Chapter 456

"Good, good, good—I'll wait for you, little Dragon Emperor, to unify the Void Ancient Dragon Clan." Xiao Yan patted Zi Yan on the back, soothing this little girl who had never known familial warmth yet already bore the weight of her race's destiny.

Zi Yan rubbed her delicate face fiercely against Xiao Yan's Alchemist Long Robe, wiping away every tear and snot, then lifted her head with a toothy grin.

Seeing Zi Yan's slightly reddened eyes, Xiao Yan gave up scolding her—he figured the Void Ancient Dragons, like cats and dogs, liked leaving their scent behind.

Zi Yan looked back three steps at a time before finally following Zhu Li Elder into the place where the Void Ancient Dragon royal bloodline awakening took place.

It was a sacred inheritance site reserved exclusively for those of the Void Ancient Dragon royal bloodline, designed to help Zi Yan awaken her royal bloodline and master the Ancestral Dragon Power.

When Zi Yan emerged from the inheritance site, she would likely reach Eight Rank, then enter the Dragon Tomb.

The Dragon Tomb held the skeletal remains of generations of Nine Rank Void Ancient Dragons—the most concentrated source of Dragon Qi in the clan. Training there allowed Zi Yan to absorb the Void Ancient Dragon Clan's Dragon Qi, enhancing her internal Dragon Qi, strengthening her physique, and elevating her Cultivation Realm.

Xiao Yan knew no more than this, which was why he had crafted those three Elixirs—the first two were tailored to these inheritance sites, while the Wild Beast Heavenly Spirit Pill would aid Zi Yan's Bloodline Ancestral Return and slightly increase her chance of breaking through to Nine Rank.

But whether she could break through to Nine Rank still depended on the Void Ancient Dragon Clan's underlying reserves. Yet Xiao Yan found the current Void Ancient Dragon Clan rather unreliable—if it had been the old clan, he'd have had no doubts.

But now, East Dragon Island was only a quarter of its former size—could it truly possess enough reserves to help Zi Yan break through to Nine Rank?

Still, Xiao Yan was an outsider; he couldn't easily question it. What if the Old Dragon Emperor had left behind some grand technique or immense fortune?

Seeing Zi Yan safely enter the Dragon King Ruins, Xiao Yan could only wish her well and keep watch on Void Ancient Dragon Clan news, hoping one day he'd hear from the Yan Alliance that the Void Ancient Dragon Clan had "returned to the world."

Xiong Zhan was currently refining the Elixir Cao Ying had crafted—he would now be Zi Yan's mount.

"Master Xiao Yan, the Dragon King instructed that you may freely harvest any Medicinal Material on Dragon Island," Hei Qing said with a goofy grin.

Zi Yan had already instructed Hei Qing to act as Xiao Yan's guide and to escort him if he wished to leave.

Hei Qing, for his part, did not boast about his Cultivation Realm. He didn't just respect Xiao Yan as the Dragon King's closest ally—he also respected him as the Champion Alchemist who had forged a Seven Colored Pill Thunder, an Eight Grade Pill.

If they ever needed Elixirs, the Void Ancient Dragons had no Alchemist of such caliber—Xiao Yan was their best, perhaps only, option.

Xiao Yan glanced around and shook his head—not because he disdained the Spirit Fruits or Medicinal Material on Ancient Dragon Island, but because he knew the ones he coveted were extremely precious, all top-tier specimens on the island, many of which were still growing and awaited allocation.

If Xiao Yan took them, they'd be gone.

Though Ancient Dragon Island seemed rich in Medicinal Material, the Void Ancient Dragons had been divided and isolated for so long that they themselves were nearly out of supplies.

Hei Qing scratched his head—he understood Xiao Yan had realized the Void Ancient Dragon Clan was outwardly strong but inwardly weak; otherwise, there'd be no reason to seal off the island and let the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan dominate Shou Yu, seizing most of its resources and sacred lands.

"It's fine—I believe in Zi Yan's potential. She'll soon lead you to unify the entire Void Ancient Dragon Clan, and your clan will reclaim its status as the supreme beast dominator," Xiao Yan smiled.

"Yes, I also believe the Dragon King can lead us," Hei Qing said, then added with a sly grin: "Though our resources on Dragon Island are scarce, we can steal some."

