Chapter 707: Instinct

Countless bleached bones appeared, shocking anyone who saw them.

"It seems this is the main battlefield," Xiao Yan and Zi Yan gazed at the bone-strewn earth before them; these bones had not rotted away after such vast ages—likely once belonging to Eight-Rank or even Nine-Rank supreme magical beasts!

Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, murmuring to himself: "Could the passage once leading to the Great Thousand World—or to the Shen Shou Continent—have been here, in the Manhuang Ancient Domain?"

Even now, Xiao Yan had still not found the location of that ancient passage to the Great Thousand World; not a single trace remained.

Though the passage was destroyed fifty thousand years ago by a coalition of Dou Di, there must have once been an entrance, allowing teleportation from the Dou Qi Continent to the Great Thousand World.

Yet even the ruins of this passage were destroyed by the Dou Di.

The Manhuang Ancient Domain is the only place untouched by humans or Magical Beast Families; the wild beasts here lack sufficient intelligence, and this wild aura likely stems from the passage's original location, influenced by the Great Thousand World.

In ancient times, the Manhuang Ancient Domain may have held the same status as Zhong Zhou today—perhaps even the most energy-rich and prosperous region on the Dou Qi Continent.

"If the Great Thousand World and the Shen Shou Continent are two separate places, like Zhong Zhou and Shou Yu, then perhaps this passage leads to the Shen Shou Continent," Xiao Yan scanned the surroundings once more, beginning his analysis.

Beside him, Zi Yan furrowed her delicate brows, slowly closing her eyes as she followed the guidance of her bloodline.

Seeing the faint purple-gold glow of Dragon Phoenix Bloodline emanating from Zi Yan, Xiao Yan suppressed all his own aura to the lowest possible level, lest he interfere with her.

In ancient times, with abundant Source Qi and resources, Dragon Phoenix Bloodline was nearly equivalent to a Shen Shou; Xiao Yan estimated that even in the Great Thousand World, Dragon Phoenix would be formidable beings.

Suddenly, Zi Yan snapped open her eyes, gazing at a spot, then floated down from midair, stepping slowly across the ground for about ten paces until she stood before a massive white bone; her small face grew solemn as she extended her tiny hand—and the instant her fingers touched the bone, a purple-gold light suddenly materialized.

"This is!" Xiao Yan's eyes sharpened; no wonder he hadn't noticed it—it had been hidden within the bone, shielding itself!

Xiao Yan stared at the sudden golden light, surprise flickering in his eyes; soon, the purple-gold radiance took the shape of an inverted bowl, roughly ten zhang in diameter, its light surging skyward, drawing countless gazes.

"Hmph," Xiao Yan snorted, sweeping his hand—Emperor Might surged, coalescing into a Barrier that sealed the entire domain.

It seems the depths of the Manhuang Ancient Domain conceal numerous ancient powerful magical beast legacies; Xiao Yan was thorough—Cai Lin was a Nine-Colored Swallowing Sky Python; perhaps here also lay the legacy of the Nine-Colored Swallowing Sky Python.

Zi Yan and Cai Lin were both Five-Star Saint; they still had a long way to go before Nine-Star. If the legacy here was suitable, it could greatly accelerate their progress.

"Is this a Magical Beast Spirit Dome?" Xiao Yan now darted to Zi Yan's side, staring at the golden dome before him, his eyes filled with gravity; from this mysterious golden dome, they sensed immense power—this Magical Beast Spirit Dome was countless times stronger than the one they encountered in the Creation Sage's domain, no wonder his Imperial Soul Force had failed to detect it.

Though Xiao Yan could shatter this Magical Beast Spirit Dome, it would not be easy; excessive force might destroy what lay inside.

"Yes, but this Magical Beast Spirit Dome was formed by an Ancient Dragon of Dragon Phoenix Bloodline, who, at the moment of death, exhausted all his strength to condense it; his power in life likely rivaled my father's," Zi Yan gently traced the dome with her small hand, her expression grave.

"So he perished here—no wonder there's no Dragon Phoenix legacy on Dragon Island!" Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with surprise; he had once heard Three Elders say Zi Yan was not the first Ancient Void Dragon to successfully evolve Dragon Phoenix Bloodline.

Many ages ago, the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Clan obtained a Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit and cultivated a single Ancient Heavenly Phoenix with Dragon Phoenix Bloodline.

This caused the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Clan to dominate the Ancient Void Dragon Clan for generations; later, the Ancient Void Dragon Clan exhausted all their resources to cultivate one Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, giving birth to a Dragon Phoenix.

What became of those two Dragon Phoenixes remains unknown—could they both have perished here, in the Manhuang Ancient Domain?!

And in ancient times, the Tun Tian Mang Zong and Ancient Heavenly Snake were so powerful—could a genocidal war have erupted here among these ancient supreme families?

"Let's go in," Xiao Yan set aside all speculation; no matter what, once Cai Lin and the others arrived, everything would become clear.

Zi Yan nodded slightly; since they had come this far, they had to enter and see—besides, with Xiao Yan here, there was no need to fear danger.

