It was precisely because of the Formless Clan's methods that Lin Qian held no favorable feelings towards this race.
In reality, the behavior of the Formless Clan was very similar to that of the Blackblood Clan. If they had properly utilized their natural talents and walked the right path, they could have gone much further than they had.
However, their blind pursuit of convenience led them astray, using the bodies of other races' strong individuals to elevate themselves. This method, though rapid and powerful, became increasingly difficult to control as they progressed. Their potential eventually hit a ceiling, and their future paths became more challenging.
The same logic applied to the Formless Clan. If their physical bodies were weak, they should have worked hard to train and temper them, improving their physique to match their soul power.
Lin Qian had also discussed this with Zhuge Ming. According to the latter, Lin Qian's own body was already the most compatible. However, Zhuge Ming suggested that they needed a reference sample to study before reaching a definite conclusion.
Lin Qian quickly realized that Zhuge Ming, just like with the Blackblood Clan, wanted a Formless Clan member to study.
"Your Majesty, I believe that the Formless Clan's ability to seize bodies is more than just a result of their naturally strong souls," Zhuge Ming's voice echoed in Lin Qian's mind. "To study them, we need to capture a live specimen. This race is vicious and self-serving; using them as test subjects is the best fate for them."
"After the research, I suggest enslaving this race and changing their cultivation methods. This way, they can be a valuable asset to the Huaxia Empire, and it would also be a virtuous deed for other races."
Zhuge Ming's words made Lin Qian chuckle. Turning live beings into test subjects and framing it as a righteous act for the greater good? Lin Qian could only think one thing about his minister's actions:
Well said!
The Formless Clan's method of directly seizing the bodies of other races was truly disgusting.
Other races worked hard to develop their strong physiques, and even if they were superior to the Formless Clan, it was earned through their own effort. The Formless Clan's behavior was nothing short of theft.
And they didn't just target their enemies. Powerful members of the Formless Clan would go out, identify talented individuals from other races, and forcibly seize their bodies for their own benefit. They even captured and bred other races within their territory, waiting for their younger generations to reach the Nirvana Realm before allowing them to seize these captive bodies.
This was why Lin Qian found the Formless Clan so repulsive.
At the same time, Lin Qian's mood grew heavier as he realized the current situation was not in their favor.
It was clear now that the Blackblade Fish Clan that had entered this small world was actually composed of Formless Clan members.
In hindsight, there had been several signs indicating something was wrong with the Blackblade Fish Clan. For example, when Lin Qian observed the battle between the Eight Mystic Hall disciples and the one-armed Blackblade Fish Clan member through his scout beasts, he noticed that the one-armed warrior didn't use the signature black blade but instead wielded a dagger-like artifact.
At the time, Lin Qian had speculated that the Blackblade Fish Clan member had changed his fighting style due to losing an arm. However, this abnormality now made perfect sense.
If all the Blackblade Fish Clan members were actually Formless Clan members, then the supposed Blackblade Fish Clan leader from before was likely no longer the real one but a strong Formless Clan member instead.
Logically, no beings above the Life and Death Realm should be present in this small world. Yet, with such an existence now on the opposing side, Lin Qian had to be extremely cautious.
Currently, the Huaxia Empire could only summon intermediate-level troops from the empire, none of which surpassed the Life and Death Realm.
Intermediate troops of the Huaxia Empire were significantly stronger than basic troops, but this wasn't due to a rise in realm or cultivation level. The highest level for intermediate troops was still the Heart Realm of the Life and Death stage.
However, intermediate troops were evolved troops!
Basic troops were the foundation of the Huaxia Empire's army, the bedrock upon which the empire's military might was built. Higher-level troops weren't directly produced from the Huaxia Empire's barracks.
Even though the Huaxia Empire's soldiers had half-life characteristics and had come to this real world, the mechanism by which the empire's barracks produced soldiers remained the same as in Lin Qian's previous life.
The barracks could only produce the six basic types of troops!
The six basic troop types formed the core foundation:
Sword Troops: Specializing in skill, with strong endurance for prolonged combat.
Blade Troops: Focused on strength, boasting the highest attack power among the six types.
Shield Troops: Emphasizing defense, as their name suggests, they specialize in protection.
Swift Troops: Prioritizing speed, they handle reconnaissance and assassination tasks.
Archers: Experts in long-range attacks, providing the main ranged firepower.
Spear Troops: Renowned for their formations, they lead the charge in battle, excelling in quick assaults and battlefield control.
The basic troops were like the foundation of a building. By re-entering the barracks, these basic troops could undergo modifications and eventually evolve into intermediate troops.
Intermediate troops were advanced versions of the basic troops, each with more distinct characteristics and superior abilities in specific areas.
For example, Night Shadows were the evolved form of Swift Troops. While they had poor defense and limited endurance in prolonged battles, they excelled at stealth and assassination.
In Lin Qian's previous life, technological research in the game had to be completed before basic troops could enter the barracks for evolution. Further technological research would then allow intermediate troops to evolve into advanced troops, gaining new features and capabilities.
However, technological research took time. For example, in his previous life, the skill to evolve Swift Troops into Night Shadows required collecting materials and skill books, spending in-game currency, and then waiting three real-life days for the research to complete.
If you wanted to complete the research instantly, it was simple—just spend money to buy diamonds.
Many players, due to financial constraints, would specialize in certain troop types. Some might focus on the Stealth-Archer build, prioritizing assassination tactics, while others preferred the Shield-Spear combo, using shield troops for defense and spear troops for quick strikes.
These specialized tactics were popular among high-level players, and livestreams of their gameplay were often packed with viewers. However, the most popular streamer was Lin Qian, known for his Extravagant Strategy.
What was the Extravagant Strategy?
In Lin Qian's gameplay, materials and in-game currency were earned through grinding. However, drawing generals, obtaining in-game items, and speeding up processes could all be bought with real-world currency.
Lin Qian's extravagant strategy was simple: buy everything.
Whenever Lin Qian started his game livestream, his room would immediately fill up with viewers. The first thing he did after logging in was to max out his draws for generals and items, spend all his resources, and then instantly buy more to complete everything as fast as possible!
Then...
Fight!
He would relentlessly challenge other players in duels and organize massive nation wars!
And while most nation wars were one-on-one, Lin Qian's approach was always one-versus-many, leading the Huaxia Empire in taking on entire alliances.
Lin Qian was also one of the ten players in the game to achieve full technological development across all fields. As for the other nine, they had already been defeated by Lin Qian in cross-server battles before he was transported to this world.
A fully technologically developed empire was dubbed impeccable by other players.
Because in the game, everything that could be upgraded had been maxed out, leaving no weaknesses.
Now, Lin Qian only wanted to increase his power and let this world witness the true might of his proud Huaxia Empire. By integrating the knowledge of this world, he aimed to make his empire flawless.