Are You Ready to Die?

Beside them, Consort Lian and the others looked utterly bewildered.

They had no idea what Azure Lord was talking about.

Lin Chao paused slightly. "It seems you knew long ago."

"The person who could kill my younger brother was indeed somewhat special.

There are no Golden Threads on you, so you are unaffected by fate and fortune.

Then you are... the true Child of Destiny?"

Azure Lord laughed, though no one knew what he was laughing at.

The others beside him also looked baffled, unable to understand what Azure Lord meant.

Lin Chao roughly understood Azure Lord's meaning.

Yet he was not some so-called Child of Destiny.

He had been reborn into this world.

"The Child of Destiny is indeed extraordinary.

No matter whom you encounter, you crush all before you and emerge victorious from every battle.

Unfortunately, you encountered me."

Azure Lord wore a smug smile.

"I am destiny itself!"

That was right. At this moment, Azure Lord was destiny itself.

As Azure Lord spoke those words, Lin Chao felt an endless pressure descend upon him.

The Dao Sword on his body began to tremble as well.

It seemed to have been affected by this destiny too.

Azure Lord did not attack. He looked at Lin Chao. "I will ask you three questions."

Lin Chao said nothing and merely watched Azure Lord quietly.

"Is the Azure Dragon Army strong?"

"Strong."

It truly was strong.

Lin Chao dared say that within the imperial palace, Huang Xian Yuan's two thousand guards would not be able to defeat the Azure Dragon Army, which consisted of three hundred eunuchs.

"I can have as many Azure Dragon Armies like this as I wish." Azure Lord burst into laughter.

Lin Chao agreed with Azure Lord's words.

In this world, there was no shortage of people.

"Second question: have you ever seen a dynasty that lasted ten thousand generations?"

"No."

The Great Xia Clan had endured for ten thousand years, with countless changes of dynasty. There had never been a dynasty of ten thousand generations.

Even the mightiest dynasties had lasted fewer than thirty generations.

That was only because the emperors of those dynasties had short lives and kept dying young.

"Once Mount Taiqing is moved to Kyoto, you will see what a true dynasty of ten thousand generations is!" At this, genuine emotion appeared on Azure Lord's face for the first time.

It was an expression of extreme fanaticism.

Previously, whether Azure Lord smiled or showed any other expression, it had all seemed like an act.

Only now did he reveal his true feelings.

Yet Lin Chao did not care in the slightest. What did it have to do with him?

"The third question." Azure Lord calmed down.

"I shall be emperor, as ordained by destiny.

You shall be Imperial Preceptor, with every talent put to its proper use.

Lin Ping, are you willing to become the Imperial Preceptor of my Great Cang for ten thousand generations?"

This was an enormous temptation.

The other Extraordinary individuals had resisted Azure Lord only because they had been left with no other choice.

Azure Lord was debauched and unrestrained, seeming fickle and unpredictable, yet in some respects, he kept his promises.

At this moment, his offer to make Lin Ping Imperial Preceptor was bait cast with immense profit.

Lin Chao felt that if Huang Xian Yuan were answering this question instead, he might agree.

After all, compared with overthrowing Azure Lord, the benefits were simply too great.

"I do not wish to find that once all under heaven submit to me, there is not even one person left who can truly speak to me."

A smile appeared on Azure Lord's face.

"He fears me, she fears me, she wants to kill me."

Azure Lord pointed at the people beside him, his smile mocking.

"Even my younger brother coveted my Azure Dragon Stone."

At that moment, Azure Lord truly had the air of a lonely sovereign.

Or rather, perhaps every emperor felt this way.

Lin Chao looked into Azure Lord's eyes. "Azure Lord, I have a question for you as well."

"Oh?"

"Are you ready to die?"

As Lin Chao spoke, the Dao Sword in his hand flew up, and a fierce sword intent radiated from his body.

At that moment, he was like a swordsman who would never return once he set out.

The smile on Azure Lord's face froze.

"Looks like you do not cherish the opportunity before you."

"What a pity, what a pity."

"I had wanted to show the destiny of this world some respect."

