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

The weight of the revelation hung in the air like a storm yet to break. The Ling Clan—not merely destroyed, but erased from existence. The mere thought of it sent an unfamiliar chill down Ling Tian's spine.

His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword, the golden-azure glow flickering dangerously.

Xu Qing'er stood beside him, her expression unreadable. "They erased everything… but not you."

Her words carried an unspoken question.

Why?

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A Silent Guardian

The remnants of power lingering in the ruined throne hall had not faded. The whispers of the past still clung to the air. But now, Ling Tian could hear something else.

A presence. Watching. Waiting.

With a flick of his sleeve, he unleashed his aura, the golden and azure light piercing through the void.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

A figure emerged.

A shadow wrapped in flowing silver robes, his face obscured by a shattered mask. His presence was neither living nor dead, a lingering will left behind for eternity.

Ling Tian's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

The figure did not move, but his voice carried the weight of centuries.

"A guardian of what was lost."

Xu Qing'er's gaze sharpened. "You survived?"

The figure shook his head. "No. I remain only as an echo… a fragment of defiance against the chains that bind fate."

Ling Tian stepped forward. "Tell me. What truly happened to the Ling Clan?"

The guardian's voice was heavy with sorrow. "They challenged the Sovereigns of the Myriad Worlds… and were cast into oblivion."

Sovereigns.

The highest rulers of existence. The unseen hands that dictated reality itself.

Ling Tian's grip on his sword tightened. "Who gave the order?"

A long pause. Then, the guardian spoke—

"The One Above All Thrones."

---

A Name That Shouldn't Exist

The moment those words were spoken, the world trembled.

Xu Qing'er gasped as the air around them distorted, reality itself twisting unnaturally.

Ling Tian's golden-azure aura flared violently, clashing against the unseen force that tried to suppress the truth.

The guardian staggered, his form cracking like broken glass.

"I have already spoken too much… but you must know this."

His gaze locked onto Ling Tian.

"The Vanquished Throne was not broken. It was sealed."

Ling Tian's breath slowed.

Sealed?

The throne was in ruins. The Ling Clan was erased.

And yet—

It was never truly over.

Before Ling Tian could speak, space shattered around them.

A force descended—something vast, unknowable, reaching through the Myriad Worlds to silence the truth.

The guardian let out a final whisper before his form crumbled into dust.

"Break the chains… or be consumed by them."

Then, he was gone.

But Ling Tian understood.

His clan was not just destroyed.

It was imprisoned within fate itself.

---

The Chains That Bind

Xu Qing'er placed a hand on his shoulder. "We need to leave. Now."

The oppressive force in the air was growing stronger. Whatever had tried to erase the guardian was now shifting its attention toward them.

Ling Tian closed his eyes.

Then, he smirked.

"Let them come."

His aura erupted, golden and azure light shattering the suppression that loomed over them.

For the first time, the chains of fate quivered.

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