"If the Transcendent Realm elders, along with my grandfather, father, and mother, join forces, the Yun family will be easily taken down," Lin Qian stood up, addressing the elders who had followed his grandfather with a calm voice.
"Your concerns are likely that the Yun family controls a vast territory in the Central Domain, and once war begins, there may not be enough manpower to handle the situation."
"However, you don't need to worry about manpower. My Hua Xia Empire has never lacked people."
After Lin Qian finished speaking, he stood quietly, awaiting the response from the Yun family elders.
The room remained silent for a long moment, and then laughter broke out.
"Master Lin, it's not that I am mocking you," said an elder from the Transcendent Realm, who had earlier advised caution to Yun Fan. He smiled kindly at Lin Qian. "Perhaps you've built up your forces well in the Southern Domain, but the Central Domain is entirely different. Even if you have enough people, their strength might not be enough to face the Yun family."
Though there was no ridicule in his tone, it was clear the elder believed Lin Qian didn't fully understand the realities of the Central Domain.
"Young people, ah... full of hope," the elder chuckled softly, looking at Lin Qian with a fond and indulgent expression.
"Yun Wu, don't underestimate my grandson," Yun Fan, seated at the head of the table, spoke with a smile. "The Hua Xia Empire that he rules is now well-known throughout the Central Domain. What's more, the entire Southern Domain—all 1,972 prefectures—are under his control."
Yun Fan's words silenced the entire council hall. Everyone present was shocked into stillness.
They knew Yun Fan well; he would never lie to them.
"Master Lin, did you truly unify the entire Southern Domain?" Yun Wu, the elder, asked, disbelief in his voice as he looked at Lin Qian.
Lin Qian nodded, showing no intention of hiding the truth. "Yes, after the Hua Xia Empire emerged, it drew attention from other forces in the Southern Domain. To resolve those problems, I conquered the entire Southern Domain."
"My goal is to unify the entire Soul Martial Continent. Taking control of the Southern Domain was just a small step, nothing particularly noteworthy."
"Nothing noteworthy?" Unifying the entire continent?
The elders, led by Yun Wu, stared at Lin Qian as if they were looking at a monster.
"So young…" Yun Wu muttered in awe, his mindset completely shifted from before.
Beyond the shock of Lin Qian's accomplishments, they were equally stunned by his bold ambition to unify the entire continent.
"Alright, I called this meeting today just to inform you of these matters. Go ahead and make your preparations. Soon enough, you'll be hearing more about the Hua Xia Empire. When that time comes, you will understand," Yun Fan said, waving his hand to dismiss the group, signaling the end of the meeting.
The elders left the council hall, each wearing expressions filled with a mix of emotions—astonishment, curiosity, and awe.
In the Central Domain, news spread much faster than in the Southern Domain.
Within three days, the story of the last emperor of the Hua Xia Empire, Long Aotian, had spread throughout the Central Domain. Rumors of the Yun family's ancestors being traitors, collaborators with foreign races, and despicable beings swept through the region like wildfire.
Additionally, the news that Yun Monarch Yun Fan's grandson, Lin Qian—heir to the Hua Xia Empire with its five-billion-year-long history—had arrived in the Central Domain was quickly circulating.
It didn't take long for the word to spread that Lin Qian planned to attack the Yun family, declaring a campaign to punish the traitors. Many were now eagerly awaiting to witness how strong the Hua Xia Empire truly was and how the Yun family would defend itself.
Moreover, the tension between Lin Qian, the grandson of the famed Yun Monarch, and the Yun family added an extra layer of intrigue to the brewing conflict.
Bang!
While Lin Qian was in the courtyard strengthening his body, the gate suddenly burst open, and a man with a small mustache rushed into the courtyard.
At that moment, Lin Qian's entire body was covered in a special medicinal liquid, and he was engulfed in a roaring green flame, which was tempering his flesh and blood.
Though his cultivation realm had improved, Lin Qian had not neglected the training of his physical body. This was essential for withstanding the greater fluctuations of power from Tian Hen and summoning even stronger entities from the Xuan Fantasy Star.
"Hm?" Lin Qian opened his eyes, curious about the intruder who had burst into the courtyard. He recognized the man almost immediately. The intruder bore an uncanny resemblance to his grandfather, and his features also strongly mirrored those of his mother, Yun Yunyan.
If Lin Qian didn't know who this man was, he'd have to be out of his mind.
"Uncle, barging into your nephew's residence like this... isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Lin Qian chuckled as he addressed the man.
This was his uncle, the same man who had helped his parents elope all those years ago. Without him, Lin Qian wouldn't even exist.
Lin Qian already had a good impression of this man.
Trailing behind his uncle was an elderly figure with an imposing aura. This old man was none other than Fu Bo, also known as Yun Fu, who had been serving Yun Fan since Lin Qian could remember. Lin Qian had encountered him once before, during an earlier confrontation with the Yun family's formation.
"Fu Bo!" Lin Qian greeted the elderly man with a respectful nod.
"Ah, my dear nephew! You've really made quite a name for yourself," Yun Qingfeng laughed heartily as he approached Lin Qian, placing an arm around his shoulder. The medicinal liquid on Lin Qian's body instantly transferred onto Yun Qingfeng's arm.
Suddenly, the liquid burst into flames, causing Yun Qingfeng's face to twist in shock as he inhaled sharply.
"Hiss!" Yun Qingfeng cried out, pulling back his arm. "What kind of stuff are you covered in? The moment it touched me, it started burning like mad! How can you sit there as if it's nothing?"
"It's a fire-refining concoction used for tempering the body. For me, the pain is manageable," Lin Qian responded calmly, unfazed by the fiery concoction on his skin.
Seeing Lin Qian remain so composed, Yun Qingfeng shook his head with a wry smile. "Your mother warned me about how monstrous you are, but this... You're not just a monster, you're a complete freak of nature."
"Ha! Don't forget, when the Yun family used their formation to track him down, it backfired, and the grandmaster overseeing the formation ended up dead," Fu Bo chimed in with a laugh.
"By the way, Uncle, you've arrived just in time. I wanted to ask you about something," Lin Qian suddenly leaned in with a conspiratorial look in his eye. "What's the situation with the Yuan Ling Merchant Guild right now?"