"Total... total war?" Yuan Xiang looked at Lin Qian with a puzzled expression, clearly unable to comprehend the meaning of the words. "What do you mean by total war? Are you planning to wage war against the Swift Shadow Clan and the Invisible Clan within this Small World?"
Lin Qian met Yuan Xiang's gaze with a confident smile. "That's exactly what I intend to do."
"You're mad! You absolutely can't do that!" Yuan Xiang shouted in alarm upon hearing Lin Qian's response. "Do you even realize that the Swift Shadow Clan and the Invisible Clan have deeply entrenched themselves in this Small World? They've been continuously eroding my control over it."
"The areas controlled by the Swift Shadow Clan and the Invisible Clan are completely beyond my reach. I can't even perceive what's happening there. The only areas I still have some control over are the Battle Road of the First Space and the Battle Forest of the Second Space, but even those are deteriorating."
Yuan Xiang's expression was grave as he shared the harsh truth with Lin Qian.
When Yuan Xiang had first explained the situation to them, he hadn't revealed everything. In truth, the Swift Shadow Clan and the Invisible Clan had reactivated this Small World over five hundred years ago and had been gradually infiltrating it ever since.
During the ancient war, this Small World had been affected, causing Yuan Xiang's imprint body to fall into a deep slumber. It wasn't until three hundred years ago that Yuan Xiang's imprint reawakened, only to find that the Swift Shadow Clan and the Invisible Clan had already taken control of a portion of the Small World.
That area had become a foothold for the two clans, from which they steadily expanded their influence, aiming to take over the entire Small World. Despite Yuan Xiang's efforts, his severely damaged imprint body was no match for their relentless advance.
Three hundred years of encroachment had led to the current situation, where the Swift Shadow Clan and the Invisible Clan now dominated significant portions of the Small World.
The two clans had devised a plan to lure the human and sea clans into the Small World by leaking the existence of the ancient ruins in the Southern Sea. Once the talented disciples of both clans entered the ruins, they would be trapped by the prepared formations.
The trap formations in the human and sea clan fortresses were part of this plan. The goal was to refine the flesh and blood of the talented disciples, using it to further erode Yuan Xiang's power and assess the strength of the two clans.
Yuan Xiang continued, "The trial formations of this Small World still function because my imprint remains on the World's Heart, limiting the power levels and numbers of those who can enter. But the Swift Shadow Clan and the Invisible Clan have been sending their people here for the past five hundred years."
"I estimate that there are at least fifty million of them in this Small World. And as their control grows, even higher-level cultivators from the Awakening Realm have begun to enter. If it weren't for this, how do you think the Black Blade Fish Clan leader was devoured by the Invisible Clan?"
Yuan Xiang turned his back to Lin Qian and gazed into the distant sky, his voice tinged with melancholy. "With just a handful of people, how could you possibly fight fifty million? Even if everyone in this Small World united, it would still be impossible."
As he finished speaking, Yuan Xiang slowly turned back to Lin Qian, expecting to see shock or fear on his face. He hoped that after hearing the overwhelming odds, Lin Qian would abandon his reckless plan and follow Yuan Xiang's safer route to the World's Heart.
But instead, all Yuan Xiang saw on Lin Qian's face was disdain, scorn, and even... annoyance?
"Fifty million? Is that supposed to be a lot?" Lin Qian asked with a bemused smile.
Yuan Xiang chuckled, taken aback by Lin Qian's words. "Isn't fifty million a lot? You barely have enough people. Even if I don't know how you managed to bring those fifty-six people into this Small World, that's still far too few against fifty million."
"And…" Yuan Xiang's expression grew serious. "The fifty million I mentioned is just a rough estimate. The actual number is likely much higher. It's unrealistic to think you can fight them."
Lin Qian rolled his shoulders and curiously looked at Yuan Xiang. "How exactly is it unrealistic?"
"Lin Qian, stop this madness. Your talent and strength are indeed astonishing. Twelve revolutions of Nirvana are unheard of. But no matter how strong you are, a single person can only do so much. Haven't you heard that even a hero can't fight off too many enemies at once?" Yuan Xiang implored, trying to reason with Lin Qian.
However, Lin Qian seemed more intrigued than concerned as he looked at Yuan Xiang. "Senior, I'm genuinely curious. Why are you so concerned about me?"
"If you follow my advice, I might be able to reveal a bit more," Yuan Xiang replied, trying to appeal to Lin Qian's curiosity.
But Lin Qian merely waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need. You're just stalling. I'll find the answers myself. As for waging war against the Swift Shadow Clan and the Invisible Clan, don't worry, Senior. I've already told you—I plan to launch a total war."
"Total war means an all-out assault. I never intended to fight both clans alone with just my men. When the war begins, you'll see what total annihilation looks like."