No one in the Valley of Myriad Herbs and Trees knew what was happening in the Extreme Cold Zone. They hadn't seen a single Yun family member emerge from the cold wasteland, and no soul warriors who entered the zone had encountered anyone from the Yun family.
It was as if the Yun family had simply vanished from existence.
What they didn't know was that the Yun family had been entirely wiped out by Lin Qian's forces, their bodies completely destroyed.
Deep beneath the glaciers, in the ice cave, Lin Qian and his parents, Emperor Lin and Yun Yunyan, had returned to the center of the cavern.
Even now, Emperor Lin and Yun Yunyan still wore expressions of satisfaction. The recent battle had been an experience unlike any they had ever had before. The detestable Yun family had been reduced to mere punching bags with immense defense, allowing them to smash and toss them around the arena like toys.
If it weren't for Lin Qian's Joy Arena, such a scenario would have been impossible.
"It seems like Father and Mother really enjoyed themselves," Lin Qian said with a smile, noticing the delighted expressions on his parents' faces.
Even now, Emperor Lin hadn't quite processed the battle. "I never imagined that one day I'd be involved in such a strange fight. The Yun family elders, usually fierce enemies, turned into nothing more than playthings for us to slaughter. It was a ridiculous but thoroughly satisfying experience."
"Qian'er, can you use that Joy Arena again in the future?" Yun Yunyan asked, her curiosity piqued as she stood beside her husband.
Lin Qian shook his head slowly, fabricating an explanation for his parents. "This is a one-time soul artifact I found in an ancient ruin. It was created by a powerful race known as the Housebound Clan to train their children. The artifact allowed them to strengthen themselves and weaken their enemies so their children could safely practice combat. Unfortunately, this was the last one I had. I used it to help you both release your frustration and relax."
Hearing Lin Qian's explanation, both Emperor Lin and Yun Yunyan showed signs of disappointment. However, after a moment's thought, they accepted it. Such a powerful and unique artifact would naturally be rare.
"This Housebound Clan must have been incredibly powerful to craft something so extraordinary," Yun Yunyan remarked, impressed.
Seeing that his parents believed him, Lin Qian let out a sigh of relief, knowing that he had successfully avoided further questions.
"Although we've taken care of all the Yun family members in the Valley of Myriad Herbs and Trees, we still have some issues to deal with," Emperor Lin suddenly said, his tone growing serious. "There are still Yun family members stationed outside the valley, including some Transcendence Realm experts."
"While there are only three Transcendence Realm soul warriors guarding the entrance to the valley, they are all on par with Yun Menghai," he continued.
Yun Yunyan's face grew concerned. "Without that powerful artifact, it won't be easy to deal with those three Yun family elders."
"No, it won't be a problem at all," Lin Qian replied, his gaze focused on the entrance marked on the virtual map. He smiled confidently. "There's an old saying: when you defeat the small fry, the bigger fish will come. Do you think the elders will just sit back when their grandson is being bullied?"
Despite his words, Emperor Lin and Yun Yunyan still seemed unsure.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a green silhouette shot into the cavern from outside at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, it materialized in front of Lin Qian.
Emperor Lin and Yun Yunyan turned to see a powerful Awakening Realm soul warrior, one with peak strength at the ninth stage and the power of a ruler.
"Your Majesty!" To their surprise, this mighty warrior knelt before Lin Qian with utmost respect.
"Is everything ready?" Lin Qian asked, his eyes gleaming with interest.
The soul warrior named Swift Wind nodded. "Your Majesty, everything has been set up as instructed. Chancellor Su has placed control arrays at all 36,000 specified locations."
"Good. Let's hope the Valley of Myriad Herbs and Trees will soon belong to the Huaxia Empire," Lin Qian said with satisfaction.
"Prepare for withdrawal," he ordered. "Make sure everything is tidied up properly before we leave."
Following his command, the technicians from the Engineering Department busied themselves, dismantling the structures that had maintained the Joy Arena and recovering the materials. They also erased any traces of the formations they had set up, leaving no evidence for anyone who might later investigate.
Emperor Lin and Yun Yunyan stood quietly, watching the workers in awe of the Huaxia Empire's efficiency. Lin Qian's subordinates operated with remarkable coordination, as if they could read each other's thoughts, solving every problem without needing to communicate verbally.
In a short amount of time, after Lin Qian gave the order, everything in the ice cave had been cleared and the remnants of the setup were collected.
"Father, Mother, it's time to go," Lin Qian called to them. With that, he soared out of the ice cave, heading toward the entrance of the Valley of Myriad Herbs and Trees.
Emperor Lin and Yun Yunyan hurried after him, quickly catching up to their son as they flew toward the entrance.
They both knew what awaited them at the entrance—many Yun family members would be lying in wait.
Heading there felt like walking into the jaws of the beast, delivering themselves straight into enemy hands.
But following their son, Lin Qian, the situation was clearly different now. Recalling the miraculous events they had witnessed, both Emperor Lin and Yun Yunyan silently followed their son, resolute in their decision.
Regardless of what happened from here on out, one thing was certain:
They would never leave their son's side again.