Chapter 369: Chapter 370: Didn’t Hear Clearly, Say It Again

No matter if it was the Great Elder of the Carefree Sect, or the four elders from Double Pole Palace and Blood Spirit Valley who had accompanied them on this journey, they were deeply convinced by Lin Qian and looked at him with grave respect, not daring to show the slightest bit of contempt.

They were well aware of Lin Qian’s talent and battle power, and there was nothing more to be said about that.

But now, the strength displayed by the Huaxia Empire had thoroughly shocked them, leaving their emotions unsettled for a long time.

In the distance, beams of light shot up into the sky, and to have one’s words echo throughout the territory of the Emperor Qin Dynasty was a mystery they couldn’t fathom.

Having already identified the Eighth Elder as a spy, and not only laying a counterambush but also showcasing the military strength of the Huaxia Empire’s army which was unlike anything they had seen before.

Lavish Soul Device armaments, formidable overall strength, and a perfect, flawless coordination among the troops.

They had no doubt that this army of a hundred thousand from the Huaxia Empire, even if it faced a million-strong army of the Emperor Qin Dynasty, would likely be the victorious side in the end.

The General of the Emperor Qin Dynasty’s Vanguard Army and the treacherous Eighth Elder were pressed down before Lin Qian by the Great Elder and the other four, kneeling in mid-air.

At this moment, the Vanguard Army General no longer possessed his previous vigor, his head hanging like a defeated rooster, nowhere near his former spirited demeanor.

As for the Eighth Elder, his face was ashen. The dream of being granted the title of Marquis for his achievements was utterly shattered. How could he have imagined that this young man was monstrously beyond reason, with everything within his control?

The Huaxia Empire was not some insignificant country or small force secluded in isolation, judging from the combat strength of this hundred-thousand-strong army, they were fundamentally a fierce beast.

What was even worse, the true nature of this fierce beast was only revealed when it tore a chunk out of the Emperor Qin Dynasty.

“Execute them. Especially this Eighth Elder should be taken care of by the Great Elder himself, to vent some anger,” Lin Qian said without hesitation upon hearing the Great Elder’s question, “As for this General of the Emperor Qin Dynasty, execute him as well.”

Lin Qian’s decisive response and solution left the elders somewhat at a loss.

Shouldn’t such captives be subjected to harsh interrogation to extract valuable information before execution? Wouldn’t killing them directly be a waste of a precious opportunity to gather intelligence?

“I am willing to tell you everything I know about the Emperor Qin Dynasty, just spare my life. I’ll do anything you ask,” the Eighth Elder pleaded urgently upon hearing Lin Qian’s words, turning his head to the Great Elder, “Great Elder, for the many years we’ve worked together, I beg you to speak on my behalf.”

However, witnessing the frantic plea of the Eighth Elder, the Great Elder sighed deeply, yet there was not a trace of sympathy in his eyes.

To be the Great Elder of the Carefree Sect, he was not someone to be swayed by a few pleas for mercy, especially from someone who was originally a person of the Emperor Qin Dynasty and had now plotted and ambushed them, aiming to wipe them out completely.

How could the Great Elder feel any pity for such a person?

It wasn’t just him; even the Vanguard Army General beside him was shamelessly begging for mercy, making it clear that he could provide important intelligence and was willing to lead the remaining seven hundred thousand Vanguard Army troops to serve under Lin Qian.

“The Huaxia Empire will always trust the intelligence obtained through its own means; it never needs information provided by the enemy, even if it comes from captives. Moreover, even without intelligence, the Huaxia Empire is not something the Emperor Qin Dynasty can resist. I will let everyone in the Southern Domain know how foolish it was to ever think of the Huaxia Empire as a minor country.”

“As for defection? The Huaxia Empire isn’t interested in fostering seven hundred thousand useless individuals.”

Having said this, Lin Qian also gave a formal cupped-hands salute to the elders present: “Honored Elders, please take action.”

The elders such as the Great Elder exchanged glances, sneered, and turned their heads to look at the two of them.

“Lin Qian, you will regret this. The Vanguard Army of the Qin Dynasty is nothing but cannon fodder. When the regular army arrives, your Huaxia Empire will still be annihilated!” Seeing that Lin Qian was utterly disregarding his terms, the Eighth Elder was furious and bellowed, “Compared with the Qin Dynasty, the Huaxia Empire is just a worthless little country. You’re just puffing yourself up at your own cost.”

“Hahaha, Lin Qian, do you feel proud after using all of the elite of the Huaxia Empire to defeat the Qin Dynasty’s cannon fodder troops? Emperor Qin will certainly avenge us.”

Buzz…

Just as their words fell, the buzzing sound from the great gate of the fort began to ring out, and a massive metallic entity slowly approached from afar.

This scene even made the Great Elder with the bulbous nose and the others forget to act against the Eighth Elder and the General of the Vanguard Army, as they looked bewilderedly into the distance.

The Eighth Elder and the General of the Vanguard Army, their mouths agape, watched as the massive object burst forth from the sea of clouds, its metallic hull exuding an immense sense of oppression.

The warship’s colossal body glinted with a cold light. Along the edges of the deck stood soldiers in heavy armor, vigilantly scanning their surroundings. The sides of the ship were equipped with ray cannons, their dark muzzles looking like the devouring mouths of beasts.

The slowly approaching behemoth of a warship was akin to a moving fortress. Its prow was exceedingly sharp, resembling a gigantic axe capable of cleaving the heavens, so mighty that it could cause a mountain to collapse if one was in its path.

The Huaxia Empire’s airborne leviathan of war – the warship – was now making its presence known between heaven and earth, revealing its sharp edge.

“…What is this!” The Great Elder with the bulbous nose yelled in terror as he watched the warship, akin to an ancient behemoth. Like the other four elders, their Soul Power was stirred up, warily watching this sovereign of the skies.

It wasn’t just the four of them; individuals from all three factions watched the massive object in horror, eyes filled with fear.

For as the warship appeared, the original seven hundred thousand soldiers of the Vanguard Army had already soared up, of which the one hundred thousand in the direction of the warship were directly crushed under its immense bulk.

Because of its massive size, the warship seemed to fly slowly, but in reality, it was fast. The rising Vanguard Army, despite dispersing in advance, could not escape the range of the warship’s collision due to its vastness.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

One after another, the soldiers of the Vanguard Army who had just taken flight were smashed into nothingness, utterly vanishing from this world.

Boom!

Simultaneously, the ray cannons on the sides of the ship emitted colorful beams of Soul Power light. The thousands of beams concentrated from the Soul Power cannons swept towards the Vanguard Army, which had been preparing to come to the rescue.

In an instant, countless figures fell from the mid-air. The Eighth Elder and the General of the Vanguard Army watched this scene in utter shock, their faces blank with disbelief as the Vanguard Army died at a terrifying rate.

Meanwhile, from the warship, an overwhelming surge of figures dashed out. With gentle swords and vibrating swords in hand, those wielding furious blades chopped down angrily while those from afar, such as Qiang Yu and Qingyu, provided cover, with Pan Shield protecting them.

With Meng Shield at the forefront, the Roaming Spear and Li Halberd followed, charging at the remaining Vanguard Army. The swift Windrider and the Shadowwalker emerging from the shadows also made their appearance amidst the turmoil.

At that moment, Lin Qian stepped up close to the two men, tilted his head slightly to the side, and cupped his hand behind his ear, “What were you saying just now? I didn’t catch that, could you repeat it?”