As Lin Qian leaped into the vast cavern, he descended rapidly, using his soul sense to probe the situation below.
He could feel himself falling quickly, but the abyss beneath him remained shrouded in darkness, obscuring whatever lay at the bottom.
His soul power remained on high alert, ready to explode into action at the first sign of danger, ensuring he could stop his fall and ascend if necessary.
"Hmm?" As he descended, Lin Qian suddenly noticed spatial fluctuations affecting the environment around him, and a realization dawned on him.
Soul power surged from Lin Qian's body, spreading out to assist his soul sense in scanning the area. The information he gathered was immediately transmitted back to the Huaxia Empire's Ministry of Engineering for Zhuge Ming to analyze.
Lin Qian himself didn't proceed any further just yet, choosing to wait for Zhuge Ming's analysis before making his next move.
"Your Majesty, I've reached a conclusion," Zhuge Ming reported swiftly, his efficiency unparalleled.
According to Zhuge Ming's analysis, there was a spatial layer deep beneath the ground.
It was similar to a small world, but also different—something that existed between a small world and the Soul Martial Continent.
"Small worlds are attached to the Soul Martial Continent, connected yet self-contained," Zhuge Ming explained. "But this space below is different. It is part of the Soul Martial Continent itself, yet there's a spatial separation from the surface."
"For instance, Your Majesty's destination might only be three or four hundred miles beneath the surface of the Soul Martial Continent, but you'll need to descend thousands of miles to reach it."
Zhuge Ming's explanation helped Lin Qian better understand the situation, and he marveled at the wonders of the world. "This world truly holds endless mysteries."
"Your Majesty's decisions are beyond my interference, but I still urge you to exercise caution," Zhuge Ming added, his concern evident.
Lin Qian chuckled as he gazed into the abyss below. "Consider this so-called training as me flirting with danger. But don't worry, I've already arranged for the three elders to follow me from a distance. If anything happens, they'll be there to assist."
"Besides, my dear Chancellor, only by rapidly increasing my own strength can you all come out to explore this vibrant world."
After Lin Qian finished speaking, Zhuge Ming bowed deeply, even though Lin Qian couldn't see him. Despite that, he performed the gesture with utmost sincerity.
Lin Qian didn't continue the conversation with Zhuge Ming. The latter straightened up, staring intently at the tactical display monitoring the Emperor's condition, his brows furrowed with worry.
Whether it was the improved Emperor's Art or the potions, they had already reached the limit of what they could do to assist Lin Qian.
From this point on, Lin Qian would need to rely not just on the Huaxia Empire, but also on himself.
As Lin Qian continued to descend, after what seemed like an eternity, a faint light appeared in the deep darkness below, growing larger and larger as he approached.
His body was soon enveloped by the light as he neared its source.
Lin Qian quickly deployed his soul power to stabilize himself midair, hovering in place as he squinted against the sudden brightness.
With the Emperor's Vision active, Lin Qian quickly adapted to the change from darkness to light, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings of this underground space.
What he saw left him completely stunned.
It was as if he had entered another world entirely beneath the earth.
Suspended near the ceiling of this underground space, Lin Qian saw vines that resembled plants clinging tightly to the rocky ceiling.
On these vine-like plants grew strange fruits, resembling burning fireballs, yet the flames didn't seem to harm the plants.
Just then, Lin Qian noticed a massive fireball hurtling toward him from the distance, and he quickly dodged to avoid it.
However, the fireball didn't seem to notice Lin Qian at all, and as it burst apart, it revealed a flock of small, golden-feathered birds, radiating intense heat.
These golden birds swarmed toward the burning fruits, opening their beaks wide to feast on them.
Lin Qian observed as the fire fruits' fiery essence was drawn out and consumed by the golden birds.
The strange fruits seemed to contain an abundance of fire energy, but the golden birds didn't eat much at once, often sharing a single fruit among twenty or more of them.
As the birds devoured the fiery essence, the fruits withered, their flames gradually extinguishing.
After consuming the fruits, the golden birds gathered together, their golden feathers erupting into flames once more, transforming back into a fireball and flying off into the distance.
Witnessing this spectacle, Lin Qian quickly understood that the light illuminating this underground world came from these countless strange fire fruits and the bird-flocks that turned into small suns.
Gazing downward, Lin Qian saw mountains, rivers, and lush forests stretching out across this underground world.
The dense forests were filled with soul beasts, judging by the powerful roars echoing through the woods. From the aura they emitted, Lin Qian could tell that most of these beasts were at least at the Nirvana Realm.
The concentration of soul energy in this underground space was far greater than in Linhai Province, comparable to that of other provinces in the Southern Region.
"It seems that the spiritual energy that should have belonged to the Southern Nine Provinces has all flowed into this underground world," Lin Qian muttered, his expression darkening as he sensed the dense energy around him.
But as he looked up toward where he had descended from, his eyes widened in shock.
The entrance he had come through was gone.
"What's going on?" Lin Qian was baffled and immediately contacted Zhuge Ming to investigate this strange phenomenon.
Zhuge Ming quickly responded with an explanation. "Due to the nature of the spatial layer, the entrance and exit to this underground world aren't in the same location. In other words, Your Majesty, to leave, you'll need to find a different exit."
Upon hearing this, Lin Qian's eyes narrowed with caution, and he swiftly descended from the sky into the forest below.
But before he landed, he didn't forget to pluck one of the strange fire fruits and store it in the Huaxia Empire for later study.