Chapter 687: Powerful but Highly Insulting

Soon, he raised three fingers to the sky and swore, "I, Zhao Zhi, will engage in a fair duel with Zu An today. Regardless of the outcome, I vow never to use my family influence for retaliation afterward, or else I shall be forsaken by heaven and earth."

After he finished speaking, a faint golden light descended upon him, clearly indicating that the oath had taken effect.

Only then did Zu An sigh in relief. Having just arrived in this world, he understood the sanctity of contracts and oaths here. This meant he wouldn't have to worry about Prince Qi's retaliation afterward—at least not openly. This was enough; as for any covert actions the other party might take, he would simply deal with them. With his current cultivation and intelligence, he could handle anything as long as a Grandmaster like Prince Qi didn't directly intervene.

Immediately afterward, he also made an oath: "I, Zu An, will engage in a fair duel with Zhao Zhi today. Regardless of the outcome, I vow never to use my family influence for retaliation afterward, or else I shall be forsaken by heaven and earth."

The gap-toothed stableman in the distance almost burst out laughing. "This kid is truly shameless."

"Prince Qi's heir has a powerful family to rely on, but what kind of family background does this kid have?"

The woman inside the carriage chuckled lightly and nodded in agreement. "Just like he used to be."

The gap-toothed stableman's eyes lit up. There was indeed gossip to be had; he needed to find an opportunity to inquire.

Murong Qinghe tugged at Chu Youzhao's sleeve again. "Brother Chu, with a brother-in-law like that, your sister must get bullied often, right?"

She had met Chu Chuyan before and originally thought that someone of Miss Chu's stature could never be bullied. But after meeting Zu An, she became unsure of that judgment.

"She does get bullied often," Chu Youzhao said, his face flushing. His mind involuntarily recalled the time he accidentally stumbled upon Zu An misbehaving with his sister in her boudoir. His usually aloof and cool sister had a 'worn out' expression, and the thought alone made his heart ache.

Prince Qi's heir's face twitched; he clearly realized the cunning in Zu An's oath. However, he didn't care, as he was certain to win this time. He planned to take advantage of this fair duel to completely cripple Zu An. This way, not only the Crown Prince and Princess, but even the Emperor wouldn't be able to blame him.

"You may make the first move, otherwise, I'm concerned you won't get a chance to," Prince Qi's heir said proudly. He thought highly of himself, and striking first against a 'nobody' would severely lower his prestige.

Although the common people nearby had long since departed, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire, there were still some spectators present: the Chu family's heir, the young lady from the Murong family, and that carriage over there.

It was rather strange. What was with that carriage? It knew about the situation here, yet it hadn't left?

Could it be that some extraordinary dignitary was seated inside? Yet, from its appearance, it was just an ordinary carriage.

"Since you're so eager to be beaten, I'll oblige you." Zu An didn't stand on ceremony. Seizing the moment of Prince Qi's distraction, he shot forward like a cannonball, instantly appearing before him.

Prince Qi's heir was startled. How could this fellow be so fast!

Seeing the opponent's punch coming, he quickly unleashed a punch of his own. A hint of a cruel smile played on his lips; with the disparity in their ranks, his punch would be enough to shatter the other's hand into countless pieces.

Just as the two fists were about to connect, Zu An's powerful and unrestrained fist suddenly softened, transforming into a 'finger-wrapping silk' technique. Like a nimble snake, it wrapped directly around his opponent's arm, extending upwards. Then, his five fingers splayed open, delivering a crisp slap.

Everyone nearby was stunned. As a martial arts enthusiast, Murong Qinghe had watched the battle intently from beginning to end, hoping to learn something from it.

She had fought Zu An before and, although she suffered a crushing defeat, she knew he was no match for an eighth-grade master. In her opinion, Zu An's wisest choice would be to focus purely on defense, prolonging the fight to see if any variables might arise, such as people from the Eastern Palace arriving after hearing the news to intervene.

But to her surprise, Zu An had audaciously initiated an attack. Not only that, but he had also successfully slapped Prince Qi's heir with a strange technique?

How was that move so similar to the Pei family's Feather Cloak Entangling Silk Hand?

