The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

The elders' responses genuinely surprised Lin Qian. Perhaps some still doubted his words, but one thing was certain: they would follow Lin Qian's orders. Since they had come to help, they were committed to seeing it through and would not abandon the task halfway.

In truth, the destruction of the Qin Dynasty was inevitable. The incident with the Eighth Elder had shown them that the Qin Dynasty had been watching them from the shadows, always planning their downfall.

After the discussion, everything was settled. The elders were only required to follow Lin Qian's orders when the time came, and Lin Qian assured them that unless they faced an opponent far beyond their level, they would not suffer defeat or death. The details would be discussed in a few days.

With the discussions concluded, the elders from the three factions left the council hall, where arrangements had been made for their temporary accommodations.

"You should leave for now as well. We have some matters to discuss," Fang Shuiwen said to Fang Yiping.

Similarly, Zhou Yian and Yang Guixiang nodded to Li Xiaotian and Yang Yifan, making it clear they had something private to discuss.

Seeing the three elders express this, the three younger men naturally obeyed and left the council hall.

As soon as they stepped outside, they felt three powerful auras emanate from behind them. They knew these auras well—who else could they belong to but the three elders?

The combined soul power of the three elders formed an impenetrable barrier that enveloped the entire council hall, sealing it completely.

To break this barrier, one would need power equivalent to or greater than the three elders.

"This young emperor of the Huaxia Empire is no ordinary person!"

The three young men took one last look at the council hall, then followed the maid who had come to lead them to their temporary quarters.

Inside the council hall, Lin Qian was keenly aware of the commotion caused by the three elders outside. Their seriousness made him grow even more solemn.

After ensuring the council hall was sealed and impervious to outside observation, the three elders looked at Lin Qian with expressions full of affection.

Zhou Yian was the first to speak, "When discussing important matters, one must be serious and maintain a proper sense of hierarchy. Compared to the past, you've grown considerably."

Lin Qian smiled at Zhou Yian's words. This was a lesson he had recently learned.

As the Huaxia Empire expanded, including more territories and people, maintaining a relaxed and informal attitude would not be enough to command respect. In private, one could be easygoing, but in public, as an emperor, one needed to embody authority.

Just as in the previous meeting, Lin Qian no longer referred to himself casually. In such settings, it was important to be formal.

Now, in this private discussion with the three elders, he could afford to be more relaxed.

"You've taken this seriously, so I assume you want to explain why you called me 'Young Master.' I suspect it has something to do with my heritage. If that's the case, then I imagine you know who my father, Lin Di, and my mother, Yun Yanyan, really are," Lin Qian said with a knowing smile, his tone relaxed as he withdrew his emperor's aura.

Seeing Lin Qian's demeanor, the three elders exchanged smiles, realizing that he truly considered them close allies.

With a half-smile, Lin Qian looked at Zhou Yian, "Elder Zhou, since you call me 'Young Master,' it must be related to my background. So, my father and mother must be known to you, correct? Could it be that they are connected to the Yun family?"

Lin Qian's question surprised the three elders, clearly not expecting him to pinpoint the Yun family.

"How did you know? The surname Yun is quite common, so why are you so certain..." Zhou Yian's words trailed off as he stared in shock, his breath nearly stopping.

Fang Shuiwen and Yang Guixiang, standing beside him, trembled as they sensed the icy aura that filled the room. It wasn't the cold that shocked them, but rather what the cold signified.

Lin Qian had suddenly activated his Yuanqi Armament, and a slender, snow-white sword with blue cloud patterns appeared in his hand. The blade exuded a fierce, icy chill.

For those below the Awakened realm, when a soul weapon fully materialized, it typically took on a distinct form, indicating it was a Zujie-level soul weapon.

What truly shocked the elders was that this Zujie-level soul weapon was none other than the Yun family's Cloud Sword.

"How is this possible? I remember your Yuanqi Armament wasn't..." Zhou Yian muttered in disbelief, looking at Lin Qian, unable to comprehend.

When Lin Qian first displayed his Yuanqi Armament, summoning the Thunder Night Sword, Zhou Yian had initially questioned whether he was mistaken. It wasn't until he contacted his master that he confirmed Lin Qian's identity.

But according to the master, the Yun family had sensed someone awakening the Zujie-level Cloud Sword.

The Yun family didn't know who it was, but the master suspected it might be Lin Qian. However, when Zhou Yian reported that Lin Qian had awakened the Thunder Night Sword, the situation became more confusing. They were unsure who had awakened the Cloud Sword.

Now, seeing Lin Qian wielding the Cloud Sword, Zhou Yian finally understood—Lin Qian was the one who had awakened it.

But if that was the case, then what about the Thunder Night Sword...

As he pondered this mystery, Lin Qian's voice echoed in the ears of Zhou Yian, Fang Shuiwen, and Yang Guixiang once again.

"Yuanqi Armament."