After reaching the Awakening Realm, the attributes of Martial Souls undergo another significant enhancement, and Lin Qian was no exception.
Both the Thunder Night Sword and the Cloud Sword experienced enhancements, but rather than gaining new abilities, the primary change was an increase in their amplification potential.
Whether it was the Thunder Night Sword's ability to enhance physical strength or the Cloud Sword's ability to boost soul power, their maximum amplification had now increased to a staggering twentyfold.
With Lin Qian channeling both Crimson-Gold Thunder Soul Power and White Orchid Ice Soul Power simultaneously, his overall strength could be amplified up to twenty times.
While these enhancements might seem common and straightforward, the extraordinary effect Lin Qian could achieve was something other human Soul Warriors could only dream of.
But what truly excited Lin Qian wasn't just the increase in amplification—it was the newfound ability to control the degree of enhancement.
Previously, whether amplifying physical strength or soul power, the increase was fixed—five times meant five times, ten times meant ten times.
But now, Lin Qian could adjust the amplification anywhere between one and twenty times at will.
This flexibility was crucial. When Lin Qian had broken through to the Soul Crystal stage of the Life and Death Realm, the tenfold enhancement had certainly been powerful, but it also consumed a vast amount of soul power.
Before, he could either use the Martial Soul's ability at its maximum amplification or not at all. The fixed, high amplification could sometimes result in excessive soul power consumption, which wasn't always necessary.
Now, Lin Qian could tailor the enhancement to his needs, adjusting the amplification based on the situation. This meant he could manage his soul power consumption much more efficiently.
Of course, Lin Qian considered this careful management of enhancement and soul power when facing enemies of a higher realm. But for opponents of the same realm?
In Lin Qian's mind, there was no need to use the Martial Soul's abilities at all. He didn't believe that any Soul Warrior of the same realm could match him—certainly not withstand more than three moves.
At least in the Soul Martial Continent, Lin Qian was confident of this.
"Being unbeatable is so lonely," Lin Qian sighed with a mix of humor and lamentation.
Sometimes, Lin Qian really wondered why there was no one in his age group or of the same realm who could give him a good fight.
It wasn't that Lin Qian looked down on others his age or in his realm—it was simply that he was too powerful.
"I hope there will be an opponent in the Black Horn Kingdom who can give me a worthy battle," Lin Qian thought to himself, casting his gaze toward the depths of the Ancient Forest World, where the Black Horn Kingdom's capital was located.
Back when he was attacking the Qin Dynasty, Lin Qian had harbored the hope that Emperor Qin Lingtian might provide a satisfying fight.
But he was disappointed. When the imperial forces of the Huaxia Empire reached the capital, they found that the once-mighty Qin Emperor had fled, hiding like a turtle in its shell.
There was nothing Lin Qian could do about that—he couldn't exactly force someone to fight him.
Having successfully broken through to the Awakening Realm, Lin Qian was in high spirits. He turned to Wang Gang and the others, motioning toward the gathering area, "Let's head back!"
With that, Lin Qian soared into the air, heading back to the gathering area. The air around him seemed to part as he sped forward, and within moments, he had returned to his floating abode above the gathering place.
The incredible speed that came with his newly elevated realm amazed Lin Qian, though it also left him with a pang of regret. If only he had broken through to the Awakening Realm sooner, Xiao Jiang might not have had to endure the agony of losing his limbs.
After calming his excited thoughts, Lin Qian returned to his abode, sat cross-legged, and began to quietly meditate, immersing himself in the spiritual energy of the world.
Having just broken through, his soul power was still somewhat turbulent, and Lin Qian needed to meditate to stabilize his condition.
This type of meditation was quite different from regular cultivation.
During regular cultivation, a person could recover from fatigue over a set period, but if they pushed beyond the limits of their soul's endurance, extreme exhaustion would set in, requiring rest.
One could choose to sleep, nurturing the mind, or engage in seated meditation.
This state primarily involved circulating soul power within the body to regulate and attune oneself. While cultivation would still advance, it would do so at a much slower pace.
Some referred to this practice as "seated meditation," while others called it "contemplation" or "attunement." The terms might vary, but the essence was the same.
Often, when encountering a bottleneck during a breakthrough, one would enter seclusion and adopt this state to attune themselves, waiting for the right moment to break through in one decisive move.
Lin Qian now focused on consolidating his new realm, regulating the still somewhat chaotic soul power within his body, and completely immersing himself in his meditative world.
As the soul power circulated throughout his body, Lin Qian's aura gradually stabilized. Half a day later, the Heavenly Mark resumed infusing him with spiritual energy, tempering his body and suppressing the restlessness in his blood, bringing it to a calm state.
Additionally, the Heavenly Workshop quickly custom-made a new version of the Imperial Emperor Technique for Lin Qian to practice.
With the new Imperial Emperor Technique, Lin Qian's soul power circulation became even more vigorous. The once rebellious soul power now flowed smoothly, and the fiery energy within his muscles and bones settled down, lying dormant in the depths of his flesh.
This latent power would only erupt when Lin Qian unleashed his full physical strength, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies.
A full month passed since Lin Qian entered seclusion in his abode.
During this month, Xiao Jiang, who had taken the pill Lin Qian gave him, had regrown his limbs. Not only did his arms and legs return, but they were even stronger than before.
Xiao Jiang's condition was reported to the Heavenly Workshop, where Zhuge Ming and Hua Sheng took note. After careful study, they discovered that combining Huaxia Empire's alchemical techniques with this world's pill-crafting methods produced exceptional results.
The fusion of the two methods enhanced the original medicinal properties to remarkable levels.
Pills, once refined, had gentler and more easily absorbed effects, making them particularly suitable for improving physical constitution and nurturing the mind and body.
On the other hand, the effects of potions were more immediate and powerful, making them more suitable for aiding cultivation, enhancing combat power, and providing quick healing during battles.
Where pills were too mild and potions too intense, combining their strengths led to revolutionary changes.
For instance, the pill Xiao Jiang took would have normally taken two months to fully heal him, with his new limbs likely weaker than before.
But with the pill refined using the Huaxia Empire's techniques, the healing time was cut in half, and his new limbs were even stronger than his original ones.
The path to universal evolution had become clearer and broader in Lin Qian's mind.
As Lin Qian emerged from his seclusion, he sensed the presence of the four elders of the Ancient Forest World's human race standing outside his courtyard, waiting patiently.