Word Count: 3,299 Words
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The burly man who called himself an Ancient Dragon Bear let out a wild roar. The space shattered with a thunderous crash. Massive trees around the mountaintop were hurled skyward as an overwhelming dragon might poured down, sweeping across the land as if determined to obliterate everything in sight.
'Dragon might?!' Xiao Yan felt his heart tremble. He, too, possessed a faint trace of dragon aura within his body. It was gained from the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill. But even so, he could distinctly feel the pressure. There was no doubt this Ancient Dragon Bear harbored a dragon bloodline that was anything but weak!
At the very least, this dragon bloodline was many times more concentrated than the Serene Sea Scaly Beast from the Jia Ma Empire.
The burly man's entire body radiated a red aura suffused with an extremely faint, ethereal purple light.
"Hehehe, forcing me to use my Bloodline Awakening is quite an achievement for two Dou Ancestors. My bloodline beast techniques are no weaker than those of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, perhaps even stronger!" As he spoke, the man's hands grew massive, and his body sprouted thick, bear-like fur. From a distance, he resembled an enormous magical bear.
The only difference between him and an ordinary magical bear was his eyes. They had the vertical pupils characteristic of the dragon race, similar to those of the Serene Sea Scaly Beast.
"Hmph. What a joke of an Ancient Dragon Bear. With just a scrap of dragon bloodline, you dare call yourself that? Don't bring shame to the dragon race." Zi Yan's lips curved upward, her eyes filled with disdain. In the next instant, her entire body erupted with terrifying dragon might as a burst of purple energy shot skyward!
When the burly man saw the dragon might bursting from Zi Yan, his previously arrogant expression transformed into one of horror. He staggered backward several steps, exclaiming, "You you you-you-you-you-you-you-you!!! You are!!"
ROAAR!!
A dragon's roar suddenly echoed throughout the Ten Thousand Medicinal Mountain Range. Magical beasts everywhere lifted their heads, astonishment flashing across their eyes.
The Ancient Void Dragon bloodline within Zi Yan's body surged relentlessly. Bloodline Awakening wasn't a technique exclusive to the Ancient Dragon Bear; her Ancient Void Dragon bloodline could manifest it too!
ROAAR ROAAR ROAAR!!
A series of deeper roars thundered forth. Zi Yan's black eyes gradually transformed. Her formerly cute, lively eyes grew ferocious, and though they remained dragon pupils, their base was now a noble, regal purple.
Xiao Yan watched in amazement. This was only the second time he had seen Zi Yan fully unleash her bloodline strength. The first time had been in Venerable You Du's inheritance ground, when she had transformed into her true form and forcibly activated her Ancient Void Dragon power. Even now, the dragon breath she had unleashed back then still struck him as utterly terrifying.
Furthermore, Zi Yan had no formal Ancient Void Dragon inheritance and relied entirely on her own comprehension, which spoke volumes about her incredible talent.
Zi Yan's body began to grow taller, her legs becoming long and shapely as she reverted to her adult form. But the transformation didn't stop there. Purple dragon scales erupted from her skin, and a pair of small dragon horns protruded from her head.
With creaking sounds, her hands rapidly transformed into purple dragon claws, and her formerly cute little tiger teeth elongated into sharp fangs.
The previous Zi Yan had been adorable, like a porcelain doll. This Zi Yan bore no resemblance to anything cute. She was entirely a dragon woman now. Her expression was fierce, and under the sunlight, her scales reflected a purple brilliance. She looked every bit a war goddess clad in dragon armor: awe-inspiring and majestic!
Like Cai Lin, Zi Yan possessed three forms: her normal human form, her battle form with magical beast characteristics, and her true form.
Unless absolutely necessary, she generally avoided transforming into her true form. Though fighting in her massive true form offered tremendous destructive power and strength, it consumed enormous amounts of energy. It was like Xiao Yan's Nine-Color Lotus Flame; a last resort for when one's life was truly on the line.
"ROAR!!!"
Zi Yan opened her mouth and released an angry dragon roar. The terrifying sound waves were like a hurricane, shattering both the ground and space itself.
Now that's a true Ancient Dragon Roar!
Zi Yan was serious now, and Xiao Yan naturally refused to fall behind. His Spiritual Strength surged outward, and with a wave of his hand, five clusters of Heavenly Flames appeared, flickering above his head.
Thanks to his increasingly powerful Spiritual Strength and mastery of Dou Techniques, Xiao Yan could now execute the Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique almost instantly.
The sheer might of Xiao Yan's Dou Technique, combined with the oppressive aura of Zi Yan's fully unleashed bloodline, made the burly man's expression change dramatically. He hurriedly shouted, "Wait a moment, wait a moment!!"
