Structures of the Three Clans

Shi Yue led the three of them before the members of his squad and introduced them one by one.

"This is Yan Feng, our squad's vice-captain. He comes from the Fire Cloud Tiger Clan, and his Departing Fire Golden Flame is used with consummate mastery." Shi Yue pointed to a burly man clad in crimson battle armor, with black stripes forming the character "King" on his forehead. The man's gaze was somewhat cold. He merely nodded at Lin Yan and the other two, considering that a greeting.

"This is Qing Luo, a Transformation of the Spirit Wood Clan. She excels at healing and Array Formation, serving as our squad's medic and array master." A woman dressed in an emerald-green gauze skirt, with delicate features and a gentle aura, gave the three of them a slight nod. A faint fragrance of grass and wood lingered around her, refreshing the spirit.

"This is Lei Zhen, a descendant of the Kui Ox. He possesses immense strength and is an Expert at charging into battle." A giant man nearly thirty feet tall, with muscles like cast steel and a single horn on his head, patted his chest with a dull thud. His gaze toward Lin Yan and the other two carried scrutiny, but no ill intent.

"This is Golden Feather, from a branch of the Golden Winged Great Peng Clan. He is responsible for aerial scouting and high-speed assaults." A sharp-eyed young man with Pale Gold Wings folded his arms. He only cast a casual glance at Lin Yan and Ao Ye, seemingly not particularly fond of either of them.

"This is Shui Ling, of the Mysterious Tortoise Clan. His defense is unmatched, and he is our most reliable shield." A solidly built young man carrying an enormous turtle shell smiled and nodded at them.

Beyond those few, Shi Yue introduced several other members as well: some from the Chuan Shan tribe, skilled in earth-travel Evasion Techniques; some from the Jade Scale Python Clan, capable of spitting poisonous mist; and some from the Wind Chasing Dog Clan, with extraordinarily keen noses... Altogether, there were no fewer than twelve of them.

Lin Yan noticed that among the team members, two Qilin Clan Warriors remained in their true Kirin forms. They were a full size larger than Mo Xuan, while all the others were alien races with their own unique abilities.

According to Mo Xuan, those two Qilin Clan Warriors had only temporarily joined the squad to gain experience and polish their credentials. Sooner or later, they would return to the Qilin Clan Elite Guard.

Lin Yan secretly found it remarkable. Were the Kirin Clan's Patrol Teams all such multinational forces? Yet without exception, every member possessed an extremely condensed aura. Aside from Shi Yue, who had already reached the True Immortal realm, all the others were Heavenly Immortals.

Such a lineup made Lin Yan secretly click his tongue. A mere border Patrol Team under the Wutu Camp already completely outclassed his Earth Dragon Community. As for the strength of the entire Kirin Clan... he did not dare imagine it.

No wonder Mo Xuan usually acted as though he feared neither Heaven nor Earth. With such a colossal power backing him, he certainly had the right to be proud.

Ao Ye, meanwhile, looked entirely unsurprised and transmitted his voice to Lin Yan. "What's so impressive about that? The Sea Patrol Yaksha Squad of our Dragon Clan isn't any weaker than them in cultivation, and we even have far more people."

Seeing that Mo Xuan and the other two had already been assigned to Shi Yue's squad, Elder Xuan Yue said solemnly, "This patrol is intended to inspect the border region in the southwest of the Myriad Ravine Ancient Plain. Fierce beasts are plentiful there, so all of you must be careful."

"By your command, Elder!" Shi Yue and all the team members responded in unison, their voices shaking the wilderness.

"Set out!" Elder Xuan Yue swept his Fang Tian Hua Ji, turning into a streak of golden light as he flew southwest. The other members, including Lin Yan and the other two, also raised their Escape Lights or unfolded their forms and followed close behind.

After joining the Patrol Team, their method of travel became completely different from the leisurely wandering Lin Yan and the other two had practiced before.

The Patrol Team advanced with exceptional discipline. Golden Feather spread his Wings and flew hundreds of miles ahead of the group, responsible for high-altitude warning and reconnaissance. Yan Feng and Shi Yue flew slightly ahead on the left and right flanks of the main force, like two forward-pointing spearheads. Those skilled in earth travel moved beneath the ground, keeping pace with the airborne group. The remaining members formed a loose formation, protecting support personnel such as Qing Luo and Shui Ling in the center. Lin Yan, Mo Xuan, and Ao Ye were also temporarily placed in this relatively safe position.

The entire team was like a precisely operating War Machine: silent, efficient, and vigilant. The Scattered Fierce Beasts they encountered along the way did not require Elder Xuan Yue to act at all. Golden Feather in the vanguard, or Shi Yue and Yan Feng on the flanks, would swiftly eliminate them with thunderous methods, never dragging things out or lingering for battle.

