The heavy artillery barrage resumed, provoking curses from the Awakening Realm experts of the Qin Dynasty, who hurriedly moved to intercept the attacks.
As the second wave of heavy artillery fire erupted from the river, the Awakening Realm generals of the Qin Dynasty managed to block many of the attacks. However, despite their efforts, some of the soul energy beams still penetrated their formation, detonating amidst the troops.
After the second round of artillery fire, the soul cannons at the river's bottom entered a dormant state. The soul energy formations on them dimmed, and the turbulent waters above them gradually calmed.
"Esteemed elders, it's time to act!" Lin Qian suddenly commanded, as he gripped the Thunder Night Sword, crackling with golden lightning, firmly in his hand.
Boom!
With a shout, Lin Qian leaped from the battleship, transforming into a streak of lightning as he charged toward the enemy's formation.
"Huaxia!" The deafening roar echoed from behind the battleship. The Imperial Army, assembled on the deck, followed closely behind Lin Qian as he led the charge.
In the front were the mighty shields, followed by spears and halberds. Swords and axes flanked the sides, while archers and mages protected the rear. Assassins and scouts blended into the ranks like shadows.
The Huaxia Empire had mobilized!
Although Lin Qian didn't unleash his full speed, he maintained a slight lead over the Imperial Army behind him. His entire being radiated golden imperial energy, the Emperor's Robe draped over his form.
Golden dragons roared out, their cries echoing across the battlefield as imperial might enveloped the entire army.
"An emperor leading the charge!"
In an instant, the Huaxia Empire's forces united, surging forward as one, like a golden dragon heading straight for the Qin Dynasty, their unstoppable momentum overwhelming everything in their path.
While the battle raged on, the elders from the three factions quickly followed Lin Qian. Although Lin Qian hadn't given them specific instructions, they knew their target—the Qin Dynasty's Awakening Realm marquises and generals.
Despite starting after Lin Qian, the elders swiftly overtook him. As Awakening Realm soul warriors, their strength far exceeded that of the Imperial Army, and they closed the distance in the blink of an eye.
The gap in realms wasn't easy to bridge. Only a monster like Lin Qian could defeat enemies above his level, and only his Huaxia Empire could overwhelm Awakening Realm opponents with sheer numbers.
Of course, this was only possible because the Awakening Realm enemies they faced were relatively weak. Otherwise, even overwhelming numbers wouldn't have sufficed.
As the elders from the three factions surged forward, they locked onto the marquises and generals in the enemy ranks, charging directly at them.
With the assistance of the Gap-Filling technique and their enhanced soul artifacts, the elders unleashed unprecedented power, sending the Qin Dynasty's Awakening Realm experts flying into the air.
Among them were Fang Yiping, Li Xiaotian, and Yang Yifan, who personally joined the battle and led the charge.
Thanks to Lin Qian's help, the elders felt the full impact of their increased strength. Many of them were now able to take on two Awakening Realm experts at once, hurling them off the battlefield.
From the moment Lin Qian led the Imperial Army with such imposing momentum, they knew one thing for certain:
Victory was inevitable.
Although Lin Qian's forces numbered only three million, they were all at the Life and Death Realm. Their unified aura and disciplined formation were unmatched, and their soul armor—whether heavy or light—was leagues ahead of anything the Qin Dynasty had to offer.
Previously, they had considered the Qin Dynasty's soul armor formidable. But after witnessing the Huaxia Empire's equipment, they instantly dismissed the Qin armor as nothing more than scrap metal.
Their task was simple: remove the enemy's Awakening Realm experts from the battlefield and let Lin Qian's Imperial Army clash with the Qin Dynasty's regular forces.
The Qin soldiers barely registered a blur of movement as the elders from the three factions zoomed past them, engaging the enemy marquises and generals. In the blink of an eye, the battlefield was cleared, leaving only seven Awakening Realm experts remaining within the ranks, their faces pale as they watched the situation unfold.
The elders from the three factions, totaling just over two hundred, managed to force over three hundred Awakening Realm experts from the battlefield. It was their absolute limit. The remaining seven weaker experts would be left to Lin Qian.
They weren't particularly worried about Lin Qian's safety. After all, his reputation preceded him as the one who had slain the Awakening Realm expert Qin Yunyu with a single strike!
"A ruler leading the charge? How foolish!" sneered a bearded marquis named Hou Meng, grinning as he raised his massive sword and charged directly at Lin Qian.
"Hou Meng, don't be reckless! The crown prince was killed by this man with a single strike!" another general shouted in alarm, trying to warn him.
"Hahaha! Nonsense! How could a Life and Death Realm cultivator kill an Awakening Realm expert with one strike?" Hou Meng laughed heartily, dismissing the warning as he brandished his sword. "It must have been some trickery with hidden help from another Awakening Realm expert!"
As Hou Meng rushed forward, the Qin Dynasty's soldiers watched in anticipation. In their minds, they could only think of one thing:
Kill him!
If Hou Meng could slay Lin Qian in front of the army…
Just as the Qin soldiers held their collective breath, Hou Meng closed in on Lin Qian, raising his sword high.
Hou Meng's bearded face twisted into a savage grin as his yellowed teeth gleamed. His muscles tensed as he poured his soul energy into the sword, imagining the scene where Lin Qian would be cleaved in two by his strike.
Lin Qian slaying Qin Yunyu with one strike? Hou Meng scoffed at the notion. The gap between the Life and Death Realm and the Awakening Realm was far too vast for such a thing to be possible.
Unless, of course, Lin Qian was some kind of unparalleled genius, perhaps a Twelve-Cycle Nirvana cultivator…
Wait… Twelve-Cycle Nirvana?
As Hou Meng advanced, his pupils contracted in shock as he noticed the twelve layers of soul energy surrounding Lin Qian—clear proof of a Twelve-Cycle Nirvana breakthrough!
When Lin Qian raised his sword, Hou Meng finally realized the horrifying truth: it was a Grandmaster-level Soul Artifact!
The dazzling golden sword aura flashed before his eyes as Lin Qian's cold gaze locked onto him. The black sword in Lin Qian's hand descended with terrifying power, slashing directly at him.