But how could Xiao Yan and Zi Yan possibly heed his words? They simultaneously launched their most powerful attacks.
"Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique!"
"Ancient Dragon Slash!"
The Heavenly Flames immediately formed a blazing array, and a five-colored beam of light blasted toward the Ancient Dragon Bear. Simultaneously, a blinding purple light erupted from Zi Yan's right claw as she slashed downward with all her might.
Several streams of purple spatial turbulence transformed into invincible slashes that could cleave even void itself! A true Ancient Void Dragon could sever all things in the world with a single swipe of its claw!
"Waaahhh!" The Ancient Dragon Bear watched the two attacks, each comparable to a Tian Class Dou Technique, bear down on him. Despite his Dou Venerate cultivation, his powerful bloodline, and his nearly indestructible body, his scalp went numb and his fur bristled in alarm.
He dared not be careless and hastily unleashed his strongest defensive technique.
For Xiao Yan and Zi Yan to open with Tian Class-level Dou Techniques was proof enough: this Ancient Dragon Bear truly possessed remarkable strength and a highly unusual bloodline.
BOOM! BOOM!!
The Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique incinerated the land, its heat enough to boil seas and level mountains.
The Ancient Void Dragon's single claw strike possessed equally boundless power. Under their combined attack, space warped into a black hole. The entire mountain peak was blasted into a massive crater, everything destroyed and reduced to nothingness, as if returned to the primordial state.
"Where's that guy? Did we vaporize him?" Zi Yan looked around, finding no trace of the Ancient Dragon Bear. It was as if he had been completely obliterated, blasted to the point where not even bones remained.
Xiao Yan's brows drew together. Their combined assault was indeed overwhelming. An ordinary 1-star Dou Venerate would scarcely survive a joint strike from the infamous 'Zi-Yan bandit duo.'
However, magical beasts possessed an extremely tenacious life force, as well as an incomparably powerful body and astonishing defensive power. He refused to believe that an Ancient Dragon Bear, whose strength had soared to the late 2-star Dou Venerate stage, could be reduced to ashes so easily.
"Above!" His Spiritual Strength detected a disturbance overhead. He jerked his head upward.
The space above twisted open and the Ancient Dragon Bear emerged. His fur was charred black, and a bloody claw mark marred his chest. His expression was that of someone on the verge of tears.
That aggrieved, pitiful look was enough to make one want to laugh.
However, Xiao Yan and Zi Yan's laughter died in their throats when they saw he was largely unharmed. Their last attack had consumed a great deal of their Dou Qi and stamina.
Just as they prepared to press their advantage, the Ancient Dragon Bear called out to Zi Yan with a tearful voice: "Stop! Stop! We're family!"
????
Both Xiao Yan and Zi Yan froze. Who's family with you?!
Seeing the pair still appeared hostile, the Ancient Dragon Bear hastily dispelled his Bloodline Awakening, reverting to his human form with both hands raised in surrender.
"Please, Grandaunt, don't hit me anymore! We Ancient Dragon Bears are a subordinate branch of the Ancient Void Dragons!" The Ancient Dragon Bear shuffled pitifully toward Zi Yan, his eyes brimming with tears. If only you had mentioned earlier that you were an Ancient Void Dragon!
Zi Yan turned to Xiao Yan with an expression that seemed to ask: Is this true?
Xiao Yan stared back at Zi Yan with wide eyes, as if saying: You're the Ancient Void Dragon. Why are you asking me, a human?
Zi Yan's innocent gaze seemed to say: How would I know?
Xiao Yan put away the Heavy Xuan Ruler but remained wary, keeping a close eye on the Ancient Dragon Bear. "How can you prove it?"
At his question, the burly man displayed a sincere smile and said, "This grandaunt can sense the trace of Ancient Void Dragon bloodline within me."
Xiao Yan turned his head toward Zi Yan. With this reminder, Zi Yan—now back in her childlike form—scratched the back of her head and admitted somewhat embarrassedly, "Now that you mention it, there does seem to be a little."
"Wait, you—he shares your bloodline! Why didn't you say something earlier?!" Xiao Yan was dumbfounded. This guy could be your distant cousin!
"H-how was I supposed to know that having a bit of the bloodline made them a vassal race? Isn't it common for magical beasts to have dragon blood? That Serene Sea Scaly Beast has some too!" Zi Yan pouted, insisting she couldn't possibly know such details.
Hearing this blockheaded answer, Xiao Yan smacked his forehead and sighed heavenward. "Having a trace of dragon bloodline and having Ancient Void Dragon bloodline are two entirely different matters!"
This is the price of being uneducated!
