Chapter 439

The giant, claiming to be an Ancient Dragon Bear, let out a furious roar—Boom! —the space shattered, and the trees around the mountaintop were ripped into the sky; a powerful Dragon Might poured down, ravaging the entire world as if ready to obliterate everything before him.

"Dragon Might?!" Xiao Yan's heart jolted—he too carried a faint trace of Dragon Qi within him, thanks to the Yin-Yang Xuan Dragon Pill—but he still felt the pressure. This Ancient Dragon Bear indeed possessed a substantial Dragon Clan bloodline!

At the very least, this Dragon bloodline was many times more potent than the Deep Sea Serpent's in the Jia Ma Empire.

The giant's entire body radiated crimson blood aura, within which flickered a faint, eerie purple light.

"Hehehe, you two Dou Zuns have forced me to awaken my bloodline—you should be proud. My bloodline Dou Technique is no weaker than the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan's, even stronger!" The giant's hands swelled, his body sprouted coarse, brown bear-like fur; from afar, he looked like a colossal demonic bear.

The only difference from an ordinary demonic bear was his eyes—vertical pupils, just like the Deep Sea Serpent's.

"Hah, what garbage Ancient Dragon Bear—just a speck of Dragon bloodline? Don't embarrass the Dragon Clan," Zi Yan smirked, her eyes filled with disdain; the next second, she erupted with a terrifying Dragon Might, a streak of purple energy shooting into the heavens!

Seeing Zi Yan's unleashed Dragon Might, the giant's arrogant expression turned to terror—he stumbled backward several steps, shrieking: "Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y!! You're!!"

Wooo!! A sudden Dragon Roar echoed across the Wanyao Mountain Range, drawing the attention of countless Magical Beasts, all lifting their heads in shock.

Zi Yan's Tai Xu Ancient Dragon bloodline boiled uncontrollably—the Bloodline Awakening technique wasn't exclusive to the Ancient Dragon Bear; she, the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon, could use it too!

Wuuu!! Zi Yan's purple eyes slowly transformed; her once playful, cute pupils turned fierce and menacing. Though still Dragon eyes, their base hue was now noble purple.

Xiao Yan's eyes widened—he'd seen Zi Yan fully unleash her Bloodline Power only once before, in the Ancestral Inheritance Site of the Poison Lord, when she transformed into her true form and forcibly activated the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon's power; even now, the Dragon Breath she exhaled terrified him.

Moreover, Zi Yan had no inheritance from the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon—she mastered it all through her own insight. This alone proved her talent was extraordinarily high.

Zi Yan's body grew taller, her legs becoming sleek and elongated—she reverted to her grown-up form. But it wasn't over: scales of purple Dragon Scale sprouted from her skin, and a pair of small DragonClaw horns emerged.

Creak! Creak! Creak! Her hands rapidly transformed into a pair of purple DragonClaws; her once adorable little fangs now sharpened into fangs.

Formerly, Zi Yan was adorable, like a porcelain doll; now, she was anything but cute—she was a Dragon Maiden, her expression fierce, her scales glinting purple under the sunlight, making her look like a warrior goddess clad in Dragon armor, majestic and commanding!

Like Cai Lin, Zi Yan had three forms: her usual human form, her battle form with Magical Beast traits, and her true form.

Unless absolutely necessary, Zi Yan rarely transformed into her true form—though her massive body delivered devastating power and strength, it drained immense stamina, just like Xiao Yan's Nine Colored Fire Lotus; she wouldn't use it unless fighting for her life.

Roar!!! Zi Yan opened her mouth and unleashed a furious Dragon Roar. The terrifying sonic wave shattered the earth and space like a hurricane.

This was the true Ancient Dragon Roar!

Seeing Zi Yan was serious, Xiao Yan naturally didn't fall behind—he released his Soul Force, waved his hand, and five orbs of Strange Fire appeared above his head.

Thanks to his strengthening Soul Force and mastery of Dou Techniques, Xiao Yan could now cast the Five Wheel Fiery Law almost instantly.

Sensing the terrifying power of Xiao Yan's Dou Technique and Zi Yan's fully unleashed Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Might, the giant's face turned pale—he shouted hastily: "Wait! Wait!!"

But Xiao Yan and Zi Yan wouldn't listen—they struck simultaneously with overwhelming attacks.

"Five Wheel Fiery Law!"

"Ancient Dragon Slash!"

