Chapter 1190: Same Level Invincible?

Yun Jianyue glanced in a certain direction in the sky. "It seems there's still a Grandmaster hidden away," she remarked.

"That's perfectly normal," Yan Xuehen said calmly. "He's just the Golden Crow Crown Prince's protector. As the next candidate for the Demon Emperor, the Demon Royal Court wouldn't possibly let him wander around outside unprotected. Otherwise, countless ambitious individuals could ensure he dies in an 'accident'."

While the Golden Crow Crown Prince's cultivation was indeed outstanding among the younger generation, he was still somewhat outmatched when facing older, more experienced masters.

"Zu An might be in danger soon," Yun Jianyue said, a worried expression on her face. If it were just the Golden Crow Crown Prince, she wouldn't be overly concerned; even if Zu An lost, he could certainly protect himself. But if the hidden Grandmaster intervened, Zu An would be in deep trouble.

Yan Xuehen frowned. "Surely not. Grandmasters have their pride. How could he possibly get involved in a squabble between juniors?"

Yun Jianyue sneered repeatedly. "Oh, really? Which Grandmaster shamelessly hunted down a junior not long ago, I wonder?"

Yan Xuehen gasped, momentarily speechless. She was indeed in the wrong about that incident, but being provoked by her old rival still greatly annoyed her. "How much of your cultivation has recovered? If that guy really attacks later, can you save Zu An?"

"It'll be tough," Yun Jianyue replied with a wry smile. Both she and Yan Xuehen had sustained severe injuries and wouldn't recover anytime soon.

"Where was all that arrogance when you were just bullying me?" Yan Xuehen glared at her fiercely. "When I actually need you, you're useless!"

"At least I'm better than some people; I don't need to be carried, and I can take care of myself," Yun Jianyue said, clenching her fist and smiling mischievously. "Keep yapping, and see if I don't slap you again."

Yan Xuehen flinched, quickly shrinking back. She rubbed her still-aching backside, thinking that if she were hit again in front of so many people, she'd rather die of embarrassment.

Yu Yanluo was both angry and anxious. At a time like this, these two were still bickering!

She quickly looked up at the sky, worried if Zu An could still hold on.

Meanwhile, the Golden Crow Crown Prince was astonished to see flames rising all over Zu An's body. Not only was this human physically formidable, but his flames also seemed extraordinary, comparable to his own Golden Crow Sacred Fire. Was this even a human being? How was he not ascending to the heavens already?

After a brief moment of shock, the Golden Crow Crown Prince collected himself. "Playing with fire in front of me is like teaching a fish to swim!"

No sooner had he spoken than he conjured two fiery dragons with a wave of his hands, sending them hurtling towards Zu An. The dragons let out silent roars, incinerating all plants and trees in their path, leaving only two charred trails.

Zu An showed no weakness. He directly summoned a Fire Phoenix, then conjured a forty-meter-long flame blade and sliced the two fiery dragons into four pieces.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince's expression grew grim. Daring no further contempt, he immediately activated the Golden Crow Streamer technique, controlling his Golden Crow Sacred Fire to blast Zu An from all directions.

The Golden Crow Sacred Fire was no ordinary flame element; it was supremely rigid and pure Yang, imbued with a volatile, destructive aura. Even other fire-element cultivators would suffer greatly against this Sacred Fire, as it could dissolve and consume common flames, effectively turning their attacks into nourishment for itself. It was almost a natural counter to them.

However, Zu An was wielding the Flames of the Fire Phoenix. The Phoenix, Vermillion Bird, and Golden Crow were the three legendary top-tier sacred beasts of the fire element, theoretically belonging to the same rank. Thus, the Golden Crow Sacred Fire could not destroy his flames; it could only be a test of their respective cultivation levels.

Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, Xiao Qing tugged at Xiao Bai's sleeve. "Sister, this human is so handsome! And he can use fire. If we snuggled up to him in winter, it would be wonderfully warm." The snake race was naturally cold-averse and loved sources of warmth. Although the Golden Crow Crown Prince also used fire, his was too fierce. Moreover, given the natural animosity between snakes and Golden Crows, Xiao Qing instinctively felt more drawn to Zu An.

Xiao Bai was startled. "Don't even think about it! He's the Clan Leader's man."

Xiao Qing scoffed. "The Clan Leader isn't that stingy. We can just find an opportunity to ask her if we can 'borrow' him."

Xiao Bai spat. "At such a young age, you're so shameless! You're still a maiden; how can you just ruin your purity like that?"

Xiao Qing froze. "I meant for warmth! What are *you* thinking?"

Xiao Bai immediately blushed deeply and stopped responding to her.

Not far away, Yu Yanluo faintly overheard the two girls' conversation, and her cheeks unconsciously flushed. Zu An was indeed very warm. No, he was scalding, so hot that her body would involuntarily melt into water...

However, a sudden turn in the battle quickly interrupted her reverie, as Zu An gradually began to lose ground! Visibly, the flames around him were fading, while the Golden Crow Sacred Fire surrounding the Crown Prince grew ever stronger. After all, Zu An was merely using fire elemental power by summoning the Fire Phoenix, which was significantly less efficient than the Golden Crow's innate talent.

Zu An was contemplating switching to the Snow Phoenix to cast the Divine Snowflake Sword, but he hesitated. This "birdman" was covered in Golden Crow Sacred Fire, and a blizzard might not be able to trap him; the ice and snow might even be countered by his intense flames.

Just then, he suddenly felt a wave of warmth emanating from his chest. His heart stirred; it was the flame pendant Pei Mianman had given him. Because her Black Flame was too powerful, and she worried it might harm him during normal contact, she had given him her mother's precious heirloom pendant, which granted immunity to Black Flame damage.

Now, as the Golden Crow Sacred Fire began to erode Zu An's body, the pendant, sensing the fiery invasion, slowly absorbed the Sacred Fire while radiating a gentle power that protected Zu An's body. Zu An's spirits lifted. This flame pendant was designed for Black Flame and didn't grant complete immunity to other types of fire damage. However, being fire-based itself, it still provided significant protection. The flame pendant was like an item in a game that reduced fire damage and increased fire elemental resistance.

With its assistance, Zu An immediately felt the Golden Crow Sacred Fire's damage drop to an acceptable level. He decisively seized the opportunity and charged directly into the Golden Crow's Sacred Fire.

Seeing his move, the Golden Crow Crown Prince sneered. "Can't hold on any longer, so you're making a desperate last stand? Too bad it's a dead end." He also noticed that the phoenix flames on Zu An were gradually fading, so he quickly poured all his power into the Golden Crow Sacred Fire, seizing the chance to burn Zu An to ashes!

However, his expression instantly froze. To his astonishment, Zu An was not being refined; instead, he burst through the Sacred Fire like an arrow, directly charging towards him and landing a punch squarely on his jaw. *Crunch!* He knew his jaw was shattered. His entire head buzzed, and he nearly blacked out. Had it not been for the Golden Crow's inherently tough physical body, that punch might have split his head open like a watermelon.

His opponent gave him no chance to catch his breath, landing punch after punch. *Why the hell did this bastard keep hitting the same spot?!* The Golden Crow Crown Prince spewed blood, his head feeling as if it were about to explode. He was almost in tears. They were supposed to be testing their divine abilities; why had it devolved back into a physical brawl?

*Boom!*

Finally, under the gaze of countless onlookers, the Golden Crow Crown Prince was relentlessly pummeled, ultimately plummeting into the mountain like a meteor, raising clouds of dust. His fate was unknown.

All the spectators watched in stunned silence, their jaws dropped. The Golden Crow Crown Prince, undefeated among those of his rank, had been defeated just like that?