The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

Whether it was the Grand Elder of the Xiaoyao Sect or the four elders from Shuangji Palace and Blood Spirit Valley who accompanied them, they were all deeply convinced by Lin Qian's capabilities. Their gazes towards him were now filled with respect, without the slightest hint of disdain.

They had already witnessed Lin Qian's innate talent and battle prowess firsthand, and there was nothing more to be said. However, what truly astonished them now was the power that the Huaxia Empire had displayed. Even now, their hearts couldn't settle down from the shock.

The distant pillars of light that shot into the sky and the mysterious means by which Lin Qian's voice echoed throughout the Qin Dynasty's territory were beyond their comprehension.

Not only had Lin Qian already seen through the Eighth Elder's treachery and turned the tables on him, but the strength of the Huaxia Empire's army was something they had never seen before.

Magnificent soul-powered equipment, overwhelming overall strength, and flawless teamwork. They had no doubt that even if this force of ten thousand Huaxia soldiers faced off against a hundred thousand of the Qin Dynasty's troops, the Huaxia Empire would emerge victorious.

The Qin Dynasty's vanguard general and the treacherous Eighth Elder were forced to kneel before Lin Qian, subdued by the Grand Elder and the other four elders. The vanguard general, who had once been so arrogant, now hung his head in defeat, a stark contrast to his earlier pride.

As for the Eighth Elder, his face was ashen, his dreams of glory and titles shattered. He had never imagined that this young man before him could be so formidable, with everything seemingly under his control. The Huaxia Empire was no insignificant backwater nation. Judging by the strength of this ten thousand-strong force, it was a fierce beast, and it had only revealed its true nature after taking a bite out of the Qin Dynasty.

"Execute them. Grand Elder, you should take care of the Eighth Elder yourself to vent your anger," Lin Qian said without hesitation when asked for his decision. "As for the Qin Dynasty general, he should be executed as well."

Lin Qian's decisive response left the elders momentarily at a loss. Wasn't it typical to interrogate prisoners for valuable information before executing them? Wouldn't killing them outright waste an opportunity to gather intelligence?

"I'm willing to tell you everything I know about the Qin Dynasty, as long as you spare me. I'll do whatever you ask," the Eighth Elder pleaded desperately, turning to the Grand Elder. "Grand Elder, we've worked together for so many years. Please, speak on my behalf!"

But the Grand Elder could only sigh, his eyes devoid of sympathy. He had risen to his position through years of experience and wasn't swayed by a few pleas for mercy. The Eighth Elder was a Qin Dynasty spy who had plotted their downfall—there was no room for leniency.

Even the vanguard general, who had once stood so proudly, now begged for his life, offering information and even pledging to bring the remaining seventy thousand vanguard troops over to Lin Qian's side.

"The Huaxia Empire only trusts information it gathers through its own means; it has no need for enemy intel, not even from prisoners. And even without your information, the Huaxia Empire is more than capable of defeating the Qin Dynasty. I'll make sure the entire Southern Domain understands just how foolish it was to ever consider the Huaxia Empire a small, insignificant nation."

"As for defecting? The Huaxia Empire has no interest in feeding seventy thousand useless troops."

With that, Lin Qian turned to the Grand Elder and the others. "Please, go ahead."

Hearing Lin Qian's words, the elders exchanged glances, then turned their attention to the two prisoners with savage grins.

"Lin Qian, you will regret this! The Qin Dynasty's vanguard is just cannon fodder. When the main army arrives, your Huaxia Empire will be destroyed!" the Eighth Elder shouted in a fit of rage. "The Huaxia Empire is a worthless, small nation compared to the Qin Dynasty! You're just pretending to be something you're not!"

"Yes, laugh now, Lin Qian. You've only defeated the Qin Dynasty's weakest troops. The Emperor will avenge us!"

Buzz...

Just as their voices faded, a deep humming sound echoed in the distance. A colossal metal behemoth slowly emerged, gliding through the clouds.

The sight left the Grand Elder and the others momentarily frozen, forgetting even to execute the Eighth Elder and the vanguard general as they stared in bewilderment at the massive object approaching.

The Eighth Elder and the vanguard general, their mouths agape, watched as the enormous metallic ship broke through the clouds, its immense size casting a shadow over everything. The sheer presence of the vessel was suffocating.

The massive warship gleamed with a cold light, and along its edges stood rows of heavily armored soldiers, vigilantly scanning the surroundings. Mounted on the sides of the ship were numerous energy cannons, their dark barrels resembling the maws of ravenous beasts.

The warship, a moving fortress in the sky, advanced steadily, its sharp prow resembling an unstoppable blade that could cleave through mountains.

This was the Huaxia Empire's airborne war beast—its battleship, now revealing its formidable might to the world.

"What... is that?!" The Grand Elder of the Xiaoyao Sect exclaimed in terror, his soul energy flaring defensively as he and the other elders stared at the airborne colossus.

The three factions' other members were equally terrified, their eyes wide with fear as they gazed at the monstrous vessel.

As the warship arrived, the seventy thousand vanguard soldiers scattered around were caught off guard. Ten thousand of them, positioned directly in the warship's path, were mercilessly crushed beneath its massive hull.

Although the warship seemed to move slowly due to its size, it was deceptively fast. The vanguard soldiers tried to scatter, but the ship's size made it impossible to escape its path.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

One by one, the vanguard soldiers were obliterated, their bodies reduced to nothing.

Simultaneously, the energy cannons mounted on the ship's sides unleashed a barrage of vibrant soul power beams, sweeping through the remaining vanguard soldiers who had attempted to regroup.

In mere moments, countless soldiers plummeted from the sky, and the Eighth Elder and the vanguard general, witnessing the carnage, were left in utter despair, their minds blank as they watched their forces being annihilated with terrifying speed.

Then, from the warship's deck, waves of soldiers poured out—wielders of flexible swords and shock blades, ferocious warriors with heavy swords and battle axes, and archers providing ranged support alongside those defending them with shields.

The heavy shield-bearers charged in front, followed by spearmen and halberdiers who attacked the remaining vanguard soldiers. Agile assassins darted between them, finishing off any survivors.

At that moment, Lin Qian leaned in close to the two prisoners, tilting his head slightly and cupping his hand to his ear. "What was that you were saying? I didn't quite hear it. Care to repeat yourselves?"