Chapter 1187: Bet

This statement caused an uproar throughout the hall.

Previously, the Golden Crow Prince's arrogance was understandable; he was a Grandmaster and the heir to the Demon Emperor, giving him reason to be so. But what gave Zu An, a mere human, the right to be arrogant? Aside from being a bit tall, handsome, and good at charming women, what else did he have? His cultivation was merely at the ninth rank, at least one major realm below the Golden Crow Prince.

The Golden Crow Prince was a renowned genius, having long ago dominated experts of his generation within the demon race. He was practically invincible among his peers and often defeated opponents one or two ranks above him. Now facing someone with an inferior cultivation level, the outcome would surely be brutal.

Elders Bai and Qing secretly shook their heads, thinking how young people often valued pride and were prone to impulsive acts. They mused that if the Golden Crow Prince had lowered his cultivation to the same level, Zu An might have had a slim chance of victory. Instead, this fellow insisted on putting on a brave face, directly rejecting terms that would have benefited him. How could the Matriarch have taken a liking to such a hothead?

However, Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen held different views. They secretly nodded, believing that a true powerful individual must possess such an unyielding spirit. The opponent was only one realm higher, not an insurmountable gap. Accepting such terms could easily erode one's belief in victory and leave a permanent flaw in their cultivation mindset. Nevertheless, the Golden Crow Prince was indeed incredibly powerful, and Zu An had recently been injured. A real fight might still put him in danger…

At that moment, the Golden Crow Prince burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the hall and making those with lower cultivation levels turn pale. "Excellent, I've never encountered such arrogance," he declared, looking at Zu An as if he were already dead. "But a mere match is rather dull. How about we add a wager? If you lose, your two women will spend a night with me."

He noticed that the relationships among them seemed intimate, but probably hadn't progressed to the final stage. The recent verbal sparring had enraged the Golden Crow Prince. He resolved not only to conquer this man but also to take his women, claiming them before Zu An could, thereby utterly destroying his spirit of cultivation. This was the consequence of defying him.

Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen's faces darkened to the point of turning stormy; this "bird-man" truly had a foul mouth. Yu Yanluo also wore a strange expression. She was the only one in the hall who knew the identities of the two women. She mused that if these two were truly Ah Zu's women, he could indeed walk freely across the world from then on.

Everyone expected Zu An to refuse, as the stakes were too high; no man would tolerate wagering his women. To their surprise, Zu An agreed immediately: "No problem. But since it's a wager, it needs to be fair. What will you give me if you lose?"

Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen now glared at Zu An. They had just been worried about him, only for him to turn around and 'sell' them?Rage points from Yun Jianyue +222+222+222…Rage points from Yan Xuehen +222+222+222…"Are we your women, that you dare to wager us?" they seemed to say. "Besides, what if you lose?"

Yu Yanluo, however, was secretly amused. She had known Zu An for quite some time and knew he was a bit sly. He was clearly planning that even if he lost, the Golden Crow Prince wouldn't be able to do anything to two Grandmasters. He was essentially pulling off a scheme with no risk to himself.

The Golden Crow Prince proudly declared, "How could I possibly lose!"

Zu An coldly retorted, "Is there ever a wager where only one side can win? How about this: if you lose, you hand over your Crown Princess to me."

"How dare you!" The golden-armored warriors standing behind the Prince glared furiously at Zu An upon hearing this. Elders Bai and Qing were also greatly alarmed. To utter such rebellious words was audacious; if they reached the Demon Emperor's ears, even the Matriarch wouldn't be able to protect him.

"You're asking for death!" The Golden Crow Prince roared in fury and instantly vanished, lunging towards Zu An.Rage points from the Golden Crow Prince +566+566+566…

Zu An used a gentle force to push Yu Yanluo towards Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen, preventing her from being caught in the crossfire. Yun Jianyue caught her, her expression incredibly strange. "This brat desires the Crown Princess, so why didn't he wager you instead of us?"

Yu Yanluo explained on Zu An's behalf, "Precisely because you two aren't truly involved with him, he said that. If he actually lost, you wouldn't be held responsible."

Yan Xuehen was both embarrassed and annoyed. "I still feel like we got the raw end of the deal."

Yun Jianyue cast a sidelong glance at Yu Yanluo. This woman had only recently become intimate with Zu An, yet now she was acting as if they were insiders, while Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen were outsiders. While technically true, why did it sound so grating? After some thought, she concluded that Zu An was the real culprit. Gritting her teeth, she declared, "Once his injuries heal, we're going to hang that guy up and beat him!"

