Chapter 448: Godly Skill Reappears

The assassin chose an incredibly opportune moment. Yun Yuqing was in the crucial phase of spirit-flesh fusion, causing her mind to go blank for an instant. Although she knew danger was approaching, she trembled uncontrollably during that brief period and couldn't react effectively.

Evidently, the assassin knew she was the greatest threat in the room, so he seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stab her in the back. The force used in that sword thrust was enough to skewer both of them like candied hawthorns.

Yun Yuqing had her back to the assassin, too weak to dodge, but Zu An saw everything clearly.

In the nick of time, he quickly embraced her and shifted their position, turning his own back to the assassin's longsword.

The sword pierced him.

The assassin's sword undeniably pierced his body, with a small portion of the blade even protruding from his chest and striking Yun Yuqing.

Her pristine skin was instantly stained red with blood; it was unclear whether it was Zu An's blood or her own.

The assassin was greatly surprised. Evidently, the strength of the opponent's body was truly beyond his expectations; he had anticipated that this one sword thrust would skewer both of them, but it had only just managed to pierce one person's body.

Yun Yuqing finally reacted, extending her hand and unleashing a powerful palm strike towards the assassin's chest.

The assassin was clearly somewhat surprised by her cultivation level, quickly retreating and dodging her fatal blow.

Yun Yuqing quickly beckoned with her hand, and a nearby garment draped itself back onto her. This swift and brief exchange had left her trembling uncontrollably. She could only cling tightly to Zu An, gritting her teeth and enduring, fearful of making any embarrassing sound.

The assassin did not immediately attack. The brief exchange just now had made him realize the formidable power of the Wu Princess, and he dared not advance recklessly.

With a lecherous gaze, he looked at her pristine thighs and slender arms, which were partially exposed because her garment had been hastily draped. The assassin's mind replayed the beautiful sight he had witnessed a moment ago—because the two were embracing tightly, he had only seen their backs, but even that was enough to make one's blood boil.

"Dark Elf? Who sent you?" Yun Yuqing recognized his race from the assassin's distinct characteristics. She had initially been scrutinizing him coldly, but because she was still clinging tightly to Zu An and hadn't fully recovered from her earlier trembling, her voice inevitably carried a hint of seductive charm.

The assassin did not answer her question. Instead, he said mockingly, "Everyone says the Wu Princess is as beautiful as a celestial maiden, noble and pure. Seeing you today, 'beautiful as a celestial maiden' is certainly true, but as for 'noble and pure'…"

He deliberately paused as he spoke, his gaze darting between the two of them. He tutted, "Tsk tsk tsk, truly a noble lady in public, and a harlot in private. But it's no wonder; this fellow's body is so tough, my sword almost couldn't pierce him. I suppose other parts are similar; no wonder he can make the Princess lose her mind."

"Shameless!" Yun Yuqing erupted in fury. She instinctively tried to rise and kill him, but as soon as she moved, her body trembled violently, her brows furrowed instantly, and she sat back down.

The assassin shrewdly seized this momentary weakness. Leaving behind an afterimage, he instantly turned transparent, his presence vanishing. Yet, his unrestrained laughter echoed through the room: "Hahaha, doing such things behind your husband's back, are *I* shameless, or are *you* shameless?!"

Clearly, he intended to provoke her with such words, hoping to disturb her mind and find an opening.

Unfortunately, Yun Yuqing was completely unaffected. She hadn't been doing this behind her husband's back today; ultimately, it was her husband who forced her to come. Therefore, she felt no guilt whatsoever.

At that moment, a burst of purple light suddenly bloomed in the room, and a pair of beautiful, enormous eyes appeared in mid-air.

In this purple world, the previously transparent and invisible Dark Elf's presence had nowhere to hide. He was greatly alarmed, exclaiming, "Eye of the Heavenly Demon!"

His reaction was swift. He closed his eyes in that instant, but unfortunately, he was a fraction too late. Affected by the Eye of the Heavenly Demon, his movements faltered.

Just then, a purple beam of light shot towards him, and his hair stood on end immediately. In that instant, he felt the fear of death.

No longer holding anything back, his entire being was instantly enveloped in a mass of dark shadows. In that critical moment, he managed to slightly break free from the Eye of the Heavenly Demon's control, avoiding a fatal blow.

However, he still didn't completely evade it. His body was struck by the purple light, instantly forming a gaping wound.

Greatly alarmed, he knew that the seemingly delicate Wu Princess's strength far exceeded his expectations. He dared not linger, directly summoning a black, mirror-like passage beside him and rushing into it.

Although the assassination was unsuccessful today, he had uncovered a major scandal concerning the Wu Princess. Moreover, the Wu Princess was actually of the Demon Race. Either piece of information was explosive news, capable of bringing countless benefits to the person behind him.

Yun Yuqing was equally aware of this. She absolutely would not allow today's events to be exposed, which was why her first move had been a killing blow.

But she hadn't expected the assassin to evade her sure-hit strike. Now, he had activated Night Shuttle, a secret technique that allowed Dark Elves to appear and disappear without a trace, largely explaining their skill in assassination.

Now, more than half of his body was already through, and she couldn't stop him.

The thought of him spreading what he had witnessed today made her face turn pale. If that happened, she would truly be doomed forever.

At this moment, the Dark Elf glanced back. Clearly, Yun Yuqing's beauty had left too deep an impression on him. Her partially revealed, tantalizing skin, glimpsed through her hastily donned garment, still made his heart pound just thinking about it. He decided to seize this opportunity for a few more glances, as he probably wouldn't get such a good chance again.

Just then, he suddenly heard a displeased voice say, "What are you staring at?"

He knew perfectly well that he should leave without hesitation, not wasting even a moment. Yet, an irrepressible urge rose within him; he felt that if he didn't respond, his thoughts wouldn't be clear, and he would completely lose control.

So he opened his mouth and retorted, "What's it to you?"

Yun Yuqing never imagined he would be distracted at such a moment. She gave him no further chance. With a flick of her finger, a beam of purple light shot through his glabella.

The Dark Elf's eyes instantly lost their luster. He then collapsed heavily to the ground, becoming a corpse, while the Night Shuttle passage gradually dissipated and finally vanished.

Only then did Yun Yuqing breathe a sigh of relief. At that moment, a maid's soft voice came from outside the window: "Princess, what happened?"

Clearly, the commotion inside the room had alarmed them.

Although so much had just happened, everything was almost instantaneous. Thus, her maids were only just reacting now.

"It's nothing, don't come in," Yun Yuqing said. She realized she was still in Zu An's arms, her face flushing. Then she asked, "Is there any commotion from the banquet hall?"

"No, we've set up a formation that isolates the elemental energy fluctuations here," the maid replied. "They shouldn't notice anything for a short while."

"That's good," Yun Yuqing commanded. "Guard outside carefully, and don't let anyone in."

"Yes, Princess!" The maids' footsteps gradually faded away.

Only then did Yun Yuqing look at Zu An. She lowered her head to his bloodied chest, her expression complex. "Why did you save me just now?"

"I couldn't just stand by and watch the woman in my arms die in front of me, could I?" Zu An said, smiling at the woman before him.

"You didn't have to use your own body to shield me from the sword…" she didn't say that sentence after all. Instead, her slender fingers gently traced the wound on his chest, and she asked, "Does it hurt?"

"It wasn't that painful before," Zu An said with a smile, "but now that you ask, it seems to have started hurting."

"You rascal~" Yun Yuqing's voice was no longer as cold as before, but held a hint of playful reproach.