"Reckless? Since I said not a single soldier will be lost, and they will suffer heavy losses, I will make it happen!" At this moment, Lin Qian stood up, addressing everyone with a serious tone. "Just wait. They'll regret ever coming here."
There was a mysterious confidence in Lin Qian's words, and seeing this, everyone could only suppress their curiosity, focusing on the front and quietly waiting for what was about to unfold.
Meanwhile, the scouts from both the Central Qin Regular Army and the Eight Directions Regular Army had successfully returned, reporting their findings to the six generals leading this expedition.
The forces of the Central Qin Regular Army and the Eight Directions Regular Army had been divided into three groups, each led by a general, with a total of six generals overseeing the operation.
After hearing the scouts' report, the six generals were trembling with rage.
The scouts described how Lin Qian and his group were holding a banquet aboard their battleship, casually observing the advancing Qin army, as if they didn't take them seriously at all.
"Such arrogance! I suggest we don't split up just yet. Let's push forward with all three armies and crush them in one sweep. I want to see if they can still enjoy their feast when our forces close in!" One of the generals from the Eight Directions Regular Army spoke coldly, his powerful aura spreading as he waved his hand forward.
"Charge!"
"Charge! Charge! Charge!" The other generals shared the same sentiment, and they too gave the order to advance towards the battleship.
In an instant, the soldiers of the Central Qin Regular Army and the Eight Directions Regular Army, filled with battle fervor, roared as their soul power surged from within, raising their weapons and rushing forward.
"Kill! Long live the Qin Emperor!"
The thunderous battle cries shattered the clouds, as the vast army surged towards the battleship like a tidal wave.
The deafening sounds of the approaching army made many elders aboard the battleship furrow their brows. Some couldn't help but let their soul power subtly manifest around them.
But when they looked at Lin Qian, they found him still calmly enjoying the feast before him, as if the advancing Qin army was just an illusion.
"Emperor Lin, I truly admire your composure. With the enemy charging at us, you can still enjoy your meal." The wine-loving elder, holding his jade gourd, couldn't even focus on his drink anymore. He looked at Lin Qian with admiration.
Seeing the serious expressions around him, Lin Qian responded lightly, "Just watch. There's no need to rush. The Qin army is only rushing to their deaths."
Then, Lin Qian paused and smiled at everyone, "Have you ever wondered what it feels like to sprint forward and suddenly crash into an invisible wall?"
His sudden question left everyone puzzled. As the Qin army's battle cries echoed in their ears, they began to realize what he meant and turned their gaze to the distant sky.
Out of nowhere, a glowing metal disc appeared in the sky, radiating formation energy. Chains of formation patterns shot out like serpents, rapidly linking together to form a massive barrier, an impenetrable wall blocking the sky.
The sudden appearance of the formation barrier caught the Qin army off guard. The soldiers at the front couldn't stop in time and crashed directly into it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of collisions echoed in the sky as splashes of blood appeared on the formation barrier. The soldiers who had rushed ahead were crushed against the barrier, turning into bloody pulp.
The sudden formation barrier only ensnared the leading soldiers. The ones behind, now alerted, quickly halted and regrouped in midair.
The six generals leading the army stared at the blood-stained barrier with clenched fists and gritted teeth. "How can this formation barrier have formed so quickly?"
It wasn't just the Qin generals who were shocked. The people aboard the battleship were equally astonished.
Forming a barrier like this typically required intricate and time-consuming setup. A barrier like the one now blocking the Qin army should have taken days to construct.
Yet, the metal disc in the sky had only emitted a glow before the formation patterns shot out and instantly formed the barrier. It was simply astonishing.
The rapid formation disc was a soul tool jointly developed by the Tiangong Division and the Fire Division. It could store a formation in advance and deploy it quickly when needed.
Although formations deployed this way were somewhat weaker, they had the advantage of extreme speed, making them highly effective in sudden situations.
"Emperor Lin, is this surprise you mentioned just this?" One elder, watching the scene with a frown, stood up, his aura rippling.
This elder was already prepared to act once the Qin army breached the formation barrier.
Although the sudden appearance of the barrier had caused the deaths of thousands of Qin soldiers and thrown their ranks into disarray, this loss was insignificant compared to the Qin army's vast numbers. Moreover, the Qin soldiers were highly disciplined, and within moments, they had regrouped and begun using their soul power to attack the barrier, intending to break through with brute force.
"There's no need to be so impatient, Elder," Lin Qian said calmly, waving his hand when he saw the elder preparing for battle. "This barrier isn't meant to kill them. Its real purpose is to stop their advance."
"Now that they've all entered the range of the heavy cannons, the barrier just needs to hold them off for a moment." Lin Qian sighed, "Heavy cannons are great in every way, except they take too long to prepare. We can't let our targets escape before they're ready."
Heavy cannons? What are those? And why would the Qin army become sitting ducks?
Lin Qian's words left the elders of the three factions puzzled. But the three old men aboard the battleship were the first to react. They stood up, their gazes locking onto the surging rivers beneath the Qin army.
"There's something under the water! Such powerful energy!" Fang Shuiwen exclaimed, feeling the soul power emanating from below.
The six generals of the Qin army also sensed the powerful soul energy beneath the river.
But even though they had detected it, it was already too late.