Doubts

The sword rang like a dragon's roar, shooting straight into the clouds.

At the sound of that sword cry, the Tai Qing Palace Master's expression changed drastically.

"A sword crying like a dragon's roar—has an ordinary sword gained a spirit?"

The Tai Qing Palace Master had been contaminated by the Azure Dragon Stone. He was different from those contaminated by other exotic treasures.

He knew more.

The Azure Dragon Stone was what truly counted as an exotic treasure.

The Dao Sword, Spirit Pearl, and the like were merely items contaminated by the Azure Dragon Stone that had gained a trace of spirituality.

Yet now, the longsword in Lin Ping's hand had actually cried out like a dragon's roar.

According to the information obtained from the Azure Dragon Stone, the Tai Qing Palace Master knew that this meant the sword had given birth to a sword spirit, or a Sword Soul.

Any sword that gave birth to a sword spirit could be considered a true treasure.

It was fundamentally different from those eleven contaminated exotic treasures.

Even in that other world mentioned in the information from the Azure Dragon Stone, swords with spirits were extraordinary treasures.

This man before him actually possessed a treasure of such caliber?

As for the Armored Gate Master, the Light Feather Gate Master, and the others, they did not know nearly as much as the Tai Qing Palace Master.

They had no idea what the sword cry meant.

Still, their hearts trembled.

If they had been people from Lin Chao's era, they likely would not have had much learning in their heads and would only have blurted, "Holy shit."

"Who exactly are you?"

The Tai Qing Palace Master was shaken.

Originally, he believed Lin Ping's confidence came from the Dao Sword acknowledging him as its master.

With the Azure Dragon Stone's fortune at his side, exotic treasures like the Dao Sword, contaminated by the Azure Dragon Stone and possessing spirituality, were nothing at all.

But now, this man held a sword with a spirit.

How could the Tai Qing Palace Master not be utterly stunned?

"The man who will kill you."

Lin Chao did not waste words.

His figure flickered rapidly, and with one stroke, his sword swept across the Tai Qing Palace Master's throat.

The Tai Qing Palace Master did not react at all.

Though he was a grandmaster, before Lin Chao, he was still like a chick.

Yet a cold smile appeared on the Tai Qing Palace Master's face.

The sword landed upon his neck, and a layer of white mist rose from it.

With that white mist, Lin Chao's sword could not pierce even an inch.

"So what if you have a spirit sword? Heaven's mandate lies with the Azure Dragon Stone. I am utterly invincible!" The Tai Qing Palace Master laughed wildly, his face brimming with delight.

He waved his hand and attacked Lin Chao.

A smile appeared on Lin Chao's face. "Is that really so?"

Sword Soul!

Lin Chao possessed a talent known as Sword Soul.

When he held a sword, he could bestow a Sword Soul upon it.

This Sword Soul was what the Tai Qing Palace Master mistook for a sword spirit.

In truth, a Sword Soul and a sword spirit were different things. They were two entirely different existences.

A Sword Soul signified the soul of the sword path.

A sword was a weapon of sharpness—unyielding and upright, preferring to break rather than bend.

When the Dao Sword was bestowed with a Sword Soul, it was no longer an ordinary sword, nor was it a spirit sword.

Instead, it became the true emperor among swords.

The enhancement Sword Soul gave Lin Chao could not be called insignificant.

Just as the Gun Soul had once allowed an ordinary man like Heize to stand against an army of thousands, the Gun Soul had accounted for at least half of Heize's strength.

The current Lin Chao was no ordinary man. He was an Extraordinary.

When he used Sword Soul, the power he unleashed was even greater.

"Please die!"

Lin Chao repeated those words.

He did not use "my lord," but "you."

In his eyes, the Tai Qing Palace Master did not deserve to be called a lord.

With a sweep of his sword, the soul of the sword path upon the Dao Sword awakened.

In an instant, the Tai Qing Palace Master's head and body were separated.

Lin Chao sheathed his sword in one fluid motion, like drifting clouds and flowing water.

Mo Fengxue's face revealed an admiring expression.

As for Huang Xian Yuan, the Armored Gate Master, and the others, their expressions were complicated—half delight, half shock.

The experts of Dragon Hall, King Tai Liang's Estate, and Mituo Mountain fled one after another upon seeing the Tai Qing Palace Master's death.

Zhang Daolin of Northern Cold Hall had already pledged allegiance to Lin Chao, and at this moment, he attacked the other experts.

Before long, with the Tai Qing Palace Master dead, these Extraordinaries also fell one after another.

Lin Chao looked at the corpses on the ground, his gaze calm. "In ten days, I will go to Kyoto and kill the Azure Lord."

After speaking, Lin Chao left with his longsword in his arms.

The others watched Lin Chao with inscrutable expressions, shock rising within their hearts.

After returning to the real world, curiosity appeared in Lin Chao's eyes.

"Did Lin Ping truly exist?

Did I create history, or am I merely walking along history's path?"

Lin Chao pondered.

If he changed history, what would happen?

Or perhaps, he had never changed history at all; perhaps he was the one who created it?

Many profound questions were involved.

At this moment, Lin Chao could not make sense of them at all.

Just then, Zhao Xiaoyi beside him spoke. "Brother Lin Chao, do you want to come with me to Three Extremes Martial Hall tomorrow? It's really fun there.

"I recently learned a new Martial Arts technique. It feels pretty good. Do you want to go learn it?"

Lin Chao shook his head. "No. I'm going to Flying General City tomorrow. I have something to take care of."

Flying General City was the Great Capital of old.

To ease the doubts in his heart, he had deliberately buried something somewhere in the Great Capital.

"What a coincidence?" Zhao Xiaoyi froze slightly. "Sister Xiao Rou is going to Flying General City tomorrow too."