As Lin Qian unleashed his full power, Yue Liqun silently stepped back, his eyes fixed on the figure surrounded by nine dragons. He was deeply shaken by the sheer magnitude of Lin Qian's strength.
"I once thought... I could capture someone like this?" Yue Liqun thought to himself, covering his face with both hands and slapping himself repeatedly. How could he have been so foolish?
What Yue Liqun didn't realize was that his past experiences had given him a mental block, and Lin Qian's presence was the cure that was gradually steering him back to normalcy.
Lin Qian's pride and confidence had a subtle yet profound influence on those around him. If his imperial aura compelled those who swore allegiance to him to remain absolutely loyal, then his self-assured demeanor was purely a matter of personal charm. It inspired confidence and hope in those who interacted with him, making them believe in a bright future ahead.
With his imperial aura fully unleashed, the majestic force of Lin Qian's emperor's will spread across the Ancient Forest World, rippling outwards. At the same time, Shen Zhixing, not to be outdone, allowed his own violent energy to erupt unchecked, not even attempting to restrain it.
The clash of their auras alone caused the air to tremble, creating powerful currents that swept out in all directions, unstoppable. These turbulent winds whipped through the Ancient Forest World, uprooting countless spirit trees and sending them flying into the sky.
Caught off guard, Yue Liqun was thrown back by the sheer force of the shockwave. On Shen Zhixing's side, his remaining Blackblood warriors were similarly sent hurtling through the air by the turbulent energy.
In an instant, the battlefield had become a domain solely for Lin Qian and Shen Zhixing. The two had not even physically engaged yet, but their auras were already clashing violently, the intensity of their confrontation sending shockwaves through the air.
Having steadied himself, Yue Liqun gazed forward, knowing that the battle between Lin Qian and Shen Zhixing had already begun in earnest. The clash of auras was crucial; if one could overpower the other in this initial exchange, it would provide a significant advantage in the physical battle that would follow.
"This Lin Qian's aura... it's so strong!" As the intensity of their auras continued to build, Shen Zhixing was shocked. Despite Lin Qian only being at the first level of the Awakening Realm, his aura should have been weaker than Shen Zhixing's. Yet somehow, in their clash of auras, Shen Zhixing found himself gradually being pushed back.
The overwhelming emperor's will emanating from Lin Qian felt like an impenetrable fortress. No matter how Shen Zhixing tried to break through, he couldn't find a single weak point, let alone cause Lin Qian's aura to waver.
On the contrary, Lin Qian's aura remained unwavering, like a massive mountain pressing down on Shen Zhixing, rendering him powerless to resist. This sensation was eerily similar to the helplessness he and his men had felt when Lin Qian's war machine had demolished his royal city earlier.
Shen Zhixing realized that he was losing the battle of auras. He needed to attack Lin Qian before his own aura completely crumbled. If he waited any longer, the situation would become dire.
Just as Shen Zhixing was about to make his move, Lin Qian's eyes flashed with golden light, and he suddenly roared, "Break!"
Simultaneously, the nine dragons coiled around Lin Qian's body opened their mouths and roared in unison, their thunderous cries crashing down on Shen Zhixing like a tidal wave.
The invisible shockwave from the roar struck Shen Zhixing like a physical blow, and he grunted in pain, realizing he was in trouble. He had never imagined that Lin Qian would strike so suddenly, and the overwhelming force of the emperor's will slammed into him like a torrential flood.
Shen Zhixing had no time to react. His aura was instantly shattered, and his expression turned grim.
With a powerful explosion, Lin Qian vanished from his original position, rocketing toward Shen Zhixing. His golden-red thunder soul force and white-blue icy soul force flowed into his two swords, the Thundernight Sword and the Cloudsword.
The unique attributes of his twin soul forces instantly activated, amplifying his physical strength and soul power twentyfold, propelling him toward Shen Zhixing at blinding speed.
"Imperial Aura!"
"Tenacity!"
"Speed!"
"Resistance!"
"Battle Fury!"
"Double Shield!"
...
As Lin Qian charged at Shen Zhixing, he rapidly chanted a series of words, each one burning through his soul power at an incredible rate. With each word, beams of light materialized around him, enhancing his power.
Even Shen Zhixing, and the onlookers like Yue Liqun and the other Blackhorn warriors, could clearly sense that with every flash of light, Lin Qian's aura grew even more terrifying.
"Amplification technique!" As Lin Qian closed in on Shen Zhixing, the wide-bladed Thundernight Sword in his left hand began to glow with a fiery red light. "Attack doubled!"
Seeing Lin Qian's aura continue to surge as he charged at him, Shen Zhixing's expression shifted from shock to terror. Despite his earlier confidence, the fear was now evident.
With his soul power already enhanced by burning his essence, Shen Zhixing quickly summoned all his remaining strength. The crystalline core at his chest glowed brightly as his soul power erupted from his body. Using his innate racial abilities, he melded his soul power with the surrounding spiritual energy, forming seven towering energy shields in front of him, hoping to block Lin Qian's onslaught.
Having lost the battle of auras, Shen Zhixing knew he had to endure Lin Qian's attack. As a grandmaster-level Awakening Realm warrior, he had confidence in the strength of his seven energy shields. He believed that not even another grandmaster-level warrior could break through all of them at once.
No matter how powerful Lin Qian might be, breaking through all seven shields in one strike was impossible, Shen Zhixing thought. He sneered inwardly as he watched Lin Qian hurtle toward him. "You're asking for death," he muttered.
At such high speed, if Lin Qian couldn't break through all seven shields, he would crash into one of them and be crushed.
But as Shen Zhixing contemplated this, Lin Qian had already reached the first shield.