Chapter 1503: Unbelievable

The Golden Crow Crown Prince said with a somber expression, "Father met with an accident in the secret realm and didn't have time to pass on his power. However, I have already received recognition from the Demon Ancestor in the Imperial Mausoleum. All previous ceremonies were also conducted under Father's instruction, and everyone in the royal court witnessed them. Therefore, there's no question that I should now inherit the Demon Emperor's position."

His Sixth Uncle sneered, "All this rambling is useless. Historically, the strongest has always assumed the role of Demon Emperor."

The Golden Crow Crown Prince's face darkened. It was clear the other party had no intention of letting him become the Demon Emperor, and further words would be pointless.

The only thing he didn't understand was how the Second Prince had persuaded Sixth Uncle. Members of the Elder Council were supposed to remain aloof from worldly affairs, and each appearance cost them a significant portion of their precious lifespan.

Seeing the Crown Prince's perplexed expression, the Second Prince smiled happily. Of course, he had paid a great price to enlist Sixth Uncle: first, by acquiring rare treasures that extended life, and second, by promising him many things he could not otherwise obtain.

Everyone has a price; if they're unwilling, then the price isn't high enough.

With things having come to this, further verbal sparring was meaningless. Both sides plunged into a heated, close-quarters battle.

It was more brutal than anything the Second Prince had experienced on the battlefield in his life, with countless people dying almost every breath.

However, the two strategists did not care; they only cared about the final victory.

As the battle intensified, not only common soldiers but even high-ranking generals began to fall.

Left Guard General Ma Tian and a fierce general serving the Second Prince killed each other in combat.

His cultivation was clearly superior to his opponent's, but unfortunately, years of luxurious living in the capital had eroded the fierce courage of his youth.

He relaxed slightly, believing he had successfully killed his opponent, unaware that his foe had used his own life as bait. Seizing that fleeting moment, the opponent delivered a fatal blow to his throat.

Ma Tian clutched his throat, gurgling and unable to speak, only continuously spewing blood before finally collapsing to the ground with endless regret.

Meanwhile, the Minister of the Guards, Wuli, fought an elephant clan master to a mutual defeat. He hadn't expected the elephant clan to also have been swayed by the Second Prince.

The elephant clan possesses immense strength and incredible defense, so even though Wuli was a renowned master in the royal court, he was still severely wounded after the battle.

Then both accidentally fell into the midst of the chaotic army. By then, both sides were in a bloodthirsty frenzy, indiscriminately striking with their weapons at friend and foe alike, brutally hacking the two great masters into mincemeat. Of course, the elephant clan master, with his tough hide and thick flesh, lasted a little longer.

Unfortunately, individual cultivators, when facing armies bolstered by formations, were still at a disadvantage. No matter how strong his defense, it couldn't withstand swords and blades from all directions, and he soon followed Wuli's fate.

Meanwhile, Old Wu in the sky and Sixth Uncle were also locked in an inseparable battle. Generally, grandmasters rarely fight to the death. Firstly, they are all powerful, each possessing many trump cards, making it difficult to determine a winner. Secondly, even if one could win, it would be a Pyrrhic victory. Thus, they often stop at a certain point.

But today was clearly different. Everyone showed no mercy from the outset, even resorting to trading injuries for blows, and blood soon stained the sky. However, it was not easy for grandmasters to determine a victor, and for a while, it was unclear who held the upper hand.

The Second Prince, who had remained still, said to the Golden Crow Crown Prince, "Speaking of which, this is between us. Since others cannot determine a winner, and will not be able to in a short time, why don't we settle it ourselves?"

The Golden Crow Crown Prince frowned and surveyed the surrounding situation. The battle was indeed deadlocked, and it might not be decided until dawn.

At this moment, he felt some regret. He wished he had brought Hu Qianxiao and Shi Zhentian, but at the time, he had been wary of them, fearing their excessive ambitions might introduce unforeseen variables if kept close.

At the time, he had been confident that his forces were sufficient to deal with the Second Prince. Who knew the Second Prince would be so thoroughly prepared!

And his subordinates were truly masters galore!

Seeing that he didn't answer, the Second Prince sneered, "Hahaha, are you afraid? Which Demon Emperor throughout history wasn't a towering figure of strength? How could there be a coward like you?"

