With a single point of the Black Horn Tribe leader's finger, dark purple soul power ignited like a raging inferno, enveloping Lin Qian in a swirling vortex of flames. The dark purple firestorm wrapped around his body, seemingly intent on tearing him apart.
The intense heat scorched the ground beneath him, causing it to crack and dry out. Even though the humans near Lin Qian had been blown away by an invisible force, they could still feel the searing heat. They scrambled back, their legs blistering from the radiant heat, eyes wide with terror. But amid their fear, they also worried for the young man who had freed them.
The dark purple flames continued to whirl around, but they began to dim.
The leader of the Black Horn Tribe turned away, no longer interested in Lin Qian. In his eyes, this weak human was already dead—there was no point in wasting any more energy on him.
"Not bad, it's quite warm," came a voice from within the flames, causing everyone to stare in shock.
Boom!
The air trembled as the dark purple flames were suddenly dispersed. Streams of dark purple fire swirled around a figure standing at the center, unharmed.
When they got a clear look, everyone was stunned. The young man was completely unscathed, not even his white robe showed any sign of burning or scorching. It was as if the flames had never touched him at all.
Lin Qian casually reached out, grasping a small wisp of the lingering dark purple flame from his shoulder. He examined it briefly before clenching his fist, crushing the flame into nothingness as embers scattered in the wind.
"This place is a bit chilly, but your fire was a nice warm-up," Lin Qian remarked, his tone casual. But then, his expression turned serious as an overwhelming aura erupted from within him, rippling outward and pressuring everyone around him.
Lin Qian had already reached the Heart Realm of the Life and Death stage, making these Nirvana Realm cultivators insignificant in comparison. His imperial aura surged, and all those present felt the suffocating pressure, unable to move.
The Black Horn Tribe members, in particular, were forced to their knees by Lin Qian's oppressive aura, blood oozing from their eyes, ears, and noses, completely immobilized.
As Lin Qian approached the Black Horn Tribe leader, the tiger-like soul beast beneath him began to tremble uncontrollably, eventually collapsing in fear and soiling itself.
The once arrogant leader of the Black Horn Tribe was now filled with terror. He could only watch as Lin Qian calmly walked up to him, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him off his mount, throwing him to the ground.
Lin Qian then patted the soul beast on the head, withdrawing his oppressive aura. The beast immediately bolted away in terror, abandoning its master without a second thought.
"Hmph, in my empire, the beast tamers train their mounts to fight to the death alongside them. They would never flee at the first sign of danger," Lin Qian said, turning his gaze to the Black Horn leader. "It seems you're not much of a person if your mount abandons you so easily."
The Black Horn leader's eyes widened in disbelief. "How dare you establish a kingdom! This is an affront to the King—an unforgivable crime!"
Hearing the alien's words, Lin Qian couldn't help but chuckle. Being told he was unforgivable was certainly an amusing experience.
Lin Qian imagined how his subordinate Zhao Long would react to such insolence—likely with a furious onslaught.
"A king? And how does establishing my empire insult your king?" Lin Qian asked, looking down at the Black Horn leader with a smirk.
"In the Ancient Forest World, there is only one supreme ruler—the King of the Black Horn Tribe! Only the Black Horn Kingdom may exist here. To establish a kingdom is treason! You're no better than the Red Horn rebels, plotting rebellion," the Black Horn leader shouted, his voice filled with righteous indignation. "You're courting death! Even the Red Horns wouldn't dare do something so reckless."
"The Ancient Forest World and the Black Horn King, huh..." Lin Qian murmured, piecing things together.
At that moment, the Black Horn leader realized something was wrong. Everyone in the Ancient Forest World knew of the Black Horn Kingdom and its king. Yet this human seemed completely unaware until he mentioned it. How could someone this powerful not know?
"Who are you, really? How dare you establish a kingdom without knowing of the Black Horn Kingdom or the King!" The Black Horn leader's fear grew as Lin Qian remained an enigma.
Lin Qian simply smiled and didn't bother to answer. He extended a finger and lightly touched the alien's chest. "Sorry, but I can't leave witnesses. And since you were imprisoning my fellow humans, I'll have to take your life."
The moment his finger touched the alien's chest, a powerful force shattered the Black Horn leader's heart and destroyed his dantian. The alien's life quickly faded, and he collapsed. Lin Qian waved his hand, and the body disappeared into his storage ring, destined for study by his empire's scholars.
Then, Lin Qian took a step forward, unleashing his crimson-gold lightning soul power in a ring around him. The lightning struck all the Black Horn Tribe members, reducing them to ashes in an instant.
The terrifying display of power left everyone trembling in fear, staring at Lin Qian in awe and horror.