After helping Zhao Long to his feet, Lin Qian quickly retrieved a potion and handed it to him to drink.
As a growth-type general, Zhao Long's strength, constitution, meridian resilience, and dantian toughness all fluctuate with Lin Qian's power, a miraculous phenomenon. Although Zhao Long was originally a formidable figure, his body no longer maintained its peak state from his past life. This is why, despite his status as a legion commander, he was able to be summoned by the Hua Xia Empire right from the beginning.
After consuming the potion, Zhao Long sat down cross-legged and entered a state of cultivation.
Meanwhile, Lin Qian activated his Imperial Vision, scanning the tactical map. He noticed that the red-and-yellow hues representing the Hua Xia Empire had already engulfed most of the Southern Region, steadily expanding to swallow up the remaining territories.
Unifying the Southern Region was now within reach.
Boom!
A figure was thrown onto the deck of the Righteous Emperor Warship, landing heavily at Lin Qian's feet.
"Your Majesty, I have captured the Yuheng Emperor for you," Zhang Junchen said as he descended gracefully onto the deck, bowing to Lin Qian.
"Thank you for your efforts, Master Zhang." Lin Qian turned to look at the Yuheng Emperor lying at his feet, raising an eyebrow. "I hadn't even gone looking for you, yet you came to me on your own."
"You thought you could kill me? You greatly underestimated me."
The Yuheng Emperor, bound by thin sword energy that encircled his body, struggled to move. Despite his efforts, he couldn't break free from the sword formation's restraints. Every time he attempted to circulate his soul power, the sword energy would react, piercing his flesh, causing blood to seep from the wounds.
The more he struggled, the deeper and more numerous the wounds became, threatening to lead to his own death.
"Lin Qian, I warn you, my master is Hengshan Jun, a renowned figure in the Central Region. Even the head of your mother's Yun family treats my master with respect," the Yuheng Emperor threatened as he lay on the ground, glaring up at Lin Qian. "If I die, a blood curse will attach to you, and no matter where you flee, my master will hunt you down."
Lin Qian nodded thoughtfully after hearing the Yuheng Emperor's words. "What a clever threat. It seems I can't simply kill you without inviting trouble."
"But I'm curious—why would someone from the Yun family, knowing of my existence, not report back to the Central Region and instead come here to kill me? Was he out of his mind?"
The Yuheng Emperor struggled to stand, despite his bound hands, managing to rise to his feet and stand tall. "After the great war of antiquity, the Southern Region is now only connected to the Central Region, where the Jin Hua Merchant Association and the Demon Spirit Sect are at war. With these two top forces embroiled in conflict, who would dare cross that chaotic territory?"
"The combatants on both sides are bloodthirsty. If you're not one of them, they don't care who you are. Yun Meng had no way of returning to the Central Region."
Hearing this, Lin Qian began to ponder. The Central Region was still largely unfamiliar to him, and he knew little about the Jin Hua Merchant Association and the Demon Spirit Sect.
However, if even Yun Meng, a member of the Yun family, didn't dare traverse the war-torn area to return to the Central Region, it was clear that both forces were incredibly powerful. Powerful enough that they wouldn't fear repercussions from any faction, even one as strong as the Yun family.
This wasn't good news. Lin Qian was aware that his father was in danger, though the blood omen that had alerted him had since subsided, leaving this matter to linger in his mind, unresolved.
Lin Qian knew that he needed to reach the Central Region quickly to find his parents and put his mind at ease. But with the war between the Jin Hua Merchant Association and the Demon Spirit Sect blocking his path, how could he get there?
The only alternative seemed to be traveling through the Chaotic Star Sea, passing through the Western Region before entering the Central Region.
Such a long detour would be incredibly time-consuming, which was likely why Yun Meng had decided to test the strength of the Hua Xia Empire, hoping to eliminate this potential threat and wait out the conflict in the Southern Region.
Had he known how powerful Lin Qian and his empire were, Yun Meng would never have taken this risk and would have opted for the lengthy and dangerous journey instead. But even that route was fraught with peril.
The Chaotic Star Sea was vast and treacherous!
During the great war of antiquity, the lands of the Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern Regions had been shattered, leaving only the Central Region intact. The areas where the Southern and Western Regions had collapsed, combined with the remnants of the ancient Western Sea, formed the current Chaotic Star Sea.
Much of the land that once belonged to the Southern and Western Regions had turned into scattered islands after being submerged by the sea. These islands, along with those that originally existed in the Western Sea, were like scattered stars across the ocean, with no discernible order.
This sea was a haven for all kinds of people and creatures—humans, sea folk, and various other races, many of whom were outlaws. Those who had committed crimes within their own races or nations often fled here, turning it into a chaotic and dangerous region.
Thus, the name Chaotic Star Sea was born.
With the war between the Jin Hua Merchant Association and the Demon Spirit Sect showing no signs of ending soon, Lin Qian was left with no choice but to consider passing through the Chaotic Star Sea... was there really no other way?
"Are you thinking about going to the Central Region?" The Yuheng Emperor, noticing Lin Qian's contemplation, began to piece things together.
He already knew from Yun Meng that this emperor of the Hua Xia Empire had some sort of connection to the Yun family. Clearly, Lin Qian was intent on going to the Central Region to find his parents, which explained his interest.
"Master Zhang, execute him and announce it to the Yuheng Kingdom," Lin Qian ordered, not bothering to answer the emperor's question.
"Wait!" The Yuheng Emperor panicked, quickly speaking up. "If you want to reach the Central Region, you'll have to pass through the Chaotic Star Sea. I have connections there that could help you cross quickly. If you kill me, you'll waste a lot of time navigating that chaotic region, and you might run into serious trouble."
Lin Qian turned to look at the Yuheng Emperor, frowning. "Who said I need to pass through the Chaotic Star Sea to reach the Central Region?"
"Attempting to pass through the Jin Hua Merchant Association and the Demon Spirit Sect's territory is suicide. Lin Qian, you think having Zhang Junchen kill me will solve your problems? The blood curse will attach to him as well."
"Zhang Junchen, once a great Sword Formation Emperor, reduced to being a servant of a mere boy. If you kill me, you're condemning him to death. Even a legend like him can't recover from such a wound in less than a century—will you let him die at the hands of my master?" The Yuheng Emperor's rant was cut short as Lin Qian's hand suddenly gripped his throat.
"And what if your master learns that you died by your own hand?" Lin Qian asked coldly.