"Hahaha, Boss, you're finally back." Seeing Lin Qian appear in midair, Lei Qian, who had been tense, finally relaxed.
To him, with Lin Qian here, this so-called Qin Yunyu was nothing more than a speck of dust.
Lin Qian glanced at Gao Benli and suddenly produced a crystal vial in his hand, tossing it over.
Catching the recovery potion Lin Qian handed him, Gao Benli grinned, uncorked the vial, and downed the potion in one go.
The potions his junior brother had given him in the past had long been used up.
As the familiar healing energy mended his internal injuries and his broken ribs began to knit back together, Gao Benli sighed in relief, flexing his shoulders comfortably.
"Brother Lin!"
"Brother Lin!"
"Brother Lin!"
Immediately after, Fang Ziqian, Li Yunfeng, and Yang Tianhao all approached, smiling as they greeted Lin Qian.
"Where have you been these past few days? You disappeared completely as if you vanished off the face of the earth. Now, you finally show up," Li Yunfeng teased, playfully punching Lin Qian's chest as he asked curiously.
At this, Lin Qian glanced toward the Qin Dynasty's territory, a meaningful expression on his face as he replied, "I've been preparing a surprise for the Qin Dynasty."
"Be careful of that Qin Yunyu. Though he's been in the Awakening Realm for a while, he's still not easy to deal with," Fang Ziqian quietly warned, casting a wary glance at Qin Yunyu.
Lin Qian nodded but showed no sign of concern as he looked at Qin Yunyu. "With his level of strength, he's nothing to worry about."
At that moment, among the younger disciples of the three major forces, Yu Wanli, Zhao Zhili, and Yu Wanyu were all stunned as they watched Lin Qian chatting happily with the three top talents of the allied forces.
Lin Qian's earlier introduction to Qin Yunyu had already made everyone aware of who he was.
He was Lin Qian, the emperor of the Huaxia Empire, the young man whom no one had taken seriously.
"Qian Ling... Lin Qian... No wonder..." Zhao Zhili murmured to himself as he finally came to a realization.
However, some were puzzled. Wasn't the person who had killed the Qin Dynasty's third prince said to be trapped in a relic? How could he have appeared here unless he had successfully escaped?
"Brother Lin, are you in the middle of a breakthrough?" Yang Tianhao, who had been observing Lin Qian closely, suddenly noticed the swirling wind around Lin Qian's abdomen and realized what it was.
"Soul calamity of the Life and Death Realm—the fierce wind tempering the soul in the dantian," Li Yunfeng exclaimed as he realized what was happening. "Brother Lin, have you lost your mind? If you're in the middle of a breakthrough, you should be in a secluded place cultivating. What are you doing here?"
Seeing that Lin Qian was undergoing a soul calamity, everyone around was shocked and horrified.
The soul calamity was extremely dangerous. The fierce wind that rose within could either temper the soul or destroy it.
When undergoing this calamity, it was crucial to focus the mind and fortify the soul with internal energy to resist the invasive winds, using them to strengthen the soul.
After passing through the soul calamity, the soul would become significantly stronger, and once the soul weapon was fully armed, its power would greatly increase, enhancing one's combat strength.
However, the most feared disruption during a soul calamity was external interference.
Especially if one's internal energy was released. This would weaken the soul's ability to resist the winds, putting the soul on the brink of collapse.
Now, in the midst of a battle, Lin Qian had appeared despite undergoing a soul calamity. He had even attacked Qin Yunyu just moments ago.
The more they thought about it, the more terrified they became, relieved that nothing had gone wrong with Lin Qian.
"Why is it that every time something crucial happens, you're in the middle of a breakthrough?" Li Yunfeng grumbled, both annoyed and concerned.
Lin Qian felt a warm surge of affection at Li Yunfeng's words and smiled. "I couldn't help it. The soul calamity started a month ago, and I've been working on getting through it."
"But then I realized that you all were in danger. If I didn't come, this crown prince of the Qin Dynasty would've killed you. So, I had no choice but to come while continuing my breakthrough."
"Hahaha..." Qin Yunyu burst into laughter, as if he had just heard the most amusing thing in the world. "You're undergoing a soul calamity and yet you came here. How is that any different from walking to your own death?"
"Just now, I threw you with one hand," Lin Qian calmly replied.
He spoke loudly enough that everyone present could hear him clearly.
As Lin Qian's words sank in, everyone began to recall what had happened earlier. Indeed, when he had suddenly appeared, he had grabbed Qin Yunyu's shoulder with one hand.
Though most hadn't seen what happened next, they had noticed Qin Yunyu suddenly retreating some distance, only steadying himself after his soul energy had erupted.
Lin Qian's remark darkened Qin Yunyu's expression for a moment, but he quickly resumed his haughty demeanor. "You think it's worth bragging about because you caught me off guard? I broke through to the Awakening Realm at the age of thirty-one, and my strength is not something you, a mere Life and Death Realm cultivator, can judge."
He tapped his forehead lightly, pretending to be annoyed. "Oh, I almost forgot you're in the middle of a soul calamity. If you succeed, you'll be a Life and Death Realm soul cultivator."
After Qin Yunyu finished speaking, Lin Qian maintained his calm tone. "But I just threw you with one hand."
Qin Yunyu's face froze, and he took a deep breath before glaring at Lin Qian and speaking in a low voice. "I am the crown prince of the Qin Dynasty, the youngest to reach the Awakening Realm in our history. My status is higher than yours, and my strength surpasses yours. Do you understand?"
"I understand. You're saying you have a noble status and strong power!" After nodding along, Lin Qian asked with genuine confusion, "But what does that have to do with me throwing you with one hand?"
"..." Qin Yunyu trembled with anger at Lin Qian's repeated statements, his voice tight as he asked, "Why do you keep saying that? What's your point?"
"My point is that, in terms of strength, you're just a piece of trash I can toss aside with one hand." Lin Qian's calm expression shifted to one of contempt as he sneered at Qin Yunyu. "You think being the crown prince of the Qin Dynasty makes you important? In front of my Huaxia Empire, your Qin Dynasty is nothing more than a small, insignificant kingdom, unworthy of attention."
Lin Qian's words caused an uproar among the crowd.