Elder Yuan Supreme looked at the young man before him with astonishment.
Just moments ago, he had sensed a disturbance from the long-dormant teleportation portal, and upon stepping out of his wooden hut, he saw this white-robed young man emerge.
The young man's appearance unmistakably matched the description given by the family's ancestor—Lin Qian, the one to whom the Yuan family must pledge its loyalty in the future.
This man was to be the future leader of the Yuan family!
The moment Lin Qian arrived in this new realm, he immediately recognized that he had entered the Central Region. The dense spiritual energy around him alone was enough to confirm the immense power of this place.
The spiritual energy here was at least twenty times denser than that of the Southern Region—a staggering difference.
This discrepancy made sense, considering the Southern Region had suffered massive damage during the ancient war, leading to the collapse of large swaths of its territory. In contrast, the Central Region had remained intact, naturally retaining far more spiritual energy.
However, Lin Qian wasn't too surprised. He believed that with the combined efforts of his Tian Gong Division, Huo Gong Division, and Medical Division, the spiritual energy concentration in the Southern Region could not only match that of the Central Region but eventually surpass it.
One day, the Southern Region—or more accurately, the Hua Xia Empire—would leave the Central Region far behind in terms of spiritual energy concentration.
But for now, Lin Qian's gaze remained vigilant as he observed the old man before him. The elder's aura was elusive, making it impossible for Lin Qian to discern his true cultivation level.
Clearly, this elder's cultivation surpassed that of the Awakening Realm.
Was he friend or foe? Lin Qian was wary, recalling Yuan Xiang's earlier mention that beyond the portal lay his family's territory, the Yuan family. Therefore, this old man was likely a member of the Yuan family.
But did this Yuan family elder recognize him? Elder Yuan Supreme, having composed himself, looked at Lin Qian with a respectful expression before bowing deeply. "Young Master!"
"Huh?" Lin Qian's eyes widened in surprise at the elder's actions. The old man was calling him 'Young Master' upon their first meeting.
Why would he, a stranger, be addressed as Young Master? "It must have something to do with Elder Yuan," Lin Qian mused, piecing together the situation. After a moment of thought, he surmised what was happening.
Quickly stepping forward, Lin Qian helped the elder up. "Elder, your sudden actions are quite confusing. This is our first meeting, and you're already calling me Young Master. What's going on?"
"This is a special instruction from our ancestor. The Yuan family is to obey the commands of the Young Master from now on. However, there are some limitations; we cannot violate our ancestor's old edict of not interfering in internal human conflicts," Yuan Supreme explained calmly as Lin Qian helped him up.
After hearing Yuan Supreme's explanation, Lin Qian began to understand what was happening. It seemed that Yuan Xiang had issued some instructions to the Yuan family, leading to this elder addressing him as Young Master.
Though he now understood the situation, Lin Qian couldn't help but feel it was strange. While Yuan Xiang was indeed a venerable elder, his attitude toward Lin Qian seemed excessively generous.
Reflecting on their past interactions, Lin Qian realized that, while Yuan Xiang had always treated him with respect, there was also an underlying sense of fondness and even a hint of reverence.
At the time, Lin Qian hadn't thought much of it, but now it seemed rather peculiar.
Now that the Yuan family was following their ancestor's orders to serve him as their Young Master, it felt as though the entire Yuan family had been handed to him on a silver platter.
"Might I ask how I should address you, Elder?" Lin Qian inquired, directing his question to the old man before him.
Yuan Supreme waved his hand dismissively. "Since our ancestor has decreed that you are the Young Master of our Yuan family, there's no need for you to address this old man as an elder."
"I am Yuan Supreme, the current elder of the Yuan family and the gatekeeper of this place. You may call me by my name."
"That won't do. Respect for elders must be maintained. If you don't mind, I'll address you as Elder Yuan. How does that sound?" Lin Qian responded, shaking his head. He insisted on maintaining proper decorum.
Seeing Lin Qian's sincerity, Yuan Supreme nodded appreciatively, feeling a sense of relief.
Their ancestor had suddenly imposed a Young Master upon the Yuan family, but they knew nothing about his character or temperament. This left Yuan Supreme feeling anxious.
If Lin Qian had turned out to be arrogant or ill-tempered, it would have spelled trouble for the Yuan family.
But after this brief interaction, Yuan Supreme was reassured that Lin Qian was not such a person.
"In fact, Young Master, I've been very curious—why do you refer to yourself as 'We'?" Yuan Supreme asked, voicing his curiosity about something he had noticed from the start.
"I am the ruler of a faction known as the Hua Xia Empire. As its emperor, it is customary for me to refer to myself as 'We,'" Lin Qian explained with a smile.
"I see. Please, come inside," Yuan Supreme said, gesturing toward the wooden hut behind him.
Lin Qian nodded and followed Yuan Supreme into the humble abode.
Inside the wooden hut, everything was simple and unadorned. Yuan Supreme began to brew tea for Lin Qian, and the fragrant aroma of spiritual tea soon filled the air.
As the tea was prepared, they exchanged smiles and sipped their tea, easing into a conversation.
"You've come here, I presume, to find your parents—Emperor Lin and Yun Yun Yan?" Yuan Supreme asked, smiling at Lin Qian.
Upon hearing his parents' names, Lin Qian quickly nodded. "Indeed, that is why I'm here. Do you have any news of them, Elder Yuan?"
Seeing Lin Qian's eagerness, Yuan Supreme nodded approvingly. A person so devoted to his parents was surely of good character.
"Young Master, your grandfather has fallen ill, and we have discreetly sent people to stabilize his condition. However, to cure him completely, we need the Qingling Grass, which is only found in the Valley of Ten Thousand Herbs and Trees."
"Your parents entered the valley to search for it, but they are currently being hunted by the Yun family and have been trapped inside," Yuan Supreme explained with a sigh. "Our ancestral edict prevents us from interfering in human conflicts, so all we could do was provide some aid in secret. Unfortunately, we couldn't intervene directly."
"The Yun family and the Valley of Ten Thousand Herbs and Trees…" Lin Qian murmured, his soul power surging as the imperial might within him burst forth.