As Lin Qian observed the Blackhorn soldier who had stepped forward, he nodded inwardly. Judging by the aura emanating from the soldier, it was clear that he was among the most powerful individuals in the stone hall.
As for the so-called "Six Crystal General," Lin Qian had already learned that this title referred to a leader among the Blackhorn Clan's Soul Reformation Realm warriors.
Based on the aura alone, Lin Qian could tell that this soldier was an exceptional figure within the Soul Reformation Realm, someone who certainly hadn't deceived him about his rank.
"Joining the Blackhorn Army requires drinking the Military Initiation Brew, a practice that started a thousand years ago, correct?" Lin Qian asked as he stood on the walkway of the second level of the stone hall, looking down at the Blackhorn soldier below.
Though puzzled as to why Lin Qian was asking this, the Blackhorn soldier still nodded. "Yes, that's right. This rule was indeed established a thousand years ago by the current Blackhorn King."
"Is this Military Initiation Brew something you brew yourselves?" Lin Qian's eyes narrowed slightly at the soldier's response, and he continued to press for more information.
Despite his confusion, the Blackhorn soldier answered truthfully. "Some of it is brewed by us, but most of the soldiers prefer the Military Initiation Brew that the Blackhorn King himself bestows."
This made sense to Lin Qian. Of course, the Blackhorn soldiers would rather drink the brew gifted by their king, which likely held more significance and power.
"Does this fortress still have any of the Blackhorn King's Military Initiation Brew?" Lin Qian asked, taking a deep breath as he posed the final question.
The Blackhorn soldier nodded firmly. "Yes, we still have quite a bit."
"Excellent. Bring that brew to me," Lin Qian ordered, his eyes lighting up with anticipation.
The Blackhorn soldier was visibly surprised by the order and stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do.
Seeing the soldier hesitate, Lin Qian furrowed his brow and barked, "What are you waiting for? Go get it!"
"Oh," the Blackhorn soldier snapped out of his stupor and hurried toward the exit of the stone hall. As he passed by the Bloodwar soldiers guarding the entrance, he felt a surge of anxiety.
He feared that as he walked past them, they might suddenly draw their swords and cut him down. If that happened, his luck would truly have run out.
However, the soldier's concerns were unfounded. The Bloodwar soldiers paid no attention to his departure, allowing him to leave without incident.
As the Blackhorn soldier made his way through the familiar streets of the fortress, his thoughts began to wander.
"Should I run?" The thought crossed his mind briefly but was quickly dismissed.
The young human who commanded the fortress had only imprisoned them and had only killed those who had gone mad. They were kept in the old command hall with food, drink, and even the opportunity to continue their cultivation.
At least they were still alive, not slaughtered.
But if he ran, his situation would likely become even more dangerous.
Pushing aside any thoughts of escape, the Blackhorn soldier hurried to the outskirts of the fortress, where the Blackhorn Army had once lived.
Upon entering the dilapidated camp, he made his way directly to the central warehouse.
Inside, he found several scholarly individuals carefully inspecting various supplies. When they noticed his arrival, they merely glanced at him before returning to their tasks.
The Blackhorn soldier found this strange but had no way of knowing that Lin Qian had a mysterious connection with the units of the Xuanyuan Star Huaxia Empire. Using an interface that only he could see, he could issue commands directly to them.
Thus, the scholars inspecting the warehouse already knew he would come.
Inside the central warehouse, the Blackhorn soldier approached a hidden compartment protected by an array. As he neared, several scholars were already studying the array.
The Blackhorn soldier stepped forward, forced a drop of blood from his finger, and the array dissolved, revealing the compartment within.
Seeing this, the scholars stepped aside, allowing the Blackhorn soldier to open the hidden door, revealing a cold storage room filled with jars of wine, all sealed in ice.
"His Majesty commands that once you retrieve the Military Initiation Brew, you hand it over to us," one of the scholars said with a smile as the Blackhorn soldier took out one of the sealed wine jars.
Nodding in confusion, the Blackhorn soldier handed the ice-cold jar to the scholar, who accepted it with satisfaction.
"You're free to return now. Once we understand why you go mad, and we're sure you won't suffer from it anymore, you'll be released," the scholar added before turning to leave with the wine jar.
It was only then that the Blackhorn soldier understood why Lin Qian had kept them in the stone hall without killing them.
The young human was trying to find out what caused them to go mad, intending to cure them before setting them free.
For some reason, this realization filled the Blackhorn soldier with a sense of gratitude. At least Lin Qian had not chosen the simple solution of slaughtering them all but had instead sought to cure them.
With a sigh, the Blackhorn soldier began his walk back to the stone hall.
As the instances of madness among the Blackhorn soldiers ceased, it became clear that the cause of the problem lay in the Blackhorn King's Military Initiation Brew.
The soldiers had watched as Lin Qian heated the brew over a flame, distilling it until a single drop of black blood was extracted.
"This is the heart's blood of the Blackblood Clan, and it is what causes you to go mad," Lin Qian explained to the stunned Blackhorn soldiers. "Even when diluted many times, this black blood, once inside you, absorbs the death energy from the battlefield. This death energy accumulates within you and, after the battle, it erupts, driving you mad and altering your temperament."
Lin Qian's words hit the Blackhorn soldiers like a hammer. Especially after they watched him feed the brew to a captured soul beast, then slaughter several other soul beasts nearby, filling the air with death energy.
Just like with the Blackhorns, the soul beast that had consumed the brew began to emit a blood-colored aura and went berserk in exactly the same manner.
The sight left the Blackhorn soldiers trembling with fear.
"Your Blackhorn King is no longer himself. This corrupted kingdom will be destroyed by my hand," Lin Qian declared, a smile appearing on his face. "I believe you will soon become the new citizens of the Huaxia Empire."