The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

As Lin Qian swiftly dodged, a powerful blade light slashed down right where he had been standing, cutting a deep trench into the solid ground.

If he hadn't reacted in time, that strike would have cleaved him in two.

Lin Qian quickly got to his feet, unleashing his soul power to envelop his entire body as he glared at the entrance of the cave.

Standing there was a burly man with a bushy beard, dressed in a black-trimmed red robe, a blood-red greatsword resting on his shoulder. The man sneered as he looked at Lin Qian.

"Overlord Blade Sect!" Lin Qian growled, rotating his shoulders as he stared at the bearded man. "Looks like you've been aware of me for some time."

"Heh, this little mouse sure knows how to find holes to crawl into," the bearded man chuckled, lifting his blood-red greatsword and pointing it at Lin Qian. "Any last words, little mouse?"

Before the man could finish his sentence, Lin Qian's figure blurred as he closed the distance between them in an instant, his right fist wrapped in soul power, aiming directly for the man's face.

The force of Lin Qian's punch caused a sharp whistling sound, and the bearded man felt an unexpected pressure from the soul-powered strike.

"Damn it!" The man's expression changed as the casual look on his face vanished. He quickly raised his blood-red greatsword, covering it in fiery red soul power.

He swung the blade to meet Lin Qian's punch head-on.

Bang!

A thunderous clash resounded, but the expected sight of Lin Qian's fist being cleaved in two didn't happen. Instead, a tremendous force reverberated through the man's sword, pushing him back several steps and causing his right arm to go numb.

The man stomped the ground to disperse the force and stabilize himself, glaring at Lin Qian.

Lin Qian's fist, despite being struck directly by the sharp edge of the blood-red greatsword, remained unscathed, with only a faint red mark. On the other hand, the blade rippled as if it were made of water.

"By the looks of you, you can't be older than sixteen, yet you're at the Condensation Realm, and you can withstand a weapon-augmented attack with just your body," the man sneered, shaking his right arm. "I've heard rumors about a prodigy in the Myriad Image Sect—a young 'Lesser Emperor' who can overpower even Nirvana Realm experts."

"And I'm at the second level of the Nirvana Realm. If you can push me back with just your fists, you must be that prodigy, the 'Lesser Emperor'!"

Lin Qian said nothing, silently confirming the man's suspicions. He had already figured out that the man was at the Nirvana Realm from the start. Even with the Concealment Talisman, the man's detection skills were too sharp for someone below the Nirvana Realm.

As for the title of "Lesser Emperor," it was something Lin Qian had earned due to his master.

What truly concerned Lin Qian, however, was that the Overlord Blade Sect's intelligence was wrong.

According to the information provided by the Overlord Blade Sect's mole in the Myriad Image Sect, they were supposed to have dispatched ten Condensation Realm disciples and forty Formation Realm disciples to Bashan City.

This force would have been more than sufficient to deal with the Bai and Ye families, who only had two Formation Realm Soul Martialists combined.

But such a force would have been trivial to Lin Qian.

Yet here in this valley, Lin Qian was confronted by a Nirvana Realm Soul Martialist from the Overlord Blade Sect.

"The intel was wrong," Lin Qian thought, taking a deep breath. He couldn't be sure how many people the Overlord Blade Sect had sent to Bashan City or what their true strength was.

"My name is Liang Ren," the bearded man introduced himself suddenly, interrupting Lin Qian's thoughts. "I've heard a lot about the 'Lesser Emperor,' and I'd like to see if the rumors about you are true!"

Hearing this, Lin Qian put aside his thoughts and focused on the battle. "Very well. You can test it for yourself."

Liang Ren gripped his sword with both hands, holding it vertically in front of him as he exhaled.

Boom!

In an instant, Liang Ren's body erupted with crimson soul power. With a powerful push off the ground, he charged straight at Lin Qian.

"Ha!" As a Nirvana Realm expert, Liang Ren's speed was terrifying. His body became a blur of red as he closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

His blood-red greatsword came down in a powerful arc, aimed directly at Lin Qian's head.

The concentrated crimson soul power condensed along the blade, and as it descended, the sheer force of it sliced through the surrounding tall grass, sending waves of green stalks flying.

Lin Qian, undeterred, clenched his fists, gathering more of his pristine white soul power around them. As he gripped his fists, the air itself seemed to crackle.

The blood-red greatsword came down, and Lin Qian met it with a powerful punch.

To Liang Ren, it felt as if he had struck a slab of solid steel rather than a flesh-and-blood fist, sending shockwaves up his arms and making his hands tremble.

"Ahhh!" Frustrated, Liang Ren roared and pressed the attack, swinging his blood-red greatsword in a flurry of strikes.

His arms moved in a blur as the greatsword carved crimson arcs through the air, slashing at Lin Qian from all directions.

The relentless barrage seemed chaotic, but there was a method to Liang Ren's madness.

Lin Qian found himself surrounded by a storm of blood-red blades, each swing of the greatsword sending out bursts of crimson energy that occasionally detached from the blade and flew at him.

