Chapter 502

"Have there been any successful cases of evolving into a Dragon Phoenix?" Xiao Yan's Soul Force Perception continuously scanned the massive crystal before him and asked.

"There were two instances: once, an ultra-powerful being emerged from the Ancient Heaven Phoenix Clan, possessing a Dragon Phoenix Body; during that era, the Ancient Heaven Phoenix Clan suppressed our clan so severely we could hardly breathe. Later, our clan pooled all our strength to cultivate a single Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, which gave birth to a Dragon Phoenix powerhouse."

Xiao Yan carefully examined it, then scraped at it with his fingernail—whooosh! —Three Thousand Yan Flame condensed at his fingertip; Xiao Yan could feel the Three Thousand Yan Flame slowly melting and accelerating absorption.

Seeing Xiao Yan, without any prompting, realized the need to use a Strange Fire to assist refining, Zhu Li's eyes lit up with delight—this proved Xiao Yan's Pill Alchemy skill was extraordinarily high, and his Fire Control Power was astonishing.

Xiao Yan also sighed; normally, when he used Strange Fire to help others refine, any inner armor or sealing barriers on the body would be completely shattered by the Strange Fire—but this barrier was truly unusually thick.

"That silly girl, she knew refining the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit was dangerous, yet insisted on shouldering it alone," Xiao Yan muttered helplessly at Zi Yan, who lay inside like a sleeping beauty.

Xiao Yan didn't need to ask—he knew this girl, aware of the danger, still chose to risk herself for the unity of her clan.

"Really, her body has fully matured to Eight Rank, but why hasn't her intelligence grown at all?"

Zhu Li said: "Master Xiao Yan, time is critical—we've prepared everything."

"Mm."

Zhu Li brought the crystallized Zi Yan to the mouth of an active volcano; the temperature here was extremely high, and the air brimmed with dense Fire Attribute Energy, allowing the Burning Scripture to rapidly absorb and convert it into Dou Qi, preventing Dou Qi depletion during Strange Fire use.

Floating above the volcanic mouth was a gigantic emerald-colored cauldron; the moment Xiao Yan saw it, his eyes widened in surprise: "This is the Nong Ding, ranked third on the Heavenly Cauldron List!"

Xiao Yan hadn't expected this to exist within the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan. The Nong Ding, ranked third on the Heavenly Cauldron List, could perfectly activate the medicinal properties of herbs during refining, ensuring the herbs remained flawless and never degraded from prolonged storage.

"Refining the Dragon Phoenix Crystal Layer is no easy task—it will be a lengthy process, and the Dou Qi consumption will be utterly terrifying." As he spoke, Elder Zhu Li clenched his palm, and a pale white jade bottle appeared in his hand; he gently rubbed it, then handed it to Xiao Yan: "Inside are five drops of Ancient Dragon Essence Blood, refined by me personally—immense in energy, capable of instantly restoring vast amounts of Dou Qi and possessing the miraculous effect of tempering tendons and bones. If your Dou Qi runs low during refining, take one drop."

Xiao Yan carefully accepted the jade bottle, feeling the vast energy radiating from within; even with his own discernment and experience, he couldn't suppress a flicker of awe—he understood the preciousness of Ancient Dragon Essence Blood well; these five refined drops, if exposed outside, would surely trigger a frenzy among Dou Zun powerhouses, for this substance not only rapidly restored depleted Dou Qi but also strengthened the physical body.

"This matter is of utmost importance—I won't make empty boasts. Though the Ancient Dragon Essence Blood is precious, I'll accept it temporarily, just in case." At this moment, Xiao Yan made no pretense; he immediately clasped his fists, drew a deep breath, and in a flash, became a streak of light appearing above the volcanic mouth, where he sat cross-legged, slowly settling just outside the Nong Ding.

Zhu Li slowly placed the crystallized Zi Yan inside the Nong Ding, then solemnly told Xiao Yan: "Master Xiao Yan, the Dragon King has entrusted you with this task. Should you succeed, our Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan will fulfill any request you make."

Xiao Yan waved his hand: "No need for reward—I'm here to save Zi Yan, not to make money."

Hearing this, Zhu Li paused in surprise, then nodded deeply and apologized: "I spoke out of turn."

Looking at Zi Yan not far away, Xiao Yan's expression grew grave; this time, he was essentially helping Zi Yan complete her evolution—any misstep could easily kill her.