The Serene Sea Scaly Beast and other such creatures had dragon bloodlines so diluted that their generations couldn't even be traced. It was like the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, whose bloodline had become a complete mess, containing traces of everything.
But if what the Ancient Dragon Bear claimed was true, then his race would be comparable to the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe!
Though the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe claimed to be one of the three great magical beast tribes, they couldn't compare to the Ancient Void Dragons.
To put it bluntly, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe had once been a vassal race of the Ancient Heaven Phoenix, existing as something akin to slaves or subordinates. They might not have even originally been called the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe.
It was only after a long period of time that some… indescribable things… happened between the 'slave owner' and their 'slaves,' resulting in the race known today as the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe.
It likely wasn't just the male Ancient Heaven Phoenix's bloodline either (凰 – Huang – male), but the female's as well (凤 – Feng – female). Otherwise, why would Feng Qing Er have 'Feng' as her surname?
So, the question of why this Ancient Dragon Bear carried the blood of the Ancient Void Dragon was one worth pondering.
Of course, this didn't necessarily mean the Ancient Dragon Bear was more formidable than the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe. Xiao Yan had never even heard of this race before today, so they were likely exceedingly rare, and their inheritance likely far inferior to that of the Heaven Demon Phoenix.
After all, the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe itself was currently in dire straits, barely able to care for itself.
Noticing the wounds covering the Ancient Dragon Bear and his pitiful expression, Xiao Yan felt somewhat embarrassed. This was truly a case of the flood washing over the Dragon King's temple—and almost washing it away entirely.
"Well, I have a tier 7 healing pill here that can help you recover quickly." Xiao Yan offered awkwardly. Retracting Xing Tian, he drew a brocade box from his storage ring and tossed it to the Ancient Dragon Bear.
At the mention of a tier 7 medicinal pill, the burly man perked up immediately. The moment he opened the brocade box, the medicinal fragrance that wafted out seemed to reduce his pain significantly.
"Really… you're really giving this to me?!" The burly man stared at Xiao Yan in disbelief. Could it be that not all alchemists are bad people?
Zi Yan placed her hands on her hips and declared, "Hmph, if we give it to you, we give it to you! Do you think we'd deceive you? Xiao Yan is an 8th-tier alchemist, a few pills are nothing to him."
Xiao Yan shot Zi Yan a sidelong glance, thinking to himself: Even the wealthy have their limits!
"Tier 8!!" The burly man's eyes widened in shock. This young man was actually a legendary 8th-tier alchemist!
Xiao Yan nodded and asked, "What's your name, by the way?"
"Oh, oh, oh, I'm Xiong Zhan," he introduced himself with a grin before swallowing Xiao Yan's medicinal pill. The injuries Zi Yan had inflicted began to heal visibly.
The potency of the medicinal pill surprised even Xiong Zhan. Truly worthy of an 8th-tier alchemist! Though only a tier 7 pill, it contained a trace of spirituality that enhanced its efficacy.
"Hey, big guy." Zi Yan approached the amazed Xiong Zhan.
"Er, yes, Grandaunt? What can I do for you?" Xiong Zhan immediately ducked his head and crouched down before Zi Yan, grinning sheepishly. Whether due to Xiao Yan's status or Zi Yan's Ancient Void Dragon identity, he dared not offend her.
"Xiao Yan needs to participate in that Pill Gathering thing, so he needs to take some medicinal ingredients from your collection. That won't be a problem, right?" A faint purple light flickered in Zi Yan's eyes, carrying a threatening flavor.
Xiong Zhan swallowed hard and hastily stepped aside. "Of course, of course."
Zi Yan strode into the stone hall without waiting for guidance. She didn't need Xiong Zhan to lead the way; her treasure-hunting talent served as the perfect compass!
Following Zi Yan's quick pace through the stone hall, they passed several corridors before reaching a spacious plaza within.
The moment Xiao Yan stepped into the plaza, an herbal fragrance so intense it seemed almost viscous assaulted him, causing him to sneeze violently. When he raised his head and saw the dense array of medicinal ingredients across the plaza, his face frozen in a stupor.
'Dragon Crest Flower Heart... Scarlet Flame Fruit... Sulfur Flame Spirit Saliva... so many!'
Even Xiao Yan, who had seen his share of grand scenes, stared in amazement as his gaze swept over the neatly arranged medicinal ingredients.
This massive pile of herbs contained nothing below tier 7, with tier 8 ingredients in abundance and even several stalks of tier 9 medicinal ingredients!
Zi Yan was equally astonished by the sight. Good heavens, this saves us the trouble of robbing people. If we'd known there was so much here, we would've come straight away to rob—cough—collect it.
