In the deep, azure waters, numerous bodies of Purple Demon Fish drifted, lifeless. What shocked Lin Qian most was that these Purple Demon Fish were far larger than the one he had killed—at least ten times its size.
The Blade-Tooth Sharks continued swimming through the vast ocean, searching for any other discoveries.
It seemed as though this ocean was only populated by Purple Demon Fish, but in the next moment, Lin Qian's eyes changed, and he immediately plunged into the water.
Splash!
Water sprayed high as Lin Qian's soul power enveloped his entire body, parting the seawater like an arrow shooting forward.
His sudden action left Ye Xin and the three elders puzzled and concerned.
Seeing the urgency in his speed and demeanor, Ye Xin and the three elders quickly followed him, activating their soul power as they dove into the ocean after him.
Not long after, they reached a particular area under the water and were met with a strange sight. Suspended in the water, motionless, was the body of a human child, his eyes closed as if he were simply sleeping. Scattered around him were the disassembled parts of some kind of primordial weapon.
"Why is there a child here?" The sudden appearance of a human child in this ocean full of Purple Demon Fish was utterly unexpected for everyone present.
In a sea filled with Purple Demon Fish, a lone human child had died here.
However, there was not a single visible wound on the child's body.
"Both the child and the Purple Demon Fish died due to their souls being extinguished," Lin Qian said through soul transmission to Ye Xin and the others as he stepped forward, gently lifting the child's body and ascending out of the water toward the portal's entrance.
Back on dry land, Lin Qian landed steadily at the entrance, staring out at the vast ocean in silence.
He then gazed at the child, who appeared as if he were merely asleep, and quietly whispered, "I'm sorry."
With that, Lin Qian placed the child's body into the Xuan Fantasy Star for further examination by the Heaven's Craft Division.
A short time later, Ye Xin and the three elders returned to the portal entrance, standing by Lin Qian's side.
"The Purple Demon Fish that was slain earlier was only a few years old, and its body had grown abnormally, showing signs of maldevelopment." Lin Qian explained, turning to Ye Xin and the elders, "It's likely that when the three elders entered the ruins, they disturbed it. The portal's sealing formation was already partially broken, allowing the fish to escape."
This conclusion came from the Heaven's Craft Division's study of the Purple Demon Fish's body.
In other words, the Purple Demon Fish was likely just a juvenile.
The thought of this filled Lin Qian with even more astonishment—such a young creature had already possessed terrifying power. Moreover, it had suffered from abnormal development, yet it still managed to be so formidable.
"A decorative species... This Soul Martial Continent really is full of surprises." Lin Qian remarked as he gazed back at the vast ocean, clicking his tongue. "If news of these ruins were to spread, it would shake the entire Soul Martial Continent."
Ye Xin carefully approached Lin Qian and asked, "Xiao Qian, what about that child…?"
"Don't worry, we'll know soon enough." Lin Qian replied, staring intently at the ocean, confident that the Heaven's Craft Division would soon provide an answer.
Sure enough, moments later, Zhuge Ming's voice came through. "Your Majesty, the child has been buried according to your instructions. We've also reached a conclusion about his condition. He was indeed a child from a civilization ten thousand times more advanced than the Soul Martial Continent. Despite being only ten years old, his cultivation level was higher than yours, and even surpassed that of an adult Purple Demon Fish."
"…" Lin Qian fell silent. He realized that he wouldn't even be able to defeat that child. "Was the child truly human?"
"Yes, indeed. He was human and had likely grown up in an environment with extremely high levels of spiritual energy, which helped cultivate his extraordinary talent."
Zhuge Ming's explanation left Lin Qian deep in thought. He hadn't expected that such powerful human civilizations existed within this world.
A mere child, whose cultivation level was likely above the Saint Realm, equivalent to the legendary powerhouses of the Soul Martial Continent.
Lin Qian then turned to Ye Xin and the three elders, explaining the child's cultivation level and his speculations.
"A more advanced cultivation civilization..." Ye Xin and the three elders were stunned by Lin Qian's words, especially the three elders, who felt a mix of emotions.
They had worked tirelessly to reach their current cultivation levels. Even when faced with the talented Lin Qian and Ye Xin, they could only marvel at the younger pair's remarkable gifts.
But never had they experienced a blow like this—learning that a ten-year-old child could possess the power to crush them with ease.
The thought of it filled the three elders with a sense of helplessness.
"A higher-level cultivation civilization." Compared to the elders, Ye Xin's thoughts turned to the Xuan Fantasy Star. To her, the Hua Xia Empire was already such a higher-level existence.
And as she glanced at Lin Qian, she noticed the excitement in his eyes.
"Xiao Qian's excited... There's finally something strong enough to become his goal, isn't there?" Ye Xin chuckled softly as she moved closer to Lin Qian, speaking gently.
Lin Qian, coming back to his senses, looked at Ye Xin, who was bending down to gaze at him. His lips curled into a smile. "Xin'er, you know me too well."
"Indeed, from that child, I see the future goal of the Hua Xia Empire." Lin Qian's eyes gleamed with a fervent light. "Achieving Nirvana Realm for the entire population was only a small goal. To cultivate an empire where children can reach such power by age ten and even surpass that civilization—that's the real challenge!"
In truth, Lin Qian had already grown bored of the powers of the Soul Martial Continent.
To him, the forces of the entire continent were nothing more than a bunch of weaklings. In just a little more time, when his cultivation reached the Saint Realm, Lin Qian would be ready to activate war mode, launching an all-out assault on the continent and dominating its battlefield.
He would unify the Soul Martial Continent!
This was a world ruled by martial strength, where countless forces slaughtered each other for resources, leaving rivers of blood in their wake.
When powerful soul martial artists clashed, the entire continent trembled. In the ancient wars, the southern, western, northern, and eastern regions of the eastern continent were left shattered, collapsing into the sea.
The ordinary people living on those lands—hundreds of billions—were swallowed by the ocean as the land fell, losing their lives.
But if the Hua Xia Empire unified the Soul Martial Continent, such senseless bloodshed would end. No more would countless people die every day.
The Origin State, the first territory of the Hua Xia Empire in this world, was just the beginning.
The Soul Martial Continent would be the first planet to fall under the Hua Xia Empire's control, the first step toward Lin Qian's rise to the peak.
Since this world was one of survival of the fittest, Lin Qian and the Hua Xia Empire would become the fiercest dragon!