Hearing a familiar voice behind them, the three turned around simultaneously. They saw a young man in white robes approaching, accompanied by two others. It was none other than Lin Qian, the very person who was rumored to be trapped in the small world of the ruins. Now, he stood before them, very much alive.
Seeing Lin Qian appear, the three immediately rushed over. Li Yunfeng was the first to embrace him in a bear hug. "Lin, you're truly something! You actually made it out of there!"
"Impressive! I thought you'd be stuck in there forever," Yang Tianhao said as he happily patted Lin Qian on the shoulder. After all, Lin Qian had saved his life, and knowing that Lin Qian had been trapped in the small world had always weighed on him.
Fang Ziqian also stepped forward to congratulate him, casting a curious glance at the two people standing by Lin Qian's side. "Brother Lin, and these two are…?"
"These are my companions," Lin Qian said with a smile. "This is Lei Qian, and this is my senior brother, Gao Benli. They're both at the Life Stage, Power Realm, but their actual combat strength can match those at the Soul Realm. They're formidable in every sense."
After the introductions were made, Fang Ziqian asked, "Lin, was it you who caused all the strange happenings in the watery forests of these two prefectures?"
Lin Qian nodded. "Yes, it was us. This way, we can force the Qin Dynasty's forces in Shunshui Prefecture's three border cities to focus on this area, making it easier for me to carry out my plans. Please don't reveal that I've returned; we need them to remain unaware and unprepared."
"Haha, even if they knew you were back, the Qin Dynasty wouldn't take it seriously," Yang Tianhao laughed. "To them, you're just some delusional guy who calls himself an emperor. A ridiculous existence, really."
Fang Ziqian chuckled as well. "And let's not forget that many think we're exaggerating your abilities. They believe the tale of you surviving a fivefold force tribulation is just a tall tale. People often dismiss what they can't achieve themselves as impossible for others."
Lin Qian smiled but still advised caution. "Even so, it's best to keep a low profile, just in case. After all, wouldn't it be fun to let the enemy be driven mad by their ignorance?"
"…"
The three exchanged glances and then gave Lin Qian a thumbs-up in unison.
"We were actually going to ask for your help," Li Yunfeng admitted with a sigh. "We've run into some trouble over here."
Lin Qian knew exactly what the trouble was—facing off against the talented forces of the Qin Dynasty. The enemy was formidable and numerous, making it difficult for the three of them to handle alone.
"Lei Qian, Senior Brother, you two stay here and help them," Lin Qian said after a moment of thought.
Lei Qian and Gao Benli shrugged, not minding at all. After all, they had come to sharpen their skills through this war. The peace in Linhai Prefecture had made life too comfortable.
Linhai Prefecture and the Origin Prefecture were too peaceful, thanks to the Imperial Army's presence. The people were either training, sparring, or hunting soul beasts. Anyone who dared to commit a crime was hunted down by the Imperial Army.
So far, no one who broke the law had survived.
Lei Qian and Gao Benli had jumped at the chance to come here when Lin Qian suggested it. Their eyes practically lit up with excitement.
Soon after, the ever-battle-ready Li Yunfeng couldn't resist sparring with Lei Qian and Gao Benli to see how strong they really were. Although Lei Qian and Gao Benli eventually lost, Li Yunfeng and the others were shocked by their strength, which was far greater than they had expected.
"With you two helping us, we'll definitely win the next fight," Fang Ziqian said, highly impressed with Lei Qian and Gao Benli. He could tell that if it weren't for Li Yunfeng's higher cultivation level, the outcome would have been different.
Fang Ziqian couldn't help but look at Lin Qian in admiration. Not only was Lin Qian immensely powerful, but even the people around him were extraordinary.
After bidding the group farewell, Lin Qian disappeared back into the forest to carry out his plans.
As they watched him leave, Yang Tianhao suddenly said, "I don't know why, but I have this feeling that the Qin Dynasty is in for a lot of trouble."
Li Yunfeng and Fang Ziqian felt the same. Lin Qian's words about driving the enemy mad through ignorance had sent chills down their spines.
"Our leader said that this war with the Qin Dynasty will make them feel exactly like that," Lei Qian said, sharing what Lin Qian had told him. "He plans to drag them into a spiral of defeat, eventually breaking them entirely."
"Your junior brother… he's something else," Gao Benli added seriously, recalling the formidable presence Lin Qian had displayed during the crisis at the Wanxiang Sect. Now, the entire Linhai Prefecture and Origin Prefecture were under his control.
"Ah, I forgot to tell Brother Lin something important!" Fang Ziqian suddenly exclaimed, smacking his folded fan in frustration. "You all wait here; I'll go catch up with him."
With that, Fang Ziqian hurried off in the direction Lin Qian had gone.
Though Lin Qian wasn't flying, his speed was still remarkable. In no time, he had left the cliffside behind and entered the dense forest.
However, as he moved through the woods, Lin Qian found himself facing a bloodied Yu Wanli, who was glaring at him with suspicion.
Beside him were Zhao Zhili and Yu Wanyu, both injured. The rest of their team was nowhere to be seen. It was clear that the Qin Dynasty soldiers who had just been slain were the work of Lin Qian.
"We were ambushed and are the only ones left," Yu Wanli said, his voice filled with anger. "Then you suddenly appeared to save us—again. It's too much of a coincidence. You must have orchestrated this from the start, didn't you? All so you could infiltrate our ranks!"
Zhao Zhili and Yu Wanyu looked at Lin Qian apologetically, unsure of what to say. Even they couldn't help but wonder if Lin Qian might indeed be a spy for the Qin Dynasty.
"Yu Wanli, what are you doing?!" a voice suddenly shouted from nearby.