Elder Yun Wu of the Yun family was full of confidence. The red light circle on the Yun family's platform reappeared, and he stepped into it without hesitation.
On the metallic road, Emperor Lin stood ready as the illusory barrier that had disappeared reappeared in front of him. Likewise, a barrier formed before Yun Wu as he was transported from the Yun family's platform to the metallic road.
"Oh no, it's Yun Yi," Yun Yunyan's expression turned grim when she saw the elder from the Yun family take the field.
"Why? Is this Yun Yi a difficult opponent?" Lin Qian asked, sensing his mother's concern.
"When we were in the Valley of Myriad Herbs and Trees, your father encountered him and ended up severely injured after their fight. Though Yun Yi wasn't unscathed either, it was a brutal battle, and both sides were badly hurt. I arrived just in time to save your father, but Yun Yi still had enough strength to pursue us for a while. He's a very troublesome opponent," Yun Yunyan explained, her eyes filled with worry as she watched Yun Yi. "It's clear Yun Yi has fully recovered from his injuries, but your father hasn't."
Lin Qian finally understood, looking at Yun Yi on the metallic road, who was about to face his father. "So, he's a formidable rival for Father."
"Begin!"
The illusory barriers disappeared once again, just like before. The moment the barrier vanished, Emperor Lin, holding his long spear, unleashed a thunderous spear strike toward Yun Yi.
However, at that exact moment, Yun Yi armed himself with a massive shield emitting a cold aura, positioning it in front of him.
Boom!
The thunderous spear strike, which had easily obliterated a Yun family soul warrior in the previous battle, now crashed against Yun Yi's cold-emitting shield like a torrent of water.
Yet, the entire strike was blocked.
Not only that, but a portion of the force from the spear strike was deflected back toward Emperor Lin, aiming for his face.
Emperor Lin frowned deeply, skillfully spinning his dark black spear to disperse the rebounded soul power.
It took several moments for the crimson-gold thunder to gradually dissipate.
Emperor Lin stood still, his spear in hand, staring intently at Yun Yi ahead of him.
Yun Yi, on the other hand, appeared completely at ease, casually holding his cold-emitting shield. "Your attack is strong, but unfortunately, it can't penetrate my defense."
Faced with Yun Yi's confident words, Emperor Lin's expression darkened. His opponent's defense was indeed formidable, and the ability to reflect some of the attacks made Yun Yi like an impenetrable fortress.
In their previous fight, Emperor Lin had caught Yun Yi off guard, managing to break through his defense and injure him. But Emperor Lin knew that a strong opponent like Yun Yi wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.
Additionally, with the Joy Arena reducing soul power consumption to just twenty percent of normal, Yun Yi's defense would only become more difficult to break through.
Upon seeing Yun Yi's martial soul—a shield—on the battlefield, Lin Qian raised an eyebrow. Soul warriors who wielded shields as their martial souls were exceedingly rare, especially powerful ones like Yun Yi.
Watching Yun Yi's shield reflect some of Emperor Lin's spear strikes, and recalling what his mother had said about their previous encounter, Lin Qian realized his father was up against a formidable opponent.
On the wide metallic road, Emperor Lin took the initiative, charging forward with the Thunder Night Spear in hand. Thunderous soul power crackled around him as he thrust the spear directly toward Yun Yi's cold-emitting shield.
At the same time, Yun Yi raised his shield to defend himself.
Just as the tip of Emperor Lin's spear was about to strike the shield, he suddenly shifted the spear's angle, swinging it high into the air before bringing it crashing down with tremendous force.
Boom!
A deafening crash echoed as the spear slammed into Yun Yi's shield, causing sparks and lightning to explode outward.
Though Yun Yi was forced back several steps, he quickly regained his footing.
Meanwhile, Emperor Lin was sent flying backward from the recoil of the impact with the shield.
As soon as he landed, Emperor Lin used the momentum to launch another assault, his spear now acting more like a whip, continuously striking at Yun Yi's shield.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Emperor Lin moved like a scarlet-gold lightning bolt, circling around Yun Yi, unleashing strike after strike with his spear, filling the Joy Arena with the sound of their intense clashes.
Although Yun Yi took pride in his defense, he couldn't underestimate Emperor Lin's sheer strength.
Knowing that direct attacks would have little effect, Emperor Lin completely abandoned any attempts to pierce the shield. Instead, he wielded the Thunder Night Spear like a whip or hammer, using its weight and force to batter Yun Yi's defenses.
Yun Yi quickly understood Emperor Lin's strategy—he was trying to use the force of the strikes to shake him and break his defense.
"Your plan is far too naive!" Yun Yi suddenly shouted. As Emperor Lin was knocked back from a shield strike, Yun Yi raised his shield and hurled it at him with tremendous force.
The shield, surrounded by freezing soul power, spun rapidly like a blade of ice, hurtling toward Emperor Lin as if to slice him in two.
"Lin!" Yun Yunyan gasped in alarm from the platform.
At that moment, a crystal appeared in Lin Qian's hand, its center swirling with what looked like moving sand. Without hesitation, he crushed the crystal.
Instantly, a barrier formed between Emperor Lin and Yun Yi, completely separating them and blocking the incoming shield.
With a loud thud, the shield bounced off the barrier and skidded to a stop at Yun Yi's feet.
"Teammate Lin Qian has used a designated item from the Joy Arena: Halftime Break, pausing the duel for half an hour." The ethereal female voice echoed in the air.
Everyone froze in disbelief, including Emperor Lin, who turned incredulously to look back at his son on the platform. Lin Qian smiled at him.
"Qian'er, what just happened?" Yun Yunyan was equally stunned, turning to her son in confusion.
Lin Qian casually tossed the broken crystal remnants aside and smiled. "Oh, this? It's the power of the wealthy."