Outside the Void Thunder Pool, a rainbow brilliance shot out, flashing several times before it broke free from the Thunder Pool. Then, he turned to look behind him. Seeing no signs of abnormality, he finally let out a sigh of relief. The figure was none other than Xiao Yan, who had swiftly departed after acquiring the Ninefold Mystic Gold Lightning’s power. Since the process of obtaining the power went more smoothly than he had expected, he only truly relaxed after successfully leaving the Thunder Pool. A look of joy, which he could hardly conceal, filled his eyes. This trip to the Thunder Pool had yielded far more than he had anticipated. Not only had he successfully enhanced the North King to the level of a six-star Dou Sheng, but he himself had also surged from the early stage of a five-star Dou Sheng to the later stage. Of course, the greatest reward was undoubtedly the devastating force that he had extracted from the Ninefold Mystic Gold Lightning. Xiao Yan raised his palm, and as the pink flame flickered, Xiao Yi appeared. On one of Xiao Yi’s chubby little arms, an additional golden dragon tattoo now resided, emanating a tingling, destructive force.
“Yiya!” Xiao Yi glared at Xiao Yan with its bright, shiny eyes, letting out a juvenile cry. It was clear that Xiao Yi was somewhat displeased that Xiao Yan had sealed such a dangerous thing inside it. After all, even for a pure lotus devil fire, it was extremely difficult to refine the power of the Ninefold Mystic Gold Lightning. Furthermore, that entity was extremely unruly; a single slip-up could cause it to burst forth, leaving Xiao Yi to suffer the consequences.
“Ha ha, don’t worry, everything’s fine…” Xiao Yan chuckled, stroking Xiao Yi’s head and speaking comforting words. Then, he gazed intently at the golden dragon tattoo. Even though he knew that it contained an immensely vast and powerful energy, he felt like a tiger encountering a hedgehog, not knowing where to start. The energy within was extremely destructive, to the point where even a seven-star Dou Sheng would likely not dare to absorb it directly, let alone him.
“This thing, even for Xiao Yi’s pure lotus devil fire, is extremely difficult to refine. I guess we can only temporarily keep it inside Xiao Yi and use the devil fire to continually refine it. I don’t believe we can’t handle you,” Xiao Yan muttered to himself after some thought. Making a decision, he waved his hand and stored Xiao Yi back in his body. For now, keeping it there was a good choice. If he encountered any sudden major trouble, this could significantly help him.
“I’ve been out for so long, it’s time to return to Dragon Island…” With a thought, Xiao Yan unfolded his blue-red bone wings, flapped them, and shot off like a meteor towards the void.
When Xiao Yan returned to Dragon Island, the island, nearly rejuvenated, left him both surprised and astonished. Towering mountains pierced the sky, and clouds enshrouded the vast island. Occasionally, the massive figures of Ancient Void Dragons flew by, their low, resonant roars echoing continuously across Dragon Island.
Now, Dragon Island was the result of the merger of the four former Dragon Islands, and it was not only huge in area but also had gathered more clan members than ever before. In the past, the clan members were scattered across the four islands, making it almost impossible for them all to gather in one place.
Xiao Yan hovered in the air, his soul perception scanning the area. His eyebrows then twitched as he sensed that the number of Dou Shengs on Dragon Island was nearly enough to fill the fingers of his hand, not at all inferior to the Alliance of Heaven and Earth.
“No wonder the Ancient Void Dragons are so formidable. Even though they are not at their peak anymore, they are still a formidable force. It seems the talk of their glory days, when they could rival the Soul and Yao Clans, isn’t just empty boast,” Xiao Yan nodded in admiration. Among the four former Dragon Islands, there were already many experts. Although they had suffered significant losses, the number of top-tier Dou Shengs had not been severely affected. Now, with the four islands united and these experts pledged to Zi Yan, their strength was undoubtedly considerable. Just with this lineup, the Ancient Void Dragons, as the top race among magical beasts, remained unchallengeable. Even the current Sky Demon Phoenix Clan would find it difficult to challenge them.
The fact that the Ancient Void Dragons had preserved such power pleased Xiao Yan greatly. Their strong relationship with the Alliance of Heaven and Earth, fostered through his connection with Zi Yan, made the Alliance’s position in the Central Continent even more secure.
The defenses of Dragon Island were stricter than before. Teams of Ancient Void Dragon guards, their wings fluttering, patrolled intersecting paths. When they detected Xiao Yan, hovering in awe at the island’s transformation, a dozen figures quickly approached, but upon recognizing him, their wariness turned to respect. They bowed to him from a distance before dispersing.