As soon as he said this, the Golden Crow Crown Prince clearly felt his troops' morale drop. At this point, retreating was no longer an option. Upon hearing the taunt, he sneered, "Fine, in that case, I'll show you who the true number one of this generation is!"

For years, he had been widely recognized as the foremost of the young generation's Five Prodigies, and facing the Second Prince, he held a definite psychological advantage.

The Second Prince's aura was not in the least inferior. "Hahaha," he scoffed, "in the past, it was only because you were the Crown Prince that everyone humored you. Did you really think you could be the foremost of the Five Prodigies?"

"Then I'll let you see for yourself!" The Golden Crow Crown Prince's face was filled with cold killing intent. "You're no monstrous talent like Zu'an; do you think I, the Crown Prince, would fear you?"

No sooner had he spoken than golden wings sprouted from his back, each feather transforming into a stream of sword qi that swept directly towards the Second Prince.

"Excellent!" The Second Prince did not dodge or evade. A pair of black wings also sprouted from his back, each feather likewise a sharp sword, and he met the attack head-on.

In the sky, golden and black sword qi intertwined, erupting in dazzling brilliance.

Upon this first, evenly matched clash, the Golden Crow Crown Prince was utterly shocked. His opponent's cultivation was in no way inferior to his own. Had he been hiding his true abilities all these years?

How was this possible!

His Solar True Eye could discern the true cultivation of anyone weaker than him. His opponent's cultivation should clearly be significantly lower than his!

As if guessing his doubt, the Second Prince pointed to a jade pendant at his waist. "An ancient encounter allowed me to acquire this item, which can conceal my aura. Otherwise, did you really think I would be inferior to you?"

The Golden Crow Crown Prince's heart sank. He had an ominous premonition.

But he immediately cast the thought aside. He had recently been so demoralized by that brat Zu'an that he had lost confidence. But he must not forget, before encountering Zu'an, he had never suffered a single defeat!

"What can a hidden coward accomplish!" The Golden Crow Crown Prince snorted coldly, his aura suddenly surging dramatically as his entire body transformed into a golden streak of light, charging towards his opponent at an invisible speed.

"I can do the Golden Crow Streamer as well!" The Second Prince's entire body also transformed into a black streak of light, and the two instantly intertwined.

As they fought, the Second Prince too was inwardly shaken. He had indeed underestimated his elder brother. He had initially thought his brother only became Crown Prince due to his superior lineage, but now it seemed he truly possessed real skill.

At the same time, he felt even more indignant. As the Crown Prince, his brother had received excessive cultivation resources from childhood, and recently, he had also been baptized by the Demon Ancestor's aura in the Imperial Mausoleum, greatly increasing his cultivation. As for him, he had no one to rely on and had to depend solely on himself from a young age. When others put in seven or eight parts of effort, he put in twelve.

Other things might fail people, but effort would not.

Day after day of diligent cultivation had accumulated his profound cultivation, and the bloody battles on the battlefield had forged his iron will.

By relying solely on himself, he had painstakingly cultivated to a realm comparable to that of the Crown Prince, who had access to the nation's resources and the personal guidance of the Demon Emperor.

If it weren't for the Crown Prince recently being recognized by the Demon Ancestor in the Imperial Mausoleum and his cultivation suddenly surging again, he could easily defeat him now.

Such hatred!

Why is Heaven so unfair!

That surge of indignation in his chest caused his combat strength to steadily rise.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince became increasingly alarmed as they fought. However, his talent had, after all, been recognized by the Demon Emperor and many masters, and knowing there was no retreat now, he fought equally matched.

After an unknown period of time, a bright light suddenly flared in the distance, filled with destructive power.

Everyone there was drawn to it. What terrifying power was that? Who exactly was fighting?

The Golden Crow Crown Prince's face changed, because the light originated from the direction of the Imperial Palace, indicating a mishap there.

But what concerned him more was that it was clearly the aura of the Sun-Shooting Bow. Hadn't the Sun-Shooting Bow been lost in the Unknown Lands? How could it suddenly appear here?

Because of this momentary distraction, a black light suddenly surged forward. With a boom, a burst of blood mist erupted from his back.

Immediately, the black light quickly distanced itself from him, giving him no chance to drag his opponent down with him.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince clutched his chest, his face filled with disbelief. Had he just... died?