"Xiao Qian, was I dreaming just now?" Ye Xin asked, pinching her cheek to feel the sharp sting of pain, her heart still unable to calm down.
Lin Qian didn't say much and simply sat beside her, patiently waiting for her to settle her emotions. He knew that witnessing the true grandeur of the Huaxia Empire could be overwhelming for Ye Xin, but he believed in her. He knew that she was strong enough to handle it because she was his woman, after all.
As expected, it didn't take long for Ye Xin to regain her composure. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, she became excited and began sharing her thoughts with Lin Qian about the various wonders of the Huaxia Empire.
"That Xu Meng is really funny; I can't believe he started crying!"
"And what about Hua Sheng, the elderly man? What kind of medicine are you having him make that he didn't come to greet us earlier?"
"The scenery at the bottom of the Central Sea is even more beautiful than the Southern Sea; I never imagined the underwater world could be so stunning."
Lin Qian simply smiled and listened as Ye Xin described the wonders of his empire. Despite being the emperor, he found it amusing and oddly satisfying to hear her recounting these things to him.
Suddenly, Ye Xin seemed to think of something and curiously asked, "Xiao Qian, who else knows about the true nature of the Huaxia Empire?"
Lin Qian shook his head and replied, "For now, only you. This is our secret."
"Our secret..." Ye Xin's face flushed with a rosy hue, but she smiled radiantly, clearly filled with happiness.
Lin Qian then put away the soul orb. The puppet body, lacking a dantian and meridians, couldn't sustain the soul orb's operation for too long. The time they had was already more than enough.
Unless they found the real cultivation manual that included the techniques and materials needed to complete the Puppet Body Project, the puppet body would remain incomplete.
Suddenly, an idea flashed in Ye Xin's mind. She quickly suggested, "What if everyone used this half-finished puppet body like I did to explore the outside world?"
Lin Qian chuckled and shook his head. "Silly girl, you can go in and out, but they can't because they're too powerful."
Ye Xin's strength was much weaker than Lin Qian's, so the soul power emitted by the soul orb wasn't strong enough to affect his body when passing through the Tianmark. But the other generals were different. Their physical strength, even if restricted to a puppet body, would still generate a massive soul power fluctuation that could harm Lin Qian.
When the generals were in the Xuanhuan Star or outside world, their auras didn't affect Lin Qian because of his natural protection as the emperor, but within his own body, there was no such protection.
Therefore, Ye Xin's idea, while thoughtful, couldn't be realized.
Boom!
Just then, a loud crash echoed from outside, shaking the entire room. The impact was so strong that Ye Xin fell into Lin Qian's arms.
Lin Qian held her tightly as his soul power surged, stabilizing them both while waiting for the tremors to subside.
When the shaking finally stopped, they exchanged puzzled glances and decided to step outside to investigate.
The Eight-Armed Sea Clan was a formidable presence in the Southern Sea, not a group to be trifled with. Who would dare provoke them like this?
The earlier noise indicated something had collided with the King Whale.
As they exited their residence and headed toward the source of the commotion, both Lin Qian and Ye Xin donned their water-breathing soul devices.
When they reached the doorway and looked into the distance, they were shocked to see another King Whale floating ahead.
It wasn't unusual to encounter another King Whale. The Eight-Armed Sea Clan often used these sea beasts as transport, and their "crowns" made them ideal for building structures.
"Brother Zhang, what's going on?" Lin Qian asked as he approached Zhang Zidong, who stood among a group of people staring at the floating King Whale. Lin Qian could sense something unusual—there was no aura emanating from the whale, as if it were dead.
Zhang Zidong shook his head, his expression grave. "This King Whale suddenly drifted along the current and collided with us. Uncle Zhang took a team to investigate its condition."
"Master Liu also took some disciples to check the palace on its crown. We should have answers soon." Li Yunfeng, who had also arrived, added.
Zhang Qi and Zhang Wenxuan, having been alerted by the disturbance, also joined the gathering.
Soon, the King Whale's body was flipped over, revealing its belly to the crowd. Lin Qian's eyes narrowed as Ye Xin tightened her grip on his hand.
The whale's belly had a massive wound, and its internal organs were missing—likely washed away by the sea currents. There wasn't a drop of blood left, indicating that the whale had been dead for some time.
As the King Whale's body was turned over, the disciples from the Carefree Sect returned, reporting their findings and presenting several corpses that floated silently in the water.
The dead bodies belonged to a sea clan, resembling the Bone-Blade Fish Clan Lin Qian had seen before, but these individuals were taller and had dark skin.
They were members of the Black-Blade Fish Clan, a powerful sea clan on par with the Eight-Armed Sea Clan.
The corpses bore no visible wounds, yet they had all perished.
The bloodless, disemboweled King Whale and the unmarked bodies of the Black-Blade Fish Clan left many feeling uneasy.
What could have caused such a massacre against a strong clan like this?
"Xiao Qian..." Ye Xin trembled at the sight of the mysterious deaths, clutching Lin Qian's arm tightly.
Lin Qian gently patted her shoulder, his eyes fixed on the gaping wound in the King Whale's belly, lost in thought.