The first two who reached him were both at the sixth rank. Even though they weren’t on horseback, they still charged with terrifying momentum.

Their attacks were simple and direct, without any trickery. This was a trademark of the army.

A bloodlust exuded from their blades, which had been clearly tempered in the ferocity of the battlefield.

Zu An faced them head-on. At his current level of cultivation, they weren’t worth the trouble of dodging.

He didn’t use Shining Finger, as this was something Golden Token Eleven had used before. With eyes everywhere, it wouldn’t take long for someone to make the connection.

Instead, he struck out with his palms at the two oncoming blades, one right and one left. Given his strength, he could have easily broken his attackers’ arms, or made their fingers bleed..

However, his strike only staggered them a little, and they quickly retaliated with their free palms.

Zu An faced their strikes head-on. As their palms met, both sides were blown backwards, leaving a zhang of space between them.

Zu An frowned. He noticed a layer of blue light swirling about their bodies, as well as some faint cryptic runes. He realized that these were probably the formations used in the army.

He was no stranger to these things. When he was in Brightmoon City, the Chu clan’s private army had relied on these formations to withstand the attacks of a master.

It was precisely because of formations that armies still existed in this world of cultivation. The impact of any attacks against them would be distributed evenly among the soldiers.

Those on the young noble’s side were utterly stunned.. After all, this small troop was his personal guard, and each soldier was outstanding. The bulk of the force was at the fifth rank, with a handful at the fourth rank, and a good number of them at the sixth rank. With the use of their formation, they could easily take out anyone at the peak of the sixth rank. How was it that they were evenly-matched with Zu An?

Even though he’d tried his best not to underestimate this fellow, he was still more formidable than the intelligence stated.

However, King Qi’s heir still wasn’t fazed. These personal troops of his could even take out a seventh rank cultivator without an issue, let alone this Zu An.

As if they could sense their master’s dissatisfaction, the soldiers felt their cheeks grow warm.. They roared in anger and charged at Zu An again from all directions.

Why did many cultivators fail to adapt to a real battlefield? It was often because weapons would fly at them from all sides, rendering most evasive maneuvers useless. On the contrary, eliminating the enemy in a swift and efficient manner, while preserving as much stamina as possible for an extended battle, was the optimal solution.

This wasn’t the first time these soldiers had faced a cultivator who was used to small duels in the world of martial arts. It was difficult for such cultivators to adapt to such a fighting style, and would always fall to their coordinated attacks.

Zu An watched the approaching figures, well aware that most of his paths of retreat had already been cut off. The few openings that he saw were deliberate traps. Once he took any of those avenues, wave after wave of their attacks would wear him down.

There is no way to evade the coordinated attacks of this army. Then again… Why do I have to dodge?

He spread his arms, and a wisp of white energy appeared in the very center of his palms. Instantly, snowflakes filled the heavens, showering the incoming soldiers in a deluge of ice and snow. A layer of frost quickly spread across their bodies. They seemed to suddenly be moving in slow motion, and each step that they took was slower than the last. Eventually, every last one of them was frozen in a sculpture of pure ice.

Chu Youzhao, her heart already in her mouth, widened her pretty eyes in shock. “Snowflake Sword?!”

She was all too familiar with her oldest sister’s Snowflake Sword. What she was witnessing seemed familiar, yet there was something slightly different about it. She just couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

Somehow, Zu An’s Snowflake Sword seemed even more formidable than her big sister’s.

Is this fellow actually a genius?

Chu Youzhao could hardly wrap her mind around it. Even with her amazing aptitude, it had been extremely difficult for her eldest sister to cultivate Snowflake Sword to her current level. On the other hand, how long had this brother-in-law of hers been cultivating? Even if her eldest sister had begun teaching him once they got married, it could only have been a few months. And yet, the student had already surpassed the master.

The driver with the missing tooth frowned. “This doesn’t seem to be the famed Snowflake Sword, but it does indeed share certain characteristics and intent. How strange…”

King Qi’s heir had been eagerly anticipating for his subordinates to beat the shit out of Zu An, yet in an instant, all of his subordinates had been completely wiped out.

He was both shocked and furious. “You damned moocher, even your best skill was picked up from your woman.”

