Divine Emperor of Heavenly Destiny

Lu Chao was naturally filled with anticipation at the prospect of seeing Marshal Fan again.

At last, the group riding atop the Flying Bird Demon Beasts entered the former grounds of the Azure Flame Sect. What met their eyes were not the ruins they had seen last time, but brand-new buildings.

From where the Azure Flame Sect ruins once stood, they could see a training ground in the distance, along with various well-ordered courtyards.

There was also a towering stone stele, upon which the two words ”Beast Flame” were boldly carved.

They could even see many unfinished areas.

At that moment, Luo Wendeng said in a low voice, ”The Azure Flame Sect... has completely faded into history.”

The expressions of the few Descendants of Azure Flame grew solemn.

Although they were young and hadn’t witnessed the destruction of the Azure Flame Sect, the scorn and hardship they had endured since childhood were carved into their very bones. They often recalled being cursed as ”worthless pups of the Azure Flame Sect.”

They also often remembered Lu Chao leading them in their desperate fight for survival.

This had forged a complex, indescribable bond between them and the Azure Flame Sect.

But now the ruins of the Azure Flame Sect had become the Beast Flame Academy, leaving them without a homeland to return to.

Hearing this, Lu Chao slowly reached a hand to his chest...

Two tokens rested there quietly: the Azure Flame Order, belonging to the Sect Leader of the Azure Flame Sect, and the Soldier Dao Order, from the Azure Flame Martial Dao Sect.

’He had promised Marshal Fan that, if he had the chance, he would re-establish the Azure Flame Sect.’

Just as the group was reminiscing about the Azure Flame Sect, suddenly... SCREECH!

Two Flying Bird Demon Beasts came flying toward them...

”We are the Beast Flame Academy’s Order Enforcement Team. You have entered the territory of the Beast Flame Academy. Further flight is prohibited.”

At the Demon Bird Knight’s command...

Sun Shijin immediately gave an order, and their Flying Bird Demon Beasts landed at once.

The Flying Bird Demon Beasts then departed, returning to the Dragon Flame Kingdom to find Yin Ye. The group had officially set foot on the grounds of the Beast Flame Academy.

They soon arrived at the entrance of the Beast Flame Academy, right beneath the massive stone stele carved with the two words, ”Beast Flame.”

At this time, the area was densely packed with people...

Many had arrived in carriages or various Beast Vehicles. They were from the many institutes of the Hundred Countries, all here to compete for a spot in the Outer Courtyard. Nearly every Small Kingdom had sent at least one institute.

As for the Seven Great Flame Countries, they each had more than one institute participating.

Take the Dragon Flame Kingdom, for example. Besides the Dragon Flame Academy, several other institutes from across the kingdom had also come to participate.

In other words, at least a hundred institutes would be competing for these twenty Outer Courtyard spots.

Just as Lu Chao and his group were observing their surroundings...

”Fan Jinhua!”

A deep voice suddenly boomed from the direction of the Beast Flame Stele. An old man with white hair and a black beard appeared, striding forward, his eyes blazing with fury as he stared at them.

Everyone looked over. Fan Jinhua’s expression sank slightly, and he replied in a low voice, ”Guan Zanyi...”

The man who appeared was none other than Grand General Guan Zanyi of the Tiger Flame Kingdom.

Upon seeing him...

Luo Wendeng and the other Descendants of Azure Flame couldn’t help but clench their fists. They were reminded of their life-or-death mission to assassinate Lu Hanyan. They remembered their desperate flight from Great Wu’s Yangzhou City all the way back to the Tiger Flame Kingdom, where they couldn’t even stop to rest.

Guan Zanyi, this Grand General of the Tiger Flame Kingdom, had been the cause of many of their crises.

At this moment, Guan Zanyi strode over. ”Fan Jinhua, you actually dare to return to the Hundred Countries? To return to the former site of the Azure Flame Sect?”

Fan Jinhua took a sharp, silent breath and met his gaze. ”Why wouldn’t I dare? We’re not prisoners anymore.”

At his words, Guan Zanyi... ”Ha! Hahaha!”

He couldn’t help but burst into laughter, then said coldly, ”That’s right. You’re one of the Dragon Flame Kingdom’s people now. But look around you. Who knows, one of these days you might just die a mysterious death.”

