Chapter 111: Leaving the Relic

"Master has always treated me well. Leaving without saying goodbye would be too heartless," Ye Xin gently explained to Lin Qian. "Once I return to the sect and report to my master, I'll come to find you."

Lin Qian nodded, understanding her decision. After all, the Sword Saint of the Divine Sword Sect had taken care of Ye Xin for so long. Leaving without a word would indeed be ungrateful.

Finally, Lin Qian turned towards the direction of the death zone and respectfully bowed. "Master Zhang, we shall take our leave now."

Zhang Juncheng, who had sealed Nan Xin's soul with his own body and entered the formation to suppress it, was severely weakened. If he didn't hurry to recover, his life would be in danger.

Thankfully, Lin Qian's subordinates in the Heavenly Works Department had modified the formation, refining Nan Xin's essence into a blood elixir that could replenish Zhang Juncheng's strength. However, it would still take him two years to fully recover.

Now that two years had passed, Zhang Juncheng had to focus on refining the blood elixir and restoring his strength, or he would become nothing more than a wandering soul.

Ye Xin and Lei Qian followed Lin Qian's lead, bowing towards the death zone in farewell.

During these two years, they had trained under Zhang Juncheng's guidance and gained invaluable experience that would benefit them for life.

In terms of combat experience, both Lin Qian and Ye Xin had surpassed their masters, the War Emperor Wei Wushuang and the Sword Saint of the Divine Sword Sect. Their masters could no longer match their students in this regard.

In the underground space of the death zone, Zhang Juncheng sat cross-legged in the central platform, bathed in the light of the formation. His eyes were closed in deep meditation.

Before him floated a pulsating mass of blood, emitting powerful energy. Tendrils of blood mist seeped from it, flowing into Zhang Juncheng's body.

As Lin Qian and the others bid farewell in the first area of the relic, Zhang Juncheng slowly opened his eyes, a smile forming on his lips. "This time, I truly owe it all to this young friend."

"With him, the human race will surely thrive!"

After a moment of reflection, Zhang Juncheng closed his eyes again, immersing himself in his cultivation and focusing on healing his injuries.

At the entrance to the ancient relic, a burst of light suddenly appeared, shooting out across the landscape. In the blink of an eye, the light traveled beyond the mountain range and landed by a lakeside.

As the light dissipated, the entrance to the relic shattered with a loud crash, collapsing into rubble.

The ground around it caved in and crumbled.

From now on, no one in Linhai Prefecture would be able to enter the ancient relic again.

By the lakeside, three figures emerged from the fading light.

The three figures were none other than Lin Qian, Ye Xin, and Lei Qian.

Two years had passed, and Lin Qian and Ye Xin were now eighteen, standing tall and strong.

"Why are we here?" Lei Qian looked around, puzzled by their new location.

"I did that on purpose," Lin Qian explained, glancing back towards the direction of the ancient relic. "Once we left, the entrance would collapse entirely. Staying there would have caused us some trouble."

After saying this, Lin Qian turned to Ye Xin. "When you return to the Divine Sword Sect, be careful. I fear that the Grand Elder may plot against you in secret."

"Don't worry. With my master around, she won't dare to act recklessly." Ye Xin squeezed Lin Qian's hand, reassuring him.

Lin Qian hesitated for a moment, then made a decision. With a thought, nine figures suddenly appeared around him, kneeling before him. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Ye Xin and Lei Qian focused their gaze on the newcomers and realized that they were all women, each with a different appearance.

One of them, although a female soldier, had an exceptionally strong and muscular physique, with bronze-colored skin and a massive shield strapped to her back.

The other eight were a mix of different female warriors: two in black armor wielding swords, two with long knives, and two archers with bows slung across their backs.

What was even more astonishing was that all of these female soldiers exuded the aura of Peak Ninth Stage of the Breaking Void Realm.

"Xiao Qian, who are they?" Ye Xin asked in amazement as she observed the nine women.

She was aware that Lin Qian could summon soldiers who would bow and follow his orders. However, she never imagined that he could summon soldiers with the strength of the Breaking Void Realm.

In the Divine Sword Sect, even the elders were only at the Breaking Void Realm, and yet Lin Qian had casually summoned nine of them!

"Protect the Empress at all costs, follow her orders, and ensure her safety. If any danger arises, defend her with your lives!" Lin Qian commanded the female soldiers.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The female soldiers obeyed, rising to their feet and positioning themselves around Ye Xin.

"Hmm, nine might be too few," Lin Qian muttered, inspecting the soldiers around Ye Xin. After some thought, he added, "Xin'er, how about I give you three thousand Breaking Void Realm female soldiers? That should deter the Grand Elder from trying anything foolish."

"Wait! Xiao Qian, calm down." Ye Xin hurriedly rushed forward and hugged him tightly. "Nine is more than enough, especially with my master still around. If you send three thousand Breaking Void Realm soldiers, the sect master might think I'm trying to take over the Divine Sword Sect."

"Alright, I'll listen to you," Lin Qian agreed with a nod.

Before parting, Lin Qian also gave Ye Xin some high-quality recovery potions and reminded her to be extra careful. He then watched as she left.

"With swift soldiers for scouting, shield soldiers for defense, and sword, knife, and bow soldiers for combat, Xin'er should be well protected," Lin Qian mused after Ye Xin departed. Suddenly, he felt someone tugging at his sleeve. Turning around, he found Lei Qian looking at him expectantly.

"What do you want?" Lin Qian asked, raising an eyebrow at Lei Qian's eager expression.

"Boss, why did you only summon male soldiers before, but now you're summoning female soldiers?" Lei Qian asked, curious.

"Female soldiers are more agile, but their other attributes are weaker than male soldiers. If it weren't for Ye Xin, I wouldn't have bothered creating them," Lin Qian replied casually.

"Creating? Boss, how many Breaking Void Realm soldiers can you summon? What about Nirvana Realm soldiers?" Lei Qian asked cautiously. "Is three thousand the limit?"

"Three thousand? That's just a fraction. I could summon thirty million of these basic soldiers, and it would still only be a drop in the ocean," Lin Qian scoffed. "Lei Qian, if you're with me, you need to think bigger and bolder."

"Th-thirty million? And that's just a fraction? Boss, are you serious? Doesn't that mean wiping out the Shengtian Sect would be a piece of cake?" Lei Qian exclaimed, his legs giving out as he collapsed to the ground in shock.

Lin Qian chuckled at Lei Qian's reaction, pulling him up from the ground. "Of course, wiping out the Shengtian Sect would be easy, but there's no need to waste the effort. Besides, I'm not strong enough yet, so it's best to keep a low profile for now."

With that, Lin Qian began walking towards the Wanxiang Sect, leaving Lei Qian standing there, dumbfounded.

"What kind of boss have I ended up with?" Lei Qian muttered to himself in disbelief.