46: One sword shatters the emperor's dream

The reason Li Daoran offered Lin Mu such generous terms was due to his own considerations.

His grand ambitions required capable assistants, individuals who were not only strong but also exceptionally talented.

Originally, he had set his sights on Yun Feiyang.

However, after numerous attempts to probe him, he discovered that Yun Feiyang, despite his outwardly arrogant demeanor, was in fact a deeply cunning and fickle person, making him very difficult to control.

Later, he turned his attention to Wang Changhe, the Shadowless Sword King.

Although this man was rigid, he was particularly trustworthy and could be controlled through the Third Prince.

But unexpectedly, Wang Changhe was killed by Lin Mu.

Only today did he discover that Lin Mu could control the Power of the Heavenly Dao and had effortlessly slain Ding Jiu, whom he had sent to test Lin Mu.

Therefore, he decided to win Lin Mu over to his side.

But who would have thought!

Lin Mu looked at the confident Li Daoran and sneered, saying,

“What I desire, I will obtain myself. What I possess, no one shall lay a finger on unless I choose to give it away.”

“Hahaha, it is good for young people to be proud, but they must also know how to assess the situation. I will give you another chance.”

Li Daoran's face was ashen, and he threatened, word by word,

“Give me the heavenly dao stone in exchange for wealth and glory, or I will come and take it myself, reducing you to ashes.”

Faced with Li Daoran's threat, Lin Mu remained unfazed.

“Some people mistakenly believe themselves to be gods who rule the heavens and earth, yet they do not realize they are merely loaches hiding in a gutter. How can the light of a firefly contend with the brilliance of the full moon?”

Li Daoran's face darkened: “Since you are so determined to die, I shall grant your wish.”

With that, Li Daoran's figure suddenly vanished, appearing instantly beside the blood-red coffin containing Princess Tianning.

He looked at Princess Tianning with a complicated expression and said, “Ah Ning, don't blame your Imperial Father. This is also for the eternal foundation of Yanshan Kingdom.”

Li Daoran's demeanor at this moment was utterly frenzied, the majestic and solemn expression on his face seemingly swallowed by gloom.

He extended his hands, manipulating Princess Tianning from a distance.

Princess Tianning's body slowly rose, and only after it floated out of the coffin did it suddenly stop.

“Form the array!”

Li Daoran suddenly roared, and in an instant, hundreds of red light beams erupted from underground.

Outside the light beams, three black-robed elders had appeared at some unknown point.

They continuously channeled spiritual energy into the formation with both hands.

“Imperial Father, what are you doing? Quickly put Tianning down!” the Third Prince roared, his voice hoarse.

“Put her down? I have planned for this moment for over a hundred years!”

“When Tianning was born, I saw that she possessed the Divine Dragon bloodline. For the past hundred years, I have doted on her, which can be considered a form of compensation.”

At this moment, all the vital essence in Princess Tianning's body condensed into blood threads, flowing into Li Daoran's body like a breached dam.

Feeling the increasingly pure Divine Dragon vital essence within his body, Li Daoran excitedly exclaimed,

“This Yin-Yang Reversal Dragon Locking Array is indeed incredibly profound.”

“Once I obtain all the Divine Dragon vital essence and, with the help of the heavenly dao stone, activate the power of faith of all the citizens in the kingdom, I will surely ascend to the Emperor Realm!”

Lin Mu looked at the utterly insane Li Daoran with a hint of pity in his expression.

“What good is an Emperor Realm achieved by sacrificing one's own flesh and blood?”

“Ignorant child, how can you know of my grand ambitions? Once I become a Great Emperor, I will dominate all ages, expand my territory, and conquer new lands!”

Li Daoran grew more agitated as he spoke: “I will not only unify the human territories, but also invade the demon race to the north, the Asuras to the east, and the giants to the south. I will conquer a vast and boundless territory.”

“One day, I will make even the gods in heaven bow down to me! Hahaha!”

Lin Mu chuckled softly and said, “Even if you achieve all that, what then?”

After a brief moment of calm, Li Daoran murmured,

“Power is addictive. Once you possess it, you won't easily let go. What you desire will only grow more and more, endlessly.”

After speaking, he became frenzied again, laughing wildly without restraint.

The Third Prince looked at the increasingly deranged Li Daoran, then at Tianning, whose face was as pale as paper.

He suddenly knelt before Young Master Lin, pleading,

“Young Master Lin, I beg you, save Tianning. From now on, I, Li Yu, will follow your lead. Whatever you command, I will not dare to disobey.”

Lin Mu looked coldly at the Third Prince, Li Yu, and slowly said,

“I can save her, and I can even help you ascend to the throne. The price is that you acknowledge me as your master and obey my commands from now on.”

Lin Mu's words made Li Yu hesitate.

He wanted to save Tianning, but doing so would mean becoming a puppet emperor, making the Li family's empire a vassal to another.

“Your time seems to be running out. Even if you are unwilling, I believe some of your other brothers will agree.”

Li Yu glanced at Tianning, who was on the verge of death, gritted his teeth, and said,

“I, Li Yu, swear by the Heavenly Dao that from this day forward, I acknowledge Young Master Lin as my master. Should I ever harbor disloyal intentions, may heaven and earth punish me.”

After speaking, to show his sincerity, he kowtowed three times on the ground.

Seeing his objective achieved, Lin Mu drew the heavenly dao sword.

Then he said confidently, “After witnessing this sword strike, you will be glad of your choice today.”

Li Yu looked up at Lin Mu upon hearing this.

Lin Mu paused briefly with his sword, a yellow halo emanating from the blade, and then he fiercely slashed outwards.

A sword light several zhang long, like a bolt of lightning, struck towards the direction of the formation.

Wherever the sword light passed, the formation shattered, and the bodies of the three black-robed elders were cut into pieces like tofu by the sword light.

Li Daoran, standing in the middle of the formation, only resisted for a moment before the sword light pierced through him.

His body cracked in several places like porcelain.

Li Daoran roared in defiance, “Why? I was just one step away from achieving my long-cherished wish.”

At this moment, Li Daoran's expression had returned to normal.

He dragged his broken body to Princess Tianning.

With an unwilling expression, he took one last look at Princess Tianning.

Then his body disintegrated into pieces scattered across the ground, and even his soul shattered into fragments.

Even with the formation's enhancement, granting Li Daoran the strength of a half-step Emperor Realm, he could not escape the fate of having his soul utterly destroyed under Lin Mu's single sword strike.

After Lin Mu killed Li Daoran with a single sword, he flew into the shattered formation.

Looking at the weakly breathing Princess Tianning, Lin Mu extended his hand and placed it on Princess Tianning's forehead. A mysterious yellow current slowly entered her body.

Princess Tianning's previously almost shattered soul was re-stabilized, and a faint flush of color returned to her face.

The Third Prince, Li Yu, followed shortly after.

Upon seeing Lin Mu save Tianning, he repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

Lin Mu said calmly,

“I will make the Crown Prince of Yanshan Kingdom disappear silently. I trust you can handle the rest. Do not disappoint me.”

After Lin Mu finished speaking, his figure instantly vanished.

The next day, earth-shattering news spread throughout the Imperial Capital.

The Emperor of Yanshan Kingdom was assassinated and died, and the Crown Prince was unfortunately killed while rushing to his aid.

The Third Prince, Li Yu, fought desperately and killed the assassin.

The court officials unanimously recommended the Third Prince to act as Crown Prince and temporarily oversee the state.

As soon as the news broke, the entire nation was shocked.