped a beat. That fellow was incredibly audacious; he even dared to tease her. Such a thing was indeed something he might do.

While the women worried, Zu An was desperately fleeing through the imperial palace, carrying Xue'er.

The Golden Crow Prince's true strength was on par with his own. The reason he was so easily injured was, first, Zu An's understanding of his opponent's methods; second, his skills happened to perfectly counter the Golden Crow Prince; and third, he seized the initiative with a surprise attack.

But after the Grandmaster protector appeared by the Golden Crow Prince's side, Zu An had no chance. He might even fall to the combined efforts of the two.

Moreover, the terrifying pressure from the Demon Emperor made his hair stand on end. Why would he be so foolish as to stay and fight to the death?

He picked up Xue'er, who was beside him, and rushed out.

The Grandmaster was about to give chase but heard the Golden Crow Prince's painful wails. He hurried over to check and was startled to see his bloodied lower body. How could he be so severely injured?

As he reached out to seal crucial acupoints to stop the bleeding, he simultaneously channeled vital energy to stabilize his injuries.

"That person just now... seemed to be Blacktooth Ran?" Having just seen him face to face, he recognized him. After all, Blacktooth Ran was a trusted confidant of the Prince, a playmate since childhood.

"Did that son of a bitch also lust after Princess Xue's beauty? Don't worry about me, go capture him for me! I want him torn to pieces!" The Golden Crow Prince gnashed his teeth, his eyes filled with venomous malice.

He knew very well what kind of drug Princess Xue had been given. If Blacktooth Ran took her away at this moment, wouldn't it be a boon for him?

Moreover, for injuring him so severely, not just Blacktooth Ran, but his entire Blacktooth clan would have to pay with their lives!

The old man beside him frowned, thinking that while Blacktooth Ran's cultivation was decent, it was impossible for him to severely wound the Golden Crow Prince in such a short time, let alone safely withstand a full-power strike from him.

This matter was indeed full of doubts, but the Golden Crow Prince was currently in a rage, so he didn't say anything. He handed the Prince over to the Golden Crow Guards who had just arrived and then, swift as lightning, began pursuing the two fugitives.

"You... quickly let me go." Xue'er, held in Zu An's arms, felt a familiar and comforting aura from him, instinctively wanting to lean closer.

Yet, she recognized that this person seemed to be a trusted aide of the Prince. She assumed her body's reactions were due to the vile drug. Her heart filled with shame and urgency, fearing that if she delayed any longer, she would lose consciousness and be... by this man.

Zu An restored his true appearance: "Xue'er, it hasn't been that long since we parted. Don't you recognize me?"

Seeing the face she had longed for day and night, Qiao Xueying froze on the spot, murmuring to herself, "Am I dreaming?"

But what an unbelievable coincidence! Her lover appeared precisely at her moment of greatest peril to save her. Even the romance novels Chu Chuyan used to enjoy wouldn't dare to write such a plot.

She even worried that it was the drug's effect making her imagine another man as Zu An.

As she spoke, she gave the man beside her a fierce pinch. Zu An cried out, "What are you doing? Trying to murder your husband?"

"I'm checking if this is an illusion," Qiao Xueying said, her pretty face flushed. His reaction was exactly as she remembered; it really was him.

"Then why don't you pinch yourself?" Zu An grumbled, annoyed. This girl's fingernails were really long; he was almost bleeding from the pinch.

"Because I'm afraid of pain," Qiao Xueying said coyly, reaching out to tightly hug his neck. Her voice was sweet and delicate, and her eyes sparkled with tears and laughter, showing her unwillingness to be separated from him again.

As Zu An was about to respond, he suddenly stiffened. He had felt a terrifyingly cold and powerful divine sense sweep over his entire body.