At those words, Fan Jinhua instinctively glanced around...

He saw that many academy members from the Small Kingdoms, hearing Guan Zanyi call out the name ”Fan Jinhua,” were now directing looks of anger and hatred towards him. In the blink of an eye, Fan Jinhua had become the center of attention.

After all, Fan Jinhua and his group had wreaked havoc across the Hundred Countries and kidnapped the kings of several Small Kingdoms.

Though the kidnapped kings were ultimately left unharmed, they suffered vicious ridicule from the other kingdoms.

Every Small Kingdom the Descendants of Azure Flame had passed through had been mocked.

The ones who had come here to compete for a place at the Beast Flame Academy were all princes and nobles from those Small Kingdoms. Of course they hated Fan Jinhua’s guts.

GULP...

Even though he was prepared, Fan Jinhua’s heart still pounded as he faced so many hateful glares.

And just at this moment, Lu Chao suddenly stepped forward and chuckled softly, ”Grand General Guan, long time no see. Aren’t you supposed to be at Fierce Tiger Pass guarding the gates of the Tiger Flame Kingdom? What brings you here?”

As his voice fell, Guan Zanyi’s gaze landed fiercely on Lu Chao, and his furious voice rang out, ”Fake Lu Chao.”

In an instant, dozens of gazes shifted from Fan Jinhua to Lu Chao.

This time, there wasn’t much hatred; most people were just pointing and muttering.

As far as anyone in the Hundred Countries or even the Great Wu Empire knew, Fan Jinhua was the one who had led the Descendants of Azure Flame on their rampage. He was also believed to be the Soldier Dao master. As a result, the hatred for him was immense.

As for Lu Chao...

If he hadn’t worn a mask and pretended to be Great Martial Emperor Star Lu Chao, even Guan Zanyi wouldn’t have known his name.

So the crowd wasn’t particularly hostile toward him...

It was just that the two words ”Fake Lu Chao” were so famous they had left a deep impression on everyone.

Ignoring the surrounding gazes, Lu Chao smiled again. ”I heard that the Great Wu Empire later fought its way back to Sword Tooth City. Grand General Guan, surely you weren’t punished for that and stripped of your position as Supreme Commander, were you?”

A chilling silence fell over the crowd...

Lu Chao was, of course, correct. Not long after the Descendants of Azure Flame had ended their rampage, the Six Flames Army, led by Guan Zanyi, was once again driven back to Sword Tooth City by the Great Wu Empire.

The Tiger Flame King had stripped him of it.

Now he had been sent to the Beast Flame Academy to be one of the Commanders of the Beast Flame Order Team.

From Supreme Commander of the Six Flames Army to just one of several Commanders in the Beast Flame Order Team—it was a demotion of an untold number of ranks.

Guan Zanyi felt like his chest would explode. Lu Chao was rubbing salt in his rawest wound.

At this, Yu Xiaoping couldn’t resist stepping forward to chime in, ”And to think our Brother Lu went through all that trouble, taking such a huge risk to impersonate Great Wu Lu Chao and scare away the Great Wu Empire’s Lu Hanyan. And for what? They ended up right back in Sword Tooth City anyway.”

The story of how Lu Chao, with just a mask, had single-handedly scared off the Great Wu forces at Sword Tooth City was known by countless people. It had long since spread throughout the Hundred Countries.

Tan An couldn’t help but laugh as well. ”If I were the Supreme Commander of the Six Flames Army, I’d be too ashamed to go on living.”

”Oh, right. I heard that Fierce Tiger Pass has been reclaimed now. Who was it that reclaimed it?” Luo Wendeng followed up with a pointed question.

Instantly, the entire crowd fell silent. The only sound was the cracking of Guan Zanyi’s fists...

Of course, after Guan Zanyi was removed, they still couldn’t hold Sword Tooth City. Left with no other choice, the Six Great Flame Kings had consulted Fan Changcun. From the old site of the Azure Flame Sect, Fan Changcun had directed the battle remotely via carrier pigeon, successfully reclaiming Fierce Tiger Pass.

Lu Chao and his companions had only recently heard this story from Yin Ye.