Chapter 401: Zi Yan Becomes Small Again
Rushing into the halo of light, Xiao Yuan's vision blurred for a moment before suddenly brightening. The view before him changed drastically—it was no longer the monotonous silver, but instead filled with lush greenery and towering peaks.
"This is..."
Suspended high in the air, Xiao Yuan stared in shock at the land that appeared before him. More accurately, it should be called an island. It was vast, and above it hung a bowl-shaped silver light barrier that descended and completely enveloped the island. Looking beyond that barrier, Xiao Yuan was stunned—the outside world was a void of utter darkness that sent chills down his spine.
This island... was actually floating in the void space!
"What a grand undertaking..."
Even Xiao Yuan couldn't help but gasp. While the island's size wasn't as vast as spaces created by Dou Sheng experts, its hidden location made it far more secure. The void space was a place even Dou Zun experts wouldn't dare to enter lightly. Placing their dwelling here meant absolute safety. No wonder the Taigu Void Dragons were rarely heard of on the Central Plains—they lived within this very void space.
"Follow me."
Hei Qing scanned below and waved his hand, descending toward a part of the island. Xiao Yuan and Qing Lian quickly followed.
"Young Master, this place feels terrifying..." Qing Lian whispered beside Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan nodded slightly. He too could vaguely sense many powerful and concealed auras on this Dragon Island. They were most likely from the ancient Void Dragon clan. Such a discovery left him speechless—so many formidable beings! He hadn't encountered anything like this in years. And that was only what he could perceive. Xiao Yuan believed there were even more terrifying presences hidden here that even he couldn't detect.
Following Hei Qing, the two landed on a towering peak at the island's center. Along the way, they encountered several patrolling figures. But when they saw Hei Qing, they stopped and gave Xiao Yuan and Qing Lian a curious glance before backing away.
At the mountain's summit, the trio landed gently. As soon as they touched the ground, a white-robed figure silently appeared before them.
"Greetings, Third Elder," Hei Qing bowed, then gestured toward Xiao Yuan. "This is Zi Yan's friend, Xiao Yuan."
"Hehe, rushing to summon young friend Xiao Yuan like this—I hope you won't blame us for being too abrupt," the white-robed elder said with a smile.
"This is the Third Elder, Zhu Li."
"You're too kind, Elder Zhu Li. Zi Yan is my friend. If she's in trouble, of course I'll come."
Though the elder looked kind, Xiao Yuan dared not be careless. From him, he sensed an overwhelming pressure that seemed to affect his very soul. If not for his powerful soul strength, he might not have been able to speak at all.
"This Elder Zhu Li must have reached the half-saint level. The Taigu Void Dragon clan truly is full of hidden powerhouses," Xiao Yuan thought, his eye twitching.
Zhu Li smiled and stroked his snowy beard. His calm eyes suddenly turned to Qing Lian behind Xiao Yuan, and he paused in surprise.
"Is that... the Triple-Colored Pupils of the Green Serpent? And that aura... could it be an Ancient Sky Serpent?"
The shock on Zhu Li's face grew, and he murmured, "I never imagined the soul of an Ancient Sky Serpent still existed in this world."
Qing Lian glanced cautiously at Zhu Li and nodded lightly. The Ancient Sky Serpent and the Taigu Void Dragon clans had once clashed in ancient times. Now meeting a Void Dragon, the soul inside her stirred uneasily. But she did her best to suppress it. No matter how strong the Sky Serpent was, this was the Void Dragons' territory. If that being emerged, it might be instantly crushed.
"Hehe, don't be afraid, young lady. The Ancient Sky Serpent clan no longer exists, and those ancient grudges are long gone. Still, the Sky Serpent soul is naturally violent and hard to control. Be careful not to let it take over," Zhu Li warned gently.
"Yes," Qing Lian nodded. With her Triple-Colored Pupils and Xiao Yuan's previous suppression, the Ancient Sky Serpent soul had become much more docile.
"Elder Zhu Li, is this about the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit?"
Xiao Yuan finally asked after some hesitation.
Zhu Li sighed and nodded. "Indeed, you guessed right."
"The Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit is a rare treasure that only grows under specific conditions after absorbing both ancient dragon and phoenix bloodlines. It can transform a bloodline to possess the strengths of both—ultimately creating a true magical beast king."
He continued, "After Zi Yan brought back the fruit, we decided she was the most suitable to inherit its power. First, she carries royal blood. When she matures, she'll become the next ruler of the Ancient Dragon clan. Second, her young age offers high adaptability to absorb the fruit."