Yan Xuehen nodded in full agreement: "Good!"

However, the three women's attention was quickly drawn to the unfolding battle. To prevent collateral damage to the Snake Tribe's council hall or injuries to the city's residents, Zu An and the Golden Crow Prince tacitly flew out of the city and into a nearby mountain valley while continuing their fight.

The others hurriedly followed, but with many injured and weakened, their speed was far inferior to the two combatants. From a distance, they saw the two figures each land on a mountain peak, facing each other.

The Golden Crow Prince, a towering figure with fierce eyes, stood atop the peak like a demonic deity. Even from afar, a powerful sense of oppression emanated from him. "You're not even a Grandmaster, yet you can fly and at such speed?"

Zu An chuckled, "What, are you scared?"

"Ridiculous! Why would I be scared?" the Golden Crow Prince roared, enraged. "Your speed is no different from an ant's in the eyes of our Golden Crow Royal Family."Rage points from the Golden Crow Prince +277+277+277…

No sooner had he spoken than he attacked. Among the demon race, the most formidable speed technique was the "Sky Roc's Soaring Flight" of the Golden Roc Royal Family, famously described as: "The great roc rises with the wind in a single day, soaring ninety thousand li into the sky!" And their Golden Crow Royal Family's "Golden Crow Flowing Light" could rival the "Sky Roc's Soaring Flight"! He transformed into a streak of golden light and charged forward, his golden claws seeming to compress the very space around them.

"So fast!" Zu An was startled, but fortunately, he had fought countless top experts over the past two years. He had faced not only Grandmasters like Yan Xuehen but also Earth Immortals like the Emperor and even terrifying entities from secret realms multiple times. Much of his experience had already evolved into combat instinct; his mind was clear as a mirror. He directly threw a punch, cleverly intercepting the attack route, which was invisible to the naked eye.

"Bang!"

Like a bolt from a clear sky, a visible shockwave spread outwards. The trees on the mountaintop were completely snapped, and countless rocks, shaken loose, tumbled down the slopes. The commotion here terrified countless Snake Tribe members, who thought a natural disaster had occurred. Fortunately, Yu Yanluo had already dispatched her subordinates to evacuate the onlookers, preventing them from being harmed by the battle's aftermath.

"Hm?" The Golden Crow Prince was puzzled. How could a mere ninth-rank cultivator block his attack? Not only was the opponent's vital energy abnormally profound, but his own move, if not for a Grandmaster's spiritual perception, should have been impossible to keep up with.

"No wonder you dared to challenge me!" He felt no concern whatsoever. After all, he had encountered many geniuses with unusual abilities over the years, but they had all ultimately suffered crushing defeats at his hands. A sharp glint flared in his eyes, and he charged again, appearing like a ball of golden flame, too dazzling to look at directly.

Zu An's fighting spirit soared, and he met the charge with his fists. The energy tremors from their clash were like a tsunami, pulverizing everything in their path. On the mountaintop, not only the trees but even massive boulders were reduced to dust.

By this time, the others had arrived at the foot of a nearby mountain. Little Bai and Little Qing exclaimed repeatedly, "He's matching the Golden Crow Prince blow for blow without falling behind?" They then all looked at Yu Yanluo, thinking that it was no wonder this man had been chosen by the Matriarch; he truly possessed extraordinary qualities.

Elders Bai and Qing stroked their beards and explained, "His ninth-rank cultivation allowing him to unleash Grandmaster-level energy suggests he's using some secret art, which surely cannot last. The Golden Crow Royal Family's physical bodies are incredibly robust, far beyond what any human can match. He'll likely be defeated in less than the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn."

Hearing them disparage her lover, Yu Yanluo said coldly, "Ah Zu's physical body is more powerful and more enduring than anyone's. I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, standing nearby, wore strange expressions. Recalling the scene of Zu An and Yu Yanluo healing in the mine not long ago, they wondered if this woman was deliberately showing off in front of them.

Just then, gasps of alarm suddenly arose from the surroundings. The Golden Crow Prince, seeing his initial attacks prove ineffective and feeling his pride wounded, changed his tactic from grappling to a hand-blade. With a casual flick of his hand, a golden blade-light, dozens of meters long, cleaved towards Zu An. The power of this blade strike seemed to alter the very colors of the sky and earth, as if it could cleave the entire mountain peak in two. In contrast, Zu An's figure appeared minuscule before the dozens-of-meter-long blade. Even Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue grew tense now, as during the war between humans and demons, the Demon Emperor had used this very move to slay countless masters!