The icy voice that echoed beside Qing Yan's ear was not loud, yet in that instant, it caused his soul to tremble violently. The pressure it carried was something he could not resist—a pressure that pierced directly into his soul and bloodline.
"A fully awakened royal bloodline…"
The moment his body stiffened, a pale hue surfaced on Qing Yan's face. His palm, which was mere inches from striking Xiao Hua, came to an abrupt halt. Without the slightest hesitation, he pressed against the air beneath his feet and forcefully retreated.
Chi!
As his figure shot backward, the space above the cauldron suddenly trembled. A blinding golden pillar of light erupted into the sky.
High above, dark-grey clouds began to churn, gathering ominously around the beam of light. Yet from within those heavy clouds, rays of golden brilliance pierced through, casting bright light upon the mountain below.
And then, as if summoned by the heavens themselves, a majestic purple dragon's head slowly emerged from the depths of the swirling clouds—its descent both awe-inspiring and oppressive.
As it descended, the appearance of the purple dragon gradually became clearer to those present. One could see that its massive form was not made of flesh and blood, but forged entirely from pure dragon aura—an overwhelming presence that caused the very space across Eastern Dragon Island to tremble.
With expansive wings unfurled, its colossal body coiled gracefully around the golden pillar of light. It danced with an ethereal majesty, rising steadily upward. When it reached the a certain point of the light pillar, the dragon lifted its head and released a thunderous roar that echoed across the heavens.
A moment later, streams of golden light abruptly surged forth, converging into a single radiant torrent that shot toward the retreating Qing Yan. The light tore through space, and in the blink of an eye, it struck him with devastating force.
Bang!
The golden beam exploded upon contact with Qing Yan's body. A terrifying windstorm erupted, and his throat tightened before a mouthful of blood burst from his lips. His figure was sent hurtling through the air in a pitiful arc before crashing heavily to the ground.
After Qing Yan's body was slammed heavily into the ground, the golden light pillar gradually began to fade, and the figure of the purple dragon dissipated into glimmers of light. In its place, a graceful silhouette emerged from within the waning radiance.
Her porcelain-like complexion and delicate, flawless features exuded a serene beauty. Yet, beneath that calm lay a regal presence—an aura of quiet authority, as if she were born to reign and would bow to no one.
Her long, dark-purple hair flowed like a silk waterfall down to her lower back, shimmering faintly as it caught the light. Atop her head rested a majestic golden headdress shaped like a dragon's crown, further enhancing her noble bearing. Her golden eyes were sharp and commanding, sweeping across the battlefield with a gaze that left none, unnoticed.
Her attire blended deep violet, soft lavender, and radiant gold, interwoven into intricate patterns of dragons and phoenixes dancing together. The fabric clung elegantly to her form, accentuating her slender waist while cascading gracefully around her limbs—balancing nobility with a high allure.
Behind her, a pair of magnificent wings unfurled—shaped like those of a divine phoenix, each feather edged like a blade. They radiated heavenly brilliance, their hues shifting between violet, amethyst, and luminous fuchsia. The wings bathed the surroundings in an enchanting glow, both beautiful and awe-inspiring.
The current Zi Yan no longer bore the appearance of a little girl. Instead, she had transformed into a mature woman—her beauty so breathtaking that it could bring ruin to kingdoms and cities alike.
Hei Qing's group, having barely regained their strength, instinctively raised their heads. Their eyes locked onto the enchanting yet sovereign figure before them. There was no mistaking her identity. The moment she appeared, the dragon blood within their veins began to boil uncontrollably, as if resonating with an unseen call. Driven by that ancient instinct, they nearly knelt midair under the pressure.
"The true royal bloodline… has awakened."
Hei Qing's gaze burned with zealous fervor as it fell upon the exquisite and commanding figure. Reverence filled his eyes—this was no ordinary transformation; it was a return of the bloodline's highest authority.
While most were still stunned by the overwhelming aura Zi Yan exuded, their attention was soon drawn to the space behind her. There, a pair of ten-foot-long wings slowly unfurled—radiant with hues of purple and gold. As they gently flapped, they stirred the wind, and faint rumbles of thunder echoed forth, shaking one's very soul.
"Heavenly Phoenix Wings… and the Ancient Dragon's body…"
The excitement on Hei Qing's face grew more intense upon witnessing the sacred wings behind her. A heartbeat later, his body dropped to one knee in the sky. His voice rang out with deep reverence, filled with the purest devotion from his soul.
"Greetings to Your Majesty, Dragon Emperor!"
"Greetings to Your Majesty, Dragon Emperor!"
Following Hei Qing's voice, the experts of Eastern Dragon Island instantly dropped to their knees, their expressions wild with fervor. Their voices echoed in unison, orderly yet filled with uncontainable excitement and reverence.
