As the overwhelming soul force descended, Lin Qian glanced at the crazed Shen Zhixing and slowly shook his head. He then spoke, "Duancheng, you may step back."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Duancheng replied, nodding.
"Step back? Hahaha," Shen Zhixing's voice had become raspy as he looked at Duancheng beside Lin Qian. "Do you really think your subordinate can escape the range of my Ultimate Soul Annihilation?"
"I'm about to die, but being able to take down a genius like you makes it all worthwhile." Shen Zhixing shook his head regretfully. "It's a pity I won't be able to see you completely crushed by the Ultimate Soul Annihilation."
Lin Qian chuckled softly, ignoring the soon-to-die Shen Zhixing. With a wave of his hand, Duancheng, who had been bowing beside him, vanished instantly, returning to the Huaxia Empire in the Illusory Star.
Shen Zhixing, whose life force was almost depleted, widened his eyes in disbelief at what he saw. He couldn't understand how a living person could simply disappear before his eyes.
Boom!
At that moment, Lin Qian suddenly dashed forward, appearing directly in front of Shen Zhixing. He released his grip on the Imperial Sword.
As soon as Lin Qian released the Imperial Sword, it flew above his head, with the blade pointing upward. The Imperial soul power immediately surged, forming a protective barrier overhead.
Boom!
The burning purple soul force collided with the golden barrier, producing a thunderous roar. However, the sound was relatively small compared to the humming of the soul force torrent.
Seeing that his Ultimate Soul Annihilation had been blocked by Lin Qian's weapon, Shen Zhixing was left speechless.
But when he noticed the Imperial Sword's barrier shaking and about to collapse, a satisfied expression returned to his face. It was clear that Lin Qian could only hold out for a short time and would soon be overwhelmed.
At that moment, Shen Zhixing noticed Lin Qian holding a crystal bottle containing a vibrant green liquid. As Lin Qian uncorked the bottle, a fragrant medicinal scent filled the air.
Without hesitation, Lin Qian grabbed Shen Zhixing's lower jaw and forcefully poured the life-replenishing elixir down his throat.
In mere moments, Shen Zhixing's once gray and withered hair began to regain some of its black luster, though only partially. His shriveled body also became somewhat more robust.
Yet it was all in vain; this only extended his life by a few more hours.
Lin Qian then grabbed Shen Zhixing by the hair, pulling him close and coldly said, "Did you think you'd get off so easily by just dying? I won't let you go that easily."
"Your son was violent and took pleasure in torturing children. Though I didn't kill him myself, I did send him on his way."
"For your selfish desires, you disregarded the suffering of other Blackhorn clansmen. I've explained the dire situation in the surface world, and yet you remained indifferent, even daring to threaten me."
"You even had the audacity to send people to harm the innocent in the Four Tribal Domains, causing countless deaths. Do you think you can simply die and escape your reckoning?"
"I'll make sure you understand what true despair is!"
With that, Lin Qian flung Shen Zhixing aside. Shen Zhixing's final attack wouldn't harm him, and Lin Qian wasn't concerned that Shen Zhixing would die from it.
In fact, because Lin Qian had replenished Shen Zhixing's life force with the elixir, he would live just long enough to suffer more.
Lin Qian reached out and firmly grasped the Imperial Sword that had been hovering above him.
Initially resigned to his fate, Shen Zhixing now stared blankly at Lin Qian, utterly confused as to why he had been brought back from the brink of death.
Clutching the Imperial Sword, Lin Qian summoned nine golden five-clawed dragons that spiraled out, surrounding him and shielding him from the purple soul force.
The Imperial Sword's blade radiated a brilliant golden light as Lin Qian channeled his Imperial soul power into it. The intense energy illuminated the area, pushing back the surrounding purple flames.
Bathed in the golden light of the Imperial soul power, the five-clawed dragons grew larger, expanding the space around them.
"What is that?" Amid the burning purple soul force, a small but bright golden light suddenly appeared, causing Shen Zhixing to exclaim in shock.
Wang Qiongxing and the others nearby also looked up, puzzled by the sudden appearance of the golden light.
The golden light that had appeared within Shen Zhixing's final attack stood out, both odd and striking.
Not only did they see it, but the three tribal elders from the Redhorn, Dwarf, and Lingti clans also noticed the strange phenomenon.
At the same time, they could clearly sense an extraordinarily powerful aura emanating from the center of the soul force torrent. The aura was growing stronger and stronger.
Shen Zhixing's Ultimate Soul Annihilation not only unleashed a devastating force but also threw the surrounding space into chaos, causing energy fluctuations and disturbances.
Yet, the aura associated with this golden light was solemn, supreme, and carried a sense of righting all wrongs. It quickly spread out, suppressing the chaotic energy around it.
"It's His Majesty! It's His Majesty!" Yue Liqiu, who had moved far away, shouted excitedly upon sensing the aura.
No one other than their young emperor could exude such a supreme presence—not Shen Zhixing, nor anyone else.
The four tribal elders shared in the joy but also felt a deep sense of confusion. What exactly was Lin Qian planning?
Shen Zhixing had the same question. The golden light on the Imperial Sword's blade was growing ever more radiant, yet strangely it wasn't blinding.
However, something about it felt wrong. The golden light was expanding outward, completely neutralizing the overwhelming force of the Ultimate Soul Annihilation.
"The golden light is splitting the soul force apart!" Yue Liqiu, who had been watching closely, suddenly noticed the phenomenon and shouted in surprise.
The expanding golden light was dividing the soul force torrent of the Ultimate Soul Annihilation into two parts.
In the golden expanse stood Lin Qian, gripping the Imperial Sword with both hands. On the blade, faint images of mountains and rivers appeared. His eyes were cold as he looked at Shen Zhixing and said, "A life for a life? Keep your eyes open and watch carefully."
"Sword Points to the Mountains and Rivers!"