080 : The Hunt for the Iron Throne.

The territory of the Sovereign of Iron was nothing like the lawless lower city.

It was a fortress.

Massive iron walls surrounded the district, lined with guard towers, patrols, and reinforced gates.

The moment Lin Tian approached, he felt it—the weight of this Sovereign's authority.

The buildings, the roads, even the air itself carried an unshakable presence.

It was as if the entire city had been forged from a single will.

Lin Tian exhaled.

So this was the power of a Sovereign who specialized in defense.

Interesting.

But not unbreakable.

He stepped forward.

It was time to test the limits of this throne.

Lin Tian barely made it past the first checkpoint before the guards stopped him.

Two heavily armored men, their bodies covered in steel plating, blocked his path.

One of them, a massive warrior with a greatsword strapped to his back, sneered.

"State your business, outsider."

Lin Tian tilted his head. "I'm here to meet the Sovereign of Iron."

The guards laughed.

"You? A nobody without even a recognized title?"

The second guard smirked. "Turn around, or we'll break you."

Lin Tian sighed.

"Break me?"

He raised his hand.

The air shifted.

A faint trail of embers flickered through the street, barely visible against the iron-strong surroundings.

Then—the guards' armor cracked.

Their steel plates corroded instantly, turning to blackened, crumbling ash.

The laughter died.

The guards staggered back, wide-eyed.

Lin Tian smiled. "I don't break."

And with that—he walked past them.

Far above the city, within a towering iron citadel, a figure sat on a throne of black steel.

A man with arms like forged metal, his body wrapped in heavy, rune-carved armor.

He was the Sovereign of Iron.

And he had already noticed Lin Tian.

One of his advisors, a thin, nervous scholar, stepped forward.

"My lord… an unknown challenger has entered the district."

The Sovereign of Iron smirked.

"Let him come."

The advisor hesitated. "But, my lord—"

"Let. Him. Come."

The Sovereign leaned forward, his metallic fingers flexing.

"If he thinks he can take my throne… then I'll show him what true strength is."

Lin Tian continued through the city, completely unbothered by the countless eyes watching him.

From the alleyways, from the rooftops, from the windows of steel-plated buildings.

Everyone in this place was either a warrior or a smith.

The entire district was built on strength, on unyielding power.

And yet—

None of them dared to approach him.

Because even though he was alone, even though he had no visible weapons, even though he had only just arrived…

They felt it.

The weight of his presence.

The faint heat of ash and ember trailing in his wake.

He was not someone they wanted to cross.

And when he reached the steps of the Iron Citadel, where the Sovereign of Iron ruled—

The massive gates swung open.

A sign.

An invitation.

Or perhaps—a challenge.

Lin Tian smirked.

"Finally."

And then—he walked inside.

The Iron Citadel was a fortress unlike any other.

Every inch of its walls, floors, and ceilings was covered in thick, rune-etched steel.

The deeper Lin Tian walked, the heavier the atmosphere became.

It was as if the entire structure was alive, pressing down on him, trying to crush him under its weight.

But Lin Tian?

He didn't break.

At the end of the grand hall, atop a throne of blackened steel, the Sovereign of Iron sat waiting.

His body was massive—a walking fortress of muscle and metal.

He leaned forward, his voice booming.

"You are bold to come here, outsider."

Lin Tian smiled.

"You are weak to sit on that throne."

A long silence followed.

Then—the Sovereign of Iron grinned.

"You think you can take this from me?"

Lin Tian stepped forward.

"I don't think."

He clenched his fist.

"I know."

The Sovereign of Iron stood.

The air shook.

Metallic runes flashed across the walls.

And in that moment—

The battle for the Iron Throne began.

The moment the Sovereign of Iron stood, the entire citadel rumbled.

The steel walls, the reinforced pillars, the massive throne behind him—they all reacted to his presence.

Lin Tian could feel it.

This Sovereign was not just a man.

He was a living fortress.

And now—he was preparing for war.

The Sovereign cracked his knuckles, his metallic fingers grinding together like shifting plates of armor.

"You're the one who killed the Sovereign of Ash, aren't you?"

Lin Tian smirked. "What gave it away?"

The Sovereign chuckled, his deep voice echoing through the hall.

"Because I can still feel the ashes clinging to you."

He stepped forward.

"But you'll find that iron does not burn so easily."

Lin Tian's golden eyes gleamed.

"Then I'll just have to melt you down."

And then—they moved.

The Sovereign of Iron struck first.

His fist, covered in layers of reinforced steel, shot forward with the force of a falling mountain.

BOOM!

The air shattered.

The floor cracked.

Lin Tian dodged—barely.

The sheer force of the punch sent a shockwave through the entire citadel.

The throne room shook, and the massive iron pillars lining the hall groaned under the impact.

Lin Tian grinned.

"Not bad."

But the Sovereign of Iron was already moving again.

He brought his other fist down—

And this time, Lin Tian didn't dodge.

He raised his arm and caught the punch head-on.

BOOM!

The moment their hands collided, the floor beneath Lin Tian's feet shattered completely.

The force rushed through his body, sending cracks spreading outward from where he stood.

But—he did not move.

The Sovereign of Iron narrowed his eyes.

Lin Tian smirked.

"My turn."

Lin Tian countered instantly.

His free hand ignited, covered in swirling black embers and burning cinders.

Scorched Touch.

He drove his fist forward, straight into the Sovereign's chest.

BOOM!

A blast of blackened ash erupted, the heat burning through the Sovereign's armored flesh.

The Sovereign staggered back, his skin smoking.

For the first time—he looked surprised.

Lin Tian rolled his shoulders.

"Looks like iron can burn after all."

The Sovereign gritted his teeth.

Then—he smiled.

"You're better than I thought."

He lifted his left arm—

And Lin Tian watched as iron began growing over his burned skin, sealing the wound instantly.

The Sovereign chuckled.

"But you're going to need more than that."

Lin Tian's grin widened.

"Good."

Because he wasn't done yet.

The Sovereign of Iron raised both hands.

And then—the entire citadel responded.

The walls, the floor, the very foundation of the throne room shifted.

Lin Tian felt it—the Sovereign's domain.

He wasn't just controlling his body.

He was controlling the entire structure around them.

The Iron Domain.

A technique that allowed him to become one with the very walls of his kingdom.

The Sovereign smirked.

"This place is mine."

And in that instant—the entire throne room collapsed in on Lin Tian.

Massive iron spikes shot out from the walls.

The floor cracked open, trying to swallow Lin Tian whole.

The pillars bent inward, threatening to crush him from all sides.

The entire throne room had become a weapon.

But Lin Tian?

He simply laughed.

"Nice trick," he muttered.

Then—he let go.

The moment he released his control, his aura exploded outward.

The Ashborn Domain activated.

A wave of blackened embers surged through the room, eating away at the reinforced metal.

The spikes that had rushed toward him? Gone.

The floor that tried to consume him? Turned to dust.

The pillars that were closing in? Collapsing into nothing.

The Sovereign of Iron's eyes widened.

Lin Tian stepped forward, unharmed.

"This place?" He smirked.

"It belongs to me now."

The Sovereign growled.

Then—he charged again.

But this time, Lin Tian didn't step back.

He met him head-on.

And in that moment—

The battle for the Iron Throne truly began.

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