Chapter 406: Peak Realm, Speed of Life and Death

The instant he charged out, a bottle appeared in Lu Chao’s hand...

It contained Azure Flame Bone-Refining Pills, of course. Without counting, Lu Chao simply swallowed them all.

RUMBLE...

The moment the Azure Flame Bone-Refining Pills hit his stomach, their explosive medicinal power flooded Lu Chao’s entire body. His True Qi, already on the brink of the True Fate Realm Peak, began to surge madly as his Life-taking Star-devouring Bone and Fire Roaring Water Chant Bone erupted in unison.

All at once, the surge propelled Lu Chao into the Peak Realm.

At the very instant of his breakthrough, Lu Chao charged to Young City Lord Red Sword’s side.

The Young City Lord’s smile froze. After a moment of shock, he reacted with lightning speed, unleashing a powerful aura from his Heavenly Destiny Bone and a surge of True Qi to shield his vitals.

At the same time, Young City Lord Red Sword shrieked, "Who are you— AARGH!"

He couldn’t even finish his sentence before letting out a piercing scream.

Lu Chao hadn’t been aiming for his vitals at all. His target was the right hand that wore the Storage Ring. Lu Chao grabbed the man’s right hand and brutally snapped it, then slid his own hand down until he found the Storage Ring.

With another vicious twist, Lu Chao ripped off one of the Young City Lord Red Sword’s fingers, Storage Ring and all.

But just then... BANG!

The Young City Lord Red Sword’s explosive Protective True Qi erupted, threatening to blast Lu Chao away.

Lu Chao gritted his teeth and braced himself, launching a flying kick that sent the Young City Lord Red Sword flying... ’I have to kick him away,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, with Chang Yuan’s strength, he’ll never be able to get close.’

The man’s Protective True Qi would just repel him.

It was happening to Lu Chao right now. As he kicked out, the Young City Lord Red Sword’s Protective True Qi sent him flying backward.

He was thrown toward the Eighth Layer Barrier, which lay beyond the dozen or so skeletons.

"Ah Chun..."

In that brief window, Chang Yuan flashed to his wife’s side and quickly scooped her up.

Then he spun around and charged in Lu Chao’s direction.

Meanwhile...

Cheng Yunsu instantly lifted the unconscious Chang Duan and darted from among the skeletons toward Lu Chao. Now that the Storage Ring was secured and Chang Yuan had his wife, everyone had to follow Lu Chao into the Eighth Layer Barrier at once.

Soon, they had all gathered around Lu Chao by the Eighth Layer Barrier...

But at that exact moment, the Young City Lord Red Sword, who had just been kicked away, let out a furious roar, "Destiny Bone Suppression!"

In an instant, a terrifying ripple from his Destiny Bone blasted toward the five of them... PTHB!

Almost simultaneously, the four of them—Cheng Yunsu, Chang Yuan, and his wife and child—all coughed up a mouthful of blood. They froze beside Lu Chao, completely paralyzed.

Lu Chao was also frozen solid, suppressed by the power. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth.

But Lu Chao’s eyes were wide, and the True Qi from his recent breakthrough to the Peak Realm... RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

It began to circulate madly. The three Heavenly Destiny Bones in his body pulsed, pouring out True Qi as he tried to shatter the Young City Lord Red Sword’s suppression.

CRACK... CREAK... GRIND...

It sounded as if every bone in Lu Chao’s body was grinding together. This was the second time he had been forced to break a Destiny Bone’s suppression with sheer willpower.

It was even harder and more terrifying than his encounter with Chi Ting, because the Young City Lord Red Sword’s Heavenly Destiny Bone was far more dreadful, and his power was something Chi Ting couldn’t even hope to match.

This was a terrifying genius, an opponent the likes of which Lu Chao had never encountered.

Against any other Peak Eighth Layer expert, the current Lu Chao might have stood a chance. But the Young City Lord Red Sword was completely different from anyone Lu Chao had met in the Azure Flame Domain. It was impossible for Lu Chao to bridge a gap of eight minor realms.

Just then... RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

Terrifying auras blasted in from the direction of the Seventh Layer Barrier, and the booming voices of Commander Ke and ten guards followed. "Young City Lord, what’s happening?"

Just now, Lu Chao and Chang Yuan had moved with extreme speed...

From the moment they sprang into action to the moment they were suppressed by the Young City Lord Red Sword’s Destiny Bone, only the span of two breaths had passed.

That was why Commander Ke and his men were only just now reacting, charging over frantically.

The Young City Lord Red Sword ignored them, screaming frantically at Lu Chao’s group. "Who the hell are you? How did you get into the Azure Flame Sect’s Forbidden Land? You dared to rip off my finger!"

The Young City Lord Red Sword’s face was contorted with explosive rage.

His right wrist was snapped, and the finger that held his Storage Ring had been brutally torn away.

Blood dripped from the stump as his entire right hand hung twisted and mangled.

The pain was so intense the Young City Lord Red Sword was grinding his teeth to dust.

Lu Chao didn’t answer, still frantically trying to break the Destiny Bone suppression. Cheng Yunsu and Chang Yuan’s family were in no state to reply; they were being crushed so severely that blood was about to burst from their pores.

Just then... WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

Commander Ke arrived with ten Blood Sword Guards. They froze, stunned as they stared at Lu Chao’s group. Their eyes darted to the Young City Lord’s hand, and they erupted in fury when they saw what Lu Chao was clutching... the Young City Lord’s finger.

Immediately, Commander Ke’s voice turned to ice. "Get the Young City Lord’s finger back. Do not kill them."

He had no time to wonder who Lu Chao and the others were or why they had suddenly appeared. After giving the order, Commander Ke rushed to the Young City Lord’s side to tend to his wound...

The ten Blood Sword Guards, of course, charged toward Lu Chao without hesitation.

Chang Yuan’s teeth chattered as he thought frantically, ’Brother Lu Chao is pinned by the Destiny Bone’s suppression, too. We can’t enter the Eighth Layer’s Barrier Illusion Realm... What do we do? They won’t kill us... they’ll just keep humiliating Ah Chun.’

As these thoughts raced through his mind, his gaze met his wife’s.

The same unspoken word was reflected in both their gazes: Death. They would die together rather than suffer such humiliation.

As for Cheng Yunsu...

Still holding Chang Duan, she gritted her teeth and prayed silently, ’Lu Chao, you can do this... Mother, this bracelet you left for me, when will it truly activate?’

The bracelet had once contained a sliver of the Fire Phoenix Divine Emperor’s will; there had to be some secret within it.

Though Cheng Yunsu firmly believed Lu Chao could break the Destiny Bone suppression, she still silently tried to communicate with her bracelet... If all else failed, she would find a way to take her own life on the spot.

Cheng Yunsu had seen what happened to Chang Yuan’s wife with her own eyes.

Just as Cheng Yunsu and the Chang Yuan couple resigned themselves to death, Lu Chao’s hoarse voice suddenly rang out. "Take one more step, and you can forget about ever getting your Young City Lord’s finger back."

As his words fell... BOOM!

The True Qi in Lu Chao’s body erupted. He had finally shattered the Young City Lord Red Sword’s Destiny Bone suppression! He let out a furious roar at the advancing Blood Sword Guards.

At the same time, he held up the Young City Lord Red Sword’s severed finger, presenting it to the Blood Sword Guards.

All at once, the ten Blood Sword Guards skidded to a halt.