"Steal? Steal what?" Xiao Yan blinked, curious.

"Hehehe, we can steal from the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan's territory—those feathered bastards," Hei Qing grinned wickedly, utterly unlike the imposing figure he'd been when first introduced.

How could this guy be so sleazy?

Brother Hei Qing! Where's your former domineering spirit? Your character's changed!

As Xiao Yan followed Hei Qing off East Dragon Island, Hei Qing explained everything along the way—only then did Xiao Yan understand what "steal" meant.

At first, Xiao Yan thought Hei Qing meant stealing from the three other Dragon Islands—turns out he meant stealing from the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan!

This reminded Xiao Yan of when Zi Yan stole Medicinal Material from Jia Nan Academy's storage.

Turns out, Zi Yan wasn't the only one who did this—entire Void Ancient Dragon Clan had done it!

Because the Void Ancient Dragon Clan mastered Space, even if they couldn't ignore Barriers like Zi Yan could, they could still slip silently past weaker Barriers, guardians, and surveillance.

For someone like Hei Qing, a Peak Eight Star Dou Zun, such techniques were devastating—ordinary Dou Zun Space Locks couldn't stop him, couldn't even detect him.

At this moment, the place Xiao Yan followed Hei Qing to was a self-contained Space, tightly linked to the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan's world.

Like the Void Ancient Dragon Clan and the Dou Emperor Family, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan had its own world—but unlike Ancient Dragon Island, it was a colossal tree!

This giant tree rooted itself in Space, and the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan lived upon it, just like ordinary birds.

Though the tree was roughly the size of the Ancient Realm or Soul Realm, without a Dou Emperor to maintain it, the tree had gradually withered, leaving only the lower world habitable.

Even the Ancient Realm and Soul Realm had deteriorated—after all, no one now possessed a Dou Emperor, so no one could do Dou Emperor things.

This Space wasn't inside the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan's great tree—it was in Shou Yu, part of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan's territory.

Hei Qing tore open Space with his hands, silently slicing a gap, then whispered: "Master Xiao Yan, you may envelop yourself in Soul Force—just don't let the guards spot you."

"The guards aren't strong, but if you draw the attention of Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan elites, it'll be troublesome."

Xiao Yan nodded, immediately donning his Soul Robe and followed Hei Qing to "do something bad."

As Xiao Yan stepped through the portal, he froze—before him lay a breathtaking scene: rolling hills, gentle breezes, as if he'd entered a paradise beyond the world.

But that wasn't the point—the point was the sheer number of fruit trees! All of them bore extraordinarily rare Spirit Fruits!

"Hehe, those feathered bastards may be weak, but their tree-tending and fruit-cultivation skills are top-notch. Their clan was once a vassal race that cultivated Spirit Fruits for the Ancient Heaven Phoenix and Heaven Phoenix," Hei Qing explained with a chuckle.

A vassal race could attach itself to a powerful clan only if it had "use"—just like the Ancient Dragon Bear, which had always served the Void Ancient Dragon Clan as war beasts, carrying loads and clearing paths.

The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan once held a similar role—as "fruit farmers," cultivating fine Spirit Fruits for the Ancient Heaven Phoenix and Heaven Phoenix.

Even now, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan fed exclusively on Spirit Fruits, unlike the Void Ancient Dragons, who could consume both Medicinal Material and Spirit Fruits.

"Hehe, Master Xiao Yan, take anything here—just be careful not to get caught," Hei Qing drew a circle in the air, then reached into it and pulled out a Spirit Fruit the size of a fist, crunching it down in two bites.

Though Hei Qing devoured it with ease, that Spirit Fruit was a Seven Rank Medicinal Ingredient, packed with immense energy—ordinary Dou Zong needed time to refine even one.

Spirit Fruits were gentler than Medicinal Material and could be eaten directly, but their energy was far less concentrated—after all, a single tree produced countless fruits.

Xiao Yan subtly scanned with his Soul Force, locking onto the most potent fruit tree in the orchard, then mimicked Hei Qing—he used Earth Sub Flame of Swallowing Flame to draw a black circle, then reached in and "took" a jade-white Spirit Fruit.

