"Lin Ping, do you think we can really kill Azure Lord?"
A trace of uncertainty lingered in Zhang Daolin's eyes.
"He is human. If he is human, he can die." Lin Chao remained calm.
"He has the Azure Dragon Stone, and the Azure Dragon Stone has acknowledged him as its master!" Despair showed on Zhang Daolin's face.
Lin Chao did not say much.
He understood what Zhang Daolin meant.
Over the years, the origins of these twelve strange treasures had gradually become vaguely clear to the twelve great factions.
Of the twelve strange treasures, there were the Azure Dragon Stone of Tai Qing Palace, the Dao Sword of Dan Jian Sect, the Ice Coffin of Northern Cold Hall, the Spirit Pearl of Three Extremes Sect...
There were twelve strange treasures in all, but the Azure Dragon Stone was the true treasure.
The other eleven were all companion objects of the Azure Dragon Stone, or rather, special strange treasures formed after being contaminated by the Azure Dragon Stone.
Dan Jian Sect's Dao Sword granted its powerful cultivators the ability to control swords.
With this sword control, one could take a man's head from a thousand miles away at most. It was quite extraordinary.
In terms of combat power, however, it was neither especially strong nor terrifying.
As far as Lin Chao knew, even Dan Jian Sect's strongest expert was merely a match for a thousand men.
The ability the Ice Coffin granted Northern Cold Hall's experts was an Ice Palm.
With one palm strike, it could freeze a person solid.
What the Spirit Pearl granted Three Extremes Sect's experts was something called Spiritual Power.
Spiritual Power was somewhat like the immortal power spoken of in legends.
Of course, this Spiritual Power was not particularly strong, though snapping wood and shattering stone was no difficult feat.
Three Extremes Sect ranked dead last among the twelve factions.
What these strange treasures granted was powerful in this world.
But compared to a treasure like the Azure Dragon Stone—overbearing to the extreme and tied to fate—it was nothing at all.
The Azure Dragon Stone stood on a higher level than the other eleven strange treasures.
If Lin Chao had to choose, he too would choose the Azure Dragon Stone.
Of course, aside from that, what Lin Chao valued most was Three Extremes Sect's Spirit Pearl.
Lin Chao felt that the description of this Spiritual Power resembled cultivation immortality somewhat.
But at present, he had no chance to see the Spirit Pearl.
Still, he had told his father, Lin Leng, about some of his desire and need for the Spirit Pearl.
With Dan Jian Sect's support, Lin Chao was still very likely to see the Spirit Pearl.
"I was being too negative." Zhang Daolin spoke, his voice carrying a trace of loss and wistful sorrow.
"No. I understand your feeling of powerlessness." Lin Chao offered a word of comfort. "But the ancestor was right—man can conquer heaven."
Dan Jian Sect was far from Kyoto, so it had not felt much of the impact.
Northern Cold Hall was different.
It was close to Kyoto, and the suffering it endured far surpassed that of Dan Jian Sect.
Zhang Daolin smiled.
He glanced at Lin Chao, but ultimately said nothing more.
He knew that Lin Ping was a genius of Dan Jian Sect and possessed his own pride.
There were even rumors that the Dao Sword had acknowledged Lin Ping as its master.
Lin Ping was arrogant. Perhaps he did not know the terror of the Azure Dragon Stone, or perhaps he believed himself exceptional and thus did not take Azure Lord too seriously.
Of course, Zhang Daolin merely entertained such thoughts inwardly.
"Cough, cough..."
Just then, the child in Zhang Daolin's arms coughed.
A flicker of heartache appeared between Zhang Daolin's brows, but in the next instant, that heartache turned into shock and terror.
"Shao Qin... are you all right?"
The child in Zhang Daolin's arms suddenly coughed up blood.
Mixed within the blood were fragments of ice.
The sight was terrifying and gruesome.
At this moment, Zhang Daolin had completely panicked.
The scene before him showed that his child had reached the end of the road.
Zhang Daolin knew his child's condition was very bad.
That was why he had brought him along even when coming here.
But he had never expected that the child would not even be able to hold on through today.
Zhang Daolin kept calling his child's name.
But the young child did not wake up at all.
His body had already become stiff, and a thin layer of frost covered him.
Lin Chao stood to the side, watching the grieving Zhang Daolin.
Lin Chao recalled how the child had greeted him just moments ago.
Now, death was already close at hand.
Lin Chao suddenly thought of something interesting.
If not for him, then according to the course of history, this child would die.
But if he stepped in and saved the child, what would history become?
The only problem was that he did not know what fate awaited this child named Zhang Shaoqin in history.
After some thought, Lin Chao decided to make a move after all.
If he wanted to obtain a high rating, he could no longer be a lone wolf.
If Heize from his previous life could seize Dafeng and replace it before the age of twenty, would history change?
Or perhaps his rating would be even higher?
"Daolin, was Shao Qin contaminated by the Ice Coffin?" Lin Chao asked softly.
Zhang Daolin's eyes were hazy. "Yes."
The Ice Coffin could not only grant people power, but also contaminate them.
Zhang Shaoqin was incomparably compatible with the Ice Coffin, yet he had failed to withstand its contamination and had become like this.
Zhang Shaoqin's condition was like having a cold illness.
This cold illness was a true cold illness.
His body would freeze, and ice fragments would form within his five viscera and six bowels.
Once he coughed up ice fragments, death would not be far away.
"Let me take a look." Lin Chao's voice was calm.
Yet his words carried a feeling that made people believe him.
Or rather, a feeling of trust.
One of Lin Chao's awakened talents was linguistic influence.
People found his words more believable, filled with infectious power.
Lin Chao constantly used this talent in daily life.
By now, the loyalty of Dan Jian Sect's disciples and servants toward Lin Chao had reached a terrifying level.
At this moment, Lin Chao used his linguistic influence as well.
"Fine." Zhang Daolin's eyes were dim and lifeless, and he was utterly dejected.
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