In truth, Lin Qian had already roughly figured out what this place was used for.
"Judging by what we've seen, this ruin was likely a training ground," Lin Qian said after glancing at the inscription about martial points on the stone tablet. He then explained to Ye Xin and the others, "Each portal behind these doors probably holds soul beasts of varying strengths, specifically meant to train the younger members of the force that built this place."
"There are so many levels here, and I imagine the difficulty increases the higher you go. This first level seems to be for children, which is why it holds the so-called decorative species like the Purple Demon Fish. After all, it wouldn't be appropriate to let children face truly vicious soul beasts right away."
Supporting Lin Qian's speculation was the fact that Zhuge Ming had analyzed the formation on the portal and discovered it contained an activation mechanism. It required a specific medium to open.
As for that medium, it was most likely a token carried by those coming here for training.
They had already found such a token on the child's body. Despite countless years having passed, the inscription on the token was still clear.
But it only had one word on it...
Child!
Clearly, this indicated that the person participating in the trial was a child.
"A 'decorative fish' species… even for a child, to possess such a powerful physique, and after so many years, the body hasn't decayed," Lin Qian mused, having pieced together the cause and effect of the situation.
With the token in hand and Zhuge Ming's research into the formation, it was clear they could recreate the token and unlock the formations behind the portals.
However, Lin Qian knew that with his current strength, he couldn't afford to mobilize more of the Hua Xia Empire's power. If he opened all of the formations now, it could be catastrophic for the Soul Martial Continent—an apocalyptic event.
Lin Qian had no intention of doing something so foolish.
But he also understood that this structure could be preserved. Once the Hua Xia Empire became powerful enough, they could open it up and transform it into a training ground for the empire's soul martial artists.
After the Hua Xia Empire unifies the Soul Martial Continent and peace is restored, how would they keep their soul martial artists motivated to continue training and express their martial prowess?
The motivation for cultivation was easy to solve—higher cultivation levels meant longer lifespans. Therefore, every soul martial artist would pursue greater heights.
However, once they reached those heights, if they had no opportunity to display their power or hone their skills, problems would inevitably arise over time.
When the Hua Xia Empire goes to war with other enemies, it wouldn't always be necessary to send out the imperial army or the beast armies. Those soul martial artists who pledge allegiance to the empire would form a new army, the New Yuan Army, to fight against the enemies.
But wars don't happen constantly.
After much thought, Lin Qian came up with a brilliant solution.
Dungeons!
For example, the first dungeon of the Hua Xia Empire had already been created by transforming the ancient ruins of Linhai Prefecture.
Lin Qian provided the idea, while Zhang Juncheng helped with the construction. The dungeon was divided into four stages.
The ancient ruin was split into twenty sections, with each section capable of hosting a team of up to a thousand participants at once.
The first stage involved the Heaven's Craft Division simulating an undead formation created by the Blackblood Clan.
The second stage consisted of dangerous traps that required teamwork to overcome.
The third stage was a treacherous abyssal pathway that demanded trust and cooperation from all participants.
And the fourth stage featured the dungeon boss, a simulated version of Nan Xin from the Blackblood Clan. To enhance the challenge, Lin Qian made sure that the simulated Nan Xin's body was twenty zhang tall, with an added invulnerability effect.
The monsters in the ruins were all formed from soul power, and inside their bodies, participants could find rewards like spirit herbs, materials, soul artifacts, primordial components, and more.
Of course, there was a fee to enter the dungeon, along with a contribution point requirement to the Hua Xia Empire.
To ensure fairness, the system would decide who received the rewards based on each participant's performance in the dungeon.
As for the valuable items dropped by the boss, the system would allow everyone to roll dice for a chance to win them.
When Lin Qian first presented the dungeon concept to Zhang Juncheng, it left him in awe. He had never seen a training method like this before.
In the past, other forces would open their trials at specific times, but Lin Qian's dungeon could be accessed anytime—as long as participants paid the fee and had enough contribution points.
Moreover, compared to the traditional methods of testing individual strength, the dungeon approach was far more comprehensive, requiring both individual skill and teamwork.
Especially for leaders, strong command abilities were essential.
The dungeon not only allowed the soul martial artists of the Hua Xia Empire to showcase their abilities and earn rewards through training, but it also helped hone their skills.
Zhang Juncheng could already foresee that the dungeon system would give rise to exceptional leaders and foster a deep sense of teamwork and cooperation among the empire's soul martial artists.
In the future, when the Hua Xia Empire's soul martial artists faced enemies, they would instinctively band together, adapting their strategies based on the strengths of those around them.
Now, the number of dungeons in the Hua Xia Empire continued to grow. And outside these dungeons, you could often hear things like...
"Looking for water-attribute soul martial artists and Red Horn Clan martial artists for an Ancient Ruins dungeon raid. Hurry up!"
"Dungeon reservation confirmed! There are 120 spots left for three days from now—no specific requirements, just meet the cultivation level and be ready with your soul crystals and contribution points."
"300-person veteran team! We're rushing the dungeon. If you're about to break through, join us. No newbies allowed!"
When Lin Qian saw scenes like this, it filled him with nostalgia.
Thinking about it now, Lin Qian realized this ruin could easily be transformed into another dungeon, with multiple levels for soul martial artists to train in.
"When the time comes, let's call this dungeon Penguin Tower." Standing in the center of the ruin, Lin Qian spoke solemnly.
"Penguin Tower? What's a penguin?" Ye Xin was puzzled by his words.
Seeing her confusion, Lin Qian chuckled. "The Penguin Empire, of course. It was a very peculiar place, according to ancient records of the Hua Xia Empire. The cultivators there didn't rely on talent, but on wealth. There was a famous saying in that empire."
"Young man, do you want to become strong? Then throw money at it!"
Ye Xin couldn't help but laugh at his words. "Xiao Qian, how could a place like that possibly exist?"
"Oh, it does." Lin Qian's face showed a trace of embarrassment as he thought to himself, Back then, I was one of those so-called 'strong' people.