Within the mountain fortress, the Blackhorn Clan civilians watched in fear as the heavily armored human soldiers patrolled through the city. The enslaved people from the four other clans—Humans, Redhorns, Dwarves, and Lingti—also gazed nervously at the soldiers who were unshackling them, uncertain about their future.
Not all the Blackhorn soldiers were killed; those who lacked the blood-red aura had already surrendered and given up resistance, some even showing signs of relief. However, the Blackhorn soldiers with that ominous red aura continued to fight fiercely, becoming even more deranged as the battle drew to a close.
"Kill them!" As Lin Qian inspected the surrendered Blackhorns, one suddenly stood up, his eyes bloodshot, and roared. As soul energy surged within him, a blood-red aura appeared on his body. Before the enraged Blackhorn could make another move, a nearby Bloodwar soldier swiftly ended his life, dragging his body away from the other captives.
The surrendered Blackhorn soldiers were not all kept in the same location, and soon, Lin Qian received reports of similar incidents happening elsewhere. In various groups of surrendered Blackhorns, individuals suddenly displayed the blood-red aura and went mad.
This madness was occurring repeatedly, puzzling Lin Qian, while the other surrendered Blackhorns looked on in terror, their eyes filled with fear. Many of them muttered anxiously, "Not again, how is this happening again?"
Their fearful whispers suggested that this transformation into madness was not an uncommon occurrence among the Blackhorn Clan. From their words, Lin Qian could infer that this was a widespread issue, likely a well-known phenomenon among them. After all, during the battle with the Bloodwar soldiers, about seventy percent of the Blackhorn soldiers had exhibited that blood-red aura, and they were far more frenzied and relentless than their normal counterparts.
However, the ones who suddenly manifested the blood-red aura seemed even more uncontrollable, as if they had completely lost their sanity.
"Interrogate the remaining sane Blackhorns and gather as much useful information as possible," Lin Qian commanded coldly, his eyes fixed on the group of Blackhorn captives as he issued orders to the civil officers at his side.
Yue Liqiu, along with the four clan elders and Yaonie, were each stationed at different locations, guarding the six groups of Blackhorn prisoners. At this point, they had grown accustomed to seeing Lin Qian's numerous subordinates emerge from the dense forest.
According to Lin Qian, these people had accompanied him from the underground world and were dispersed throughout the dense forest to conceal themselves. When needed, Lin Qian would call upon them to reveal themselves and serve him.
Lin Qian stood in the center of the mountain fortress, gazing at a towering structure before him. The entire structure was made of various spiritual ores mixed with mud and stone, forming a series of ring-shaped buildings haphazardly pieced together.
Curious about this strange construction, Lin Qian had already instructed the civil officers from the Heavenly Engineering Department to investigate it. He expected results soon.
Beside Lin Qian stood a human who had been enslaved within the fortress. The man was recounting every detail he knew about the labor he had been forced to endure. Once he finished reporting, he respectfully turned and left, fully aware that this young human before him held the power of life and death over the entire fortress.
And in his heart, he found himself deeply grateful.
At least the powerful army that had conquered this fortress, under the restraint of this young human, had not committed any atrocities against them. He had even been provided with a place to stay, a warm meal, and a good night's sleep—a far cry from the constant toil and the ever-present fear of the whip wielded by the deranged Blackhorns who had once enslaved them.
"Your Majesty, this structure is actually part of a formation," Zhuge Ming's voice suddenly echoed in Lin Qian's mind, reporting his findings.
Looking at the twisted architecture before him, Lin Qian's interest was piqued. "Interesting. Such an abstract design actually serves as a formation?"
"Indeed. These ring-shaped objects are the patterns that form the array," Zhuge Ming explained further. "When activated, this formation can produce an immensely powerful effect. Once initiated, it could draw the spiritual energy from a thousand-mile radius and channel it upward."
"Channel it upward?" Lin Qian mused, glancing up at the sky, where faint flickers of light could be seen—the glow of the sunlit fruits that dotted the dome. "What's the point of channeling energy upward? To knock down the sun fruits, perhaps? Haha."
"My initial hypothesis is that the spiritual energy channeled by this formation is intended to stabilize the chaotic space around the Ancient Forest World. It would require vast amounts of energy for such a task."
"If someone wanted to leave the Ancient Forest World, they would need to stabilize the chaotic space surrounding it. It seems that someone, likely the Blackhorn King who has become a Blood Corpse, is planning to leave."
"A mastermind behind the scenes?" Lin Qian's expression turned cold as he stared at the massive structure before him. "It appears that the situation in the Southern Nine Provinces of the Southern Territory is closely tied to this individual."
"Indeed, Your Majesty, it's highly likely," Zhuge Ming replied.
"According to Yue Liqiu, it seems that many of the key fortresses in the Blackhorn Kingdom are constructing similar structures," Lin Qian said, his voice heavy with resolve. "This person dares to disrupt my dominion—how can I allow him to succeed?"
"Your Majesty, do you mean…"
"Prepare for a national war. We'll conquer the entire Blackhorn Kingdom as quickly as possible. During the Qin Imperial War, we had to be cautious and restrained due to external pressures and many watching eyes. We couldn't exert our full strength," Lin Qian said, rolling his shoulders as a hint of golden light flickered in his eyes. "But here in the Ancient Forest World, it's different. No other forces are watching."
"Understood. If we can swiftly capture those key fortresses, they won't be able to stabilize the space, and their plans to leave will be thwarted."
"At that point, I'll settle the score with them," Lin Qian said, cracking his knuckles with a long sigh. "It's been a while since I've fought a national war. I wonder if I'm rusty."
After the sigh, Lin Qian's eyes sharpened with determination. "Find a suitable location within this mountain fortress to build a temporary war room. Prepare for the national war."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"