Divine Emperor of Heavenly Destiny

Clutching the letter written by Zeng Quan, Lu Chao spoke coldly...

”Even if Mo Jing can resist coming back, he’ll at least be unsettled. That will make him easier to deal with.”

That good-for-nothing Yan Mu was the perfect tool to manipulate Mo Jing, and even the entire Yan Soul City. Once Mo Jing received this letter, he wouldn’t just worry about Yan Mu’s safety; he’d fear Yan Mu’s defeat at the hands of the Dragon Flame Kingdom.

But the letter couldn’t be sent out just yet...

Mo Jing was still hunting Chi Xingxun. Sending it now might inadvertently save Chi Xingxun’s life.

’I need to wait for the right time...’

Just as the thought crossed Lu Chao’s mind, another carrier pigeon landed on his hand.

It was from Fan Changcun. After reading the message, a relaxed smile spread across Lu Chao’s face. ”Marshal Fan has already taken control of Nanye Imperial City. That was even faster than I expected.”

In the time since he had set out for Saint Su City, Fan Changcun had completely crushed the Nanye Dynasty.

He clenched his fists, then immediately wrote a reply, ordering Marshal Fan to dispatch troops to Cyan Sword Mountain. This was, of course, to be coordinated with Zeng Quan’s letter, meant to spook Mo Jing into returning there.

He was playing the same trick twice.

But as he’d thought before, that good-for-nothing Yan Mu was just too useful a pawn.

Once that was done, Lu Chao took out the *Azure Flame Treasure Manual* to continue his cultivation. The Peak Fifth Layer True Qi in his body stirred faintly. In the three and a half days it took to travel from Saint Su City to the Azure Flame Sect, he had already comprehended most of Vice Commander Liu’s Moon Mortal Red Sword Bone.

Just as Zeng Quan had witnessed, Lu Chao had already reached the Peak Fifth Layer.

For the rest of the journey, he would continue to focus on the *Azure Flame Treasure Manual*, studying and writing down more Azure Flame Secret Manuals.

「Time continued to pass...」

A few days later, the pair returned to the Yanwu Battlefield, and half a day after that, they arrived at Yangzhou City.

Cheng Yunsu gazed upon the place where she had grown up, her eyes filled with a faint sadness and nostalgia. But her longing was only for the time before her mother left, and for the scenes of Lu Chao visiting her home to ask for her hand in marriage.

She spoke softly, ”Yangzhou City has lost its usual liveliness because of the war.”

Nodding lightly, Lu Chao spoke, his gaze distant...

”We’ll come back when we have time. The fighting on Marquis Yin’s front is intense, and the Great Wu Imperial City remains incredibly dangerous.”

Lu Chao had been in contact with Yin Ye over the past few days, so he was already aware...

During this time, Yin Ye had led the Hundred Countries’ Armies in a continuous struggle against Lu Dingtian. Meanwhile, the Second Prince of Great Wu, Wu Zhiqiu, had returned to the Great Wu Imperial City and received the full support of the Emperor of Great Wu.

In other words, the Emperor of Great Wu had also decided to eliminate Lu Dingtian.

But Lu Dingtian’s power was terrifying. He had far too many connections and followers within the Great Wu Empire.

The Great Wu Imperial City had become exceedingly chaotic and dangerous during this period. Fortunately, the Great Wu Royal Family was a Saint Bone Family itself. Furthermore, Dongfang Ren, after consuming an Azure Flame Bone-Refining Pill and achieving a massive breakthrough, had entered the Imperial City alone to aid the Great Wu Royal Family.

Within the walls of the Great Wu Imperial City, a terrifying slaughter had erupted against Lu Dingtian’s forces.

No clear victor had emerged yet. At the same time, outside the city, Yin Ye and Lu Dingtian were locked in a standoff, both sides vying to be the first to enter the Great Wu Imperial City. It was chaos, pure and simple.

As Lu Chao spoke, the Flying Feather Black Eagle soared past Yangzhou City, flapping its wings as it continued toward the Great Wu Imperial City.

