Chapter 1496: I Admit I Spoke a Little Loud Just Now

A hush fell over the entire scene. Many wondered if they had somehow opened the world incorrectly today.

The esteemed Lion King, Shi Zhentian, a renowned expert among the entire demon race, was instantly killed?

No one would have been surprised if he had been instantly killed by beings like the Demon Emperor or the Human Emperor. Similarly, if he had been defeated by powerhouses of the demon race such as the Peacock King, the Great Elf King, the Dragon King, or the Demon King, they could have understood. But what was happening now? He had lost to a young junior, instantly killed with a single move, leaving not even a complete corpse.

At this moment, Zu An lowered the Sun-Shooting Bow in his hand, gazing at Shi Zhentian's corpse. He let out a faint sigh. "I told you just now that you would die the moment I made a move. Why didn't you listen?"

He had just used a divine artifact like the Sun-Shooting Bow, which was more accurately called the Vermillion Bow. This Sun-Shooting Bow had been reclaimed by the Heavenly Emperor from the Golden Crow Crown Prince and seemed to have been re-consecrated, making its power even greater than before. Furthermore, the arrows were special Su Zeng arrows, not the ones the Golden Crow Crown Prince had previously used – though those arrows were also formidable. But the Vermillion Bow paired with Su Zeng arrows was its complete form, capable of even shooting down the sun in the sky. Of course, Shi Zhentian was not worthy of facing a true Su Zeng arrow; instead, Zu An had materialized it using the Divine Rune Armament Manual. Its power was not comparable to a real Su Zeng, but it was still sufficient to deal with a Grandmaster.

Moreover, Shi Zhentian had been somewhat careless, with most of his attention on Yan Xuehen. By the time he reacted, it was already too late.

At this moment, everyone on the field instinctively stopped fighting. Yun Jianyue looked at Yan Xuehen and asked, "Ice Stone Woman, why is this guy so powerful?"

Given their cultivation levels, even from a distance, transmitting their voices with elemental energy was no problem at all.

Yan Xuehen's face was filled with surprise. After a moment of thought, she said, "I've heard that some peerless swordsmen keep their swords sheathed for decades, nourishing their sword intent, so that once drawn, the sword qi will pierce the sky with immeasurable power. Zu An's current situation is somewhat similar to this. He first shot down the sun in the secret realm, and then killed the Demon Emperor. Although there were various clever tricks involved, the killing of the Demon Emperor was undeniable.

"We had underestimated him before. He has actually cultivated an 'Invincible Intent,' possessing absolute conviction the moment he makes a move. This young man is truly a genius; in such a short time, he has achieved an effect comparable, if not superior, to those peerless swordsmen who nurture their swords for decades or even centuries.

"Every time he strikes down a powerful enemy from now on, this 'Invincible Intent' will grow stronger, until he ultimately becomes truly invincible under heaven.

"But he's only a Grandmaster in the Heroic Soul stage…" Halfway through her sentence, Yun Jianyue trailed off. "We've been together for so long; how can this guy's combat power be judged by normal cultivation levels?" she thought. "If he can easily shoot down Shi Zhentian, can't he shoot us too?" The scene just now had left her somewhat bewildered, making her question reality for a moment.

"He can't shoot us to death," Yan Xuehen replied instinctively.

"How do you know?" Yun Jianyue looked at her with suspicion.

Yan Xuehen's face flushed. She couldn't very well say that he had 'shot' her before. She quickly explained, "Mainly, Shi Zhentian didn't know his methods and was somewhat careless. We know what's going on beforehand, and with our guard up, how could he possibly shoot us?" After saying it, she frowned slightly. It was a perfectly serious answer, yet why did it feel a bit strange after she said it?

Yun Jianyue slowly nodded. That single shot had almost made her collapse.

It was then that others finally reacted. The previously silent palace entrance suddenly erupted into a cacophony, like a bustling marketplace.

The Lion race princes on the wall looked ashen. Shi Rong's voice trembled slightly, "Third Brother, did… did I see that right? Hey, Third Brother?" He then realized that his Third Brother, Shi Min, had already taken off running, stumbling several times as if his legs had gone soft.

