The words of the Windswift Clan immediately caused Ye Xin's expression to turn cold. "Xiao Qian…"
Just as Ye Xin was about to speak, Lin Qian raised his hand to stop her. "Dealing with these weaklings, why would we need to get our hands dirty?"
With a playful tone, Lin Qian looked at the Windswift Clan members across from him. "Honestly, doesn't it seem strange that only your squad came here, even though two humans have appeared near this location?"
Lin Qian's words caused the Windswift soldiers to halt abruptly, their leader's expression growing grim as he stared at Lin Qian.
"The Windswift Clan patrol teams around the entrance to the underground world are organized into three squads moving in a crisscross pattern, with ten teams total for vertical patrols. But where are the other two squads from your patrol group?"
As Lin Qian spoke, the leader's face paled. "How does a human like you know so much?"
At that moment, the squad leader suddenly realized something. Upon discovering these two humans, he had already sent a signal to the other two squads. With the Windswift Clan's speed, they should have arrived long ago, but there was no sign of any reinforcements.
"The reason is quite simple, you aliens," Lin Qian laughed lightly. "If they're dead, of course, they can't come."
Roar!
Before Lin Qian's voice faded, a tiger's roar suddenly echoed from the distance. Four white tigers with piercing eyes leaped out from the dense forest around them.
As they charged forward, their bodies were suddenly covered in hardened soul armor, fully armed and ready for battle.
These were the Blackclaw White Tigers of the Battle Beast Army!
The disguised Battle Beast Army, having infiltrated the Western Continent in the form of soul beasts, had already acted when Lin Qian arrived. As soon as Lin Qian and Ye Xin landed, the Silvermoon Wolves and Blackclaw White Tigers that had been lying in wait around the underground entrance swiftly eliminated the surrounding Windswift Clan patrols.
The four Blackclaw White Tigers pounced on the Windswift soldiers, their sharp claws instantly tearing apart the bodies of four Windswift warriors.
"Scatter! Report back immediately!" The squad leader shouted in panic, abandoning all thoughts of confrontation.
To him, Lin Qian and Ye Xin were no longer just ordinary humans but rather unfathomable threats.
"Kill!" Just then, a murderous shout erupted from the surrounding forest, causing fear to flash across the Windswift soldiers' faces.
It was at that moment they realized that these tigers were not just ordinary soul beasts. They could speak, they were equipped with soul armors, and the glow from those armors revealed that these beasts were using soul power!
Even more astonishing, the yellow-hued soul power surrounding the Blackclaw White Tigers was now enveloped in a layer of green wind energy.
As the Blackclaw White Tigers opened their mouths, green soul power rapidly condensed into wind blades. These blades shot out like swirling knives, chasing after the fleeing Windswift Clan members.
Despite the Windswift Clan's incredible speed, the wind blades released from the tigers' mouths were just as swift. In a matter of moments, they had caught up to the fleeing Windswift warriors.
The wind blades didn't just move in a straight line. Once they caught up, they formed a wind cage around the Windswift soldiers, trapping them and then closing in sharply.
Slash!
In an instant, the fleeing Windswift warriors were sliced into pieces, their remains falling from the sky, staining the valley with their blood.
"Wind… killed by wind!" The squad leader stood frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened. His people, who had the innate ability to control the wind, had been slain by wind blades.
Normally, their control over wind made them nearly invincible against enemies using wind-based attacks. Yet, from beginning to end, they had faced nothing but despair at the hands of these soul beasts.
As the wind blades whistled around him, the squad leader suddenly realized that a swirling prison of green wind energy had already surrounded him.
"No…" he muttered as the wind blades closed in, slicing through him without mercy.
The four Blackclaw White Tigers landed gracefully on the ground. Lin Qian and Ye Xin walked past them, and the tigers bowed their heads in respect.
"Well done. Continue to patrol the area. If any other Windswift soldiers show up, eliminate them immediately," Lin Qian ordered, nodding in satisfaction as he passed by.
Though Lin Qian spoke softly, his words carried clearly throughout the valley, reaching the minds of all the Battle Beast soldiers.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
It was only after the confrontation that Ye Xin realized what had happened. "So you had this all planned out in advance. The Battle Beast Army arrived in the Western Continent ahead of us?"
"Of course. One must know the enemy to win. I sent them ahead to scout the area before we arrived. Soon, we'll be heading into the underground world," Lin Qian explained, looking toward the large cavern entrance in the distance. "The lower-class races that live underground possess some interesting abilities."
"This trip isn't just about rescuing the three elders. If we're lucky, we might even convince some of these races to join the Hua Xia Empire and make our nation even stronger."
Ye Xin laughed, covering her mouth.
Seeing her amused expression, Lin Qian was puzzled and pouted. "Xin'er, I wasn't joking."
"I know," Ye Xin smiled warmly. "It's just that you always talk about your empire. It's clear that the Hua Xia Empire is more than just a path to power for you—it's something truly important."
Ye Xin's words caused Lin Qian to pause for a moment before he took her hand in his. "It might be hard to explain, but the Hua Xia Empire holds deep meaning for me."
"Maybe one day, I'll return to my homeland. When that day comes, I'll bring you with me and tell you a story," Lin Qian said, his gaze filled with determination.
Touched by his words, Ye Xin closed her eyes and smiled sweetly. "I'd like that."
"Well, let's head into the underground world of the Mu Ling Clan and see what we can discover," Lin Qian said, taking Ye Xin's hand as they flew toward the cave.