As the voice of the current Qin Emperor faded, his figure gradually dissipated, leaving the Sixth Prince alone in the grand hall.
Gazing at the imperial throne, the Sixth Prince clenched his fists, silently praying for his father and elder brother, the Qin Emperor, to return soon.
The real reason the Qin Dynasty had been delaying its full-scale assault on the three major factions was that the dynasty's two most powerful forces—the former Emperor and the current Emperor—were not present in the Qin Dynasty!
Some time ago, the father and son duo discovered a relic. Believing that the treasures within would be invaluable, they decided to explore it together.
Only the Qin Emperor's soul force projection remained in the imperial palace, overseeing the affairs of the dynasty and maintaining a presence in the capital.
Remembering the humiliation he suffered at the hands of Fang Shuiwen and the others during the Southern Conference, the Sixth Prince trembled with rage, wishing nothing more than the swift destruction of the three sects.
For the Qin Emperor, the Sixth Prince, and the dynasty's other princes and marquises, the only real enemies were the Three Great Sects: the Dual Extremes Hall, the Free and Easy Sect, and the Blood Spirit Valley.
Meanwhile, forces in the southern region near the coast were also watching the developments between the three factions and the Qin Dynasty.
As for the Huaxia Empire?
In their eyes, it was just a small, insignificant force not worth considering.
Hadn't the Qin Emperor made it clear? The Huaxia Empire was so insignificant that it wasn't even worthy of being offered as a sacrifice for the Qin Emperor's fallen children.
But none of them knew that the emperor they dismissed so easily had already infiltrated the Qin Dynasty's territory, quietly digging out the foundation of one of its border cities.
Beneath Yushui City, an intricate network of tunnels had been carved out, forming a massive formation underground.
At each node of the formation, a jade platform held a golden token inscribed with formation patterns, clearly crafted by the Tiangong Department.
At this moment, Lin Qian was not in Qi Laohan's house but at the center of the underground formation.
The central formation featured a larger jade platform holding a metal formation token that glowed with a faint, mysterious light.
"Together in prosperity, together in destruction," Lin Qian murmured as he looked at the pale metal plate before him, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
This metal plate, named "Together in Prosperity, Together in Destruction," was a material originally used for crafting shields for the Shield Soldiers.
When used in shields, this material would allow the Shield Soldiers to share the impact of any attack evenly among themselves, reducing the damage to any one soldier.
Of course, this material was reserved for advanced shield units that surpassed the Might Shields and Stone Shields.
But the material's most significant feature was its ability to synchronize and enhance connections.
While the Qin Dynasty's formations weren't as advanced as the Huaxia Realm Formation that could cover an entire domain without a physical barrier, the formations in each of its cities were interconnected.
This connection allowed for rapid communication between cities, forming a transmission network unique to the Qin Dynasty.
But now, it worked in Lin Qian's favor!
He extended his hand, and his golden emperor's soul force surged out, pouring into the central platform without reservation.
Hum! Hum! Hum!
A resonant hum echoed through the underground chambers as the formation beneath Yushui City lit up with a golden glow.
In an instant, a golden barrier formed, enveloping the entire underground formation, preventing the sound from leaking out.
Back in Qi Laohan's house, Qi Yan suddenly sat up in bed, staring at the dark hole in the center of the room.
"Yan'er, what's the matter?" Qi Laohan asked, turning to his grandson. "Don't worry; our benefactor will be back soon."
"Grandpa, didn't you hear a noise?"
"A noise? I didn't hear anything."
As Qi Laohan shook his head, Qi Yan felt confused. He was sure he had heard a faint humming sound.
It wasn't just Qi Yan. Some people throughout Yushui City also sensed something unusual, but they all dismissed it as their imagination.
Meanwhile, underground, the formation activated by Lin Qian unleashed its full power.
The formation subtly intertwined with Yushui City's existing formation, and the formation virus began silently infiltrating it.
In Yushui City's formation hub, ten formation masters patrolled the area, checking the city's defensive systems. But they were yawning and seemed indifferent.
After all, the formation had been operating flawlessly for years.
"Wait a minute. Something's off. Why does it feel like our connection with other cities has strengthened, even with those beyond the capital?" one of the formation masters noted.
Typically, the formations of cities beyond the capital were difficult to connect with due to the capital's powerful interference.
But now, the formation masters noticed that Yushui City's connection with even the farthest cities had grown stronger.
"Could it be that the formation becomes stronger the longer it runs?"
"Who cares? As long as there are no problems, it's a good thing. Why worry?"
The formation masters shrugged off the anomaly, continuing their work with no concerns.
The formation virus had infiltrated undetected, and none of them noticed a thing. The only noticeable effect was the increased connection strength—thanks to the "Together in Prosperity, Together in Destruction" material.
What Lin Qian hadn't anticipated was that these formation masters would be so foolish, dismissing the formation's odd behavior without a second thought.
"Now, we just need to wait—wait for the formation virus to spread throughout all the cities of the Qin Dynasty!" Lin Qian thought.
Both the Qin Dynasty and Lin Qian were waiting—the Qin Dynasty for its emperor's return, and Lin Qian for the formation virus to take full effect.
The Qin Emperor would never imagine that the small, insignificant Huaxia Empire he had so lightly dismissed was, in fact, the most terrifying enemy the Qin Dynasty had ever faced.