What Lu Dingtian meant was...
He would have his subordinates charge forward as cannon fodder, while experts like Nan Zhuiming followed behind, looking for a chance to assassinate Lu Chao. In other words, they would use the lives of their men as shields to ensure Lu Chao’s death.
As for Lu Dingtian himself, he would target only Dongfang Ren. He, too, was a little scared, afraid that the Violent Saint Bone would continue to respond to Lu Chao.
And so... RUMBLE!
The powerful experts from every faction began to make their move...
But Lu Chao suddenly spoke up. "Nan Zhuiming, did the Cyan Sword Great Empire boost your cultivation level?"
The moment he said this, Nan Zhuiming’s expression changed drastically, and he froze in place.
Everyone else stopped as well, including Lu Dingtian. Lu Chao’s words were a bombshell that struck a deep chord within them.
Nan Zhuiming and Lu Dingtian’s minds raced. ’How does he know?’
Seeing Nan Zhuiming freeze and his drastic reaction, Lu Chao grew more certain of his suspicions. He continued coldly, "Nan Zhuiming, are you planning to betray our region and become a lackey for the Cyan Sword Great Empire?"
Lu Chao’s voice boomed, his words striking Nan Zhuiming like a physical blow.
At this moment, Lu Chao was both trying to expose Nan Zhuiming’s secret and stalling for time.
He was, of course, stalling until the troops from the Hundred Countries arrived—or at the very least, until the Flying Bird Knights arrived in full force to support him.
Although he had several thousand people behind him, it still wouldn’t be easy to clash head-on with the enemy.
At Lu Chao’s words...
Even Zheng Liling couldn’t help but look at Nan Zhuiming. In fact, he had been troubled the moment he saw him. They were both Patriarchs of Saint Bone Families, yet the gap between their cultivation levels had grown so vast.
Zheng Liling was bewildered. Why had Nan Zhuiming’s cultivation level suddenly exploded?
At that, Nan Zhuiming forced himself to calm down and replied in a low voice, "Lu Chao, what nonsense are you spouting?"
’Of course I can’t admit it. If I do, the people of this region might just team up to take me down right now.’
’Even if they don’t, I won’t be able to complete Lord Black Shadow’s mission.’
’My mission, along with Lu Dingtian’s, is to put on a show and help that young master Lord Black Shadow mentioned win a spectacular victory.’
’This will pave a smooth and triumphant path for him to conquer the Azure Flame Domain.’
’If Lu Chao exposes me, who will let me continue to command the troops of the Nanye Dynasty?’
Just then, Lu Dingtian stepped forward heavily. "Lu Chao, at a time like this, you’re still fabricating jokes about the Cyan Sword Great Empire invading? You’re about to die, yet you still want to use this excuse to conquer this land?"
Hearing this, Nan Zhuiming spoke up again...
"Re-establish the Azure Flame Sect, and then you can use the Cyan Sword Great Empire’s supposed invasion as an excuse to gather all the experts. With the Seven Great Flame Countries as your foundation, you’ll then invade my Southern Dynasty Imperial Court."
"What’s even more terrifying is that you’re also the True Lu Chao of Great Wu. You could incite chaos in Great Wu and utterly destroy the Great Wu Empire, couldn’t you?"
"You intend to kill Marshal Lu to make Great Wu collapse, then control the Second Prince of Great Wu. What a brilliant scheme you’ve concocted."
The entire crowd mulled over Nan Zhuiming’s words...
The more they thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed. The way many people looked at Lu Chao began to change once more.
"If Lu Chao gets his way, who will be able to stop him?"
Wu Ye’s voice rang out as well. He was holding his heavily injured daughter, Wu Yiyi, his face filled with resentment.
"We can’t let him leave here alive! Otherwise, this land of ours will be plunged into death and devastation," the Dean of the Tiger Institute roared.
The Dean of the Wolf Institute added, "Lu Chao might actually be a Fierce Ghost, bent on taking revenge against the entire world."