Though this Jade White Fruit was only Seven Rank, its energy was excellent for beast physique strengthening—even human cultivators who consumed it could reinforce their bodies and slightly elevate their Cultivation Realm.

Xiao Yan picked up the Jade White Fruit, wiped it on his robe, then devoured five in one gulp. A warm energy flowed through every cell of his body, strengthening his physique before forming a pure thread of energy that drifted into his Qi Ocean.

He'd just swallowed five Spirit Fruits that normally required Elixirs to obtain—but he frowned. The advantage of these naturally grown Spirit Fruits was no side effects: as long as your body could endure, you could keep eating them, unlike most Elixirs, which granted only one dose before resistance built up.

The downside? Their energy was weak. Xiao Yan had eaten five at once, yet his Qi had barely increased, and his physique had strengthened only slightly.

"After six months of refining my body with Three Thousand Yan Flame, my physical Cultivation Realm may still fall short of an Eight Rank Void Ancient Dragon, but it should match a typical Seven Rank Peak beast. This Jade White Fruit's effect on my physique is too low."

It wasn't that the Jade White Fruit was bad—in fact, even Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan prodigies ate these. But if Xiao Yan relied on eating them to strengthen his body or raise his Cultivation, he'd need to consume thousands—likely the entire Little World's supply.

That was impossible—he wasn't a Swallowing Python; he couldn't eat that much.

Xiao Yan didn't notice—he'd just eaten five Jade White Fruits in one go, his body unharmed—yet Hei Qing beside him was utterly stunned.

"Master Xiao Yan, are you alright?" Hei Qing asked with concern. Usually, even a Seven Rank Tai Xu Gu Long couldn't swallow five White Jade Fruits in one go—it would cause excessive energy buildup and convulsions.

Isn't it said that human flesh is weak? This guy's physical strength is even stronger than a Seven Rank Tai Xu Gu Long?!

Xiao Yan shrugged, helplessly saying, "Brother Hei Qing, do you have any higher-grade spirit fruits here? It seems these Seven Rank White Jade Fruits aren't suitable for me."

Hearing this, Hei Qing's eyes flickered with helplessness and surprise. He had originally assumed Xiao Yan had just entered Eight Rank, and his physical strength must be weak; he thought bringing him here would satisfy him and help strengthen his body—as repayment for bringing Zi Yan.

But he never expected this guy's body to be this strong!

Are you even human?

"Sigh, this is already the highest-grade Spirit Fruit Orchard the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan has in Shou Yu. If you want something stronger for Body Tempering, I recall that recently the Tian Feng Blood Pool Sacred Site has opened within the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan. That Holy Land can toughen the body—if you're lucky enough to absorb the ancient Tian Feng Blood within, even I would benefit immensely." Hei Qing's eyes dimmed slightly, for the Tai Xu Gu Long Clan once had their own Ancient Dragon Blood Pool, opened annually for elite young members to cultivate.

But after the Tai Xu Gu Long Clan split, the southern Dragon King took that blood pool away, and the northern and western Dragon Kings each took some Holy Lands from Ancient Dragon Island, leaving the Tai Xu Gu Long Clan's young generation weaker and weaker—now nearly inferior to the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan.

The civil war has drained the Tai Xu Gu Long Clan of too many resources and claimed too many lives.

Combined with the Old Dragon Emperor's disappearance, the Tai Xu Gu Long Clan's strength has plummeted.

Of course, Xiao Yan hadn't noticed Hei Qing's gloom—he had just heard that familiar term again.

"The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, huh?" Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with unusual light, and a wicked smile curled on his lips.

If someone now claimed Xiao Yan was a Heavenly Venerable of the Soul Sovereign, no one would doubt it.

"Yes, in the past, when the Old Dragon Emperor still lived, those feathered birds would beg to please us and even give us shares of the Tian Feng Blood Pool spots. Too bad now—even our own Ancient Dragon Blood Pool is gone." Hei Qing sighed.

"Brother Hei Qing, if I wanted to go to the Tian Feng Blood Pool—" Xiao Yan hadn't finished speaking when Hei Qing gasped and hurriedly said, "Master Xiao Yan, you absolutely cannot! The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan despises humans intensely—indeed, all beasts are unfriendly toward humans. And I've heard Master Xiao Yan has some past grievances with the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan."