It couldn't be, could it? How could he possibly know the Pei family's martial arts?

Although she could tell that Zu An's hand had barely managed to reach Prince Qi's heir's face, a desperate last effort, and the slap carried little force, it was not powerful but extremely insulting.

Sure enough, a burning sensation spread across his face, and Prince Qi's heir erupted in fury: "You dare hit me? You actually dare to hit me!"

Rage value from Prince Qi: 999,999,999...

His hair stood on end, and he lunged forward, slamming a fist towards Zu An's chest. He was no longer in the mood to spare Zu An's life; his only thought was to blast him into dust, only then could he wash away this humiliation.

The gap-toothed coachman in the distance frowned. "That boy's last move wasn't wise at all. That slap carried no offensive power and only enraged the other party. Now Prince Qi's heir intends to kill him. Madam, shall I save his life later?"

He could see his madam's interest in the young man, which was why he specifically asked.

The woman's calm voice drifted from inside the carriage: "Let's observe the situation first."

From what she knew of Zu An, he wasn't the reckless type.

Moreover, how could someone who survived the Emperor's wrath not have a few trump cards?

At that moment, Chu Youzhao gasped. A change had occurred in the arena: Prince Qi's heir's determined punch had struck Zu An's chest, and his entire body seemed to dissipate.

Prince Qi's heir, however, frowned deeply. The sensation transmitted through his hand told him his punch had missed, striking only an afterimage.

Sure enough, Zu An had already retreated several yards away.

Prince Qi's heir found it somewhat strange how fast his opponent was, but he couldn't be bothered to ponder it and simply pursued him.

"No matter how fast you are, can you be faster than an eighth-grade cultivator? Especially when he specializes in speed and lightning abilities!"

Zu An quickly raised his palm to meet the attack. The two exchanged blows, engaging in over a dozen moves in an instant. The scattered qi blasts sent the surrounding knight ice sculptures toppling, and Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe also had to continuously retreat.

Both of them had their eyes wide open in disbelief. They never imagined Zu An could face an eighth-grade master head-on without being at a disadvantage.

Chu Youzhao secretly clenched his fists, recalling the scene where his brother-in-law instantly killed those assassins. He thought that perhaps his brother-in-law truly had a chance to win this time.

Murong Qinghe seemed to discern her thoughts and shook her head. "While your brother-in-law's strength is quite surprising, there's still a significant gap in cultivation levels between him and the heir. The higher the cultivation stage, the harder it is to challenge someone beyond your rank. He might not even be able to break through the opponent's protective barrier."

As if to confirm her words, Zu An transformed his finger into a sword, striking the opponent's ribs with the Divine Snowfall Sword technique.

However, a layer of purple light shimmered on the opponent's surface, completely neutralizing his attack.

A tingling sensation also ran through his fingers, caused by a lightning counterattack. Zu An's mind raced, and he instantly shifted three yards sideways using the 'Sunflower Phantom' movement technique.

Almost simultaneously, Prince Qi's heir's lightning-infused fist struck the spot where Zu An had just been standing. Lightning flashed, creating a large crater in the ground, about three yards in diameter. The shattered bricks and stones were all scorched black, clearly caused by the intense lightning.

Prince Qi's heir frowned as he watched his opponent. This fellow's movement technique was truly too peculiar, but he didn't see it as a problem. He said coldly, "Presumably, this movement technique is what gave you the confidence to challenge me. What a pity your attacks can't even penetrate my elemental shield. How will you fight me, the heir to Prince Qi!"

He was already in an unassailable position. All he needed to do was exhaust the opponent's vitality first. After repeated confrontations, a lower-ranked cultivator's vital energy would quickly deplete, losing its sustaining power. Once a slight sign of fatigue appeared, the opponent's strange movement technique would be broken, and he could then utterly blast him into dust.

Zu An sighed. "Why do you villains always talk so much nonsense? You actually think I can't break through your shield? If you're so confident, stand there and let me try three moves!"

As he spoke, he quietly drew out the Tai'a Sword. This sword was specifically designed to shatter cultivators' elemental shields. Challenging opponents beyond one's rank was an impossible task for others, but for him, it was a non-issue.