She bit her slender jade fingertip, a strand of purple-gold blood welling up; she lightly touched the Magical Beast Spirit Dome, drawing a golden-red blood trail.

As the golden-red trail formed, the dome rippled violently; then, the golden light trembled, and a crack slowly tore open.

Zi Yan's guess was correct—it was here!

"Let's go."

Seeing this, Zi Yan waved her hand and stepped directly inside; Xiao Yan followed close behind—and as both entered the Magical Beast Spirit Dome, the golden light rippled, and the crack vanished instantly.

When Xiao Yan and Zi Yan entered the Magical Beast Spirit Dome, it was not the desolate wasteland they had seen in the Creation Sage's domain; instead, they stood within a vast palace, looking up to see a colossal dome, beyond which stretched endless Space!

"He can form an entire domain within his own bones!" Xiao Yan was slightly astonished—he, as a Dou Di, could certainly create such a world; forming a second world like the Ancient Realm or Soul Realm posed no problem.

"Xiao Yan, over there!" In the dark, vast dome-palace, there lay a massive blood pool, emitting a faint purple-gold glow.

Within the pool, purple-gold fluid flowed like molten gold—but upon closer inspection, it was not liquid at all; it seemed alive, shifting between giant dragons and golden birds, manifesting countless strange phenomena.

Seeing this vast pool of essence-blood, even Xiao Yan, as a Dou Di, stared in shock, his eyes tinged with greed—this pool of essence-blood was peerless!

"This isn't just Ancient Void Dragon essence-blood—it seems to contain the essence of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix, the Heavenly Phoenix Clan, and even the Ancient Heavenly Snake!" Zi Yan blinked, saying.

"Right—among all ancient supreme magical beast clans, only the Ancient Void Dragon Clan still survives—could the Ancient Void Dragon Clan have been the final victor of this war, the ones who outlasted them all?!" Xiao Yan stared at the pool before him; this essence-blood could elevate Zi Yan's Dragon Phoenix Bloodline to an unimaginably terrifying level!

Perhaps the Ancient Void Dragon Clan of old deliberately left this behind for their descendants, to cultivate a true Dragon Phoenix!

Not just Zi Yan—even Xiao Yan coveted it. His cultivation realm and spiritual soul had reached Dou Di, but his physical body had long lagged behind.

Since training the Golden Vajra Glazed Body, which had strengthened his body to Nine-Rank Magical Beast strength, he had received no further body-refining resources.

Xiao Yan had long given up hope—after all, the Dou Qi Continent's resources were nearly depleted—but he never imagined that deep within the Manhuang Ancient Domain lay such a pool of essence-blood!

Yet Xiao Yan quickly suppressed his greed; Zi Yan needed this pool far more than he did, to advance her Dragon Phoenix Bloodline once more.

"Zi Yan, go in and cultivate; with this pool, your Dragon Phoenix Bloodline should advance further—I'll guard you, and meanwhile search for any remnants concerning the Shen Shou Continent," Xiao Yan said to Zi Yan beside him, choosing not to compete—he yielded it to her.

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Zi Yan's eyes flickered with unusual emotion; she was no longer the child of old—she was the Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, and she knew this essence-blood could aid Xiao Yan too.

With a soft slap, Zi Yan seized Xiao Yan's large hand, slowly raising her head to gaze at him, her eyes gleaming.

"Zi Yan?"

Zi Yan smiled brightly, revealing her white teeth: "You shared medicinal essence with me in the Star Domain—how could I take this alone?"

Before Xiao Yan could react, a powerful force surged from her palm; Zi Yan yanked him, and with a splash, both plunged into the blood pool.

Boom! As Xiao Yan and Zi Yan plunged into the pool, the entire blood pool erupted like a volcano—instantly, strange phenomena surged upward, engulfing them completely!

Hum—two sounds; both Xiao Yan and Zi Yan's bodies emitted a crimson glow, but Zi Yan's bloodline radiance was far brighter by countless times.

Zi Yan turned, her back pressing against Xiao Yan's chest, looking up at the much taller Xiao Yan, grinning: "Dad and several Elders often told me strange things—about how embracing carries instinct, innate nature. I never understood then, but now I'm starting to get it."

"It feels just like back in the Star Domain."

As she spoke, whether from the blood pool or something else, a flush crept across Zi Yan's delicate face—a side of shy tenderness Xiao Yan had never seen before; it left him momentarily dazed.

"Dad said I'd figure out what to do next on my own—but I don't know what to do now! Xiao Yan, do you know?" Zi Yan's large, watery eyes fixed on Xiao Yan; she felt her bloodline boiling, her body burning—but what to do next remained a mystery, even though it was called "instinct."

Xiao Yan's arms encircled Zi Yan's slender waist from behind, whispering: "Next…"

Xiao Yan lifted Zi Yan's delicate chin and slowly leaned in to kiss her. Splash! Instantly, the entire pool of essence-blood twisted into a vortex, wrapping them both.

(End of Chapter)