Incoming Attack

Mo Fengxue's words stirred up a ripple across the gathering.

The Armored Gate's master was slightly taken aback, yet the smile remained on his face.

He believed that someone would surely refute Mo Fengxue.

But in the very next breath, the Armored Gate's master was utterly stunned.

"Empty Mountain Temple also supports putting it to a vote. We are willing to choose Lin Ping as our leader."

The Armored Gate's master knew well that although Empty Mountain Temple had always kept a low profile and possessed little renown,

the old monk of Empty Mountain Temple was someone even he feared. Moreover, that old monk was a Buddhist monk.

The Armored Gate's master once more gave Lin Ping a careful look.

The masters of the other factions also looked toward Lin Ping, each wearing a different expression, deep in thought.

"The Jiang Tian Xie Family also casts a vote for Lin Ping, the young sect master of Dan Jian Sect."

To everyone's surprise, the Jiang Tian Xie Family had also voted for Lin Ping.

The Armored Gate's master felt a sense of impending crisis.

There were only seven factions in total, yet three had already voted for Lin Ping of Dan Jian Sect.

This was something the masters of Armored Gate, Light Feather Gate, and Eight Trigrams Gate had never expected.

At that moment, Lin Ping stepped forward. He had changed into white robes, making him look even more strikingly handsome.

"I'll join in the fun and cast a vote for myself.

That makes four people voting for me.

The other three gate masters, whom do you wish to vote for?"

The other three gate masters looked at one another.

With Lin Ping's move, the overall situation had already been decided.

Beside them, Huang Xian Yuan, the rebel army's leader—the blue-robed scholar—suddenly spoke. "I was born into a poor farming family. I have been a beggar and a monk. I have always revered enlightened monks. Since the eminent monk of Empty Mountain Temple chose Lin Ping of Dan Jian Sect, I trust his judgment. I, too, cast my vote for Lin Ping."

Huang Xian Yuan was the leader of the rebel army, and his status was no lower than that of any faction master present.

Seeing so many people vote for Lin Ping,

he felt that Lin Ping must possess something extraordinary. Thus, he too chose to vote for Lin Ping and gamble on it.

Lin Chao gave Huang Xian Yuan an extra glance.

Mo Fengxue said softly beside him, "He is Huang Xian Yuan, leader of the rebel army."

Emperor Gaozu?

Lin Chao was slightly taken aback.

If he remembered correctly, the founding emperor of the Great Yellow Dynasty was Huang Xian Yuan, who had established Yellow as its state name.

The Yellow Dynasty had been one of the more powerful empires in the history of the Great Xia Clan. It had opened up territory and expanded its lands, bringing Great Xia five hundred years of prosperity.

He had never expected to see Emperor Gaozu here.

A trace of doubt flashed through his heart.

Was everything happening now real?

Was this happening in the past, or in the present?

If he killed Huang Xian Yuan,

would the Great Yellow Dynasty still exist?

Would history change?

What would become of reality?

Of course, such thoughts were merely thoughts.

Huang Xian Yuan was not his enemy.

Nor would he kill an innocent man for the sake of a shred of curiosity.

He could find other ways to verify it.

Lin Chao had always held reverence for the passing years, for time itself.

Legend had it that even gods could not truly grasp such a thing.

Yet Lin Chao recalled something he had once read.

Time had never existed in the first place; it could not be found in reality.

And yet, within humanity's thought and consciousness, time existed.

Lin Chao did not understand these matters very well.

Nor was this the time to ponder them.

"Can I be the leader now?" Lin Chao looked at the other three gate masters, a gentle smile in his eyes.

The masters of Light Feather Gate, Eight Trigrams Gate, and Armored Gate were shaken inwardly.

They had never expected Lin Ping to have secretly won over the other three great factions.

They could neither understand it nor imagine it.

But at this moment, they could only agree through gritted teeth.

"No problem." The Armored Gate's master's voice was robust. He looked at Lin Chao with sharp eyes, as though he wanted to see through Lin Ping completely.

"Mm." Lin Chao nodded.

He did not like trouble.

Human strength had its limits; he did not wish to meet the same end as Heize.

He wanted to earn a higher rating.

Moreover, the enemy Azure Lord was far more formidable than he had imagined.

Unfortunately, Lin Chao had searched through all the historical records and found no account of Azure Lord's final fate.

Only unofficial histories recorded that Azure Lord had enraged Heaven, whereupon streams of fire fell from the sky, and Azure Lord was consumed by flames.

"Since Young Master Lin Ping is the leader, what are your thoughts on dealing with Azure Lord and stopping Mount Taiqing from moving toward Kyoto?" the Armored Gate's master asked.

Everyone turned to Lin Ping, wanting to know what he had in mind.

Lin Chao looked at them all, his gaze calm, and slowly spoke six words: "Go to Kyoto. Kill Azure Lord."

"This..." The others were slightly stunned.

"Isn't that a little too simple?" Qi Guangying of Light Feather Gate could not help saying.

Or rather, it was no different from saying nothing at all.

"Heaven's mandate lies with Azure Lord; every scheme is futile." Lin Chao's gaze was calm. "Only by using the great momentum to break Heaven's mandate can we use the great momentum to kill him!"

The others' eyes flickered, but none spoke.

"I will follow Young Master Lin Ping." Mo Fengxue spoke, having no objections whatsoever to Lin Ping's words.

"Agreed." The master of Empty Mountain Temple and the representative of the Jiang Tian Xie Family echoed her.

The other three gate masters looked at one another.

This gathering felt strange somehow.

"At this very moment, we are here plotting against Great Cang. Do you think Azure Lord would not know?"

A smile appeared in Lin Chao's eyes.

"What do you mean?" A trace of horror appeared on the Armored Gate master's face.

"At this moment, the master of Tai Qing Palace is most likely already outside the Lord's Mansion."

Lin Chao looked toward the southwest, his gaze unfathomable, sword intent piercing the heavens.

Thank you to Lord Huaji for the reward, thank you!