68. The Chains of Destiny

The wind howled through the jagged cliffs as Ling Tian stood motionless, the weight of the cryptic message from the mysterious figure pressing upon his soul. The Vanquished Throne—those words carried a meaning far beyond what he could currently grasp, but something within him resonated with them.

Xu Qing'er reached out, her delicate fingers gently touching his arm. "Ling Tian… you're shaking."

He exhaled slowly, steadying himself. "It's nothing. Just another step in the path fate has laid for me."

But she wasn't convinced. She had seen that look in his eyes before—the gaze of someone burdened with the weight of an unfathomable destiny.

Before she could press further, a surge of Qi erupted in the distance, sending shockwaves through the land. Ling Tian's expression hardened. "That's—"

A blinding light tore through the sky, followed by an oppressive aura that bore down on them. From the horizon, a figure emerged, draped in celestial robes embroidered with ancient symbols. His presence alone seemed to distort the very fabric of space.

"The Heavenly Enforcer…" Xu Qing'er whispered, her breath hitching.

Ling Tian's gaze sharpened. He had crossed paths with the Enforcers of the Myriad Realms before—guardians who upheld the balance between fate and chaos. For one to appear now… it could mean only one thing.

"You have tampered with forces beyond mortal comprehension, Ling Tian," the Enforcer's voice rang out like a divine decree. "Your existence has begun to alter the grand order of the Myriad Worlds."

Ling Tian smirked, his golden and azure aura surging. "And what of it?"

The Enforcer's eyes flickered with divine light. "Then I must test your qualifications."

With a flick of his wrist, the heavens rumbled, and an ethereal chain materialized, descending upon Ling Tian with the force of a collapsing star. But Ling Tian did not falter—his Heavenly Tribulation Art roared to life, lightning crackling through the skies as he met the attack head-on.

The battle had begun.

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