Wang Qiongxing, He Baili, Xu Wuwei, and Fu Deqing, the four elders of the human race in the Ancient Forest World, stood silently in front of Lin Qian's residence, waiting patiently.
Upon their return, Wang Qiongxing had listened to his grandson Wang Gang's account and learned about the situation during Lin Qian's breakthrough. It became clear to them just what kind of being they had decided to pledge their loyalty to.
Initially, their decision to pledge themselves to this young human from the Ancient Forest World had been driven by their desire for a better future for their people. They hadn't chosen a more forceful approach, as it went against the dignity of the human race in the Ancient Forest World. They had no interest in using such methods.
Instead, the four elders chose a different path. They believed that Lin Qian had immense potential and, with their guidance, could become a truly dominant figure. They envisioned a bright future for him, even after he returned to the surface world.
They had thought that Lin Qian would eventually rely on their power and that he would achieve a significant position in the future.
However, after hearing Wang Gang's description, their thinking changed dramatically.
A breakthrough to the Awakening Realm, dual martial souls, twelve layers of soul rings—each phrase from Wang Gang's account filled the four elders with a sense of awe and fear.
They were fearful because of Lin Qian's immense talent. Could such a being truly need their guidance?
The four elders realized that, in the future, it would be them who would depend on Lin Qian for survival. Pledging their loyalty now seemed like they were the ones who were overreaching.
Lin Qian's extraordinary talent was unheard of. If not for Wang Qiongxing's understanding of his grandson's character, and the fact that so many people had witnessed it, they would never have believed such a thing was possible.
With such unparalleled talent, the idea of them guiding Lin Qian was laughable. In terms of strength, it wouldn't be long before Lin Qian surpassed all four of them. What guidance could they possibly offer him in cultivation?
Wang Gang had also informed them of something else—that the seventh prince of the thirteenth king of the Black Horn Kingdom had brought an army of thirty thousand Black Horn soldiers, who had been wiped out in an instant. Wang Gang had personally visited the battlefield.
The results were astonishing. From the location of Lin Qian's breakthrough all the way to the site where the Black Horn army had been stationed, a hundred miles away, everything in between—the mountains and trees—had been completely obliterated. The land was stained red, and newly erected tombstones marked where the human race had buried their dead. There was no trace of the Black Horn soldiers left.
It was clear that this army of thirty thousand had indeed been annihilated.
Moreover, based on the evidence, it was likely that Lin Qian had struck them down from his current position.
This suggested that Lin Qian had capable subordinates with considerable strength.
Additionally, Wang Gang mentioned that he had heard Lin Qian's soul-powered voice declare that he would launch a war to annihilate the Black Horn Kingdom.
Given Lin Qian's extraordinary talent, he was no fool. If he made such a declaration, he must have absolute confidence in his ability to wage war against the Black Horn Kingdom.
After all, Lin Qian had mentioned that he came from the surface world and was the emperor of an empire there—a leader of a powerful force.
If Lin Qian could descend from the surface world, what reason would there be for his empire's forces not to follow him into the underground world?
Suddenly, the four elders realized that Lin Qian was not merely an individual but a colossal force.
In that moment, they felt immense relief at their decision to pledge loyalty to Lin Qian. The four elders could now clearly see that the hope of the human race in the Ancient Forest World had indeed appeared before them.
The courtyard gate opened, and the four elders saw Lin Qian, dressed in white, appear before them. Although his aura was restrained, they still sensed the underlying danger from him.
Wang Qiongxing and the others even wondered if they could defeat Lin Qian in a head-on battle. At their level, they were highly attuned to danger, and any sense of something being off would immediately set off alarms—just like the subtle danger emanating from Lin Qian now.
The leakage of aura was something Lin Qian couldn't fully control yet. He had only recently broken through to the Awakening Realm. Once he had more time to adjust to his new level, he would be able to control his aura more freely, without making the four elders feel threatened.
"You've returned?" Lin Qian greeted them with a smile when he saw them at the gate and invited them to sit at the familiar stone table where they had met before.
Once seated, Wang Qiongxing was the first to speak. He cupped his hands respectfully toward Lin Qian and said, "Your Majesty, we've informed the people of all the gathering places. Most of the humans have agreed to pledge their loyalty to you."
Lin Qian nodded quietly, a faint smile playing on his lips as he looked at Wang Qiongxing. "So, it seems some have refused."
"Your Majesty, it wasn't done out of malice, but..." Wang Qiongxing hastily began to explain, but Lin Qian waved him off.
Lin Qian looked at Wang Qiongxing, who seemed a bit tense, and reassured him, "There's no need to be so nervous. It's understandable. If a stranger suddenly appeared and claimed they were going to rule over them, anyone would feel uneasy."
"Just as you would have, had it not been for the refining elixir, you might not have made this decision either." Lin Qian's face showed approval as he continued, "But you should be thankful you didn't choose the path of forcefully taking what you wanted. Otherwise..."
"I would have made you regret ever coming into this world!"
As Lin Qian spoke these last words, a cold, murderous intent flashed in his eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly.
"Let's go check on Xiao Jiang and see how his recovery is progressing," Lin Qian said, rising from his seat and leaving the room.
Only after Lin Qian had gone did the four elders finally relax and breathe a sigh of relief.
These four had lived long lives, yet they had never encountered a Soul Warrior in the first stage of the Awakening Realm who could exert such pressure on them. Not even the warlike Black Horn and Red Horn tribes could compare to Lin Qian.
Lin Qian's last words, filled with both murderous intent and imperial majesty, had made the four elders hold their breaths in fear.
It was at this moment that the four elders were fully convinced—Lin Qian wasn't just powerful; he was terrifyingly powerful!
"What did His Majesty mean by his last words?" He Baili, still confused, ran a hand through his white hair and asked Xu Wuwei beside him.
Xu Wuwei glanced at him and explained, "His Majesty meant for us to warn those who refused to submit. It's fine if they don't want to pledge loyalty, but they should be smart enough not to try to seize what His Majesty has given to help the human race."
Fu Deqing suddenly stood up, striding quickly toward the courtyard gate, and hurried off, moving swiftly away from Lin Qian's floating residence.
"Why is he in such a hurry?" He Baili asked, frowning as Fu Deqing disappeared from sight.