Chapter 298: Chapter 298: A Domineering Invitation
So, the Three Great Flame Countries have come to attack.
At this, Sun Shijin trembled, his face fraught with worry.
"Elder Sun, prepare for a major battle. Lu Hanyan couldn’t possibly be without Martial Arts Powerhouses at her side," Lu Chao said, his voice hoarse. He then continued carrying Fan Changcun on his back, walking step by step out of the Forbidden Land.
With every step he took, True Qi pulsed from his body.
After a few steps, he broke through from the Second Layer of the Transformation Realm to the Third Layer.
After his breakthrough...
Lu Chao slowly put a mask on his face. It was the same mask of Great Wu Lu Chao; he didn’t want to reveal his identity just yet.
He would still wait until the Battle of the Three Academies to go public.
From Lu Chao’s back, Fan Changcun spoke in a low voice, "Child, steady your heart. You should hold everything in contempt."
Lu Chao shuddered slightly at this, then smiled. "Thank you for the reminder, Marshal. I really shouldn’t let this hatred weigh so heavily on me. At the very least, I can’t let a mere Lu Hanyan affect me."
Just now, he had been unable to stop the monstrous hatred from erupting, unable to stop himself from remembering scene after scene of his soul being locked within the Life-taking Star-devouring Bone.
But Fan Changcun had pulled his hate-filled heart back from the brink.
’Lu Chao must be calm. In this situation, he can’t let hatred cloud his judgment. He should hold Lu Hanyan in contempt.’
"You possess the miraculous Heavenly Destiny Bone."
"Your future is the entire Heavenly Destiny World. Lu Dingtian and Lu Hanyan are nothing more than minor stumbling blocks in your path."
"If they block your way, simply crush them..."
Fan Changcun’s voice continued to ring in his ears, making Lu Chao’s steps grow increasingly firm.
And so, Lu Chao carried Fan Changcun on his back, walking onward one step at a time.
Slowly, two figures appeared before them. As expected, it was none other than Lu Hanyan and Patriarch Ming.
From behind his mask, Lu Chao said, "Elder Sun, the one with Lu Hanyan is the patriarch of the Saint Bone Ming Family, Ming Huasheng."
Lu Chao was, of course, very familiar with the patriarch of the Ming Family.
Sun Shijin trembled violently and said in a low voice, "In a moment, I’ll hold him off, even if it costs me my life. You take Marshal Fan and go first."
He had no confidence at all in facing the patriarch of a Saint Bone Family.
However, Lu Chao gently shook his head. "No. In a moment, you and Marshal Fan will lure Ming Huasheng to the 6th Floor of the Forbidden Land. I will draw Lu Hanyan away and return to the main battlefield... On the 6th Floor, you will trap and kill Ming Huasheng."
A violent shudder ran through Sun Shijin, but he nodded firmly.
’As long as they could lure Ming Huasheng to the 6th Floor of the Forbidden Land, he would never be able to get out.’
Meanwhile, Lu Chao had to get to the battlefield. Otherwise, Dragon Flame Academy might not be able to withstand the assault from the Three Great Flame Countries.
Just as they spoke... HUMMM!
They stepped out of the first layer’s space. Behind them, a Barrier automatically formed... the Barrier of the first layer. They naturally stopped just before it, coming face to face with Lu Hanyan and her companion.
At the same instant Lu Chao’s party stepped out, Lu Hanyan and her companion saw them.
The scene seemed to freeze, and the atmosphere instantly turned frigid and tense.
The next moment, Ming Huasheng said in a cold voice, "Fake Lu Chao."
The masked Lu Chao was simply too conspicuous to him and Lu Hanyan. Hatred instantly surged within Ming Huasheng.
Lu Hanyan, however, just chuckled lightly. "Patriarch Ming, calm yourself."
She sized Lu Chao up as she spoke, remarking lightly, "The resemblance... you look so much like my Brother Chao... But, Fake Lu Chao, are you addicted to wearing that thing? To think you’d still be wearing a mask at a time like this."
