When Zu An had watched movies before, he always sighed at the number of idiotic companions the main character brought. For example, when they were eavesdropping outside the window, someone would accidentally step on a tree branch and wake up the people inside. Such plot lines were always incredibly annoying. Now, however, he had actually experienced it himself!
He didnāt even have the time to curse a veteran like Wu Liang for making such a dumb mistake, because the guards were already charging at them. When they saw that there were actually people hidden there, the guards were shocked. However, they didnāt say anything and just drew their weapons.
The crown prince was undergoing his trial, so the Imperial Tomb had already been sealed off, preventing anyone from entering. The imperial uncle Heichi Fei was even guarding the main entrance. Even though the guards didnāt know how those people had entered, they had to be there to cause trouble.
The fact that the guards could serve as the crown princeās trusted aides and be selected to enter meant that their loyalty and ability were all first-rate. They were at the peak of the ninth rank at the weakest, and there were quite a few master ranks among them. When such a huge force rushed at them, Zu An and the others didnāt dare to hold back. They quickly brought out their own skills to defend themselves.
Zu An felt a bit dejected. They had initially planned to pay the smallest price possible during the trip. They hadnāt wanted to alert anyone, and had just wanted to enter that Unknown Region. Now, however, things had gone in the worst direction again and again. It seemed they had no choice but to help the Second Empress now.
In front of the Fiend Ancestor statue, the Golden Crow Crown Princeās body shivered, and his head tilted to the side a bit, as if he were trying to listen. It was clear that he had already noticed the disturbance happening outside, but because he was undergoing the ritual, he couldn't do anything.
Wu Liang cried loudly, āWe need to seize the moment, or else if he finishes the trial and receives the Fiend Ancestorās acknowledgment, his strength will rise tremendously! In this Imperial Tomb, he could then borrow the power of the Fiend Ancestor and previous Fiend Emperors. At that point, weād be dead meat!ā
āHow could the trials all the Golden Crow Crown Princes need to go through end that quickly?ā Yun Jianyue harrumphed somewhat disapprovingly.
Wu Liang quickly explained, āHeās undergoing a trial by fire in his mind, but it isnāt happening to his flesh. The flow of time is different!ā
The three women were all among the very best in the world, with knowledge and experience surpassing most others. With that reminder, they immediately understood.
āYou damn fatty, Iām going to settle things with you later!ā Yun Jianyue cursed.
She changed her leisurely attitude and no longer held back, wandering among the enemies like a ghost. Whenever she attacked, it was accompanied by a wave of bitter killing intent. The guards, who thought their cultivations werenāt inferior to hers, began to feel alarmed. Their auras instinctively weakened a bit.
Yan Xuehen didnāt seem to want to be outdone. When she attacked, she conveyed a completely different style; every move was elegant and graceful. She was like a beautifully dancing fairy.
Even though Yu Yanluoās cultivation was lower than the othersā, she had received the libationerās inheritance, and she also had the Medusa bloodlineās special skill. On top of all of that, she had received Lord Suiās Pearl, which greatly increased her strength. Even though her cultivation was only at the ninth rank, her fighting strength was already on par with normal master rank cultivators.
Wu Liang was completely stupefied as he watched the scene. Why were these three dainty-looking women so formidable? Even harder for him to understand was, why were the three ridiculously strong women so nice and friendly at Zu Anās side?Ā How is this freaking fair?!
However, he didnāt relax at all. His fighting skills were extremely special. When the battle began, he rolled along the ground from side to side, careening across the battlefield like a pinball. From time to time, he took out the claw passed down from his raceās ancestor, tearing off large chunks of the guardsā flesh and in some cases even severing their tendons. The crown princeās subordinates felt hatred and fear for him and began spitting curses.
Just like that, the group worked together. After a mere incense stick of time, the crown princeās side was completely wiped out.
āDamn fatty, you need to give us a proper explanation for that!ā Zu An exclaimed, breathing heavily as he stared at Wu Liang. Even with his cultivation, he had needed to tire himself out quite a bit to eliminate so many opponents.
