"Young Master, you shouldn't say such things." Hearing the words of the fierce young man, the burly youth hurriedly waved his hand. "I made a passing comment once, and my grandpa beat me so hard that I couldn't sit for days."
As he spoke, the burly youth rubbed his rear end, shivering at the memory. He vividly recalled how furious his grandfather had been, scolding him for his lack of gratitude, claiming that the emperor cared deeply for their family, while they remained ungrateful.
This fierce young man, named Yuan Tianxia, was the sole son of Yuan Wudi. Despite being only thirty years old, he had already reached the Life and Death Realm and was considered highly talented, believed to be the next leader of the Yuan family.
"I can't understand why my grandfather, my father, and all the elders of the Yuan family decided to pledge loyalty to this so-called Hua Xia Empire and serve under that young emperor!" Yuan Tianxia furrowed his brows, slapping his knee in frustration. "On what basis? Just because of these metal contraptions?"
He glanced toward the massive metallic structure perched on the mountain's peak, filled with disdain. "Does that thing really have the power to kill foreign races? Does that so-called emperor even know how much blood and sweat we've shed here? And now he thinks he can win us over with these worthless machines? And they dare say it's by the orders of our ancestors—what a joke."
As he spoke, Yuan Tianxia's chest heaved in anger, clearly feeling indignant. He believed that this young emperor Lin Qian had no respect for the sacrifices made by the Yuan family.
For generations, the Yuan family had been fighting on these harsh battlefronts, spilling blood and enduring hardships. In Yuan Tianxia's eyes, these metal structures were an insult, utterly useless in the life-and-death battles they faced.
"But Young Master, what if these things really work?" the young woman beside him cautiously suggested.
Yuan Tianxia scoffed and shot a glance at the Destruction Impact Soul Cannon. "That thing looks like a core mechanism of some defensive formation. The entire fortress wall has hidden soul ore pipelines engraved with runes, and there are more on the mountain peaks. I bet it's part of a defensive setup meant to make us cower in fear. Does this emperor think we're cowards?"
"Isn't that an insult to us? What else could it be?"
"Shh, keep your voice down. Don't let the people in charge of that 'metal contraption' hear you," said another figure, appearing suddenly. The young man, who had a refined and scholarly look, rushed to cover Yuan Tianxia's mouth. "Did you forget what happened to the last young disciple who insulted the emperor? His cultivation was destroyed on the spot."
"Besides, you guys only know about fighting on the front lines. You have no idea what's happening in the Central Region," the refined young man said as he sat down next to them.
Seeing this new arrival, everyone was delighted. "Yuan Zhi! Where have you been all this time?"
"I've been out gathering intel, trying to figure out what this Hua Xia Empire is all about," Yuan Zhi said as he glanced toward the Destruction Impact Soul Cannon. "The emperor of the Hua Xia Empire is none other than the grandson of Lord Yun, the son of Lin Di, the number one genius of the Central Region!"
"What?!" Yuan Tianxia's face froze in shock as he turned to Yuan Zhi, asking, "You're not joking, are you?"
"Why would I lie? You know the situation with the Yun family. As soon as this emperor appeared, he swept through the Yun family's old territories, seizing control of all their lands and isolating them from the outside world. What's more, our ancestors hold this emperor in the highest regard. Father told me that our grandfather mentioned these devices are called 'soul cannons,' specially sent by the emperor to reduce our casualties."
"But what exactly they do, I have no idea."
Buzz!
At that moment, a deep, resonant sound echoed from afar. The moment they heard it, all the Yuan family disciples turned pale.
Everyone recognized that sound—it signaled the arrival of foreign races preparing to attack!
Yuan Tianxia immediately rose into the air, scanning the distant horizon. The other Yuan family disciples followed suit, taking to the skies and looking out toward the horizon.
From their vantage point, they could clearly see dark, shadowy figures moving across the snowy plains, like a black tide surging toward the fortress.
The sky above was also filled with dark shapes, resembling a storm of black clouds moving in from the distance. Although the figures were still far off, the Yuan family disciples knew all too well that these were the foreign races.
"Soul Force flickers in Yuan Tianxia's eyes as he observes the enemy, his voice turning grim. 'It's the Wuxing Clan and the Ghost-Eaters!'"
Hearing Yuan Tianxia's words, the others instantly grasped the gravity of the situation. The swarming figures on the ground were undoubtedly soul beasts controlled by the Wuxing Clan.
As for the Wuxing Clan itself, they had likely taken over the powerful bodies of the Qingshi Clan, making them formidable adversaries.
The Ghost-Eaters, notorious for their gruesome appetite for human flesh, were quick and cunning. They could blend into snowstorms, mist, and shadows, making them incredibly difficult to deal with.
Gazing out at the advancing army of Wuxing Clan, Ghost-Eaters, and their soul beast slaves, Yuan Tianxia estimated their numbers to be at least several hundred thousand.
Though his soul-enhanced vision couldn't capture every detail, the sheer size of the force was evident from the trembling ground and the formations stretching across the plains.
"This isn't good. We can't sit here and wait for death. Let's prepare to fight." Taking a deep breath, feeling the cold bite into his lungs, Yuan Tianxia's eyes filled with a cold, murderous intent as he called out to his comrades.
The other Yuan family disciples nodded in agreement, readying themselves for battle.
"Hey! Look over there!" Suddenly, the female disciple pointed toward the distant mountaintop, her voice filled with surprise.
Following her gaze, Yuan Tianxia and the others saw the snow atop the metal structure begin to melt as heat radiated from within.
At that moment, a man from the Fireworks Department emerged from the structure. "You kids better move back. Don't stand so close—we're about to fire."
The moment he finished speaking, the man's Life and Death Realm aura flared up, using his soul force to move Yuan Tianxia and the others away from the Destruction Impact Soul Cannon, pushing them to the rear of the camp.
"Target locked: Grid A-37, B-4."
"Soul force charging complete. Hua Xia Empire Mid-Tier Destruction Impact Soul Cannon, ready to fire."
"Fire!"
Boom!
A terrifying beam of soul energy blasted out from the cannon's muzzle, shooting toward the distant black mass on the snowy plains at an unimaginable speed.