In the western reaches of the Great Pearl Kingdom, a small clan was steadily evolving into a minor kingdom within the empire. The Doanh Clan originally possessed three major cities and Doanh City—a smaller settlement that had grown so rapidly in population and quality that it rivaled the great capitals. These four hubs were renowned for horse breeding, supplying nearly half of the warhorses for the entire Pearl Kingdom.

  Later, Doanh Thuong Quan was granted five additional major cities, bringing the total to nine. Each major city oversaw two to fifteen smaller towns, which in turn managed dozens of villages. In total, the Doanh Clan controlled nearly 80 settlements. This was equivalent to nearly one-third of the Western Wolf Kingdom (180 cities) and about one-tenth of the Pearl Kingdom (approximately 800 cities).

  With such vast territory and military might, the Doanh Clan became a powerhouse—a natural bulwark shielding the Pearl Kingdom from the aggression of the Western Wolf Kingdom. With the Pearl Kingdom’s blessing, they established themselves as a dependent minor state named the Minor Huang Kingdom.

  Initially, their symbol was a plain yellow flag. Later, a dragon was added, becoming the Hoang Long Ky (Yellow Dragon Flag). The first King was Doanh Thuong Nhan, but he abdicated after only a few months, passing the throne to his eldest son, Doanh Thuong Hoang. Hoang was the most talented of the brothers, wielding a black flame known as the Hidden Meteor Fire. The youngest son, Doanh Thuong Quan, served as the Prince Regent; wielding a golden flame, he ruled in the King's absence. The middle son, Doanh Thuong Hien, was titled the Virtuous Prince. Possessing the white flame—or the White Fire of Salvation—he was beloved by the people for his constant charity and distribution of food to the poor.

  Though the King of the Pearl Kingdom, Chau Ngoc Yen, favored them (as Doanh Thuong Quan was the King’s mentor), the Great Kingdom could offer little support due to looming wars in the north and south. The lands of the Huang Kingdom lacked minerals and stone, possessing only horses in abundance. However, these horses had to be sent away to fuel the Great Kingdom's distant wars. Consequently, the only resource available for fortifications was wood, making it incredibly difficult to build passes capable of halting a Western Wolf invasion.

  Defending was hard enough, but the Great King tasked the Minor Huang Kingdom with a heavier burden: to invade the Western Wolf Kingdom and rescue Chau Ngoc Yen’s father and brothers. The promised reward was five border cities rich in minerals—vital assets for the kingdom's growth. This sparked internal conflict. The eldest brother, King Doanh Thuong Hoang, wanted to attack, while his two younger brothers preferred a defensive stance. After reporting to the Pearl King, the title of Grand General of the Western Expedition was transferred from the younger brother, Doanh Thuong Quan, to the King himself, Doanh Thuong Hoang.

  Due to the resource scarcity, support from the Immortal Cultivator Clans was a massive boon. Their inventions, particularly from the Cong Clan, introduced "Wooden Oxen" and "Wooden Horses" to transport goods and people. The most popular invention was the "Wooden Bird," which could carry passengers and fly for days on a single charge. These became elite aerial scouts, capable of detecting Western Wolf raiding parties from vast distances.

  The captivity of the former King and princes in the Wolf Kingdom forced the Pearl Kingdom to pay heavy tributes. Meanwhile, the Minor Huang Kingdom faced immense pressure from officials to launch a rescue mission. Doanh Thuong Hoang aggressively recruited talent from across the lands, eager to attack the Western Wolf Kingdom and prove his worth, despite his father’s warnings about the enemy’s superior combat prowess.

  Doanh Thuong Hoang ignored the advice. He considered himself a genius, having never tasted defeat. He had ascended through the ranks of cultivation to become the clan's only Core Formation (Ket Dan) stage expert. His father remained stuck at the Foundation Establishment (Truc Co) stage, while his brothers had only recently reached it. The King personally led the vanguard, confident he could march straight to the Wolf King’s Capital. He quickly seized ten cities (eight small, two large). Much of this success was thanks to Silver Beard, his father’s veteran bodyguard, who had also reached Core Formation and awakened the ability to create "Earthquakes," shattering city gates with ease. Together, their power was equivalent to two Grand Generals.

