Lin Qian and Ye Xin, both powerful soul cultivators at the Transcendence realm, flew swiftly toward the entrance of the underground world.
The Mu Ling Underground World was named after the Mu Ling Clan, who had lived there since ancient times. Ever since the great war of the past, the Mu Ling Clan had been relegated to an inferior race, forced to live underground and serve the Windswift Clan, caring for the vast spiritual herb fields.
Year after year, the Mu Ling Clan toiled tirelessly, with no rest, caring for the herbs. This continuous farming exhausted the land, and the once-abundant harvests dwindled.
The Windswift Clan, however, refused to listen to the Mu Ling Clan's explanations, blaming their diminishing productivity on the Mu Ling Clan's innate weakness and incompetence.
With tensions rising due to human interference, the Windswift Clan decided the Mu Ling Clan had outlived their usefulness. Rather than slaughtering them, which might incite unrest among other enslaved races, they chose to exile them.
Lin Qian had learned from Mu Houde that the lands the Mu Ling Clan once inhabited had since been divided among other races, though their situations were likely no better. These lesser races, though not treated as cruelly as slaves, still lived under the dominion of superior races, subject to their whims.
Upon reaching the massive entrance to the Mu Ling Underground World, Lin Qian and Ye Xin looked like mere specks in front of the enormous cave.
According to Mu Houde, this cave had existed since before the great war. Back then, the underground world was a vast and unified realm, nearly as large as the Soul Martial Continent. Such a vast underground world required large entry points.
However, those days were long gone. Now, these massive entrances were relics of a bygone era, their purpose diminished.
"Once I've unified the Soul Martial Continent, I'll repair the underground world," Lin Qian said, floating in front of the enormous cave. "There won't be superior or inferior races anymore. Everyone will be Hua Xia citizens, and the entire land—whether aboveground or underground, in the skies or under the seas—will be part of the Hua Xia Empire's domain."
Hovering beside Lin Qian, Ye Xin smiled and extended her hand. "Then I'll stay by your side, Xiao Qian, as you rule the world and soar across the heavens."
Lin Qian, gazing at her delicate face, leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.
"Xiao Qian..." Ye Xin blushed, flustered by the sudden kiss.
Lin Qian wasted no time. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her close. Ye Xin instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hold on tight!" Lin Qian grinned as he warned her. Then, without hesitation, he dove into the dark entrance of the cave.
As they plunged into the cave, they were caught by the spatial pull that dragged them deeper into the underground world. Neither resisted, allowing the space to draw them downward.
Lin Qian, already familiar with this sensation, remained unfazed. Ye Xin, however, shifted in his arms, curiously peering around.
Although she had heard of such phenomena from her experiences in Hua Xia's ancient forests, this was her first time experiencing the spatial descent firsthand.
"This entrance is much more stable than the unmaintained ones in Ancient Forest Province," Lin Qian remarked, scanning his surroundings with both his soul power and perception. "Report this back to the Heavenly Engineering Division. See if we can learn anything from this and apply it to our entrances."
Immediately, the Heavenly Engineering Division got to work. In the Hua Xia Empire, everything revolved around Lin Qian's priorities.
As they descended further, the faint glow of light began to appear below.
"Xin'er, are you ready?" Lin Qian asked, his eyes sharpening.
"Ready for what?"
"If there were Windswift Clan guards outside, there are bound to be more waiting inside," Lin Qian explained as golden lightning crackled across his body, his pupils turning a bright gold. A long sword appeared in his hand, followed by three more surrounding him.
Each of the four swords radiated a terrifying killing intent, their auras menacing and full of destructive power.
"You're not using your Yuan Qi Armament but soul weapons instead?" Ye Xin asked in surprise. For humans, Yuan Qi Armaments were their natural weapons, enhancing their abilities to the fullest. Seeing Lin Qian summon four soul swords instead was unexpected.
What puzzled her even more was the unique aura these swords carried, a mysterious and ancient energy.
"Xiao Qian, why aren't you using your Yuan Qi Armament? Why these four swords?" she asked.
"My Yuan Qi Armament is a bit limited when facing large groups of enemies. After we killed those Windswift guards outside, it's likely that more forces are lying in wait inside. This sword set should be more than enough for them," Lin Qian explained with a grin. "Even if they swarm us, none will escape."
"And what's so special about these four swords? They look powerful," Ye Xin asked curiously.
Lin Qian's grin widened. "These four swords have names..."
"The Sword of Immortal Execution!"
"The Sword of Immortal Slaughter!"
"The Sword of Immortal Trap!"
"The Sword of Immortal Destruction!"