Chapter 1368: Not Playing by Martial Rules

Zu An used to watch movies and often wondered where all the incompetent teammates came from, especially those who eavesdropped outside a window, only to accidentally step on a branch and alert the people inside. He found such plots incredibly silly.

He never imagined he would encounter such a situation himself.

He didn't even have time to scold Wu Liang, an experienced veteran, for making such a rookie mistake, because the imperial guards had already charged at them.

The guards were surprised to find people hiding there. Without a word, they drew their weapons and attacked immediately.

Given the Crown Prince's trial, the imperial tomb was already sealed off, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving. Grand Uncle Hei Chi Fei was guarding the main entrance. Although they didn't know how these people got here, their intentions were certainly malicious.

As the Crown Prince's trusted confidants, these individuals were chosen for their top-tier loyalty and ability. The weakest among them were at the peak of the ninth rank, with many being grandmasters. Their attacks were lethal, so Zu An and his companions didn't dare hold back and quickly used all their skills to defend themselves.

Zu An felt a bit frustrated. Their original plan was to enter the legendary Unknown Land with minimal disruption and cost, but the situation always seemed to devolve into the worst possible scenario. It now looked like they truly had to help the young Demon Empress.

In front of the Demon Ancestor's statue, Crown Prince Jinwu trembled slightly, his head tilted as if listening intently. He had clearly sensed the commotion outside, but couldn't move because he was undergoing the trial.

At this point, Wu Liang shouted, "We need to hurry! If he completes the trial and gains the Demon Ancestor's recognition, his power will surge. Within this imperial tomb, he can draw on the power of both the Demon Ancestor and previous Demon Emperors, and then we'll all die without a burial place!"

"How could the Jinwu Crown Prince's trial end so quickly?" Yun Jianyue scoffed, a little dismissive.

Wu Liang quickly explained, "He's undergoing the trial in his consciousness, not physically. The flow of time is different!"

The three women—Yan, Yun, and Yu—were all top figures of their time, with knowledge far surpassing ordinary people. Upon this reminder, they immediately understood.

"You fat idiot, I'll deal with you later!" Yun Jianyue cursed angrily, abandoning her previous relaxed demeanor and attacking without holding back.

Her figure moved like a ghost through the crowd, her attacks carrying a devastating killing intent that struck terror into many who were no less powerful than her, instinctively weakening their resolve.

Yan Xuehen also seemed unwilling to be outdone. Her fighting style was entirely different, with every movement exceptionally elegant, like a dancing celestial maiden, extremely pleasing to the eye.

Although Yu Yanluo's cultivation realm was lower than theirs, she possessed the true teachings of the Grand Libationer's painting path, the special abilities of her Medusa bloodline, and had recently received a great power boost from the Suihou Pearl. Although her cultivation was only at the ninth rank, her combat strength was no weaker than that of an average grandmaster.

Wu Liang watched from the side, utterly dumbfounded. "How are these three delicate women so powerful?"

What puzzled him even more was how three such formidable women could get along so harmoniously around Zu An.

"Is there no justice in the world?!"

Nevertheless, he didn't slack off. His combat skills were remarkably strange; once a fight began, he would roll on the ground like a yo-yo, darting around the battlefield. Unexpectedly, he would use the ancestral divine claws of the pangolin clan, which he had obtained from the Marquis Sui's tomb, to strike the Crown Prince's guards. Each strike would often tear off a large chunk of flesh from their legs, sometimes even severing their Achilles tendons, making the Crown Prince's men hate and fear him, cursing him repeatedly.

In this manner, working together for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the Crown Prince's side was completely annihilated.

"You fat idiot, you owe us an explanation." Zu An panted, glaring intently at Wu Liang.

Even with his cultivation, defeating so many masters in such a short time was utterly exhausting.

"No time to explain!" Wu Liang quickly retorted, then charged towards the statue. "If Crown Prince Jinwu fully recovers, we're all dead."

