As Lin Qian's furious roar echoed through the air, his three types of soul power erupted simultaneously, sending waves of terrifying energy outward, accompanied by the blazing Imperial Aura Robe that materialized around him.
Fu Deqing's face turned pale. He hastily gathered his soul power to form a protective barrier around himself, staring in horror at Lin Qian.
No amount of description could have prepared him for this. Despite having heard Wang Gang's account, witnessing Lin Qian's twelve-layered soul rings in person left Fu Deqing deeply shaken.
The brilliant layers of soul rings were so mesmerizing that Fu Deqing found himself captivated. Could humans truly become this powerful?
With just the release of his soul power, Lin Qian had forced Fu Deqing back several meters.
At the same time, three streaks of light rapidly approached from the distance, arriving by Fu Deqing's side in an instant. It was none other than Wang Qiongxing, He Baili, and Xu Wuwei.
"Wang Gang's words were true," Wang Qiongxing murmured as he beheld Lin Qian, draped in the burning Imperial Aura Robe, enveloped by three types of soul power and bathed in twelve layers of soul rings, looking like a divine being descended to the mortal realm.
Opposite Lin Qian, Yue Liqun and the sixty Life and Death Stage Soul Warriors behind him were all sent flying backward, retreating over ten meters.
Yue Liqun and his sixty Soul Warriors, all clutching their chests and coughing up blood, wavered unsteadily in the air.
Had Yue Liqun not been in front, these Life and Death Stage Soul Warriors might have been killed outright by the sheer force of Lin Qian's soul power.
After all, they had not yet taken the Refining Potion. Although they had reached the Life and Death Stage in terms of cultivation, their true strength was only equivalent to the mid-Aerial Realm. There was no way they could withstand the shockwave of Lin Qian's unleashed soul power.
"I haven't even made a move yet, and this is what you've been reduced to. It's laughable," Lin Qian said coldly, pointing at Yue Liqun, whose expression was one of utter disbelief. "I once visited a small world where humans were raised as livestock by other races. They experienced fear and despair, but never, not once, did they doubt their own race or lose faith in themselves as you do."
"If you're a useless person, don't project your own shortcomings onto everyone else," Lin Qian continued, his gaze filled with contempt as he turned to Fu Deqing. "In deference to you, I won't take his life. But he is forbidden from taking the Refining Potion. Let him live like this for the rest of his days."
"Since he doesn't believe in me, let him continue in disbelief as he watches his fellow humans regain their true strength."
With that, Lin Qian turned and left, thoroughly disgusted by someone like Yue Liqun.
There had been countless pieces of evidence and undeniable facts laid out before him, yet Yue Liqun remained obstinate, refusing to accept reality, clinging to his erroneous beliefs, and even threatening to apprehend Lin Qian.
Such a person was truly laughable.
After Lin Qian departed, Fu Deqing looked at Yue Liqun and sighed deeply. "Liqun, why are you so stubborn? You've just thrown away your own future."
That his disciple had been spared was fortunate, but Fu Deqing shook his head repeatedly, turning to leave, profoundly disappointed in Yue Liqun.
Wang Qiongxing, He Baili, and Xu Wuwei also looked at Yue Liqun, shaking their heads in resignation.
He Baili and Xu Wuwei left first, but Wang Qiongxing remained, gazing at the dazed Yue Liqun. "I watched you grow up. Remember this: do not act recklessly, or your life will be forfeit."
With those parting words, Wang Qiongxing took off, leaving Yue Liqun and his group suspended in midair, lost in thought.
"Leader, look!" one of the Soul Warriors by Yue Liqun's side suddenly shouted, pointing downward.
Yue Liqun shifted his gaze, following the direction indicated by his subordinate, and his eyes widened in shock.
In the forest below, they saw a team composed of members from all four races hunting a soul beast.
Although the team consisted of only eight people, four of them were humans.
In the forest below, the four humans, fully equipped with Yuan weapons, fought fiercely against two soul beasts. The clash of soul-powered weapons against the beasts' claws sent sparks flying, and the sound of battle echoed through the trees as sweat poured from the humans.
"Now!" one of the humans suddenly shouted. Two Redhorns, who had been lying in wait, charged forward, using their formidable strength to knock the two soul beasts off balance.
The two beasts howled in pain as they fell to the ground, and the four humans quickly advanced, thrusting their Yuan weapons into the beasts' throats and hearts before leaping back.
The beasts, though gravely wounded, continued to thrash about in their death throes, kicking up clouds of dust.
Fortunately, the team had already retreated to safety and avoided injury.
"Haha, we did it!" The human who had given the order laughed heartily, pulling the team together for a celebratory hug. Despite their different races, the camaraderie was strong.
In the air above, Yue Liqun stared blankly at the scene below, rendered speechless, while the Life and Death Stage Soul Warriors behind him murmured in awe.
"Did you notice? Although they're only at the Nirvana Stage, their combat strength is on par with the Aerial Realm human Soul Warriors."
"It seems the elders were telling the truth. They're not just as strong as Aerial Realm humans; they have the true strength of the Nirvana Stage!"
"Incredible. I've never seen a hunting team led by humans, with humans taking the primary offensive, fighting soul beasts head-on without faltering."
Listening to the discussions of his men and seeing the scene below, Yue Liqun finally realized how wrong he had been.
Recalling Lin Qian's earlier words, Yue Liqun began to understand just what he had lost.
As his master had said, Yue Liqun had personally destroyed his own future.
Back at the gathering place, Fu Deqing, walking beside Lin Qian, hesitated to speak.
"No need to say more. He blinded himself to reality and refused to accept the truth. Such a person is bound to be discarded and left behind. He brought this upon himself," Lin Qian said, turning to Fu Deqing. "The fact that he still breathes is already the greatest concession."
After finishing, Lin Qian turned to Wang Qiongxing. "Summon all those who are willing to serve me and who hold influence in the Ancient Forest World. Those who refuse to submit, we won't force, but they should not entertain any foolish ideas. I won't always be this merciful."
With that, Lin Qian soared back to his courtyard in the gathering place and returned to his room to continue stabilizing his cultivation.
The incident with Shen Yi had sparked growth in Lin Qian's mentality. His past experiences had made him realize one important thing.
In his previous life, he had merely been a wealthy player, and the Hua Xia Empire was just a game to him.
But in this life, things were different. The Hua Xia Empire he ruled over was real. Shen Yi's brutal torture and murder of the children from the four races had awakened Lin Qian to the harsh reality that he now lived in a world teeming with ruthless, competing races.
Lin Qian was no longer a mere player in a game…
He was an emperor!