After leaving the temporary war strategy hall, Lin Qian stepped outside the mountain city, where a golden floating warship suddenly appeared in mid-air. This warship was uniquely dazzling, with golden dragons coiled around it, making it particularly striking. As soon as Lin Qian boarded the ship, its speed suddenly increased, breaking through the sky as it rapidly approached the target ahead.
The former capital of the Blackhorn Kingdom was extraordinarily vast and grand. Its architectural style differed from other Blackhorn Kingdom cities in the Gulin World. Four expansive mountains had been transformed into fortresses, guarding the city from all four directions.
These fortress-like mountain cities encircled the capital, which sat at the center on the ground. It was a magnificent city that closely resembled those of the surface world, yet even more prosperous and vibrant.
The city's architecture was diverse, reflecting the fact that the Blackhorn Kingdom's capital was once home to five different races. Naturally, the capital featured a blend of all five architectural styles.
Yue Liqiu had once mentioned to Lin Qian that during the peak of the Blackhorn Kingdom, when the five races coexisted peacefully, the capital was at its most flourishing.
Unfortunately, everything changed after the Blackhorn King's personality became erratic and tyrannical.
"How… how could this be?" The elderly Blackhorn official from the Reverse King Palace, looking at the state of the capital before him, trembled violently, pointing at the scene in front of him before collapsing onto the warship's deck.
This old man had once been the steward of the Third Prince's mansion, having grown up in the capital alongside the prince from childhood.
Even though the capital had already started to decline due to the Blackhorn King, it still retained much of its former grandeur and prosperity.
"Why? How could this have happened?" It was clear that this elder from the Reverse King Palace couldn't accept the sight before his eyes.
Beside him, Liu Chaochao lifted the old man to his feet, his usually lazy expression now tinged with a cold, murderous intent.
Boom! A massive roar echoed from the distance as a golden warship rapidly approached. It arrived in an instant.
When the golden warship appeared, all the Imperial Army soldiers and commanders aboard the warships surrounding the Blackhorn capital fell to one knee. Even the floating warships in mid-air seemed to bow lower in its presence.
Below, the beast army also lowered their heads, and the beast commanders all respectfully saluted.
The sound of clashing armor reverberated as they all turned toward the same person: the young figure seated on the Dragon Throne, which rose from the warship into the sky.
"Hail, Your Majesty!"
Such a grand scene left not only the elderly officials from the Reverse King Palace but even Yue Liqiu and the others in awe, struggling to comprehend what they were witnessing.
After a moment, they finally recovered and, imitating the soldiers and commanders around them, knelt on one knee, placing their right fists over their hearts and bowing their heads.
"Rise!" Lin Qian commanded from his position atop the Dragon Throne, his expression stern.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Yue Liqiu and the others echoed the soldiers and commanders as they stood.
They had never experienced anything like this before and could only follow the example of those around them.
At the same time, they all looked up at the figure bathed in golden light on the Dragon Throne.
The overwhelming imperial might radiating from Lin Qian enveloped everyone, making them feel a strange sense of comfort despite the oppressive aura.
This overwhelming power shielded them from the sinister and murderous aura emanating from the capital, like a protective barrier.
Sitting on the Dragon Throne, Lin Qian silently observed the capital before him.
The once-great Blackhorn capital was now shrouded in a thick, bloody mist, turning the entire city into a blood-red nightmare.
The city's inhabitants, once thriving members of five different races, were now little more than walking corpses—emaciated, skeletal figures with blood energy being forcibly drawn from their bodies.
It was clear that the process was excruciating, as they twisted and writhed on the ground, clawing at themselves with such force that they tore their own flesh from their bones. Their minds lost to madness, they began to cannibalize each other, driven by pain and despair.
The air was filled with the sounds of wailing and curses. Twisted faces appeared in the sky, screaming in agony—these were the remnants of those who had been tortured to death, their overwhelming hatred lingering in the air.
The four mountain fortress cities surrounding the capital were not just filled with Blackhorn soldiers. The enslaved warriors of the human race, the Redhorn race, the Dwarves, and the Lingti race were also mixed in among them.
They stood densely packed at the mountain fortress openings, their crimson eyes staring in this direction, hunched over, growling lowly from their throats, baring their teeth, and drooling.
"This scene… how is it any different from hell?" Lin Qian muttered with a sad expression as he observed the horrifying sight before him.
Anyone with a conscience would feel heartache upon witnessing such a scene.
The former Blackhorn capital was massive, with the four fortress cities and the expansive, once-flourishing central city housing nearly a billion lives.
One thing that stood out to Lin Qian about this world, compared to his previous life, was that the vast, boundless worlds in virtual games had become a reality.
In his previous life, the popularity of the Xuanhuan Empire game stemmed from its massive game world.
What Lin Qian appreciated most about this world was the opportunity to personally witness such a grand and majestic world.
He could imagine how prosperous the Blackhorn capital must have been, with five different races mingling together in harmony, creating a vibrant, diverse city.
But now, all that remained before him was a living hell.
The creatures that once lived peacefully in this capital were now struggling in agony, alive in appearance but already dead in spirit.
The warriors defending the four mountain fortresses were no longer courageous soul warriors; they were nothing more than soulless beasts.
The elderly officials from the Reverse King Palace wept openly, wailing in sorrow. Their attachment to the capital ran deep, and they could hardly bear to see it reduced to this state.
Yue Liqiu clenched his fists tightly, the sound of cracking knuckles audible. The transformation of the capital into this nightmare had likely taken only a few short years.
In recent years, news from the capital had been scarce, with information tightly controlled and unable to spread.
Reflecting on how the madness among the Blackhorn soldiers had intensified as they approached the capital, Yue Liqiu couldn't imagine what the entire Gulin World would have become if things had continued as Shen Zhixing had planned for twenty more years.
"These beings are now living a fate worse than death. Let us put them out of their misery and end their suffering," Lin Qian sighed, raising his hand.
The next moment, the warships surrounding the capital adjusted their positions, aligning their cannons toward the city. The soul cannons on the ships began to glow as they charged with energy, while the Imperial Army and the Beast Army stood ready for battle.
Within the mountain fortress cities and the capital, the twisted creatures howled in madness, rushing toward Lin Qian's forces with reckless abandon.
Seeing this, the sadness in Lin Qian's eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, ruthless determination. He swiftly swung his hand downward.
"Crush them!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!