At this moment, Lin Qian sat calmly aboard a ship of radiant golden hue. Though smaller in size compared to the Skyborne Warships, this vessel's strength far surpassed them in every aspect.
This was the Renhuang Wudi (Benevolent Martial Emperor) ship, specially crafted for Lin Qian. As Lin Qian's strength increased, the Renhuang Wudi ship would be sent back to the Huaxia Empire within the Celestial Realm for re-forging and strengthening.
Moreover, the Renhuang Wudi ship allowed Lin Qian to enter the National War Mode at any time.
However, even when entering the National War Mode, Lin Qian could only fully control a portion of the battlefield.
When National War Mode was activated, Lin Qian could directly observe the entire battlefield, controlling every unit of the Huaxia Empire with precision.
For instance, if certain Imperial Army units were taking too many casualties, Lin Qian could command them to retreat immediately, allowing healthier soldiers to take their place, while the injured soldiers provided support from the sidelines.
Now that the Huaxia Empire was at war with the entire Southern Region, Lin Qian could summon a vast amount of combat power from the Celestial Realm's Huaxia Empire, yet he couldn't control such a large number of troops simultaneously through National War Mode.
Even so, Lin Qian could still keep track of the various battle situations through the eyes of the Stormwinds, Shadowstalkers, and scout beasts scattered throughout the Southern Region.
He could also observe the Imperial Army's marching routes on the now-illuminated Southern Region tactical map.
After leaving the Huaxia Empire's territory, the speed of the Skyborne Warships visibly slowed, with Imperial Army soldiers continuously disembarking while others returned from the distance.
In just five days after declaring war on the entire Southern Region, the Huaxia Empire had successfully captured 132 cities across 18 prefectures bordering their empire.
Against the well-equipped Imperial Army and the ferocious Battle Beast Army, any form of defense proved utterly futile.
Strong defensive formations crumbled instantly before the formation viruses, disintegrating into fragments of soul energy that scattered into the sky.
In the ensuing melee, the Imperial Army's coordinated tactics utterly outmatched the disorganized and chaotic resistance of their enemies, making them seem like mere playthings.
Even without Lin Qian activating National War Mode, the enemy forces were reduced to headless flies under the leadership of the Imperial generals.
Despite the fact that the Southern Region forces had relayed the news back to their territories, and even though the Huaxia Empire itself had declared war on the entire Southern Region, transmitting messages through communication formations over such vast distances still required several days.
Similarly, these forces would need significant time to disseminate the information throughout their territories, but by then, Lin Qian's Huaxia Empire had already begun its offensive.
Under normal circumstances, it would take several years of preparation for forces in the Southern Region to wage war, with several months just to muster their soul martial artists.
However, within Lin Qian's Celestial Realm, the military commanders controlled countless generals, and the beast commanders controlled countless battle beast generals.
The generals and beast generals commanded vast Imperial and Battle Beast armies, with each rank and unit organized into layers of hierarchy.
Within the Celestial Realm, various military drills were regularly conducted, with a portion of the Imperial and Battle Beast armies always on standby, ready for deployment.
All Lin Qian needed was to find a place away from prying eyes to summon them, and they would be ready to fight immediately.
Even if the Southern Region forces were aware, it wouldn't matter—they simply couldn't notify their territories in time.
Many places were ambushed while they were still asleep, falling victim to the Huaxia Empire's swift and brutal onslaught.
So far, the Assault Warships had remained in the rear, not yet deployed.
To ensure that the conquered territories remained as intact as possible, making it easier for the Huaxia Empire to assimilate them later, Lin Qian's strategy of rapid and overwhelming attacks, coupled with unparalleled strength, allowed the Huaxia Empire to rapidly expand its territory.
Half a month later, the Huaxia Empire had already annexed five additional prefectures!
At this moment, in the Central Region, within a perilous location, a man and a woman were hiding within the heart of a tree.
From the outside, it appeared to be just an ordinary spirit wood, but inside, it contained a vast space extending thousands of miles.
Outside the spirit wood, ferocious soul martial artists frequently passed by, yet none of them noticed the peculiar tree below.
The woman's appearance was disheveled, and the spiritual energy of her garment had dimmed, indicating that this soul tool had sustained damage.
She stood at the edge of the tree's internal space, anxiously watching the figures flying above through a gap in the tree's bark.
"Don't worry, they won't find us," said the man sitting on the ground nearby, reassuring the woman. "If it weren't for this conveniently placed World Tree, we would likely be in real trouble."
The woman quickly moved to the man's side, gazing at his body covered in wounds, her face full of concern. "Lin, your injuries…"
"Don't worry, I'll survive," the man said with a faint shake of his head, though his voice carried a hint of worry. "I'm just concerned that your father may not be able to hold on."
"Father received a mysterious gift, so he's safe for now, but I don't know if we'll be able to make it out alive. The life plates of the Three Elders have dimmed, and our son's fate is uncertain—I'm really scared."
"Achoo!" At that moment, Lin Di sneezed, frowning as he added, "The Golden Hua Trading Company and the Demon Spirit Sect are in fierce conflict in the southern part of the Central Region. The chaos from the clash between these two top forces is something others dare not meddle in."
"The situation in the Southern Region is completely unknown to us. We don't even know what's happened to our son."
The man and woman were none other than Lin Qian's parents, Lin Di and Yun Yunyan. For some unknown reason, they had been trapped in this dangerous place.
Earlier, when Lin Qian had an ominous feeling that caused a flash of red in his vision, it was because Lin Di had nearly died while being besieged.
Fortunately, just as Lin Di was about to fall into crisis, his cultivation broke through, allowing him to escape with his wife Yun Yunyan and find this World Tree, where they used a secret method to enter its safe haven.
Neither Lin Di nor Yun Yunyan could have imagined that their son was not only unharmed but also currently engaged in battle.
And the opponents he faced were the entire Southern Region!
He was on his way to becoming the ruler of the Southern Region, a supreme and unparalleled emperor!
A month after Lin Qian declared war on the entire Southern Region, the Huaxia Empire had conquered thirty prefectures and now stood at the gates of the True Origin Sect.
Standing at the forefront of the Renhuang Wudi ship, Lin Qian's hands were clasped behind his back as he coldly gazed at the majestic sect gate before him.
Unbeknownst to him, his parents were worried and trapped in danger, unable to escape.
Now, Lin Qian intended to eliminate all potential threats and bring the entire Southern Region under his control.
"Lin Qian, you dare to challenge the entire Southern Region? Don't you know your limits?" An elderly man flew out from the gates of the True Origin Sect, glaring at Lin Qian with reprimand.