In the outer regions of the Yuan family's territory, approximately four hundred prefectures had been completely occupied by the disciples of the Eight Directions forces. In one of the cities near the inner territories, the soul warriors from the Jinhua Trading Association were greedily looting the city.
"This is ridiculous! Isn't the Yuan family supposed to be the largest clan among the human race? Why is there so little here? They're poorer than our trading association!" complained one of the soul warriors from the association as he searched through the Yuan family's stores in the city's estate, frowning as he spoke to his companion.
His fellow soul warrior from Jinhua Trading Association nodded in agreement. "Exactly. I didn't expect the Yuan family to be this poor." As they left one house, another person emerged from the building across the street.
Judging by their attire, they were clearly another member of the Jinhua Trading Association.
Seeing a fellow trader emerge from the opposite house, the first soul warrior walked up and asked, "How about you? Did you find anything?"
The soul warrior from the Jinhua Trading Association spat on the ground in frustration and cursed. "What a stroke of bad luck! All I found were a few soul crystals and some soul ores, nothing else. From the looks of the Yuan family's grandeur, I thought their stores would be filled with wealth, but there's hardly any soul crystals or cultivation resources."
"It's strange, isn't it? When the Yuan family retreated, they seemed to be in such a hurry that they didn't have time to transfer anything. So why is it that all the city vaults we've raided are so empty?"
"Who knows? I can't believe the so-called greatest human clan turned out to be so broke."
The group of Jinhua Trading Association's soul warriors laughed mockingly.
"That's because the Yuan family isn't like you beasts!" Suddenly, a venomous shout came from nearby.
Sitting on the roadside was an elderly man drenched in blood, his limbs twisted and broken, clearly having been violently disabled.
"Our Yuan family's soul crystals, soul ores, and spiritual herbs have all been used to defend the northern borders, to hold back the constant harassment and attempted invasions by the foreign tribes. The Yuan family has been burning through vast amounts of resources every moment, with countless Yuan family disciples giving their lives to protect the safety of the human race."
"But you bastards! You've forgotten everything! The Yuan family has served as the guardian of the human race for ages, only to be destroyed by the very people we once protected."
The elder, clearly a member of the Yuan family, lamented in sorrow. He had stayed behind to defend his homeland but had been easily overpowered by the Jinhua Trading Association's soul warriors due to his low cultivation level.
With a single attack, the Jinhua Trading Association's warriors had broken his limbs and left him on the roadside. Hearing them complain about the Yuan family's supposed poverty, he could no longer hold back his grief and anger and screamed at them.
"Old man, that's your own family's stupidity to blame," one of the Jinhua Trading Association's soul warriors sneered, "Who told your Yuan family to take on the role of guardians? Good people are meant to be slaughtered."
The Yuan family elder, his face filled with despair, gathered what little soul power remained in him. A crazed look flashed in his eyes as he prepared to self-destruct, aiming to take these bastards down with him.
But just as he was about to act, he felt something soft brush against him. He looked down in confusion.
What he saw was a small dog, one he recognized—an animal that had been wandering around his home for a long time. The dog was looking up at him with wide eyes.
The Yuan family elder clearly remembered this little dog. It was swift and nimble, and he would often feed it. The dog had grown fond of him.
But now, to his astonishment, the little dog was shaking its head at him. It was as if the animal sensed what he intended to do and was trying to stop him.
The elder did not know that the Xia Dynasty's reconnaissance beasts, though weak in cultivation, were incredibly intelligent and possessed simple emotions and acute senses.
"Old fool, time to send you on your way..." The voice of one of the Jinhua Trading Association's soul warriors reached the elder's ears, jolting him from his thoughts. He instinctively looked up.
What he saw next left him utterly stunned.
The Jinhua Trading Association soul warrior who had been about to strike him down froze mid-motion.
Unbeknownst to the elder, a hooded figure clad in black had appeared behind the warrior. A short dagger, glowing faintly with yellow soul power, had already slit the warrior's throat.
Not only that, the hooded man's other dagger had pierced the warrior's dantian, ensuring that he could no longer use his cultivation power.
In the next moment, two more hooded figures materialized from the shadows, swiftly dispatching the remaining two Jinhua Trading Association soul warriors before they could react. They gently lowered the bodies to the ground as they fell.
The Yuan family elder, who had thought himself doomed, watched the scene in shock.
Swish!
Suddenly, a figure in a green hood appeared before him, pulling out a crystal vial. The figure uncorked the bottle and said, "Drink this. Recover your wounds and retreat."
Before the elder could react, the hooded figure tilted the bottle and poured the red liquid into his mouth.
The crimson liquid slid down his throat, and almost immediately, its potent effects surged through his body.
The elder felt his injuries rapidly healing. His twisted limbs straightened and mended in the blink of an eye.
Shocked, the elder stood up, gazing down at his hands in disbelief.
At that moment, he heard the green-hooded figure speaking into a communication device, "Sector South-27 cleared. Found one surviving Yuan family member. Escorting to the rear."
The next moment, the elder noticed a hulking man with a giant shield step out of the shadows. The man nodded to him and said, "Please follow me to a safe area. This place will soon become a battlefield, and it is not suitable for you to remain here."
Dazed, the Yuan family elder followed the giant warrior northward.
When they reached the back of his house, he was utterly shocked to discover an entire army had gathered in formation, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.