Chapter 430: Fan Changcun, I've Long Admired Your Name

Mo Jing, of course, had no intention of explaining to Chi Xingxun and his men that Zeng Quan and Zheng Liling were working for them.

Right now, Mo Jing's priority was to reclaim the Azure Flame Sect's treasure, which belonged to Yan Soul City...

Mo Jing's words, however, seemed to hit a sore spot for Chi Xingxun. The Azure Flame Sect's treasure had already fallen into the hands of an Azure Flame Sect disciple. For that damn Mo Jing to bring it up now was just rubbing salt in the wound.

"We... we didn't get the Azure Flame Sect's treasure..."

Chi Xingxun was about to say more, to refute the claim, but Mo Jing cut him off sharply.

"It seems you have no intention of handing it over. In that case, we'll just capture you first and then take the treasure back."

"Then, I'll take you back to the Cyan Sword Great Empire and have your father ransom you."

With that, Mo Jing gave the order, and his men swarmed forward to attack.

RUMBLE...

The battle erupted in an instant.

Yan Soul City and Red Sword City weren't exactly mortal enemies, but their relationship was far from friendly. More importantly, Yan Soul City considered the Azure Flame Domain its own backyard. For Red Sword City to sneak in meant they would have to pay the price, mortal enemies or not.

Meanwhile, Zeng Quan, still hiding on the mountaintop, trembled slightly.

'This is bad. What if the men from Red Sword City say they never ran into me?' It suddenly occurred to Zeng Quan that there was a massive flaw in his grand achievement. If Red Sword City's forces were captured and their testimonies were compared with his, wouldn't he be finished?

But soon, Zeng Quan saw Mo Jing cut down a Red Sword Guard.

'It's fine. I'll just pin the blame on the Red Sword Guard who was killed.'

'I never encountered the Young City Lord of Red Sword City. I only ran into a few of his subordinates.'

Zeng Quan was no small fry in the Azure Flame Domain; he immediately came up with an excuse.

Feeling relieved, he turned his attention back to the terrifying battle.

'The experts of the Cyan Sword Great Empire are terrifying. Lord Mo Jing only has a Star Divine Bone, but his cultivation realm is frighteningly high.'

'And that Young City Lord's Heavenly Destiny Bone aura is so powerful.'

'Lu Chao is too naive. How does he think he can possibly stand against such terrifying entities?'

'Wait a second... Lu Chao's little scheme has already incited a battle between two major cities of the Cyan Sword Great Empire... but it's useless. It's not like the Cyan Sword Great Empire only has two cities.'

'Even if these two cities annihilate each other, other Cyan Sword forces will follow and invade the Azure Flame Domain.'

And so, with his thoughts in disarray, Zeng Quan concluded that Lu Chao and the Azure Flame Domain had no chance of victory.

...

「The border battlefield between the Dragon Flame Kingdom and the Nanye Dynasty.」

Lu Chao arrived on a Flying Feather Black Eagle. After identifying himself, he made his way to the commander's tent and soon met with Fan Changcun.

Fan Changcun, for his part, was overjoyed to see him.

The old marshal had already learned of everything that had occurred after the battle for supremacy between the three academies.

He had personally led troops to Cyan Sword Mountain, only to turn right around and come to the battlefield with the Nanye Dynasty, all to carve out a space for the Azure Flame Domain to resist the Cyan Sword Great Empire.

Then came something that made Fan Changcun even more emotional. Lu Chao suddenly produced the Azure Flame Treasure Manual. "Old Marshal," he said, "I've retrieved the treasure from the Azure Flame Sect's Forbidden Land. This is the sect's Treasure Manual; it contains everything."

As Fan Changcun stared with uncontainable excitement, Lu Chao recounted everything he had encountered in the Azure Flame Sect's Forbidden Land.

Before long, tears were streaming down the old marshal's face.

His hands trembling, he clutched the letter from the old Sect Leader, Cang Xu, as well as the one left in the secret passage by a Cang Xu Disciple. He stared at Lu Chao for a moment, then abruptly left the tent, fell heavily to his knees, and gazed at the sky.

