The deans and masters from the various University Institutes wore livid expressions.

Facing the incredibly imposing Dongfang Ren, they took only a small step back, showing no intention of returning to the cliffside.

’There’s no going back...’

Going back meant admitting defeat. It meant their students had died in vain. It might even mean they would be eliminated entirely.

Now, all eyes were on Zeng Quan and the other high-ranking officials of Beast Flame. Surely they wouldn’t just give in to Dongfang Ren so easily.

Dongfang Ren paid them no mind for the time being. Instead, he looked at the approaching Zeng Quan and asked coolly, "You just questioned whether Dragon Flame Academy used poison gas, correct? How about I investigate whether they did or not?"

Zeng Quan’s expression turned cold, his features shifting wildly as he remained silent for the moment.

Now that Dongfang Ren had interfered and was openly demanding authority over Beast Flame from the Dragon Flame King, he needed to think carefully about his next move.

Suddenly, Marquis Longyin descended from his Flying Bird Demon Beast.

He landed beside Dongfang Ren and also looked at Zeng Quan. "Whether Beast Flame can continue will depend on General Dean Zeng’s decision."

With Marquis Longyin no longer blocking their path, the other Beast Flame officials descended in unison, landing behind Zeng Quan.

For a moment, the scene was utterly silent.

Most people understood that if Zeng Quan refused, Dongfang Ren would immediately leave with all the Small Institutes, and Marquis Longyin would have the Dragon Flame King announce the abolishment of the Beast Flame Academy project...

At that point, the other Six Great Flame Countries could, of course, just continue on their own.

But if the Dragon Flame Celestial King Academy dared to continue its participation in Beast Flame in defiance of the Dragon Flame King’s decree, then the power the Saint Bone Zheng Family had cultivated in the Dragon Flame Kingdom for so long would be ruthlessly uprooted.

With public sentiment on his side, the Dragon Flame King would have the pretext he needed to cripple the Saint Bone Zheng Family... More importantly, all the Small Kingdoms would flock to the Dragon Flame Kingdom’s side. It would be no joke to say the latter could use the opportunity to unify the Hundred Countries.

You could say Dongfang Ren was offering him a way out; it was up to Zeng Quan to take it.

In that instant, a thousand thoughts raced through Zeng Quan’s mind. Finally, he clenched his fists, forced a smile, and said, "Haha, since Brother Dongfang is willing to condescend to inspect the proceedings himself, that would be for the best."

His laugh, of course, was a forced one.

He had no choice but to take this way out. Otherwise, forget winning the hearts of the Hundred Countries—the Celestial King Academy itself would be finished.

Zeng Quan’s compromise, his admission of defeat...

It made the expressions of the Beast Flame officials and the deans of the University Institutes turn utterly foul, but they didn’t dare say another word.

Dongfang Ren, without a second thought, said directly, "I’ve completed my inspection. Dragon Flame Academy did not use poison gas to repel the warhorses."

The moment he said this...

Everyone from the University Institutes furiously clenched their fists. One of the Beast Flame officials, unconvinced, spoke up. "Elder Dongfang, if it wasn’t poison gas or some other trick, on what grounds could the Fake Lu Chao possibly scare off the warhorses?"

Even though they had to yield to Dongfang Ren, and even though the outcome was already set in stone, they had to voice their rebuttal, their doubt.

If Dongfang Ren couldn’t provide a plausible explanation, they could later paint him as overly tyrannical and make him lose public support!

To this, Dongfang Ren replied coolly, "Because the students of the University Institutes are too weak, their willpower is too poor, and they couldn’t control their mounts... Anyone who has fought in a war knows that to keep your warhorse from routing, you must first be able to command it."

There was nothing wrong with his words...

Forget controlling the warhorses; the thousands of students from the University Institutes were completely unfamiliar with them. How could they possibly have commanded them?

Had they been Innate Knights who had seen battle, or even ones who had simply spent some time with these warhorses, it would have been impossible for Lu Chao to make them all collapse and flee with a single shout.