Whooosh, whooosh, whooosh! Xiao Yan formed a hand seal, and the Burning Scripture spun wildly into motion; the entire volcano began to boil, and the Heavenly Energy's Fire Attribute surged violently. With a flick of his hand, eleven fused Strange Fires flew into the Nong Ding.

Boom, boom, boom!!! Dou Qi and Soul Force poured in—instantly, the Fused Strange Fire surged violently; its terrifying power made the Nong Ding tremble. Fortunately, it was ranked third on the Heavenly Cauldron List; otherwise, even the Wan Shou Ding couldn't have withstood this Strange Fire's might.

"Such powerful Strange Fire!" A low hum sounded as a white-and-black-haired elder stepped forward beside Zhu Li; the elder wore a tight-fitting outfit, expression stern and unsmiling, radiating an air of harshness.

This man was also an Elder of East Dragon Island, named Qi You—a Half Sage!

Seeing this Strange Fire, even Qi You's eyes grew grave; this Strange Fire was stronger than any he had ever seen!

Roar! This time, Xiao Yan made the Spiritual Flame of Three Thousand Yan Flame the dominant force, shaping it into the form of a Tai Xu Ancient Dragon, slowly coiling around and enveloping Zi Yan completely within.

Wum, wum, wum, wum!!! Xiao Yan continuously poured Dou Qi and Soul Force into the Strange Fire; in less than half an hour, even the incredibly hard Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit Crystal Layer began showing signs of melting.

"So fast!" Seeing the Crystal Layer melting so quickly, Zhu Li and Qi You exchanged glances—this Strange Fire's power must be even stronger than they'd imagined!

"Unbelievable…" At first, Qi You hadn't believed a mere Dou Zun could refine the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit's Crystal Layer and help Zi Yan evolve.

He had advocated requesting the Yao Clan's intervention—but Zi Yan had shattered her jade pendant, and Xiao Yan arrived ahead of schedule.

Now, seeing it firsthand, his assumptions were shattered: Xiao Yan's astonishing Fire Control Power and that terrifying, mysterious Strange Fire filled him with a hint of wariness.

Seeing the Crystal Layer gradually melting, Xiao Yan knew this was only the beginning—he wasn't just melting the layer; he needed to refine its energy into pure energy, then gradually integrate it into Zi Yan's body according to her absorption capacity, helping her complete her evolution!

Fortunately, Xiao Yan had previously helped Cai Lin refine her Three-Flame Serpent Body and assisted Xiao Yixian in controlling the Eternal Calamity Poison—he had considerable experience.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye; aside from consuming one drop of Ancient Dragon Essence Blood, Xiao Yan had continuously refined the Crystal Layer.

Another ten days passed; during this time, Xiao Yan consumed another drop of essence blood. The once-thick Crystal Layer had now thinned to a mere film; Zi Yan before him resembled an ice sculpture.

Seeing the Crystal Layer nearly fully refined, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief—he knew this was Zi Yan's final step in evolution.

"Ha!" A low hum sounded as Xiao Yan's Soul Force suddenly surged—the Soul Tribe Clan Mark activated!

Boom! At that moment, the Strange Fire unleashed its ultimate power—a pillar of multicolored flame erupted from the mouth of the Nong Ding, shooting straight into the heavens!

Woooooo!!! A massive, expanding flame pillar surged upward; from afar, it resembled a colossal dragon awakening—but strangely, this dragon bore a pair of golden Ancient Phoenix Wings!

The terrifying Strange Fire even shattered the barrier of East Dragon Island, bursting into Space; its terrifying aura spread throughout the void.

As the dragon roared, every member of East Dragon Island turned toward the volcano's direction—whether Hei Qing, Xiong Zhan, or other creatures on the island—all bowed reverently toward that spot.

"Dragon Phoenix Body! Our East Dragon Island now has a Dragon Emperor!"

Standing in Space, Zhu Li and Qi You felt the suppression of this bloodline—even they, as Half Sages, were subdued; this meant it was not Dragon King pressure—it was Dragon Emperor pressure! The strongest bloodline in the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan, one that even Dragon King bloodline must submit to!!

Both dragons knelt down, bowing far toward Zi Yan's direction, as if subjects paying homage to their emperor.