"But... things didn't go as expected. The fruit's energy was too immense—Zi Yan's body couldn't absorb it all, and it ended up solidifying into crystal form."
"I had a feeling that might be the case. Take me to her," Xiao Yuan said.
"Very well, follow me," Zhu Li replied, growing more curious about the youth before him.
Following Zhu Li through a stone hall, they finally stopped deep within the chamber. At its center was a towering altar, upon which lay a small, still figure.
Zi Yan had reverted to her child form. A crystalline layer, like ice, covered every inch of her body.
Xiao Yuan's soul sense burst forth instantly, releasing a terrifying pressure that even startled Zhu Li.
"Alright, I understand the situation. You guard the outside—I'll help Zi Yan absorb and refine the energy," Xiao Yuan said after a moment of analysis.
"Can you do it?" Zhu Li asked with hope in his eyes.
"It's not much different from refining pills. Don't worry."
With his soul strength, Xiao Yuan could refine even eighth-tier pills infused with Nine-Colored Lightning. If not for his lack of practice, he might have attempted ninth-tier pills already. A mere Dragon-Phoenix Fruit wouldn't defeat him.
Hearing that, Zhu Li smiled warmly. "If Xiao Xuan knew his descendant achieved so much, he would rest easy in the afterlife."
"Heh, I think Xiao Yuan might already surpass Xiao Xuan. Back then, Xiao Xuan reached his peak by fully unleashing the family's bloodline power—but that left nothing for future generations. Xiao Yuan got this far by his own effort. Given time, he may even surpass him," Hei Qing laughed.
Zhu Li nodded. "Don't blame Xiao Xuan for using up the last of the family's bloodline. He gambled everything, hoping to reach the Dou Di level. Had he succeeded, the Xiao clan would've risen to rival even ancient clans. But alas, he underestimated the challenge and died in regret."
"Our ancestor did his best," Xiao Yuan said solemnly.
"Enough of that. Xiao Yuan, rest for two days. I'll go prepare what's needed."
"Two days? That's too long. Is there a volcano on Dragon Island? Take Zi Yan there and I'll start right away. We can't afford delay."
"The preparation is necessary. Our clan isn't in the best shape, and everything must be properly arranged," Zhu Li insisted.
"Fine. But hurry—the sooner we begin, the better for Zi Yan."
Afterward, Xiao Yuan and Qing Lian remained on Dragon Island, while Zhu Li busied himself preparing for the refinement. He also told Hei Qing to host the two guests well.
The next day, Zhu Li appeared before Xiao Yuan, expression solemn.
"Xiao Yuan, come with me."
Following him deep into the island, Xiao Yuan noticed an intense, cautious atmosphere. Even the once-empty sky had patrolling figures flying about, scanning the void beyond.
"Zi Yan is too important to us. We've raised our defenses to the maximum," Zhu Li explained.
As they flew deeper, Xiao Yuan felt the energy in the air grow hotter.
After nearly ten minutes, Zhu Li slowed. Xiao Yuan looked ahead and saw a massive mountain with a sunken summit. A blazing white plume of smoke rose from the crater.
Clearly, whether or not there had been a volcano before, now there was.
Above the volcano floated a giant emerald-green cauldron. Inside it, suspended in midair, was Zi Yan's small body.
"Xiao Yuan, the fire attribute energy here is extremely dense. Using your Heavenly Flame here will increase its power. However, that also means you'll need precise control to avoid harming her," Zhu Li warned, pointing at the cauldron.
"Understood," Xiao Yuan nodded. He was supremely confident in his flame control.
Zhu Li sighed in relief and pointed to the surrounding peaks. "The elders of the Taigu Void Dragon clan, including myself, will guard this area personally. No one will disturb you."
Xiao Yuan glanced around. With his sharp senses, he could indeed feel many strong presences hidden nearby.
"Also, refining the Dragon-Phoenix crystal layer will take a long time and drain a lot of Dou Qi," Zhu Li added. He produced a white jade bottle and handed it to Xiao Yuan. "Inside are five drops of refined ancient dragon blood. They contain immense energy—enough to restore your Dou Qi instantly and even temper your body. Use them if needed."
Though confident he wouldn't need them... free dragon blood? No reason to say no.
"Excellent. Then I'll begin!"
Smiling, Xiao Yuan took the jade bottle and in a flash of light, appeared above the cauldron, seated in midair.
(END CHAPTER)
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