The game starts with escaping from the famine and flipping the table

Alliances are never just one-sided efforts.

Therefore, the second agreement in the covenant was that the dragons would repay their debt of gratitude.

Although the dragons migrated to the Dragon Burial Abyss, they never forgot their alliance with the Dragon Guardian Tribe.

As agreed, every hundred years the dragon race would send a powerful member of the race to the Dragon Soul Altar of the Dragon Guardian Tribe to supply the tribe with "dragon energy".

This day was the most solemn ceremony for the Dragon Guardian Tribe. All the eligible young men of the tribe gathered under the Dragon Soul Altar like stars surrounding the moon, eagerly awaiting the blessings of the dragon's energy.

When the powerful dragons descended like gods, a mighty dragon aura poured down from the sky like a torrent, surging into the Dragon Soul Altar like a stampede of ten thousand horses.

The golden dragon totem on the altar was like a sleeping beast being awakened, emitting a dazzling golden light, and like brilliant stars, it evenly sprinkled the dragon's energy on every eligible child.

As the dragon energy entered their bodies, the disciples' souls seemed to undergo a transformative metamorphosis. On their foreheads, silver dragon patterns, like mysterious runes, gradually emerged—this was the "Dragon Pattern Soul Imprint."

Once the Dragon Pattern Soul Imprint awakens, it will merge closely with the cultivator's soul body like a serpent. Not only will it increase the strength of the soul consciousness by 50% like a rocket, but it will also double the speed at which the cultivator repairs the soul body like lightning, allowing their cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.

For the cultivators of the Dragon Guardian Tribe, the Dragon Pattern Soul Imprint is no ordinary opportunity; it is a blessing bestowed from the heavens, the ultimate expectation that has flowed in the tribe's bloodline since the beginning of time.

It was as if the silent night sky had suddenly exploded with billions of stars, each ray of light carrying the majesty and vitality of the dragon race, enough to drive any cultivator mad and make them prostrate themselves before it.

Everyone knows that those who awaken the Dragon Mark Soul Imprint are the chosen ones of the Dragon God.

Their souls seem to be naturally in sync with the dragon soul; when damaged, they only need to draw upon a trace of dragon energy to heal as quickly as ice and snow meeting the warm sun.

When cultivating soul techniques, he is like a master butcher dissecting an ox, able to understand the complex mysteries of soul patterns and soar to a level far exceeding the speed of ordinary cultivators who have toiled for thousands of years.

That wasn't a gradual climb, but a thunderbolt breaking free from the earth's shackles, a rocket piercing the clouds, leaving its peers far behind in the blink of an eye, only able to look up at their backs.

It can be said that the Soul Clan and the Dragon Clan are naturally complementary and mutually beneficial.

However, anything can happen unexpectedly.

Shi Jian of the Soul Clan tribe was that unexpected person; he was destined to be forever excluded from this glory.

His soul was born with a fatal flaw, as thin as a cicada's wing that could not withstand the wind, as fragile as a flickering candle in the wind, and could be scattered at the slightest carelessness.

For him, cultivating soul techniques was an endless torment—what others could master in a day, he needed three months to comprehend;

While others could easily and comfortably guide souls into their bodies, he had to endure excruciating pain as if his soul were being torn apart, and his progress was as slow as a snail's crawl, sometimes taking years to make any progress at all.

For a long time, inferiority complex had been like a thick quagmire that sank him deep. The pity of his clansmen and the pity of others turned into invisible shackles that made it hard for him to breathe. He didn't even have the courage to look up at those with exceptional talents. It was as if he could only sink into darkness for the rest of his life.

The once-in-a-century baptism of dragon energy arrived as scheduled. The tribal square was filled with rays of light, and the dragon energy swept in all directions like a surging river. Every cultivator held their breath and greedily absorbed this heaven-sent opportunity.

Only Shi Jian huddled in the corner, his heart ashen.

He tried countless times, but his tattered soul could not contain any dragon energy at all, and each attempt only resulted in deeper injuries.

He lowered his head, listening to the comfortable groans of his clansmen beside him as they were nourished by the dragon energy, feeling the despair of that surging dragon energy brushing past him but never being able to touch it, and he had long since given up any hope for the future.

But fate had other plans, and at that moment, a shocking reversal took place.

Just as the baptism of dragon energy reached its peak, an unimaginable surge of dragon energy broke through the shackles of his soul like a tsunami, and rushed into his limbs and bones!

The dragon aura was so dense it was suffocating, carrying the unique roar and pressure of the dragon race, yet strangely gentle, like a mother's embrace, tenderly enveloping his broken soul.

Shi Jian was terrified and looked up in disbelief. He saw silver dragon patterns slowly spreading from between his eyebrows, like the most magnificent brocade, shimmering and majestic.

The broken and extinguished soul was undergoing a miraculous transformation under the nourishment of the dragon's energy.

Like parched trees receiving timely rain, the cracks are slowly smoothed out, and tender buds sprout from the soil, bursting forth with vitality; or like a frozen wasteland welcoming spring, the ice and snow melt, the grass and trees grow wildly, and an unprecedented power surges within the soul.

The Dragon Pattern Soul Imprint has awakened!

After awakening, Shi Jian seemed to have been reborn.