After all, Lu Chao’s current cultivation realm had not yet recovered to its original level.

"Even so, the Fake Lu Chao couldn’t possibly have routed the warhorses with just a shout."

The one who spoke was Li Wumian.

They had painstakingly selected those thousand warhorses. They were true veterans of the battlefield! A young man at the mere Innate Fourth Layer like the Fake Lu Chao could never have accomplished such a feat.

Li Wumian continued, "He may have the aura of a general, that’s true, but it’s definitely not that powerful."

At this, Lu Chao simply smiled faintly beneath his mask, offering no rebuttal.

Luo Wendeng and the others also began to smile.

They thought to themselves, ’That’s because you don’t know how incredible Brother Lu is. Just because you can’t do it doesn’t mean he can’t. You’ve simply never witnessed a true genius.’

Dongfang Ren, however, furrowed his brow. In truth, he too had been stunned by Lu Chao. Routing warhorses with a single shout...

’It really wasn’t something a person at the Fake Lu Chao’s level could accomplish. This is very strange...’

Marquis Longyin was thinking the same thing. He couldn’t quite wrap his head around it either. ’Could it be that the Fake Lu Chao is a natural-born commander, the kind who could even frighten Demon Beasts?’

Seeing that Dongfang Ren was unable to explain, and seeing sinister smirks begin to spread across Zeng Quan and Li Wumian’s faces...

Lu Chao sighed inwardly. ’Looks like I’ll have to give them a perfect explanation.’

With that, he slowly removed his mask and said casually, "Guan Zanyi, Grand General Guan, come over here for a moment."

As Lu Chao suddenly spoke...

Everyone present was stunned and confused, wondering what this Fake Lu Chao wanted with Guan Zanyi.

Guan Zanyi, who was somewhere in the crowd, was equally stunned.

In the end, he still flashed forward and asked, "Fake Lu Chao, what do you want?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Lu Chao abruptly put his mask back on. Brimming with deliberate killing intent, he roared, "Guan Zanyi, die!"

At these words, the entire crowd was stunned yet again.

Guan Zanyi, however, trembled violently and instinctively turned to flee... but after just two steps, he stopped, dumbfounded. ’Why the hell am I running?’

The entire crowd stared blankly at Guan Zanyi. ’Was the man really such a coward?’

Lu Chao, of course, had no intention of actually attacking Guan Zanyi...

Instead, he took off the mask once more and said with a smile, "Certain people, to ensure the University Institutes’ victory would be foolproof, naturally chose warhorses that have seen battle. And which battle... did these horses see?"

At his question, the crowd blinked, having no idea what on earth Lu Chao was talking about.

Seeing their confusion, Lu Chao added, "Even Grand General Guan was scared into running, so what chance did a warhorse have? ...I also mentioned that in Sword Tooth City, I used nothing more than a mask to scare away the mighty army of the Great Wu Empire."

As his words fell, it suddenly dawned on Marquis Longyin.

"These warhorses fought in the war against the Great Wu Empire! When they saw the mask of Great Wu Lu Chao, their legs must have gone weak!"

In an instant, everyone’s eyes widened as they all understood.

But Zeng Quan’s mouth was twitching uncontrollably...

’So that was the goddamn reason,’ he thought. ’Damn it all, no wonder the Fake Lu Chao insisted on wearing a mask when he didn’t have to. He planned it all along, using the mask of Great Wu Lu Chao to rout the warhorses.’

’Fuck, fuck, FUCK...’

’If I’d known, I never would have added the cavalry battle. I really shot myself in the foot.’

Grand General Guan’s old face was livid, his eyes spitting fire... ’If you had a point to make, just make it,’ he wanted to scream. ’Why did you have to use me as your experiment?’

Suddenly, Dean Weihu roared, unwilling to concede, "Using Great Wu Lu Chao’s mask is still cheating!"