Lin Qian's sword strike didn't possess earth-shattering momentum, nor did it emit a dazzling display of soul power. It appeared to be a simple, unremarkable sword slash.
Yet, the true power of this strike was fully contained within the blade, making it seem ordinary on the surface.
An emperor who governs his lands and rivers doesn't rely on magnificent palaces or luxurious robes but on his own strength and capability.
Swish! A faint golden light flashed, marking the path of Lin Qian's Thunder Night Sword.
The terrifying power within the black sword instantly sliced through Wu Xuan's protective soul power. The blade then met Wu Xuan's massive staff, severing it cleanly into two pieces.
With his sword now pointing downward, Lin Qian had already completed his strike.
There was no significant commotion, no gusts of wind or energy ripples, and the surroundings remained untouched—no deep cuts or trenches formed from the sword's force. Everything seemed ordinary.
Yet, with this seemingly simple strike, Wu Xuan's once impenetrable protective soul power shattered. The weapon he used to block Lin Qian's attack was utterly destroyed.
What use is a weapon that's been split in half?
Wu Xuan stared blankly at Lin Qian, unable to comprehend what had just happened. His defenses had truly been broken.
He could see that Lin Qian's previous strike was extraordinary. All the power was concentrated within the blade, focused at the edge.
There were no wild, sweeping sword energies or soul power disturbances. It was simply a force so immense that it was entirely compressed into the sword's tip.
"If your defense is that strong, then the power just needs to be sharper and stronger," Lin Qian said calmly, looking at Wu Xuan.
Sword That Subdues Mountains and Rivers was a simple technique—it concentrated all of its power into the sword, focusing it at the sharpest point.
The attack strength was entirely centered, using close combat to unleash tremendous force and completely shatter Wu Xuan's defenses.
In truth, after Lin Qian's power surged and he delivered two heavy strikes on Wu Xuan, his previously unbreakable defenses were already on the brink of collapse, far less stable than when he was at full strength.
Lin Qian's Sword That Subdues Mountains and Rivers had merely delivered the final blow, completely dismantling Wu Xuan's defenses.
Wu Xuan, still in shock from having his defenses shattered, stood there in disbelief. Before entering the Nirvana Realm, he had always been known for his defense. His soul attribute, gained after his successful Nirvana, perfectly matched his defensive style.
All along, Wu Xuan had been immensely confident in his defense. Unless someone vastly outpowered him, it was nearly impossible for anyone of the same realm to break through his defenses—they would often fall due to soul power exhaustion long before they could.
But to be bested by a Life and Death Realm soul martial artist? This was the first time Wu Xuan had experienced such a thing.
Even though Lin Qian was a prodigy, it left Wu Xuan utterly bewildered.
Seeing Wu Xuan dazed and lost, Lin Qian suddenly flicked his Thunder Night Sword towards him. His speed was so swift that only a dark blur was visible, and then he sheathed his sword, floating upward into the sky.
Wu Xuan remained standing, his expression blank. A thin line of blood appeared on his throat, but no blood flowed as his muscles clamped down on the wound.
Splat! Splat! Yet, blood gushed from both his heart and dantian, revealing that Lin Qian had struck not once but three times.
"This... can't be..." Wu Xuan whispered, his hand slowly reaching for his throat, still unable to believe that his defense had been breached.
Thud! Wu Xuan collapsed to the ground, still filled with doubt and confusion. Moments later, the swift Wind Soldiers moved in to handle the aftermath.
In the sky above, the battle had paused momentarily due to the commotion caused by Lin Qian. It wasn't until Wu Xuan had been slain that the Qin Dynasty's awakened experts snapped back to reality. Looking at the young emperor, fear was evident on their faces.
The more powerful awakened experts managed to keep their composure, but those with slightly lower cultivation levels were filled with terror as they looked at Lin Qian.
Lin Qian's true combat strength had been fully displayed just moments ago. They realized that if they were to face him, they wouldn't stand a chance—they would surely die.
Even the stronger experts understood that staying any longer would be futile.
The Qin Dynasty had made a grave mistake. They had severely underestimated both the strength of the Huaxia Empire and the power of Lin Qian himself.
"We in the Qin Dynasty Empire underestimated your empire. We thought you were harmless, but instead, you're a fierce beast that devours everything," said one of the Qin Dynasty's fourth-realm awakened generals, gritting his teeth as he addressed Lin Qian, full of regret.
"In truth, it was your Qin Dynasty's foolishness. The Lin Hai Province had long been changing, but you failed to notice," Lin Qian replied with a mocking smile, as if looking at a fool. His voice echoed through the sky.
"Starting four years ago, there hasn't been any news from the Lin Hai Province—did none of you notice?"
For the past four years, the Huaxia Empire had completely sealed off information from the Lin Hai Province. This should have been an obvious warning sign.
Lin Qian had spent a year dealing with the Eight-Armed Sea Clan, another year at the Southern Meeting, a year after his return, and another year preparing for the Qin Dynasty conflict and setting up the Soul Power Cannons.
During these four years, both the Lin Hai Province and the Origin Province had rapidly developed. Under Lin Qian's orders, all information about the Lin Hai Province was completely sealed off, and the borders were guarded by the Imperial Army.
Lin Qian had expected the changes in the Lin Hai Province to quickly draw attention, but to his surprise, no one from the Southern Region had taken notice. It seemed as if no power there even bothered to gather intelligence on the situation.
After seeing the Qin Dynasty's complete ignorance of the recent developments, Lin Qian realized they had probably never done so.
In contrast, Lin Qian had long been sending reconnaissance troops out of the Lin Hai Province to gather intelligence from other regions. Since he could summon the Wind Soldiers, such tasks had been left to them.
Although it would take time for the Huaxia Empire's Wind Soldiers and reconnaissance beasts to fully infiltrate the Southern Region, Lin Qian was confident that it wouldn't be long before they had a complete grasp of everything happening there.
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll never lose a battle. Information is vital," Lin Qian thought to himself, as it seemed the Qin Dynasty had never prioritized this aspect.
Boom! Just then, a figure flew in from the distance, panic written across their face as they shouted to the Qin Dynasty's generals, "Something terrible has happened!"