You have successfully trolled Zhao Zhi for 444… 444… 444…

He couldn’t tell the difference, and so he too subconsciously took this as Chu Chuyan’s Snowflake Sword.

Zu An had indeed used the Snowflake Sword, but he hadn’t awakened the ice element, so there was no way it could be as strong as Chu Chuyan’s. However, he could still summon his Snow Phoenix. Paired together, it was enough to pull off this bluff.

Since the power of Snow Phoenix was related to his cultivation, the increase in his cultivation rank caused the power of Snow Phoenix to increase substantially.

When he heard what the young noble said, he laughed and said, “Don’t you know that mooching is a skill in itself? Especially when it comes to a stunning beauty like Chuyan. Do you think she’ll fall for any random man? If you have the skill, why don’t you try and mooch off of her? She won’t even give you the time of day. Who else is there… Oh, there was a woman, Yu Yanluo, previously considered the most beautiful woman in the capital. If you have the skill, why don’t you try to mooch off of her? You can come back and mock me once you succeed.”

The driver, who was watching from a distance away, was furious. “Bastard! This fellow is just too annoying. How dare he slander Madam’s reputation?”

You have successfully trolled Uncle Fu for 666 Rage points!

Zu An was currently focused on King Qi’s heir, however, and didn’t notice these Rage points.

The woman in the carriage chuckled. “That’s all right. This little fellow is quite interesting.”

“Huh?” Uncle Fu looked back at the carriage in shock. Judging from her tone, it seemed like the two really did know each other! 

The young noble choked on his breath. “You’re making the act of mooching sound so righteous and just. You’re probably the only one who could do such a thing.”

Nearby, Murong Qinghe nodded in utter agreement. She turned to Chu Youzhao beside her and said quietly, “Big brother Chu, your brother-in-law is really shameless.”

Chu Youzhao felt her cheeks heat up. “He really isn’t like other people.”

Zu An sighed. “It seems like you failed to mooch off of Yu Yanluo after all. It’s no surprise that you’d be ashamed and angry.”

“I am a young master with an illustrious background, and my cultivation is high,” said King Qi’s heir proudly. “Mobs of women throw themselves at me. Why do I need to be so shameless as to mooch off of someone?”

“Are they really interested in you? Aren’t they all after you just because of your background and who your dad is?” Zu An said, his voice dripping with disdain. “Look at me, on the other hand. Clearly penniless, and without any status or authority, yet all the prettiest girls of this world fall for me. That’s real skill.”

The driver with the missing tooth gasped. “Even for someone as old as myself, this fellow’s shamelessness has truly exceeded my wildest imaginations!”

The woman in the carriage chuckled. “This isn’t even his most shameless side.”

A memory seemed to form within her mind’s eye, and a perfect smile appeared on her soft, red lips.

King Qi sneered. “My background and my father’s identity are all a part of what makes me charming. Why is there a need to separate them from me? Who else can you blame for being born into a lousy family?”

He was a man of vast knowledge and experience, and would not let himself be easily taunted by Zu An.

Zu An sighed. “That’s why you only attract cheap and materialistic girls. Could you land any of those girls who have the same background as you, but are considered the most beautiful women of this world? For example, the Devil Sect’s Yun Jianyue, or the previous madonna of the capital, Yu Yanluo?”

The young noble felt his skin begin to itch. Both these women were famed throughout the world for their beauty. It wasn’t just their beauty, though. Their social status also enhanced their seduction. Why would they ever fall for a junior like him?

He couldn’t hold back his own sarcasm. “You’re speaking as if you could.”

Murong Qinghe gave her crush a nudge. “Big brother Chu, your brother-in-law is a little too shameless. He’s actually using such women as examples.”

Chu Youzhao also had a strange look on her face. She obviously knew who these women were. The only ones who were on par with them were individuals like His Majesty and King Qi. It seemed rather unfair for her brother-in-law to bring them up.

Zu An seemed to have been waiting for this exact reply. He feigned casualness and said, “I do not dare speak about the sect master of the Devil Sect, but Yu Yanluo and I are much closer than you think. Unfortunately, she’s a little too old for me, so I didn’t reciprocate her love..”

The driver with the missing tooth immediately spat out the water he was drinking.

The woman inside the carriage was left speechless.