Chapter 451: Divine Skill Reappears

The assassin chose a brilliant moment. Yun Yuqing was in a critical phase of spiritual-physical integration, and her mind experienced a momentary blank. Although she knew danger was approaching, she trembled uncontrollably during that brief period, unable to react effectively.

Clearly, the assassin knew she was the greatest threat in the room, so he seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stab her in the back. The force of the strike was enough to impale two people like candied haws on a stick.

Yun Yuqing had her back to the assassin and was too weak to dodge. Zu An, however, saw everything clearly.

In that critical moment, he quickly embraced her and shifted positions, turning his own back towards the assassin's longsword.

*Pffft!* The assassin's sword effortlessly pierced his body. A small portion of the blade even protruded from his chest, striking Yun Yuqing. Her fair skin was instantly stained with blood, and it was unclear if it was Zu An's or her own.

The assassin was greatly surprised. The target's physical resilience was clearly beyond his expectation. He had anticipated the sword would impale both of them, but it had only just managed to pierce one person.

Yun Yuqing finally reacted. With a wave of her hand, a powerful palm strike shot towards the assassin's chest.

The assassin was clearly surprised by her cultivation level. He quickly retreated, dodging the fatal blow.

Yun Yuqing swiftly reached out, and her clothes from nearby reappeared on her. This brief, sudden exchange had left her trembling uncontrollably. She could only hold Zu An tightly, gritting her teeth and enduring, fearful of making any embarrassing sounds.

The assassin did not immediately attack. The momentary clash had made him aware of the formidable power of the Wu Princess, and he dared not advance rashly.

He cast a lecherous gaze at her fair thighs and slender arms, which were exposed due to her hastily donned clothes. The assassin's mind replayed the beautiful sight he had just witnessed. Since they were embracing tightly, he had only seen their backs, but even that was enough to make his blood boil.

"A Night Elf? Who sent you?" Yun Yuqing recognized his race from the assassin's distinct features. She had initially been scrutinizing him coldly, but still recovering from her trembling while holding Zu An tightly, her voice inadvertently carried a hint of allure.

The assassin did not answer her question. Instead, he said mockingly, "The world praises the Wu Princess as a celestial beauty, noble and pure. Seeing you today, 'celestial beauty' is certainly true, but 'noble and pure'…"

He deliberately paused, his eyes darting between the two of them. He clucked his tongue, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Truly a noble lady in public, a hussy in private. But it's no wonder, this fellow's body is so tough that my sword almost couldn't pierce him. I suppose other parts are equally firm. No wonder he could make the Princess so utterly infatuated."

"Shameless!" Yun Yuqing exploded in anger. She instinctively tried to rise and kill him, but as soon as she moved, her body trembled. Her brows furrowed instantly, and she sank back down.

The assassin keenly seized this momentary vulnerability. Leaving an afterimage, he instantly turned transparent, his presence vanishing. His unbridled laughter echoed through the room: "Hahahaha, you doing such things behind your husband's back – tell me, am I shameless, or are you?!"

Clearly, he intended to provoke her into mental disarray, hoping to find an opening.

Unfortunately, Yun Yuqing was completely unaffected. What happened today was not done behind her husband's back; ultimately, he had forced her to be there. Therefore, she felt not a shred of guilt.

At that moment, a burst of purple light suddenly bloomed in the room. A pair of beautiful, enormous eyes appeared in mid-air.

The Night Elf, previously transparent and unseen, could no longer hide in this purple world. He was greatly alarmed: "Eyes of the Demonic Sky!" His reaction was swift; he closed his eyes in that instant. Unfortunately, it was a fraction too late; affected by the Eyes of the Demonic Sky, his movements faltered momentarily.

Just then, a purple beam of light shot towards him. His hair stood on end; in that moment, he felt the fear of death.

He no longer held anything back. His entire being instantly diffused into swirling dark shadows. In that critical moment, he narrowly escaped the control of the Eyes of the Demonic Sky, avoiding a fatal blow.

Nevertheless, he did not completely evade it. His body was struck by the purple light, instantly forming a gaping wound.

Terrified, he realized that this seemingly delicate Wu Princess possessed power far beyond his expectations. Daring not to linger, he immediately summoned a black, mirror-like passage beside him and dashed into it.

Although the assassination failed today, he had uncovered a major scandal involving the Wu Princess. Furthermore, the Wu Princess was actually a demon! Either piece of information was explosive news, capable of bringing countless benefits to the person behind him.

Yun Yuqing was equally aware of this. She absolutely could not allow today's events to be exposed. That's why her initial move was a killing blow.

But to her surprise, the assassin had managed to dodge her sure-kill strike. Now he had activated 'Night Travel,' a secret art that allowed Night Elves to appear and disappear without a trace, largely explaining their assassination prowess.

Now, most of his body was already through, making it impossible to stop him.

The thought of him spreading what he had witnessed today made her face turn pale. If that happened, she would truly be doomed forever.

At that moment, the Night Elf looked back. Yun Yuqing's beauty had clearly left too deep an impression on him. Even thinking about her subtly exposed, translucent skin beneath the draped clothes made his heart pound. He decided to take advantage of this chance to gaze a few more times, as he likely wouldn't get such an opportunity again.

Just then, he suddenly heard a displeased voice: "What are you staring at?"

He knew perfectly well he should leave without a moment's hesitation, not wasting even a second. Yet, an irresistible urge welled up inside him. He felt that if he didn't respond, his thoughts wouldn't be clear, and he would somehow fall apart.

So he opened his mouth and retorted, "What about it?!"

Yun Yuqing had never imagined he would become distracted at such a moment. She gave him no further chance. With a flick of her finger, a strand of purple light shot through his forehead.

The Night Elf's eyes instantly lost their luster. He fell heavily to the ground, becoming a corpse. The 'Night Travel' passage gradually dissipated and finally vanished.

Only then did Yun Yuqing let out a sigh of relief. At that moment, a maid's soft inquiry came from outside the window: "Princess, what happened?"

Clearly, the commotion inside the room had alarmed them. Although so much had just occurred, everything had happened in a flash, which was why her maids were only just reacting now.

"It's nothing, don't come in," Yun Yuqing replied. Realizing she was still in Zu An's arms, her face flushed. Then she asked, "Is there any activity from the banquet hall?"

"No, we set up a formation that isolated the energy fluctuations here. They shouldn't detect anything for a while," the maid replied.

"Good. Guard outside carefully, and don't let anyone in," Yun Yuqing instructed.

"Yes!" The maid's footsteps gradually faded away.

Yun Yuqing then looked at Zu An. She glanced down at his blood-soaked chest, her expression complex. "Why did you save me just now?" she asked.

"I couldn't just stand by and watch the woman in my arms die in front of me, could I?" Zu An said, smiling at the woman before him.

"You didn't have to use your own body to shield me from the sword..." She didn't voice that thought. Instead, her slender, spring-onion-like fingers gently traced the wound on his chest, and she asked, "Does it hurt?"

"It didn't hurt much before, but now that you ask, it seems to be hurting more," Zu An said with a chuckle.

"You're annoying," Yun Yuqing said, her voice no longer cold, but tinged with a hint of playful petulance.