"Sect Leader! Oh, Sect Leader!"

"We've succeeded! Forty years... I've finally fulfilled my promise to you!"

The Sect Leader he spoke of was not Cang Xu, of course, but the one from forty years ago—the master of the Dragon Flame King.

Forty years ago, the Azure Flame Sect Leader had instructed Fan Changcun on his deathbed to re-establish the Azure Flame Sect. But Fan Changcun had been imprisoned by the Tiger Flame Kingdom for a full forty years, and only now, with Lu Chao breaking the seal on the Forbidden Land, was there hope.

And now, Lu Chao had obtained all the secrets of the Azure Flame Sect from two hundred years ago, as well as its greatest treasure, the Azure Flame Treasure Manual.

"No, no... It wasn't me who did it. It was Lu Chao."

Fan Changcun was so overcome with emotion that he was becoming incoherent.

He suddenly turned to Lu Chao, who had just pushed aside the tent flap, rushed forward, and tried to kneel before him.

Fortunately, Lu Chao reacted quickly, catching Fan Changcun and holding him up.

'This is my master, the man who guided me on the Soldier Dao! How could I let him kneel to me?'

"Old Marshal, this isn't the time to get emotional. We still face the terrifying threat of the Cyan Sword Great Empire." Though he hated to do it, Lu Chao had to pour a little cold water on his enthusiasm.

Fan Changcun, however, shook his head vehemently.

"It doesn't matter. If it really comes to it..."

"Lu Chao, you must take everything from the Azure Flame Sect and escape the Azure Flame Domain. I believe that one day, you will be able to fight your way back."

"The best decision I ever made was coming out of seclusion over three years ago to meet you on the Yanwu Battlefield."

It was because of that fateful meeting on the battlefield, because of all the guidance he had given the fledgling Lu Chao, that this day was possible.

In short, Fan Changcun was so emotional he was barely making sense.

But suddenly, Lu Chao's head snapped up. "Old Marshal, there's killing intent approaching!"

At his words, a jolt went through Fan Changcun, finally snapping him out of his emotional state. Lu Chao had already told him about Nan Zhuiming's attempt on the Dragon Flame King's life.

And now, it was very likely Nan Zhuiming was coming to assassinate him.

"It's the aura of Nan Zhuiming's Heavenly Destiny Bone. He's sneaking in for the kill... but it seems he's not alone."

"There are several other powerful auras approaching us."

Lu Chao continued, his perception of danger terrifyingly acute—perhaps an innate talent, or one honed on the battlefield.

In any case, Lu Chao made an instant decision.

"Old Marshal, I will stay inside the tent. You go outside."

"First, let's see who Nan Zhuiming has brought with him. If we can't face them head-on, I'll strike from the shadows."

With that said, Lu Chao immediately concealed himself within the tent.

Fan Changcun, now completely calm, pretended he didn't know assassins were on their way. He suddenly summoned a deputy and said, "Go and gather all the generals for a meeting."

He didn't know who else was with Nan Zhuiming, but gathering his top experts could not be the wrong move.

Then, just as Lu Chao had instructed, Fan Changcun stood outside the tent and gazed at the sky, feigning deep thought.

The next moment... SWISH!

A bizarre, phantom-like figure appeared, landing in front of Fan Changcun. It was immediately followed by... SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Four more black-clad figures dropped down.

Fan Changcun feigned a stunned expression, slowly raising his eyes to look at them. "Who... are you?"

At the same time, startled cries echoed from around the camp. "Assassins! There are assassins!"

In the blink of an eye, the entire Dragon Flame Kingdom camp erupted in a clamor. The assassins, however, were completely unconcerned. Their leader smiled with supreme confidence. "Fan Changcun, I've heard so much about you. I am... Nan Zhuiming."

Just as Lu Chao had sensed...

The visitor was indeed Nan Zhuiming. The four men in black beside him were the Yan Soul Guards assigned to him by Mo Jing.