Zhenyuan Sect turned a deaf ear to the Huaxia Empire's demands and instead announced an alliance with Yuheng Jiang Kingdom to the entire Southern Region.
In turn, Yuheng Jiang Kingdom declared its allegiance to Zhenyuan Sect, stating that their fates were intertwined—any harm to one would be shared by the other.
Moreover, Yuheng Jiang Kingdom informed the Southern Region that the Huaxia Empire had threatened Zhenyuan Sect, attempting to force their surrender under the threat of destruction.
To uphold their alliance, Yuheng Jiang Kingdom claimed they had no choice but to act against the Huaxia Empire.
At the same time, Kuanglang Sect and Guiyuan Valley also spoke out, condemning the Huaxia Empire's tyranny and threats. They announced their support for Yuheng Jiang Kingdom and readiness to go to war to defend their honor.
This news was broadcast that evening via the Huaxia Broadcast Network, making every citizen of the Huaxia Empire aware of the situation, and it stirred feelings of anger across the land.
"Shameless!" roared the people of Qingshui Province, infuriated.
It was Yuheng Jiang Kingdom that first acted against them, with Zhenyuan Sect seizing the opportunity to sneak in, committing acts of murder, arson, and looting—behaving no better than a band of thugs and robbers, rather than a respected sect.
Kuanglang Sect and Guiyuan Valley had also provoked them in the past, and thanks to the Huaxia Broadcast Network, none of these events were secrets.
Now, the perpetrators were accusing the Huaxia Empire of tyranny and wrongdoing, blaming the empire for everything.
Such behavior left the citizens of the Huaxia Empire feeling deeply outraged and wronged, or at the very least, profoundly frustrated.
The next morning, the massive Soul Vision Machines suddenly lit up, surprising the citizens of the Huaxia Empire, who looked up in astonishment.
Until now, the Soul Vision Machines only illuminated during the nightly Huaxia Broadcast.
Why had they suddenly turned on so early in the morning?
As the screens cleared, a grand, spotless square came into view, empty and pristine.
As the people of the Huaxia Empire watched, puzzled, nine golden, five-clawed divine dragons descended from the sky, soaring around the expansive square.
Then, the nine dragons converged, forming a radiant golden throne that floated in midair.
At the same time, a figure descended from the heavens, seating himself firmly on the Dragon Throne. He was bathed in golden light, wearing an imperial robe that was as dark as the night, adorned with nine golden five-clawed dragons that seemed almost alive, ready to soar into the sky at any moment.
He held the Imperial Sword engraved with the nine dragons, its tip resting on the dragon pedestal beneath the throne, his golden eyes staring straight ahead.
The citizens of the Huaxia Empire watched the screen intently, recognizing the young man on the throne as their emperor—the ruler of the Huaxia Empire.
Emperor Ren Wu, Lin Qian!
"People of the Huaxia Empire, you are all aware of the situation. Those who first instigated violence are now accusing us of wrongdoing. Since that is the case, there is no need for further discussion. To protect you, I have decided to go to war."
"The flames of Huaxia's wrath will not burn our land but will rage across their territories."
"For the sake of my people's peaceful lives on this land, let them fear the Huaxia Empire."
After these words, Lin Qian fell silent, slowly closing his eyes as his consciousness entered Fantasy Star. There, he began summoning one general after another from a distance of a hundred miles, ensuring that no one saw him conjure them directly.
At that moment, the square was surrounded not only by the governors of the Huaxia Empire's provinces and the city lords of its major cities but also by Zhang Tianxin, the current patriarch of the Eight-Armed Sea Clan, and Zhang Nianxin, the patriarch of the Eastern Branch of the Eight-Armed Sea Clan.
Additionally, many representatives from various forces in the Southern Region had been sent to observe the proceedings.
These representatives weren't here to forge alliances with the Huaxia Empire; rather, they were here to gauge the empire's strength and determine how long it could withstand the upcoming conflicts with the three forces.
They believed that without the presence of the empire's three senior generals, Huaxia Empire defeating those three powerful forces was nothing more than a fool's dream.
They had been invited to the Huaxia Empire, and today, they had been suddenly asked to attend this gathering, under the pretense that Emperor Lin Qian was going to review the troops and prepare for battle.
Out of curiosity, they all came, eager to see for themselves just how strong the Huaxia Empire was. If Lin Qian was willing to show them his forces, why not take a look?
Meanwhile, Lin Qian's eyes grew cold as he calmly issued the command: "Assemble the generals!"
"This battle will be commanded by me, with Sword Formation Emperor Zhang Jun as my deputy!"
As Lin Qian's voice echoed, Zhang Juncheng, a senior official of the Huaxia Empire, transformed into a streak of light, flying to the center of the square before kneeling on one knee. "Your servant Zhang Juncheng, at your command."
Everyone present widened their eyes, staring at the graceful man before them.
The representatives from other Southern Region forces, who had come to observe, trembled as they looked at the middle-aged man, scarcely able to believe what they were witnessing.
The legendary powerhouse from the ancient era of the Southern Region, the Sword Formation Emperor Zhang Juncheng, was not only alive but had also sworn loyalty to the emperor of the Huaxia Empire?
While the ordinary citizens of the Huaxia Empire might not fully grasp the significance, those familiar with the ways of soul martial arts were well aware of Zhang Juncheng's renown.
Especially the formation masters, who looked at Zhang Juncheng on the screen with expressions of fervent admiration.
"Qu Wuyou, Pang Bingcan, Ji Jiaju, Qi Tanxiong, Bao Yuda, Tai Xuhan, Di Yi, Chen Zhongkai, Mu Xunke, Shan Runyu, Wu Haozhi, Ji Liangyuan, Lin Guo'an, Feng Yongqing, Zou Dunhai—present yourselves!"
As Lin Qian called their names, beams of light shot across the sky, and fifteen armored generals descended onto the expansive square, kneeling on one knee.
"Your servants are here!"
"You are to lead one million Imperial troops and attack the central region of Yidong Prefecture in Zhenyuan Sect. Kill anyone who poses a threat, whether they surrender or not."
"Yu Hanxiang, Leng Feng, Mu Xue, Wan Sito, Fengzi, Xu Junyao, Hou Shicheng, Bi Yuntao, Zhao Ritian, Qiu Fu, Mo Shang, Mo Feng, Mo Tian, Tang Qingfeng, Ye Bolan—present yourselves!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of the air being sliced echoed as fifteen more generals arrived, kneeling before Lin Qian.
"Your servants are here."
"You are to lead one million Imperial troops and attack the central region of Wuqu Prefecture in Zhenyuan Sect. Capture it as swiftly as possible!"
"Xin Junzhuo, Zhan Yingfan, Wei Yanghong, Lai Qi, Duan Wenjian, Qu Haihan, Lu Yuanwei, Wei Hongwei, Huang Hanyi, Sun Shuitai, Bing Yilin, Qin Tengmin, Song Jin'qiu, Xu Guanlin, Xu Shaoning—present yourselves!"
"Your servants are here!"
"You are to lead one million Imperial troops and advance through Changgao Prefecture in Zhenyuan Sect. Do not fail."
"Your servants obey."
"Chen Yaping, Cao Qingyu, Xin Baobao, Ren Enguang, Fu Hanxiao, Zhang Xuetong, Fang Yinheng, Jing Zizhe, Quan Yuqi, Li Mian—present yourselves!"
"Your servants are here."
"You will lead one million Imperial troops to penetrate Shou Prefecture in Zhenyuan Sect. Strike quickly and maneuver within."
Lin Qian's chilling orders sent shivers down the spines of the observers from other Southern Region forces, leaving them cold with fear.