Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

Su Han had acquired another Divine Method, and now he had mastered nineteen of them. Although not every one was profoundly mastered, each held its unique excellence and was infinitely useful.

Techniques may not be used, but one must possess them, otherwise one will be beaten! Su Han had long ago realized this truth, so he didn’t mind having too many Divine Methods at his disposal. Of course, he lacked the energy to cultivate all of them to a profound level. Focusing on one or two as his primary disciplines, with the rest as complementary, was a good choice.

WHOOSH.

Su Han’s consciousness withdrew from the Prison Divine Palace. This was the greatest wealth the Cruel Demon Emperor had left him.

”Hmm?” Su Han’s expression flickered as his gaze shifted to Liu Xu, and he noticed her injuries had also mostly healed.

”Nineteenth Prince, I thank you for your help tonight,” Liu Xu said, no longer focusing on her recovery. She stood up and faced Su Han directly. ”However, I do not like being indebted to anyone. If you have any conditions, feel free to state them, and I will do my best to fulfill them for you.”

She wasn’t a naive girl, inexperienced with the ways of the world. Regardless of whatever enmity Su Han had with the Third Prince, the fact that he had saved her was undeniable. She disliked being indebted without understanding the reason, so she wanted to probe Su Han’s intentions.

Su Han was not about to be tricked into revealing anything. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back and spoke indifferently, showing no hint of desire. ”You weren’t my target. Saving you was merely convenient. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, even if that enemy is now dead. Your injuries have mostly healed. You may leave on your own!”

He was well aware that Liu Xu didn’t trust him yet. Even if he were to ask, he likely wouldn’t get any useful information. Rather than pushing the matter, it was better to leave a good first impression and find an opportunity to deepen their rapport later. The results would be much better if he waited until the time was right.

Of course, he could reveal his identity directly, but that would increase the risks associated with his impersonation of the Nineteenth Prince, and he wouldn’t do something so foolish.

Su Han’s composure made Liu Xu suspicious. ”You’re really letting me go?” she asked tentatively.

Su Han said nothing more, simply waving his hand.

”If I leave, I won’t come back. If we face each other in the Sword Dao Conference, I won’t show any mercy,” Liu Xu said again, but Su Han remained unmoved.

”Then I’m really leaving! Don’t you regret it!”

After one last test, Liu Xu began to walk away tentatively. Su Han didn’t stop her, simply letting her depart. In the end, Liu Xu left the courtyard, filled with doubt and a faint sense of goodwill.

Su Han watched Liu Xu’s departure, not following or doing anything superfluous. His objective for the evening had been achieved.

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the moon as he calculated his gains and losses for the night. I didn’t expect to deal with the Third Prince before the Sword Dao Conference even began. That’s fine, though; it saves me a lot of trouble.

By merely striking the final blow, he had slain the formidable Third Prince. Thus, only the Second Prince remained on his kill list.

My first impression on her should be good. Next, I just need to deepen our friendship. I believe it won’t be long before I have news about Fairy Sister Yun Xian.

Regarding Liu Xu, Su Han’s objective remained unchanged. Although the night’s events had been unexpected, they hadn’t strayed too far from his plans. It was a successful first step. He had achieved two goals with hardly any effort, surprising even himself with how smoothly everything went.

First, I’ll destroy the Third Prince’s body to leave no trace, and then I’ll head back.

Su Han did not rush to leave. He reached out, retrieved the Third Prince’s body from the Bronze Ring, and then incinerated it to ash with the Samadhi True Fire. Although the Third Prince’s flesh and blood energy were quite formidable, Su Han feared that devouring it might alert the Flying Immortal Great Emperor. To be safe, completely incinerating the body was the most prudent choice.

The Third Prince’s Storage Ring was also in Su Han’s hands, now his spoil of war. However, aside from the Iron Blood Holy Sword, nothing else was particularly precious. After all, he had already used up his two Saint Treasures, along with many of his Healing Pills and Talismans.

However, Su Han did find one unique treasure.

WHOOSH.

Su Han reached into the Third Prince’s Storage Ring and retrieved a dark red jade. It was carved into the shape of a tiger and pulsed with a special Aura that seemed to contain the Third Prince’s Lifebound Essence.

Is this... a Tiger Talisman for commanding troops? Su Han quickly guessed its purpose.

The Third Prince had served in the military and held immense prestige among the troops. He commanded a large army that waged war across the land for the Heavenly Sword Dynasty. However, a Tiger Talisman was a special item that could not be used lightly outside of wartime, not even by the Third Prince himself. Furthermore, the talisman in his hand was smaller and lacked the domineering and majestic presence of a true Tiger Talisman, clearly indicating it served a different purpose.

Could this be the Tiger Talisman for the Black-Armored Dead Soldiers?

Su Han recalled the squad of a hundred men he encountered outside the Yuelan Ancient Battlefield. They were Black-Armored Dead Soldiers, a force clearly cultivated in secret by the Third Prince. This talisman was so unique, it was very likely the one used to command them.

However, Su Han didn’t know where the Black-Armored Dead Soldiers were, nor how to command them. This made the Tiger Talisman seem rather useless. Still, it was related to them, so having it was better than nothing. Su Han didn’t underestimate this unexpected prize. He placed it, along with the Iron Blood Holy Sword, into his Bronze Ring.

I already have over a dozen Holy Artifacts. It’s a pity I don’t know any Artifact Refining Technique; otherwise, I could try to fuse them together. Hopefully, I can obtain a Divine Method for Artifact Refining later on.

His Reincarnation Path Mirror and Nine Palace Golden Pagoda had been destroyed in the Yuelan Ancient Battlefield, but Su Han still possessed over a dozen other Holy Artifacts. While some could be used to set up his Eight Gates of Life and Death Formation, he still had many to spare. While Holy Artifacts were powerful, having an excess of them wasn’t particularly useful. This led him to think about Artifact Refining. Unfortunately, among all the Divine Methods he had acquired so far, none were for Artifact Refining, which he found regrettable.

Everything went smoothly. Time to head back.

Gathering his thoughts, Su Han erased his Aura and tracks, then left the courtyard and headed towards the Imperial Palace.

Tonight, he had killed the Third Prince, saved Liu Xu, and obtained the inheritance of the Black Cloud Demon God. His gains were immense, and it was time to be content.

Using the Thousand Transformations Technique, Su Han changed his appearance and made his way back to the Imperial Palace. He returned to his Tianxing Hall and finally, to his secret chamber.

Apart from Liu Xu, no one knew that Su Han had left that night.

The incident at the small inn had already spread throughout the city. The murder of the Third Prince right before the Sword Dao Conference was undoubtedly bombshell news. But since Liu Xu took all the blame, no one would ever suspect Su Han.

That night, the Imperial Capital was not peaceful, but Su Han was. He adjusted his condition and quietly waited for the next day to arrive.

Su Han’s goal was to take first place in the Sword Dao Conference.