As Lin Qian's words echoed, the central formation of the array within the 150 warships suddenly emitted golden waves from the Yellow Dragon, enveloping all the Imperial Army units aboard.
At this moment, Wang Qiongxing, Bader, and the seven elders from the four clans watched in astonishment as a golden radiance began to shimmer over the Imperial soldiers on the warships.
Under this golden light, the already imposing armor of the Imperial Army seemed as if it were forged from gold, exuding an unmatched aura of dominance.
"Your Majesty, what is happening?" Bader's startled voice rang out within the temporary tactical hall.
At that moment, Lin Qian's attention was focused on the eighteenth warship on the right flank, where a small city had been spotted.
The virtual scene clearly depicted the battlefield before him. The warship's energy cannon, formed from condensed pale-white soul power, fired beams of light that exploded within the ranks of the Blackhorn soldiers, causing small-scale detonations.
The Strongfeather and Lightfeather archers unleashed volleys of arrows, forming a deadly net that obliterated the enemy before they could get close.
Amidst this carnage, the Strongfeather and Lightfeather commanders grinned wickedly, continuously firing their uniquely styled arrows, inflicting heavy casualties.
The Shields stood firm, guarding their flanks, while the other units executed a pincer movement, protecting the Windbreakers as they successfully implanted the virus into the enemy's formations.
Bader, responsible for this sector, rushed over as soon as he learned of the city's siege, eager to assist. However, upon arrival, he was stunned to discover that his help was unnecessary.
The Huaxia Empire's forces were conducting a one-sided massacre. The Blackhorn troops were being compressed into a narrow battlefield by the Imperial Army's flanking maneuvers, forcing them into the direct line of fire from the Strongfeather and Lightfeather units.
The consequence of entering this zone was clear—they became sitting ducks, shot down without the ability to retaliate.
At that moment, the Imperial Army suddenly began to glow with a golden light, and their power surged. Within the span of a single cup of tea, the Blackhorn soldiers were utterly defeated.
This sudden shift prompted Bader's incredulous question to Lin Qian, unable to suppress the shock in his heart.
"Golden Armor in Full Glory!" Lin Qian instinctively replied to Bader's inquiry.
"What?" Bader was puzzled by the response, not understanding its meaning.
Realizing his slip, Lin Qian shook his head and explained, "This move is called 'Commanding the Battlefield.' When I activate it, it enhances the power of the Imperial citizens for ten days, after which the effect will fade. It can then be used again after three days."
Despite receiving an explanation, Bader could not hide his astonishment.
He had never imagined that a battle could be fought in this manner.
In the past, wars were simply about who had more people and who had the stronger forces, with both sides clashing in chaotic melees. The aftermath always involved heavy casualties on both sides; never had there been a case like this, where the Huaxia Empire's forces suffered almost no losses.
Indeed, the Huaxia Empire's Imperial Army was undoubtedly stronger, but Bader believed that the true cause of such a devastating outcome was the all-encompassing suppression.
The Empire's individual strength was overwhelming—Bader had never seen tens of thousands of soldiers, all identical in physique, soul power, strength, and aura, as if they were born of the same mother.
But was that even possible?
Moreover, their equipment far surpassed that of their enemies, and as for the warship's soul cannons—such war instruments were unheard of, even to him. Seeing their power firsthand had shocked him greatly.
However, in his view, the soul cannons had their drawbacks. While their condensed soul power attacks were formidable, their firing speed was slow. Such powerful attacks, comparable to a Life-and-Death Realm blow, could be easily evaded by a Broken Void Realm expert.
But with the enemy being pinned down by the Imperial Army, they had no chance to dodge and were reduced to cannon fodder.
The true success lay not just in individual strength but in the harmonious synergy of each unit's strengths, working together seamlessly.
"As you strive for personal strength, you must also learn to uplift those around you," Lin Qian's voice emanated from the token in Bader's hand. "True strength isn't about standing alone. When those around you are strong, you'll find that you are invincible."
"If only I were strong, without this powerful Imperial Army, how long do you think it would take for me to conquer the Blackhorn Kingdom?"
As Bader's expression gradually reflected understanding, Lin Qian smiled with satisfaction.
After all, these were two different worlds. In his previous world, cooperation was everywhere, and advancing together was common knowledge.
But in this world, where martial strength was revered, there was an excessive focus on individual power, with everyone fixated on enhancing their abilities.
Even those who formed sects did so primarily for self-service, to pass on their legacy, or simply out of boredom.
For example, the Three Elders who had established the Dual Polarity Hall, the Carefree Sect, and the Blood Spirit Valley, had done so out of sheer boredom.
But it wasn't enough for Lin Qian to understand this alone; he needed to instill this mindset throughout the Huaxia Empire, especially among those who joined from this world.
"Your Majesty, I understand," Bader nodded in agreement, integrating the lessons from everything he had witnessed.
Seeing this, Lin Qian closed the virtual scene from that battlefield and raised an eyebrow, murmuring, "Success with words alone!"
Satisfied, Lin Qian then opened another panel, displaying the soul power consumption from the previous battle.
"Not bad, the consumption wasn't much," he nodded approvingly. The Nine Dragons Throne swiveled, facing the back of the tactical hall.
His gaze fell on the tactical map of the central-right flank of the aerial warship formation, where a dense cluster of red dots made him frown.
The distribution of cities in the Ancient Forest World followed the pattern of its mountain ranges.
The dense cluster of red dots appeared due to the multitude of mountain ranges, each housing heavily fortified mountain cities.
"Liu Chaochao, you're in charge of forcing them into battle," Lin Qian's command echoed to one of the warships.
A lazy figure stretched and slowly got up, making his way to the deck. "Understood, Your Majesty. I guarantee they'll come out to fight."