Divine Emperor of Heavenly Destiny

Patriarch Zheng continued, ”As for that Fake Lu Chao, killing ten students is nothing. An imposter like him can’t cause any real trouble. But making Zheng Zhuhai kneel... for that, he must die.”

”And he can’t just die quietly. We must force him into another life-and-death battle.”

As soon as he said this, Zheng Liyuan and the others immediately understood. This Fake Lu Chao had stolen the spotlight, so he had to die in it.

His death had to be a spectacle, witnessed by countless people, to reclaim the honor Zheng Zhuhai lost when he was forced to his knees.

But Zheng Liyuan quickly asked, ”But Patriarch, at this critical moment, I’m afraid Fake Lu Chao won’t risk a fight. Even if he’s young and impulsive enough to want to, Sun Shijin will never let him.”

The competition for a spot in the Beast Flame Outer Courtyard is in one month. Lu Chao is the entire Dragon Flame Academy’s hope.

Of course Sun Shijin would protect him fiercely...

”I just received some interesting news about this Fake Lu Chao’s background. When the time comes, I’ll make him fight,” Patriarch Zheng said, his aged voice tinged with amusement. He added, ”Liyuan, come in here.”

Hearing this, Zheng Liyuan immediately walked into Patriarch Zheng’s room.

When he came out, his face also held a hint of amusement. Li Wumian quickly stepped forward and asked, ”Vice Dean Zheng, what kind of background does this Fake Lu Chao have? Isn’t he just some minor descendant of the Azure Flame Sect?”

To this day, many people still believed that this Fake Lu Chao was a descendant of the Azure Flame Sect.

”Whether he’s a descendant of the Azure Flame Sect is irrelevant. His father-in-law, however, is very interesting.”

Zheng Liyuan said casually, ”I’m heading to Jizhou City. I’m going to teach Marquis Jilong, Yin Ye, a little lesson.”

With that, Zheng Liyuan strode away, leaving a crowd of dumbfounded people in his wake.

Li Wumian blinked. ’How did this suddenly involve Fake Lu Chao’s father-in-law? Patriarch Zheng wants to force Fake Lu Chao into a life-and-death battle, but there’s no need to run all the way to Jizhou City and kidnap the man’s father-in-law, is there?’

’Besides, how could Patriarch Zheng even get intelligence on a minor figure like Fake Lu Chao’s father-in-law?’

...

「Inside Patriarch Zheng’s room...」

Zheng Zhuhai was kneeling before Patriarch Zheng, his entire body trembling.

Patriarch Zheng said indifferently, ”Zhuhai, from now on, I will personally instruct you in the Martial Dao. If you lose again, you will die.”

In response, Zheng Zhuhai nodded heavily, his fists clenched tight.

”The Saint Bone Su Family’s Saint Bone Ceremony will begin in a few days. Your battlefield will be at the Su Family’s estate.”

”You absolutely must not bring me any shame.”

Patriarch Zheng spoke again, his voice faint. The news he had received was, of course, that Father-in-law Lu Chao was the illegitimate son of the old patriarch of the Saint Bone Su Family. In other words, he had received intelligence about Elder Lady Su’s trip to Azure Flame Town and the major humiliation she suffered there.

Sending Zheng Liyuan to Jilong Marquis’s Mansion to personally capture Cheng Chuming was a deliberate, harsh slap in the face to Yin Ye.

Bringing Cheng Chuming to the Saint Bone Su Family was a way to force Lu Chao into another life-and-death battle.

And while they were at it, they could make a show of their power at the Saint Bone Su Family’s expense!

Or rather, the main objective was to flaunt their strength at the Saint Bone Su Family’s estate... dealing with Lu Chao was just a secondary benefit.

...

「That night, Yin Ye returned to Dragon Flame Academy from the Dragon Flame Palace.」

In the academy’s main hall, he met with Sun Shijin, Dean Jiang, and the other high-ranking members of Dragon Flame Academy. They all looked at Yin Ye expectantly.

