Chapter 151: Close to a Billion

Zu An nearly burst out laughing when he heard this. "She's my wife; I'll hold her hand however I please. What business is it of yours?" He thought. "This guy has an inflated sense of self-importance. What, are other men's wives supposed to remain chaste for him? Damn, he's out of his mind!"

Chu Chuyan's expression also turned cold. "What goes on between my husband and me is none of your concern!" Even with her usual calm demeanor, she was furious. This guy was insane. Compared to him, Zu An suddenly seemed much more agreeable.

Shi Kun took a deep breath, calming himself down, then said in a low voice, "I always saw you as a heavenly fairy and intended to pursue you slowly. But now, it seems if I delay any longer, another man might get to you first."

Beside them, Qiao Xueying hesitated, wanting to speak. *Actually, Young Master, you don't need to worry, Zu An isn't...* But she had hidden the full reason from the beginning and now didn't know how to explain it.

Zu An and Chu Chuyan exchanged surprised glances with her; clearly, all three had similar thoughts.

Zu An poked his wife's side and whispered, "See? Even though Xue'er talks tough, she's actually looking out for me."

Chu Chuyan was also puzzled. Could these two truly be a pair of bickering lovers?

Noticing their intimate actions, Shi Kun's rage intensified. "So, I won't bother with subtlety anymore. I'll use this opportunity in the secret realm to kill this boy named Zu and then make you mine."

Chu Chuyan's expression turned cold. "So, it was you all along, the mastermind behind everything. Placing Xue'er in the Chu family and arranging so many assassins at the academy—was it all for me?"

"That's right," Shi Kun replied, looking at her with expectation. "The moment I saw you, I was astonished. That's why I've made so many arrangements over the years. Countless women threw themselves at me, but I didn't even glance at them. We need the purest, most perfect combination. What do you think? Don't you see my unwavering devotion?" Inside, he was seething with various resentments. His perfect goddess had already held hands with another man multiple times, and he wondered if they had been more intimate during their time in the Chu family. The thought of various possibilities made his entire state of mind crumble.

The fairy he had meticulously planned for ten years to pursue, just as she was about to blossom, was taken by another man. How could he not be furious?

"No, I only feel disgusted," Chu Chuyan said, frowning.

"You!" Shi Kun's face was so dark it looked like it would drip water, realizing all his efforts had led to this outcome. "Very well. In that case, today I will make you mine. You might hate me at first, but once I become your man, as they say, 'love grows over time.' You'll surely come to love me eventually, hahaha!"

"Shameless!" Chu Chuyan's face was etched with frost. Unable to hold back any longer, she drew her long sword. Fine snow swirled around her as her body transformed into a rainbow, launching an attack toward Shi Kun.

"Excellent!" Shi Kun was already prepared. Four whirlwind-like gusts of energy rose around him as he charged forward to meet her.

The Shi family's "Wind God Art," when cultivated to its highest level, was said to unleash nine devastating tornadoes. Although he could only conjure four now, his cultivation speed at his age was already among the top three in the Shi family's history.

The two quickly engaged in combat. Snow and wind instantly filled the surroundings; the grass on the ground was covered in frost, and many nearby trees were bent and broken by the fierce winds.

Zu An silently moved behind Chu Chuyan. He pulled out the 'Certain Death Dagger,' intending to surprise Shi Kun with a direct ambush. This guy was flirting with his wife right in front of him; even a mud doll would get angry.

However, Shi Kun's subordinates were not to be underestimated. Two Fourth-Rank and five Third-Rank cultivators saw this and charged forward together. Clearly, everyone understood how much their Young Master despised this man and each hoped to kill him to earn merit in front of their lord.

Zu An, fueled by anger, saw his sword flash, and a Third-Rank cultivator fell, struck.

The remaining six were all startled. His sword had clearly been aimed at Young Master Shi, so why did it abruptly change direction and kill one of their comrades?

No one had clearly seen that sword strike; it was truly unpredictable and impossibly swift.

Not far away, Qiao Xueying also showed a strange expression. This guy had truly hidden his abilities well.

She recalled how he had appeared to be an idiotic good-for-nothing during her time in the Chu family, yet he possessed such masterful sword skills.

She suddenly remembered the time he had pulled her into the water. Back then, she thought she had been easily tricked because she was afraid of water. Now, it seemed he had probably been concealing his cultivation even then.

Her pretty face flushed at the thought of his hands repeatedly pressing on her chest.

What a scoundrel!

At this moment, the other six experts dared not be careless. Initially, they had only intended to block him from charging towards Shi Kun, as their cultivation levels were all higher than his. But after witnessing that astonishing sword strike, everyone was shaken, and they all focused their full attention, beginning to collectively besiege him.

Even with his cheat ability activated, Zu An could barely defend himself against the siege of six experts, relying on his Sunflower Phantom. Fortunately, these opponents, in terms of both cultivation and combat experience, were not as strong as Jia Zhengjing and his group from before; otherwise, he would likely be dead by now.

However, they all knew that the key to victory lay in the duel between the other two. If Shi Kun won, there would be no need to say more; if Chu Chuyan won, these Fourth and Third-Rank cultivators would not dare to offend her again.