The Strange Fire instantly formed an Array; a five-colored beam shot toward the Ancient Dragon Bear. Zi Yan's right hand blazed with blinding purple light as she slashed downward with her claw.

Several streaks of purple Space Turbulence became unstoppable slashes capable of severing even Space itself! The true Tai Xu Ancient Dragon—just one claw swipe could cut through all things in the world!

"Waaah!" The Ancient Dragon Bear saw the two attacks—equivalent to Heavenly Rank Dou Techniques—barreling toward him. Even though they were only Dou Zuns and hadn't reached Dou Zun, even though he himself was a true Dou Zun with an exceptionally unique bloodline and powerful physique, his scalp went numb, every hair on his body stood on end.

The Ancient Dragon Bear dared not underestimate—he unleashed his strongest defense technique.

Xiao Yan and Zi Yan's attacks were Heavenly Rank—this proved the Ancient Dragon Bear possessed formidable strength and an exceptionally rare bloodline.

Boom! Boom! The Five Wheel Fiery Law burned heaven and earth; one strike could incinerate mountains and evaporate seas.

The Tai Xu Ancient Dragon's claw strike was equally devastating—under the dual assault, Space collapsed into a black hole, the entire mountaintop was obliterated, gouged into a colossal crater, everything reduced to nothingness, as if reset to zero.

"Where'd he go? Destroyed?" Zi Yan scanned the surroundings—the Ancient Dragon Bear had vanished, as if erased, reduced to ashes and bones.

Xiao Yan frowned—though their attack was immensely powerful, even a typical One Star Dou Zun would struggle to survive their combined assault as the Purple Yan Great Thief.

But Magical Beasts inherently possessed extraordinary vitality, incredibly tough bodies, and astonishing defenses. He didn't believe the Ancient Dragon Bear, now at the late stage of Two Star Dou Zun, had been completely annihilated.

"Above!" Xiao Yan's Soul Force Perception sensed something odd in the space above—he snapped his head upward.

The Space twisted—and out stepped the Ancient Dragon Bear, his fur charred black, his chest marked with bloody claw wounds, his expression utterly pitiful.

His miserable look made one almost want to laugh.

Seeing the Ancient Dragon Bear unharmed, Xiao Yan and Zi Yan couldn't laugh—they'd expended considerable Dou Qi and stamina.

Just as they prepared to press the advantage, the Ancient Dragon Bear cried out to Zi Yan: "Stop! We're family!"

???

Hearing this, Xiao Yan and Zi Yan froze—who the hell are you calling family?!

Seeing Xiao Yan and Zi Yan still glaring fiercely, the Ancient Dragon Bear immediately ended his Bloodline Awakening, reverted to his human form, and raised his hands in surrender.

"Miss, please stop! We Ancient Dragon Bears are a subordinate race of the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon!" The Ancient Dragon Bear shuffled forward, whimpering to Zi Yan: "You should've told us you were a Tai Xu Ancient Dragon!"

Hearing this, Zi Yan turned to Xiao Yan, her eyes asking: Really?

Xiao Yan stared at Zi Yan, his expression saying: You're a Tai Xu Ancient Dragon—why are you asking me, a human?

Zi Yan gave an innocent look: "I didn't know."

Xiao Yan sheathed his Xuan Heavy Ruler but remained wary, asking: "How do you prove it?"

The giant grinned sheepishly: "This young lady can sense a trace of Tai Xu Ancient Dragon bloodline within me."

Xiao Yan turned to Zi Yan. With the reminder, the child-sized Zi Yan rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed: "Now that you mention it… yeah, there is a little."

"Wait—you're blood-related to him, and you didn't know?!" Xiao Yan was stunned—this guy might be your cousin!

"I didn't know a trace of bloodline meant a subordinate race! Don't many Magical Beasts have Dragon bloodline? Even the Deep Sea Serpent does!" Zi Yan pouted—she genuinely didn't know.

Hearing Zi Yan's clueless reply, Xiao Yan slapped his forehead and sighed to the sky: "Having a faint trace of Dragon bloodline is nothing like having Tai Xu Ancient Dragon bloodline."

This was the cost of ignorance!

The Deep Sea Serpent's Dragon bloodline was diluted over countless generations—utterly muddled. Like the Nine Underworld Serpent Clan, their bloodlines were a chaotic mess of everything.

But if the Ancient Dragon Bear spoke truthfully, then his entire race was equivalent to the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan!

