Inside Qi Laohan's small house, the hole in the ground had already been sealed. The underground formation, activated according to the designs of the Tiangong Department, was now operating smoothly. In the tunnels that made up the formation's pathways, faint cold light flickered.
The formation that enveloped the entire Yushui City emitted a subtle glow, extending far beyond the city's boundaries. This was the connection between Yushui City and the other cities of the Qin Dynasty.
The formation virus created by the Tiangong Department followed these connections, quietly infiltrating the other cities' formations, growing and lying dormant until it was ready to strike.
However, there were exceptions, such as the Qin Dynasty's capital. According to Zhuge Ming's observations, the capital's formation contained a vigilant, sentient presence. Although the formation virus was silent and invisible, this presence would certainly detect it, potentially ruining the entire plan.
Rather than risking everything, it was better to temporarily abandon the capital's formation and avoid unnecessary losses.
Meanwhile, far away at the border between Fengzhou and Lianshanzhou, Feng Huabin and Jia Gong were chatting inside a small house.
"Do you think Emperor Lin's plan will succeed?"
"I don't know. Seizing control of all the Qin Dynasty's formations from the shadows sounds too unbelievable. Even though it seems impossible, who can say what's possible in this world?"
Jia Gong nodded in agreement with Feng Huabin's words. "But what I'm even more curious about is what the Emperor meant by building turrets in enemy territory."
"I have no idea what a turret is either. The Emperor also muttered something about a 'tower rush strategy.' It all sounds so confusing."
As the two of them discussed this, Lin Qian was already standing in front of Qi Laohan's house, preparing to bid farewell.
"Big brother, can't you stay a little longer?" Qi Yan looked up at Lin Qian, reluctant to see him leave.
Just as Qi Yan finished speaking, Qi Laohan slapped the back of his head. "What are you saying? The young man has important things to do. We should be grateful and not make any demands."
Lin Qian smiled at Qi Laohan, then crouched down in front of Qi Yan, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders. "I've left some soul crystals and plenty of food for you and your grandfather. These are troubled times, so live quietly and avoid drawing attention."
"I've also left you a cultivation method. Train hard and become a soul warrior to protect your grandfather in the future."
Qi Yan, curious about Lin Qian's words, looked up at him. "Big brother, will I be able to see you again?"
Lin Qian patted Qi Yan's head and replied seriously, "If you want to see me again, you'll need to become very, very strong."
"Why?"
"Because, in the future, I will be your Emperor. I only need a powerful Qi Yan to serve me, not a crybaby who can't protect his grandfather."
Lin Qian's words made Qi Yan thump his chest and promise, "Don't worry! I'll grow strong and serve you, Emperor big brother!"
"Hahaha, good!" Lin Qian nodded in satisfaction and turned to Qi Laohan. "Old man, I'll be leaving now."
Qi Laohan looked at Lin Qian and nodded earnestly. "I will guard this secret with my life. I hope that the people of the Qin Dynasty will one day live in the world you described."
After nodding to Qi Laohan, Lin Qian turned and left, heading towards the city gates.
To ensure a perfect victory over the Qin Dynasty, he needed not only a strategic layout of the cities but also a well-planned deployment of forces.
The warships hidden deep within the sea were the true weapons of war. With overwhelming military power, Lin Qian was confident that the Qin Dynasty's soul warriors, the Qin Imperial Army, and the city guards would not be able to match his forces.
Of course, Lin Qian had to consider not only the Huaxia Empire's assault but also the battles of the Dual Extremes Hall, the Free and Easy Sect, and the Blood Spirit Valley. These three factions had gone to war with the Qin Dynasty for his sake, and he couldn't just sit by and do nothing.
However, the battlefield between the two sides was too crowded. If he rashly brought the Huaxia Army into the fray, it would only alert the enemy.
But who said that wars between factions were just about soul warriors clashing?
Lin Qian had realized that this world placed far too much emphasis on individual combat power. In his eyes, battles here were nothing more than large-scale brawls.
There were no tactics, no war-specific soul weapons—just a mass of people charging at each other.
He wasn't sure how things were in the broader void, but the Soul Martial Continent was definitely like this.
When it came to fighting, there was no division of roles, no coordination—just chaotic skirmishes. Whichever side had more people and stronger fighters would win.
In the past, the alien races of the Four Directions World had tried a slightly more sophisticated strategy by sending soul beasts to wear down Lin Qian's forces first.
It hadn't worked. The soul beasts sent to weaken Lin Qian's army had been torn apart by the Silvermoon Giant Wolves of the Beast Army.
After leaving Yushui City, Lin Qian headed deeper into Shunshui Prefecture. Two days later, following the roaring, turbulent river, he finally saw the massive crowd in the distance.
"Emperor's Eyes!"
Lin Qian's pupils turned golden as he used his soul power to clearly observe the distant scene. What he saw was an enormous army—countless Qin Imperial Army soldiers and city guards from various cities.
The Qin Dynasty's governance was centralized under the supreme will of the Emperor, who delegated the administration of its territories to princes and marquises.
The Qin Imperial Army, directly under the Emperor's command, was the main force, while the princes and marquises commanded the city guards.
In front of him, the combined force of Qin Imperial Army soldiers and city guards numbered a staggering 100 million. The weakest among them were in the Life and Death Realm, though their ages varied greatly, and their soul power fluctuated, with most being in the Life and Death Realm's physical stage.
Having such a large army of Life and Death Realm warriors didn't surprise Lin Qian, considering the dynasty's long-standing heritage.
Moreover, he was certain that this 100 million-strong army was only a fraction of the Qin Dynasty's total strength.
"Impressive," Lin Qian muttered as he observed the vast army. He couldn't help but marvel, though he had long forgotten how many soldiers he had summoned back in the Four Directions World.
However, Lin Qian wouldn't deploy such a large force here; it would be too shocking and would attract unwanted attention.
Since he couldn't rely on sheer numbers, Lin Qian decided to take a different approach—by using a tower rush strategy!
"This is going to be interesting!" Lin Qian rubbed his hands together, barely able to contain his excitement.