In a daze, his consciousness drifted within a sea of purple-golden light. Within the light, cool energies seeped out in countless threads, slowly integrating into his consciousness. This integration continued for a long, long time. Finally, the purple-golden light faded slightly, and the cooling energy weakened, eventually dissipating completely.
As the purple-golden light dissipated, a mild coolness filled the once hazy consciousness, gradually bringing it to clarity…
In a spacious room, sunlight streamed in through the windows, leaving patches of light on the floor. On the bed, a figure lay quietly. Suddenly, the closed eyes trembled, and with some difficulty, they opened.
Slightly squinting at the blinding sunlight, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, shook his head, and memories surged back, causing a faint headache. “Where am I…?”
Sitting up on the bed, Xiao Yan gazed around in confusion. He remembered that he should have been helping Zi Yan refine the Dragon-Phoenix Crystal Layer. And the Ancient Dragon Island had been under attack?
“Zi Yan…”
Thinking of Zi Yan, Xiao Yan was startled. He placed his hands on the bedside, intending to stand up, but a crack sounded, and the hard edge of the bed crumbled into powder. Shocked, he stared at his hands. Only then did he realize that his physical strength had suddenly increased significantly.
“What’s going on?”
Frowning, Xiao Yan pulled up his sleeve and noticed a faint purple-gold hue beneath his skin, as if made of metal, giving an impression of extreme hardness.
As Xiao Yan was pondering the changes in his body, the tightly shut door opened, and two figures rushed in. Seeing Xiao Yan awake on the bed, both were overjoyed. “Young friend Xiao Yan, you’re finally awake.”
“Elder Zhu Li…”
Recognizing the elderly man and the black giant behind him, Xiao Yan hurriedly stood up and bowed respectfully.
Elder Zhu Li waved his hand and smiled, “Don’t be so formal, young friend. You have done great favors for our Void Spirit Dragon Clan. We can hardly bear such politeness.”
“Did Zi Yan succeed?” Xiao Yan’s heart stirred, and he asked urgently.
“Yes,” Elder Zhu Li nodded happily, his joy evident.
“Where is Zi Yan now?” Xiao Yan looked around, somewhat surprised.
“The Dragon Emperor didn’t fully absorb the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit’s energy. After repelling the attackers that day, she went back into seclusion. This time, it might take quite a while.” Elder Zhu Li smiled.
Xiao Yan nodded, a bit disappointed that he couldn’t see the girl. He was still worried about her.
“It seems something has changed in me?” Rubbing his arm, Xiao Yan said hesitantly.
Elder Zhu Li chuckled, “You’ve noticed, too… It was the Dragon Emperor who did this. She infused a trace of Dragon-Phoenix power into your body and activated the Ancient Dragon Blood Essence you consumed, significantly enhancing your physical strength. Your current physical power is comparable to that of some Douzong-level beasts.”
A look of surprise flashed in Xiao Yan’s eyes. No wonder he felt different. His physical strength had grown so much.
“Dragon-Phoenix power is not as simple as you imagine. Focus your mind, activate that unfamiliar energy inside you, and see what happens.” Elder Zhu Li said mysteriously.
“Hmm…” Xiao Yan hesitated, then nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating his mind. He quickly found the unfamiliar energy swirling in his flesh and activated it…
As the energy activated, Xiao Yan felt a peculiar, itchy sensation all over his body, as if he was being bitten by countless ants. Surprised, he opened his eyes and saw countless purple-gold dragon scales covering his body from head to toe, except for his head. These scales covered his body like armor, giving an unbreakable impression.
“This is the Dragon Scale Armor, a defensive skill possessed by all Void Spirit Dragons. But yours is not ordinary; it’s the highest-grade Dragon-Phoenix Ancient Armor,” Elder Zhu Li explained, smiling at Xiao Yan’s surprised expression.
“Hehe, that Dragon-Phoenix Ancient Armor is a good thing. With it, even if you were to take a punch from the Soul Palace’s Nine Celestial Exalted, it would only leave a minor injury.” Black Qian grinned, his tone revealing a hint of envy. As a member of the Void Spirit Dragons, he knew well the formidable nature of the Dragon-Phoenix Ancient Armor.
Xiao Yan’s shock gradually subsided. Gripping his palm, he felt the unbreakable sensation become clearer in his mind. “It really is a good thing…”
Xiao Yan realized that with this Dragon-Phoenix Ancient Armor, his defensive capabilities had risen several levels. Even attacks from a six-star Douzong would barely hurt him. Even powerful opponents like the Nine Celestials would not inflict serious injuries with direct attacks.
“The Dragon-Phoenix Ancient Armor usually hides under your skin. As soon as you activate it, it will appear,” Elder Zhu Li smiled.
Xiao Yan nodded, mentally controlling the purple-gold scales to retreat into his skin, disappearing in a cold sensation. After practicing the activation and retraction of the Dragon-Phoenix Ancient Armor, Xiao Yan became more proficient and satisfied with it.
“By the way, where is Qing Lin?” After playing with the armor, Xiao Yan turned his attention to her.
Elder Zhu Li stroked his beard, “The little girl carries the soul of the ancient Nine-Headed Sky Serpent, one of the most ferocious. This creature is extremely vicious, and even though the girl can control it with her Azure Serpent Pupil, as the snake’s powers recover, it will inevitably rebel against her.”
“Oh?” Xiao Yan was taken aback, realizing that even the Azure Serpent Pupil’s power couldn’t fully subdue the Nine-Headed Sky Serpent.
“Since the girl is your friend, we will naturally help. Shortly after you fell unconscious, we sent her to the Ancient Dragon Tomb to train. The tomb, a resting place for generations of dragons, has an abundant aura of dragons, which can suppress the Nine-Headed Sky Serpent’s soul and eventually allow it to be fully absorbed.” Elder Zhu Li smiled, “So don’t worry. Once she fully absorbs the serpent, her power will skyrocket, as she can easily obtain the serpent’s soul power with her Azure Serpent Pupil.”
Xiao Yan nodded, understanding that Qing Lin, already a one-star Douzong, could likely match a six-star Douzong with the Nine-Headed Sky Serpent’s soul power. If she completely absorbed and assimilated it, her true power would likely reach the level of a five-star Douzong. Thinking of this, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but shake his head in resignation. The Azure Serpent Pupil truly lived up to its reputation as the world’s greatest eye technique, boosting her power by four stars almost instantly, far faster than he had ever experienced with absorbing heavenly flames.
“In that case, I’ll stay on the Ancient Dragon Island a bit longer. If any trouble arises, I can lend a hand.”
Elder Zhu Li smiled, “Of course, you are a distinguished guest. Before the Dragon Emperor went into seclusion, she instructed us to treat you with the utmost respect. I also sent for the elders who left during the clan’s split and have not returned. They should come back now that the Dragon Emperor has resurfaced. With these old fellows back, the island will be as impregnable as a fortress, safe from the three Dragon Kings themselves.”
Xiao Yan’s thoughts raced. It seemed the Void Spirit Dragon Clan, dormant for so long, was finally mobilizing. A united clan would regain its superpower status…
“By the way, Elder Zhu Li, is there a place near the Eastern Dragon Island where lightning gathers in the void?” Xiao Yan asked, recalling his damaged Heaven Demon Puppet. To repair it, he needed thunder energy, and celestial alchemical thunder was impractical.
Hearing this, Elder Zhu Li was taken aback, then pondered deeply. After a long while, he nodded. “There is indeed a place near the Eastern Dragon Island where lightning accumulates in the void.”
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