Though the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan claimed to be one of the Three Great Demon Beast Families, they couldn't compare to the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon.

The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, in truth, were once a subordinate race of the Ancient Heaven Phoenix—essentially slaves or servants, perhaps even not originally called the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan.

After countless ages, the Ancient Heaven Phoenix—the "master"—and its "slaves" engaged in unspeakable acts, producing a new race: today's Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, which is why they carry the Ancient Heaven Phoenix's bloodline.

Not to mention the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix—even the bloodline of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix likely exists, otherwise how could Feng Qing'er have the surname Feng?

Why does the Ancient Dragon Bear possess the bloodline of the Grand Void Dragon Clan? That's worth pondering.

Of course, that doesn't mean the Ancient Dragon Bear is stronger than the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan; Xiao Yan had never heard of this race before today—it was his first time hearing of it, so clearly it's extremely rare, and its lineage probably differs greatly from that of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan.

After all, the Grand Void Dragon Clan itself is in that state now, struggling to survive.

Seeing the Ancient Dragon Bear's injuries and its tearful expression, Xiao Yan felt awkward—this was truly like flooding the Dragon King's temple, nearly destroying it.

"Uh, I have a Seven-Grade healing Elixir here—it can help you recover quickly." Xiao Yan, feeling embarrassed, recalled Xing Tian and pulled out a Brocade Box from his storage ring, tossing it to the Ancient Dragon Bear.

Hearing "Seven-Grade Elixir," the giant perked up instantly; the moment he opened the Brocade Box, a potent medicinal fragrance reduced his pain significantly.

"You're really giving it to me?!" The giant stared at Xiao Yan in disbelief—could Alchemists not all be evil?

Zi Yan crossed her arms and said, "Hmph, I gave it to you, so it's yours—do you think I'd lie? Xiao Yan is an Eight-Grade Alchemist; he doesn't care about this little Elixir."

Xiao Yan shot Zi Yan a skeptical look, thinking: "Even the rich landlord has no surplus grain!"

"Eight-Grade!!" The giant's eyes widened in shock—this boy was the legendary Eight-Grade Alchemist!

Xiao Yan nodded and said, "Uh, what's your name?"

"Oh oh oh, I'm Xiong Zhan." Xiong Zhan grinned as he introduced himself, then swallowed Xiao Yan's Elixir; the injuries inflicted by Zi Yan visibly began to heal.

The potency of this Elixir startled Xiong Zhan—truly an Eight-Grade Alchemist! Though it was a Seven-Grade Elixir, it still contained a faint Spirit, enhancing its efficacy.

"Hey, big guy." Zi Yan walked up to the stunned Xiong Zhan.

"Ah, what can I do for you, Grandma?" Xiong Zhan hurried over, bowed low, and grinned sheepishly—whether because of Xiao Yan or the Grand Void Dragon's identity, he dared not offend Zi Yan.

"Xiao Yan is going to participate in the Pill Gathering and needs some Medicinal Material from you—is that okay?" Zi Yan's eyes glinted with a faint Purple Light, laced with threat.

Seeing that Purple Light, Xiong Zhan swallowed hard and quickly stepped aside. "Of course, of course."

Seeing Xiong Zhan move out of the way, Zi Yan stepped ahead into the Stone Hall herself—no need for Xiong Zhan to guide her; her Treasure-Finding Talent was a compass!

Following Zi Yan's swift pace through the Stone Hall, they passed several corridors and arrived at the spacious Guang Chang within.

The moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Guang Chang, a thick, almost viscous medicinal fragrance surged toward him, forcing him to sneeze violently. He raised his head and stared at the countless Medicinal Materials piled before him—his face froze in stunned silence.

"Tenglong Flower Heart. Red Flame Fruit. Liu Yan Ling Yan—so much of it!"

Even Xiao Yan, who had seen great sights, stared blankly, scanning each neatly arranged Medicinal Material before him.

This entire pile of Medicinal Material was at least Seven-Grade; Eight-Grade ones were numerous, and Xiao Yan even spotted several Nine Rank Medicinal Materials!

Seeing these Medicinal Materials, Zi Yan was astonished—wow, they'd saved themselves the trouble of robbery. If they'd known there was this much here, they should've come straight here to take it, not rob!

At this moment, after collaborating for several days, Xiao Yan and Zi Yan exchanged a glance—both instantly understood each other; they had developed real chemistry!

Zi Yan placed her hands behind her back, assuming the posture of a dignitary, and said, "Xiong Zhan."

