Although Lin Qian wasn't someone who sought revenge for every slight, as an emperor, didn't he have the right to be a little capricious? If he couldn't act on a whim, what kind of emperor would he be?
Besides, considering Yue Liqun's previous actions, Lin Qian's punishment was not entirely unjustified.
Training continued, and Yue Liqun found himself being brutally pushed to his limits by Lin Qian daily, returning every night with his body battered and bruised.
It was during this time that Yue Liqun finally realized how laughable his previous worry had been—that he might injure Lin Qian. The truth was, he should have been worried about himself, not Lin Qian.
But through Lin Qian's relentless training, Yue Liqun began to grasp just how terrifying Lin Qian's strength truly was.
Even when Yue Liqun was fully armed with his Yuan Qi weapon, Lin Qian could still fight him barehanded, continually suppressing him, giving him no chance to catch his breath.
There were moments when Yue Liqun doubted whether he had made any progress at all, as the degree to which he was overwhelmed by Lin Qian never seemed to change. It felt as if his growth was nonexistent.
But a month later, when Yue Liqun sparred with his master, Fu Deqing, and they fought to a draw, he finally understood.
It wasn't that he hadn't grown stronger; it was that Lin Qian was improving as well during their sparring sessions.
"So, have you managed to contact the Reverse King Palace?" Lin Qian asked after landing a punch that sent Yue Liqun flying, watching as he slumped to the ground.
Over these days, Yue Liqun's strength had indeed increased rapidly under Lin Qian's training. At the same time, Lin Qian, who had been suppressing his own strength to match Yue Liqun, had also reaped significant benefits.
During their sparring sessions, Lin Qian was able to address certain deficiencies in his techniques and verify his progress.
Yue Liqun had no idea that the cultivation technique Zhuge Ming had devised for him was more than just tailored to his needs. It was designed to gradually transform him into Lin Qian's ideal training partner.
Yue Liqun's cultivation method and the potions he had been taking had unwittingly altered his combat style, making him an even better match for Lin Qian's training needs. This allowed Lin Qian to quickly master his own power.
After all, Lin Qian hadn't given Yue Liqun all those resources for free.
In return, Yue Liqun was required to undergo the reset crystal experiment, serve as a sparring partner, endure the grueling training, and ultimately become a tool for Lin Qian's use.
To gain something, one must pay the price.
Panting on the ground, Yue Liqun exhaled deeply before looking up at Lin Qian with a slightly embarrassed expression. "I managed to contact them, but they..."
"Speak plainly. No need to be so hesitant," Lin Qian said, stretching his muscles and motioning for Yue Liqun to continue.
"The Reverse King Palace believes that Your Majesty is arrogant and conceited. They think that without their help, overthrowing the current Blackhorn Kingdom would be nothing more than a pipe dream," Yue Liqun finally said, realizing there was no point in holding back. "Therefore, the Reverse King Palace hopes that Your Majesty will follow their orders."
After speaking, Yue Liqun cautiously observed Lin Qian's reaction, expecting anger. But instead, Lin Qian nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "It's not surprising they would react that way."
"Did you anticipate this response?" Yue Liqun asked, surprised by Lin Qian's calmness.
"To directly tell them not to interfere in the war against the Blackhorn Kingdom is a strong and domineering request—it's unreasonable, one might say," Lin Qian explained, looking at Yue Liqun. "But I want the Hua Xia Empire to be perceived by outsiders as strong, domineering, and unreasonable!"
"Hua Xia Empire's principles will be the only principles. We can discuss things, but we will never back down."
Lin Qian's words left Yue Liqun momentarily stunned, prompting him to ask, "Won't such strong and domineering behavior lead to problems?"
"What problems? If you want others to respect you and not dare to bully you, you need to be strong enough, domineering enough, to make them fear provoking your wrath," Lin Qian replied firmly. "Only then can the citizens of the Hua Xia Empire live with their heads held high and live well."
"The Reverse King Palace will definitely not listen to me and refrain from interfering in the war against the Blackhorn Kingdom. As for following their orders, that's out of the question. In my eyes, they are dispensable," Lin Qian said as he turned to face Yue Liqun. "You were once the son-in-law of the Third Prince of the Blackhorn Kingdom and have ties with the Reverse King Palace. You should be very familiar with the situation in the Blackhorn Kingdom, right?"
"Yes, that's correct," Yue Liqun confirmed, knowing that of everyone in the Four Territories, he was the most knowledgeable about the Blackhorn Kingdom.
Satisfied with this response, Lin Qian smiled. "In that case, tell me everything you know."
Yue Liqun nodded and began to recount everything he knew about the Blackhorn Kingdom in detail.
The Blackhorn Kingdom had been established over ten thousand years ago and had far deeper roots than the Qin Dynasty. Its unique underground cities spanned most of the Ancient Forest World.
In its early days, the Blackhorn Kingdom was a place where the five races coexisted peacefully, although the humans were always in a lower position due to the effects of the Spirit Refinement Fruit.
However, over time, as the Blackhorn King's personality changed, so did his style of governance. Many of the Blackhorn people became increasingly violent, including the king's sons.
Powerful soul warriors had long lifespans, and although their physiques grew stronger with their cultivation, it became increasingly difficult for them to produce offspring.
But the Blackhorn King was different—he was incredibly prolific, fathering over a thousand children.
Of these, only twenty-four were titled princes, the most exceptional among his offspring.
Yue Liqun's father-in-law, the Third Prince of the Blackhorn Kingdom, was one of the most outstanding among the twenty-four. However, as Yue Liqun had previously mentioned, his fate had been grim.
The Blackhorn Kingdom had nearly 100,000 soul warriors at the Awakening Realm, compared to only 10,000 in the Four Territories.
As for those at the Life and Death Realm, the combined forces of the Four Territories had around one billion.
In contrast, the Blackhorn Kingdom boasted a staggering sixty billion soul warriors at the Life and Death Realm, not to mention the countless warriors at the Breaking Void Realm and Nirvana Realm.
Given such overwhelming power, Lin Qian could understand why the Blackhorn Kingdom was so formidable.
After all, the entire Ancient Forest World covered a vast territory, at least as large as eighty provinces in the Southern Region, and nearly eighty times the size of Earth's landmass in Lin Qian's previous life.
Initially, Lin Qian had struggled to grasp the sheer scale of this world, as it was just as exaggerated as it had been in the game, incredibly vast.
In the game, it didn't matter how large Fantasy Star was because players could switch to a God's-eye view if necessary. The control panel simply provided a series of numbers.
"Prepare yourself. It's time to take action against the Blackhorn Kingdom," Lin Qian announced after carefully listening to Yue Liqun's account of the Blackhorn Kingdom's strength.
"When, Your Majesty?" Yue Liqun asked, his blood boiling with excitement.
"Now!" Lin Qian declared.