Fated to Rule, Destined to Love: The Martial Emperor’s Curse

The air within the Forsaken Realm pulsed with an eerie rhythm, as if the land itself was alive, whispering forgotten secrets to those foolish enough to listen. Ling Tian tightened his grip on his sword, his divine sense fully activated, yet the distortions in space made everything feel surreal.

The masked figure standing before him radiated an unfathomable presence. Not a shred of killing intent leaked from him, yet Ling Tian's instincts screamed of danger.

"You are unworthy of wielding that power," the figure murmured, his voice like an ancient echo, a remnant of a forgotten past.

Ling Tian scoffed. "Unworthy? And who decides that? You?"

The moment his words fell, the world trembled. Space twisted violently as ethereal swords formed from the void, each blade carrying the weight of an entire realm's judgment. The masked figure simply raised a hand, and the weapons of light descended upon Ling Tian like divine punishment.

"Tch!" Ling Tian's eyes sharpened as he twisted his body midair, his sword erupting with azure flames. With a single slash, a hundred swords shattered, but a thousand more took their place.

This isn't just an attack… It's a test!

Suddenly, the temple murals behind them glowed, their imagery shifting. No longer was it just an emperor standing alone. No, behind him stood a legion—figures cloaked in divine robes, wielding powers beyond comprehension.

Ling Tian's heart pounded.

The Vanquished Throne… was not one man.

Before he could process this revelation, the masked figure stepped forward. "A single man cannot defy fate. Not even you."

Ling Tian's sword vibrated in his grip, and his mind buzzed with countless voices overlapping, memories that were not his own struggling to surface. A flood of visions overwhelmed him. He saw wars waged across worlds, divine empires crumbling into dust, and a celestial blade piercing through an abyssal god's heart—a blade eerily similar to his own.

His pupils contracted. Was all of this… predetermined?

A chilling realization gripped his soul.

His reincarnation. His rise. His very existence—had it all been planned by some higher force?

"Ling Tian!"

A desperate voice shattered the illusion.

He turned, only to see a woman standing at the temple's entrance, her robes tattered, her breath unsteady. Her violet eyes trembled as she gazed at him, disbelief written all over her face.

Ling Tian's mind reeled. Xu Qing'er? Why was she here?!

The masked figure's gaze flickered toward her. A long silence followed before he exhaled softly. "Ah… the threads of fate have already begun to tangle."

With a wave of his hand, the ethereal swords dissolved, the oppressive aura receding.

"Today, you walk free, Heir of the Vanquished Throne. But remember—chains, once broken, do not disappear. They merely take a new form."

Before Ling Tian could react, the masked figure's body shimmered and dispersed like mist, vanishing into the depths of the Forsaken Realm.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Xu Qing'er stumbled forward, her hands trembling. "Ling Tian… What was that? Who was he?"

Ling Tian exhaled slowly, his grip on his sword tightening. He didn't have an answer. Not yet.

But one thing was certain—his past was no longer something he could ignore.

And neither was the fate that awaited him beyond the Myriad Worlds.

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