After consuming the last dose of the medicine, Mu Houde's depleted body had fully recovered.
The happiest person was Mu Liangxing. His father had sacrificed his own vitality to protect their clan, which had been a heavy burden on his heart. If not for the Emperor's miraculous medicine, his father wouldn't have lived more than ten more years.
Looking at Lin Qian, Mu Liangxing couldn't help but feel like the Emperor seemed particularly cheerful. Was it just his imagination, or was His Majesty in a particularly good mood today?
Was it the joy of spring?
"Mu Clan Leader, how are you feeling? Have you fully recovered?" Lin Qian asked with a smile as he approached Mu Houde, showing genuine concern.
At this moment, Mu Houde, though still bearing the appearance of an old man, radiated energy and vigor. He respectfully bowed to Lin Qian, his voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I have returned to my peak state, and I even feel a slight improvement."
"Improvement is a good thing. Aim to break through to the Saint Realm soon. Take this bottle of medicine and drink it again tomorrow at the same time," Lin Qian said as he handed another crystal bottle filled with green liquid to Mu Houde.
Mu Houde's expression became anxious as he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, you've already granted me three doses of this miraculous medicine, which is a grace as heavy as a mountain, saving my life. If you give me more…"
"Refusing a gift from me is something I don't appreciate," Lin Qian said, feigning displeasure, his tone slightly heavy.
Seeing this, Mu Houde could only smile bitterly and accept the medicine. Lin Qian's frown vanished as he smiled and nodded. "That's better. In the future, I'll be relying on your clan to help bring even greater prosperity to the Huaxia Empire. A small reward like this is nothing."
Hearing Lin Qian's words, Mu Houde and the others nodded repeatedly, signaling their understanding.
"Now, let's head to the Agricultural Valley so you can inspect it thoroughly," Lin Qian said as he beckoned the senior members of the Mu Ling Clan. "Come with me to the Linhai Cloudship Dock, and you can experience the wonders of our aviation company."
Upon hearing Lin Qian's words, the Mu Ling Clan members looked puzzled.
Cloudships weren't unheard of in the Western Continent, but they were considered luxuries owned only by the wealthy and powerful of strong clans.
"No surprise that the Huaxia Empire is so affluent. Looks like we'll finally get to experience what a cloudship feels like," one of the Mu Ling Clan members said to his fellow clansmen with a smile after hearing Lin Qian's words.
Even Mu Houde couldn't hide his excitement. Throughout his many years, he had only ridden a cloudship once. As for his son, Mu Liangxing, he had never set foot on one.
"I have a special route. You'll ride the high-speed cloudship with me, which travels as fast as a Saint Realm expert. We'll reach our destination in just half an hour," Lin Qian explained to the Mu Ling Clan leaders as they sat in the luxurious emperor's lounge.
At this moment, the Mu Ling Clan members were feeling very out of place. Human women, youthful and beautifully dressed, approached them.
"Honorable guest, what would you like to drink? Oolong spirit tea, coffee, or perhaps a cola?"
"Uh… coffee will do," Mu Liangxing stammered, unsure of what coffee was. Even after the attendant left, he was still troubled by the question, "What is coffee, anyway?"
The other elders of the Mu Ling Clan were similarly puzzled. Some chose the familiar spirit tea to be safe, while others, curious, opted for the unfamiliar coffee or cola.
"Delicious!"
Whether it was the oolong spirit tea, coffee, or cola, the drinks impressed the Mu Ling Clan members, leaving them pleasantly surprised.
"Your Majesty, I noticed earlier that many people were entering and leaving this building, some as powerful as Life-and-Death Realm soul martial artists, while others were only in the Shaping Origin or Nirvana Realms," Mu Houde asked after taking a sip of his tea. The pleasant drink seemed to encourage him to voice his earlier doubts.
Not only him, but Mu Liangxing and the other Mu Ling Clan members also turned their attention to Lin Qian, curious.
From their understanding, cloudships were rare and prestigious, something that should be reserved for someone of Lin Qian's status. So why were so many people, including other races, using this cloudship terminal?
"This is a place where anyone can board a cloudship," Lin Qian replied matter-of-factly.
"…" Mu Houde and the others were dumbfounded, speechless for a long while.
After some time, Mu Houde finally spoke again, "Your Majesty, do you mean that anyone can ride these cloudships?"
"Of course. Cloudships are a vital mode of transport for the citizens of the Huaxia Empire. As long as they purchase a ticket, they can board the corresponding cloudship and be assigned a seat," Lin Qian explained, holding up his index finger. "The type of seat or even a private room depends on the price of the ticket."
"So… Your Majesty has made cloudships available for the public to use, just like the underground trains we rode before?" Mu Houde asked, his astonishment evident in his eyes.
"Exactly. In the Huaxia Empire, whether by water, land, or air, citizens can choose how they wish to travel. Our empire is vast, but it's no longer a barrier. Now, someone can spend the morning admiring jade carvings in the northern Yuheng Province and the afternoon enjoying the waters of Linhai Province in the south," Lin Qian said proudly. "Whether a person is powerful or ordinary, the vast territory of the empire is no longer an obstacle."
"Your Majesty, does the empire really have enough cloudships for the entire Huaxia Empire?" Mu Houde found this almost impossible to believe. On the Western Continent, the total number of cloudships owned by all the races barely reached two thousand, and they were all tightly controlled by the most powerful clans.
"Currently, there are about one hundred thousand cloudships in operation across the Huaxia Empire, with more being added. But even that number is far from enough," Lin Qian said, recalling a report from the Ministry of Transportation. "Many soul martial artists, seeking to break through, often travel the empire to train and challenge others in our Huaxia Battle Arenas, using the cloudships to get around. It turns out, the demand is much higher than I initially expected."
"One… one hundred thousand cloudships!" Mu Houde could no longer contain his shock, leaping to his feet, leaving Lin Qian feeling slightly dizzy from the abrupt movement.
At this moment, Mu Houde's whole body trembled with excitement.
"Ancestors, what kind of empire have we joined?"