The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

In the empty room within the Ye residence of Bashan City, a young man's figure suddenly appeared.

Even though the Huaxia Empire was rich with an overwhelming amount of spiritual energy, training in such an environment was less effective compared to training outside it. When Lin Qian left the empire, he would reappear at the location where he had entered, and at that moment, the Tianhen would reopen. The Ministry of Engineering would then be able to precisely infuse his body with spiritual energy. While his cultivation speed wouldn't be extreme, the effects of his training would be unparalleled.

The cultivation method Lin Qian practiced had been specially modified by Zhuge Ming and the Ministry of Engineering to suit him perfectly. It was named the Emperor's Decision.

The Emperor's Decision was not a static technique. The Ministry of Engineering would continuously adjust it based on the changes in Lin Qian's physical state and upload the updates to a database. Lin Qian could then access this database through a menu visible only to him, allowing him to review and follow the most suitable cultivation path for his current condition.

This meant that Lin Qian's cultivation from now on would proceed along the most optimized route, perfectly tailored to his needs. After all, he was the Emperor of the Huaxia Empire, possessing a terrifying dominion under his control. No matter how talented the geniuses of this world might be, none could compare to him.

"Father, wait for me. I will definitely rescue you," Lin Qian whispered to himself as he sat on the bed, gazing forward. He retrieved a vial with golden patterns and drank the emerald green liquid inside in one gulp before crossing his legs and beginning to cultivate.

The Purity Elixir he consumed would grant him immunity to all poisons, preventing situations like the one with Liang Ren from happening again. As he refined the elixir and let its effects permeate his entire body, Lin Qian calmed his mind, fully immersing himself in cultivation.

Though he had the backing of a powerful and terrifying empire, with its subjects bound by his innate Imperial Aura to be eternally loyal, his own strength was still the most fundamental.

Furthermore, as his strength increased, his body's tolerance would grow, allowing him to summon even more advanced troops and generals through the Tianhen. Zhuge Ming and the Ministry of Engineering were already working on developing Substitute Puppets, which would enable the five Legion Commanders and even Lin Qian himself to traverse the Tianhen and assist him.

Although Zhuge Ming and the others could control their power levels, their true cultivation realms remained unchanged. Only Zhao Long, a growth-type general whose cultivation adjusted according to Lin Qian's strength, could freely control his level and traverse the Tianhen.

This unique talent made Zhuge Ming and the five Legion Commanders incredibly jealous.

Inside Lin Qian's dantian, the rotating white Tianhen continued to spew spiritual energy meticulously calculated by the Ministry of Engineering. Above it, the Cloud Sword and Thunder Night Sword floated silently, bathed in the soul power converted from the spiritual energy.

Having dual Martial Spirits was already astonishing, but if people knew that Lin Qian's Martial Spirits had already taken their final forms, it would terrify them. Typically, a Martial Spirit only solidifies its form at a very high level of cultivation. Lin Qian hadn't even reached the Nirvana Realm yet, and his Martial Spirits had already fully manifested.

If this were made public, it would be enough to scare anyone to death.

As the soul power surged within Lin Qian, the amount of spiritual energy pouring from the Tianhen suddenly increased dramatically. This sudden change didn't surprise Lin Qian; instead, he focused all his efforts on operating the Emperor's Decision, directing the energy throughout his body.

Under the intense stimulation of the soul power, Lin Qian's cultivation advanced at an incredible pace, as if he were cutting through bamboo.

An hour later, he had already reached the peak of the ninth stage of the Forming Yuan Realm.

For an ordinary cultivator, reaching this level would likely prompt them to attempt a breakthrough to the Nirvana Realm. However, a genius like Lin Qian was, of course, pursuing the Nine-Round Nirvana.

Lin Qian was currently in the second round of Nirvana. The Nine-Round Nirvana method was only effective if one broke through before the age of eighteen. Even completing just one round of Nirvana before eighteen would positively impact one's entry into the Nirvana Realm.

However, completing all nine rounds of Nirvana after the body had fully matured at eighteen would provide no additional benefits. Lin Qian's fiancée, Ye Xin, had completed her Nine-Round Nirvana at sixteen, two years before reaching eighteen, showcasing her incredible talent.

"Shatter!" Lin Qian didn't hesitate as he reached the peak of the ninth stage. He immediately detonated the soul power within his dantian.

Instantly, his surging energy deflated like a punctured balloon, rapidly weakening and diminishing, while his cultivation dropped to the first stage of the Forming Yuan Realm.

When other genius soul martial artists underwent the Nine-Round Nirvana, the explosion of soul power would significantly stimulate their Martial Spirits. However, most of this energy would be wasted after nourishing their dantian and meridians.

But Lin Qian's situation was entirely different.

When his soul power burst, stimulating his soul, the Tianhen responded by releasing an even greater torrent of spiritual energy. This highly concentrated spiritual energy bombarded the scattered soul power, forcing it into Lin Qian's muscles and bones.

"Ah..." Lin Qian gasped as the excruciating pain hit him, as if thousands of steel needles were being driven into his body.

The agony caused him to break out in a cold sweat, soaking his clothes, while dark, foul-smelling blood mixed with impurities seeped from his pores.

During his first round of Nirvana, Lin Qian had experienced a similar situation. The pain had been so intense that he had passed out.

As someone who had lived two lives, Lin Qian possessed a soul powerful enough to produce twin Martial Spirits and an iron will. Yet, even he had been knocked unconscious by the pain, illustrating just how unbearable it was.

But as the saying goes, "No pain, no gain."

Cultivation wasn't supposed to be comfortable. If one desired to grow stronger, they had to endure hardship.

Lin Qian now yearned for strength more than ever. He wanted to become stronger to rescue his father and protect his people.

His comrades in the Huaxia Empire, who had come to life and were now real beings with their own wills, would be disappointed if their emperor remained weak.

Moreover, Lin Qian knew that only by becoming stronger could he allow more of his loyal subjects to cross the Tianhen and witness the world outside.

As dawn broke, Lin Qian, who had kept his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, radiating soul power. His dirty clothes and the dried blood on his body were reduced to dust, revealing a perfectly toned physique brimming with terrifying power.

"Now, I can truly call myself the Young Emperor," Lin Qian muttered as he approached the wardrobe, retrieving a clean set of clothes. He dressed himself and pulled a white cloak from the Tianhen to drape over his shoulders.

In the Ye family's courtyard, everything had been restored to its original state. On the platform, Bai Ren, who had been about to announce the start of the Bashan Myriad Elephants Trial, paused and closed his fan with a smile before stepping off the stage.

At that moment, a handsome young man with a cloak approached the spot where Bai Ren had stood.

On the back of his cloak was a large character, "万" (Myriad), seemingly painted with bold strokes of ink.

Lin Qian surveyed the crowd, noting the awe and respect in their eyes. A slight smile curled on his lips.

"The Bashan Myriad Elephants Trial... begins now!"