The five Inner Courtyard students were still frantically attacking Cheng Yunsu and her companions. But just as Lu Chao finished speaking...

WHOOSH!

He vanished, reappearing in an instant before Cheng Yunsu.

A flurry of sword strikes lashed out... AHHHH!

The five Inner Courtyard students screamed in agony as Lu Chao’s sword struck them all down to the ground.

And with that, the crisis facing the Dragon Flame Students was over.

Lu Chao turned back to Chang Yuan. "If you hadn’t given me time to break through, this fight would have dragged on much longer, even if I still won. And if it had dragged on... my companions would have been in grave danger."

Chang Yuan turned to face Lu Chao once more.

"You owe me one, is that it?" The corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably as his face twisted into a deranged smile. "In that case, I want you to kill me."

He no longer cared about anything else; Chang Yuan was fixated on death. The fact that Lu Chao wouldn’t kill him seemed to deeply irritate him.

Chang Yuan’s words stunned the entire audience.

The Dean of the Tiger Institute couldn’t help but shout, "Chang Yuan, if you’re going to die, then die fighting! Take that Fake Lu Chao down with you!"

They didn’t intervene in the conversation just yet, hoping to persuade Chang Yuan to keep fighting to the death.

But Chang Yuan ignored him, walking toward Lu Chao instead.

"What’s the point of living? I can’t break through to the Innate Realm. After more than ten years of experience at this level, I can’t even beat an Innate Seventh Layer. Is there any reason for me to go on living?"

"You owe me one, kill me now!"

With that, Chang Yuan threw his saber to the ground and simply stared at Lu Chao, his eyes unwavering.

By now, Cheng Yunsu and the other Dragon Flame Students had gathered behind Lu Chao, all staring blankly at Chang Yuan.

No one had expected the recently frenzied Chang Yuan to suddenly change like this. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

But Lu Chao just shook his head. "As long as you’re alive, there’s hope."

"Ha, hahaha..."

Chang Yuan threw his head back and let out a wild laugh at the sky.

"As long as you’re alive, there’s hope?"

"Hope my ass! How could a true genius like you possibly understand me? Do you know the suffering of being unable to break through the Innate Realm for over a decade? Do you know what it feels like to go from a genius to trash?"

"That feeling is more terrifying than death itself. I just want to die."

As he spoke, Chang Yuan suddenly recalled his saber to his hand, preparing to slice it viciously across his own neck.

He no longer wanted to beg Lu Chao to kill him; he would kill himself.

Chang Yuan held no hatred for losing to Lu Chao. Instead, it was like the final straw that broke the camel’s back, causing his spirit to completely shatter.

At this critical moment...

"Do you think your suffering compares to that of Great Wu Lu Chao?" Cheng Yunsu said from behind Lu Chao.

Chang Yuan’s hand, holding the saber, froze.

"Great Wu Lu Chao, wasn’t he more of a genius than you? How did he die in the end?"

"He died at the hands of the foster father he respected most. A Blood Stele was erected to immortalize his shame, and he was reviled by countless people..."

"He was betrayed by family, and no one mourns him even in death. Have you faced such betrayal?"

Lu Chao glanced at his wife beside him and gave a silent, bitter smile internally. ’It was bitter and tragic, but now Xiao Su’er is right here, supporting me unconditionally. I’ve been given a fresh start.’

Across from them, Chang Yuan’s hand, still gripping the saber, began to tremble. Slowly, he lowered the weapon. "There are many who betrayed me," he said in a low voice, "but there are also those who did not. It’s true... my lot is better than Great Wu Lu Chao’s."

With that, Chang Yuan looked up at the sky, then slowly turned and walked away.

"Chang Yuan, what are you doing?! Fight that Fake Lu Chao to the death!" the Dean of the Tiger Institute roared upon seeing this.

But Chang Yuan looked up with a savage grin and replied softly, "Like that old bastard. He was once the mentor I respected most, but then he constantly mocked and ridiculed me. In the end, he dragged me onto the battlefield and forced me to become his killer."

"Now he wants to force me to fight you to the death. My life has long been unimportant in his eyes."

"But... there are still people who care about me."

These words were spoken to Lu Chao and the others. Then, Chang Yuan suddenly shouted, "This battle, I concede!"

With that, he strode off the stage and away from the arena.

"You bastard..."

"Chang Yuan, you stop right there! You will fight to the death for me!"

"Otherwise, that woman of yours can forget about ever becoming your official wife! Your son can forget about taking the Chang name! And you can forget about receiving any benefits from the Tiger Flame Royal Family!"

The Dean of the Tiger Institute continued to roar at Chang Yuan. As the dean, his influence within the Tiger Flame Kingdom was immense.

However, Chang Yuan laughed wildly. "You think I care?"

And so, Chang Yuan continued on his way.

The people he’d mentioned who cared for him must have been the woman and son the Dean of the Tiger Institute had just threatened.

Suddenly...

Lu Chao flashed forward to catch up with him. "Brother Chang, if you have the time, come find us after the slot competition ends. Our Elder Sun is a Destiny Bone Madman; perhaps he can find a way to help you."

Chang Yuan paused for a moment. "Thank you," he said softly. "We’ll see."

Just like that, he strode out of the martial arts arena and disappeared from everyone’s sight.

Watching Chang Yuan’s retreating figure, Lu Chao thought, ’He’s probably in a hurry to find those people who care about him.’

Turning around, Lu Chao started back toward Cheng Yunsu and the others.

But at that very moment, a CRACK sound suddenly echoed from within his body.

Lu Chao stopped short. His expression flickered as he thought grimly, ’The Bone of Myriad Stars... it cracked.’

His Life-taking Star-devouring Bone was encased by the Bone of Myriad Stars.

But now, it had suddenly cracked.

It was obvious: his Star Devouring Bone had just advanced to the Heavenly Bone Level, but this Bone of Myriad Stars was merely an Earth Bone.

He didn’t dare to be careless.

Lu Chao inspected his body further, and his expression changed again. ’No, that’s not right. This crack was already there. It must have started forming during my fight with Chang Yuan.’

The Bone of Myriad Stars was an external object, so Lu Chao couldn’t sense its changes at all times.

He had only discovered it now that the crack had widened enough to make a sound.

As Lu Chao was covertly inspecting his internal condition...

Sun Shijin laughed loudly. "General Dean Zeng Quan, isn’t it about time you announced that our Dragon Flame Academy has become the second Outer Courtyard?"

The second match of the third round was the final battle. Now that Lu Chao had won, their bid for a slot was successful.

Instantly, the expressions of the Beast Flame Group’s upper echelons turned indescribably foul.

The Dean of the Tiger Institute, in particular, was still furiously cursing Chang Yuan.

But Zeng Quan suddenly frowned. He muttered in a low voice, "Why do I suddenly sense the aura of a Life-taking Bone? It’s very, very faint. Could it be... that Fake Lu Chao doesn’t have the Bone of Myriad Stars, but a Life-taking Bone?"

At these words...

The other higher-ups of the Beast Flame Group couldn’t help but try to sense it as well. Most of them detected nothing, but the deans of the Lion Institute and Tiger Institute both frowned. "It does seem to be... a bit like the aura of a Life-taking Bone," they said in unison.

At this, Zeng Quan spoke again. "A Life-taking Bone. That would explain his combat prowess... I’ll take that bet."

The words had barely left his mouth when Zeng Quan flashed down into the martial arts arena.

He stared intently at Lu Chao. "Fake Lu Chao, you’ve hidden your secrets deep. To think you’re a walking disaster who possesses a Life-taking Bone."