"Damn it!" Shi Gong and Shi Rong cursed under their breath. They had heard people say their Third Brother was the most insidious and cunning, but had always dismissed it; now they saw it was true. Their father was dead, and this guy wasn't even thinking about revenge? More importantly, he didn't even call them when he ran! The two of them didn't hesitate either, turning and fleeing. Once they started running, they couldn't stop. The morale of the entire Lion race army completely collapsed, like a mountain landslide.

Yu Yanluo's eyes were filled with tenderness. She thought to herself that her taste in men was far superior to her mother's back in the day. Oh dear, his excellence was also quite troublesome; he was sure to attract a swarm of admirers, countless women throwing themselves at him, impossible to fend off. The Little Demon Queen's heart thumped. She looked at the handsome face of the man beside her, momentarily lost in thought. The scene just now had impacted her like never before; previously, when he sometimes spoke "bold words," she had even felt some doubt and worry. She had never imagined he was truly this strong. He was basically the strongest man she had ever seen, aside from the Demon Emperor. No, the Demon Emperor wasn't as handsome as him, and he was old enough to be her grandfather, while Zu An was in his prime. How could the Demon Emperor compare to him? Seeing her son wide-eyed beside her, her face flushed slightly. She thought that her previous decision to have her son recognize him as his father was absolutely brilliant. Unsure what she was thinking, she subconsciously pressed her legs together, and a blush crept up her fair neck.

Qiao Xueying gazed at Zu An with starry eyes. The palace gate's defenses had crumbled, and her subordinates could simply charge forward; there was no need for her to personally intervene. Her Brother Azu was getting more handsome by the day. When she first met him, he was clearly a weakling. Thinking of their playful antics from before, a happy curve appeared at the corner of Qiao Xueying's small mouth. 'We're like destined adversaries who eventually fall in love…' Princess Suren of the Demon race had eyes sparkling with admiration. When she first met him, she was already shocked by his handsomeness and strength, but back then, he was only dealing with the younger generation. Now, he had instantly killed a Grandmaster like Shi Zhentian with a single move? Could it be that he had been hiding his cultivation? 'Oh, truly, the handsomer they are, the more low-key they are,' she mused, 'unlike some ugly men who are clearly far inferior but love to show off and jump around.' Her gaze flickered to the strange, wide-mouthed Dragon Prince not far away.

Chi Wen's mouth hung open, his jaw almost dropping to the ground. The scene he had just witnessed was simply too impactful. Was this guy even human? No, he must be the reincarnation of some old monster who deliberately hid his age. It had to be; otherwise, where was the justice in the world? He silently cautioned himself: from now on, he must stay far away from Zu An's women. Although they were all exceptionally beautiful, there were so many beauties in the world; there was no need to seek death. If Zu An could instantly kill a Grandmaster, crushing him would be as easy as crushing an ant. Not only could he not offend him, but he also had to 'lick' him well in the future. But they had had some unpleasantness before, so 'licking' might be difficult… 'Wait,' he thought, 'my aunt has a good relationship with him, and it's clear they have some history. If I subtly promote that, and he becomes my uncle-in-law, wouldn't that be the most effective form of 'licking'?' With this thought, he immediately felt refreshed.

At this moment, Zu An's gaze turned to Hu Qianxiao, who stiffened. "Misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding!" Shi Zhentian had been his long-time rival; they had fought several times, always evenly matched. Now, Shi Zhentian had been blown apart by an arrow right before his eyes. Couldn't the same happen to him? Not to mention, the Lion race forces were scattering, and the Golden Crow Guards left by the Crown Prince had low morale. With only his people left, what was the point of fighting?

"Misunderstanding?" Zu An raised an eyebrow.

"It really is a misunderstanding. I admit my voice was a bit loud just now," Hu Qianxiao wiped cold sweat from his forehead. "Everyone knows that Shi Zhentian and I are sworn enemies. You killed him; I couldn't be happier!"

"But you just said you had pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince and were here to intercept us," Zu An said expressionlessly.

"Who said I pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince? I was completely coerced by him!" Hu Qianxiao hastily bowed to the Little Demon Queen and the Little Prince. "Now, I wish to abandon the darkness and embrace the light, serving Your Majesty and the Little Prince."

Zu An said nothing for a moment. After a while, he let out a breath. "I still preferred your rebellious demeanor from earlier."