Chapter 1921: He has always been this brave?

Zu An raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing the forty to fifty rogue cultivators around him. "You plan to deal with me with just these people?"

It seemed Prince Dai and the Meng clan truly underestimated him. No wonder they dared to be so presumptuous.

Seeing so many cultivation masters around, Prince Dai immediately felt confident. "Heh heh, these people could drown you with just a mouthful of spit each. If you prostrate yourself before me now, confess your mistakes, and pledge allegiance to me, perhaps I can forgive your insolence."

"Brat, what arrogance! In my opinion, we don't need so many people to deal with you; I alone am enough!" a bald man with a large head and big ears grinned sinisterly.

The other rogue cultivators felt some anger at his words but dared not show it. This corpulent monk was a ruthless figure in the martial world. His cultivation at the peak of the ninth rank was the highest among this group of rogue cultivators. It was said that he once fought a Grandmaster and managed to escape alive. From then on, his arrogance grew, and he completely disregarded cultivators of the same realm.

After arriving at Prince Dai's mansion, his fiery and domineering temper frequently clashed with other retainers, and he even resorted to seizing others' cultivation resources. However, given his high cultivation, Prince Dai's mansion turned a blind eye to his actions, and the other rogue cultivators dared not voice their anger.

He had a reason for stepping forward this time: he felt he was on the verge of breaking through to the Grandmaster realm. The resources required for a ninth-rank peak cultivator to reach Grandmaster were beyond what he could currently afford. Therefore, he needed to make a strong impression on Prince Dai. If he could achieve a great feat, a reward from a pleased Prince Dai or the Princess would be enough for him to break through. Once one became a Grandmaster, the treatment and prospects were entirely different from those of cultivators from the first to ninth ranks.

"Just you?" Zu An was somewhat surprised. With a casual grab, a black vortex formed in his palm. The corpulent monk felt an irresistible suction pull him, and he was instantly drawn before Zu An. He tried to resist, but all the vital energy in his body surged out of his control. Simple actions like raising a blade, which were easy for him normally, became incredibly difficult. His entire body grew weak and limp, and he couldn't control himself, collapsing onto one knee.

Zu An placed his hand on the top of the monk's head, activating the *Gluttonous Heaven Devouring Art*, and absorbed all his cultivation in the blink of an eye. Looking inward, his level 74 progress bar had only increased slightly; without a careful look, one wouldn't even notice a change. He withdrew his hand with a hint of disdain, wiping off the grease from the monk's scalp. Looking at the corpulent monk lying like a dead dog at his feet, he then turned to the other cultivators and asked with a touch of surprise, "Has he always been this 'brave'?" He had thought this fellow's cultivation was impressive, but it was merely a ninth-rank. He wondered how he dared to be so arrogant.

Wherever his gaze fell, all the rogue cultivators involuntarily took a step back, their faces showing some fear. The scene they had just witnessed was too shocking. The most formidable corpulent monk was instantly defeated in the blink of an eye, and crucially, they couldn't even discern how the opponent had struck. To be able to suck away a peak ninth-rank cultivator from such a distance, what kind of cultivation art was this?

A flicker of panic also crossed Prince Dai's face. He retreated, hiding among the pile of guards beside him. "Everyone attack together! No matter how strong he is, he's just one person." He suddenly recalled that in Prince Jin's mansion, his protector, Old Chen, had seemingly been absorbed in a similar way by that Grand Commander. Their cultivation arts appeared somewhat alike. However, at this moment, he had no time to think carefully, fearing the opponent would suddenly strike and absorb him. So he retreated several more steps, only feeling slightly relieved when he was protected by three layers of guards in front and behind him.

Seeing that the rogue cultivators remained motionless, Prince Dai grew anxious and shouted, "If you can kill this fiend, all of you will be rewarded with ten thousand elemental stones, and the mansion will cover all your cultivation resources for the next year. Whoever contributes the most, the mansion will be responsible for your cultivation resources for the next ten years — no, twenty years!"

Hearing this, the eyes of the rogue cultivators present immediately turned red with greed. One must understand that for them, dignified cultivators, to come to a prince's mansion to serve as retainers and be at someone's beck and call was precisely because they lacked power, influence, or family background. This was the only way they could acquire the necessary cultivation resources. If they could obtain cultivation resources for the next twenty years, they would be completely free. With such a massive amount of resources, they could cultivate to higher realms and be truly free, no longer having to be someone's dog. Even just one year of cultivation resources and ten thousand elemental stones would be a huge fortune, enough for many of them to advance a realm.

There is never a shortage of bold individuals in this world. Under this exaggerated bounty, someone finally couldn't hold back: "What's there to be afraid of, damn it? He's just one person. If everyone attacks together, even a Grandmaster would die on the spot!" In this world, numerical superiority was still very evident. Once armies formed battle arrays, they could even contend with the most top-tier masters. The cultivation of each of these rogue cultivators far surpassed that of ordinary soldiers. Moreover, the prince's mansion had also provided some joint formations, which, although not as mighty as grand army formations, were still extraordinary. The combined attack of so many people was already enough to blast this person into dust.

