The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

The Thunder Shield shattered, leaving Lei Qian frozen in place, staring blankly at the young man before him. Lin Qian stood confidently in front of Lei Qian, smiling as he spread his fingers and, with a sweeping motion, delivered a resounding slap across Lei Qian's face.

"Like a deity's palm!"

Slap!

The sharp crack of the slap echoed across the arena, sending Lei Qian flying. His body spun horizontally in the air before crashing to the ground. The onlookers around the Life-and-Death Stage instinctively touched their own cheeks, imagining the sting of that slap.

As Lei Qian struggled to his feet, his face still bearing the vivid imprint of Lin Qian's hand, Lin Qian looked at his own palm and let out a satisfied sigh. "That felt good..."

Lin Qian's words only served to infuriate Lei Qian further. His chest heaved with anger, and his face twisted with rage. The lightning around his body grew even more intense, as if it might burst from him at any moment.

"Calm yourself, you fool!" Lei Heng's voice suddenly boomed across the sky above the Discipline Hall, as loud and sudden as a thunderclap. The disciples around the stage winced in pain, clutching their ears, while the novice disciples nearly fainted from the sheer force of the sound.

Lei Heng's shout seemed to bring Lei Qian back to his senses. His twisted expression slowly returned to normal, and his erratic breathing steadied.

"Have you forgotten the advantage of being at the Nirvana stage? How dare you attack your enemy's strength with your own weakness?" Lei Heng's words were scolding and sharp.

After hearing his grandfather's reprimand, Lei Qian closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, he was calm, his mind clear.

On the arbitration platform, Qin Wushuang's face darkened as he glared at Lei Heng. "Master, it's against the rules to give guidance during a Life-and-Death battle. What do you think you're doing?"

Lei Heng sneered, "Lin Qian used underhanded tactics to disturb my grandson's mind. Isn't it only fair for me to remind him? I don't mind if you do the same for your own."

Qin Wushuang clenched his teeth in frustration. His nephew had deliberately used psychological warfare to unnerve Lei Qian, giving him an edge in the fight. It was a strategy unrelated to their actual combat skills—a calculated move in a life-or-death battle.

But just as Lin Qian had succeeded, Lei Heng had interfered, pulling Lei Qian back from the brink of losing control. Even the Discipline Elder frowned at this, warning Lei Heng, "This is your one and only warning, never again. Wei Wushuang, as compensation, you may offer one reminder."

"No need!" Wei Wushuang coughed weakly, his voice drained but firm. "My disciple doesn't need such underhanded means to win this fight. If he falls short and dies, so be it."

"Hmph!" Lei Heng snorted in displeasure, clearly unimpressed by Wei Wushuang's stance.

On the stage, Lei Qian glared at Lin Qian. "I must admit, your physical strength and soul power are as formidable as the rumors say. And your psychological tactics were effective."

"You should know that no matter how calm you are, I'll still beat you." Lin Qian smirked, clearly amused. "Earlier, I told you to trust the rumors about my strength. But now, you should realize that not all rumors are true."

"Enough nonsense! Lin Qian, you will die today!" Lei Qian roared, raising his hand as a small, delicate sword-shaped Yuan Qi core and five purple spherical Yuan Qi components appeared, crackling with lightning.

As the purple lightning soul power enveloped the Yuan Qi core, forming the sword's shape, the Yuan Qi components melted into liquid metal, flowing and merging with the sword's form.

"Yuan Qi Weaponization!"

Lei Qian's voice rang out as the liquid metal solidified around the Yuan Qi core, creating a purple sword with lightning coursing through its blade. With a sneer, Lei Qian pointed the crackling sword at Lin Qian.

"This is where we differ—you can't weaponize your Yuan Qi!" Lei Qian taunted, advancing quickly with his lightning-charged sword. In a flash, he was upon Lin Qian, swinging the sword with deadly precision.

Lin Qian's eyes narrowed as he quickly retreated, crossing his arms defensively. But as the purple lightning touched his soul power, he felt a paralyzing shock, requiring more soul power to resist it.

Moreover, the sharpness of the sword, powered by Lei Qian's peak Nirvana ninth level and five Yuan Qi components, was far beyond anything Lin Qian had faced in Ba Mountain City. The blade slashed through Lin Qian's pale white soul power, leaving a deep cut on his arm, blood seeping out.

Lin Qian continued to retreat, with Lei Qian in relentless pursuit, the sword's lightning forming arcs that struck the ground of the Life-and-Death Stage, causing explosions and sending dust into the air.

But the dust clouds were quickly swept away by the fierce winds generated by their high-speed movements.

"Hahaha, Lin Qian! Weren't you so powerful just a moment ago? Why are you running like a scared dog now?" Lei Qian taunted as he chased Lin Qian, swinging his lightning sword with a smug grin.

What Lei Qian didn't know was that in front of Lin Qian, invisible to everyone else, was a window displaying Lei Qian's data, which only Lin Qian could see.

Simultaneously, in the Heavenly Works Department of the Hua Xia Empire, over a hundred thousand elite scholars were closely analyzing Lei Qian's combat data on a gigantic tactical screen.

Suddenly, Lei Qian stopped his pursuit and stared at Lin Qian, shaking his head. "I've grown tired of this cat-and-mouse game."

With a swipe of his fingers along the blade, Lei Qian declared, "My strongest technique is the Thunder Strike—a slash that channels the unstoppable force of lightning. My Yuan Qi is named after this technique, the Thunder Sword."

"No matter how fast you are, you can't escape from this!" Lei Qian said, brimming with confidence in his ultimate technique.

Lin Qian remained silent, standing still as he watched the window only he could see, carefully reading the analysis results.

Suddenly, Lin Qian's soul power underwent a dramatic change. The pale white aura surrounding him was engulfed by crimson-gold lightning, roaring with a deafening thunderclap that shook the entire stage.

The crimson-gold lightning surged violently as a sword-shaped Yuan Qi core and three crimson-gold Yuan Qi components materialized before Lin Qian.

As the lightning formed the shape of a sword, the Yuan Qi components melted into liquid metal, flowing seamlessly around it.

On the arbitration platform, Wei Wushuang and Qin Wushuang shot to their feet, their eyes fixed on Lin Qian with intense focus.

Lei Heng's face also changed dramatically as he quickly stood up. Even the ever-stoic Discipline Elder looked visibly shocked.

"Could it be...?" Down below, Bai Ren's voice trembled with excitement as he watched Lin Qian, his entire body shaking with anticipation.

On the stage, Lin Qian sneered at the stunned Lei Qian and loudly shouted four words:

"Yuan Qi Weaponization!"