The violent gusts of air that swept out from Lin Qian's body instantly forced Yun Qingfeng and Fu Bo back several paces. As they stabilized themselves midair and exchanged glances, they both saw the shock mirrored in each other's eyes.
Lin Qian was only at the Awakening Realm—how could his breakthrough generate such immense energy?
The powerful aura radiating from the scene immediately attracted the attention of the experts within the city. Lin Qian's grandfather Yun Fan, grandmother Yun Rong, as well as his parents, hurried over, eyes fixed on the center of the courtyard.
At this moment, Lin Qian, who was seated at the heart of the courtyard, was surrounded by a swirling vortex of winds. Dust kicked up from the ground, only to be incinerated by the blazing flames that burned around him.
The condensed aura emanating from Lin Qian's body shot skyward, growing rapidly in strength at an alarming rate.
Before long, the other Transcendent Realm elders and former members of the Yun family were drawn over by the commotion, eager to see what was happening.
When they discovered that this overwhelming force was the result of Lin Qian's breakthrough, every face wore an expression of astonishment.
Suddenly, Lin Qian sprang up from his seated position, landing firmly on his feet.
This sight stunned everyone. They had never seen a Soul Martial practitioner break through while standing.
The soul power surging from Lin Qian's body blazed violently, and layers of radiant soul energy began to shimmer around him. The golden flames, formed from his Emperor-attribute soul power—a fusion of three elements—completely enveloped his figure.
The searing golden flames made it impossible to discern Lin Qian's shape, his figure appearing as a blurred outline, almost as if he were fading from existence.
His aura skyrocketed, climbing swiftly through the Awakening Realm:
Seventh Tier!
Eighth Tier!
Ninth Tier!
In just over an hour, Lin Qian's cultivation surged at an unbelievable speed.
"This can't be real... Am I dreaming?" Yun Wu, one of the elders, slapped his head in disbelief, trying to confirm that he was truly awake as he stared at the figure bathed in golden flames.
Twelve layers of soul light. In the span of one hour, Lin Qian had risen from the fourth tier of the Awakening Realm to the ninth!
"Oh my heavens..." An elder from the Transcendent Realm was so shocked that he lost control of his flight, tumbling down onto the rooftop of a nearby pavilion, unable to find the words to express his astonishment.
"Big Sister, Brother-in-law, were you messing with me before?" Yun Qingfeng moved over to Lin Di and Yun Yunyan, grumbling, "At first, you told me that Qian'er had weak potential, that he couldn't even awaken his martial spirit and was unable to cultivate."
"And now? This kid's breakthrough speed is probably going to set an unbreakable record in the Soul Martial Continent." He sighed deeply, adding, "What a monster. The so-called 'favored sons and daughters of heaven' in the Central Domain are nothing compared to my nephew!"
Lin Di and Yun Yunyan remained silent, unsure of what to say. What was happening with their son had long since surpassed their expectations.
The speed at which he broke through was so rapid that the couple had almost grown used to such miracles by now.
"Hahaha! My wonderful grandson!" Yun Fan laughed heartily, his voice filled with pride. "Those Yun family fools used to say I was some stray picked up from the outside, that Rong'er only had diluted blood, and that her children would be nothing but flawed outcasts."
"And now? My daughter Yunyan is one of the most gifted women of her generation. As for my grandson..."
Yun Fan looked around, his expression full of pride. "In the entire young generation of the Southern Domain, who but my grandson Lin Qian could claim the title of being the best?"
The surrounding elders and onlookers nodded in agreement, not finding Yun Fan's boastfulness to be over the top at all.
Just based on the speed of this breakthrough alone, the tale would be enough to frighten people to death. And seeing the twelve layers of soul light surrounding Lin Qian, they couldn't help but swallow hard.
Forget the younger generation—no one in the known history of humanity had displayed potential that could compare to Lin Qian's.
Even the legendary Xuan Jun Yuanxiang, a revered figure of the human race, would pale in comparison to Lin Qian's natural talent.
As the shock wore off, everyone present felt an overwhelming sense of excitement.
They had already broken away from the Yun family and essentially established their own path. To have such a young master with boundless potential and terrifying talent was a blessing of the highest order.
This was the kind of achievement that would bring pride across the entire Soul Martial Continent.
"Could Lin Qian's breakthrough be coming to an end now?" one of the Yun family's elders asked, glancing at the figure in the courtyard before turning to the person beside him.
The other elder nodded in agreement. "The aura and golden flames around him seem to be weakening and retracting. It looks like the breakthrough is almost complete. But still, standing while breaking through… I've never seen anything like it."
"A one-hour breakthrough across five tiers of the Awakening Realm—have you ever seen anything like that?" the elder responded with a laugh, gazing at Lin Qian's figure in the courtyard. "Truly, Lin Qian is something else..."
But before he could finish, everyone's expressions changed dramatically. They could all sense that Lin Qian's aura, which had been receding, suddenly surged again with wild ferocity.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The spiritual energy in the surroundings grew volatile, responding to Lin Qian's energy like a tidal wave. Streams of pure spiritual energy rushed toward him like crashing waves, pounding into his body.
"Without relying on any gathering formations, he's drawing in enough spiritual energy to create a spiritual tide just by the power of his cultivation method and physique?" A Transcendent Realm elder shouted in disbelief as he observed the scene unfolding before him.
It wasn't just him; everyone's expressions had changed to ones of alarm.
If they could peer into Lin Qian's body, they would see the Tian Hen in his dantian spinning faster and faster, driving his cultivation method into overdrive. His powerful body absorbed the vast quantities of spiritual energy with greed, his pores wide open, pulling in every last bit of energy from the environment.
"What is he doing? He's already at the ninth tier of the Awakening Realm..." Yun Yunyan stared at her son in confusion, her face slowly giving way to a look of fear.
Lin Di, his expression grave, shouted toward his son, "Qian'er, don't act rashly! If you attempt to break through to the Transcendent Realm without sufficient preparation—"
"Father, no need to worry so much." Lin Qian suddenly opened his eyes, gazing calmly at his father hovering above the courtyard. His voice was steady as he reassured him, "Do I look like someone who acts rashly?"
As soon as Lin Qian spoke, silence fell over the entire courtyard.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed one after another. Even Yun Fan and Yun Rong were nearly overwhelmed by the shock, their minds wavering, and they almost lost their composure.