The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

The mysterious aura surrounding the relic gate on the plaza seemed to pulse, as if it was sealing something away. This relic was originally an ancient sect's trial ground for its disciples, and only young disciples at the Nirvana Realm could pass through the mysterious aura and enter the ancient relic for their trials.

As Lin Qian approached the gate, the moment he touched the mysterious aura, a powerful force pulled him inside. Suddenly, he felt as if the ground beneath his feet had disappeared, and everything around him spun wildly, making it impossible to see clearly.

When everything finally settled, the dizzy sensation faded, and Lin Qian found himself standing firmly on solid ground. His vision gradually cleared, and he took a look around.

According to common sense, after entering the ancient relic, one would expect to find themselves in an underground relic structure. However, Lin Qian was now standing in the middle of a dense forest, with a small sun hanging in the sky above him.

"This must be a small world," Lin Qian murmured to himself as he surveyed his surroundings.

Before entering, Wei Wushuang had told Lin Qian about the mysterious nature of the ancient relic. In this world, there were several mystical small worlds, some resembling the main world, while others had completely different landscapes.

According to Wei Wushuang's speculations, this ancient sect's trial ground was likely one of these small worlds. The fact that such an ancient sect could possess a small world as a trial ground for its disciples spoke volumes about its power!

Because of this, the rewards for passing the trials within the ancient relic were bound to be extraordinary.

However, Lin Qian wasn't particularly interested in these so-called valuable rewards. He was mainly curious about the mysteries of the ancient relic. Moreover, knowing that the Shengtian Sect might join forces with the Ba Dao Sect to target Ye Xin, Lin Qian was determined to protect his woman.

Suddenly, seventy-two men dressed in black armor appeared around Lin Qian, kneeling on one knee before him.

"Your Majesty!" they greeted in unison.

Lin Qian waved his hand and handed them the tokens that his companions had given him. "This world isn't too vast. Find the owners of these tokens and bring them to me."

"Yes!" After receiving the tokens, the black-armored soldiers swiftly divided into eight groups of nine and dispersed.

These were Swift Soldiers, an extremely specialized unit. Agile as the wind, they were natural assassins and scouts, excelling in tracking and gathering intelligence. On the battlefield, they were the perfect reconnaissance force. All of these Swift Soldiers were at the ninth level of the Nirvana Realm. Although they could deploy stronger forces, the ancient relic's restrictions would destroy anyone stronger than the Nirvana Realm who entered.

The Hua Xia Empire, Lin Qian's greatest trump card, was his ultimate advantage. If the Shengtian Sect and Ba Dao Sect dared to make a move, Lin Qian would ensure they understood the consequences of opposing an emperor with an army at his command.

"In the face of my Hua Xia Empire's ironclad legions, all they will know is despair," Lin Qian thought as he gazed into the depths of the forest.

The eight squads of Swift Soldiers dashed through the forest like shadows, moving swiftly without leaving any trace of their passage.

"Unlucky! We just entered and already ran into a beast pack," Li Letian grumbled as he sliced through an incoming blue-furred wolf with his sword, the blade imbued with wind-based soul force.

"Luckily, we weren't too far apart when we arrived, so we can still help each other," Wang Lanxin remarked as she stayed close to him, relieved.

Nearby, Lei Qian unleashed a powerful lightning slash, instantly killing over twenty wolves. "Less talking, more fighting!"

At that moment, several dark figures dashed out of the shadows and into the midst of the wolves. The pack howled in agony as blood splattered, and the fierce soul beasts fell one by one.

Lei Qian and his companions stood in shock, watching the twenty-seven Swift Soldiers amidst the wolf carcasses, momentarily unsure of what to think.

Three of the black-armored soldiers stepped forward, holding the tokens given to them by Lin Qian, and gestured to the group. "Lord Lei, His Majesty has summoned you."

"L-Lord Lei?" Lei Qian stammered, confused by the title.

"You are His Majesty's appointed imperial guard," one of the Swift Soldiers replied coldly, his tone devoid of emotion.

Meanwhile, Ding Zhirong and Zhao Haiming had also regrouped and were equally surprised to find Swift Soldiers in front of them, holding their tokens. With no other choice, they followed the soldiers obediently.

In another part of the ancient relic, two female disciples of the Divine Sword Sect had managed to reunite with Ye Xin. However, their situation was far from ideal.

When Ye Xin found her fellow disciples, they were gravely injured and unable to move. She had to use the power of her Starlight White Dress to create a protective barrier of shimmering starlight to guard their position.

Surrounding them were over a hundred venomous green-striped snakes, each as thick as a man's arm. Their green-tinted soul force coiled around their twisted bodies as they continuously spewed toxic mist toward Ye Xin's protective barrier.

"Sister, you need to leave us behind. If you keep this up, you'll exhaust your soul force, and we'll all die here," one of the female disciples said, blood tinged with blackness at the corner of her mouth.

"She's right. If you can avenge us later, we'll die content," the other disciple added.

Ye Xin gritted her teeth and shook her head. "No, I won't abandon you."

She continued pouring her soul force into the Starlight White Dress. "Thankfully, the gift Xiaoqian gave me is so miraculous, otherwise…"

Just as Ye Xin was sighing with relief, she suddenly noticed figures emerging from the forest behind the snakes. Blades flashed, and snake heads were severed one after another.

The sudden attack caused the snake pack to turn and spray venom at the newcomers. However, a dark mist appeared around the attackers, blocking the toxic vapors.

In no time, most of the snakes had been slain, and the remaining few fled in panic.

Ye Xin stared in astonishment at the twenty-seven figures approaching her, unsure of where these people had come from in the ancient relic.

The other two female disciples of the Divine Sword Sect struggled to their feet, warily watching the black-armored soldiers.

Just as Ye Xin was about to thank them for their help, she was shocked to see all twenty-seven of the mysterious figures suddenly kneel before her, lowering their heads in reverence.

"Greetings to the Empress!" they intoned.