Ch. 853 - Azure Dragon Crown Prince

“Who do you favor?” Just as Xu Zimo was watching the two fight with great interest, a soft voice suddenly sounded beside him.

Xu Zimo froze for a moment and quickly turned his head.

He saw a woman gracefully sitting beside him.

She wore a spotless white long dress.

Her whole demeanor was like that of an immortal, aloof and pure.

A beauty for the ages, a joy to behold.

She had an oval face, a high nose bridge reminiscent of women from the Western Continent, and thin lips lightly tinted red.

But her eyes were as calm as still water, revealing nothing within.

The woman in white carried a faint fragrance.

It was like plum blossoms, proud and self-appreciating.

Her long skirt spread across the ground like a lotus slowly unfurling.

Her skin was fair, the kind that looked as if it would bruise at the lightest touch.

“Why aren’t you speaking?” the woman asked with a smile, looking at Xu Zimo.

“Do we know each other?” Xu Zimo asked doubtfully.

“I know you, but you might not know me,” the woman shook her head and said.

“Anyone who passed the tenth floor of the Heavenly Dao Tower, many in the academy would want to know them.”

“Not interested,” Xu Zimo waved his hand and replied calmly.

“You haven’t answered my question,” the woman tilted her head, resting her elbows on her knees and supporting her chin, her tone filled with dissatisfaction.

“I favor Ren Pingsheng,” Xu Zimo replied calmly.

“Why?” the woman in white asked again.

“Ren Pingsheng cultivates the legacy techniques of Grand Emperor Tun Ri, very powerful. That Wang Lang probably isn’t a disciple of an imperial lineage, so his cultivation method is weaker,” Xu Zimo said. “And their foundations are different, Ren Pingsheng’s is clearly deeper.”

“I’ve heard you’re from the True Martial Sacred Ground,” the woman in white said.

“You ask too many questions,” Xu Zimo replied lightly.

The two were complete strangers, and he truly didn’t want to talk much.

“I’m just curious,” the woman in white looked very wronged.

Her eyes even grew a little misty.

She looked pitifully at Xu Zimo. “Don’t you like me?”

“Seduction?” Xu Zimo frowned at her.

Her behavior was strange to him, he could tell she was usually very cold.

Not just her looks, but her whole temperament suggested a “strangers keep away” aura.

“Just tell me, answer a few of my questions,” the woman said, pulling at Xu Zimo’s arm and gently shaking it.

Like she was acting spoiled.

“Weirdo,” Xu Zimo muttered, getting up and leaving.

Watching his departing back, the woman in white was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly to herself.

“Doesn’t know how to appreciate charm. This makes things difficult.”

…

On the arena stage, Ren Pingsheng held the Sun-Devouring Axe, like a true emperor descending.

Devouring power swirled around him.

Each surge of might was stronger than the last.

Wang Lang could only defend passively, his body already covered in blood.

The Bloodthirsty Ghost Shark behind him struggled fiercely.

The sounds of explosions boomed across the arena.

The stage was built from Heavenly Dao crystal, able to withstand even the attacks of Arcane Immortals.

As a Grand Emperor True Treasure, the Sun-Devouring Axe still radiated imperial might.

And it had been tempered by the Heaven’s Will, giving it an advantage over most weapons.

Another explosion rang out, Wang Lang couldn’t dodge in time. The huge axe blade came down within mere tens of centimeters of his head.

He could even feel the oppressive force from the axe, along with the suffocating breath of death.

At last, Wang Lang, who had been barely holding on, couldn’t endure anymore. He shouted toward the stage below, “Crown Prince, save me!”

Everyone knew he was calling to the Azure Dragon Crown Prince, and they were all curious what the Crown Prince’s reaction would be.

…

“Ao Nan, best not to get involved in this,” someone beside him reminded.

A life-and-death duel, with a life-and-death agreement signed, was troublesome to interfere in.

It was not like an ordinary sparring match.

The Azure Dragon Crown Prince’s true name was Ao Nan.

His expression was ugly, his eyes weighing the pros and cons.

If he interfered, trouble was likely.

But if he didn’t, everyone knew Wang Lang served him loyally.

If he abandoned him now, what would others think? Who would dare serve him again?

“Enough,” as the Sun-Devouring Axe forced Wang Lang into a corner with nowhere to retreat, a loud shout suddenly rang out.

Within that shout was a faint dragon’s roar.

It made Ren Pingsheng’s head tremble for an instant, his hand slowing just enough for Wang Lang to narrowly escape death.

“The Azure Dragon Crown Prince has made his move,” someone said with interest. “Now things are getting fun.”

Ren Pingsheng and Wang Lang were both relatively unknown in the academy, their fight wasn’t especially interesting.

But if a holy son of an imperial lineage got dragged into the mess, that was something many people were happy to see.

That was when it became entertaining.

“Stop here,” Ao Nan, the Azure Dragon Crown Prince, looked at Ren Pingsheng and spoke lightly.

“You’re breaking the duel rules,” Ren Pingsheng raised his head, meeting Ao Nan’s gaze without fear, and said calmly.

In a life-and-death duel, without both participants’ consent, no third party was allowed to interfere.

That was an academy rule.

Violation meant punishment based on the outcome.

In the Heavenly Dao Academy, everything was equal, at least in principle. Even a holy son of an emperor-lineage immortal sect couldn’t escape punishment.

Of course, this so-called equality was only as equal as it could be.

Just like people were always ranked high or low, true equality didn’t exist.

Not in reality, and not in theory.

“I said stop here,” Ao Nan didn’t answer directly, but his eyes flashed with menace as he spoke again.

Ren Pingsheng frowned slightly.

Ao Nan had indeed broken the rules, but the academy’s punishment likely wouldn’t be too severe.

Because he hadn’t been injured, the penalty would be based on the actual result.

“What’s wrong? Dissatisfied?” Ao Nan said lightly.

“Then fight me. If you have the guts, face me in a life-and-death duel, no surrender, no survival.”

When he spoke those last four words, his tone brimmed with killing intent.

It was strong enough for anyone to feel.

“Pingsheng, don’t accept his challenge,” just then, a woman’s voice called from afar.

A young woman in a purple coat, her face delicate and pretty, hurried over.

Her complexion was pale, as if she had just recovered from a serious illness.

Her long hair was tied back in a braided ponytail with a purple ribbon.

Her eyes were full of worry.

When she appeared, the crowd watching below grew noisy.

“That’s her.”

“No mistake, she’s the one the Azure Dragon Crown Prince and Ren Pingsheng are fighting over.”

“This is interesting, but she looks pretty ordinary to me.”

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