At that moment, having collaborated for several days, Xiao Yan and Zi Yan exchanged a glance, immediately understanding each other's thoughts. Their tacit understanding was now second nature!
Zi Yan placed her hands behind her back, adopting the posture of an important figure. "Xiong Zhan."
"Eh, what is it, Grandaunt?" Xiong Zhan scurried over eagerly.
Zi Yan pulled him aside and lowered her voice. "You've got a lot of medicinal ingredients here, but not that many high-grade ones. Just eating them is a waste; they won't improve your bloodline. Here's an idea. Since you're a vassal race of my Ancient Void Dragons, give these ingredients to me, and I'll have Xiao Yan refine a tier 8 pill for you to boost your bloodline."
Xiong Zhan felt his heart leap. "Really?!"
"Of course. Although the medicinal ingredients you have here aren't quite enough, I'm very close with Xiao Yan. I'll get him to give you a discount," Zi Yan patted Xiong Zhan's shoulder with an air of 'I don't mind taking a small loss to help you out.'
Soon, however, Xiong Zhan's enthusiasm deflated. "I'd love to, but... I can't leave the Pill Realm. That cursed Pill Tower placed me in the Ten Thousand Medicinal Mountain Range and won't let me leave. Grandmaster Xiao Yan won't have time to refine pills for me!"
"That's a small matter! I can take you out of here," Zi Yan patted her chest confidently, while simultaneously securing a guide to the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe.
"You—you can come and go from the Pill Realm as you please?!" Xiong Zhan exclaimed, his eyes bulging with shock as he stared at her.
Hearing his astonished tone, Xiao Yan became curious. "What's so special about entering or exiting the Pill Realm?"
Xiong Zhan looked at Zi Yan in disbelief, his voice trembling. "You're not—you couldn't possibly be… royalty among the Ancient Void Dragons, could you?!"
Both Zi Yan and Xiao Yan were stunned. They exchanged glances, equally shocked by this earth-shattering revelation!
"Brother Xiong Zhan, why would you say Zi Yan is of royal bloodline?" Xiao Yan asked with a serious expression.
"Huh? You don't know yourselves?" Now it was Xiong Zhan's turn to be confused. How could they not know and need to ask him?
Zi Yan nodded, and Xiao Yan explained, "This girl grew up wandering outside and never came from the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, so she doesn't know much about their affairs."
"Oh, that explains why you didn't initially recognize the Ancient Dragon Bear as a subordinate race." Xiong Zhan finally understood why Zi Yan had attacked him so ferociously at first.
Xiong Zhan gazed solemnly at Zi Yan and said, "Ordinary Ancient Void Dragons, even those at the Dou Venerate realm, are unable to pass through barriers and seals. This Pill Realm is protected by specialized sealing formations that even a peak Dou Venerate Ancient Void Dragon couldn't breach, much less a Dou Ancestor."
"Only the royal bloodline of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe possesses the ability to ignore barriers and seals, sense energy acutely, and traverse the void at will. I've heard this power originates from the Ancestral Dragon."
The Ancestral Dragon—so the legends went—was the very first dragon of the Dou Qi Continent to break through Rank 9, ascending to Rank 10. The first Rank 10 magical beast, or perhaps one might even call it a Divine Beast. Hence the name Ancestral Dragon.
The second Rank 10 magical beast was the ancestor of the Ancient Heaven Phoenix and Ancient Heaven Phoenix, the Phoenix. The third was the Serpent Mother, progenitor of the Ancient Heaven Serpents and the Heaven Swallowing Pythons.
'So not all Ancient Void Dragons have treasure-hunting abilities like Zi Yan, nor can they ignore barriers at will!' Xiao Yan's eyes widened in shock.
This girl was of royal bloodline!! Possessing the Ancestral Dragon's power?!
"You're of the Ancient Void Dragon royal bloodline?!" Xiao Yan was astonished. In what way did Zi Yan resemble royalty!
A proud smile tugged at Zi Yan's lips. Rising on her toes, she patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder and declared loftily, "Xiao-Yan-Zi, you'd better work hard at refining pills for me. When this Queen ascends the throne someday, I promise you'll be well rewarded."
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes at her, entirely speechless. "Tch. If you were to lead the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, they'd probably disband on the spot and get themselves invaded by others."
Naturally, after learning of Zi Yan's identity, Xiong Zhan recognized the importance of hugging a thick thigh. Without hesitation, he carefully bundled up all the medicinal ingredients and handed them over to Xiao Yan.
"Don't think about keeping all of these for yourself. You'd better share some with me."
"Don't worry, you'll definitely get your share this time."
"Hehehe."