At this moment, Shi Kun laughed heartily. "Chuyan, if you were in normal condition, our chances of victory would be fifty-fifty, but now you are certain to lose."

Empowered by the family's Wind God Art, his sword transformed into countless afterimages, attacking his opponent like a violent storm.

Chu Chuyan's face remained aloof. She did not reply to his words but extended her hand, instantly forming a shield of ice crystals in front of her, blocking the overwhelming attack.

The opponent's attacks struck the ice shield, creating a series of harsh, grating sounds. Soon, cracks appeared across the shield's surface.

Noticing the cracks, Shi Kun laughed even louder, while Chu Chuyan's brows furrowed deeply.

Soon, the ice shield shattered completely. Shi Kun's figure was enveloped in a tornado, kicking up dust and rocks, breaking all vegetation in its path, as he relentlessly attacked Chu Chuyan.

Chu Chuyan knew that clashing head-on in her current condition would be disadvantageous. Thus, she adopted a strategy of skirmishing, moving like a snow elf, gracefully dancing within the storm.

Zu An had just heard that Chu Chuyan was injured, so he had been paying close attention to their fight. Now, he only saw raging miniature tornadoes everywhere, catching glimpses of her slender, graceful figure constantly dodging, like a small boat in a furious sea, seemingly about to be torn apart at any moment.

His heart instantly tightened. In that brief moment of distraction, he sustained several more injuries, though he was fortunate enough to dodge quickly and avoid any fatal wounds.

Chu Chuyan had been on the defensive for a long time but finally found an opening. She scoffed softly, "Are you the only one who can create a storm?!"

Her sword danced in her hand with an incredibly beautiful flourish, and then an ice storm rose around her, surging towards Shi Kun.

The two storms collided, exploding with a thunderous roar. The normally gentle wind seemed to transform into the most destructive blades, flattening all vegetation in their path. Even large boulders were sliced in half, their cuts remarkably smooth.

Feeling the terrifying air blast approaching, the combatants on the other side quickly dodged. One Third-Rank cultivator, who was a little slow, was instantly riddled with bloodied holes by the ice shards caught within the storm.

Zu An secretly clicked his tongue. The power of a Fifth-Rank expert was indeed beyond his current ability to contend with. His victory against Yuan Wendong earlier had truly been incredibly lucky, certainly also thanks to his knowledge of modern science.

At this moment, Chu Chuyan and Shi Kun were at the center of the storm, their figures flickering in and out of sight as they continuously attacked each other.

Visibly, the storm gradually shrank while the snowflakes grew larger. Eventually, with Chu Chuyan at its center, frost descended from the sky, coating everything for several yards around in a blanket of white.

Not only was the ground frozen with a layer of ice crystals, but even Shi Kun's hair, limbs, and the surface of his body were subtly covered in a layer of frost.

He was greatly alarmed. This woman truly lived up to her reputation as an unparalleled genius; in a direct confrontation, he was actually at a disadvantage.

"What are you standing there for? Help!" Shi Kun glared at Qiao Xueying, who was standing by idly. By attacking Chu Chuyan in the secret realm, they had completely fallen out. At this point, he no longer cared about appearances; if they were to escape, he would lose everything.

Qiao Xueying's face showed conflict. She didn't want to attack Chu Chuyan, but she couldn't disobey her Young Master's command. Biting her lip, she finally let out a soft cry and charged towards Zu An. After all, her Young Master hadn't specified which side to help, and taking down this annoying guy first would achieve the same result.

Zu An felt a surge of frustration. This little minx was really fixated on him.

With the addition of a Fifth-Rank expert, Zu An's pressure instantly increased significantly. Fortunately, either Qiao Xueying wasn't fighting at full strength, or she was hampered by her other companions, making it difficult for her to fully utilize her abilities. He could still barely hold on.

On the other side, Shi Kun frowned. He had clearly called for Xue'er to support him, yet she deliberately ran to the other side. Could she still be thinking of their past relationship?

However, now was not the time to dwell on that. He could only steel himself to deal with Chu Chuyan; it would be the same if they dealt with Zu An first and then came to help.

Chu Chuyan also noticed the situation on the other side. Zu An was already struggling, and now with Xue'er, a Fifth-Rank expert, joining in, wouldn't he be in even greater danger?

A surge of anxiety made her blood churn. Suddenly, an unnatural flush appeared on her face, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with ice crystals. Her aura immediately dropped by a third.

Shi Kun was instantly overjoyed. The woman's injuries had finally flared up again, making it incredibly easy for him to capture her!

He unleashed a flurry of devastating moves, and the offensive and defensive dynamic between them suddenly reversed.

Zu An noticed the abnormality with Chu Chuyan, and considering his own perilous situation, he knew very well that if things continued like this, both of them would surely lose.

So he shouted loudly, "Wait a minute! Your young master and I are friends!"

Qiao Xueying couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You and the Young Master are friends? Hahaha, it would be more believable if you said I fell in love with you!"

The others clearly didn't take him seriously and were about to swarm him when Shi Kun's voice suddenly rang out: "Stop! He's my friend!"