The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

Lei Qian climbed to his feet, his eyes wide with shock and fury as he stared at Lin Qian. The soul power that had been shattered in his abdomen quickly reformed, now more potent than before, with deep purple lightning crackling intensely around him.

"Humiliation, this is utter humiliation!" Lei Qian roared, his face flushed with anger as he clenched his fists. "Lin Qian, you've succeeded in enraging me. I'm going to tear you apart with my own hands!"

With a crazed look in his eyes, Lei Qian's soul power, infused with the power of lightning, surged around him with a constant crackling sound. In an instant, he crouched slightly and then, like a bolt of lightning, charged straight at Lin Qian with astonishing speed.

The crackling lightning resounded as Lei Qian threw a powerful punch, aiming directly at Lin Qian's smirking face. The purple lightning-infused soul power shot towards Lin Qian's pale white aura, with Lei Qian's fist just inches away from its target.

But that small distance, though seemingly insignificant, was like an insurmountable chasm—because Lin Qian had already raised his foot and kicked out, striking Lei Qian square in the chest.

Boom!

A deep, resounding thud echoed, a testament to the tremendous force behind Lin Qian's kick. Lei Qian, struck solidly in the chest, felt his breath leave him, as if his lungs were being squeezed shut.

"Your movements aren't that fast," Lin Qian said coldly, a flicker of soul light flashing in his eyes.

These abilities were enhancements—soul techniques developed by Zhuge Ming and the Heavenly Works Department, combining the concept of soul techniques with in-game buffs.

"Perception," which improved sight, observation, and discernment.

Taking advantage of Lei Qian's moment of vulnerability, Lin Qian stomped on the ground, propelling himself forward with the wind at his back, quickly catching up to his airborne opponent.

"Speed Burst," which allowed Lin Qian to reach peak speed in an instant.

"Tailwind," which further increased his speed by ten percent.

With a body already physically powerful and filled with robust soul power, Lin Qian's speed, enhanced by these soul techniques, surpassed Lei Qian's.

"Curse you!" Lei Qian, infuriated at being knocked into the air, channeled his lightning soul power into a spear. As he steadied himself and landed, he hurled the spear at the approaching Lin Qian.

As the lightning spear hurtled toward him, Lin Qian's expression remained fearless. Instead, he met the spearhead with a powerful punch.

When the purple lightning soul power clashed with Lin Qian's aura, tendrils of lightning slid off his soul power harmlessly, dispersing behind him. The rest of the lightning couldn't even pierce Lin Qian's pale white aura, dissipating from the sheer force of his punch.

Even more shocking, some of the scattered purple lightning soul power rebounded back toward Lei Qian.

"Insulation," the perfect counter against lightning-based soul power. "Iron Wall" increased Lin Qian's soul power defense, while "Rebound" reflected some of the attack back to the sender, delivering payback in kind.

"This... This is impossible!" Lei Qian shouted, his voice trembling as he blocked the rebounding soul power.

But just as Lei Qian cried out, Lin Qian was already in front of him, landing a punch squarely on Lei Qian's face. Lei Qian's protective soul power was utterly ineffective against Lin Qian's blow.

The "Power Boost" soul technique, which enhanced strength, combined with Lin Qian's already formidable physical power, was simply overwhelming.

"Battle Frenzy" and "Combat Instinct" further increased his attack speed and honed his battle instincts, and with the "Double Blessing," these effects were amplified even more.

Lin Qian's nine rounds of Nirvana, combined with the effects of the Nirvana Flame Bath, were unlike any other soul warrior's. The dissipated soul power had been fully utilized, making his soul power far superior in both quantity and quality compared to others at his level.

Moreover, Lin Qian's body had undergone multiple layers of tempering—from his soul power, the soul power converted from the heavenly energy via the Skymark, and the soul power from the nine rounds of Nirvana, all refined further by the Nirvana Flame Bath.

Lin Qian was, in essence, a human dragon.

To be more precise, with the additional effects of his enhancement soul techniques, he was a human dragon empowered by nine layers of doubled effects!

For Lei Qian to engage in close combat with such a Lin Qian without using his Yuanqi weaponization was sheer madness—at the very least, it was as if he'd gotten his head stuck in a door twice.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The relentless sound of impacts filled the Life-and-Death Stage as Lin Qian unleashed a furious barrage on Lei Qian, who was completely overwhelmed.

Lin Qian's entire body was enveloped in a blazing aura as his fists rained down on Lei Qian like a storm, with kicks landing in between. The once arrogant Lei Qian was now being pummeled mercilessly, unable to even touch the ground.

The disciples watching from below, whether from the inner or outer sect, were stunned.

No one could have imagined that the Lin Qian they had all written off as doomed would be the one to dominate Lei Qian so thoroughly.

Lin Qian was only at the Elemental Soul Realm—despite completing the nine rounds of Nirvana, he was still in the Elemental Soul Realm.

Yet with each of his attacks, he shattered Lei Qian's protective soul power as if it were nothing.

It was as if Lei Qian's once formidable lightning soul power was mere paper in front of Lin Qian.

"Is Lin Qian some kind of soul beast in human form?"

"Invincible at the Elemental Soul Realm? He's almost invincible at the Nirvana Realm!"

"If only he could break through to the Nirvana Realm—how powerful could he become? What a pity..."

The inner sect disciples who had come to assess Lei Qian's strength were now in awe but also filled with regret.

"Enough!" Lei Qian, humiliated and furious beyond measure, could no longer bear the shame. He was being attacked in mid-air, unable to defend himself, as if he were being strung up and beaten.

In his rage, Lei Qian spread his arms wide, and his lightning soul power expanded into a spherical barrier, forcing Lin Qian back a few steps and finally allowing Lei Qian to land on the ground.

As Lin Qian retreated, he stepped firmly on the ground, and in the next instant, he rushed toward Lei Qian, his entire body crashing into the lightning sphere.

"Not good, Lin Qian's getting too cocky!" Seeing Lin Qian's move, Qin Wushuang exclaimed in alarm.

At the same time, the inner sect disciples also wore shocked expressions, thinking that Lin Qian had lost his mind.

While the outer sect and novice disciples might not understand, the inner sect disciples and those on the arbitration platform, including Wei Wushuang, knew exactly what was happening.

Thunder Shield—a powerful defensive soul technique that utilized lightning attributes.

Using it consumed half of the user's soul power in an instant, but in exchange, it provided an incredibly strong defense.

Although primarily a defensive technique, the Thunder Shield's lightning barrier also carried immense destructive power.

Charging headlong into it would only result in Lin Qian being torn apart.

On the arbitration platform, Lei Heng, who had remained grim-faced after seeing his grandson pummeled, now wore a sneer. "That foolish boy doesn't know his limits!"

But what they didn't know was that just before Lin Qian collided with the lightning barrier, a faint trace of crimson-gold lightning appeared within his soul power.

Boom!

A deafening crash echoed, followed by the sound of something shattering.

On the Life-and-Death Stage, Lin Qian had stopped right in front of a dumbstruck Lei Qian, grinning broadly.

Everyone was stunned—on the arbitration platform, Lei Heng was speechless, Qin Wushuang was speechless, and even the Discipline Elder's perpetually stern face showed a rare expression of shock.

In contrast, Wei Wushuang burst into hearty laughter.

Amidst the shocked inner sect disciples, one finally shouted out, unable to contain himself, "This... this Thunder Shield can be shattered by ramming into it? Is Lin Qian even human?"