The mountains and rivers they passed along the way were familiar to Lu Chao.

Ever since his death and rebirth beneath the Blood Stele at the Yanwu Battlefield, Lu Chao had never truly ventured deep into the Great Wu Empire, sticking to border regions like the area around Yangzhou City. This felt like returning after a lifetime away.

Suddenly... NGH!

Lu Chao let out a low, pained groan and suddenly clutched his head.

This sudden action made Cheng Yunsu’s heart leap into her throat. ”Lu Chao, are your injuries from Saint Su City still not healed?”

Lu Chao didn’t answer...

His vision had suddenly blurred, and a loud buzzing filled his head. From the back of the Flying Feather Black Eagle, he stared down at the mountains and rivers of the Great Wu Empire, which flashed past his eyes like phantoms due to their incredible speed.

”Lu Chao, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!”

Lu Chao still had his hand pressed to his head, his gaze vacant as he stared at the ground below. The color was gradually draining from his face.

His body was trembling slightly, a sight that naturally made Cheng Yunsu incredibly worried.

Then, completely out of the blue, Lu Chao muttered...

”Chao’er, this is the place where you will grow up. You must survive.”

As Lu Chao’s hoarse voice faded, Cheng Yunsu froze, completely baffled by what he had just said.

’Why is he calling himself Chao’er?’

But a moment later, a jolt went through her, and she quickly asked, ”Lu Chao, did you remember something? A childhood memory?”

Lu Chao still didn’t answer...

His expression was shifting wildly, and before he knew it, his eyes had grown moist.

The words he had just spoken echoed repeatedly in his mind, spoken by a gentle and loving female voice. That voice made his heart ache with a pain so intense it brought him to the verge of tears.

It was a heart-wrenching feeling.

He wanted to chase after that voice, to find the source of the memory, but his head suddenly began to throb with excruciating pain again.

It was just like all the other times he had tried to access his memories from before he was a little beggar—a pain so intense it felt like his skull would split open.

Finally, he squeezed his eyes shut.

When he opened them again, his eyes were clear, and the color was gradually returning to his pale face.

He looked at the incredibly worried Cheng Yunsu beside him and gave a small smile...

”I think I remembered something. The mountains and rivers flashing by seem to have triggered a childhood memory. It seems I was brought to the outskirts of the Great Wu Imperial City on an extremely fast mount.”

That was why the memory had surfaced so suddenly.

The Flying Feather Black Eagle was incredibly fast...

Lu Chao had never ridden such a swift Flying Bird Mount within the Great Wu Empire before. The sight felt like déjà vu, triggering a fragmented memory that seemed to have been sealed away by a powerful restriction.

But all he remembered was that single sentence.

Perhaps those words were just that profound, or perhaps they had been repeated to him countless times when he was a child.

”As my realm continues to improve, I might remember everything soon.”

”But for now, our objective remains to protect the Azure Flame Domain from the Cyan Sword Great Empire’s invasion. We’ll set this aside for the time being.”

As he spoke, Lu Chao’s gaze grew even more resolute.

Putting the matter of his memories aside, he resumed his study of the *Azure Flame Treasure Manual* as they continued toward the Great Wu Imperial City.

「Three days later...」

Lu Chao and Cheng Yunsu could smell the metallic tang of blood from the battlefield, accompanied by a towering wave of battle intent and killing intent.

In the blink of an eye, the Great Wu Imperial City was now visible in the distance.

Before the Great Wu Imperial City lay the brutal aftermath of battle: broken soldiers, broken corpses, and ruined towns. The mangled bodies of soldiers from both the Great Wu Empire and the Hundred Countries’ Armies were scattered everywhere, their blood staining the earth red.

Immediately after, Lu Chao heard the terrifying sounds of slaughter coming from just outside the Great Wu Imperial City...

It was clear that the armies of Yin Ye and Lu Dingtian were still locked in a frenzied melee, continuing their savage battle just outside the capital’s walls.