Lin Qin's actions were undoubtedly like dancing on the edge of a blade—and an outright provocation of the Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform!
"Roar!!"
The Elemental Lifeform let out a soul-shaking roar. It completely abandoned its attacks on everyone else, focusing all its fury and killing intent on Lin Qin. Its enormous body erupted with astonishing speed, churning the entire lake of liquid Earth Element. A gigantic palm, composed entirely of highly compressed Laws of Earth, blotted out the sky as it reached for Lin Qin! Space warped faintly wherever the palm passed, humming as though it could barely withstand the strain.
"Stop it!" Herbert roared hoarsely. He knew this was their only chance. Holding nothing back, he sent a blinding red light bursting from the tip of his staff. A Flame Dragon, formed entirely from the ninth-level spell "Flame Dragon Break," roared toward the Elemental Lifeform's back. The other two mages also gave it everything they had, unleashing their strongest binding spells. Countless enormous stone arms erupted from the ground, trying to seize the Elemental Lifeform's legs.
The five armored warriors knew their lives hung in the balance, too. With furious roars, they joined their remaining Battle Qi together, forming a gigantic Battle Qi battle-axe that hacked viciously at the Elemental Lifeform's flank. The female archer fired arrows in rapid succession, each one aimed at a point where the Elemental Lifeform's energy circulated. They couldn't inflict any real damage, but they could at least disrupt it a little. Even the mysterious black-robed figure, who had held back until now, finally made a move. With a flick of his sleeve, he sent a hazy gray beam of energy, steeped in corrosion and decay, streaking past the others to strike the Elemental Lifeform's rocky arm. To their surprise, it slowed the arm for just an instant!
The combined attacks of every powerful fighter present finally had an effect! The Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform was mighty, but it lacked much intelligence. Enraged by the familiar aura of Laws emanating from Lin Qin, it had overlooked the threat posed by the other "ants." Their attacks couldn't seriously wound it, but they did manage to hinder it for a split second!
That was all it took!
The earthen-yellow streak that was Lin Qin had already reached the heart of the lake, right before the earthen-yellow orb that throbbed like a heart! Up close, he could feel the terrifying energy it contained and the nearly perfect rhythm of the Laws of Earth. This was none other than the Heaven and Earth Wonder, the Earth Element Heart!
Behind him, the terrifying palm of Laws was already bearing down. Its destructive force made every bone in his body creak, and cracks began to spread across his skin!
There was no time to hesitate!
A look of determination flashed through Lin Qin's eyes. He abandoned all defenses, spread his arms, and let the alluring yet dangerous Earth Element Heart sink into his chest!
Boom!!!!!
An indescribably vast torrent of pure Earth Element essence erupted inside Lin Qin, as though billions of volcanoes had erupted within him at once! The energy was so immense and so violent that it instantly overwhelmed the Eighth-level Warrior Battle Qi he had just achieved, tore apart his meridians, crushed his bones, and annihilated his flesh and soul!
Pain! A pain beyond all limits swept through every inch of Lin Qin's awareness!
Anyone else—even a peak ninth-level warrior—would have exploded in an instant beneath the impact of this energy, body and soul obliterated!
But Lin Qin was different!
He possessed "Heaven Rewards Diligence"! The core effects of this talent—"effort always brings rewards, with no bottlenecks and no diminishing returns"—now revealed their most heaven-defying aspect!
The vast, violent energy, powerful enough to destroy everything, touched Lin Qin's impossibly resilient soul core and the very foundation of his body. It seemed to find its ultimate destination and a furnace in which to be refined. It was forcibly restrained, tamed, and transformed!
The billions of drops of sweat he had shed through countless days and nights, the billions of times he had swung his sword, the billions of times he had exhausted his magic... All the "potential for growth" and "depth of foundation" accumulated through "effort" and buried in the deepest reaches of his body and soul were ignited and set ablaze by the terrifying energy supplied by the Earth Element Heart!
A quantitative change had brought about the ultimate qualitative transformation!
Crack!
It was as if a shackle between the source of life and the Laws of the World had been broken!
Under the infusion of endless Earth Element essence, his destroyed body rapidly rebuilt itself before their eyes, reborn! It became tougher and more perfect, every cell filled with immense energy and an affinity for the Laws of Earth!
His soul rapidly transformed and ascended in the surging energy. His spiritual power soared at an unprecedented rate, and his perception instantly spread across the entire cavern, even reaching faintly beyond it! His understanding of the profound mysteries of the Earth Element surged like floodwaters bursting through a dam, advancing rapidly from the threshold toward deeper realms!
What about accumulating energy? With the Earth Element Heart and Heaven Rewards Diligence working together, a process that should have taken a long time was compressed into an instant! The energy level of an Eighth-level Warrior shot upward like a rocket, surpassing the ninth level and charging straight toward the boundary between the mortal and the transcendent—the Saint Realm!
