From start to finish, Lin Qian's tone remained calm and composed as he called out the names of one general after another. Each time, he summoned ten to fifteen generals at once, issuing precise military orders, instructing them where to attack and how many Imperial troops to lead.
As Lin Qian continued to call the roll, each name he mentioned was immediately followed by a general arriving from a distance, each one radiating an overwhelming aura—every single one of them was a high-level Awakening Realm soul martial artist, at the fifth or sixth stage!
The representatives from the other Southern Region forces watched in terror as more and more generals filled the square, their fear growing with each passing moment.
Two hundred Awakening Realm cultivators were nothing extraordinary; their own forces could muster as much.
But two hundred high-level Awakening Realm cultivators were a terrifying force, and they all silently chanted in their hearts: "This should be enough—this must be the entire strength of the Huaxia Empire."
"Yao Nie, Duan Chen, Liu Chaochao…"
But when Lin Qian's voice echoed again, it shattered their assumptions completely.
Gradually, the number of generals in the square grew, with no sign of stopping.
When the number of generals reached a thousand, Lin Qian's voice still didn't falter, and more generals continued to arrive, one after another.
They landed steadily in the square, awaiting Lin Qian's orders. Once they received their commands, they stood tall and formed orderly ranks, their gazes fixed on the sky above.
Suspended in mid-air was a map formed by soul power, highlighting the territories of Zhenyuan Sect, Yuheng Jiang Kingdom, Kuanglang Sect, and Guiyuan Valley.
According to Lin Qian's orders, the generals and their Imperial troops were to position themselves along the borders of these four forces, creating a massive encirclement.
"What is the Huaxia Empire planning?" one of the representatives from another Southern Region force muttered, now too afraid to remain seated and rising to his feet.
He desperately wanted to leave, but he didn't dare.
From Lin Qian's orders, it was clear that the Huaxia Empire intended to launch attacks from multiple directions, focusing on the outer regions of Zhenyuan Sect, Yuheng Jiang Kingdom, Kuanglang Sect, and Guiyuan Valley.
However, to complete such a large-scale encirclement, they would have to pass through many other territories.
This would inevitably involve the territories of the very forces represented by the observers at the ceremony.
At that moment, they began to suspect that Lin Qian's invitation to witness the review of troops wasn't as simple as it seemed…
When the number of high-level Awakening Realm generals reached five thousand, none of the representatives from the other Southern Region forces dared remain seated.
Moreover, they witnessed something even more shocking—soul beasts among the ranks.
Among them was a wolf-like being, standing on two legs, covered in white and blue fur, and clad in armor. It was enormous, and it spoke in human tongue.
This was a War Beast General, and its presence silenced everyone.
When the number of high-level Awakening Realm generals reached a staggering ten thousand, Lin Qian finally ceased his roll call.
"The Ministry of Fireworks is responsible for the airships, assault ships, and all forms of soul cannon support. The Ministry of Engineering will handle the transmission of battle information and the cracking of enemy formations."
"A force of ten thousand generals should be sufficient to deal with these four enemies. The rest will be deployed to guard the provinces and cities of the empire."
As Lin Qian made this announcement, the representatives from the other Southern Region forces swallowed hard, their eyes drifting towards the distant sky.
In the next moment, their legs gave out beneath them as they collapsed to the ground. The sky above was filled with countless figures, all clad in various soul armor—innumerable generals.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
In an instant, those countless figures in the sky shot off like streams of light, streaking across the sky as they dispersed into the various territories of the Huaxia Empire.
It wasn't just the representatives from the other Southern Region forces who were shocked; even the governors and city lords of the Huaxia Empire stood stunned by what they were witnessing.
"Bade, this Huaxia Empire we've joined… isn't it a bit too powerful?" Ling Jiu, the Elder of the Lingti Tribe, asked nervously, lightly tapping Bade beside her.
Bade raised his hands to cover his face and muttered, "Joining the Huaxia Empire was probably the best decision I've ever made. The Redhorn Tribe will surely thrive alongside the Huaxia Empire."
Amidst the crowd, Qin Wushuang stared blankly at Lin Qian on the Dragon Throne. "Senior Brother, do you realize how insanely powerful your disciple has become?"
Throughout the territories of the Huaxia Empire, every citizen watched the screen with bated breath, their hearts pounding with excitement as they witnessed the scene unfold. They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with joy.
A sense of pride surged within their chests.
Even though they didn't fully grasp the strength of those generals, or the terrifying power of those ten thousand generals, the moment the screen showed the expressions of the representatives from the other Southern Region forces, they understood everything.
Those representatives, who had once lounged lazily in their seats, dismissive of the ongoing review, had gradually become more and more unsettled.
When the Sword Formation Emperor Zhang Juncheng appeared, their faces had turned ashen.
As the number of generals grew, they had started to fidget, shifting nervously in their seats.
Eventually, each one had risen to their feet, too afraid to sit any longer.
The citizens of the Huaxia Empire could see it clearly on their faces—the emotion they had now.
Fear!
Yes, it was the very fear that Emperor Ren Wu had spoken of earlier. The fear that the Southern Region's other forces would feel towards the Huaxia Empire.
"Zhenyuan Sect, Yuheng Jiang Kingdom, Kuanglang Sect, and Guiyuan Valley provoked the Huaxia Empire, killed my citizens, and looted and burned our lands," Lin Qian declared, turning his gaze towards the representatives from the other Southern Region forces. "Do you think it is justifiable for me to declare war on them?"
As his golden eyes locked onto theirs, the imperial authority radiating from him forced them to their knees, their bodies trembling as cold sweat dripped to the ground.
"It's absolutely justifiable."
"We've long had grievances with those four forces."
"Yes, yes, Emperor Lin's actions are righteous and just!"
Seeing their eager responses, Lin Qian's expression softened into a faint smile. "In that case, you may return to your territories and inform your leaders that the Imperial Army will be advancing through your lands to attack Zhenyuan Sect, Yuheng Jiang Kingdom, Kuanglang Sect, and Guiyuan Valley."
"When the time comes, I trust you won't refuse to grant us passage?"
As Lin Qian finished speaking, the representatives hesitated, unsure how to respond. But before they could say anything, they noticed Lin Qian's cold gaze fixed on them.
"I still have plenty of idle generals at my disposal. What do you think—should I continue calling them out?"