Chapter 1269: Each Harboring Hidden Agendas

Duan Tiande's neck was snapped. The large hand casually tossed him into the pool of blood, where his flesh quickly corroded away, revealing a skeleton much more delicate than that of an ordinary person. This was typical of the Elven race; their physiques were more slender than those of other races.

Witnessing this, Qiao Heng's face twitched. Although the two were mortal enemies, seeing such a tragic death still left him feeling uneasy. The other demon masters were filled with even greater dread. If even Duan Tiande could be instantly killed by this creature, what hope did they have?

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue both looked at Zu An simultaneously, exclaiming, "It's him!"

Zu An nodded. This terrifying aura felt familiar; they had subtly sensed a powerful presence lurking in the Mist Forest before, and now it had finally revealed itself. A dark figure slowly approached, and everyone finally got a clear look at it. It was hard to call it a person. Although it roughly resembled a human, its entire body was covered in long black fur, making its face completely indistinguishable. Black mist swirled around the furry monster, making it seem like a grim reaper from hell. It stepped casually onto the blood pool as if walking on solid ground; the highly corrosive blood seemed to have no effect on it whatsoever.

A powerful oppressive aura instantly filled the entire hall, causing despair among the demon race. Grandmaster? There was no doubt; this was the oppressive aura of a Grandmaster!

Zu An looked at Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, his expression grave. "Its aura seems even stronger than yours were at your peak." The two women didn't refute him but quickly warned, "This monster is indeed very powerful, but it seems to be in a confused state of mind. It probably can't fully utilize many of the abilities unique to Grandmasters, so there might still be a chance."

Yu Yanluo, standing nearby, couldn't help but admire them. They truly were Grandmasters; while everyone else despaired, they could instantly identify the opponent's weakness. Princess Sorun secretly observed Zu An. The other demon masters, usually arrogant and boastful, were now terrified. Yet, this man remained calm even in the face of such a formidable enemy. Could such heroes exist among humans?

At that moment, the furry monster walked between Xiong Da and Xiong Er. It raised its hands, and the two brothers, who had been clinging to the wall's carvings, could no longer hold on. Their bodies flew straight towards the furry monster. "Aaaah!" The two were scared out of their wits; they had just clearly witnessed what happened to Duan Tiande.

In desperation, the brothers each brought out their weapons—a spiked club and a giant hammer—and swung them with all their might at the creature, trying to seize a sliver of hope. With their lives on the line, the brothers felt they unleashed 200% of their usual energy, creating sonic booms at the tips of their weapons. The furry monster did not dodge. It simply reached up with two large hands and, with its bare flesh, caught both the spiked club and the giant hammer without even a tremor. Xiong Da and Xiong Er strained with all their might to push their weapons down, their chubby faces turning crimson, but the spiked club and giant hammer remained utterly still.

The furry monster moved. With a light squeeze of its two large hands, the two heavy weapons, usually so formidable, twisted and crumpled into scrap metal! Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. They had all dealt with the Black-White Twin Bears; the brothers' attacks were unparalleled in their ferocity, making it difficult to face them head-on. Their two heavy weapons were notorious, having crushed countless masters into pulp. Yet, they had just been crumpled by bare hands? Could a Grandmaster truly be this terrifying?

Then, with a grab of its large hand, the furry monster held the burly Xiong Da and Xiong Er, who, like Duan Tiande before them, couldn't break free even with their lives on the line. The furry monster brought its two hands together, and with a resounding thud, Xiong Da and Xiong Er collided directly with each other. Unlike the previous time when they were guided by gentle force, causing their attacks to clash and merely disrupting their qi and blood, this collision shattered their entire essence, broke all their bones, crushed their internal organs, and sent blood gushing from their mouths and noses. They were clearly beyond saving.

The furry monster casually tossed the brothers aside, adding two more unfortunate souls to the blood pool. Meanwhile, the Triple-Blossom flower in the center of the blood pool seemed to grow even more vibrant, subtly showing signs of blooming.

At this point, Jin Shi and Ma Huang simultaneously called out, "Friends over there, why don't we put aside our past grievances and face this powerful enemy together?" They knew that fighting the furry monster alone was futile. If Zu An, another equally powerful being, could help, there might be a glimmer of hope.

Zu An showed a playful smile. "Alright!"

At that moment, Kong Nanqing reacted and quickly pulled him back. "Don't go!" she whispered. "They're closer to the monster right now; if anyone dies, it'll be them first. Maybe the monster will be satisfied after killing them." Zu An was her only reliance now. If he left, she would feel utterly helpless. Furthermore, according to the two men, they clearly intended to gang up on the furry monster, and she couldn't just stand by. What difference would that make from going to her death?

Princess Sorun angrily rebuked, "At this point, only by fighting do we have a chance. Sacrificing others to satisfy the monster's desires might not be enough, and then we'll be left with no power to resist."

Seeing herself rebuked in such a way, Kong Nanqing's face twisted. "You're so impressive, speaking so nobly, but you just ruthlessly killed your own suitor. Who's truly more heartless?"

Princess Sorun was exasperated and finally turned away. "You can't talk about ice with a summer insect!" She then prepared to join Zu An in battle but was stopped by Yan Xuehen. "That monster is too strong. You won't be much help, and he'll only be distracted by having to protect you."

Princess Sorun grew anxious. "But we can't just stand here and watch, can we?"

"Let's observe the situation first," Yun Jianyue interjected, her tone leaving no room for argument. Princess Sorun opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing more.

Kong Nanqing, standing by, gloated, "You were bragging so loudly just now, but aren't you just cowering here now?"

"You!" Princess Sorun felt a surge of anger and turned her head away, ignoring her.

Kong Nanqing, meanwhile, discreetly retreated further back. If she had to die, she'd be the last one, safe in the rear. No, perhaps the monster would stop once it had killed enough. She glanced at the Triple-Blossom flower in the blood pool. It seemed the monster was using everyone's vital essence to nourish that immortal medicine, so staying hidden at the back genuinely offered a chance to survive.

At this moment, Zu An slowly floated out on his Wind-Fire Wheels. Jin Shi flapped his wings, moving along the walls, and Ma Huang transformed into a mist of blood, encircling the area. The three subtly surrounded the monster. The monster seemed to sense Zu An's extraordinary nature and directly raised a hand, grabbing straight at him. In that instant, an energy aura locked tightly onto him. The monstrous hand seemed to fill the entire space, carrying a terrifying might that left no escape. Zu An finally understood why neither Duan Tiande nor the Xiong brothers had been able to resist that grab earlier.

At this point, Jin Shi did not attack from the side to relieve Zu An's pressure. Instead, he seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, transforming into a streak of golden light and rushing out of the hall. This was the Supreme Movement Technique of the Demon Race, the Sky Roc Soar! Although he had only learned a fraction of it, his speed was already terrifying.

On the other side, Ma Huang also did not attack. Instead, he rushed in the opposite direction, intending to seize the opportunity while Zu An distracted the monster to obtain the peerless divine medicine, the Triple-Blossom flower, from the center of the blood pool.

Princess Sorun watched, both angry and anxious. "How can you be so shameless!"

Even Kong Nanqing started cursing. "Have you no shame?!" Zu An was her last hope; what would she do if he died?

Unfortunately, no matter how much they cursed, the situation remained unchanged.