Spurred on by their shouts and accusations, the members of the various factions grew agitated, their fighting spirit ignited.
Seeing that the crowd’s morale had surged instead...
Nan Zhuiming sneered inwardly as he stepped forward. "Lu Chao, you little whelp, you make it sound so real. Go on, call the people from the Cyan Sword Great Empire over. If you can get them here right now, I’ll believe you..."
"I’ll give you a chance. I’ll count down from three."
"After three counts, if the people from the Cyan Sword Great Empire have arrived, I, the Patriarch, will call you ’Father’."
"If they haven’t, then you’re a dead man."
With that, Nan Zhuiming immediately began his countdown. "Three..."
Lu Dingtian grinned viciously and ordered everyone to prepare to charge Lu Chao and his followers. Their main objective was still to kill Lu Chao.
Throughout all this, Lu Chao remained unfazed...
His Dragon General Bone True Qi began to flicker as he prepared to gather the True Qi of his allies to cut down a few of the enemy’s experts first. After that, the Flying Bird Knights from the Hundred Countries should be arriving.
’The warhorses stationed in the temporary town should be charging in any moment now, too.’
The entire area fell silent once more, leaving only Nan Zhuiming’s countdown. "Two... HAHA! Why haven’t the people from the Cyan Sword Great Empire arrived yet? Now, everyone, attack!"
As his voice fell... VMMMMMM!
A frenzy of True Qi erupted. Nan Zhuiming had thoroughly roused Lu Dingtian and his faction to action.
The great battle began!
ROOOOAR—
The very instant everyone prepared to move, the situation changed abruptly. A terrifying, furious roar suddenly descended from the heavens. A gale erupted, violently whipping sand and dust across the entire temporary town.
Those with weaker cultivation felt as if their eardrums were about to rupture. The various warhorses and mounts were startled, spinning in place and crying out in terror.
Everyone, without exception, was stunned. One by one, they cried out subconsciously...
"What is that sound?"
"It sounds like a powerful Demon Beast... and a truly terrifying one at that."
"Quick, look! The sky...!"
Following the crowd’s shouts, everyone—including Lu Chao and Lu Dingtian—subconsciously looked up at the sky. They saw a colossal Demon Beast appear on the horizon, its entire body an icy blue.
It spread its massive wings, each feather like a sharp sword. It had the overall form of a wolf.
"Wh-wh-what... what kind of Demon Beast is that?"
Jaws dropped one after another. No one had ever seen such a Demon Beast. Its aura and overwhelming presence were chilling to the bone.
"There are people on the Demon Beast! More than one!" someone else shouted.
Instantly, everyone could see several figures standing on the Demon Beast’s back—a dozen or more people in total.
Before the crowd could react... WHOOSH!
The terrifying Demon Wolf suddenly swooped, descending from the sky.
The gale carried an icy chill that bore down on everyone present. Ordinary people were nearly forced to their knees by the pressure.
The experts, however, could see a dapper young man standing at the very front of the Demon Wolf’s back. He was dressed head to toe in ice-blue, with black hair draped over his shoulders. A mocking sneer played on his lips as he gazed down at everyone below.
His eyes were filled with utter contempt, as if he were a divine prince looking down from on high.
Behind him stood a tall, middle-aged man in full Black Armor. Further back were ten more guards, both male and female.
Finally, the Demon Wolf came to a halt, hovering in the air above the arena.
The current situation on the arena was this: some students of the Beast Flame Inner Courtyard were alive, others dead. Lu Dingkong, holding Lu Hanyan’s corpse, was surrounded by two-thirds of the students from the Great Wu Empire.
At the same time, the grandfather of a student named Xiao Zhu, along with Wu Zhiqiu’s other subordinates, were standing with these students.
They had just managed to escape the traitors during the great battle and had made their way to the group of students.
Meanwhile, Lu Mei was stepping forward, intending to rescue Lu Dingkong and the deceased Lu Hanyan from the hands of student Xiao Zhu and the others.