This scene made Xiao Yan smile. He then moved, entering the island. Several flashes brought him to a secluded courtyard.
“Xiao Yan.” The sudden appearance of Xiao Yan took the two women, Cai Lin and Zi Yan, by surprise. They quickly recovered and greeted him with a touch of delight.
“In just under two months, Dragon Island has changed so much. You, the Dragon Emperor, really do have some ability…” Xiao Yan looked at Zi Yan and smiled.
“Heh, you disappeared for another two months. If you didn’t come back, we’d have to send someone to the Void Thunder Pool to look for you,” Zi Yan pouted. In front of Xiao Yan, she lost all her Dragon Emperor regality, speaking as candidly as if she were a little girl again.
“Your strength has increased?” Cai Lin, perceptive as always, noticed something different about Xiao Yan the moment she saw him, and asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.
“Late-stage five-star Dou Sheng. I had an encounter in the Void Thunder Pool,” Xiao Yan said with a smile, not elaborating further. Deep in the Void Thunder Pool lay countless Dark Magic Lightning, which even ordinary four-star or five-star Dou Shengs could not easily navigate. He did not want to spread the word and attract misfortune to other Ancient Void Dragons. Moreover, the Ninefold Mystic Gold Lightning was there too, though its power had diminished. Still, with its unique abilities, it was just a matter of time before it regained its full strength. A fully intelligent Ninefold Mystic Gold Lightning, with the power of a seven-star Dou Sheng, would be an opponent even Xiao Yan could not face, and he would have to flee.
Seeing Xiao Yan nod in confirmation, both Cai Lin and Zi Yan could only laugh bitterly. In just under two months, Xiao Yan had jumped from early-stage to late-stage five-star Dou Sheng. Such speed was indeed terrifying.
Understanding their thoughts, Xiao Yan did not offer much explanation. If he had not fortuitously encountered such a large amount of Dark Magic Lightning and managed to harness and absorb its energy through Xiao Yi’s fire spirit form, such a leap would have been impossible. This was a kind of chance accumulation.
“Now that the Ancient Void Dragons are on the right track, I should not be needed much. So, I think it’s time for us to return to the Alliance,” Xiao Yan said, turning to Zi Yan.
“Are we going back already?” Zi Yan frowned slightly, then nodded, albeit reluctantly. “Well, the Alliance just defeated the Soul Temple and is currently at the height of its power. You really can’t be away for too long. Besides, the clan has largely agreed to our alliance. When you return, tell the higher-ups about it.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan hesitated, staring at Zi Yan. “The Ancient Void Dragons have just reunified. This is a time for recuperation, not for getting involved in the mire of the Central Continent.”
Xiao Yan knew the benefits of the Alliance with the Ancient Void Dragons, but from Zi Yan’s perspective, this was not an ideal situation. The Ancient Void Dragons, having gone through internal strife, had just stabilized. If they chose to rest and recuperate, they could regain their strength faster. The Alliance of Heaven and Earth had many enemies, including the Soul Clan, a superpower. Choosing to ally now would undoubtedly drag the Ancient Void Dragons into the fray.
“The Ancient Void Dragons repay kindness. You saved our clan twice in times of peril, and every member of the clan will never forget this. No matter what trouble you get into, the Ancient Void Dragons will always be your friends,” Zi Yan, with her beautiful eyes fixed on Xiao Yan, said something that left him speechless.
“Hehe, the Elders said that, I’m just borrowing their words,” Zi Yan’s solemn expression gave way to a playful smile. Seeing this, Xiao Yan could only laugh bitterly.
“Rest assured, it’s the whole clan’s decision. Even as the Dragon Emperor, I can’t sway their choices. This is the Ancient Void Dragons’ way of repaying you, a friend,” Zi Yan said with a charming smile.
At this point, Xiao Yan could only nod silently. There was no need to say more. The Alliance of Heaven and Earth indeed needed such a powerful ally.
“Give my regards to the Elders. I’ll definitely come back to Dragon Island when I have the time!” With a wave of his sleeve, a spatial crack appeared beside him.
“If you need anything, send someone to Dragon Island. The Ancient Void Dragons will do their utmost,” Zi Yan said with a soft smile.
Xiao Yan laughed heartily, nodded, and without further ado, stepped into the spatial crack. Cai Lin followed swiftly, and as she entered, the spatial crack slowly closed, leaving Zi Yan gazing at the disappearing rift, a wistful expression on her face.
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