Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

Silence.

At that moment, a deathly stillness enveloped the world, and all eyes shifted from Li Qingyue to Su Han.

The Nineteenth Prince was a man of noble status and gifted with a Special Physique. He was destined to be a top powerhouse in the Heavenly Sword Dynasty, and to be favored by him was a dream far beyond the reach of most. Li Qingyue had caught his attention, inciting envy and jealousy from countless onlookers. Yet now, someone dared to stand in his way. It was simply unbelievable.

Even the Nineteenth Prince and the Copper Tiger Saint froze, clearly not expecting Su Han to appear out of nowhere. A flicker of anger surged in the prince’s eyes. Since I was a child, no one has ever dared to defy me like this. He’s courting death!

Before the Nineteenth Prince could speak, the Copper Tiger Saint at his side flew into a rage. ”How audacious! Who do you think you are, daring to affront the Nineteenth Prince!” he rebuked. Immediately, his powerful Holy Might intensified, pressing down on Su Han like a thousand-foot mountain of copper. He intended to crush this arrogant youth and force him to kneel in submission.

Su Han’s gaze grew sharp. I didn’t want any trouble, but trouble came looking for me. The Copper Tiger Saint is powerful, but not so powerful that I can’t resist. Li Qingyue was his follower, and he couldn’t just stand by and watch the Nineteenth Prince take her away. He began to circulate his Demonic Qi, preparing to act.

”Stop!”

Just then, the Nineteenth Prince spoke up, halting the Copper Tiger Saint. The pressure of the Holy Might paused in mid-air, not descending any further.

”I want you to answer me personally.” The Nineteenth Prince ignored Su Han, his gaze fixed intensely on Li Qingyue. He was confident in himself; his status, talent, and appearance were all exceptional. Surely, only a fool wouldn’t know the right choice to make.

This time, however, he was destined for disappointment. Though Li Qingyue’s face was pale, she firmly shook her head in refusal.

”Thank you for your kind intentions, Prince, but please forgive this humble girl for not having the fortune to accompany you!”

He had been rejected. The Nineteenth Prince’s expression turned ugly, his eyes clouding over. But as a prince, he had to consider the Imperial Family’s honor. With the entire city watching, he couldn’t just abduct a commoner, as that would tarnish his reputation. Damaging my reputation over a woman is a losing bargain.

With this thought, he suppressed the fury in his heart. His gaze toward Li Qingyue turned to ice. ”Since you are unwilling, I have no desire to coerce you. Copper Tiger Saint, let us go.”

The Nineteenth Prince spoke coldly and said no more, signaling for the Copper Tiger Saint to lead the way.

”Ungrateful wretch!” the Copper Tiger Saint huffed, glaring at Su Han and Li Qingyue. But when he turned back to the prince, his expression immediately shifted to a fawning, respectful smile as he tried to curry favor.

Soon, the golden chariot entered the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, and the figures of the Nineteenth Prince and the Copper Tiger Saint vanished from sight.

Mocking and scornful voices rose from the crowd.

”That woman must have rocks in her head! That’s the Nineteenth Prince! If it were me, I would’ve joyfully gone with him. How could she refuse?”

”She’s lost her one chance to ascend to the heavens. Her achievements in this life will be limited, and she’ll regret this one day. Still, this is better for me. I feel much better now.”

”Those three are clearly from out of town. How ungrateful, daring to refuse the Nineteenth Prince’s favor. I bet their good days are numbered.”

These taunts reached Su Han and Li Qingyue’s ears. In the eyes of the crowd, earning the prince’s favor was an immense blessing, but to Su Han and Li Qingyue, it was nothing of the sort.

”Mr. Su, I’m afraid we’re in trouble,” Li Mingliang said with a grave expression. As an experienced man, he instantly understood the implications. ”Setting aside whether the Nineteenth Prince will seek revenge later, we at least won’t be able to have the sword forged at the Heavenly Sword Pavilion.”

”Mr. Su, I’m sorry. I’ve dragged you into this,” Li Qingyue apologized in a low voice. She had never expected this to happen. The Nineteenth Prince’s status was so lofty that even the Copper Tiger Saint sought to curry favor with him. Her rejection had likely stirred up significant trouble.

”This isn’t your fault. You don’t need to apologize,” Su Han said, shaking his head. He knew this was all the prince’s one-sided desire. The man clearly didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings, and his high-and-mighty attitude was repulsive.

”Mr. Su, we should leave Fine Copper City for now,” Li Mingliang suggested, worry etched on his brow. Though they were reasonably strong, they had no background. He and Li Qingyue were still wanted by the Heavenly Sword Dynasty, and now that they had offended the Nineteenth Prince, staying here would inevitably lead to disaster.

”Alright.” Su Han nodded after a moment’s thought. He agreed not because he feared the Nineteenth Prince, but because he planned to first leave Fine Copper City, settle Li Mingliang and Li Qingyue somewhere safe, and then return. I want to use the Golden Spirit Energy here to advance my Great Luo Golden Body, so I won’t be leaving for good. Besides, Li Qingyue still hasn’t forged her sword, and the Nineteenth Prince is watching us like a hawk. Playing defense isn’t my style; I prefer to take the initiative. With my Thousand Changes and Transformations ability, I can come and go as I please. First, I need to make sure they’re safe.

Soon, the three of them left Fine Copper City.

「Inside the Heavenly Sword Pavilion.」

The Nineteenth Prince sat on the main seat, with the Crane Sword Saint to his left. The Copper Tiger Saint, despite being the Pavilion Master of this place, sat respectfully to the right.

”Your Highness, everything is ready. You may enter the Earth Mine to cultivate at any time!”

The Nineteenth Prince hadn’t come to Fine Copper City for a simple tour; he was here specifically for the Earth Mine. The mine was abundant in Fine Copper and even contained the precious Hidden Earth Copper. The prince was currently stuck at the Supreme Realm Third Layer and hoped to use the Golden Spirit Energy in the Earth Mine to break through his bottleneck and increase his strength.

”No rush,” the Nineteenth Prince waved his hand, tilting his head slightly to look outside. ”I am quite fond of that girl’s Yin Sword Body. I’ll capture her before I begin my cultivation.”

The Nineteenth Prince had mastered the Yin Yang Harmony Technique. This art allowed him to absorb a woman’s Yin essence through Dual Cultivation to accelerate his cultivation speed. The Yin Sword Body was a Special Physique among sword cultivators and was extremely valuable to him. Now that he had encountered it, how could he possibly let it go? If I obtain her Yin Sword Body before cultivating in the Earth Mine, I might be able to break through several realms at once and become even more powerful.

As he spoke, he began to summon his subordinates to capture her. As a prince, he couldn’t abduct a commoner in public, but that didn’t stop him from acting in the shadows.

”Your Highness, allow this old servant to handle this matter!” The Copper Tiger Saint immediately volunteered, refusing to let such a perfect opportunity to curry favor slip by.

”You’re familiar with this place, so you can handle it. Go.” The Nineteenth Prince saw the Saint’s obvious desire to curry favor and nodded in consent.

The Copper Tiger Saint immediately departed to arrange for her capture.

The Nineteenth Prince’s lips curled into a smug smirk. ”There has never been a woman this prince has set his sights on that he could not obtain.”