Chapter 1196: Crack

She had been through so much recently that she had almost forgotten about it. But hearing him mention it immediately brought back the image of her standing naked before him that time, filling her with overwhelming shame and rage.

Rage points from Yan Xuehen +300 +300 +300...

What's more, this guy claimed he had also been exposed to her. But was that for her eyes alone? So many people in the arena had seen it! And even if it had been for her eyes only, how could something like this be considered even?

Seeing the series of rage points he received in the system, Zu An was startled, wondering how he had provoked her. Fortunately, at that moment, Yun Jianyue came over and rescued him.

"What are you two whispering about here?" she asked, her expression full of suspicion.

"Nothing," Yan Xuehen quickly replied. She was terrified Zu An might foolishly blurt out what had happened, as she would truly rather die if he did.

"How odd," Yun Jianyue mused. However, she was more concerned about something else. "By the way, do you really have Phoenix bloodline?"

Yan Xuehen also became interested. As a leader of a human sect, she naturally didn't want Zu An to have demon blood.

Zu An shook his head. "It's mainly because of the cultivation technique I practice."

The two women immediately understood. The emperor's previous acquisition of the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture had caused quite a stir, and they had heard about it.

At this point, Yu Yanluo became somewhat displeased. "Ah Zu is injured and needs to rest more," she said. "Aren't you two annoying, asking so many questions?" She wasn't sure why, but she always felt these two women were constantly circling Zu An, as if they had ulterior motives.

Normally, no one would dare scold these two Grandmasters like that, but when it came to Zu An, they felt guilty and endured it.

Elders Bai and Qing, along with their two granddaughters and some other high-ranking members of the Snake Clan, approached. "Clan Leader," they said, "we have prepared rooms for our esteemed guests to rest well, and we have also prepared various healing medicines."

After witnessing Zu An's powerful display just now, their attitude immediately did a 180-degree turn. The demon race respected strength above all else, and Zu An, who had defeated the Golden Crow Crown Prince, certainly deserved their highest respect.

Next, the Snake Clan held a grand welcoming banquet for the return of their Clan Leader and to welcome their distinguished guests. Although Yu Yanluo was theoretically the guest of honor, once the banquet began, Zu An naturally became the focus. Countless young women and married women of the Snake Clan flocked to his side, vying for his attention. Their soft waists and fiery red lips truly made it difficult for Zu An to maintain his composure.

Of course, some young men of the Snake Clan noticed Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue and tried to approach them for a chat. However, as soon as they got close, they felt a chill run through their bodies, and a palpable trace of killing intent seemed to permeate the air. Seeing the two women glaring unpleasantly at Zu An, who was surrounded by others, the young men suddenly realized they were Young Master Zu's companions. The group immediately dared not act recklessly and wisely retreated.

At the same time, their gazes towards Zu An were truly full of admiration. He had a Clan Leader of unparalleled beauty, yet he wasn't satisfied and could even entangle himself with two women of similar beauty. The key was that the Clan Leader didn't seem jealous at all and even tacitly approved of their relationship. They really wanted to ask Zu An how he managed it, but remembering the scene they witnessed earlier that day, their faces turned pale. They realized they could never achieve what he had.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Yan Xuehen said in a cold voice, "These Snake Clan women are truly shameless, behaving like this... like this..." Given her upbringing and her pure, unblemished life experience, she truly couldn't find the words to describe the behavior of these women.

"Ah Zu is handsome and masculine, while the men of the Snake Clan tend to be more effeminate, so the contrast is obvious. What's more, he stole the show in his fight against the Golden Crow Crown Prince today, so it's only natural for these women to admire him," said Yun Jianyue, who was accustomed to such things from her years in the Demonic Cult. "Besides, he's not your man. Even the rightful owner isn't worried, so why are you?"

Yan Xuehen's breath hitched, but she quickly retorted, "Hmph, I'm just worried about Chuyan. This guy clearly has a wife, yet he entertains all sorts of other women outside. It's preposterous!"

That guy Zu An was currently surrounded by women, laughing gleefully.

Rage points from Yan Xuehen +333 +333 +333...

Yun Jianyue immediately became agitated. "What wife are you talking about? Your disciple divorced him long ago. If anyone's his wife, it's our Honglei; they are destined for each other."

Yan Xuehen sneered. "Were there three matchmakers and six rituals? Was there a token of betrothal? Nothing! Our Chuyan was properly married to him."

"Who was it just recently who kept saying they wanted to break them up? And now you're talking about a proper marriage?" Yun Jianyue retorted sarcastically.

"The only constant in the universe is change," Yan Xuehen said nonchalantly. "Surely you understand that much?"

