Yun Xiang, watching this unfold, felt a warmth spread through her heart, secretly feeling fortunate to have such a good elder brother.

Mo Han then took the spatial rings and approached Daili and the others. "There's no need to be so polite with me," he said. Anna quickly accepted hers. "Thank you, Brother Mo Han."

Daili also took her ring and smiled at Mo Han, a smile that made him feel utterly lightheaded.

Yun Xiang, however, did not take hers, murmuring softly, "Big Brother, this is far too precious for me to accept."

Mo Han offered a wry smile. "Why are you all being so shy? I already said we are family, so stop being so formal. Besides, the things you bought today need to be put away by yourselves, unless you expect Big Brother to carry them for you?" Hearing his words, Yun Xiang finally accepted the ring, deeply moved.

Next, Mo Han told everyone the incantation, concluding, "Alright, everyone should get some good rest. We have a long journey tomorrow."

The group nodded eagerly and retreated to their respective rooms.

After several days of hard travel, everyone finally arrived in Feiji City, the westernmost city of the Sky Dragon Empire, by the evening of the third day.

Feiji City could be considered the western gateway of the Sky Dragon Empire, perpetually guarding against incursions from the west, thus its walls were exceptionally sturdy, rising at least twenty zhang high.

The garrison defending Feiji City belonged to the Qilin Legion, one of the five great legions of the Sky Dragon Empire, with a standing force of roughly two hundred thousand soldiers year-round. These troops were dispersed around Feiji, ready to provide support at the fastest possible speed should the city come under attack.

The Qilin Legion itself was divided into three corps, managed by the Gongsun family, one of the four great clans. The current Patriarch was Gongsun Wuji, whose inherited Wuji Dou Qi was said to have reached the pinnacle of a High Sword Master, just one step shy of a Great Sword Master. Gongsun Wuji had three children: the eldest, Gongsun Hai, commanded the First Corps of the Qilin Legion; the second, Gongsun Liang, served as a military staff advisor within the Empire.

The most astonishing among them was the third child, Gongsun Yunyan, who served as the commander of the Qilin Second Corps. Rumor had it that she single-handedly led the Second Corps to defeat the renowned general Jerrison of the Ao Yue Empire when he invaded Feiji City, earning her immense fame and the moniker of one of the Empire’s Twin Phoenixes, alongside Murong Feixue of the Murong family.

Murong Feixue was the Empire's celebrated master strategist, having repelled countless beast tribe invasions at Mingyuan City, located on the eastern flank of the Sky Dragon Empire. The Dragon Fury Legion's Third Corps, which she led, was known as the Undefeated Corps; it was said the Third Corps had never suffered a defeat while defending Mingyuan City.

The Dragon Fury Legion was the direct military arm of the Murong family. The current Patriarch, Murong Tian, had only one wife, Nangong Yunfeng, who bore him two children. Their elder son, Murong Feiying, was a wastrel noble, spending his days carousing in the various pleasure houses of the Imperial Capital, Tianlong City, and constantly stirring up trouble.

Murong Tian was deeply disappointed in Murong Feiying. He had once appointed him as a Deputy Commander in the Dragon Fury Second Corps, but Murong Feiying proved to be an absolute incompetent, spending his time leading his personal guard to harass the populace and proposition any attractive woman he encountered. This behavior earned him the wrath of the entire Second Corps and nearly provoked an open mutiny. It was only through Murong Tian's personal intervention that the unrest was quelled.

From then on, Murong Tian abandoned any hope for Murong Feiying, wishing only that he would cease causing trouble. He chose to ignore his son’s activities in the capital, provided they did not cross a certain line. Consequently, Murong Tian poured all his focus onto his daughter, Murong Feixue, showering her with immense affection.

Murong Feixue was exceptionally bright from childhood, often holding her own against her father in war game simulations until the outcome was too close to call, drawing his close attention. This led him to let her try commanding the Dragon Fury Third Corps. She proved capable, leading troops with strict discipline and rigorous training, proving herself no less competent than the Dragon Fury First Corps. Furthermore, she repeatedly defeated the invading beast tribes, earning her the epithet 'Female Zhuge' (a reference to a renowned ancient strategist).

Tragically, Murong Feixue had been frail since childhood and was unable to learn the Murong family's Dragon Fury Dou Qi, nor could she study magic. This caused Murong Tian great distress. He sought out countless famous physicians, but there was no improvement; doctors predicted she would not live past the age of twenty. In response, Murong Tian issued a proclamation: whoever could cure Murong Feixue, he would agree to marry his daughter off to them. Murong Feixue herself was famed for her peerless beauty, considered one of the Empire's Three Great Beauties (the others being Gongsun Yunyan of the Gongsun family, and Long Yuyan, the Eighth Princess of the Sky Dragon Empire and daughter of Emperor Long Zhantian).

As soon as the announcement went out, countless nobles and princes tried every means possible to treat her, but all efforts were futile. This year marked Murong Feixue’s twentieth birthday, plunging Murong Tian and Nangong Yunfeng into desperate anxiety, yet they remained helpless.

Following them, the Nangong and Changsun families held relatively weaker influence. The Changsun family managed the Blood Wolf Legion, defending Liuyun City in the Empire's deep south. The current Patriarch, Changsun Ming, was a man of relatively quiet demeanor and also had three sons: the eldest, Changsun Yi, commanded the Blood Wolf Second Corps; the second, Changsun Hao, commanded the Third Corps; while the youngest, Changsun Hao (Note: The text repeats the name here), remained constantly by Changsun Ming’s side, deeply favored by his father and considered the most likely successor to the Patriarchate. Changsun Ming consistently refused to involve himself in the court's factional struggles, maintaining a strictly neutral stance.

The weakest of the four, the Nangong family, was tasked with defending Mig City at the Empire's extreme north. The current Patriarch, Nangong Haitang, shared the closest relationship with the Murong family; the two clans customarily practiced generational marriage alliances. Murong Tian's wife, Nangong Yunfeng, was Nangong Haitang’s younger sister. Nangong Haitang had two children: the eldest daughter, Nangong Hui, and the second son, Nangong Tian, who was only fourteen and also deeply cherished by his mother. The Nangong family’s direct military arm, the Silver Fox Legion, was the weakest among the five great legions.

Apart from the armies controlled by the four great clans, the largest power resided with the Sky Dragon Grand Army, commanded solely by the Emperor of the Sky Dragon Empire, Long Zhantian, numbering eight hundred thousand strong. This army was responsible for continuously supervising the four clans and providing immediate support for any urgent military matters across the realm.

The commander of the Sky Dragon Army was Long Gufan, one of the five renowned Great Sword Masters on the continent, and also the only known Sword Saint, a direct disciple of Morderi, the Sky Heaven Sword Saint. He mastered the Sky Heaven Dou Qi, having inherited Morderi's true teachings. Furthermore, he was Emperor Long Zhantian’s own younger brother, which is why Long Zhantian trusted him completely with command of the Sky Dragon Army.

At present, the four great clans were a constant source of worry for the Emperor. However, since these clans held firm control over significant military forces, Emperor Long Zhantian dared not make any rash moves. Among the four clans, the Gongsun and Murong families were perpetually engaged in open rivalry, while the Nangong family naturally sided with the Murong family. Thus, while the Empire appeared outwardly calm, its interior was already roiling with undercurrents.

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