Chapter 1317: Sky Eye

"Ah!" Crown Prince Jinwu let out an earth-shattering shriek. Due to what had just happened, most of his blood had rushed to his lower body, resulting in a severe loss. He might very well be called "Jinwu the Great One" from now on.

The newcomer was, of course, Zu An. He had just followed the guard into the palace, meticulously mapping the surroundings while simultaneously trying to ascertain Xue'er's whereabouts.

An ordinary guard would typically not be privy to the intricate details within the inner palace. However, he mentioned a peculiar incident: the staff from the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace had completely cleared out a secluded courtyard within the palace grounds, prohibiting the presence of maids, eunuchs, and even sending guards far away.

Zu An immediately realized that the Crown Prince was likely seeking a secluded and quiet place to commit a wicked act. After all, Xue'er was now the elven princess; if his actions against her became widely known, it would not only tarnish the royal family's reputation but also make it impossible to explain to the various races.

Just then, he received a continuous stream of rage points from Crown Prince Jinwu, instantly realizing he was quite close to him. This was because rage points are collected from the power of soul fluctuations, which cannot be registered beyond a certain range.

After confirming the courtyard's direction, he immediately knocked out the guard who had been leading him.

As for whether this would later implicate Hei Chiran, or if it would lead to an investigation and suspicion of shapeshifting abilities, Zu An no longer cared about such concerns. He simply wanted to rescue Xue'er immediately and dared not waste even a single second.

It must be said that Crown Prince Jinwu, in his effort to facilitate his plans by dismissing all guards, eunuchs, and maids, had inadvertently made it easier for Zu An to enter. Otherwise, with the multitude of masters typically surrounding him, breaking through their defenses would have been exceedingly difficult.

Fortunately, he arrived in the nick of time. Seeing the Crown Prince about to molest Xue'er, a surge of rage rushed to Zu An's head. He no longer cared that it was the Demon Crown Prince and immediately struck to kill.

To his dismay, a peculiar feather appeared on the Crown Prince's body, blocking his fatal strike.

Crown Prince Jinwu was, after all, an exceptional young master among the demon race, so it was not easy for Zu An to defeat him. When his deadly dagger was parried, there wasn't enough time to stab a second time, so he could only strike the opponent with his other hand.

After smashing the lower half of Crown Prince Jinwu's body, Zu An's right hand finally recovered. He then thrust his poisoned dagger at the opponent again, preparing to seize the opportunity to end his life.

Just then, an angry roar came from the side: "How dare you, scoundrel!"

Immediately, an immense and unparalleled force surged from the side. Zu An met it with a palm strike, and as the two forces collided, a deafening boom reverberated, shattering all the tables, chairs, and vases in the entire room.

Zu An felt his blood churning. He had already recognized his opponent: it was none other than the Grandmaster protector who accompanied Crown Prince Jinwu.

Almost simultaneously, two enormous eyes slowly opened in the clouds high above the imperial palace. They were long and slender, resembling phoenix eyes but even more elongated, and their pupils glowed with a reddish light.

Just these two eyes alone seemed to occupy almost the entire sky, and in that instant, a terrifying, overwhelming pressure descended.

Throughout the royal court, people from various races rose to their feet, staring at the sky, each one filled with profound shock:

"Who could have provoked the Demon Emperor to intervene?"

"Could it be that the Human Emperor himself has come attacking?"

For countless years, no one had witnessed the Demon Emperor take action, nor had anyone ever seen him angered.

Having lived a secluded life for many years, some of the younger generation had even forgotten the terrifying power of the Demon Emperor.

Yet in that very instant, countless members of the demon race were forced to prostrate themselves on the ground by the immense pressure, filled with a mixture of fear and reverence, trembling uncontrollably with emotion.

Inside the Snake Clan's embassy, Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue abruptly stood up, their expressions grave.

"The Demon Emperor truly lives up to his fearsome reputation. Moreover, judging by this aura of immense power, he is certainly no less formidable than Zhao Hao." Yun Jianyue had once fought Zhao Hao, making her well-qualified to make such a judgment.

"Why has the Demon Emperor suddenly appeared?" Yan Xuehen asked, puzzled. "At their level of cultivation, they typically seclude themselves for quiet meditation, trying to delay the onset of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man."

"Perhaps a powerful enemy has arrived," Yun Jianyue speculated, then shook her head midway through her sentence. At that moment, apart from Zhao Hao himself, who else would be worthy of the Demon Emperor's personal intervention? She stood by the window, gazing towards the imperial palace, noticing the commotion there. "Something must have happened inside the palace."

