Seeing his nephew approach with a curious expression, Yun Qingfeng had a strange look on his face. "It's a complete mess. To put it simply, your grandfather's old friend, Ling Tian, has been ousted from the Yuan Ling Merchant Guild. Our side no longer has any connection with them."
"However, Uncle Ling Tian still controls his own wealth and influence, so you could say that he has split off from the Yuan Ling Merchant Guild."
"In other words, one of the two great merchant guilds in the Central Domain, the Yuan Ling Merchant Guild, is now nothing more than a shadow of its former self, no longer possessing the power it once had."
As he said this, Yun Qingfeng couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret. Such a massive merchant guild, reduced to this state.
However, to Lin Qian, this situation presented itself as a golden opportunity.
"Tell me more about it. What kind of person is Ling Tian? How is he handling things? Is he feeling down about it?" Lin Qian asked, pulling his uncle Yun Qingfeng closer with a keen interest, firing off one question after another.
"Hey, hey, don't touch me…" Yun Qingfeng raised his now-burning right hand in resignation, looking helplessly at his nephew. "Kid, stop touching me, and I'll tell you everything slowly."
Seeing the look of unease in his uncle's eyes, Lin Qian couldn't help but laugh. It seemed that his uncle's physical resilience was quite lacking—he couldn't even handle this level of pain.
Soon, Yun Qingfeng began to explain everything he knew in detail to Lin Qian.
Though he wasn't sure why his nephew was so interested in these specifics, as an uncle meeting his nephew for the first time, Yun Qingfeng felt he couldn't refuse such a small request.
After listening to his uncle's explanation, Lin Qian gained a clear understanding of the situation.
At the heart of the matter was his grandfather Yun Fan. His close friend Ling Tian, the former leader of the Yuan Ling Merchant Guild, was someone Yun Fan had met while traveling after leaving the Yun Family. Their bond was one forged through life-and-death experiences.
Years ago, when the Yuan Ling Merchant Guild faced great peril during its conflict with the Jinhua Merchant Guild, it was Yun Fan who had helped Ling Tian. Thanks to Yun Fan's assistance, Ling Tian was able to navigate through those troubled times unscathed.
Yun Fan had done an enormous favor for the Yuan Ling Merchant Guild, so it was only natural that when Yun Fan found himself in a dire situation, Ling Tian and the guild had an obligation to protect him.
However, the Yun family was no pushover. They exerted tremendous pressure on the Yuan Ling Merchant Guild, which had aligned itself more closely with the Jinhua Merchant Guild as a result.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
At that time, Yun Fan had been severely injured, his fate uncertain. There seemed little reason for the Yuan Ling Merchant Guild to risk everything for someone seen as a cripple. Thus, the guild's leadership decided to abandon him.
Yet Ling Tian's faction strongly opposed this decision, arguing that Yun Fan had once saved the guild, and abandoning him now would be both dishonorable and unethical. The internal dispute was fierce, and eventually, Ling Tian led his followers to leave the guild, pledging to stand by Yun Fan no matter the cost.
"Just as Ling Tian left the Yuan Ling Merchant Guild, news came out about the ancient Hua Xia Empire's heir, Lin Qian, arriving in the Central Domain to punish the treacherous Yun family," Yun Qingfeng chuckled, looking at his nephew as the green flames on Lin Qian's body began to subside. "Kid, the commotion you caused is really something."
"Having a legitimate reason is important. Without a valid pretext, if other forces were to interfere in the Central Domain, making a move against the Yun family would cause resentment and complicate matters," Lin Qian said, frowning. "I don't want to stir up emotions in other factions prematurely and give them time to prepare a counterattack against the Hua Xia Empire. If that happens, my plan to unify the Soul Martial Continent could be ruined before it even begins."
Still squatting beside his nephew, Yun Qingfeng was caught off guard by these bold words and nearly stumbled. He sat down with a thud. "Wait, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?"
"No, Uncle. I'm very clear-headed," Lin Qian said, standing up and pulling his uncle to his feet. "The state of the human race is far from its former glory. Those brutal foreign races are watching us like predators, and yet we're still fighting among ourselves."
"I've been learning more about the Central Domain's history. All I've seen is constant infighting and bloodshed, with selfish individuals only looking out for their own interests. The threat of the foreign races is left to the Yuan Family alone, who bear the immense burden of protecting the human race."
"Meanwhile, other factions in the Central Domain only care about internal power struggles. They compete over talented individuals without considering the bigger picture. It's shortsighted and foolish."
"At this rate, the human race will be destroyed by these people. The Yuan Family will be dragged down until they collapse under the weight of their responsibility. In that case, it's better to bring order to this chaos."
"I will unify the Soul Martial Continent, where all races will coexist in harmony. There will be no distinction between human and foreign races—only citizens of the Hua Xia Empire. We will cast aside this outdated, ignorant way of life and usher in an age of advanced cultivation and technology."
As Lin Qian spoke, he grew increasingly passionate. His eyes shone with a fervent light, and his whole body trembled with excitement.
It felt like the time when he first entered a game in his past life, staring at the immense tech tree and the vast, dark map. The prospect of building up his army of powerful warriors and beastmasters filled him with exhilaration.
But this time, it wasn't just a game—he was going to build a living, breathing empire.
With his mind set on his goal, Lin Qian's thoughts became clear, and his aura surged. He immediately sat down cross-legged on the ground.
For Lin Qian, the joy of building and cultivating was his greatest passion, both in his past life and in this one.
Strengthening the Hua Xia Empire and unifying the Soul Martial Continent were not just strategies—they were his ultimate aspirations, goals into which he poured his heart and soul.
In his past life, he had been alone, but in this one, he was surrounded by family who loved him, including parents who cared for him deeply, and Xin Er, who remained loyal and steadfast by his side.
His dreams from his past life were being realized, with the Hua Xia Empire coming to life before his eyes.
"Personal power alone means nothing. Reaching the pinnacle of strength is such a boring goal," Lin Qian muttered to himself as he entered a state of deep cultivation. "Since I've been reborn, I might as well aim for something bigger. I'll make it my goal to rule and transform this entire world."
"That will be my ultimate path—Lin Qian's path."
Boom!
In an instant, a deep rumble emanated from within Lin Qian. His soul power ignited fiercely, and the Tian Hen in his dantian spun wildly. Vast amounts of spiritual energy surged into his body.
A dominating imperial aura erupted, enveloping the entire valley. The soldiers and warriors guarding the city within the valley, all part of the Hua Xia Empire, sensed Lin Qian's growing strength and knelt in reverence.
Whoosh!
A powerful wind swept through the area as Lin Qian began his breakthrough.