"Emperor? The emperor of the Xia Empire?" The steward of the Jinhua Trading Association, clutching the wound on his severed arm, gazed darkly at the young general before him.
What shocked him even more was the realization that the Xia Empire's strength seemed far greater than they had ever imagined.
All along, in the eyes of the eight major forces, the greatest threat was always the Yuan family. If the Yuan family chose to abandon the Northern Region and return to their territory in response to their invasion, the eight forces would face a fierce battle.
However, according to their superiors, it was believed that, due to the Yuan family's sense of duty, they would never abandon the Northern Region's borders, where they were locked in constant battle with the invading alien races. This would leave the eight forces free to conquer the Yuan family's territory and strengthen themselves.
From beginning to end, they only considered the Yuan family as a threat. As for the Xia Empire, they barely gave it much thought, treating it as a minor concern.
The general belief was that the Xia Empire's quick seizure of Yuan family territory must have been due to the influence of Lord Yun, leveraging the power of the Yun family, with the Yuan family providing support behind the scenes.
Although the Xia Empire likely possessed some strength, it was thought to be far from formidable.
How could an empire that boasted about a supposed 5,000 billion-year heritage possibly have much real power?
They were half correct—indeed, the Xia Empire's claim of a 5,000-billion-year history was nothing more than a fabrication by Lin Qian. But the true might of the Xia Empire was far beyond anything they could have imagined.
"I'm just one of the lowest-ranked generals of the Xia Empire, yet I didn't expect you to be so weak," Lin Feng remarked. The Jinhua Trading Association steward, covered in blood and gasping for air, couldn't believe what he was hearing.
The aura emanating from Lin Feng was clearly at the first level of the Transcendence Realm, weaker than the steward's own level, yet his power was terrifying.
The steward was exhausted, his breath labored, while Lin Feng stood before him, calm and unruffled. Not a single bead of sweat appeared on Lin Feng's forehead, and the look of disdain in his eyes was unmistakable.
The steward was not being insulted—he was genuinely being looked down upon.
"Are all the people in your Jinhua Trading Association this useless?" Lin Feng asked, tilting his head as he stared at the exhausted steward. "If so, then your forces aren't worth much either."
"Now I'm really curious…"
Lin Feng sneered, "Where did you people get the audacity to challenge the might of our emperor?"
Buzz!
The sound of a sword echoed, and the steward of the Jinhua Trading Association instinctively clutched his throat with his remaining hand.
But blood still spurted out uncontrollably, and no amount of pressure could stop it.
Lin Feng sheathed his sword and walked away, leaving the entire camp of Jinhua Trading Association soul warriors slaughtered, without a single survivor.
On the side of the Xia Empire's Imperial Army, not a single soldier was lost, and the task was completed with clean precision.
"This city is secured. Have the Tiangong Division handle the aftermath, and Gale assist with relocating the Yuan family people," Lin Feng ordered, checking the tactical map. "There are still several more Jinhua Trading Association groups ahead. We'll split up and eliminate them with minimal time and casualties."
"That is the emperor's command—not only must we show the world the strength of the Xia Empire, but we must demonstrate that every soldier of the empire is incredibly powerful. The empire is home not just to strong individuals, but to a mighty army."
Across the Yuan family's fallen territories, Lin Qian's Xia Empire had launched a counteroffensive. Under the combined efforts of the Imperial Army and the Warbeast Army, they approached enemy positions undetected and unleashed devastating attacks.
The tactics and fighting methods of the Imperial Army and Warbeast Army were unlike anything the soul warriors of the Soul Martial Continent had ever seen before.
While the continent's soul warriors operated on the principle of individual strength, the Xia Empire's forces relied on cooperation and precision, completely overwhelming their enemies.
The Imperial Army and Warbeast Army were as fierce as wolves and tigers, while the individualistic soul warriors of the continent appeared disorganized and incapable of coordinated action.
The counteroffensive began, and Lin Qian's Xia Empire distinguished itself from any other force by launching simultaneous attacks in all directions against the eight major forces. Moreover, a portion of the army advanced northward to assist the Yuan family in defending the Northern Region from the alien races.
But that wasn't all. Two additional forces were deployed to the East and West Regions, where they would confront the invading alien armies.
The scale of the Xia Empire's Imperial Army and Warbeast Army was massive, and their movements could hardly go unnoticed.
Thus, as soon as the Xia Empire's forces left the former territory of the Yun family, the entire human world took notice.
At that moment, a singular thought passed through everyone's mind: "Has Lin Qian, the emperor of the Xia Empire, gone mad?"
Many leaders of various factions were utterly baffled, thinking that Lin Qian had surely lost his senses.
Yet, half a month later, after receiving news of the Xia Empire's movements, it wasn't Lin Qian who appeared foolish—it was them.
The six forces that had invaded the Yuan family's territory were utterly routed by the Xia Empire's relentless attacks.
Reports indicated that in every head-to-head battle, the six major forces had been soundly defeated by the Xia Empire's troops.
There was no talk of evenly matched fights—the forces were completely overrun.
Meanwhile, reports from the Northern Region indicated that the alien armies had been pushed back 3,000 miles from the borders and dared not advance.
Similar news came from the East and West Regions, where the invading alien forces had been forced to abandon several provinces and had ceased their advance due to the overwhelming might of the Xia Empire's forces.
The only two factions that hadn't yet clashed with the Xia Empire were the Jiang family and the Yuanling Trading Association. Due to Ling Tian's involvement, both sides were still negotiating and had not yet come to blows.
The flood of explosive news left everyone speechless. No one could fathom just how powerful the Xia Empire truly was.
The Yuan family fought on three fronts—defending against the alien races in the Northern Region, engaging enemies in the East and West—and emerged victorious in every battle without suffering a single defeat.
Just who on earth is the Xia Empire?