On the other side, Xia Sha and his surviving troops—still reeling from Wei Jie's ruthless strike—watched the scene unfold with complicated expressions. Their gazes fixed on Zi Yan, unable to conceal their turmoil.
Even the powerful experts from the other dragon islands—Qing Yan, Man Shan, and Xia Ao—were shaken. Though they remained standing, their expressions had clearly changed upon witnessing the transformation.
Unlike the Eastern Dragon Island's experts, these three were not part of that lineage. They had long pledged themselves to the three great Dragon Kings.
As a result, despite the overwhelming pressure resonating from Zi Yan's soul and bloodline, they did not kneel. Still, the trembling deep within their cores was undeniable—a fear and awe rooted in ancient instinct.
Zi Yan's gaze shifted, falling indifferently upon Qing Yan. That one glance alone caused his heart to tremble even more violently. But before he could utter a word, her gaze moved away—toward Xiao Hua and the Little Fairy Doctor.
When she saw the wounded state of the Little Fairy Doctor, and Xiao Hua—clearly exhausted—rushing to her side and feeding her healing pills without a second thought, a deep and seething fury welled up within Zi Yan's eyes.
Her gaze then returned to Qing Yan, but this time, it was no longer indifferent. It was cold—frigid and deadly. Her killing intent swept forth like a silent tide.
Qing Yan felt his heart seize under that chilling pressure. A dread he could not suppress surged from the depths of his soul. Gritting his teeth, he forcibly steadied his breath and bowed his head slightly. His voice trembled as he spoke, each word weighed with apprehension.
"We... we greet the Dragon Emperor. But we are mere subordinates of the three Dragon Kings. We shall... pay our proper respects at another time... when circumstances allow."
Having forced out those words, Qing Yan dared not remain a moment longer. His figure swiftly retreated, disappearing into the distance with no trace of his earlier arrogance.
Zi Yan merely stared at Qing Yan's retreating figure for a brief moment before shifting her gaze toward the battlefield. Despite the icy fury in her eyes, she made no move against him—for she knew well… someone else would handle the matter.
Bang!
Just as that thought passed through her mind, a five-coloured aura burst forth from beneath her. Feeling its emergence, Zi Yan shook her head lightly and ignored it entirely. She already understood—Qing Yan's fate would now be far worse than death.
"You've chosen the worst possible person to harm…" Zi Yan murmured, her gaze settling coldly upon the battlefield, which had fallen into a deathly silence under the weight of her presence.
…
As Qing Yan fled, a spatial crack suddenly tore open before him. A suffocating pressure erupted from within, instantly freezing him in place.
"You bastard! Who are you?! Do you not know who I am? I am the commander of the Northern Dragon Island!"
Qing Yan roared in fury, but no matter how violently he struggled, his body remained rooted—trapped by the overwhelming spatial force. Panic began to rise within his chest as he shouted toward the void, a trace of dread creeping into his voice.
From the spatial crack, a figure slowly emerged and appeared before Qing Yan's eyes—it was Xiao Hua.
But his state was different. He had already activated the third level of his secret technique, Heavenly Overlord Transformation. His aura surged wildly, fierce and unrestrained, and floating silently above his palm was a golden-green sphere, pulsing with a destructive power so silent and condensed that it made the space around it tremble with unease.
Upon seeing him, Qing Yan's pupils constricted. He instantly recognized the young man before him, but what truly shook him to the core was the pressure radiating from his body—it belonged to a one-star Dou Sheng!
Although Qing Yan knew Xiao Hua had used some kind of secret technique to raise his strength, he had never, in his entire long life, seen a method capable of forcefully raising a mere Dou Zong to the Dou Sheng class. It was simply unheard of!
"What do you want?" Qing Yan gritted his teeth and spoke in a raised voice, his eyes shifting slightly. "Don't tell me… you plan to continue the battle and drown the Eastern Dragon Island in even more bloodshed?"
His words were not spoken quietly. Instead, he deliberately raised his voice so that all the surrounding experts could hear him clearly. He could already sense the terrifying killing intent in Xiao Hua's eyes—he knew that this young man had no intention of letting him walk away.
But in his current exhausted and injured state, Qing Yan understood that he had no chance of winning.
Thus, he could only use words to pull others into the conflict—if he were to fall here, he would drag others with him. Even if he could not survive, he would not die alone.
Everyone heard Qing Yan's words, and their gazes instinctively turned toward Xiao Hua. Yet not a single soul dared to speak on Qing Yan's behalf.
Though Xiao Hua's face was pale and his aura clearly depleted, the terrifying light in his eyes—brimming with killing intent and murderous will—left all of them silent.
Even the two commanders from the Western and Southern Dragon Islands, Xia Ao and Man Shan, remained unmoving. Despite their status, they understood well—at this moment, none among them could contend with Xiao Hua's current strength.