These flying blade lights were deadly. If Lin Qian tried to block them with his fists, he would likely be injured.

Although these blade lights were easy enough to dodge, doing so would cut off his retreat, forcing him to take the full brunt of Liang Ren's attacks head-on.

For a moment, the battle seemed to be at a stalemate.

"He must know that even though I'm at the Condensation Realm, my body contains an enormous amount of soul power, and I'm well-suited for prolonged combat. Trying to outlast me in a battle of endurance won't work," Lin Qian thought, his eyes locked on his opponent.

Because of his powerful physique, reinforced meridians, and larger-than-normal dantian, Lin Qian could store far more soul power than most Soul Martialists of his level.

Additionally, his mysterious martial soul constantly absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, converting it into soul power that flowed through him even when he wasn't actively cultivating.

As a result, Lin Qian had a near-endless supply of soul power, making him exceptionally resilient in prolonged battles.

This was a well-known fact, and Lin Qian's title of "Lesser Emperor" had spread far and wide. If Liang Ren recognized him, he would surely know this.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of Lin Qian's fists clashing with Liang Ren's blood-red greatsword echoed repeatedly, and Lin Qian gradually found himself being pushed deeper into the valley.

"I see now… He's trying to buy time," Lin Qian realized, annoyed that he hadn't caught on sooner.

If the intelligence was wrong, then it was likely that there were other Nirvana Realm Soul Martialists from the Overlord Blade Sect lurking in the valley.

Liang Ren's earlier comments and his current fighting style made it clear: he wasn't trying to defeat Lin Qian but was stalling for time, waiting for reinforcements from the Overlord Blade Sect.

"In that case, I need to take you out first." Lin Qian took a deep breath, sidestepped to the right, and suddenly threw a powerful punch.

At the same time, a blood-red blade light descended from above, clashing with Lin Qian's fist.

Thud!

A dull thud echoed as the blade light shattered under Lin Qian's punch, but not without leaving a deep cut on his right arm, blood streaming from the wound.

This was the first time Lin Qian had been injured in his fight with Liang Ren.

Seeing Lin Qian willing to take a hit to break free from his encirclement, Liang Ren knew his intentions had been exposed, and his expression changed.

Without hesitation, Liang Ren switched his grip on the sword, causing the crimson soul power around the blade to ignite, transforming it into a flaming sword.

As the blade ignited, Liang Ren slashed upward from the ground, aiming for Lin Qian.

"Flaming Blade!"

With Liang Ren's shout, the blazing sword light separated from the blade, hurtling toward Lin Qian.

In that instant, the flames enveloping Liang Ren's greatsword disappeared, seemingly absorbed into the fiery blade light.

The flaming blade light tore through the air, scorching the ground in its path, turning it into blackened earth.

This was a soul technique—a martial skill unique to Soul Martialists. The Flaming Blade was Liang Ren's full-strength attack as a second-level Nirvana Realm expert.

For an ordinary Formation Realm Soul Martialist, facing such an attack would mean certain death.

But Lin Qian was no ordinary Formation Realm Soul Martialist.

As the flaming blade light closed in, casting a red glow over Lin Qian's face, he remained unfazed. He drew his fist back, channeling soul power into it, his muscles tensing.

"Tiger Roar!"

Just as the flaming blade light was about to strike, Lin Qian's eyes snapped open, and with a roar, he unleashed a double punch.

The pristine white soul power burst forth from his fists, forming a massive tiger's head.

The tiger's head, with Lin Qian's fists at its mouth, charged forward, crashing into the flaming blade light.

Roar!

The punch reverberated like a beast's roar, echoing through the valley.

The flaming blade light, which seemed capable of incinerating everything in its path, shattered under the force of the punch, scattering into countless embers.

At the same time, the invisible force from the tiger's roar pierced through the sea of red sparks, striking Liang Ren squarely in the chest.

Pfft! A spray of blood burst from Liang Ren's mouth as he was sent flying back into the cave, his blood-red greatsword clattering to the ground.

As it hit the ground, the greatsword flashed red, transforming into a small dagger and a red metal sphere.

Ugh! Lin Qian suddenly groaned, clutching his chest as he fell to one knee.

"Ha ha ha! Lesser Emperor, didn't see that coming, did you?" Liang Ren laughed, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as he slowly emerged from the cave, leaning against the wall. His face was twisted with triumph.

"When a Soul Martialist reaches the Nirvana Realm, their martial soul awakens unique traits. My sword soul just happens to have the ability to inflict fire poison, which causes paralysis," Liang Ren explained, his voice dripping with malice as he looked down at the kneeling Lin Qian. "I bet you're feeling weak, with your soul power difficult to gather, right?"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

At that moment, three massive explosions erupted from the lake behind Lin Qian, sending plumes of water into the sky. From the splashing water, three figures emerged.

"Is this the end?" Lin Qian's heart sank as he sensed the three additional Nirvana Realm auras behind him.

But just then, a faint voice echoed in Lin Qian's mind.

"Your Majesty, please hold on. Your servant will be there soon to protect you!"