The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

The mocking laughter of the Qin Dynasty's vanguard soldiers filled the air, echoing across the battlefield. The soldiers of the Qin Dynasty regarded the opposing forces with nothing but scorn.

At this moment, the vanguard soldiers were relaxed, confident in their superior numbers and superior equipment compared to the three allied factions.

As soldiers of the Qin Dynasty's vanguard, they had undergone rigorous training, regularly practicing both charge formations and close combat. Although they might not surpass the disciples of the three factions in individual combat, in large-scale battles, the Qin Dynasty held the clear advantage.

"What? Do you really think you've got us cornered?" Lin Qian suddenly sneered, seeing the vanguard soldiers mocking them.

"Isn't that obvious?" The vanguard general standing next to the Eighth Elder grinned at Lin Qian. "Can't you see the situation? You're trapped, and our formation will wear you down until the waters of the Yuanhe River swallow your bodies. You won't even have a burial."

The general's words deepened the despair of the three allied factions, but a glimmer of madness appeared in their eyes. Their thoughts were simple: if death was inevitable, they would fight to the death and take as many enemies down with them as they could.

"I knew all along that the Eighth Elder was a traitor. Did you really think I wouldn't foresee that this ambush would go wrong?" Lin Qian's words stunned everyone, and they all turned to look at him in shock.

The Eighth Elder's eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn't expected Lin Qian to have known all along that he was a spy.

What Lin Qian said next left both the Eighth Elder and the vanguard general dumbfounded: "Thanks to your strategy, the entire vanguard force has gathered here. You even positioned another 700,000 soldiers further out to prevent anyone from escaping, right?"

"But did you ever consider what would happen to Yushui City, Yunshui City, and Bishui City—those crucial border cities—when all of your forces were drawn here? Are you relying on the city guards to defend them?"

Lin Qian's mocking tone caused the vanguard general's face to pale as he realized the implications of Lin Qian's words.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, loud explosions echoed from afar, and three towering yellow dragon pillars shot into the sky, making the ground tremble. The attention of everyone present was immediately drawn to the sight.

The appearance of the yellow dragon pillars in the distance caused the vanguard general's face to turn ashen. He recognized those directions well—they were the locations of Yushui City, Yunshui City, and Bishui City, the border cities of Shunshui Prefecture.

The spectacle was visible even from the Liujang Prefecture, where Fang Shuiwen, Zhou Yian, and Yang Guixiang hovered in the air, staring in stunned silence at the distant scene.

"What's happening?" Within Yushui City, Old Man Qi led his granddaughter, Qi Yan, out of their home, immediately looking up at the sky.

Countless residents rushed into the streets, watching in awe as a bright yellow barrier enveloped Yushui City. The sight of the yellow dragon pillar piercing the heavens left them all speechless.

Boom!

At that moment, Old Man Qi noticed his home being destroyed as heavily armored soldiers wielding war blades emerged from the rubble.

Confused, Old Man Qi couldn't help but recall the friendly young man who had once introduced himself as the Emperor of the Huaxia Empire: "Could it be that this is his doing?"

Indeed, Old Man Qi was correct. These bloodthirsty warriors were soldiers Lin Qian had stationed in advance. With the outbreak of war, it was now time for them to act.

The city's residents watched as these heavily armored soldiers charged towards the city guards who had risen to confront them.

Compared to the sudden onslaught of the blood warriors, the city guards, with their supposedly enviable equipment, were quickly outmatched.

The once-admired armor of the city guards paled in comparison to the intricate, durable heavy armor of the blood warriors. The guards' armor seemed like mere tin against the elegant yet deadly designs of the newcomers. The brilliance of the sun reflecting off their armor made them appear like avatars of violent beauty.

When the blood warriors cleaved through the city guards with a single slash, the guards were thrown into a panic. To them, it was as though they had descended into a living nightmare, their shock rapidly transforming into terror.

The blood warriors were stronger, better equipped, and more coordinated than the city guards could ever hope to be.

"Good! Keep killing them!"

"Don't let any of those bastards escape!"

The cheers of the city's residents began to ring out, their voices growing louder as they urged on the blood warriors.

One city guard, enraged by the cheering, charged towards a young boy, raising his weapon to strike. As the boy's mother screamed in despair, a blood-stained war blade suddenly appeared, slicing through the guard's armor and piercing his abdomen. With a powerful kick, the blood warrior sent the guard flying.

The boy stared wide-eyed at the blood warrior standing protectively before him, feeling not fear but a profound sense of safety.

Despite being soldiers, the city guards—who were meant to protect them—had become objects of loathing. On the other hand, these unknown warriors, who had invaded their city, brought a strange sense of security.

This paradox revealed just how deeply the city guards had fallen in the eyes of the Qin Dynasty's people.

Gradually, the city's residents noticed that the blood warriors not only fought the city guards but also protected the civilians. As more people realized this, the cheers for the blood warriors grew louder.

Old Man Qi clenched his fists, tears streaming down his face as he murmured, "Well done... Well done…"

Boom!

Another pillar of light shot up from deeper within Shunshui Prefecture, signaling the fall of yet another city.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sounds of explosions continued to ring out as yellow dragon pillars surged into the sky, spreading from Shunshui Prefecture deep into the Qin Dynasty's territory.

"What... What's happening?" In the skies above the Liujang Prefecture, Zhou Yian's hands trembled as he spoke. Though the distant pillars of light were faint, his cultivation allowed him to sense that no less than three prefectures and over 700 cities of the Qin Dynasty had been illuminated by these yellow dragon pillars.

If one could view the Qin Dynasty from a high vantage point, they would be shocked to see that every city in the dynasty, except for the capital, was now illuminated by these brilliant yellow pillars.

At that moment, Lin Qian's voice echoed from within the yellow dragon pillars, reverberating across every inch of the Qin Dynasty's land and spreading far beyond.

"Offend my Huaxia, and even if you are far away, you will be punished!"