Shen Lixue smiled gently: "His Highness the Crown Prince and the Prince of An each have their own merits and strengths. However, I am Prince An's fiancée and I only love him."
The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang is a shameless scoundrel who will not give up until he achieves his goal. Shen Lixue made her words to him, so that he would give up completely.
Shen Lixue felt a sharp pain in her small hand; Dongfang Heng had gripped her too tightly. Looking up, she saw that his handsome face had lost its coldness, and his features were as soft as a poem or painting. The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned in a beautiful arc, and he was in a very pleasant mood.
With Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue united against a common enemy, the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang was losing face after repeated setbacks: "In Southern Xinjiang, the strong are respected. I like Miss Shen and would like to have a contest with Prince An. If the Prince loses, he can give Miss Shen to me. What do you say?"
The crowd's angry gazes were once again focused on the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang. He doesn't like you, yet you keep pestering him. When will this end?
Dongfang Zhan's lips curled slightly, his gentle gaze fixed on the empty wine glass in his hand. More than ten years ago, the Azure Flame War God, War King, defeated the Southern Frontier, and the Southern Frontier Emperor had always been wary of him. Dongfang Heng was the new Azure Flame War God of the younger generation, and it was no coincidence that the Southern Frontier Crown Prince challenged him.
Perhaps the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang has truly fallen for Shen Lixue, and is using this opportunity to compete with Dongfang Heng and suppress Qingyan's arrogance! How clever.
"What if His Highness the Crown Prince loses?" Dongfang Heng coldly looked at the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang. The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang was arrogant and treated his beloved like a commodity because of his status. Even if the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang did not mention it, he would have proposed a martial arts contest.
"Then I will stay far away and never bother Miss Chen again!" The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang said with a cold and arrogant expression, as if victory was in his grasp.
"Prime Minister Shen, is there a spacious place in the Prime Minister's residence where we can test our martial arts skills?" The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang is courting death, and Dongfang Heng has no reason not to grant his wish.
"There's an open space in the backyard of the Prime Minister's residence where we can have a fight!" Shen Minghui said, leading everyone to the open space in the backyard. As he turned around, he glanced at Shen Lixue. This daughter was quite capable, managing to get the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang and Prince An to fight for her. She was just as dazzling as her mother.
The backyard wasn't far from the living room; it was just a few turns away. Everyone stood to the side, their gazes fixed on Dongfang Heng and the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang, their calm eyes concealing a hint of anticipation.
Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Heng. His handsome profile was captivating, and his long eyelashes cast two faint shadows on his eyelids. His gaze was sharp as a cold blade, sending chills down one's spine.
Her gaze fell on their clasped hands, and Shen Lixue sighed silently. All the way, the group was in a grand procession, and Dongfang Heng held her small hand tightly as if to declare that she couldn't break free.
"Please, Prince An!"
The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang spoke arrogantly, his gaze fixed on Shen Lixue, revealing a profound and unfathomable light. He couldn't wait to possess this clever and witty yet prickly beauty, to see what made her different from other women, that she could win the favor of Dongfang Heng so much.
"Be careful!" Shen Lixue warned, her simple words speaking volumes.
"Don't worry!" Dongfang Heng gently squeezed Shen Lixue's small hand, his indifferent voice conveying a sense of reassurance, gradually calming the person's agitated emotions.
Dongfang Heng walked to the center of the arena and stood facing the Southern Xinjiang Crown Prince. Both were dressed in white, but Dongfang Heng's white robes were elegant and ethereal, making him incomparably handsome. The Southern Xinjiang Crown Prince's white robes, adorned with golden vines, exuded an indescribable eeriness and dread under the candlelight, sending chills down one's spine.
"I wonder what Prince An wishes to compete in?" The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang stood against the wind, his tone arrogant.
"Whatever!" Dongfang Heng said coldly, raising his long eyebrows slightly, seemingly impatient with the words of the Southern Border Crown Prince.
"Then let's have a duel. The winner gets the beauty, and the loser stays out of sight!" The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang said with a sinister smile. Suddenly, a long sword appeared in his hand, its sharp, cold light flashing like lightning as it swiftly stabbed towards Dongfang Heng.
The dignified Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang actually resorted to trickery! He made his move before even saying "start!" Everyone was shocked and secretly worried for Dongfang Heng.
Dongfang Heng's lips curled slightly, a mocking sneer playing on his face. He casually turned to the side, a sharp sword aura grazing his clothes, instantly shattering the large rock behind him into pieces.
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, chunks of rubble fell with a thud, stinging painfully when they hit people. Everyone hurriedly took cover under the eaves, secretly shocked by the sight of the scattered rubble. The Southern Border Crown Prince possessed incredible speed and profound inner strength; throughout the entire Azure Flame, there were few others as formidable as him.
“Your Highness, you are competing, not killing. You used such force, are you trying to kill Prince An?” Shen Lixue walked up to Dongfang Heng and looked coldly at the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang.