Naturally, the only one on East Dragon Island who did not kneel was Xiao Yan.

Seeing the glimpse of skin within the flames—the snow-white complexion, Zi Yan's fully developed figure—Xiao Yan sighed helplessly; this time, it wasn't the Strange Fire's fault—it was Zi Yan's own evolution causing this.

But Xiao Yan still silently thanked Xuan Huang Flame.

Inside the Flame Storm, Zi Yan slowly opened her eyes; the first thing she saw was Xiao Yan not far away, and she immediately smiled, spreading her arms and leaping toward him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck: "Xiao Yan, you came to save me."

Xiao Yan instinctively caught the leaping girl and sighed: "Yes, yes, yes, I came to save you."

Xiao Yan quickly pulled out a coat from his storage ring and draped it over Zi Yan.

"Don't do such reckless things again—I won't always be able to arrive in time." Xiao Yan sighed helplessly; the Card Point Heavenly Sovereign was turning into the Firefighting Heavenly Sovereign—next time you pull something this dangerous, give me a heads-up!

What if I happened to be trapped in some Secret Realm? What then? Fortunately, I've been cultivating Dou Techniques at the Hua Sect recently.

"Hehehe," Zi Yan wore an expression of "I hear you, but I won't change," hugging Xiao Yan's neck, rubbing her soft cheek against his, affectionate beyond words.

"Oh my, I give up—you haven't bathed in half a month!" Xiao Yan kept dodging; why are you acting like a cat?!

Watching Zi Yan's clingy, intimate gestures, Zhu Li and Qi You looked at each other, both seeing astonishment in each other's eyes, and involuntarily swallowed.

Xiao Yan was human—he didn't understand; Master Yao was an Alchemist, not a Beast Sovereign, so he hadn't been given much knowledge about beasts.

A beast's strength and bloodline are tied to physical growth; Zi Yan's bloodline is extremely high, so she matured very slowly—only at Eight Rank did her body reach its complete form. Just like Cai Lin once did—when her body reached Seven Rank bloodline maturity at the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta, she experienced a primal urge and then "attacked" Xiao Yan.

Imagine—if Xiao Yan were a Tai Xu Ancient Dragon, and they were both beasts—what would this behavior mean?

That's why Zhu Li and Qi You were so stunned; in the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan, this was a primal instinct!!

Zi Yan had been away too long and didn't know these things—she acted purely on instinct. And Xiao Yan, being human, knew even less.

"It seems Master Xiao Yan and the Dragon Emperor Adult don't know about some things."

"Hmm."

For a moment, both Elders felt their scalps tighten—how were they supposed to teach this? It was instinct!

As for opposing the entire Void Ancient Dragon Clan, not a single Dragon could oppose the Dragon Emperor—after all, her father wasn't here; Zi Yan was now a dictator, the sole emperor of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan!

Of course, under Xiao Yan's complete ignorance, certain things naturally never happened.

After a moment of doting, a hum rang out, and a purple-gold light enveloped Zi Yan's body.

When the light faded, Zi Yan wore a purple-gold robe, upon which Dragon Phoenixes danced as if alive, radiating an undeniable aura of nobility; her slender frame stretched tall, her purple hair cascading like a waterfall down past her slender waist, ending at her firm, rounded hips.

Her originally purple eyes had now turned purple-gold—mysterious and alluring; under the gaze of these purple-gold eyes, every Dragon Clan member would bow.

Behind her stretched a pair of purple-gold wings, even more formidable and dominant than the Ancient Phoenix Wings Xiao Yan had forged, for Zi Yan's were real!

Slowly rising into the sky, Zi Yan gazed downward with solemn eyes.

"Heavenly Phoenix Wings. Ancient Dragon Body. Hmm, this girl's power has skyrocketed," Xiao Yan thought, watching Zi Yan, filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

For beasts, bloodline is everything; if unafraid of death, successful bloodline evolution grants rapid cultivation advancement.

Bloodline is both chain and power!

Betting one's life to break the chain brings power others envy!

Moreover, Xiao Yan knew he had merely helped Zi Yan achieve evolution—the terrifying Dragon Phoenix primal source fruit's energy had not yet been fully absorbed, and with the East Dragon Island's Ancestral Inheritance Site, Zi Yan's power could still rise further!