"It seems I should just kill you!"

Azure Lord laughed loudly. "Lin Ping, I admit that you are very strong!

You suppressed all eleven exotic treasures!

You learned the ultimate arts of all eleven families.

You are the Child of Destiny, the reincarnation of a sage!

Even if there were ten emperors like me, we would not be your match.

But you have no idea what kind of existence you are facing!

I have said it before: I am not a boat. I am a dragon!

I am destiny!"

As Azure Lord spoke, a dragon's roar suddenly rang out.

At that instant, Azure Lord's body underwent a transformation.

Hideous dragon claws extended from his sleeves.

His body changed at that same moment.

His entire body became a monster.

Or rather, a giant lizard.

"Ah..."

"A monster..."

The entire imperial palace fell into chaos.

Azure Lord had actually turned into a giant lizard—or rather, a western dragon.

"Lin Ping, I truly am a dragon!"

Azure Lord spoke, his voice carrying an indescribable majesty.

The sheer impact of the enormous lizard standing before them was overwhelming.

No matter how powerful exotic treasures were, they still remained within the bounds of reason.

Extraordinary individuals were strong, but not so strong as to overturn one's understanding of the world.

For a human to turn into a terrifying lizard was beyond what ordinary people could comprehend.

Lin Chao looked at Azure Lord, his gaze calm. "You are nothing more than an ugly giant lizard."

In Lin Chao's eyes, only the divine dragons of the East were true dragons.

What did Azure Lord amount to?

"Heh heh, die!"

Azure Lord spoke, and his massive dragon tail lashed over, carrying a small tornado with it.

With a single strike, he could collapse pavilions and towers.

Such strength far surpassed that of Extraordinary individuals.

Even Lin Chao felt an immense threat.

As the dragon tail crashed down, countless raised platforms collapsed, bricks and tiles flying everywhere.

Crying, screaming, and terrified shrieks mingled together.

Countless Golden Threads flew out from these people and entered Azure Lord's body.

Lin Chao saw that beyond the imperial palace, innumerable Golden Threads also streamed into Azure Lord's body.

Azure Lord's body grew even larger.

His attacks became even more savage, as though he truly were a monster.

Even Lin Chao, who had learned the ultimate arts of all eleven families, found it difficult to withstand him.

At that moment, Lin Chao's face was somewhat pale, yet his expression remained calm.

He recalled the mass grave outside Beiling City. He recalled the madwoman he had encountered on the road. He saw the vast stretch of floating corpses on the Taiqing River.

An indescribable emotion surged into Lin Chao's heart.

Lin Chao's face showed neither sorrow nor joy, yet a sacred aura radiated from him.

If fate and destiny belonged to Azure Lord, then let it be severed!

If destiny belonged to Azure Lord, then the blue heavens should die, and yellow heavens be raised!

It was as though Lin Chao had crossed the long river of history and found an answer.

"Lin Ping of the Dan Jian Sect has a sword. I invite Azure Lord to his death, and I invite Great Cang to its death!"

Sword Come!

With Lin Chao's voice, heaven and earth became strange at that instant.

The longswords in the hands of countless guards broke free and flew toward Lin Chao.

Within Kyoto, swords flew out of weapon shops.

In the Taiqing River, rust-covered Iron Swords clutched in the hands of sunken corpses flew out.

At the Dan Jian Sect in Beiling, Lin Leng was instructing Lin Zhi in swordsmanship.

All at once, the swords on their bodies broke free and flew away.

Excitement appeared on Lin Zhi's face. "It's Brother! It's Brother!"

Lin Leng's body stiffened. His face revealed relief and complicated emotions, and in the end, he let out a long, lingering sigh.

Across the Central Plains, every sword flew into Kyoto.

Behind Lin Chao, ten thousand swords had gathered.

"Please, my lord, go die!"

I have a sword that can slaughter ten thousand cavalry, extinguish human desire, and sever the secrets of heaven!

This sword was named Sword Come. Once drawn, it would surely kill.

Thanks to Carrying Wine Drunk Beneath the Vast Sky for the reward!