Divine Emperor of Heavenly Destiny

The two fleeing Yan Soul Guards were seething.

’If Nan Zhuiming hadn’t wasted so much time talking and just killed Fan Changcun, none of this would be happening.’

”Hurry up! Lu Chao’s cultivation is progressing too fast. We have to head toward the Azure Flame Sect and find Lord Mo Jing. We need to have him come back and capture Lu Chao after he’s dealt with Red Sword City.”

One of the Yan Soul Guards muttered, but the words had barely left his mouth when... SCREECH!

An eagle’s cry rang out from behind them.

They glanced back, their eyes widening as they gasped, ”It’s the Demon Beast, the Flying Feather Black Eagle! Lu Chao actually caught up to us!”

They had fled in such a hurry that they hadn’t noticed Lu Chao behind them. The sight of him now was terrifying.

Lu Chao urged the Flying Feather Black Eagle to close the distance at a furious pace.

The Flying Feather Black Eagle was faster than the guards’ ordinary Flying Wolves. In an instant, it swooped in to block their path. Lu Chao’s voice was cold as he asked, ”Did I hear you say that Mo Jing has gone to the Azure Flame Sect to deal with Red Sword City?”

Lu Chao had caught snippets of their conversation from behind, and a thrill went through him.

’So I succeeded? I managed to lure Mo Jing into dealing with Red Sword City?’

The two Yan Soul Guards exchanged a look. Without a word, they spurred their Flying Wolves and charged!

Of course, the two Yan Soul Guards had no intention of answering Lu Chao’s question. The two men and their two mounts simply charged forward to kill.

A murderous glint flashed in Lu Chao’s eyes...

Standing firm on the back of the Flying Feather Black Eagle, he gripped his long spear and bellowed, ”Fire Roaring and Water Chant, Violent Fire Sparrow Dance!”

He had switched techniques. Lu Chao ignited the Fire Roaring and Water Chant Star Divine Bones within him. At the same time, his Violent Bone set his Fire Sparrow Bone Meridian ablaze. In that instant, Lu Chao, a cultivator of the Fire Phoenix Technique, unleashed a gigantic Fire Sparrow...

The fiery bird shot from his spear, blasting toward the two charging Yan Soul Guards.

In that same instant, the expressions on the two guards’ faces twisted in horror...

”How did he switch techniques again? Why are his True Qi and Heavenly Destiny Bone aura completely different now?”

They had only just grown accustomed to Lu Chao’s Fury Dragon Spear Slash and his Soldier-Breaking Blood-colored Flying Sword. Now, he had changed his technique so suddenly that they had no time to react, forced to rely on pure instinct to defend themselves.

And the result of relying on instinct was... *Thwip!*

Another Blood Sword materialized, shooting out from within the Fire Sparrow. It pierced right between the brows of one Yan Soul Guard, killing him instantly.

The last Yan Soul Guard, the one who had been giving the orders, was the stronger of the two.

He too faced the Blood Sword that suddenly shot out from the Fire Sparrow Dance, but he just barely managed to block it.

”Blocking it was useless,” Lu Chao said coolly. ”Your mount can’t.”

Staring at the last Yan Soul Guard, Lu Chao thrust his spear through the head of the man’s Flying Wolf.

The Flying Wolf let out a final, pained roar and died. The Yan Soul Guard went with it... ”AHHH!”

A blood-curdling scream tore through the air...

He plummeted from the sky. Lu Chao instantly dispelled the Fire Sparrow Dance, guiding the Flying Feather Black Eagle straight down in pursuit. With another thrust of his spear—*pfft*—

—it pierced the last Yan Soul Guard’s shoulder.

With another flick of the long spear...

Lu Chao hauled the Yan Soul Guard closer, leaving him dangling in mid-air from the spear’s tip. ”Tell me, did Mo Jing go to deal with Red Sword City?”

CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK...

The Yan Soul Guard’s teeth chattered from sheer terror as he dangled from the spear.

”Talk, and I’ll give you a quick death. Otherwise, don’t blame me for taking you prisoner.”

”Then, when your Young Master Yan Mu comes charging in, I’ll throw you out in front of him. I’ll let him know all about this assassination plot and your little act.”

Lu Chao continued his cold threats, ”I imagine Mo Jing wouldn’t want Young Master Yan to find out this whole thing was just a show, would he?”