Gazing at Zi Yan's purple-gold wings, Hei Qing and others' faces burned with greater excitement; after a moment, they suddenly knelt low in the sky, their voices reverent with sincere devotion.

"Welcome, Dragon Emperor Adult!"

"Welcome, Dragon Emperor Adult!"

The powerful figures of the East Dragon Island also knelt instantly, their voices roaring in unison.

Xiao Yan stretched, twisted his neck, and heard a series of cracking bones; he sighed wearily: "Phew, finally took care of you, girl."

These past half-months had exhausted Xiao Yan more than Spirit Refining—failed refining only lost Medicinal Materials, but this time failure was unthinkable; he'd maintained intense focus for half a month, so of course he was tired.

"Xiao Yan."

"Hm?"

With a hum, Zi Yan sliced her fingertip; a thick drop of purple-gold essence blood coalesced on her tip. Before Xiao Yan could react, she flicked her slender finger—shoo! —the essence blood shot into Xiao Yan's body.

The instant the essence blood entered, every part of his body except his head erupted in countless purple-gold Dragon Scales, covering him like armor, radiating an invincible aura.

Though Xiao Yan didn't know what it was, he understood: this was an extremely powerful protection.

"Zi Yan... you haven't fully refined it yet," Xiao Yan said helplessly, staring at Zi Yan's pale face.

"I know you're going to the Ancient Realm. This Dragon Emperor Ancient Armor will protect you. If your life is in danger, I'll sense it and come save you," Zi Yan said solemnly; when speaking of Xiao Yan's safety, she dropped her playful demeanor.

Seeing Zi Yan's serious expression, Xiao Yan knew he couldn't refuse this kindness.

"Fine. But I doubt your Dragon Emperor Ancient Armor will ever get a chance to be used," Xiao Yan shrugged, implying he was strong enough.

Not long after, Zi Yan reluctantly departed—she had too much to do: summoning absent Elders, awakening the Grand Elder and Second Elder in seclusion, and entering the Ancestral Inheritance Site to fully refine the remaining power within her; only then would her strength be sufficient to face the Three Great Dragon Kings!

Watching Zi Yan leave, Xiao Yan turned to Hei Qing beside him and asked: "Hei Qing, does Dragon Island have a place for body tempering and essence blood refining?"

Xiao Yan needed to fully refine the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor Zi Yan gave him, as well as the three remaining drops of Ancient Dragon Essence Blood and the essence blood within the Creation Saint Bones.

"Body tempering?" Hei Qing stared at Xiao Yan strangely—normally, humans could find body tempering sites anywhere on Ancient Dragon Island.

But this Xiao Yan... the more he looked, the less human he seemed! With the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor, even Hei Qing's usual body tempering grounds would be unsuitable for him now!

"Outside the island, in a certain Xu Kong Zhi Di, lies a Void Thunder Pool—even I dare not approach it closely. You should go there," Hei Qing said.

Xiao Yan smiled politely: "That's perfect. And Hei Qing, you're joking—I'd only dare linger outside; I wouldn't dare enter."

Hei Qing looked utterly unconvinced. You're fooling ghosts!

Xiao Yan didn't leave immediately—he'd been too exhausted. After resting half a day, he followed Hei Qing toward the Void Thunder Pool.

After about fifteen minutes, Xiao Yan arrived with Hei Qing at an unmarked Xu Kong Zhi Di.

Before Xiao Yan lay a "lake" nearly a thousand zhang wide—but this "lake" contained no ordinary water; it was entirely filled with brilliant silver Thunder Lightning.

This was a true Thunder Pool forged by heaven and earth's lightning!

Standing before the Thunder Pool, thunderous roars erupted continuously from within, shaking the soul; standing here, one felt utterly insignificant.

"Such dense Thunder Power—this will help me refine all the essence blood," Xiao Yan thought. Rapidly increasing one's Cultivation Realm too quickly would leave Qi unstable.

Normally, Xiao Yan used his Strange Fire to temper his body and compress his Qi, but now he'd lost his Strange Fire—he'd have to use a cruder method.

Gazing at the Thunder Pool, Xiao Yan's eyes burned with eagerness—if he could refine all the essence blood, his power might surge significantly!

"Only half a year remains before the Heavenly Tomb opens," Xiao Yan resolved—he'd spend these six months right here in the Thunder Pool!

(End of Chapter)