"Who would be so audacious as to cause trouble in the Demon Imperial Palace?" Yan Xuehen glanced at Yun Jianyue. The Demon Imperial Palace, much like the Human Imperial Palace, was no less perilous than the world's most forbidden lands. Only a formidable individual like this demoness would dare to forcibly enter it.

Yu Yanluo also approached the window to look, a hint of worry clouding her brow. "Do you think... could it be Ah Zu?"

"How could that be? That fellow is incredibly cunning; how could he do something so... suicidal?" Yun Jianyue started off confidently, but as she spoke, her own certainty wavered.

Yan Xuehen's heart also skipped a beat. That man was so incredibly bold; he even dared to tease her. Such a feat was certainly within his capabilities.

While the women were consumed with worry, Zu An was frantically escaping through the imperial palace, cradling Xue'er in his arms.

Crown Prince Jinwu's true strength was on par with Zu An's. The reason he was so easily wounded was threefold: Zu An understood his opponent's techniques, his own skills happened to specifically counter Crown Prince Jinwu, and he had the crucial advantage of a sudden, preemptive strike.

However, once the Grandmaster appeared by Crown Prince Jinwu's side, Zu An no longer had an advantage. In fact, he might very well be defeated by their combined strength.

Furthermore, the terrifying pressure emanating from the Demon Emperor made the hair on his body stand on end. He would be foolish to stay and fight to the death.

He scooped up Xue'er, who was beside him, and burst out.

The Grandmaster was about to give chase when he heard Crown Prince Jinwu's agonizing wails. He quickly rushed over to check on him, and upon seeing his mangled lower body, he was startled. Could he truly be so gravely wounded?

As he sealed the Crown Prince's vital points to stop the bleeding, he simultaneously channeled vital energy to stabilize his injuries.

"Was that Hei Chiran just now?" Having just come face to face with him, he had recognized the man. After all, Hei Chiran was a trusted confidant of the Crown Prince, a playmate since childhood.

"Is that bastard also lusting after Princess Xue's beauty? Don't mind me; go and capture him for me right now! I will tear him into a thousand pieces!" Crown Prince Jinwu gnashed his teeth, his eyes gleaming with malicious resentment.

He was well aware of the drug Princess Xue had been given. If Hei Chiran took her away now, wouldn't that simply benefit him?

Furthermore, for injuring him so severely, not only Hei Chiran but his entire family would pay with their lives!

The old man beside him frowned, pondering that while Hei Chiran's cultivation was indeed considerable, it was utterly impossible for him to severely injure Crown Prince Jinwu in such a short time, let alone safely withstand a full-force strike from him.

This matter was indeed fraught with unanswered questions, but with Crown Prince Jinwu currently in a furious rage, the old man found it difficult to voice his concerns. He therefore entrusted Crown Prince Jinwu to the Jinwu Guards who had just arrived and, moving like lightning, began to pursue the two fleeing individuals.

"You... quickly let go of me." Held in Zu An's arms, Xue'er felt a familiar and intimate aura emanating from him and instinctively wanted to press closer.

However, she recognized the man as seemingly a trusted confidant of the Crown Prince. She assumed her body's reactions were merely due to the vile drug she had been given, and a mix of shame and anxiety welled up within her. She was terrified that if she delayed any longer, she would lose her senses and be... taken advantage of by this man.

Zu An restored his original appearance. "Xue'er, how long has it been since we last saw each other? Don't you even recognize me?"

Seeing the face she had longed for day and night, Qiao Xueying was stunned on the spot, murmuring to herself, "Am I dreaming?"

But how could such a coincidence occur? Her beloved had appeared precisely at her most critical moment to rescue her. Not even the romance novels Chu Chuyan used to enjoy dared to depict such a dramatic twist.

She even worried that it was the drug's lingering effects causing her to imagine another man as Zu An.

As she spoke, she gave the man beside her a hard pinch. Zu An yelped in surprise, "What are you doing? Are you trying to murder your own husband?"

"I'm just checking if this is an illusion," Qiao Xueying said, her beautiful face flushed. His reaction was exactly as she remembered; it truly was him.

"Then why didn't you pinch yourself?" Zu An grumbled, annoyed. This girl's fingernails were quite long; he was almost bleeding from the pinch.

"But I'm afraid of pain," Qiao Xueying pouted, reaching out to tightly embrace his neck. Her voice was sweet and delicate, and her eyes, filled with glistening tears and a radiant smile, conveyed her unwillingness to ever be separated from him again.

Zu An was about to respond when he suddenly stiffened, sensing a terrifyingly cold and immensely powerful divine sense sweeping over his entire body.