”If you ruin Mo Jing’s plans... if you let Yan Mu find out he’s nothing but an incompetent fool... I imagine Mo Jing and that Lady of yours would tear your entire family to pieces, don’t you think?”

Faced with Lu Chao’s string of threats, the Yan Soul Guard’s will finally broke.

Their Young Master Yan Mu was the darling of all Yan Soul City—or rather, the treasured son of Lady Yan. The terror she inspired was deeply ingrained in everyone’s hearts. Anyone who dared to touch her son was inviting a horrifying nightmare.

He remembered a time when Young Master Yan Mu was a child. The young master had lost a game of chess to a playmate.

The very next day, Lady Yan had the playmate and his entire family executed.

If he was the reason Young Master Yan Mu learned the truth, his own family would undoubtedly suffer a fate worse than death.

Finally, the Yan Soul Guard replied with a bitter laugh, ”Yes. After Lord Mo Jing received the messages from Nan Zhuiming and Zeng Quan, he immediately led his men to the Azure Flame Sect. The people of Red Sword City are done for.”

”Wait a minute,” the guard suddenly realized. ”How do you know about Red Sword City?”

The Yan Soul Guard stared intently at Lu Chao.

Lu Chao just smiled faintly. ”I was the one who had Zeng Quan deliver the message. And I was the one who lured Mo Jing here to deal with Red Sword City.”

At Lu Chao’s words, the Yan Soul Guard froze, completely stunned.

”I’m curious,” Lu Chao asked, changing the subject. ”With the strength and temper of the Young City Lord of Red Sword, won’t he expose your Young Master Yan Mu?”

Having finally captured a live source of information from Cyan Sword’s Yan Soul City, Lu Chao naturally wanted to probe for information about the Cyan Sword Great Empire, Yan Soul City, and Red Sword City...

...and of course, to start learning more about the Cyan Sword Great Empire itself.

”He wouldn’t dare. Our Yan Soul City is one of the Ten Great Cities of Cyan Sword.”

Lu Chao had overheard the Young City Lord of Red Sword mention this in the Forbidden Land. The Yan Soul Guard continued, ”Besides, our Lady is terrifying. Her background is beyond anyone’s imagination. I don’t know the details myself.”

A keen light glinted in Lu Chao’s eyes as he began to ask more questions.

Eager for the quick death he was promised, the Yan Soul Guard told him everything he knew, allowing Lu Chao to gain a much deeper understanding of the Cyan Sword Great Empire.

Finally, true to his word, Lu Chao thrust his spear one last time, killing the Yan Soul Guard.

After it was done...

A chill ran through Lu Chao as he stood on the back of the Flying Feather Black Eagle, muttering to himself, ”The territory of the Cyan Sword Great Empire is at least equivalent to dozens of Azure Flame Domains. Each of the Ten Great Cities alone has a territory comparable to the entire Azure Flame Domain.”

’The Green Bone Palace occasionally visits the Cyan Sword Great Empire to recruit disciples, so it’s very likely Lady Yan of Yan Soul City has ties to them.’

The guard hadn’t been certain about that last part...

But as it stood, Yan Soul City was almost entirely under the control of Yan Mu’s mother, Lady Yan.

’The Young City Lord of Red Sword is named Chi Xingxun. Someone with a Moon-level Earth Bone is already considered a genius in the Cyan Sword Great Empire. A Moon-level Heavenly Bone is practically the limit there.’

’The Yan Soul Guard had never even heard of a Moon-level Saint Bone.’

’There are other powers near the Cyan Sword Great Empire besides the Azure Flame Domain.’

’But they are all basically territory belonging to the Green Bone Palace. The palace doesn’t usually manage these factions directly; only the absolute strongest experts and geniuses ever have a chance to make contact with them.’

Lu Chao mentally reviewed everything the Yan Soul Guard had told him, piece by piece.

’The Azure Flame Domain is too small to matter to the Cyan Sword Great Empire—it’s completely dispensable. After they learned the Azure Flame Sect had been annihilated, they cared even less. That’s when Yan Soul City vied for it, to claim it as a gift for Yan Mu.’

’In other words, it’s to pad his resume and give him some manufactured battle experience.’

’But Yan Mu is just too useless, a complete incompetent. That’s why they need Mo Jing, the steward of Yan Soul City, to orchestrate everything for him.’