Hum—!!!
A vast, majestic Saint Realm aura, as weighty and boundless as the earth itself, burst forth from Lin Qin! This aura was so pure and powerful that it even faintly surpassed that of the Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform!
A substantial earthen-yellow radiance swirled around him. Beneath his tattered clothes lay a newly reborn Saint Realm body, suffused with the light of Laws! He hovered in midair, his eyes opening to reveal visions of mountains and rivers and the shifting face of the earth!
Saint Realm! Through diligence, he had earned Heaven's favor and finally reached it!
The palm of Laws came crashing down, but as soon as it touched the Saint Realm force field that had naturally formed around Lin Qin, it crumbled inch by inch like melting snow, turning into the purest Earth Element. Lin Qin absorbed it instead!
For the first time, the Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform's scarlet eyes showed a clear emotion: fear! From this newly ascended Saint Realm human, it sensed the pressure of Laws of Earth that shared its source, yet were higher and purer!
Lin Qin slowly raised his hand. He didn't even need his greatsword. With a mere thought, all the Earth Element in the cavern obeyed his command!
"Suppress."
He spoke one quiet word.
His words became law!
Countless chains formed from the Laws of Earth appeared out of thin air, instantly wrapping around and binding the enormous Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform! It struggled frantically and roared again and again, but it couldn't break free of restraints imbued with a higher level of Law!
Lin Qin waved his hand again.
"Disperse."
The bound Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform began to collapse from the bottom up. Its enormous body disintegrated, turning back into the purest liquid Earth Element and returning to the lake below. Under the irresistible force of the Laws, its core consciousness let out an unwilling wail before vanishing completely.
With a simple gesture, he had suppressed and annihilated a Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform!
This was the power of the Saint Realm! The power of having gained an initial grasp of the Profound Mysteries of the Laws!
The cavern fell utterly silent.
Herbert, the three mages, the five armored warriors, the female archer, and even the mysterious black-robed figure all stood frozen in place, as if turned to stone. They stared in disbelief at Lin Qin, hovering in midair like an Earth Sovereign.
Saint Realm... He had actually... broken through to the Saint Realm just like that?! And he had so easily killed the Saint Realm Elemental Lifeform that had left them utterly hopeless?
This was completely beyond their understanding!
Lin Qin slowly descended from the air and landed on the lakeshore. He felt the Saint Realm Earth Battle Qi surging through him like an endless sea, along with the power of his soul, now immensely attuned to the Earth Element between heaven and earth. At a mere thought, the wounds he had suffered in the battle healed instantly, and his strength was replenished in a flash.
He looked at the stunned people on the shore. His expression was calm, but the invisible pressure of a Saint Realm powerhouse made everyone's breath catch. They lowered their heads despite themselves, even the mysterious black-robed figure.
"That settles things here," Lin Qin said. His voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority. "The Earth Element Heart was of great help to my breakthrough, so I'll be taking it. You may collect the remaining liquid Earth Element essence in the lake as you please. Consider it a reward for helping to hold the creature back."
He hadn't kept every last benefit for himself. At the Saint Realm, the liquid Earth Element essence was precious, but it would do little for him. He might as well leave it to these people, forge a favorable connection, and save himself the trouble.
At Lin Qin's words, the others froze for a moment, then erupted with joy! Although the most precious Earth Element Heart was gone, the lake was still full of liquid Earth Element essence, a priceless treasure! For people like them, who had yet to break through to the Saint Realm, it was more than enough to raise their strength by a significant amount!
"Thank you, sir!" Herbert was the first to react, bowing respectfully. The others also bowed and thanked Lin Qin, their voices filled with awe. In a world where strength reigned supreme, Saint Realm powerhouses had the final say.
Lin Qin nodded and said no more. He glanced around the cavern, especially at the lake of Earth Element, which was gradually settling down. His gains from this trip to Mist Canyon had far exceeded his expectations. Not only had he reached the long-dreamed-of Saint Realm, he had also comprehended the profound mysteries of the Earth Element and stepped onto the path of cultivating the Laws.
He knew it was time to leave. Yulan Continent was vast, and the Saint Realm was only a new beginning.
He paid no mind to the others, who were busily collecting the Elemental Essence. With a shift of his body, he seemed to merge with the earth and vanished without a sound, leaving the valley that had changed his fate.
Outside the canyon, sunlight pierced the thin mist. Lin Qin stood atop a mountain peak and glanced back at the canyon, still shrouded in fog, before turning his gaze farther north.
The O'Brien Empire was famed for its martial culture and teemed with powerful warriors. That would be his next destination.
He took one step, and his figure blurred. When he appeared again, he was already several miles away. Those in the Saint Realm could fly, but he preferred the feeling of his feet on the earth.
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