Shen Zhixing's hands trembled. In the past, his "Exhausting Soul Flame" technique had never failed him, and he had always been immensely proud of it.
But never had he imagined that someone could learn his technique in the blink of an eye.
"Damn it!" Shen Zhixing roared in fury as soul power surged out from within him, forming two long soul whips that lashed out fiercely at Lin Qian.
The whistling sound of the soul whips slicing through the air caused Lin Qian's pupils to contract. He quickly raised both swords to block the incoming attack.
Bang! Bang!
The two soul whips struck Lin Qian's swords, producing loud cracking sounds.
"Ha!" Lin Qian shouted, his twin swords surging with power as he forced the soul whips back.
At the same time, the nine dragons circling Lin Qian lunged forward, tearing into the soul whips. Within moments, Shen Zhixing's whips were riddled with holes.
Yet, instead of despair, a smile crept onto Shen Zhixing's face. "So, you've already exhausted the power you used to break my Seven Spirit Shields."
"More than enough to deal with you," Lin Qian sneered, seeing the arrogance on Shen Zhixing's face. Soul power once again burst forth from him, and a beam of light struck his body.
"Double enhancement!"
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
A series of clear, crisp sounds echoed as a succession of forty-five beams of light emerged from Lin Qian's body.
With each strange light that enveloped Lin Qian, Shen Zhixing could clearly feel his opponent's power rising once more.
"I need to finish this quickly!" Lin Qian's golden eyes locked onto Shen Zhixing, and with a swift flick of his left hand, the Thundernight Sword slashed through the air while the Cloudsword twirled elegantly in his right. A smirk played on his lips as his figure suddenly accelerated.
Shen Zhixing, seeing Lin Qian closing in on him once again, felt a shiver of fear. "This Lin Qian… he's gotten even faster."
But Lin Qian was already too close for Shen Zhixing to think further. He quickly restored the damaged soul whips and added five more, sending seven whips lashing toward Lin Qian.
Knowing that Lin Qian's current power was not as overwhelming as the strike that had shattered his Seven Spirit Shields, Shen Zhixing felt less pressured.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
But Lin Qian's subsequent actions quickly reinstated that pressure. The young man wielded his twin swords with astonishing speed, creating a seamless defense. Despite the seven soul whips attacking simultaneously, they couldn't break through Lin Qian's swordplay.
And every time Shen Zhixing faltered, the slender white sword would freeze his soul whips, which were then shattered by the broad black sword.
Luckily, as a Blackhorn, Shen Zhixing excelled in soul power. Even when a soul whip was destroyed, he could instantly conjure a new one to replace it.
"What did you do earlier? How has your power increased so much?" Shen Zhixing asked as he continuously retreated in mid-air, trying to maintain the pressure on Lin Qian.
However, Lin Qian's relentless and aggressive attacks kept him on the defensive, depleting his soul power far faster than he anticipated.
From the start, Lin Qian's power had steadily increased, each time accompanied by a mysterious glow. But it wasn't due to a breakthrough in cultivation, nor did it seem to be an external force forcing the power increase, like Shen Zhixing's use of a soul technique to forcibly enhance his strength.
"It's simple. I have a secret technique that enhances my abilities," Lin Qian explained, slightly retreating as he slashed through a soul whip, maintaining a calm tone. "I've fully enhanced every aspect of myself—physique, soul power, reaction speed, defense, and even the strength of my hair and fingers."
As he spoke, Lin Qian raised the Cloudsword, looking at Shen Zhixing with a touch of pity. "But I don't expect you to understand. After all, there's no concept of 'buff stacking' in this world."
As Lin Qian's words faded, he suddenly swung his right arm, unleashing a chilling burst of cold from the Cloudsword that instantly froze the seven soul whips.
A frigid mist rose, obscuring Shen Zhixing's vision, forcing him to rely on his soul power to perceive his surroundings.
Shen Zhixing didn't dare linger in one place for too long and quickly retreated. At that moment, a golden-red lightning strike burst from the white mist, tearing through his protective soul power and leaving a deep, bloody gash across his chest.
This was the first time Lin Qian had managed to injure Shen Zhixing despite his defense and suppression.
As Shen Zhixing staggered backward, he saw Lin Qian emerge from the mist, swords in hand, his eyes filled with killing intent.
"If he gets close, it's over!" Shen Zhixing thought, panic rising as he watched Lin Qian, bathed in his burning imperial aura, relentlessly close in.
"Play to your strengths!" Suddenly, the phrase echoed in Shen Zhixing's mind, and he realized his mistake.
With newfound clarity, Shen Zhixing's arms moved swiftly. As a Blackhorn, his soul power was nearly boundless—an inherent advantage of his race.
He conjured countless soul-powered weapons—blades, swords, and various other armaments—forming a torrent of soul-powered attacks that surged toward Lin Qian.
Simultaneously, he reformed the seven soul whips, which snapped through the air, striking fiercely at Lin Qian.
Lin Qian's eyes narrowed as he tightened his grip on his swords, his movements a blur as he slashed through the oncoming torrent of soul-powered weapons.
The Thundernight Sword crackled with thunder, while the Cloudsword's icy aura slowed the incoming attacks, allowing Lin Qian to fend off the onslaught.
At that moment, Lin Qian reached his maximum speed, his swords moving so fast they seemed to disappear from view.
Shen Zhixing's soul-powered barrage was held at bay by Lin Qian's swordplay, the clashing forces creating explosive bursts of energy.
As Lin Qian darted through the air, Shen Zhixing's relentless assault followed him, but to no avail.
"Why… why haven't you run out of soul power yet?" Shen Zhixing's voice wavered as he maintained his attack. His soul power was rapidly depleting, but Lin Qian, a mere human, should have been drained much sooner.
"You think you're fighting just me? You're mistaken," Lin Qian replied, his swords slicing through the air as he tore apart the seven soul whips once more. "You're fighting not just me, but an entire empire."