The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

Before Lin Qian stood a thousand-strong army of heavily armored soldiers, all kneeling before him. Leading them was a general clad in gleaming silver armor, a black dragon emblazoned on his chest plate, and a crimson cape billowing in the wind behind him.

This Black Dragon Silver Armored General had a fair and handsome face, almost like a delicate young man, but his eyes were sharp, full of power and determination. A pair of neatly trimmed mustaches adorned his upper lip, and the aura around him was undeniably powerful.

The general slammed the butt of his spear into the ground and then knelt before Lin Qian, removing his dragon-headed helmet as he prostrated himself. With a voice full of fervor and guilt, he declared, "Your Majesty, this humble servant is late to your rescue. I deserve death a thousand times over. Please, Your Majesty, do not punish me now. Allow me to slaughter those who dared to offend your imperial majesty, and then I will take my own life to atone."

After speaking, the Black Dragon Silver Armored General kept his head pressed to the ground, awaiting Lin Qian's command.

Lin Qian was stunned, staring wide-eyed at the scene before him, completely forgetting the life-or-death situation he had been in just moments ago.

Fu Yuxiang, who had been advancing toward Lin Qian, was equally dumbfounded. He froze mid-step, his gaze fixed on the kneeling army.

On the hillside, Liang Ren and the two formation masters from the Overlord Blade Sect were equally shocked, their eyes bulging as they watched the impossible unfold.

What was happening? Where had this army suddenly appeared from, and why were they kneeling before the Lesser Emperor, calling him "Your Majesty"?

The title of "Lesser Emperor" had always been a nickname due to Lin Qian's master, not a literal title of royalty. But the real shock was the strength of this army—each soldier was at the peak of the Formation Realm, and the general's aura alone was enough to suppress the presence of the three Overlord Blade Sect members.

"Zhao Long?" Lin Qian took a deep breath to calm himself and asked tentatively.

The Black Dragon Silver Armored General immediately raised his head, his expression a mixture of guilt and fervent loyalty. "This servant is Zhao Long!"

Hearing Zhao Long's response, Lin Qian couldn't help but burst into laughter, a sense of relief washing over him. "The heavens haven't abandoned me, hahaha…"

After laughing, Lin Qian's expression hardened. He pointed at Fu Yuxiang and the others. "Zhao Long, listen to my command. Capture that pale-faced one alive and kill the other three. The rest of you, scour the entire valley. Kill anything that breathes!"

Without hesitation, Zhao Long and the thousand heavy-armored soldiers stood up, shouting in unison, "By your command!"

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Long was upon Fu Yuxiang. His spear moved like lightning, and before Fu Yuxiang could react, his limbs were pierced, and a well-aimed blow to the back of the head knocked him unconscious.

Liang Ren and the two formation masters were horrified. Fu Yuxiang, a powerful Nirvana Realm expert, had been defeated in a single move by this sudden general.

"How is this possible?" Liang Ren shouted in disbelief.

"Silence! How dare you raise your voice in the presence of His Majesty? Just for that, you deserve to die a thousand times!" Zhao Long's face turned red with anger as he roared.

"Damn you! Raging Rain Pear Blossom Spear!"

Zhao Long leaped into the air, his spear disappearing as countless spear shadows descended like a torrential rainstorm upon Liang Ren and the two formation masters.

In an instant, the three of them were reduced to a bloody mist, and the mountain wall behind them crumbled, sealing off the cave entrance.

After finishing off his enemies, Zhao Long returned to Lin Qian, kneeling once more. "Your servant has dealt with the traitors, and now I shall take my life to atone for my earlier failure."

With that, Zhao Long planted his spear in the ground and raised his hand to deliver a fatal blow to his own head.

Lin Qian's face paled, and he quickly shouted, "Zhao Long, stop!"

Zhao Long froze mid-strike, then knelt again, his voice filled with fear, "Your Majesty, please do not be angry!"

"I absolve you of any guilt. Stand up now." Lin Qian's voice was firm as he continued, "You saved me from a dire situation. Not only are you blameless, but you have also performed a great service. I command you to live!"