Lu Chao, having already calmed down, gave a cold smile from behind his mask...
"When facing the daughter of the Great Wu Empire’s Lu Dingtian, wearing a mask gives one a greater sense of security."
"After all, it’s quite effective for scaring people."
At Lu Chao’s perfectly calm words, Lu Hanyan’s expression instantly darkened.
Those two words, "scaring people," made her recall the scene before Sword Tooth City, where her troops had been frightened into a full retreat.
But she quickly regained her composure. Her gaze shifted to Fan Changcun, whom Lu Chao was gently setting on the ground. She let out another light laugh and said, "Marshal Fan Changcun. My name is Lu Hanyan. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Lu Hanyan was now ignoring Lu Chao completely.
After all, their primary target for this trip was not Lu Chao, but Fan Changcun.
Fan Changcun’s aged face remained impassive. He replied, "Daughter of Lu Dingtian, spare me the pleasantries. I am merely a prisoner now. If you have something to say, say it plainly."
"In that case, I’ll be direct," Lu Hanyan chirped.
Lu Hanyan didn’t hold back. They had snuck in, so of course, she had to get straight to the point. "By my father’s command, I am here to invite Marshal Fan to accompany us to the Great Wu Empire. We will treat you as a guest of honor."
After she finished, Lu Hanyan’s eyes narrowed slightly, staring intently at Fan Changcun.
None of them—not Lu Chao, Fan Changcun, nor Sun Shijin—were surprised by this. If Lu Hanyan had come merely to kill Lu Chao, she would have had no reason to risk sneaking into the Hundred Countries.
After all, in their eyes, the Lu Chao before them was still just an imposter.
Fan Changcun was just as direct. "And what if I refuse to go?" he replied coolly.
Hearing this, Lu Hanyan’s smile remained...
"I’m afraid you don’t have a choice, Marshal. You’re coming with us, one way or another."
"Rest assured, we are rescuing you from dire straits. I greatly admire your Soldier Dao. On this journey, I will treat you as my teacher, and we will ensure you live out your golden years in peace in the Great Wu Empire."
Her first words were utterly domineering.
Then, Lu Hanyan had slowed her tone, but it was still laced with a heavy threat.
And what Lu Hanyan said was the absolute truth.
She and Lu Dingtian truly wanted Fan Changcun to impart his knowledge of the Soldier Dao. Ever since they had killed Lu Chao, they had discovered in the battle at Sword Tooth City that things no longer went so smoothly for them.
Both Lu Dingtian and Lu Hanyan urgently needed to make great strides in their understanding of the Soldier Dao.
Capturing Fan Changcun would also weaken the Hundred Countries. Otherwise, if he came out of seclusion, he could crush them all on his own.
At this, Fan Changcun stared at Lu Hanyan, his old face turning cold. "I suspect you already knew that I’ve been in the Azure Flame Forbidden Land for a little over half a month. You also want the secrets and treasures of the Azure Flame Sect’s Forbidden Land, don’t you?"
Lu Hanyan simply smiled and gave a noncommittal shrug.
Now that things had come to this, there were some things she would not bother to deny.
She just continued, "Marshal Fan, please return with us to the Great Wu Empire... Patriarch Ming, you may begin."
Hearing this, Ming Huasheng... BOOM!
The aura of his Heavenly Destiny Saint Bone erupted from his body as he advanced on the three of them step by step.
Lu Hanyan added, "Kill Sun Shijin. I want the Fake Lu Chao alive. As for Marshal Fan, show him absolute respect. You are to *invite* him."
She was high and mighty, issuing her commands...
Sun Shijin was an insignificant figure, someone she had promised Zheng Liling she would eliminate. The Fake Lu Chao was to be taken to the Great Wu Empire and publicly dismembered. But for Fan Changcun, they naturally had to maintain a veneer of respect.
