When Lin Qian's gaze met 'Yun Hu's,' a sudden and inexplicable fear welled up in the latter's heart.
"What... is that?" In that moment, 'Yun Hu' clearly saw a shadow looming behind Lin Qian, grinning at him viciously, striking his mind like a bolt of lightning.
"What are you staring at?" Lin Qian's voice abruptly rang out in front of him. Looking up, 'Yun Hu' realized with shock that Lin Qian had already closed the distance and was right before him.
Boom!
Lin Qian's leg lashed out like a whip, tearing through the air with explosive force and connecting squarely with 'Yun Hu's' chest.
The force of the kick scattered the black mist that enveloped 'Yun Hu,' while a deep, resounding thud echoed from his chest as he was sent flying backward.
Yet, as 'Yun Hu' was knocked back, his body was once again shrouded in thick black smoke and instantly disappeared from Lin Qian's view.
A cold smile appeared on Lin Qian's face as he mocked, "The abilities of my War Beast Army's commander are not something that your little soul technique can deceive."
As Lin Qian's words fell, he spun around, and the Primordial Gear Core and Primordial Gear Sword floated in mid-air, instantly melting into two gleaming swords.
"Enhance!"
Clang!
With his Lightning Night Sword in one hand and the Cloud Sword in the other, Lin Qian swung both blades to his left, sparks flying as they connected. The pale, lifeless form of 'Yun Hu' emerged from the air, exposed.
Having been struck by Lin Qian's twin swords, 'Yun Hu' was forced backward. His body, still surrounded by the black mist, stabilized. He looked at Lin Qian with a solemn expression, his eyes fixed on Lin Qian's fiery golden pupils.
"Those eyes... What are they?" 'Yun Hu' asked, his voice strained as he stared at Lin Qian's golden gaze.
"Fire Eyes of Truth, a unique ability from one of my most powerful commanders," Lin Qian replied, his voice laced with mockery. "All illusions are laid bare before these eyes. Your so-called Black Mist Illusion Form is nothing special. Do you really think your soul technique could fool me?"
Lin Qian couldn't help but think to himself, "There's no way your little illusion could escape the Fire Eyes of Truth. I didn't open all those treasure boxes just to get low-tier skills."
On Fantasy Star, atop a distant mountain, a figure lounged lazily on a cloud of golden mist, muttering, "This little emperor keeps borrowing my staff and now my Fire Eyes of Truth. When will I finally get to stretch my legs and go out? I'm getting bored here."
A green light appeared beside him, and in the next moment, Ao Zun materialized, speaking calmly, "I've heard that once the Puppet Body Project is completed, you'll be able to leave Fantasy Star early and assist the emperor directly."
Sun Wukong, the legendary Monkey King, flipped onto his feet and looked at Ao Zun, grinning. "Yeah, I know that already. I was just talking. But since I'm bored, how about we spar?"
"Absolutely not! If you want to spar, go find Guan Yi. I'm not strong enough to take your punches." Ao Zun quickly waved his hands in refusal. "Besides, I've heard that Kong Xuan and Lü Bu will wake up soon. They'll be more than enough to fight you, so just be patient."
Without waiting for a response, Ao Zun hurriedly took off, not daring to linger.
"This guy sure can run fast," Sun Wukong chuckled, lying back down on his cloud, crossing his legs as he closed his eyes for a nap.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In mid-air, Lin Qian's twin swords clashed repeatedly with 'Yun Hu.' The latter used his bare body to endure the blows, but strangely, his grayish, lifeless body had become as hard as iron.
It was as if 'Yun Hu's' physical strength had surged dramatically, reminiscent of the black-blooded corpses that Lin Qian had encountered before. Yet, this time, the power seemed even more terrifying.
"I must admit, for a human, you're truly remarkable," 'Yun Hu' finally spoke, his tone filled with reluctant admiration as he disengaged from Lin Qian.
"Oh? Should I be thanking you for the compliment?" Lin Qian twirled his twin swords, his expression calm, but his heart was heavy.
From the beginning, this figure had not shown his full strength. He had been evaluating Lin Qian's abilities, trying to gauge how much his Fire Eyes of Truth could see through his tricks.
"Even though you aren't a pure human, you can't harness the full power of your Cold Dragon Clan bloodline, so I'd still consider you human. Twelve cycles of Nirvana... even beyond the Soul Martial Continent, you've accomplished something that no human has before. You should be proud," 'Yun Hu' said with a smirk.
Hearing this, Lin Qian's eyes narrowed slightly. He spoke slowly, "So you really are from the outer void, beyond this world."
"I've been trying to provoke you into revealing your true self, but you've been avoiding the question. You're using Yun Hu's body, not your true form. It seems you're unable to manifest fully in this world," Lin Qian continued. "That means your real body is still outside the Soul Martial Continent, but for some reason, you can't enter."
"That's why you've been manipulating the Black Blood Clan and the Yun family, setting various schemes in motion. You're trying to find a way to enter this world and achieve your goal."
Lin Qian's words caused 'Yun Hu' to pause momentarily before he burst into laughter. "Hahaha, interesting, very interesting."
"My true name is Black Demon, human. You've earned my respect, but now I'll unleash my full power to erase you. Are you ready?"
As Black Demon finished speaking, the black mist around him began to solidify, forming a menacing black armor around his body. The armor was covered in razor-sharp spikes, faintly glowing with blood-red light. Black Demon's crimson eyes burned even brighter.
Boom!
In an instant, Black Demon vanished from sight, the frozen air around him exploding in a burst of energy.
Before Lin Qian could react, Black Demon appeared right in front of him, his limbs striking with terrifying speed, black soul energy surging forth like blades, laced with threads of crimson.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Black Demon's attacks rained down upon Lin Qian like a relentless storm, his black energy engulfing Lin Qian's figure in a whirlwind of destruction.
"Qian'er!" Yun Yunyan's eyes widened in horror, her scream piercing the air.
Lin Di's expression darkened, and with his Primordial Armament equipped, he grasped his spear tightly, ready to charge.
But before he could act, one of the imperial scholars on the Huaxia Imperial Vessel stepped forward and stopped him. "Emperor Emeritus, please remain calm. His Majesty won't fall so easily."