Yun Jianyue was annoyed. "Ice-hearted woman, are you asking for a beating again?"

"Savage woman, I won't stoop to your level," Yan Xuehen snorted, but wisely held back.

At this point, Yu Yanluo, seated at the head table, finally couldn't take it anymore. Seeing the bevy of women seemingly trying to devour Zu An, she quickly used his injuries as an excuse and had Xing Nu escort him back to his room to rest.

Zu An didn't object and reluctantly left the banquet.

After escorting him to his room, Xing Nu bowed. "Young Master, please call me if you need anything."

"No need to trouble yourself. Go back and stay with Yanluo," Zu An said. "She's injured and needs someone to look after her."

"The Young Master is truly considerate," Xing Nu said with a slight smile. "Then I won't disturb you." With that, she withdrew, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.

Zu An looked around. The room was spacious, adorned with several exquisite screens. The floor was covered with a beautiful carpet, and precious incense burned on the table. This wasn't typical Snake Clan style. Much of it resembled the decor of the Yu family. He presumed Yu Yanluo had sent people to transport some furniture here over the years. This woman certainly knew how to enjoy life's luxuries.

However, Zu An's mind wasn't on these things now. His cheerful expression vanished as he took out the Tai'e Sword to examine it, a pained look on his face. There were several hairline cracks on the blade. They were wounds left by Ying Han's Sun-shooting Arrow. The Sun-shooting Arrow was simply too powerful. He hadn't expected even the Tai'e Sword to be unable to withstand it.

Just then, a wisp of red smoke drifted out, followed by a beautiful woman in palace attire appearing on the bed nearby. On her exquisitely beautiful face, her characteristic phoenix eyes showed a hint of disdain.

Zu An was both surprised and delighted. "Empress sister, you're awake?"

"Call me Master!" The palace-dressed beauty was, of course, Mi Li. She corrected him with a stern face.

Only then did Zu An remember he had become her disciple. He reluctantly changed his address: "Master!"

"That's better," Mi Li nodded with satisfaction. "With all the commotion you've caused, it would be hard for me not to wake up." After speaking, she let out a languid yawn, as if utterly exhausted.

"Disturbing Master's rest is a capital offense," Zu An said, full of remorse. He shuddered with lingering fear, realizing that Mi Li's soul was temporarily residing in the Tai'e Sword. If the Tai'e Sword were destroyed, wouldn't she also vanish into thin air?

Mi Li reached out, and the Tai'e Sword flew into her hand. She looked at the cracks on it in silence. The Tai'e Sword was a divine sword of the Chu kingdom. It was later given to the Qin kingdom, becoming the Qin King's imperial sword. For her, a princess of Chu and empress of Qin, it held immense significance.

Seeing the sadness in her eyes, Zu An felt even more guilty. "It's all because of my insufficient strength that the Tai'e Sword suffered such irreparable damage."

Mi Li shook her head slightly. "The Sun-shooting Bow is a top-tier divine weapon. The Tai'e Sword hasn't recovered its former power yet. It's thanks to you that it wasn't shattered on the spot."

Zu An was stunned. "The Tai'e Sword can be restored?"

"Of course," Mi Li replied. "The Tai'e Sword's power was sealed. After countless years, its grade also declined, losing its former glory. If you can reforge and temper it, not only can these cracks be repaired, but it can also regain its divine weapon grade."

Zu An was overjoyed. "I'll go find a master craftsman to reforge the Tai'e Sword right away!"

Mi Li shook her head. "Although the Tai'e Sword's grade has declined, it's still barely an immortal-grade weapon. It's not something mortal craftsmen can forge. You'll need some legendary artifact refining methods to forge weapons of immortal grade or higher."

"What kind of refining methods? Master, you can teach me to try!" Zu An said excitedly.

"I don't know them," Mi Li said blandly.

Zu An: "???"

"Didn't you used to boast that you had read all the books in the world and were familiar with all the schools of thought?"

Mi Li became somewhat annoyed. "I did read many books, but I only picked the ones that interested me. Back then, I was an Empress; why would I be interested in blacksmithing or sword forging? Besides, there were no methods for forging divine weapons in the Qin kingdom's library."

"Then what can we do?" Zu An asked, reaching out to gently touch the cracks on the sword blade. "With these cracks, if the Tai'e Sword ever breaks, wouldn't your soul lose its sanctuary and be in great danger?"

Mi Li's body trembled slightly. She slapped his hand away. "How many times have I told you not to touch the sword's blade on regular days?" However, she immediately realized her reaction was excessive and worried he might connect the dots. She quickly cleared her throat and continued: "But since you've shown some filial piety, I suddenly recalled something I once read in an ancient text, which might contain clues about forging divine artifacts."