As soon as the barrier appeared, Lin Qian immediately recognized it. When Zhao Long attempted to kill Qin Yiyi earlier, the same barrier had appeared around her.
Lin Qian quickly realized that this barrier was clearly a power left behind by a formidable expert in a talisman, placed on Qin Feiyu and Qin Yiyi. If they were ever in danger, the talisman would activate and protect them.
The one who left this talisman was undoubtedly their father, the current emperor of the Qin Dynasty.
Such a powerful life-saving trump card, given by a strong figure like this, was not something Lin Qian could break through at his current level.
When his sword struck the barrier, it produced a deafening roar, and just like when Zhao Long had struck Qin Yiyi earlier, Qin Feiyu, shielded by the barrier, was sent flying. His speed was astonishing, and he quickly disappeared from sight.
It was clear that the talisman's barrier had more than just defensive capabilities. Otherwise, Lin Qian's sword alone wouldn't have propelled him so far, so fast.
Watching the barrier disappear into the horizon, Lin Qian's face turned cold. He turned to Zhao Long and commanded, "Protect the Empress and everyone else, understood?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Zhao Long knelt, cupping his hands toward Lin Qian, then pounded his left chest with a fist.
Lin Qian nodded, and with a thunderous crack, he surged in the direction Qin Feiyu had flown, leaving a trail of scarlet-gold lightning in his wake before disappearing into the distance.
The gathered talents watched Lin Qian's departing figure with mixed emotions.
His earlier words still echoed in their ears.
Those who had mocked Lin Qian for being arrogant and foolish now blushed with shame, shaking their heads as they left.
At this moment, they no longer saw Lin Qian's words as boastful or insane ramblings but as a simple statement of fact.
To Lin Qian, Qin Feiyu and the others were indeed just playthings, subject to his whims.
Moreover, they glanced at the human fortress ahead with a newfound wariness.
Given Lin Qian's demonstrated power, no one present could match him.
If, as Qin Feiyu had claimed, Lin Qian had fabricated everything just to scare them away and claim the treasures inside, there was no need. Lin Qian had the strength to subdue them all and enjoy the fortress's riches alone, without anyone daring to object.
Now, it seemed Lin Qian was telling the truth. Many began to scrutinize the corpses of the Swift Shadow Clan members on the ground, their brows furrowed in thought.
"Sigh, what a relief. When my old man told me I had to protect a kid from the Void-breaking Realm's Soaring Stage and said if I failed, I shouldn't bother coming back alive, I thought things were going to be a disaster," Fang Ziqian sighed, fanning himself lazily. "Who would've thought this kid was a monster all along? It's hard to say who's protecting whom."
Li Yunfeng laughed heartily and clapped Fang Ziqian on the shoulder. "Now you understand, don't you?"
Beside them, Yang Tianhao looked at the bloodstains on the ground, a look of admiration flashing across his face as he shook his head in amazement.
Only Ye Xin frowned with worry, staring in the direction Lin Qian had gone.
Something didn't feel right to her. Given how easily Lin Qian had dealt with Qin Feiyu earlier, why had his expression turned so serious when he pursued him?
"Qian..."
Achoo!
Lin Qian rubbed his nose and continued to focus on the path ahead, his pupils now a golden hue. An invisible system screen floated before him, displaying a series of rapidly changing images. Although Lin Qian hadn't yet caught up to Qin Feiyu, who had been sent flying, he could still see him clearly through the eyes of his reconnaissance beasts.
Meanwhile, within the barrier, Qin Feiyu had just breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed a number of figures in dark green armor appearing in the dense forest below. These hooded figures threw soul-powered short knives at the barrier created by his father's talisman.
The short knives couldn't break through the barrier, but these strange people kept appearing and throwing them anyway.
"Are they crazy?" Qin Feiyu cursed under his breath as he watched yet another green-armored figure hurl a short knife at him.
The hooded figure didn't fly up to him but instead landed steadily on the treetop below, staring at the distant barrier.
To Qin Feiyu, the barrier remained intact.
But to the figure who had thrown the short knife, the barrier sphere struck by his blade had shifted slightly in its trajectory.
This deviation was all part of Prime Minister Zhuge Ming's calculations.
As he observed the scene through the reconnaissance beast's eyes, Zhuge Ming, standing in the Imperial Workshop, smiled. "Such an easy calculation. With His Majesty's help, it's a breeze. Long live His Majesty, ruler of all under heaven!"
The scholars standing below the platform also erupted into fervent cheers.
"Long live His Majesty, ruler of all under heaven!"
In the outside world, Lin Qian's mind echoed with Zhuge Ming's chants, and he couldn't help but twitch his lips. "Why does this sound like a slogan straight out of a martial arts novel?"
Shaking off the thought, Lin Qian refocused on his pursuit.
Given that Qin Yiyi had a defensive talisman, Lin Qian had already suspected that Qin Feiyu would have a similar trump card.
As the favored son of the Qin Dynasty's emperor, Qin Feiyu was likely to have more than one life-saving measure up his sleeve.
So, while Lin Qian was fighting Qin Feiyu and his group, he had also discussed a plan with Zhuge Ming.
The plan was for Lin Qian to force out Qin Feiyu's defensive talisman and then send him flying in the direction where the Swift Shadow Clan and Invisible Clan might be hiding.
The array in question wasn't an ordinary one for hiding Swift Shadow Clan members; it was the same deadly array that had butchered Lin Qian's reconnaissance beasts and decimated Bai Lingli's team.
Thus, Lin Qian's earlier attack wasn't just random. It was a carefully calculated strike to send Qin Feiyu hurtling toward that deadly array.
Since the distance was considerable, the general direction was accurate, but further adjustments were needed.
That's where the ambushing green-armored figures came in. Their job was to use short knives to nudge the barrier into the right position.
Qin Feiyu might have thought he had narrowly escaped death, but in reality, Lin Qian had schemed to send him into even greater danger.
If Qin Feiyu knew that Lin Qian had been casually chatting while plotting his demise, he'd probably cough up blood in rage.
"Did you think it'd be that easy to escape from me?" Lin Qian smirked as he watched Qin Feiyu's relaxed expression through his reconnaissance beast's eyes. "Get ready for the delightful surprise I've prepared for you."