As soon as he finished speaking, he appeared beside Crown Prince Jinwu, wielding the pangolin claw and lunging directly at him. It was clear his cultivation was extremely high, as the tip of the claw glowed yellowish-brown, a phenomenon caused by the friction between elemental power and air at immense speed.

At that moment, a light barrier flashed around Crown Prince Jinwu, blocking the attack. Immediately, the eyes of the Demon Ancestor's statue glowed brighter, and the light barrier around Crown Prince Jinwu intensified. Wu Liang was struck as if by lightning, spitting out a mouthful of blood before collapsing heavily to the ground, unable to get up for a long time, clearly severely injured.

Zu An, who had been full of doubts and already suspected Wu Liang's true intentions for coming here, understood the situation: if Crown Prince Jinwu completed his trial, none of them would survive. Disregarding his concerns, he also charged towards Crown Prince Jinwu.

After all, Crown Prince Jinwu was their enemy, and preventing him from completing his trial was already one of their initial objectives.

He immediately drew "Poisoned Dagger" and channeled all his strength into it, stabbing towards Crown Prince Jinwu.

He then encountered the light barrier himself, feeling as if his dagger had plunged into a wad of cotton, his force dissipating into nothingness.

Immediately, a terrifying wave of energy rebounded from the barrier, shaking his vital energy and blood.

Had his current cultivation not been far superior to before, and his body not been strengthened immensely by several temperings of the Primordial Chaos Scripture, he would likely have suffered Wu Liang's fate, being severely wounded on the spot.

However, Zu An didn't relax at all, as the rebounding force came in waves, each one slightly stronger than the last.

Zu An felt so uncomfortable he nearly vomited blood, but his ferocity was also ignited. It was now a matter of life or death, so he fiercely continued to plunge "Poisoned Dagger" into Crown Prince Jinwu.

"Poisoned Dagger" was inherently good at breaking through energy defenses. Since this barrier wasn't personally cast by the Demon Ancestor, and Zu An was exerting all his might, the dagger gradually penetrated the light barrier inch by inch, drawing closer and closer to Crown Prince Jinwu.

At this moment, Yun Jianyue, Yan Xuehen, and Yu Yanluo also arrived, each unleashing their lifelong ultimate techniques upon the light barrier.

Finally, the light barrier could no longer hold, shattering with a crash.

Crown Prince Jinwu awoke at the same time, striking at the group with both palms.

Bang! With a blinding flash, Zu An and the others were sent reeling back by a tremendous force. Crown Prince Jinwu also flew backward several feet, blood seeping from his mouth.

Zu An and the others frowned. He had previously defeated Crown Prince Jinwu in a one-on-one fight, but now, facing so many of them alone, the Crown Prince was still able to fight them to a draw. Could it be that he had already successfully passed the Demon Ancestor's trial?

Crown Prince Jinwu's eyes began to redden. "Damn you all, you deserve to die!"

At this point, Wu Liang, lying on the ground, shouted, "Don't be afraid! He hasn't successfully passed the trial. Judging by his current state, he likely failed at the very last moment. However, he's still gained some benefits from the Demon Ancestor and previous Demon Emperors, so his power has increased significantly. Be careful."

Zu An: "..."

This guy clearly caused all this trouble, but now it's become their problem?

Knowing that Wu Liang was using him, Zu An didn't hesitate. He immediately used the Gluttonous Sky Devouring Art to pull Wu Liang's body towards him and then hurled him directly at Crown Prince Jinwu.

Wu Liang never expected this move and was instantly terrified. "You brat, you fight unfairly!"

Crown Prince Jinwu evidently remembered the fat man who had just attacked him. Seeing him fly closer, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. With a flap of his wings, he unleashed a Golden-winged Divine Slash, intending to cut him into pieces.

At this point, Wu Liang rolled into a ball again, his body suddenly covered by a layer of dense, fine armor. The Golden-winged Divine Slash merely sparked upon impact, while he took the opportunity to retreat to a distance, completely unharmed.