āThereās no time to explain,ā Wu Liang quickly replied. He rushed to the statue, crying, āIf the Golden Crow Crown Prince wakes up, weāre all dead!ā
By the time he spoke, he had already reached the Golden Crow Crown Prince. With the pangolin claw in hand, he smashed it toward the Golden Crow Crown Prince. His attack revealed that his cultivation was extremely high; the end of the claw began flickering with a dim yellow light, a radiance produced from the friction between elemental power and the air.
A barrier suddenly flickered to life around the Golden Crow Crown Princeās body, forcibly stopping the attack. Immediately afterward, the Fiend Ancestor statueās eyes became a bit brighter, and the barrier followed suit. Wu Liang looked as if he had been struck by lightning. He spat out a mouthful of blood, then fell heavily to the ground, unable to get back on his feet for a long time. He was clearly seriously injured.
Zu An had initially been suspicious, immediately starting to question Wu Liangās objective. But when he saw that, he understood what was happening. If they allowed the Golden Crow Crown Prince to finish the trial, they really would all die here. As such, he couldn't be bothered to worry about the details and rushed at the Golden Crow Crown Prince too. In any event, they had a grudge against the Golden Crow Crown Prince, and stopping him from completing the ritual had been one of their objectives from the start.
He took out the Poisonous Prick and used all of his strength to thrust it at the Golden Crow Crown Prince. However, he also encountered the barrier of light. He felt as if the Poisonous Prick had stabbed into a lump of cotton, completely dissipating the attackās force.
Then, a terrifying ripple emerged from the barrier of light, causing the energy inside him to surge. If not for the fact that his cultivation had already made tremendous progress, and his body had already been tempered repeatedly by primordial ki, he would have followed in the footsteps of Wu Liangās tragedy and become seriously injured.
However, Zu An didnāt relax at all, because the recoil force came in waves. Furthermore, each time, it was a bit stronger than the last. He felt so awful he wanted to vomit blood several times. However, he had already become angry. His thoughts had become āEither you die, or I dieā. He continued to thrust the Poisonous Prick at the Golden Crow Crown Prince.
The Poisonous Prick excelled at piercing through ki defenses. On top of that, the barrier hadnāt been created by the Fiend Ancestor personally, and Zu An was using all of his strength. As such, the Poisonous Prick moved through the barrier bit by bit, getting closer and closer to the Golden Crow Crown Prince.
Yun Jianyue, Yan Xuehen, and Yu Yanluo also rushed over, all using their own powerful skills on the shining barrier. In the end, the barrier could no longer hold on and ruptured loudly.
However, at that very instant, the Golden Crow Crown Prince woke up. He threw powerful punches toward the party.
Boom!
A burst of blinding radiance filled the air as Zu An and the others were blasted back by a tremendous force. The Golden Crow Crown Prince also flew back a good distance, blood seeping out from the corners of his mouth.
Zu An and the others frowned. After all, he had been able to win against the Golden Crow Crown Prince in a one-on-one fight before, and yet now, the crown prince could face all of them by himself with both sides on equal footing. Had he already passed the Fiend Ancestorās trial?
The Golden Crow Crown Princeās eyes turned red as he yelled, āDie! All of you deserve to die!ā
Just then, Wu Liang, who had been lying on the ground, cried out, āDonāt be scared! He hasnāt successfully passed the trial yet! Judging from his current state, he must have failed at the last step. Still, heās obtained some benefits from the Fiend Ancestor and previous Fiend Emperors, so his cultivation should have increased by quite a bit. You all need to be careful!ā
Zu An was speechless. This was clearly a situation that guy had created, and yet now, it had become their business instead. Because he knew Wu Liang was using him, he didnāt act politely anymore either. He used the Heaven Devouring Sutra to suck Wu Liang over to him, then threw him at the Golden Crow Crown Prince.
Wu Liang hadnāt expected that at all. He exclaimed in horror, āYou bastard, do you have no morals?!ā
The Golden Crow Crown Prince still remembered the fatty who had ambushed him earlier. When he saw Wu Liang fly over, a vicious glint flickered through his eyes. The wings behind him moved, then hacked down toward Wu Liang.
Wu Liangās entire body curled up into a ball again. A dense layer of fine armor suddenly appeared to surround him, and the Golden Wing Godblade skill only produced a string of sparks on his body. Meanwhile, Wu Liang took the chance to run away, completely unharmed.