Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Ahead, Lion Flame Soldiers and Horses
That very night, Wu Caicai returned with Iron Shield.
Afterward, Iron Shield was no longer just a hired guard. Witch Ying made him a student of Dragon Flame Academy. At the same time, she wrote a letter and had it delivered to Wu Caicai’s father.
Along with it, she also sent the Martial Techniques that Lu Chao had created himself.
As for the result, they would have to wait and see.
Thus, the number of core students at Dragon Flame Academy grew from eleven to twelve, and Iron Shield also joined in the cultivation of the Divine Bone Nine Sons Array.
Time passed, day by day...
The Dragon Flame Kingdom, and even the Hundred Countries, seemed calm on the surface, but a storm was brewing in the shadows.
On this day, Dongfang Ren had already led the small institutes back to the Hundred Countries. They would each return to their own small kingdoms to await their rendezvous with Dragon Flame Academy before heading to the Beast Flame Academy, located at the old site of the Azure Flame Sect.
Meanwhile, the Six Great Flame Countries were, of course, putting all sorts of pressure on the various small kingdoms and their institutes, forcing them to return and engage in political maneuvering.
On this same day, the younger generation among the descendants of the Azure Flame Sect left Azure Flame Town and all joined Dragon Flame Academy, numbering in the hundreds.
In the blink of an eye...
Only one month remained until the Three Academies Hegemony War.
Nearly four months had passed since Lu Chao and the others fought in the Beast Flame qualification battle... And on this very day, the Dragon Flame King once again visited Dragon Flame Academy. He gave a few instructions and then left.
Also on this day, all the Elders, instructors, and students of Dragon Flame Academy mounted their warhorses and departed from the Dragon Flame Royal Capital.
Marquis Longyin saw them off at the city gates. He looked at Lu Chao and said, "The battlefield for this Three Academies Hegemony War has been decided. It will be on the former battlefield between the Great Wu Empire and the Hundred Countries, right beneath the Blood Stele of the true Lu Chao."
At this, Marquis Longyin stared intently at Lu Chao...
Several months had passed, and Marquis Longyin had also learned that Lu Chao was the true Lu Chao of Great Wu.
The Dragon Flame King, of course, was the one who told him. By now, the number of people who knew he was the true Lu Chao was no longer small. Almost all the descendants of the Azure Flame Sect knew... And one must remember, the Azure Flame Sect descendants also knew that Lu Chao possessed a Life-taking Bone.
Then there was the Dragon Flame King, Sun Shijin, Marquis Jilong, and now, Marquis Longyin who was speaking...
But everyone deliberately avoided mentioning it, continuing to treat Lu Chao as the fake Lu Chao for the time being.
Listening to Marquis Longyin, Lu Chao’s expression was calm, but a fierce, cold light flashed in his eyes. A slight smile touched his lips. "Lu Dingtian certainly knows how to pick a battlefield. I like it."
With that, Lu Chao clasped his fists solemnly at Marquis Longyin. "On this journey, we will pass by the Beast Flame Academy and head straight for the battlefield of the Three Academies Hegemony War."
As his voice fell, Lu Chao let out a sharp cry, and everyone turned their horses to follow him.
The entire procession from Dragon Flame Academy surged forward, a mighty contingent heading toward the Hundred Countries.
Marquis Longyin watched Lu Chao’s departing figure and muttered to himself.
’Will Lu Chao be able to sweep through the Six Great Flame Countries on this trip?’
’In the Three Academies Hegemony War, can he crush all the other geniuses and rise to the top?’
’He has a Life-taking Bone, not his former three Saint Bones. And he still hasn’t recovered to his previous realm.’
He felt a pang of worry. On this journey, Lu Chao was essentially leading Dragon Flame Academy to challenge everyone in this part of the world.
And right now, Lu Chao only had the people of Dragon Flame Academy at his disposal.
Quite a few people had newly joined Dragon Flame Academy, but even so, the total number of personnel was only two or three thousand.
Currently, the strongest combatant Lu Chao had at his command was still just Sun Shijin. Dongfang Ren would surely join them later, but would one Dongfang Ren truly be enough?
Dongfang Ren was powerful, but could he withstand the combined assault of numerous experts?
