Free Web NovelChapter 175: Chapter 175: Someone Still Hasn’t Reached Innate
’Why did those heartless messages appear at the exact moment Father-in-law Cheng Chuming’s Saint Bone awakened?’
’Mother-in-law Xue Hongying must have calculated the timing perfectly.’
’If she had been able to return before the awakening, she would have erased them. But if she couldn’t make it back in time, the messages would appear automatically, severing any remaining hope for Xiao Su’er and her father.’
’So that they could live their lives in peace and forget her.’
’However, Father-in-law’s Saint Bone Awakening was tied to the Su Family’s Saint Bone Ceremony. It must have happened ahead of schedule.’
’Perhaps this changes things.’ fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Lu Chao mused to himself again. ’In other words, Cheng Chuming’s Saint Bone Awakening didn’t happen at the time Xue Hongying predicted.’
Lu Chao didn’t know the exact details, of course, but he couldn’t help but marvel silently...
’My mother-in-law is a truly terrifying individual. I can’t imagine what method she used to transform Father-in-law’s bloodline and Destiny Bone.’ freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
’And the daughter they had together, Xiao Su’er, possesses a Heavenly Destiny Bone that surpasses even a Divine Bone.’
Lu Chao hadn’t mentioned any of this to Cheng Yunsu. After all, it was just speculation.
The issue with his father-in-law’s Destiny Bone only made Lu Chao more curious about the vast Heavenly Destiny World. To think a person could so easily transform someone’s Destiny Bone into a Saint Bone, and even place a seal that would leave a message.
Not only that, but the Saint Bone Awakening could trigger consecutive breakthroughs on the spot...
Such miraculous methods were simply unheard of.
...
「Three days later.」
Lu Chao and his group returned safely to the Dragon Flame Royal Capital.
Marquis Jilong’s troops couldn’t enter the city, so only Lu Chao and a few others passed through the gates. Yin Ye and Sun Shijin were there to greet them, having come personally to prevent a repeat of the last assassination attempt at the gates.
As soon as they met, Yin Ye said to Lu Chao, "Beautifully done. This trip to Saint Su City was damn satisfying."
Yin Ye and Sun Shijin had, of course, already received word and understood the full story of what had happened.
In response, Lu Chao smiled and asked, "Marquis, are you in a lot of trouble?"
The next step was up to Yin Ye. The matter would have to be sorted out before the Dragon Flame King.
"It’s certainly not small."
"There’s going to be a lot of arguing to do. I have to go head-to-head with two Saint Bone Families all by myself."
"But the fact that your father-in-law is the Su Family’s Saint Bone Heir makes things much easier."
Just as Yin Ye finished speaking, Yu Fei couldn’t help but step forward.
The corner of his mouth twitched as he said resentfully, "Don’t celebrate too soon, Marquis. That senile old crone from the Saint Bone Su Family will definitely come after us with everything she’s got. That old hag is insane."
Yin Ye’s response, however, was that the Su Family Elders had already temporarily stripped Elder Lady Su of her position as acting head of the family.
Finally, Yin Ye added, "Lu Chao, they’re definitely going to try everything they can to get your father-in-law back to the Su Family. You’ll have to figure out how to handle it yourselves. There’s not much I can do to help."
From this point on, anything concerning Cheng Chuming was purely an internal affair of the Saint Bone Su Family. He couldn’t interfere.
Lu Chao, of course, understood. He had spoken with his father-in-law over the past three days, and the man was still bewildered. Being suddenly told he was to become the future Patriarch of the Su Family had left him completely stunned.
Cheng Chuming, of course, didn’t want to go.
But he also knew that if he refused, his son-in-law and daughter would face endless trouble. He could only decide to wait and see how things played out.
The group chatted as they made their way back to Dragon Flame Academy.
Sun Shijin then gave an update on the five from Azure Flame and the four Dragon Flame Students—specifically, the changes they’d undergone after the first session in the Divine Bone Nine Sons Array.
Lu Chao acknowledged this. "The entrance battle for the Beast Flame Outer Courtyard is in half a month. We need to focus all our energy on improving."
And so, upon returning to Dragon Flame Academy, Lu Chao...