She saw that move clearly: fast, ruthless, accurate, and insidious. If Dongfang Heng had been slow to dodge, he would have been seriously injured even if he hadn't died. The fight to determine the winner was just a pretext; his real purpose was to take the opportunity to severely injure Dongfang Heng.
"I was only attacking with all my might, I didn't mean to hurt anyone. If you dodged quickly, you'll be fine!" The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang looked at his beloved longsword and casually brushed it off.
Looking at Dongfang Heng, who was unharmed amidst the smoke and dust, his clothes fluttering and his expression calm, he was slightly surprised, then smiled strangely. In the Southern Frontier, all the masters who had fought against him had died under this move. Dongfang Heng was able to easily dodge it. His martial arts were truly impressive. He had met a formidable opponent!
The warlike instincts within the Southern Border Prince were instantly ignited, his eyes filled with excitement. It had been a long time since he had a good fight with someone, hehe!
"Li Xue, there's no need to say anything more to certain shameless people. Just stand aside and wait until I win. I have something to say to you then!" Dongfang Heng glanced indifferently at the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang, then pulled Shen Li Xue toward the safe crowd.
"Dongfang Heng, the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang is no simple man!" Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Heng with a solemn gaze, speaking each word slowly and deliberately.
"Don't worry, I won't lose!" Dongfang Heng squeezed Shen Lixue's small hand to reassure her, and strode back to the field.
The wind howled, leaves fluttered, and the Southern Border Prince's eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty smile as he launched another killing move at Dongfang Heng. Dongfang Heng neither dodged nor evaded, but suddenly raised his wrist, and a silver light shot into the sky, tightly wrapping around the Southern Border Prince's longsword. The sharp sword energy instantly turned into nothingness.
A chilling aura spread endlessly, which even the guests watching from afar could feel. They were secretly astonished; the sword was already cold before any move was made. Prince An's aura was truly formidable.
The Southern Border Prince's sword was restrained, and his face darkened. He twisted his wrist and tried to pull the sword back with all his might, but it did not budge. The Southern Border Prince was terrified. Dongfang Heng was standing quietly without making any movement, so why did his sword seem to be sucked in by that soft sword, and he could not pull it back no matter how hard he tried?
“Prince An, we are having a contest. What do you mean by clinging to my sword like this?” The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang glared coldly at Dongfang Heng. Unable to pull his sword back, he had no choice but to tell the others to let go, which weakened his aura by three points. He was extremely annoyed.
Dongfang Heng raised his long eyebrows, suddenly released his grip, and the soft sword flashed out in a graceful arc, slashing heavily across the neck of the Southern Border Crown Prince. A long bloodstain spread from his neck to his chest, a shocking sight.
"Dongfang Heng, you actually hurt someone!" His clothes were disheveled, bloodstains were visible, and a warm stream slowly slid down his neck. The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang touched his burning neck, his hand covered in bright red blood.
"I was only attacking with all my might, I didn't mean to hurt anyone. If you dodge quickly, you'll be fine!" Dongfang Heng said coldly, looking at his soft sword.
The noblewoman couldn't help but laugh out loud. This excuse was given by the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang, and now Prince An was using it on him. He must be furious.
"Dongfang Heng!" The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang roared, his sharp sword strike aimed at Dongfang Heng once more. He refused to believe that he, the ever-victorious Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang, could not defeat Prince Qingyan An.
The wind swirls away the shadows, leaves flutter down, a cold light glistens, and light and shadow intertwine.
The Southern Border Prince's longsword and Dongfang Heng's soft sword were both drawn, their sharp, blinding light flashing incessantly, so bright that people couldn't open their eyes.
All the onlookers saw was two white figures locked in a fierce battle, their bodies darting up and down, left and right, indistinguishable from one another. The clash of their cold sword energies was terrifying, and the spectators secretly marveled at their skill.
“Sister, Prince An is the God of War of Azure Flame. His martial arts should be used to kill enemies on the battlefield, not to fight with others here. You should be more magnanimous and persuade him to stop fighting with the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang, instead of selfishly standing here watching him fight!”
Shen Yingxue had somehow gotten close to Shen Lixue and, with a virtuous and magnanimous air, scolded her.
Shen Lixue's attention was focused on the fighting Dongfang Heng. Hearing Shen Yingxue's words, her eyes flashed with anger, and she sneered: "The fight is not yet over. If Dongfang Heng calls a halt, it means he has conceded defeat. Do you want me to go to the Southern Frontier to become the Crown Prince's concubine, and then have your sister marry in place of your sister to become the Princess Consort of Anjun?"
Having her thoughts exposed, Shen Yingxue's face flushed red and then paled, looking quite unpleasant. Seeing that the crowd's attention was also drawn to their argument, Shen Yingxue was about to defend herself when Shen Lixue spoke first:
“If Prince An admits defeat now, he will lose not only his martial arts, but also the Holy King’s Mansion, the Ouyang royal family, and even the face of the entire Qingyan Kingdom. If you want to replace me and marry Prince An, you can just say so. There’s no need to give such a high-sounding reason that makes the entire Qingyan Kingdom lose face!”