After completing his attack, the Black Demon retreated, eyes fixated on the scene before him.
A storm of pitch-black blade-like soul energy whirled violently in the air, surrounding Lin Qian. Trapped within the black bladed tempest, even with the Imperial Will Armor protecting him, Lin Qian could barely withstand the assault. His body was riddled with cuts and gashes.
If not for the Imperial Will Armor, Lin Qian would have been shredded into pieces by the Black Demon's soul blades long ago.
"No matter how powerful this human may be, he's still just at the Transcendence Realm. Thinking he can escape from the Soul Killing Blades is nothing but a dream," the Black Demon scoffed as he watched the storm of blades. "Arrogant fool, relying on some trivial talents, thinking he can disregard others."
"Even if this isn't my true body, it's still at the Saint Realm. In this Soul Martial Continent, few can match such strength. And this Transcendence Realm insect dares to oppose me? Ridiculous..."
Boom!
Before the Black Demon could finish his monologue, his expression abruptly shifted in shock. His eyes widened as he gazed at the tempest, filled with disbelief.
From within the black whirlwind of blades, the Black Demon suddenly sensed an overwhelmingly powerful aura rising—an aura that filled him with intense disgust.
It felt as if this power was his natural nemesis.
The Black Demon's mind raced, recalling how Lin Qian had previously withstood his Death Aura with ease. And now, within the storm of soul blades, streaks of brilliant golden light began to seep through, piercing his eyes painfully and making it nearly impossible to keep them open.
In an instant, golden light radiated out in all directions. Somewhere within the blinding glow, the Black Demon heard voices—a deafening roar, as if countless beings were shouting a single word:
Huaxia!
Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed across the sky as the golden soul energy within the storm suddenly expanded, obliterating the Black Demon's Soul Killing Blades. The black energy dissipated, leaving only traces of dark mist scattering in the wind.
"What... is this?" The Black Demon raised his hand to shield his eyes from the searing golden light, feeling as though his entire body was being burned alive by the heat.
Soul energy erupted from his body, forming a protective barrier against the burning light.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The wind howled as the Black Demon focused all his energy just to resist the golden light from burning his flesh.
The body he was using was vital—it was his contingency plan. When he had introduced the Yun family to the Soul Martial Continent, he had gifted them a Black Demon Medallion, which allowed the Yun family heads to rapidly enhance their cultivation.
But what the Yun family never knew was that their bodies had long been corrupted by the Black Demon. Whenever he wished, the Black Demon Miasma within the medallion could devour their bodies, transforming them into puppets for his use.
Initially, the Black Demon had set his sights on Lin Di's body, which was strong and brimming with potential. Turning Lin Di into a puppet would have yielded far better results.
This was why the Black Demon had ordered Yun Hu to pursue Yun Fan's family—to capture Lin Di's body. But unfortunately, all his plans had failed, leaving him no choice but to use Yun Hu's body.
Still, after devouring Yun Hu's bloodline and with the help of the Black Demon Miasma, this body should have been enough to execute his backup plan.
But now, Lin Qian—a mere Transcendence Realm cultivator—was somehow resisting his Death Aura.
And not only was Lin Qian resisting, he was actively countering the Black Demon's power.
"An emperor, the ultimate sovereign, the son of Heaven. I possess the aura of a ruler, impervious to all evil," Lin Qian's voice echoed across the sky as the golden light gradually dissipated. "Demons like you will always be suppressed by my presence."
Floating in mid-air, Lin Qian stared at the Black Demon with an air of calm confidence, his hands clasped behind his back.
The once-tattered Imperial Will Armor had fully restored itself, and the nine imperial dragons embroidered on the black robe shimmered with golden brilliance, coiling protectively around Lin Qian.
By his side, the Imperial Sword floated quietly, radiating power.
"Qian'er!" Yun Yunyan, seeing that Lin Qian was unharmed, finally breathed a sigh of relief. The tension in her heart released all at once.
When Lin Qian had been enveloped by the Black Demon's Soul Killing Blades, she had feared the worst. Her greatest nightmare was losing her son once again.
Standing beside her, Lin Di also relaxed, shaking his head with a relieved smile as he gazed at his son hovering in the sky.
However, when his eyes turned toward the Black Demon, his expression darkened, his grip on his spear tightening until his knuckles turned white.
He didn't want to just stand by and watch—he wanted to rush forward and protect his son.
But as he stared at the Black Demon, a familiar sensation struck him. His eyes narrowed as confusion clouded his mind. "Why... does this feel so familiar?"
"Ah!" Lin Di suddenly let out a low groan, his weapon disengaging from his Primordial Armament as the pieces clattered to the ground.
Clutching his head, Lin Di felt a searing pain as countless images and memories surged from the depths of his mind. His dantian quivered with instability.
"Lin-ge, what's wrong?" Yun Yunyan's face paled as she rushed to support her husband, concern evident in her voice.
Lin Di's mind was engulfed in chaos, as though it was about to burst. One after another, fragmented images and information flooded his consciousness, overwhelming him.
"Ahhh!!" Lin Di threw his head back and screamed in agony before collapsing unconscious to the ground.
The disturbance on the Huaxia Imperial Vessel did not escape Lin Qian's notice. Seeing his father collapse, his heart tightened with worry.
"Now, you'd better focus on yourself," the Black Demon's cold voice rang out as Lin Qian's attention wavered.
Furrowing his brow, Lin Qian instinctively grasped the Imperial Sword and raised it just in time. The Black Demon's jagged armored claws collided with the blade, sending shockwaves through the air.
The Black Demon sneered at Lin Qian, but his expression quickly froze.
Despite the power behind his strike, Lin Qian remained unmoved.
The Black Demon's crimson eyes stared into Lin Qian's Fire Eyes of Truth. Within the burning golden flames of Lin Qian's gaze, the Black Demon glimpsed something—a vision of a colossal world.
"The Soul of Huaxia!"