"Ah, what is it, Grandma?" Xiong Zhan scurried over, asking.

Zi Yan pulled Xiong Zhan aside and whispered, "Your Medicinal Material here is plentiful, but the high-grade ones aren't that many. You just eating them won't enhance your Bloodline—it's a waste. How about this? Since you're a subordinate race of the Grand Void Dragons, I'll take all these Medicinal Materials, and I'll have Xiao Yan craft an Eight-Grade Elixir for you to enhance your Bloodline."

Xiong Zhan's heart leapt. "Really?!"

"Of course. Though your Medicinal Material isn't quite enough, I know Xiao Yan well—I'll get him to give you a discount." Zi Yan patted Xiong Zhan's shoulder, looking like she was making a great personal sacrifice.

But soon, Xiong Zhan deflated. "I want to, but… I can't leave the Dan Realm. That damn Dan Tower locked me in Wanyao Mountain Range—I can't leave, and Master Xiao Yan doesn't have enough time to craft an Elixir for me."

"No problem—I'll take you out." Zi Yan patted her chest, guaranteeing it, and incidentally secured a guide to the Grand Void Dragon Clan.

"You can freely enter and exit the Dan Realm?!" Xiong Zhan gasped, eyes bulging as he stared at Zi Yan.

Hearing Xiong Zhan's excited voice and stunned expression, Xiao Yan asked curiously, "What's so special about entering and exiting the Dan Realm?"

Xiong Zhan stared at Zi Yan in shock, his voice trembling. "You—you're not… you're the Royal Bloodline of the Grand Void Dragons?!"

Both Zi Yan and Xiao Yan froze, exchanging a glance—this revelation was earth-shattering, shocking them both!

"Brother Xiong Zhan, why do you say Zi Yan is Royal Bloodline?" Xiao Yan asked, eyes serious.

"Huh? You don't know?" Xiong Zhan was now the one confused—don't you know yourselves, and you're asking me?

Zi Yan nodded; Xiao Yan explained, "This girl was originally lost outside the Grand Void Dragon Clan—she didn't come from within, so she knows nothing about the Grand Void Dragons."

"Ah, no wonder you didn't know the Ancient Dragon Bear was a subordinate race," Xiong Zhan finally understood—why Zi Yan had beaten him so hard at first.

Xiong Zhan stared seriously at Zi Yan. "Even a Peak Dou Zun Grand Void Dragon cannot cross the Barrier or the Flame Sealing. The Dan Realm is sealed by a Barrier Array—no Grand Void Dragon, not even a Peak Dou Zun, can enter or exit, let alone a Dou Zong."

"Only the Royal Bloodline of the Grand Void Dragon Clan can ignore Barriers and Flame Sealing, sense energy with precision, and traverse Space at will. It's said this power comes from the Ancestral Dragon."

The Ancestral Dragon was the first Dragon on the Dou Qi Continent to break through Nine Rank and reach Ten Rank in ancient times—the first Ten Rank beast, or Divine Beast—hence called the Ancestral Dragon.

The second Ten Rank beast was the ancestor of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix and Ancient Heavenly Phoenix—Feng. The third was the ancestor of the Ancient Heavenly Snake and Devouring Heavenly Snake—Snake Mother.

Xiao Yan's eyes widened—he hadn't realized not all Grand Void Dragons possessed Zi Yan's powerful Treasure-Finding Talent and ability to ignore Barriers!

This guy is Royal Bloodline?! Possessing the Ancestral Dragon's power?!

"You're the Royal Bloodline of the Grand Void Dragons?!" Xiao Yan was stunned—Zi Yan didn't look like royalty at all!

Hearing Xiong Zhan's words, Zi Yan's lips curled upward. She stood on tiptoe and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, proudly saying, "Little Yanzi, work hard on crafting for me. When I ascend the throne, I'll reward you handsomely."

Xiao Yan rolled his eyes. "Pfft—if you ever led the Grand Void Dragon Clan, you'd probably dissolve it on the spot and get invaded."

Naturally, now that he knew Zi Yan's identity, Xiong Zhan understood the importance of clinging to a powerful leg—he bundled up all the Medicinal Material and gave it to Xiao Yan.

"Don't you dare keep it all for yourself—you've got to share some with me."

"Don't worry, you'll definitely get your share this time."

"Hehehe."

Happy New Year! First update of 2023!

(End of Chapter)