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  During this time, Han Thuong arrived at Doanh City to meet Doanh Thuong Nhan with a letter of recommendation from Noe. As they were old friends, the meeting was easily granted. Han Thuong explained his predicament—being controlled by Long Tu Nuong via Dragon Blood—and asked for help.

  Thuong Nhan replied, "Do not worry so much. Within a year, the effects of the Dragon Blood will fade. In fact, Dragon Blood is highly nourishing. If you use it to aid your cultivation, you will become much stronger."

  They talked happily until Han Thuong prepared to leave. Suddenly, Doanh Thuong Nhan spoke with an air of command: "We are currently in need of talent. Stay here and help me."

  Han Thuong felt a strange sensation. In his heart, he wanted to refuse, but his mouth spoke otherwise: "Of course. I will stay."

  Doanh Thuong Nhan was delighted and immediately appointed him as a military general. Neither realized that the Dragon Blood within Doanh Thuong Nhan (who had a blood pact with the Dragon God) was exerting a powerful influence over the Dragon Blood in Han Thuong due to the massive difference in "rank."

  "You were once a cultivator of the Profound Ice Sect, weren't you?" Thuong Nhan asked. "Find out for me why the entire Immortal Race has withdrawn from human cities. I used to dislike them because I felt they were monitoring us, but now that they are gone, I feel an underlying sense of dread."

  Han Thuong agreed and set out for the City of Immortals, located on the nearby Misty Mountain. The situation there was bizarre. The place was desolate. Previously, Beastmen were everywhere, but now they were nowhere to be seen. Only cultivators from various sects remained. Han Thuong eventually learned about the Treaty of the Seven Great Races, which demanded mutual respect for each race's sovereignty. Since humans were one of the Seven Races, the Immortal Race was forbidden from controlling or manipulating them. All were to be treated as equals. The Beastmen had returned to their own lands to build their own kingdoms.

  Many rules in the City of Immortals had changed. For instance, Halflings—previously detained within the city because of their kleptomaniac tendencies—were now free to come and go. Nearly a third of the Halfling population had left to explore the world.

  The management of Yao Beasts (Demon Beasts) had also shifted. Previously, they were forced into slave contracts to guard spirit lands or buildings. Now, they were liberated. Among them was the White Spirit Chicken, a white hen capable of transforming into a White Phoenix with a healing song. She had met a Black Spirit Chicken, and together they raised a brood of adorable chicks, living alongside the Halflings.

  Han Thuong noted that even humans were becoming scarce in the city. The Pearl Kingdom and the Cultivation Sects were drafting new treaties to maintain balance. While these new laws granted more freedom, they carried hidden dangers. Many dangerous Yao Beasts had been released, posing a threat to ordinary mortals.

  As he was leaving, Han Thuong encountered a commotion in a nearby village. Villagers armed with sticks and axes were surrounding a cowering beast. It was a Nine-Eared Hound, a guardian beast from the City of Immortals. Trained from birth never to attack humans, it simply trembled as the mob struck it.

  "Stop! Release it! That is my beast!" Han Thuong shouted.

  The villagers parted. Han Thuong approached and offered the hound its favorite spiritual food. Having been a patrol officer in the City of Immortals, he was well-acquainted with the creature. The hound greedily ate; Spirit Beasts required spiritual food, as normal food lacked the energy they needed to survive.

  "What about our food?" a villager demanded. "It stole twenty chickens and three pigs! That’s our livelihood!"

  "Here is the money," Han Thuong said, paying them. "If it happens again, feed it, and I will reimburse you."

  He looked the dog in the eye and sighed with relief. "Good thing you're a good boy and didn't eat any people. I would have had to kill you otherwise."

  The dog bowed its head, shivering.

  "Go back to the City of Immortals," Han Thuong advised. "You’re used to being cared for. You won't survive out here alone. Freedom is hard."

  The nine-eared dog bowed again. It understood human speech but rarely spoke. It struggled out the words: "No... return. Freedom."

  "Then follow me," Han Thuong said. "I will look after you."

  The Nine-Eared Hound immediately grew to over five meters tall, its mouth large enough to swallow a man whole. The villagers fled in terror. Han Thuong laughed, jumped onto its back, and rode off.

  Before disappearing, he called out to the villagers, "More terrifying beasts will appear soon! Build your walls, fix your fences, and prepare yourselves!"