Wei Yuan glanced at the hundred or so scions of the Cui Clan. He noticed that they were all carrying backpacks of the same design; it seemed that the Cui Clan had put considerable thought into this expedition.

The group spanned a wide age range, from fifteen to nearly forty. Most of them had reached the peak of the Body-tempering stage. Although they wore identical robes, their speech and demeanor varied. Some were clearly arrogant, while others were cautious and reserved. But for the most part, they were wearing expressions of bewilderment tinged with a touch of bitter resentment.

Just then, someone complained, “Why did they dump us in this godforsaken place? Hey, you there! Why haven’t you come over to pay your respects yet? This scion’s uncle is—!”

Cui Yu interrupted coldly, “Who? Speak clearly. Who is your uncle?”

The spoiled scion jolted to attention. When he finally got a clear look at Cui Yu, he immediately started bowing and scraping with a forced smile.

None of these people had managed to establish...