Just as Marquis Longyin was muttering to himself...
A slightly aged voice spoke up from beside him. "Lu Chao’s journey this time doesn’t just represent Dragon Flame; he must also represent the Azure Flame Sect. That’s why he himself proposed that he doesn’t need me to dispatch troops for support at this time."
Marquis Longyin turned his head and, naturally, saw his Brother Wang.
"Furthermore, now is not the right time for us to send troops."
The Dragon Flame King murmured again, then chuckled softly. "He is the true Lu Chao of Great Wu. I believe that from now on, this region of ours is about to undergo a massive change."
Hearing this, Marquis Longyin clenched his fists, his heart filled with anticipation.
...
Meanwhile, at the very front of the mighty Dragon Flame Academy procession.
Sun Shijin urged his horse closer to Lu Chao and asked, "Do we really not need Dragon Flame to dispatch troops?"
Lu Chao shook his head slightly. "We can’t have them send troops. Otherwise, the Six Great Flame Countries will have an excuse to claim that the Dragon Flame Kingdom is invading their lands. Then, the small kingdoms will either be mobilized or coerced by them..."
"But if it’s just us, the small kingdoms will, in turn, become our allies."
There was, in fact, another reason: the Saint Bone Zheng Family was chomping at the bit, and the troops were needed to keep them in check.
Sun Shijin nodded, only half-understanding. He was a Destiny Bone Madman, unfamiliar with such matters.
Without another word, the members of Dragon Flame Academy continued their advance...
They arrived once more before Saint Su City. This time, Cheng Chuming came out of the city to greet them in his capacity as the Su Family Patriarch, but only Su Shangmo was by his side. The entire city was eerily quiet.
Cheng Chuming spoke to Lu Chao in a low voice...
"The Saint Bone Su Family is in chaos right now. Elder Lady Su, Uncle Juediao, and Uncle Jueyan are fighting fiercely. The Saint Bone Su Family is in no position to support Dragon Flame Academy. Although I’ve already reached the True Fate Realm, it’s still far from enough."
Lu Chao already knew this, as they had been corresponding frequently by letter these past days.
It was safe to say that his father-in-law currently held no real power as Patriarch; he merely had the title.
But this was normal. Not enough time had passed, and his Martial Arts Realm was still insufficient.
"Father-in-law, you should just focus on your cultivation. But you must be wary of assassination attempts and the like from the Saint Bone Zheng Family."
After a few more quiet words, Lu Chao and Cheng Yunsu bid him farewell...
They returned once again to Jilong State. Marquis Jilong, Yin Ye, had also already returned. After speaking with Lu Chao for a while, he too watched as Lu Chao led the members of Dragon Flame Academy out of the Dragon Flame Kingdom’s territory.
Bordering Jilong State was a small kingdom, and beyond that were several more.
Along the way, Dragon Flame Academy naturally faced no obstacles. The small kingdoms near the Dragon Flame Kingdom were already largely under its control.
「Three days later...」
Near the border of a small kingdom, Yu Fei suddenly appeared in a flash beside Lu Chao and Sun Shijin. He spoke in a low voice, "Lu Chao, there’s a large number of troops ahead. They’re from the Lion Flame Kingdom."
At these words, a cold glint flashed in Sun Shijin’s eyes as he also looked toward Lu Chao.
Yu Fei was fast, so Lu Chao had tasked him with the role of a scout. And now, he had discovered a situation up ahead.
A slight smile played on Lu Chao’s lips...
He said lightly, "It’s starting. The Six Great Flame Countries won’t let the Beast Flame Outer Courtyard become its own faction so easily. They’ll stop at nothing. They might even negotiate a truce with the Great Wu Empire."
Just as Lu Chao had said back at Beast Flame, if the Beast Flame Outer Courtyard wanted to become its own faction, a fight was inevitable.
And now, the curtain was about to rise.
They had also recently received news that the Six Great Flame Countries were negotiating a truce with Ming Wanhua of the Great Wu Empire.
The goal, of course, was to focus all their efforts on dealing with Dragon Flame.
Next, what Lu Chao had to do was crush the Six Great Flame Countries completely.
