In mid-air, the black soul power blades surrounding Lin Qian had completely vanished, and the imperial robe of intent on his body seemed almost tangible, wrapping around him from head to toe.
On it, brilliant golden light softly enveloped him.
The deathly aura emanating from the Black Demon, which once surrounded them, now fled as if a mouse encountering a cat, scurrying back to the area around the Black Demon's body.
"Ugh!" The Black Demon let out a muffled groan, clearly feeling an intense discomfort as he faced the young man in front of him.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
The roar of dragons echoed, and nine golden dragons coiled around Lin Qian's body, their cold eyes appearing to gaze down upon the world.
Lin Qian's entire body seemed to burn with golden flames, flickering and shifting between solid and ethereal forms.
At the same time, his aura continued to rise, becoming increasingly heavy and oppressive.
Boom!
In an instant, Lin Qian charged forward, the nine dragons coiling around the Emperor's Sword, following his movements as he slashed towards the Black Demon.
Charging forward and swinging his sword, Lin Qian performed both actions with eerie precision.
The Black Demon's face twisted in astonishment, his eyes widened as he rapidly retreated. The sharp edge of the sword had already cut past him.
Sizzle!
Sparks flew as the tip of the Emperor's Sword scraped across the Black Demon's armor, producing a harsh, ear-piercing sound. It was unbearable.
Despite his retreat, Lin Qian remained calm and unhurried, closely pursuing the Black Demon. In a flash of golden light, he appeared before him once more, slashing horizontally with his sword.
The Black Demon gritted his teeth, and dense, dark rock entwined his arms, the blade of his arm-armor clashing against the sword.
Boom!
The Emperor's Sword collided directly with the black blade-armored gauntlets, producing a deafening explosion. A shockwave rippled outward from the point of impact, causing the frozen land for thousands of miles to shatter, and the violent air currents turned the ice into vapor.
A thick mist now shrouded the entire area.
The Huaxia Emperor warship and the hovering warships nearby were caught in the shockwave, shaking violently.
Boom!
Another heavy collision echoed from within the dense mist.
"Activate the boundary array defenses, quickly!" Whether on the Huaxia Emperor warship or the hovering warship, the commander's urgent voice resounded from the array control room.
Following the chief's orders, the others reacted with astonishing speed.
In an instant, nine layers of soul force barriers manifested out of thin air around the warships!
The moment the nine layers of barriers appeared, the surging shockwaves struck, causing the Huaxia Emperor and the hovering warship to tremble once more.
However, with the boundary array defenses activated, the situation improved significantly compared to earlier.
The thick mist was blown away again, revealing the scene ahead.
The frozen land, once sealed by Yun Rong, had now completely melted, but the originally frozen spiritual wood remained undamaged.
Crack! Crack!
The sound of breaking echoed. The armor that had solidified on the Black Demon's arms shattered, turning into black liquid and scattering.
The Black Demon's face darkened as he stared at his now bare arms.
At this moment, Lin Qian stood with the intact Emperor's Sword in hand, coldly gazing at him. Beneath the flames, his golden eyes were filled with a chilling killing intent.
Golden flames danced around his body, and his black hair, illuminated by the golden light, appeared as if it had turned to gold.
"Transcendent realm... How is it possible that you shattered the demonic armor formed by my demon blood? How did you undergo such a transformation?" the Black Demon roared in disbelief, staring at Lin Qian.
At that moment, his hands were still trembling, not from fear but from the numbing shock of Lin Qian's sword strike.
A mere ant that could have been crushed underfoot at any time now posed a genuine threat to him.
"I, the Emperor, do not need to explain myself to an ant!" Lin Qian's cold gaze fixed on the Black Demon as he spoke indifferently.
Swish!
As soon as his words fell, Lin Qian disappeared from his original position and reappeared in front of the Black Demon, slashing down with the Emperor's Sword without hesitation.
As the blade swung, the nine dragons roared. Majestic mountains and rivers emerged like a scroll painting, descending upon the Black Demon with overwhelming force.
"Damn it!" The Black Demon's scarlet pupils contracted. The black mist that had once surrounded him was now forcibly compressed to within three inches of his body.
Black blood surged, once again forming the blade-armored gauntlets, covering his hands.
At this moment, the Black Demon dared not be careless. He activated the demonic blood within his body, black soul force gathering on his blades to block the Emperor's Sword.
The sword edge met the blade, and the soul force vibrated intensely.
"Blade Prison!"
In close quarters, the Black Demon used Lin Qian's immense force to propel himself backward. He raised his arms, and the black soul force on the blades gathered wildly.
In an instant, the black aura spread throughout the sky, filling the space with dark, sharp energy.
Black soul force blades appeared everywhere, as if the sky had transformed into a prison of blades.
The Blade Prison had manifested!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Countless blades filled the sky, surging towards Lin Qian like a storm.
In an instant, Lin Qian was engulfed by the onslaught of black blades.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Split!"
Lin Qian spoke coldly. The Emperor's Sword split into two, transforming into the Thunder Night Sword and the Cloud Sword, one in each of his hands.
The dual swords moved swiftly, forming a web of blades around him as they intercepted the black blades.
"Qian'er, amazing!" Onboard the Huaxia Emperor warship, the recovering Yun Rong looked up at Lin Qian in the sky, exclaiming in admiration.
"Mother, isn't that obvious? Qian'er may only be in the Transcendent Realm, but he is easily defeating your opponent and dominating the battlefield," Yun Qingfeng said with a dry laugh.
"No, your mother is right. Qian'er's dual swords..." Yun Fan said, his words full of praise. "Every strike precisely counters the incoming blade energy."
"This Blade Prison technique is incredibly powerful, with endlessly changing blade energy that follows no pattern, making it impossible to fully defend against."
"Yet, despite the unpredictability of the Blade Prison's attacks, Qian'er seems to have everything under control."
"Rather than saying Qian'er is blocking the blades, it's as if the blades are crashing into his swords of their own accord."
Emperor's Sword Domain!
As an emperor, one must control everything. Just as the Huaxia Empire grants power to its subjects, the one who holds ultimate authority is Lin Qian.
In the Sword Domain, even enemies fall under his control.
"How is this possible?" The Black Demon's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Lin Qian. He had never seen anyone withstand his Blade Prison technique like this.
The chaotic blade energy of the Blade Prison was impossible to predict, even for its wielder.
Most opponents would either evade or withstand the attacks, but none had ever destroyed each blade as Lin Qian did.
It was an impossible feat!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The speed of Lin Qian's dual sword movements increased, turning into a blur. There was no opening, and no blade could penetrate his defense.