Zhao Long's eyes filled with tears of gratitude as he knocked his head against the ground three times. "Your Majesty's magnanimity is boundless. This servant dares not speak of merit."

"Enough, stand up," Lin Qian gestured for Zhao Long to rise, and as the general obeyed, Lin Qian carefully observed him.

Zhao Long immediately stood tall, his posture immaculate as Lin Qian studied him.

To Lin Qian, Zhao Long was both familiar and unfamiliar.

He was familiar because Lin Qian had personally created him in his previous life in the virtual nation-building game Fantasy Empire. Zhao Long was the personal guard general Lin Qian had designed, known for his absolute loyalty to the empire and his supreme combat abilities.

The thousand heavy-armored soldiers kneeling before him were none other than the lowest-tier infantry from Fantasy Empire.

In that game, Lin Qian had poured his resources into upgrading every aspect of his empire, from generals to troops. As a result, even the lowest-tier infantry were equipped with the best heavy armor.

Lin Qian had become the undisputed ruler of his game server, investing his massive inheritance into dominating the competition as a "pay-to-win warrior."

For Lin Qian, the game was more than just entertainment—it was his life. He spent astronomical sums to perfect his empire, earning the nickname "War God" among his peers for his sheer dominance.

Eventually, the server had become a ghost town, with no other players left to challenge him. Lin Qian had continued to play in solitude, hoarding resources and climbing to the top of every leaderboard.

Among his many achievements was the creation of Zhao Long, who topped the rankings as the strongest general. His design was meticulous, embodying everything Lin Qian wanted in a commander—loyalty, strength, and an unyielding sense of duty.

However, this same Zhao Long, who had once been nothing more than a virtual construct, was now a living, breathing warrior standing before him.

"How is this possible?" Lin Qian wondered, trying to make sense of the impossible. "Did Zhao Long and these soldiers somehow cross over into this world with me? And if they did, how did they gain consciousness and life?"

As Lin Qian's thoughts raced, he noticed that Fu Yuxiang, who had been unconscious, was beginning to stir.

"Zhao Long, if I recall correctly, you have Truth Serum in your inventory, right?" Lin Qian asked, a sudden idea forming in his mind.

"I have three bottles, Your Majesty!" Zhao Long confirmed, eager to assist.

"Take one and make him drink it," Lin Qian ordered, nodding toward the slowly waking Fu Yuxiang.

"By your command!" Zhao Long pounded his chest with his right fist, then turned to carry out Lin Qian's orders.

As Zhao Long retrieved a vial of serum from his inventory and forced it down Fu Yuxiang's throat, Lin Qian's suspicions began to solidify into a shocking realization.

First, in the game, Lin Qian had set it up so that the generals referred to themselves as "I" instead of "We" to avoid sounding pretentious. This quirk had always felt right to him, despite it being a highly unconventional setting.

The game's loyalty system was strict—generals who disliked their emperor's behavior could lose loyalty, eventually leading to rebellion. But with Lin Qian's top-tier "Emperor's Aura" passive ability, all his units remained perpetually loyal, regardless of his decisions.

Second, every player in Fantasy Empire was granted a random passive ability at the start of the game. Lin Qian had hit the jackpot with "Emperor's Aura," one of the game's three legendary passives, which kept all his units' loyalty maxed out.

In the early days of the game, another wealthy player had offered Lin Qian five million yuan for his account, but Lin Qian had refused. His empire was priceless to him.

Now, as he watched Zhao Long obey his every command without hesitation, Lin Qian was almost certain that this passive ability had somehow carried over into this world with him.

Third, in the game, generals had inventory slots for carrying various items, including potions like the Truth Serum that Zhao Long had just used.

With everything falling into place, Lin Qian arrived at a stunning conclusion:

It wasn't just Zhao Long and the thousand soldiers who had followed him into this world—his entire Fantasy Empire, the mighty Huaxia Empire, had come with him, and it had undergone an incredible transformation.