Lin Yan nodded to himself. This was how great powers dealt with fierce beasts: professionally and efficiently, using the strength of the team to compensate for individual shortcomings or oversights. Compared to the "Guerrilla Warfare" style of his former three-man group—fight when they encountered something, run if they could not win—the difference in level was obvious.

The journey was not all battle. Whenever there was a moment of leisure, Mo Xuan and Ao Ye habitually gathered around Lin Yan and started chatting.

"Lin Yan, what do you think of our Kirin Clan's strength? This multi-racial joint combat setup is pretty good, isn't it?" Mo Xuan said proudly, pointing at the Patrol Team members.

"It really is good. The Kirin Clan truly deserves its status as a major power in the Prehistoric World. It has that spirit of embracing all rivers," Lin Yan said honestly.

"What's so unusual about that? In today's Primordial World, which major power does not operate this way? A single race's abilities are limited, after all. Only by joining together can everyone become stronger and better resist fierce beast attacks," Ao Ye retorted out of habit.

"Our Dragon Clan has also united countless sea clans to resist fierce beasts together."

"Is that really uniting the various races? You Dragon Clan force them to become your subordinate races. How is that anything like our Kirin Clan, which treats the Various Races' Living Beings equally? And all those races willingly gather together. When something happens, they discuss it together, assist one another as equals, share resources, and fight fierce beasts together. It is nothing like your Dragon Clan, forcing those Water Tribes to submit before treating them as inferior races to be enslaved."

"When has our Dragon Clan ever enslaved other Water Tribes? They willingly came to depend on us, all right? Since they want our Dragon Clan to protect them, naturally they have to pay some price. You can't expect our Dragon Clan to protect them for free, can you?" Ao Ye said with some dissatisfaction.

Lin Yan understood. The Kirin Clan followed the path of the Pact of Hundred Clans, something akin to a federal system or tribal confederation from his previous life.

Although the Kirin Clan was powerful, it did not stand alone above all others, nor did it rule the various races through brute force. The other races all possessed considerable autonomy and independent territories. However, every race within the alliance had to obey the unified deployment of the Elder Council, especially when fighting external wars and purging fierce beasts."

It seemed Ancestor Qilin was not only formidable in strength; his political skill was no less impressive.

"Ao Ye, then how does your Dragon Clan manage its territory?" Lin Yan asked Ao Ye curiously.

"Our Dragon Clan was born by upholding the water virtue of Heaven and Earth. The water veins of this Prehistoric World are boundless and vast, and all honor our Dragon Clan as their master.

My Old Ancestor, His Majesty Ancestor Dragon, is the progenitor of all dragons. He rules the Four Seas, his might extending throughout the realm. True-blooded Dragon Clan members such as myself are the foundation of our clan. Once we reach adulthood, we are granted territories throughout the land to rule over immeasurable waters.

Below the Dragon Clan are numerous sub-dragon branches, such as Flood Dragons, Chi Dragons, Qiu Dragons, Winged Dragons, and more. They are the foundation and extension of our Dragon Clan's rule, responsible for defending and managing the various waters.

Below them are the countless Water Tribes—Mysterious Tortoises, Clam Spirits, Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals, and the like. They depend on the dragon palaces or sub-dragon powers of various regions and receive the protection of our Dragon Clan. Of course, they must also pay a small price for it."

Lin Yan secretly clicked his tongue as he listened. Good grief, the Dragon Clan had established a centralized monarchic system. Ancestor Dragon was the supreme emperor, orthodox dragons were regional governors, sub-dragons were local lords, and ordinary Water Tribes were commoners. Their hierarchy was far stricter than the Kirin Clan's.

"What about the Phoenix Clan?" Lin Yan was also quite interested in the mysterious Buzhou Mountain.

This time, Mo Xuan rushed to answer. "The Phoenix Clan? They mainly live in the Undying Volcano Cluster in the south, and their situation is somewhat different. Yuan Feng and Ancestor Huang, the two Progenitors, are the spiritual symbols and supreme leaders of the Phoenix Clan. But they seem... not to enjoy managing mundane affairs. They spend most of their time cultivating deep within the volcanoes and comprehending the Great Dao."

Ao Ye continued, "That's right. The ones who actually manage the Phoenix Clan's territories are several of their strongest affiliated races, such as the Golden Winged Great Peng Clan, the Five-Colored Peacock Clan, the Luan Bird, the Green Sparrow Clan, and so on. Aside from the Undying Volcano Cluster, they each govern vast surrounding regions and possess great autonomy. Yet nominally, they still recognize Yuan Feng and Ancestor Huang as their joint rulers. Only when major events occur or foreign enemies invade do they deliberate together and heed the final decision of the two Progenitors."

Lin Yan could not help laughing. The Phoenix Clan was clearly running a constitutional monarchy. The political landscape of this Primordial World really was rich and varied.

Interesting... It seemed that when dealing with these three clans in the future, he would have to use different approaches as well.