...immediately activated the Divine Bone Nine Sons Array again. Luo Wendeng, the Jiang Family Siblings, and the others resumed their Heavenly Destiny Bone cultivation within the array.
「In the days that followed...」
Yin Ye was incredibly busy, constantly arguing with the two Saint Bone Families before the Dragon Flame King. Ultimately, the major issues were downplayed and the minor ones dismissed, and the whole affair was smoothed over.
For their part, they returned the Zheng Family’s top prodigy.
In exchange, the Zheng Family and Celestial King Academy guaranteed they would not interfere with Dragon Flame Academy in any way before the entrance battle for the Beast Flame Outer Courtyard.
If anything else were to happen to Dragon Flame Academy, the Saint Bone Zheng Family would be held solely responsible.
As for the Saint Bone Su Family, the main issue was Marquis Jilong’s troops forcing their way into Saint Su City.
In the end, that too was settled with a single sentence from the Dragon Flame King.
"Your massive crisis was resolved by Marquis Jilong’s troops and that Fake Lu Chao. What more could you possibly want?"
And so, that matter was also considered resolved.
However, on the very next day, Su Shangmo appeared outside Dragon Flame Academy with two Su Family Elders in tow, requesting an audience. They were obviously there to continue negotiations with Lu Chao.
After several days of cooling down, the Su Family Elders felt it was necessary to adopt a more humble posture.
After all, the Saint Bone Heir was far too important to the Su Family.
But Lu Chao’s only reply was that the decision was entirely up to his father-in-law.
Cheng Chuming’s decision was this: "I will make my choice after the entrance battle for the Beast Flame Outer Courtyard is over."
To put it plainly, Cheng Chuming wanted to stall for time and see if the sincerity of the Su Family was genuine or just an act.
Following this, Su Shangmo began to follow Cheng Chuming everywhere, acting as his personal guard.
「On the same day...」
A major event took place in the Dragon Flame Royal Capital: the entire Celestial King Academy set off for the former site of the Azure Flame Sect in the Hundred Countries.
Beast Flame Academy had been formally established at the old Azure Flame Sect site. The top seven academies from the Seven Great Flame Countries were heading there first. They would form the Seven Great Inner Courtyards and await the start of the battle for the twenty Outer Courtyard slots.
...
「In the blink of an eye, nearly half a month had passed since Lu Chao’s return from Saint Su City.」
He sat alone in meditation atop the Demon Dragon Divine Bone... BOOM!
The True Qi throughout his body erupted as he broke through from the Innate Second Layer to the Third Layer. A brilliant light flashed in his eyes.
’I’ve almost completely comprehended the Meridian Map for the Dragon General Bone. Next, I must throw myself completely into the cultivation of the Star Fire Sparrow Map.’
’My goal is to master it completely by the time I reach the Innate Fourth Layer.’
’Then, I’ll be able to perform the bone replacement for Xiao Su’er.’
In the Innate Realm...
...one could extract three Star Heavenly Destiny Bones. Lu Chao had already extracted the first, the Star Dragon General Bone. The second could only be extracted upon reaching the Innate Fourth Layer, and the one Lu Chao wanted to extract was the Star Fire Sparrow Bone.
To draw it out of his body without having to directly devour it, he first had to master the complete Fire Sparrow Bone Meridian Map.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from a distance...
Sun Shijin strode over. He wore a grim expression as he looked at Lu Chao and said in a low voice, "It’s a failure. Yu Huang just can’t break through to the Innate Realm, no matter what we do. Old Yu has already fainted from anger."
Lu Chao’s brow furrowed sharply at his words.
The Yu Huang that Sun Shijin mentioned was one of the members of the Divine Bone Nine Sons Array, a student at Dragon Flame Academy, and Yu Fei’s grandnephew.
After nearly half a month of cultivation in the Divine Bone Nine Sons Array...
...the five from the Azure Flame Sect had all advanced to the Heavenly Bone level and reached the Innate Realm. The Jiang Family Siblings and the other Dragon Flame Student had also succeeded. Only Yu Huang was unable to advance to the Heavenly Bone level, and thus could not enter the Innate Realm.
"Tomorrow’s the deadline! We have to have ten Innate Students to even participate in the entrance battle for the Outer Courtyard."