During the month Xiao Yan spent refining pills, Hei Qing had traveled to Zhong Yu to investigate Xiao Yan's reputation, and learned Xiao Yan had refined the corpse of a Heavenly Demon Phoenix—though this rumor was later proven a misunderstanding.

That's why the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan hadn't acted.

Xiao Yan gave Hei Qing a meaningful smile and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Brother Hei Qing. Don't worry—I won't do anything reckless."

Xiao Yan had been worried about where to find a good place to level up—within half a year, no, five months—he needed to rise one or two stars, so he'd have more confidence when facing Tian Gang Hall.

He'd thought bringing Zi Yan home would bring some benefits, but he never imagined the Tai Xu Gu Long Clan had sunk so low—most Holy Lands and legacies had been stolen by three traitors, leaving only ruins accessible to those with Dragon King bloodline still on East Dragon Island.

This made Xiao Yan's trip a complete waste!

But fortunately, when the boat reaches the bridge, it naturally passes; when the path grows dark, flowers bloom again!

The Heavenly Venerable of Yan came all this way—how could he return empty-handed!

How convenient—he knows someone in the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, and that person is even one of their prodigies.

Getting himself into the Tian Feng Blood Pool shouldn't be hard.

Of course, Xiao Yan didn't miss any of the spirit fruits here—all ripe ones were quietly plucked by a black cat's paw, stealthily emerging from Space.

He completely looted the entire orchard, with no intention of leaving even a single fruit for the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan.

At this moment, within the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan's self-contained world, the immense Shen Shu's roots plunged deep into Space.

From afar, it was a colossal tree, impossibly vast, its branches stretching like mountain ranges in all directions, the entire tree resembling a giant umbrella shading a thousand li of Space.

Even a single branch was as massive as a mountain range; its tips were like peaks, like islands, blotting out the sun and sky.

One could imagine how magnificent and awe-inspiring the Dou Qi Continent must have been in ancient times, when Dou Emperors still existed.

Tai Xu Gu Long floated above the floating continents, this invincible ancient tree where the Heavenly Phoenix and Tian Feng Clan dwelled, the various worlds created by the Dou Emperors.

But now, Ancient Dragon Island was shattered, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan no longer saw the ancient Tian Feng or Tian Huang, and the great tree had begun to wither.

The treetop was completely barren, devoid of a single leaf; the branches were shriveled and on the verge of snapping. Now, only the lower world of the tree remained habitable—but it likely wouldn't last long.

Ever since the ancient Dou Emperors suddenly vanished, the civilization of the Dou Qi Continent had been severed in half; all things tied to the Dou Emperors were gradually fading.

Now, not even reaching Dou Emperor was possible—breaking through to High Rank Dou Sheng had become incredibly difficult. Among the Dou Emperor Families, apart from the strongest Gu Clan and Soul Sovereign, all others lacked even a Nine Star Dou Sheng—visible decline.

At this moment, on a branch as vast as a mountain range in the middle layer, a graceful figure in a colorful robe sat cross-legged in cultivation. The woman wore a seven-colored robe, her body shimmering with threads of wind and thunder energy.

From afar, she radiated an unmistakable noble aura; her cheeks were slightly slender, like a princess of some empire—beautiful and sacred.

Yet the one flaw in her sacredness was a coldness that repelled all approach, making her seem utterly unattainable.

Feng Qing'er slowly opened her beautiful eyes, her violet, gem-like gaze fixed on the distant peak, where blue-green-feathered birds chirped noisily.

Forget the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan—even among the Tai Xu Gu Long Clan, those who could transform into human form were exceedingly rare, for transformation required not only Seven Rank, but also surviving the Heavenly Tribulation.

"What's all this noise?" Feng Qing'er frowned slightly; she hated being disturbed during her quiet cultivation.

A half-transformed woman, with an eagle's body and human form, flew over and knelt on one knee. "Lady Qing'er, the clan's Spirit Fruit Orchard has been robbed—many spirit fruits have been stolen."

"Stolen?" Feng Qing'er froze. Who in Shou Yu dared steal from the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan? Who had such audacity?

(End of Chapter)