When Lin Qian spoke, the representatives from the Southern Region forces turned ashen. One of them, struggling to suppress his fear, dared to ask, "Emperor Lin, are you threatening us?"
"Yes, I am threatening you!" Lin Qian responded bluntly.
The straightforwardness of his answer left them all stunned, their expressions frozen as they stared at him in disbelief.
They had never imagined that Lin Qian would answer so directly and without hesitation.
"I am not an unreasonable person. You can return to your territories and convey my message. As long as you cooperate with the Huaxia Empire and allow us safe passage, there will be no conflict between us," Lin Qian continued, a cold smile playing on his lips. "But if you refuse, I will destroy you first."
"Does Emperor Lin intend to wage war against the entire Southern Region? No matter how strong the Huaxia Empire is, it cannot possibly defeat the entire Southern Region alone!" one of them retorted.
"Exactly! The Southern Region has 1,972 provinces, with hundreds of forces large and small. Does the Huaxia Empire truly dare to challenge the entire Southern Region?"
"Emperor Lin, threatening us will get you nowhere. Don't push too far."
"Indeed, the Huaxia Empire may be formidable, but why should we yield to your demands?"
With someone speaking up, the rest of the representatives gained courage, one after another standing tall and staring Lin Qian down.
At this moment, their confidence grew, and they began to realize that Lin Qian was likely bluffing. Despite the Empire's obvious strength, could it really stand against the entire Southern Region?
The governors and city lords of the Huaxia Empire, watching from the sidelines, felt a burning anger within them. They weren't fools; they knew that these representatives had come not only to gauge the Empire's strength but also to see if they could take advantage of the situation.
Moreover, several of these forces had already been engaging in underhanded tactics.
"Emperor Lin, we must admit that the Huaxia Empire is powerful, but threatening the entire Southern Region is sheer folly."
"If you challenge us here, you challenge the entire Southern Region."
"Emperor Lin, you've made your threats—if you have the courage, then go ahead and declare war on the whole Southern Region. Let's see if your Huaxia Empire is truly invincible."
The representatives from the other Southern Region forces grew bolder with each word, standing straighter as they faced Lin Qian.
"…" Lin Qian remained silent, looking at the representatives for a long moment before he broke into a bitter smile and slowly shook his head. "You've got a point. I'm truly outmatched here."
"Indeed, the Southern Region has many forces, some with influence over several provinces, managing numerous affiliated powers," Lin Qian mused aloud. "For an empire to challenge the entire Southern Region, it wouldn't be a wise decision."
Hearing Lin Qian's words, the representatives began to relax, smiling with satisfaction.
One of them even nodded approvingly. "A wise man knows when to retreat, Emperor Lin. You must understand that no matter how strong the Huaxia Empire is, it cannot stand against the whole Southern Region."
"But isn't the notion that the Huaxia Empire cannot oppose the entire Southern Region just your opinion?" Lin Qian suddenly asked with a smile.
His question left the representatives frozen in place, their minds racing as they grasped the terrifying possibility his words implied.
"Generals!" Lin Qian suddenly stood up from the Dragon Throne, gripping the Imperial Sword tightly in his hand. His commanding voice, imbued with supreme authority, echoed across the entire square.
Beams of soul power streaked through the sky, converging on the square as one general after another landed before him, their powerful auras dissipating to reveal their true forms.
Once again, they were all high-level Awakening Realm soul martial artists, each unique in appearance and demeanor, but with one thing in common—a fierce battle spirit burning in their eyes, eager for war.
These were warriors, born for battle. Previously, Lin Qian's cultivation level had been insufficient to summon even the lowest-ranking generals from Fantasy Star's Huaxia Empire.
But now, they could finally emerge to aid their emperor.
The generals who had been preparing to depart to their posts returned, thrilled by the prospect of war. Lin Qian continued to summon more and more generals, each one appearing as if they had just flown in from a distance.
"Hahaha, finally, a war to fight."
"Strange, didn't they say that ten thousand generals would be enough? Why call for so many more?"
"Do you see those idiots standing over there?"
"Yeah, I see them."
"Thank them. They dared to provoke the emperor, claiming we wouldn't dare to wage war against this tiny Southern Region. Now that they've challenged the emperor's resolve, of course, he's going to show them what real war looks like."
"Hahaha, we really should thank them."
The square was soon filled with eager generals and ferocious War Beast Generals, their numbers swelling rapidly.
Ten thousand.
Thirty thousand.
Fifty thousand.
Eighty thousand.
One hundred thousand.
The sky above was clear, but the overwhelming killing intent radiating from the gathered forces dispersed the clouds. The former capital of the Qin Dynasty seemed to tremble under their power.
The presence of one hundred thousand high-level Awakening Realm generals alone was enough to make the representatives of the other Southern Region forces collapse in fear, their legs giving out beneath them as they sat paralyzed on the ground.
Some even lost control, wetting themselves in terror as yellow and white fluids pooled beneath them.
"I… need to calm down," muttered Shen Qi, a member of the Blackhorn Tribe, as he clutched his horns, squatting down in a daze.
Yu Lijun, who had accompanied him, was pulling at his own hair. "I can't believe I once tried to capture the emperor. I was asking for death—I was really asking for death."
"The Huaxia Empire has never feared a challenge. Just now, someone suggested that the empire dare not wage war against the entire Southern Region, claiming that we would lose," Lin Qian said, his gaze sweeping over the ten thousand generals and War Beast Generals in the square. A smile tugged at his lips. "But the Huaxia Empire has never lost, and we never will."
With that, Lin Qian raised the Imperial Sword high, pointing it forward as the nine dragons behind him roared and surged ahead.
"What do we do to those who offend the Huaxia Empire?"
"Destroy them, no matter how far!"
The furious battle cries echoed across the land as all the generals and War Beast Generals knelt on one knee, their right fists pounding against their hearts.
"Then let's go to war with the entire Southern Region," Lin Qian declared with a proud grin, looking down at the trembling representatives like a lion eyeing its prey. "The entire Southern Region… I'll take it all."