"Don't give him a chance to strike!" Clearly, the sight of Zu An instantly defeating the corpulent monk had left a huge psychological shadow on everyone. So, by tacit agreement, they all unleashed their strongest offensive spells and blasted them towards Zu An. Even the few who were hesitant gritted their teeth and joined the besieging army upon seeing this. For a moment, countless rays of light converged and shot towards the man in the center.

Seeing this scene, a smile finally appeared on Prince Dai's face. Attacked simultaneously by so many masters, surely not even a speck of dust would remain. Zu An had openly stormed his residence, witnessed by so many people. So, if he were to kill him on the spot, even the Crown Princess would have nothing to say. At that time, the Crown Prince's faction, after this blow, would surely see its prestige plummet. And with Zhao Ruizhi being an idiot, his own chances of succeeding as emperor would become even greater.

"Once I become emperor, the first thing I'll do is take Prince Jin's Consort into my harem. Hmm, the Crown Princess isn't bad either; she's even more beautiful. Especially that haughty, noble aura she carries is most exciting; conquering her would surely be very interesting. Her status, however, is a problem. In that case, I'll first order her to become a nun and reside in a palace nunnery. Then I'll have a chance to possess her..." For a moment, various delightful images floated through his mind, and his grin stretched almost to his ears.

Just then, a series of gasps erupted in the field. He paused, looked up, and instantly froze in shock, his smile completely stiffening. Because Zu An stood there, completely unharmed. He didn't even raise a hand; he simply let the spells barrage him. But as those multi-colored lights of different elements approached within a few feet of Zu An, it was as if there was an invisible black hole in the void. They were directly absorbed, disappearing without a trace.

Everyone was stunned. All of this truly exceeded their comprehension. Many quick-witted individuals had already instinctively begun to retreat.

Zu An sighed, "Cultivators inherently defy the heavens, and there's nothing wrong with using various means to acquire cultivation resources. But while some strive for fair exchanges, you choose to be someone's dog. With your spirit lost, what path are you even cultivating!" He had seen rogue cultivators before, such as the 'Money-Grubber' Ding Run from back then. Although a killer, he didn't serve as a subordinate in a powerful family's mansion like these people. Instead, he accepted tasks on equal terms, maintaining his integrity and spirit at least. Many of the people before him had even higher cultivation than Ding Run back then, but they would certainly not go as far as he did in the future. Hearing his words, many people showed thoughtful expressions, but they quickly came to their senses and turned to flee.

Zu An did not make things difficult for them. Strictly speaking, he was also a rogue cultivator, so why should he trouble these pitiable people struggling in the mortal world?

Seeing Zu An approach step by step, Prince Dai truly panicked: "Mister Xu, Mister Xu, save me!" At that moment, Zu An's heart stirred, and he looked to his left front. A figure in a black robe slowly emerged from a room. The light around him seemed to be twisted by his aura, becoming somewhat dim and indistinct. His cultivation at this time appeared to be at the peak of the Grandmaster realm, a master of the Qi-Prowess stage.

"Don't panic, Your Highness. Although this brat seems intimidating, I've seen through his façade; he's not that powerful," the black-robed man reassured Prince Dai.

"Then quickly kill him!" Prince Dai was almost in tears. These subordinates of his boasted of being masters every day, but in a real fight, they were either instantly defeated or fled the battlefield. Since just now, he hadn't even seen how Zu An struck, yet his retainers had already scattered. Hopefully, this Mister Xu wouldn't follow in the footsteps of those others. However, recalling the other party's identity and background, Prince Dai gradually calmed down.

In truth, this Mister Xu was the true top rogue cultivator in the mansion; the corpulent monk before him was merely the ostensible number one. Mister Xu had a special background. Years ago, he committed heinous crimes in the martial world, and the imperial court had to dispatch many masters to capture him. He was about to be executed in the Celestial Prison, but Prince Dai managed to save him. To repay the favor, or perhaps to have a sanctuary and access to the mansion's cultivation resources, he had been stationed deep within the mansion for years, helping them deal with troublesome targets.

When he first arrived at the mansion, even Prince Dai's own protector, Old Chen, was eager to spar with him. The result of their match was a draw. Afterward, Old Chen confessed to him and Chan'er that he was far from Mister Xu's match. The other party had simply held back out of consideration for Old Chen's special status as the Emperor's protector assigned to Prince Dai. He speculated that the other party had only used about fifty percent of his strength. Curious, he and Prince Dai's Consort secretly asked Mister Xu later. The latter proudly stated that he had only used thirty percent of his strength during the match. In a true life-and-death struggle, he could kill Old Chen within three moves; if it was a sneak attack, one move would be enough. At that time, Prince Dai and his Consort were both startled and delighted, never expecting to have recruited such a top-tier master.

"Calm yourself, Your Highness," the black-robed man said, looking at Zu An. "Boy, your little act just now might deceive others, but it won't fool me. I've been observing for a while and seen through your trick. You merely possess some kind of absorption secret art, which allowed you to easily subdue that corpulent monk and devour the rogue cultivators' attacks. Unfortunately for you, I also know such a secret art. I observe that your cultivation technique bears some resemblance to mine, suggesting a common origin," a sinister grin flashed across the black-robed man's face. "But that is your misfortune, for such cultivation arts have a characteristic of 'the greater devours the lesser.' Against a higher-level cultivation art, you will be virtually powerless. Therefore, before this old man, you are no different from a child, and even less of a threat to me than those rogue cultivators."