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--- Chapter 317 ---
Zi Yan is a pure-blooded Ancient Void Dragon who, by accident, consumed the rare but not fully matured Transformation Grass and transformed into a young girl.
If Zi Yan were more patient, she wouldn't have experienced this.
Yet, this unforeseen change somehow works in her favor, as she has yet to adapt to the human world, met Su Qian, the First Elder of Jia Nan Academy, and was taken in by him.
Back then, she truly resembled a wild child who had grown up in the wilderness.
The First Elder is like a doting grandfather. He raised Zi Yan as if she were his own granddaughter, unaware that she was a magical beast who might even be older than he is, and he thought her parents had abandoned her in the mountains.
Thus, Zi Yan enrolled in the Inner Court of Jia Nan Academy, where she soon became renowned as the "Strength Queen" thanks to her incredible physical prowess derived from her constitution as a pure-blooded Ancient Void Dragon.
Of course, Su Qian was both happy, thinking he had taken a genius young girl with an unawakened yet powerful bloodline.
However, there is much more to this fierce Little Dragon Girl.
Being an Ancient Void Dragon, and a pure-blooded one at that, made Zi Yan's identity very complex.
Like many typical cultivation stories, Zi Yan possesses 'Royal Blood' and is part of the Dragon Emperor's lineage because her father is the previous Ancient Dragon Emperor, Zhu Kun!
Yes, cliché, but what can you do about it?
Unfortunately, during Zhu Kun's quest to become a Dou God, he was trapped in the Tou She Ancient Mansion, where he has remained for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, serving as its guardian.
As Han Yuan knows, the Ancient Mansion is 'coincidentally' located in the Magma Domain, which is also where Meng Tian Chi built the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower upon.
So, despite their thousands of years of separation, fate has intertwined the lives of Zhu Kun and his daughter, Zi Yan. They are close yet divided by geographical layers, as if the world itself wishes to punish them.
Han Yuan sympathized with this father-daughter duo. 'If Zi Yan had never met the protagonist, Xiao Yan, and become part of his winning group, their suffering would have continued indefinitely.'
'Being a protagonist certainly has its perks. While Zhu Kun endured the sorrow of imprisonment for thousands of years, Xiao Yan merely entered the Tou She Ancient Mansion and quickly acquired the inheritance of the Dou God, becoming one himself shortly after.'
'This made Zhu Kun's suffering seem trivial in comparison.'
However, now that Zi Yan has encountered Han Yuan, their destinies have begun to shift.
Zi Yan: Xiao Yan, who is that? All I know is Han Yuan!
Han Yuan also had an amused little thought, 'Ancient Void Dragon, huh? I wonder how it compares to my Lawless Turtle King.'
He smirked, thinking, 'Well, anyway, the advantage is mine.'
"Hey! Say something! Why did you suddenly go mute?" Zi Yan puffed her cheeks and complained, looking directly at Han Yuan.
Han Yuan, grinning, placed his palm over her mouth and shoved a round object into her pouting lips.
Zi Yan froze, "Y-You..."
"Tell me, what is this?"
"This lady demands to know what you've fed me!"
"How could it be... so delicious?!"
Zi Yan's eyes sparkled with greed the moment Han Yuan fed her a pill. As the original story told, this little dragon girl had a gluttonous appetite, especially for rich medicinal pills.
Of course, it was mainly due to Zi Yan's dragon nature and her need for powerful medicine to accelerate her growth.
No girl wants to remain small forever, especially Zi Yan!
"This is called a Blood Condensation Pill," Han Yuan explained to her and then winked. "Taking it daily will increase your blood volume and physical strength, helping you recover from injuries and break through certain barriers."
He shook his head, "Too bad your blood is too strong. I can't fathom how you mistook me for a Magical Beast."
"While I may have some bloodline connections, I am human through and through. My father is human, and so is my mother."
"But your ancestors..." Zi Yan said, displaying her airheadedness. Though she was willful and childlike, she could still connect the dots. "It seems I was really mistaken about you."
"So, do you admit you're wrong?" Han Yuan flashed a playful smile at Zi Yan.
Zi Yan blushed slightly and gritted her teeth, feeling both ashamed and annoyed. "Fine, I was a little wrong—just a little!"
"But remember, I am your senior, so you need to show me some respect."
"Give me more of those Blood Condensation Pills!" She stretched out her little hand toward Han Yuan, her demand seemingly natural.
Han Yuan stared at the smug little dragon girl in disbelief. "What kind of twisted logic is this? How did my retaliation for your rudeness end with you demanding my pills?"
"Make it make sense!"
"Are you going to give it or not?" Zi Yan snorted and raised her clenched hand threateningly.
However, to Han Yuan, she looked more adorable than threatening.
Han Yuan rubbed his chin and then replied, "Nope."
"Y-You!" Zi Yan was speechless. She pointed her trembling little finger angrily. "I will teach you a lesson!"
After saying that, Zi Yan threw a punch toward Han Yuan. Talking about being unreasonable.
However, the outcome wasn't something Zi Yan expected. Her clenched fist stopped a few millimeters away from Han Yuan's face, making her widen her eyes in disbelief.
"I-Impossible!" Zi Yan cried in bewilderment.
"How can my fist not hit you!"
Although Zi Yan didn't use her full strength as she merely wanted to teach Han Yuan a lesson, he would at least get sent flying by her.
After all, her reputation as 'Strength Queen' isn't for nothing.
Unfortunately, Zi Yan faced Han Yuan. No matter how strong she was, she couldn't break past his infinity unless she used her Ancient Void Dragon's power to destroy and manipulate space.
And even if she did, it's just a matter of shifting the force and then fixing the first outer layer of the 'infinity' back.
Yes, even if Zi Yan somehow breaks past Han Yuan's infinity, it's just one of countless layers he created.
"Have you eaten anything today? Such a weak punch, and you wanted to teach me a lesson? How embarrassing." Han Yuan teased Zi Yan.
Zi Yan blushed in embarrassment, "Fine, don't blame me if you get hurt then!"
She launched a barrage of powerful punches and kicks at Han Yuan, and even attacked him from all directions, but her focus was mainly on his annoyingly handsome face.
Yet, no matter how much force Zi Yan puts into her attacks, none of them can reach Han Yuan, as if there is an extremely long distance between them, though they are so close.
Ultimately, the more Zi Yan attacked, the more frustrated and tired she became. Something Zi Yan had never felt after becoming a human all these years.
Also, she finally tears up.
Zi Yan slumped on the grassy ground and cried, "Waaa, you're bullying me!"
"What's wrong with this annoying barrier of you! How could it be so damn strong? WAAAAA!!!"
"..." Han Yuan was speechless. Once again.
Previously, you wanted to beat me up.
Now, you cried because you can't beat me up.
There should be a limit to your unreasonableness, right?
In the end, Han Yuan has to console Zi Yan with some candies, I mean, pills.
Of course, Zi Yan, being the embarrassed one, didn't dare to stay here any longer and glared at Han Yuan resentfully before leaving.
She also left behind some bold remarks that she would return and avenge this loss, though the truth is, she probably returned for more pills later.
'Human, rabbit, snake, dragon, as long as they are women, at the end of the day, they are the same!' Han Yuan shook his head and then sighed inwardly as if he had learned a profound truth.