"Blood War!"
Hearing Yuan Xiang's question, Lin Qian replied but didn't say much more.
Yuan Xiang murmured the name of these blade-wielding soldiers to himself, continuing to watch their battle and marveling at their prowess.
After glancing at Yuan Xiang beside him, Lin Qian returned his focus to the fierce battle between his Blood War soldiers and the Swift Shadow Clan. Although Yuan Xiang showed him considerable goodwill, Lin Qian still couldn't trust him entirely. Yuan Xiang was clearly holding back some information, and until things were fully clarified, Lin Qian wouldn't reveal everything to him.
As Lin Qian watched the battle unfold, a proud and confident look filled his eyes as he thought about Yuan Xiang's surprise.
Blood War soldiers were an advanced form of the Blade soldiers, classified as a mid-tier, low-level unit.
As an evolved form of the Blade soldiers, Blood War soldiers retained their predecessors' powerful attack capabilities, with the addition of a unique ability.
Bloodthirst!
In his previous life, Bloodthirst was the powerful passive skill of the Blood War soldiers. Compared to the strength gained from their evolution, this ability was far more important.
Every time a Blood War soldier killed an enemy, the power of Bloodthirst would increase by one level, boosting the soldier's strength by 20%.
The Bloodthirst ability could stack up to five levels, doubling the soldier's power and even slightly improving their speed.
Because of this ability, Blood War soldiers were the go-to choice for intense battles. As long as they survived, they would only grow stronger and fiercer.
This unique characteristic was why Lin Qian could confidently declare that his thousand soldiers could handle over ten thousand Swift Shadow Clan members.
Packed too tightly together, the Swift Shadow Clan couldn't utilize their natural agility, making them little more than lambs to the slaughter for the Blood War soldiers.
In this situation, the Swift Shadow Clan members weren't formidable enemies but rather meat waiting to be butchered.
As the Swift Shadow Clan members were being slaughtered, distant shouts and sounds of battle grew louder, though no one could yet be seen.
"Kid, their reinforcements are coming, and there are a lot of them!" Yuan Xiang urgently called out to Lin Qian.
"I know, Senior!" Lin Qian responded. Without hesitation, he summoned his Soul Gear and Soul Core, instantly forming his Thunder Night Sword, which he grabbed tightly.
Crackling with golden thunderous energy, the sword hummed with dragon roars as Lin Qian swiftly turned and thrust it forward.
Shhhk!
The sound of the blade piercing flesh echoed, and blood appeared out of nowhere. A Swift Shadow Clan member materialized in front of Lin Qian, their presence no longer hidden as their strong aura spilled out uncontrollably.
Judging by the intensity of the aura, this Swift Shadow Clan member was on par with the slender one from earlier—a powerful opponent, though slightly inferior to prodigies like Li Yunfeng.
"Your clan excels at hiding, killing silently," Lin Qian said coldly, his golden eyes devoid of pity and filled with disdain as he withdrew his Thunder Night Sword, flicking blood off the blade.
"But to remain undetected, you keep your soul power contained within, making your defense too fragile."
As Lin Qian's words fell, the Blood War soldiers around him also began to strike, each swing of their blades drawing blood and revealing hidden foes.
"Stop hiding, it's useless!" The slender Swift Shadow Clan member shouted, finally understanding that Lin Qian's forces could see through their concealment.
If that was the case, their advantage of stealth was gone, leaving them exposed and defenseless—leading to even more terrifying casualties.
"White Flag, you're useless!" A deep, booming voice suddenly rang out.
The slender Swift Shadow Clan member heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing it, quickly shouting back, "Wu Lian, hurry up and help! This human invader is troublesome!"
At that moment, Lin Qian looked up toward the sky.
Flying in from the distance were towering figures with skin that looked like stone.
"Greenstone Clan, a race known for their strength and somewhat dull minds. The stronger their bodies, the more their skin takes on a greenish hue. However, because they're ideal hosts for the Formless Clan, most are kept as livestock," Yuan Xiang explained, "Kid, you should leave now. Don't you see their numbers increasing? Even the Formless Clan is here now."
As Lin Qian stared at the enormous figures with Greenstone Clan appearances, but who were actually Formless Clan members, his expression grew colder.
A once-proud race had been reduced to livestock for the Formless Clan, losing all dignity as an intelligent species.
Lin Qian could easily imagine that if this small world fell into the hands of the Swift Shadow Clan and Formless Clan, they would use it as a gateway to attack the human race, and those who were conquered would end up just like the Greenstone Clan.
The tragedy that befell the humans of the Land of Beginning could happen again.
"Senior, you don't need to persuade me anymore—I won't leave!" Lin Qian's eyes were firm as he addressed Yuan Xiang.
Yuan Xiang sighed, realizing he couldn't change Lin Qian's mind. "Why?"
"I want this small world to become my personal territory, so there can't be any outsiders here, especially not foreign enemies!"
"Moreover, you know the consequences for our people if they take control of this world."
"I'm not trying to be a hero. My main goal is to claim this world. But if I have the power to protect my people, why not use it?"
"After all, I am human too. My heart isn't made of cold stone—it beats with warmth. I won't stand by and watch my people be enslaved by foreigners like livestock!"
Yuan Xiang stood silently, staring at Lin Qian for a long moment before shaking his head. "But... can you really do it?"
"Yes, I believe in my empire." Lin Qian turned away, leaving Yuan Xiang with a view of his back. "My empire has never let me down!"
"It is called Huaxia!"
Hearing those words, Yuan Xiang fell silent, no longer trying to argue. He was prepared to burn his own soul imprint at any moment to protect Lin Qian.
After a while, a smile appeared on Yuan Xiang's face as he sensed the situation with his true body. "Big brother would be proud, especially of such a little guy."
Watching Lin Qian's back, Yuan Xiang murmured, "Perhaps my brother was right. You, kid, will eventually grow into a giant."