His soul consciousness was far stronger than that of all his peers in the clan, as vast as the starry sea; his soul repair speed was three times that of ordinary people. No matter what kind of soul injury he suffered, he could heal quickly with the blessing of dragon energy after only a moment of rest, as swift as a storm.

The past feelings of inferiority and despair vanished, replaced by a burning fighting spirit.

Shi Jian cultivated diligently day and night, daring not to slack off in the slightest. The power of the Dragon Pattern Soul Seal in his hands became increasingly refined, and his soul technique cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds. In just a few years, he jumped from the bottom of the clan to the top.

Ultimately, he became the most outstanding soul cultivator in the history of the Dragon Guardian Tribe, shining like a bright star above the Dragon Soul Palace, silently guarding it for hundreds of years.

During this time, countless damaged dragon souls were reborn in his hands, and countless dragon souls on the verge of collapse were gently repaired by him.

With his own strength, he brought endless glory to the tribe, making the Soul Clan's fame resound throughout the heavens and the earth. The silver dragon pattern became the most dazzling medal on his body, witnessing a legend of rising from the dust and defying fate.

Yes, the Soul Clan!

Disciples of the Soul Clan who travel outside the clan will not reveal their identity as members of the Dragon Guardian Clan. This is for the protection of the Dragon Clan, and also for the protection of the Soul Clan itself.

The Dragon Burial Abyss must not be exposed!

In addition to the baptism of dragon energy, the dragon race also generously allowed the dragon-guarding tribes to mine the dragon-patterned soul crystal veins.

The Dragon Pattern Soul Crystal vein is like a giant dragon lying dormant deep in the Dragon Burial Abyss, sleeping quietly.

This is the resting place of the dragon ancestors who lived for millions of years.

It is no exaggeration to say that this Dragon Pattern Soul Crystal Mine is formed from the bones of the dragon ancestors. It is like a dazzling pearl, radiating a mysterious light.

The soul crystals in the mine are like rare treasures meticulously crafted from dragon energy and soul energy. They are the ultimate cultivation treasures that soul cultivators dream of, like sweet rain in the desert, bringing them endless hope.

However, the covenant clearly stipulates that the tribe's annual mining output must not exceed 10% of the total amount of the ore vein, so as not to over-consume the soul energy in the ore vein—after all, this ore vein is one of the soul energy sources on which the dragon race depends for survival.

The Dragon Guardian Tribe has always strictly adhered to this rule and dared not overstep it in the slightest.

The tribe has established a special "Mineral Vein Bureau," which acts as a guardian of the mineral veins and is responsible for the mining and management of Dragon Pattern Soul Crystals.

The monks of the Mining Bureau would periodically venture deep into the mines like explorers, carefully surveying and accurately calculating the amount that could be mined that year, before proceeding with the mining in an orderly manner.

The mined dragon-patterned soul crystals are used in various ways: some become the "Fountain of Life" for the clan's cultivators to cultivate and repair their souls; some become the "Essential Elixir" to nourish dragon eggs and repair the dragons' souls; and some are carefully stored away for future use.

One year, the continent suffered a once-in-a-century depletion of soul energy, as if the end of the world had arrived. The soul grass of the Dragon Guardian Tribe withered on a large scale as if it had been plagued by a plague. Many cultivators in the tribe suffered damage to their soul bodies as if they were candles in the wind due to the lack of soul energy. The nourishment of the dragon eggs of the dragon race was also severely affected.

Some members of the clan suggested that they should increase the mining of Dragon Pattern Soul Crystals as quickly as possible to alleviate the current crisis.

But the tribal chief refused with unwavering resolve: "The covenant is as immovable as Mount Tai. Excessive mining will not only harm the dragons' survival like a sharp blade, but will also cause our tribe to suffer the backlash of our soul energy. We cannot betray our agreement with the dragons for a momentary difficulty, like treacherous traitors."

To solve the problem of insufficient soul energy, the clan leader, like a brave navigator, led the clan's cultivators deep into the wild forest like fearless adventurers to find spiritual herbs that could replace soul grass. At the same time, like a wise scholar, he studied new soul-gathering arrays, trying to draw more natural soul energy from heaven and earth.

After three years of ascetic efforts, they finally found a spiritual herb called "Shadow Grass" as if they had discovered a treasure. Although its soul energy was not as concentrated as that of Soul Grass, it was like an oasis in the desert, able to grow tenaciously in an environment where soul energy was scarce.

At the same time, a new soul-gathering array was successfully developed, increasing the efficiency of soul gathering by 30%.

Relying on the Shadow Grass and the new Soul Gathering Array, the Dragon Guardian Tribe successfully overcame the crisis of depleted soul energy, and the mining volume of the Dragon Pattern Soul Crystal Mine never exceeded the limit stipulated in the alliance.

The dragons were deeply moved by the steadfastness of the Dragon Guardian Tribe. In addition to the dragon energy transfer every hundred years, they would sometimes give the tribe unused soul artifacts and cultivation techniques.

These dragon artifacts and techniques greatly help to enhance the strength of the Dragon Guardian Tribe.

With the help of the Dragon Qi Soul Nourishing Technique, the Dragon Pattern Soul Imprint, and the resources bestowed upon them by the Dragon Clan, the tribal cultivators have grown stronger day by day, becoming a force to be reckoned with.

However, they have always kept a low profile and never participated in the power struggles on the continent. Their only mission is to protect the dragon race.