At this moment, the five warships suspended in midair bear some resemblance to the one Lin Qian was aboard, yet they were strikingly different.
The five warships were constructed entirely of deep blue metal, and the buildings on their decks were cast from a deep blue crystal: Sea Blue Crystal, the building material favored by their Sea Clan.
At the same time, the five warships were enveloped in Arrays, within which seawater was contained, seemingly giving rise to a sea out of thin air.
Just then, Lin Qian suddenly pointed toward one of the warships.
The deep blue warship instantly spewed out seawater that tumbled about midair, where the luster of the Array infused it, seeming to coalesce water spherically in midair.
Immediately after, when Lin Qian waved his hand again, the sea water spewed from the warship pulled back, returning to calm.
"This..., this is incredible!" Zhang Nianxin and Zhang Nianyi, both were stunned by the sight of these five warships, especially the one that previously spewed seawater, leaving them completely astonished.
Not only that, the Sea Clan warriors behind them, too, were surprised and curious as they examined the warship. Clearly, the appearance of this warship was far different from what they had imagined.
"After all, you are from the Sea Clan; the original warships certainly wouldn’t suit you. These five warships were jointly developed by our Empire’s Heavenly Art Department and Fire Department, custom-made specifically for the unique traits of the Eight-Armed Sea Clan."
"This warship is not only capable of flying, but it can also submerge within the sea. However, compared to the warship I’m standing on, the speed of aerial flight is half as fast, but the speed of underwater submersion will be four times that in the air."
"Considering there’s still half a year left, using the warships’ flight capabilities for two months should be more than sufficient. Since your clan’s meetings occur so infrequently, the need for soaring flight will indeed be much less. As such, I took the liberty of focusing more on the capabilities within the sea."
"Also, when flying, it can generate an extended area of water. This way, if attacked while in the air, you can create an environment of water suited to you for battling your enemies more effectively."
"The interior of the warship has also been modified to resemble the seabed environment, allowing you to live more comfortably onboard."
Amidst the astounded expressions of the Eight-Armed Sea Clan, Lin Qian eloquently detailed the functions of the custom-made warship.
"Of course, there are many little surprises within the warship which you can discover gradually."
After Lin Qian had finished speaking, he quietly awaited their reaction.
As Lin Qian’s words concluded, Zhang Nianxin and Zhang Nianyi were at a loss for words and after a moment’s pause, they hurriedly flew toward the warship.
Upon reaching the warship, Zhang Nianxin extended one pair of hands in gratitude, gripping Lin Qian’s tightly: "Emperor Lin, I really do not know how to repay such a favor."
It was too unexpected, too miraculous!
Neither Zhang Nianxin nor Zhang Nianyi had anticipated that after providing Lin Qian with sacred texts, they would receive such an incredible surprise in return!
Originally, after purchasing the warships, the benefits they expected were merely more convenient travel toward their clan’s direction.
After all, they are from the Sea Clan; the sea environment is their native realm, and using warships for aerial flight was merely a last resort.
Given enough time, they would prefer to spend more time traveling through the sea.
Now, the warships Lin Qian customized for them were not only capable of flying through the air but also sailing through the sea, and at even greater speeds.
Moreover, even during midair flight, the environmental conditions inside the warship mimicked the seabed, with none of the discomfort they had anticipated.
Another important point was being able to generate a large area of water in midair!
After all, once they left their sea territory, the Sea Clan’s strength would decrease by twenty percent; encountering an attack in such a condition could be drastically disadvantageous.
Now, they no longer suffered from this drawback.
"Actually, this warship itself has an attack mechanism called the ’Soul Power Cannon’…" Following this, Lin Qian went on to explain in detail to Zhang Nianxin and Zhang Nianyi, allowing them to fully understand the warship’s capabilities.
As Lin Qian described their features, their astonishment increased.
At this moment, they understood why this was not called a Cloud Boat, but rather a warship.
Its function was not primarily for transporting individuals; rather, its true purpose was for warfare.
Hearing Lin Qian mention that he would be sending scholars from his Empire to stay permanently with their Eight-Armed Sea Clan to instruct them in the operation of these warships, Zhang Nianxin, and Zhang Nianyi felt increasingly ashamed.
"Emperor Lin, this is truly embarrassing for us, you are at too great a loss," Zhang Nianxin said, her face flushing with guilt as she spoke to Lin Qian, wanting to offer compensations.
Soul Crystals, Pills, Soul Devices, Primordial Weapons, all such forms of compensation were declined by Lin Qian, as they were of little use to him.
What truly held value were the Sea Clan’s texts, enabling the Huaxia Empire to advance its studies of the world further; as for the rest, he could easily manufacture them himself.
Seeing Lin Qian’s disinterest in these offerings, Zhang Nianxin, and Zhang Nianyi indeed found themselves in a difficult position, at a loss for how to reciprocate.
"Clan Leader Zhang, I actually have a good suggestion—what about we become allies?" Seeing Zhang Nianxin’s troubled expression, Lin Qian put forth his pre-prepared idea.
"No problem!" Forming alliances was nothing new for Zhang Nianxin’s branch of the Eight-Armed Sea Clan, as they had allied with various other Sea Clans before.
Although there had been alliances with the Human Clan at the main clan level, their branch had never experienced it.
However, for Lin Qian, Zhang Nianxin agreed without a second thought. How could they not repay such a great favor?
The custom-made warships for their Eight-Armed Sea Clan would easily be bought by the main clan for forty million top-grade Soul Crystals each, without any hesitation.
But what about Lin Qian? He provided five of them for ten million top-grade Soul Crystals each!
This was why Zhang Nianxin felt so ashamed, feeling that Lin Qian had greatly undercharged.
Subsequently, Lin Qian also explained the details of the alliance.
After hearing Lin Qian’s description, Zhang Nianxin and Zhang Nianyi both looked at each other in amazement.
Previously when they had formed alliances with other powers or races, it involved signing contracts, stipulating specific terms.
For instance, assisting each other in case of attacks, or engaging in trade of particular goods. Beyond that, there did not seem to be much interaction.
But Lin Qian proposed establishing a Huaxia Empire embassy within their branch of the Eight-Armed Sea Clan and suggested that the Eight-Armed Sea Clan establish an embassy in Coastal State within the Huaxia Empire.
This proposal struck Zhang Nianxin and Zhang Nianyi as novel.
Especially after listening to Lin Qian’s description, they found it to be very convenient.