Not only in Hongfeng Prefecture, but the situation in Minghu Prefecture mirrored it almost exactly.
The Wei Kingdom and the Autumn Kingdom believed their operations were foolproof, that no one had detected their movements. What they didn't know was that Lin Qian's Huaxia Empire had been monitoring every move they made.
Both kingdoms were allies of the Qin Dynasty, and Lin Qian would never have believed for a second that they would remain inactive. In reality, scouting beasts and the Swift Wind units had long been deployed by Lin Qian to surveil both the Wei and Autumn Kingdoms.
With this dual-layered surveillance, no matter how small the movement, Lin Qian would know every detail.
The Wei and Autumn Kingdoms thought that they could quietly amass their forces and launch a surprise attack on the Xiaoyao Sect and Blood Spirit Valley without anyone knowing. Little did they realize that Lin Qian had already made his preparations.
The elders stationed at the Xiaoyao Sect and Blood Spirit Valley had been put on standby well in advance. The War Beast Army's Silvermoon Wolves and the Imperial Army's Strong Archers were the perfect combination in the densely forested regions of Minghu Prefecture and Hongfeng Prefecture.
The fully armed Silvermoon Wolves, being forest wolves by nature, were natural hunters in such environments.
As long as the armies of the Wei and Autumn Kingdoms advanced into the centers of these two prefectures, Lin Qian could guarantee that not a single one of them would escape.
Meanwhile, the Strong Archers, maintaining their optimal shooting distance, provided long-range suppression from the skies. With the Swift Wind units hidden in the forest and the scouting beasts soaring through the air, the Strong Archers received precise location information.
Anyone who attempted to flee by air would be met with no hesitation—the Strong Archers would draw their heavy bows and fire their arm-length arrows, sniping down any soldiers who dared to take flight.
On the ground, soldiers were being slaughtered. In the sky, the generals of the two kingdoms, engaged in battle with the elders of the Xiaoyao Sect and Blood Spirit Valley, were becoming increasingly agitated and on the verge of losing control. They couldn't focus on the fight at hand.
The elders of the Xiaoyao Sect and Blood Spirit Valley, on the other hand, were more than happy to see this. They intensified their attacks, admiring Lin Qian more and more.
In their eyes, Lin Qian seemed to possess foresight beyond compare. He knew precisely when the Wei and Autumn Kingdoms would strike and in what numbers, and the reinforcements he had sent to assist them were enough to leave them in awe.
They had seen large wolf-like soul beasts before, but this was the first time they had encountered such creatures clad in fully armed soul-forged armor.
What shocked them even more was when the lead Silvermoon Wolf approached them, coldly asking for their identities to confirm if they were elders of the Xiaoyao Sect and Blood Spirit Valley. It made them feel as though they were dreaming.
A soul beast that could speak—they had never encountered such a thing before.
What truly left them astounded, however, was the combat prowess of the Silvermoon Wolves and Strong Archers. Watching the enemy army being one-sidedly massacred gave the elders immense confidence as they fought the Awakening Realm experts of the Wei and Autumn Kingdoms.
In fact, they had long disliked these two kingdoms, and the orders from their sect leaders and valley masters were clear: assist the Huaxia Empire in launching a counterattack against these two nations, not merely defend against them.
With this in mind, the elders of the Xiaoyao Sect and Blood Spirit Valley were filled with passion. They attacked with even greater ferocity, unleashing their soul power with wild abandon.
In stark contrast, the Awakening Realm experts of the Wei and Autumn Kingdoms were filled with dread. They couldn't understand why the elders of the Xiaoyao Sect and Blood Spirit Valley were suddenly so aggressive, fighting with reckless abandon as if they had nothing to lose, despite clearly having the upper hand.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield in Shunshui Prefecture, Lin Qian led the Imperial Army into the midst of the Qin Dynasty's forces.
With the Shield Soldiers at the center, the Spear and Halberd units flanked them in a circular formation, constantly pushing the Qin soldiers back and disrupting their encirclement.
The main killing force consisted of the advanced units of the Blade Soldiers—Blood Warriors and Fury Warriors—alongside the advanced Sword units—Soft Sword and Tremor Sword.
These four advanced units formed the core of the assault, staying close to the Shield Soldiers, Spear units, and Halberd units, and revealing their ferocious side to the disorganized Qin soldiers.
Meanwhile, the Light Archers and Strong Archers in the rear were heavily protected by the Shield Wall, providing long-range support.
The frontline soldiers of the Imperial Army had no need to worry about being flanked by the enemy, as any who tried to approach from behind would be quickly shot down by the Light and Strong Archers.
On the battlefield below, the Night Shadow units moved stealthily, delivering the final blow to fallen enemies, while the Swift Wind units handled the cleanup.
Why waste the items left behind on the bodies of fallen soldiers? And the corpses of those who had reached the Nirvana Realm and Life and Death Realm would take centuries to decompose.
Fortunately, the Tian Gong Department's Blaze Orbs could incinerate the corpses completely, and the resulting ashes would enrich the soil, making it more fertile.
In Lin Qian's view, once the Qin soldiers had paid for their crimes in death, there was no need to leave their bodies to rot in the wild. Cremating them and returning their remains to the earth would help to nourish the land and plant spiritual trees, thereby increasing the concentration of spiritual energy and improving the environment for future generations.
In this way, they could at least find some meaning in their deaths.
Bang!
Lin Qian swung his wide-bladed Thunder Night Sword, sending a Marquis of the Qin Dynasty flying. He shook off the blood from his blade and slung it over his shoulder, admiring the tenacity of the Marquis who, despite being covered in wounds and bleeding profusely, still stood before him. "I didn't expect you to be so resilient. An eight-wheeled Nirvana breakthrough, not bad."
"Are you mocking me?" The Qin Marquis wiped the blood from his mouth, glaring at Lin Qian. Seeing the twelve layers of soul light surrounding Lin Qian, his lips twitched as he spoke.
Lin Qian shook his head slightly, his expression serious. "I'm not mocking you. I truly mean it."
The Marquis's face darkened as he stared at Lin Qian, but deep inside, he felt a profound sense of despair.
When Lin Qian and the Imperial Army had first charged into the heart of the Qin forces, he had thought that the Huaxia Empire's troops were foolish, thinking they had trapped themselves in an encirclement.
But what happened next shattered his expectations.
He realized that the Huaxia Imperial Army hadn't recklessly thrown themselves into the middle of the Qin forces—they had done so to make it easier to slaughter the Qin soldiers.
Yes, slaughter.
With their seamless soul power synchronization, perfect coordination, overwhelming strength, and superior soul-forged armor, the Huaxia Empire's troops utterly dominated the battlefield.
No matter which way he looked at it, the Qin soldiers were being completely crushed by the Huaxia Imperial Army.
The Qin forces stood no chance.
"The Qin Dynasty has lost," Lin Qian said calmly, looking at the now-dazed Marquis before him.
Hearing Lin Qian's words, the Marquis's head snapped up, and he shouted back, "This isn't the full strength of the Qin forces! Once the Qin Emperor leads the Qin Imperial Guard into battle, your empire will face certain defeat!"
"Huaxia has never lost—past, present, or future. That includes this war," Lin Qian replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Especially in this world, Huaxia cannot afford to lose!"
"Because its name is Huaxia!"