Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: In Dire Straits

”How is this possible? The Great Crown Prince is exceptionally talented and possesses a powerful Phenomenon. How could he lose to a nobody like Su Han? I don’t believe it!”

”The Ninth Prince must have cheated! Otherwise, with his strength, how could he possibly defeat the Great Crown Prince? The Great Crown Prince is a favored child of heaven, a dragon among men, with few rivals in his generation.”

”That’s right! The Ninth Prince must have used some despicable, underhanded means. I refuse to believe he could defeat the Great Crown Prince!”

The Great Crown Prince’s repeated defeats sent the onlookers into an outraged frenzy, cursing vehemently.

In their eyes, the Great Crown Prince, possessing the Dragon Phoenix Saint Body and having awakened the Dragon Phoenix Harmony Phenomenon, was undoubtedly a favored child of heaven. He was destined to become a top expert, to rule over the world and gaze proudly upon the eight desolations. They had long ago pledged allegiance to the Great Crown Prince, hoping to ride his coattails to greater power and fortune. Thus, they wished for him to grow stronger and go further than anyone else.

Yet now, the Great Crown Prince had used his full strength, only to be defeated again and again. This reality battered them to the core, and they refused to accept it.

With his Ninth-Layer Divine Sea Realm cultivation, two Superior-Grade Magic Artifacts for offense and defense, the Dragon Phoenix Saint Body, and the Dragon Phoenix Harmony Phenomenon, they simply couldn’t imagine how Su Han could possibly defeat the Great Crown Prince.

The Empress’s complexion turned so dark it looked as if it might drip water, her Dan Feng eyes filled with intense rage and murderous intent. She would not allow anyone to defeat her son, because her son was the strongest.

Little bastard, you truly deserve to die!

Yan Liu’s killing intent spiked dramatically. The more impressively Su Han performs, the greater the threat he poses. This threat must be nipped in the bud.

Meanwhile, Wang Tianqing’s face was livid, his eyes blazing with fury.

BOOM!

In the Autumn Hunt’s arena, Su Han landed back on the ground, Black Blade in hand. His face was pale and his steps were unsteady—the aftereffects of the Heaven and Earth Slash. He had devoured the power of the Great Crown Prince’s Phenomenon with his own Black Hole Phenomenon, channeled it back into himself, and unleashed a second slash, successfully defeating him.

But he wasn’t intoxicated by victory. Instead, his eyes narrowed, his expression grave as he stared ahead.

There, a huge pit lay before him, with thick cracks spreading out in all directions. In the center of the pit lay the Great Crown Prince, his body covered in blood, looking utterly wretched.

The Great Crown Prince’s Imperial Heaven Battle Armor was completely shattered. A massive wound stretched from his left shoulder to his right abdomen, nearly cleaving him in two. But the Dragon Phoenix Saint Body was incredibly powerful. Even though the Great Crown Prince had only just grasped its power, its might was impressive. The slash was severe but not fatal. The invading Demonic Qi had been resisted by the Dragon Phoenix Saint Body, preventing a mortal injury.

That last strike had only been enough to defeat the Great Crown Prince, not kill him and reclaim the Dragon Soul!

In the center of the pit, the blood-soaked Great Crown Prince shakily pushed himself to his feet. His pupils were blood-red, filled with an indescribable fury and killing intent.

Ever since obtaining the Dragon Phoenix Saint Body, he had considered himself a child of heaven. His only rivals were other chosen geniuses, and his stage was the entire Desolate Heavenly Ancient Realm. He had never imagined he would be reduced to such a wretched state by someone he considered a nobody. For a man as proud as he, this was more unbearable than death itself.

”Hahaha!” The Great Crown Prince suddenly threw his head back and roared with laughter, a sound brimming with murderous intent.

”You little bastard. I truly didn’t expect you to not only recover but to possess such strength. It seems you’re hiding an earth-shattering secret. No matter. Today, you will die, and your secret will become my strength.

”Don’t you worry. On the anniversary of your death each year, I’ll be sure to burn extra paper money for you!”

The Great Crown Prince stared fixedly at Su Han, the savagery in his eyes growing more intense. Having witnessed Su Han’s strength, he had cast aside all contempt and was now treating this fight with absolute gravity. Although he was gravely injured and his Phenomenon was suppressed by Su Han, he was not afraid. He was confident because he still held a final trump card.

”Little bastard, I originally planned to break through after joining the Seven Stars Sect, but I’ve changed my mind. That I would abandon consolidating my foundation just for you... you should be proud of that, even in the afterlife!”

The Great Crown Prince laughed wildly. The next instant, his face twisted into a hideous expression as a powerful Aura erupted from his body, climbing relentlessly higher. Dragon roars and phoenix cries resounded from within him, shaking the heavens. A phantom dragon and a phantom phoenix materialized around his body, intertwining and weaving together.

The earth split, the air churned, and the very sky seemed to change color.

The next moment, the dragon and phoenix phantoms shot into the heavens, piercing the clouds, and the Great Crown Prince’s Aura surged to a new peak.

Inside and outside the Autumn Hunt’s arena, the crowd watched the Great Crown Prince’s terrifying transformation with joyous surprise.

”The Heavenly Human Realm! The Great Crown Prince actually broke through! With his innate talent, reaching the Heavenly Human Realm will multiply his power. I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to witness this breakthrough firsthand!”

”By fusing Spiritual Energy with spiritual power, one can command the Power of Heaven and Earth—that is the Heavenly Human Realm! The Great Crown Prince’s talent was already terrifying. Now that he has broken through, killing Su Han will be as easy as crushing an ant.”

”The Great Crown Prince is only twenty, isn’t he? To have already broken through to the Heavenly Human Realm at such an age... Such talent is unprecedented in the entire history of the Tianqing Dynasty!”

The crowd exclaimed, their gazes once again filled with fervent admiration and worship for the Great Crown Prince.

”The Heavenly Human Realm!”

Outside the arena, Tongyan’s expression turned grim. She hadn’t expected the Great Crown Prince to be able to break through at will. Su Han was now in grave danger.

The Empress gnashed her teeth, undying hatred in her eyes. My son was planning to consolidate his foundation before breaking through! It’s all your fault, you little bastard! You forced him to break through prematurely. For that, you will pay with your life!

Yan Liu’s eyes showed surprise; he was shocked by the Great Crown Prince’s breakthrough. A twenty-year-old in the Heavenly Human Realm would be considered a top-tier genius even in the Seven Stars Sect. He is truly worthy of being the Grandmaster’s grandson! He finally let out the breath he had been holding, certain that a Great Crown Prince in the Heavenly Human Realm could not possibly lose again!

In the arena, Su Han’s brows were tightly knitted, his heart sinking. He, too, had not anticipated that the Great Crown Prince had such a card up his sleeve.

True, Qin Feng had also broken through mid-battle during their duel, but the Great Crown Prince’s breakthrough was completely different. Qin Feng’s breakthrough was a fluke. His foundation was unstable, and he had only cleared a minor bottleneck. The Great Crown Prince, however, was clearly ready to break through at any time. Moreover, his was a breakthrough to a new Great Realm. The difference was like that between heaven and earth. His strength had increased at least threefold.

”Little bastard, enjoy the despair of your final moments!” the Great Crown Prince raised his head, giving Su Han a ferocious smile. With a flicker, his figure shot forward.

An unprecedented crisis enveloped Su Han, leaving him in a perilous situation.