Divine Emperor of Heavenly Destiny

"The people from Red Sword City will be here soon. We’ll probably run into them in this Illusion Realm."

"I just don’t know if they’ll be able to attack us inside the Illusion Realm."

"We must stay on high alert..."

As he spoke, Lu Chao grabbed Chi Xingxun’s severed finger and slipped the Storage Ring off. He added, "We can’t destroy this finger just yet. It might be useful for a trade, a threat, or negotiations."

The finger had been torn off, but Chi Xingxun could still reattach it if he got it back soon enough.

If too much time passed, that would no longer be an option.

This, then, was their leverage against the people of Red Sword City.

After tossing the finger aside, Lu Chao held Chi Xingxun’s Storage Ring and said in a low voice, "High-level Storage Rings can be bound to an owner or require a Secret Technique to open. Obviously, we can’t open it normally."

And if they couldn’t open it normally, their only option was to smash it with brute force.

He had to get the items inside, especially the Azure Flame Array Plate. If he could get his hands on it, he might be able to change the rules of this Illusion Realm.

That would give them a way to deal with the people from Red Sword City.

And so, Lu Chao began trying to smash it, but the ring was incredibly hard and wouldn’t break.

Cheng Yunsu quickly said, "Let me check. Maybe one of the six Azure Flame Storage Rings has a treasure that can smash this thing."

With that, Cheng Yunsu began to rummage through them.

Not far from them, Chang Yuan was hugging his wife and son tightly, his whole body trembling. "Ah Chun, are you okay? I’m still so useless. I’m the reason you’ve suffered so much."

Chang Yuan’s wife, Le Chun, hugged him back just as tightly, shaking her head desperately.

"Just being with you again, and seeing Duan’er... I couldn’t ask for more."

Le Chun’s voice trembled as she lifted her tear-filled eyes. "I don’t even know if I’m dreaming right now. Chang Yuan, this isn’t a dream, is it? You really came to save me, right?"

What just happened was so terrifying; she couldn’t believe she had actually been rescued.

Everything had happened in a flash. One moment, her husband was sweeping her into his arms, and the next, she found herself trapped in this unknown place.

Before was a nightmare, but now... she didn’t know if she had fallen into an illusion or a beautiful dream.

"Mom, it’s not a dream! It’s not a dream... WAAAH!"

Chang Duan, who had woken up at some point, had been trying so hard to be strong and not cry. But now, he let it all out in a loud wail.

Seeing his mother, he couldn’t stay strong any longer.

Chang Yuan quickly replied, "It’s not a dream. It’s not a dream! Lu Chao and Cheng Yunsu saved us... That’s right. This isn’t the time for crying. We’re far from being out of danger."

He suddenly remembered they were on the eighth floor of the Azure Flame Forbidden Land.

And terrifying pursuers were right behind them.

Realizing this, Chang Yuan gently pushed his wife and son away. "I’m going to help Brother Lu Chao. We have to fight to get out of here alive."

He then rushed to Lu Chao’s side and also began searching for something that could smash Chi Xingxun’s Storage Ring.

Meanwhile, Le Chun and her son held each other tightly...

Le Chun asked softly, "Duan’er, is he the Lu Chao your father has been talking about ever since the battle for a spot in the Beast Flame Outer Courtyard?"

Nodding emphatically, Chang Duan said, "Brother Chao... No, Uncle Lu Chao is really amazing."

Lu Chao was only about seven or eight years older than Chang Duan, but since his father addressed Lu Chao as a brother, it was only natural for the boy to call him "uncle."

The moment the words left Chang Duan’s mouth... VMMMM!

A ripple of energy suddenly erupted on both sides of them. The fluctuation was so intense that all five of them turned to look.

In an instant... VMMMMMM!

Everyone erupted with True Qi almost simultaneously. Chang Yuan growled, "Red Sword... Young City Lord."

The twelve people from Red Sword City had all entered.

Just as they’d expected, they had encountered them in the same Illusion Realm. What would happen next?

When it came to the Azure Flame Sect’s Forbidden Land...

Even Lu Chao, and Fan Changcun for that matter, were completely in the dark.

At the same time, Cheng Yunsu suddenly exclaimed, "What’s going on? Why is Commander Ke on our left?"

At this, Lu Chao slowly stood up.

He had been so focused on smashing Chi Xingxun’s Storage Ring that he hadn’t observed their surroundings. Now, looking around, he saw that the five of them were on a small platform.

It was like something out of the Azure Flame Sect’s Battle Valley—a stone ledge jutting out from the middle of a cliff face.

And to their left and right were two other ledges...

On the ledge to their right were the Young City Lord Red Sword and his ten Blood Sword Guards.

On the ledge to their left was Commander Ke, all by himself.

Seeing this, Lu Chao said in a low voice, "Stay calm. They probably can’t get over here to kill us. This is an Illusion Realm."

The words had barely left his lips when the people from Red Sword City on the other two ledges finished adjusting to the Illusion Realm’s environment. They glared fiercely at Lu Chao’s group, and Chi Xingxun growled, "Azure Flame Sect disciples..."

The next moment, a Blood Sword Guard boomed, "Young City Lord, I’ll go over there and kill them right now!"

With that, the Blood Sword Guard charged toward the platform where Lu Chao and the others stood.

But... BANG!

The instant the guard tried to leap from the ledge, he was thrown back by a transparent Barrier, stumbling several steps backward.

Seeing this, Lu Chao and the others, who had been tense, let out a long sigh of relief.

’So they really can’t get to us...’

Although they had met in the eighth floor’s Illusion Realm, it was clear they couldn’t attack each other.

"Dammit, what is this thing? Everyone, attack it together!"

The Blood Sword Guard who had been repelled was furious. He roared at those around him, and they all unleashed attacks on the Barrier around their ledge.

But, of course, it was useless. They couldn’t budge it at all.

Just then, Commander Ke, on the ledge to Lu Chao’s left, spoke. "There’s no point in trying. Starting from the 6th Floor, the Azure Flame Sect’s Forbidden Land is a world where reality and illusion coexist. Once you enter, you can only follow its rules."

"To put it bluntly..."

"This is like a trial ground within a treasure, constructed by some powerful expert."

"On the first five floors, only one’s consciousness enters. On the 6th and 7th floors, you enter with half consciousness and half physical body, so you can feel the pain from injuries. But here on the eighth floor, you enter with your entire physical body. We have to fight against opponents within this Illusion Realm."

"Unless you use the Azure Flame Array Plate, the rules cannot be changed."

As he said this, Commander Ke gazed forward into the misty world of the Illusion Realm...

"This Azure Flame Forbidden Land is truly terrifying. It’s almost on par with the Green Bone Palace’s Green Bone Heart Tower."

"Young City Lord, if I’m not mistaken..."

"Next, the people on these three ledges will have to compete in the Soldier Dao. If you want to kill that Azure Flame Sect disciple, you must beat him in the Soldier Dao competition and get out of the eighth floor faster than he does."

"In other words, you’ll have to wait for him in the area beyond the eighth floor."

Commander Ke spoke as if Lu Chao’s group didn’t exist, addressing his explanation of the eighth floor directly to Chi Xingxun.

But Lu Chao and the others, of course, heard every word clearly.

So, on the eighth floor, they were trapped in the same Illusion Realm but couldn’t attack each other. They could only compete in the Soldier Dao.

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