Lin Qian's sudden declaration left everyone in the hall momentarily stunned, their expressions filled with confusion.
What did he mean by "it's already started"?
"Hold onto these," Lin Qian said, suddenly producing seven golden tokens in his hand, which he tossed to the seven individuals. "I will notify you at any moment. Remember to follow the instructions and do not act on your own."
The seven individuals caught the golden tokens and examined them curiously.
Suddenly, the tokens glowed with a golden light. As their soul sense probed the tokens, they immediately received the information Lin Qian had conveyed, leaving them astonished.
Seeing their surprised expressions, Lin Qian knew the tokens had activated successfully.
"Since there are no issues, proceed according to the instructions within the tokens and advance along the five designated directions."
"Wang Qiongxing, Bard, Lu Shengshou, and Ling Jiu—you four, with your master-level strength, will oversee one army each. He Baili, Xu Wuwei, and Fu Deqing, you three will each oversee another army."
After giving these orders, Lin Qian waved his hand. "Go now. The war against the Blackhorn Kingdom has already begun. The Ancient Forest World will soon become the Ancient Spirit Province of the Huaxia Empire."
With that, Lin Qian stood up and left the hall, leaving the seven individuals still in a daze.
One moment they had been calmly discussing matters in the hall, and the next, the war against the Blackhorn Kingdom had suddenly begun?
However, they knew they had to follow Lin Qian's instructions, especially Bard, Lu Shengshou, and Ling Jiu, who had just joined the Huaxia Empire. Defying orders right away would not be wise.
As they left the mountain city and floated in the air, they were rendered speechless by the sight before them.
Over a hundred colossal metal warships hovered in the sky, steadily advancing in seven different directions, with shadows of figures bustling on board.
"Amazing. So this is the aerial warship," Yue Liqiong marveled, unable to contain his astonishment at the sight of these metal behemoths gliding through the air.
Lin Qian had told him that the aerial warships and assault warships were entirely different in design—the former being for transporting troops and fortification assaults, while the latter was for breaking through defenses with powerful impacts and following up with devastating magma soul cannon strikes.
Lin Qian had explained that using the cannons directly for attacks was a wasteful and inefficient strategy. The best option was to deploy assault warships for targets requiring complete destruction.
If, during the attack on the mountain city, Lin Qian had not been concerned with preserving the city's integrity and avoiding harm to innocent lives, he would have simply ordered an assault warship to ram the city and be done with it.
The massive Imperial Army and Beast Army had been quietly summoned by Lin Qian. Of course, the seven elders had no idea that Lin Qian had called them forth, thinking they had been brought down from the surface world.
In the dense forests below, armored Silvermoon Wolves were galloping forward, forming a vast, flowing sea of blue as seen from above.
The mighty army was already advancing in all directions, with twelve elite units mobilized.
But there was something new this time: the figures aboard the aerial warships were no longer just the Imperial Army of the Huaxia Empire.
Different in appearance and demeanor, powerful generals stood tall, exuding strong auras as they commanded and directed the soldiers on the ships.
Additionally, the male artisans from the Fireworks Department were present on the warships, responsible for inspecting the ships and equipment to prevent any mishaps.
In each ship's formation core, scholars moved busily, adjusting the formations, while a yellow dragon's aura surged in the center.
The seven elders assigned by Lin Qian each boarded their designated warships to oversee the troops. Their role would come into play if the Blackhorn Kingdom produced a formidable enemy that the regular forces could not handle.
As Wang Qiongxing boarded his warship, he recognized familiar faces—such as the towering figure of Yaonie and the eagle-eyed Duan Chen.
He also sensed the presence of ten more powerful figures aboard the ship, all at the fifth or sixth tier of the Awakening Realm.
Wang Qiongxing extended his soul sense and discovered twelve similarly powerful soul warriors aboard each of the other warships.
With this newfound understanding, Wang Qiongxing felt immensely confident about the upcoming war.
However, he was puzzled. Since Lin Qian claimed to be leading this so-called national war, why wasn't he accompanying them?
High above the mountain city, Lin Qian watched the departing fleet of warships and the tidal wave of the Beast Army below, a smile playing on his lips as he turned back towards the city.
"Your Majesty, the temporary tactical hall has been completed," Zhuge Ming's voice suddenly echoed in Lin Qian's mind as he reached the city.
Lin Qian nodded inwardly and asked, "Have the orders for the Windbreakers been issued?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I have issued the orders on your behalf, and everything is proceeding according to plan," Zhuge Ming replied, reassuringly. "The Windbreakers have already begun their reconnaissance."
Throughout the Ancient Forest World, numerous green figures darted from the mountain city, heading in different directions and altitudes at incredible speeds. They relayed their reconnaissance data back to the scholars of the Fireworks Department, who processed the information and sent it to the temporary tactical hall.
The Windbreakers' speed far exceeded that of the warships, as the aerial warships had not yet reached their full velocity.
The Windbreakers were needed to clear the fog ahead, revealing the true landscape and enabling the warships to conduct effective strikes.
The temporary tactical hall was a nine-sided pillar-like structure. After its completion, the male artisans from the Fireworks Department and the Dwarves had departed, leaving only Shieldsmen and hidden Shadows guarding the perimeter to prevent any unauthorized access.
As Lin Qian stepped inside, he found the vast interior empty and dimly lit.
The three types of soul power within Lin Qian began to merge, forming golden imperial soul power, and nine dragons materialized behind him.
Lin Qian walked to the center of the hall and sat down. The nine dragons converged to form a majestic throne that supported him.
As Lin Qian infused his soul power into the entire hall, golden light illuminated the previously dim space, revealing the intricate formations and runes etched into the nine walls.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that moment, the advancing fleet of over a hundred lower-class aerial warships of the Huaxia Empire came to a sudden halt. In the core of each ship, the yellow dragon's aura radiated golden light.
As Lin Qian, seated on the dragon throne, opened his eyes, his pupils gleaming with golden light, semi-transparent golden windows and frames appeared around him, floating in the air.
Reaching out, Lin Qian placed his right hand on one of the windows, a confident smile spreading across his face. "It's been a while… Nation's War!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fleet of over a hundred aerial warships suddenly accelerated, tearing through the sky at breakneck speed.