The next day.
Inside the spacious jade hall, towering pillars carved with coiling dragon patterns surrounded the chamber, and above, a massive dragon head was sculpted into the dome — majestic and domineering.
Elder Zhu Li had arrived early, and with him came another elder — a stern-faced old man clad in a deep blue robe, his white beard and hair shimmering faintly. His aura was vast yet subdued, like an ancient sea hidden beneath calm waters.
When Liu Xi and the others entered, the old man's expression changed at once. His cold demeanor melted into raw excitement as his fiery gaze locked onto Zi Yan.
"This is Elder Qi You," Zhu Li introduced warmly, gesturing toward the blue-robed elder. "The activation of the Ancient Dragon Blood Pool will require both our strength."
Qi You inclined slightly, his tone cold but filled with conviction. "I, Qi You, will see to it that Princess Zi Yan ascends to the Dragon Emperor's throne. Even if I must risk my life, I shall not falter."
Zi Yan turned toward Liu Xi. He gave no reaction — no words, no nod — his expression utterly calm. She understood immediately that he wanted her to respond on her own.
Her small face tensed as she forced herself to appear serious. Taking a half-step forward, she lifted her tiny hands in a formal gesture and said solemnly, "Elders, please rise. Zi Yan will not disappoint you. I will unite the Dragon Tribe and rule over the Beast Region!"
Qi You slowly straightened. His sharp eyes shimmered with emotion as he looked at the young girl before him — though she was still only a Dou Huang, the pressure of her pure royal bloodline made his dragon heart tremble.
In his eyes, Zi Yan shone like a blazing sun. His lips quivered slightly as he whispered, voice hoarse with reverence, "The Old Dragon Emperor… finally has a successor."
Beside him, Elder Zhu Li's smile deepened. Relief and pride filled his gaze — the young girl before him already carried the bearing of a Dragon Emperor.
For them, this was more than hope — it was faith. And faith, when burned into the heart, could ignite even the blood of two peak Dou Zuns, filling them with the will to fight and the longing to show the traitorous three dragon kings what true royalty meant.
The schism had been their shame — the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, once proud and supreme, forced to hide within the Void because of those three. The northern, western, and southern Dragon Kings — each one deserved death.
Zhu Li broke the silence. "The Ancient Dragon Blood Pool is ready. Let's proceed."
Qi You's gaze drifted toward the back, landing briefly on Liu Xi, Yao Tianhuo, and Xiao Yixian. His brows furrowed slightly. "Are these three… coming as well?"
Zi Yan frowned, about to speak, but Zhu Li raised a hand first.
"They will. These individuals brought Zi Yan back to our tribe — they are friends of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. Moreover, Liu Xi cares deeply for her."
Qi You frowned again but said nothing more. He could already see how closely Zi Yan clung to Liu Xi. Yet in his mind, that bond was temporary. Once Zi Yan became a Dou Saint — once she ascended as Dragon Emperor — she would understand that the ruler of the dragons needed no man beside her.
Liu Xi caught the faint trace of condescension in Qi You's eyes but merely smiled inwardly. 'So, in his eyes, I'm just someone eating soft rice, huh?'
Even Yao Tianhuo's expression darkened slightly — they weren't used to being looked down upon. But even so, they had to admit, the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe had the power to justify its pride.
And what's more surprising, Liu Xi thought, was that every girl following him carried an extraordinary destiny — the Woeful Poison Body, the Ancient Void Dragon royal bloodline… 'Maybe I'm the one who should be cautious.'
At that moment, both elders raised their hands in unison. A surge of invisible force rippled outward, distorting the air around them. Layers of spatial ripples expanded like the surface of water, swallowing everyone inside.
The next instant, light flashed.
Liu Xi felt the world spin. His mind blanked for a breath, and when his vision cleared again, an overwhelming brilliance filled his eyes. He squinted, raising a hand to shield himself from the glare.
As his sight adjusted, his breath caught.
They stood in an enormous underground palace. The walls glimmered with countless luminous pearls, bathing the vast space in soft radiance. Eight colossal dragon statues encircled the chamber, each one carved so lifelike it seemed they might awaken at any moment.
Every dragon's open jaws poured forth a steady stream of shimmering liquid — flowing into the central basin, forming a vast lake of glowing scarlet and gold. Clouds of mist drifted lazily above it, confined within invisible barriers.
Even Yao Tianhuo and Xiao Yixian couldn't hide their awe. The air was thick with potent medicinal fragrance and spiritual energy so dense it made the skin tingle.
Liu Xi inhaled deeply, instantly recognizing the ingredients blended into the pool. With his alchemical mastery, he could identify them from scent alone — Ten Thousand Year Blood Ginseng, Sky Azure Spirit Fruit, Earth Core Essence… the lowest-grade among them was a core component for refining a 6 Tier pill!
This lake wasn't formed from hundreds or thousands of herbs — it was formed from millions. A sea of priceless ingredients, liquefied to create a sacred pool for a single bloodline's awakening.
Zhu Li pointed to the center of the lake. "Zi Yan, step into the Ancient Dragon Blood Pool. Elder Qi You and I will begin the baptism."
Zi Yan blinked, then quickly wiped the drool forming at her lips. She glanced back at Liu Xi. His eyes met hers — calm and steady — and she nodded, stepping eagerly into the blood-red mist.
The two elders exchanged a brief look before leaping to opposite sides of the pool. Their auras flared as their dragon blood roared to life.
Zhu Li's voice boomed, "Zi Yan, focus your mind! The longer you endure, the greater your gain. This will temper your body and awaken your bloodline. If the Dragon Emperor still lived, he would personally conduct this rite for you — to make your inheritance complete!"
"I understand," Zi Yan replied crisply.
The two elders raised their hands. With a sharp slash, they cut their wrists open. Two streams of dragon blood poured forth, glowing like molten ruby, each drop radiating terrifying vitality.
Even Liu Xi shivered. The power contained in that blood could crush a Dou Zong in an instant.
The twin blood streams twisted through the air, coiling like serpents until they circled around Zi Yan.
Then the elders' hands blurred in motion, weaving countless afterimages before forming an ancient seal.
"With blood as the guide — refine the dragon's body!" they roared together.
The entire lake trembled. Waves surged skyward as a pillar of luminous red energy shot into the air. The blood ribbons coiled tighter around Zi Yan and exploded outward — only to reform as a dense web of blood silk, enclosing her completely.
The pillar crashed into that crimson cocoon, absorbed layer by layer until the entire shell pulsed rhythmically — like a giant, beating heart.
It was a sight Liu Xi had seen before, eerily similar to Zi Yan's previous evolution — but this time, far grander.
Both Zhu Li and Qi You turned pale, their bodies trembling from the loss of blood. Even at their level, the price of awakening a Dragon Emperor was steep.
Still, within their weary eyes burned the same hope — that when the cocoon opened, their tribe's future would be reborn.
(End of Chapter)
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