What was the Dragon Flame King’s attitude toward the current state of Dragon Flame Academy?

With a bitter smile, Yin Ye replied softly, ”The Dragon Flame King has agreed to allow descendants of the Azure Flame Sect to enter Dragon Flame Academy, but not too many. Only five students, plus Fan Jinhua as an instructor.”

Hearing this, the group exchanged glances...

They understood, of course. Although the Dragon Flame King had protected the Azure Flame Sect in his youth, now, as the Flame King, he was also worried about the sect’s embers reigniting too quickly.

What the Dragon Flame King wanted was for the descendants of the Azure Flame Sect to put down roots in the Dragon Flame Kingdom and truly consider it their home.

Even if their sect was revived in the future, they would have to serve the Dragon Flame Kingdom.

”Fortunately, this limit of five students does not include the young couple, Lu Chao and his wife,” Yin Ye added softly.

The others nodded, but this didn’t ease their worries, as none of the descendants from the Azure Flame Sect had reached the Innate Realm.

They would just have to try and train them up within the month.

”As for me, I cannot provide you with any students who are at the Innate Realm.”

Yin Ye spoke softly again, ”The Dragon Flame King’s meaning is also clear: I can no longer continue to participate in the academy’s struggles.”

Although they had anticipated this, Sun Shijin and the others still sighed in dismay.

The road ahead would be incredibly difficult.

Suddenly, a white-haired old man said, ”I remember when I was a young instructor, how glorious Dragon Flame Academy was. Now, it’s on the verge of collapse. Lu Chao’s arrival today solved our most pressing problem, but our hopes are still slim.”

This old man was also an Elder of Dragon Flame Academy, named Yu Fei.

In his youth, he had been an instructor at Dragon Flame Academy.

As Dragon Flame continued to decline and instructors betrayed or abandoned the academy, he came out of his long retirement, determined to save Dragon Flame Academy from the brink. But what he was witnessing now might just be... the tragic end of Dragon Flame Academy.

He added bitterly, ”If only the Divine Bone Nine Sons Array could be activated. But in six hundred years, no one has been able to do it.”

At his words, the group exchanged glances.

Sun Shijin quickly said, ”Old Yu, the Divine Bone Nine Sons Array is just a legend. There’s no such thing.”

Dean Jiang and the others also nodded in agreement...

As a former Dragon Flame Student, Yin Ye had of course heard this legend as well, but he also believed it was nothing more than that.

However, Yu Fei’s face suddenly flushed red, and he shouted, ”No! It is absolutely not a legend! My ancestor was one of the Nine Sons of Dragon Flame! How could something passed down by word of mouth for generations be false?”

The group was speechless. No one dared to argue, afraid they might anger Old Yu into his grave.

Yu Fei’s ancestor was indeed one of the Nine Sons of Dragon Flame from six hundred years ago, but no written records were left behind—only the oral tradition. It was very likely just a fabrication, wasn’t it?

But the old man had always firmly believed in it, insisting that as long as the Divine Bone Nine Sons Array was activated, Dragon Flame Academy could be revived.

As a ”Destiny Bone Madman,” Sun Shijin had once fallen for his nonsense.

He had spent a full three years studying the Demon Dragon Divine Bone on the back mountain, only to come up with absolutely nothing. He even suspected that the so-called sacred stone on the back mountain was, in fact, just an ordinary boulder.

”What the hell! What’s with that look? You still don’t believe me, do you?”

Although no one argued, the disbelief written all over their faces sent Yu Fei into a thunderous rage...

”Fine, fine, fine! My old life is all I have left anyway.”

”I’ll go smash my head on the Demon Dragon Divine Bone right now! I will use my life to summon the spirit of my ancestor and save Dragon Flame Academy!”

With that, Yu Fei stormed out of the academy hall on the spot.

This gave everyone a huge shock. They all rushed out one after another, desperately chasing after him.