And as for Xiao Hua himself, he said nothing. His expression was calm, his eyes indifferent, as if he hadn't heard Qing Yan's words at all. He ignored the gathering stares, uncaring of the fact that Qing Yan's attempt to stir public sentiment had painted him as an enemy to the three great dragon islands.
Even if he now stood alone beneath the heavens, his decision would not change.
A moment later, without a single word, Xiao Hua gently flicked the sphere resting in his palm.
With a faint hum, the golden-green sphere shot forth, leaving behind a graceful arc of light. Its speed was so swift and silent that it almost seemed ethereal—yet in the blink of an eye, it appeared right before Qing Yan's despair-filled eyes.
Xiao Hua's voice gently echoed across the battlefield, calm yet boundless in presence.
"Third Strike: World-Locking Refinement Tower."
The moment those words fell, the golden-green sphere instantly shattered—yet no explosion followed. Instead, from within the fragments, a silhouette of Xiao Hua emerged. There was no furious roar, no majestic cry—only a serene silence that seemed to suppress all sound.
The silhouette sat in a lotus position, its hands forming a mysterious seal, as if meditating amidst chaos.
The moment it appeared, space itself began to tremble. The energy of heaven and earth grew wild and violent, drawn toward the seated figure in an uncontrollable torrent. It devoured the surrounding natural energy with a domineering pull, as though intending to exhaust the very world.
Two flames—one white, one green—and two lightning currents—one orange, one emerald—circled within its form, intertwining in a chaotic dance.
Heaven and earth rumbled.
Wave after wave of overwhelming fluctuations surged outward from the silhouette as it continued to draw in even more natural energy between Heaven and Earth, as if intent on draining the world dry.
Then, the flames and lightning began to fuse. Countless faint glows appeared across the silhouette's surface. These points of light gradually connected, forming intricate lines that intertwined with one another. As the last line fell into place, they formed the outline of an ancient, mysterious tower.
And then—the silhouette vanished.
Or rather, it became the tower itself.
Majestic, silent, and boundless—it now stood where the figure once sat, suppressing the world as if it had always belonged there.
The moment the tower took form, it trembled before expanding at an astonishing rate, rapidly growing to over a dozen meters tall. Its shadow loomed over the terrified Qing Yan like a judgment from above. With a subtle quiver, the tower began its descent, crashing down toward him.
"Fuck!"
Qing Yan, naturally, had been attempting to flee. But to his shock, his control over space had suddenly vanished—severed as if by an unseen force.
As the tower fell closer, it felt as if the very laws of heaven and earth were being shackled by it. Then, with an earth-shaking boom, it slammed down, sealing Qing Yan within its confines.
And in that very instant, Xiao Hua opened his mouth. His voice echoed across Eastern Dragon Island and its surrounding battlefield, like the decree of an ancient sovereign descending from the sky.
"Seal!"
The moment that single word fell, the tower blazed to life. Six flames and six lightning bolts—each with distinct, radiant colors—ignited within its structure. In an instant, they transformed into twelve colossal chains that shot toward Qing Yan like divine judgment.
His figure blurred as he tried to evade the incoming chains, darting through the confined space. But to his growing dread, he realized his racial trait—the ability to freely control the void—had been sealed. The void itself felt bound, suppressed entirely by the tower's presence.
Left with no other option, he relied solely on speed. Yet no matter how fast he moved, the chains pursued him with unwavering force, relentless and precise.
Shua—!
With howling winds and thunderous cracks, the twelve chains tore through the void from all directions, coiling like ancient dragons. Each carried an immense sealing power that distorted space around them.
In the end, Qing Yan was struck—ensnared by the chains. They wound tightly around him, locking his body and soul in place. Bound by all twelve, he was imprisoned within the tower, utterly unable to break free.
After witnessing Qing Yan being sealed, Xiao Hua's expression remained unmoved. He extended his hand and slowly clenched his fingers.
The enormous tower trembled—and then, in an instant, began to shrink. Along with Qing Yan trapped within, its massive form compressed without resistance. With a light flick of his finger, the now palm-sized tower flew toward him, silently landing and hovering above his open palm.
"Brat! Let me out this instant, and I'll pretend this never happened!"
A sharp, horrified roar burst forth from within the miniature tower, its voice echoing with fury and desperation, yet powerless.
Xiao Hua stared coldly at the tower, his gaze steady, his expression unchanging. He remained silent for a while, lost in thought. Then, just as he was about to act—an action that promised to be utterly merciless—a graceful voice rang out from ahead.
"I know you're furious… and I understand your hatred toward that old bastard. But—could you leave him to us?"
Lifting his head, Xiao Hua was slightly startled to see Zi Yan standing before him. His gaze swept across the battlefield and quickly noticed that the armies of the other three great islands had already retreated, leaving Qing Yan behind.
'Seems I was lost in thought for quite some time…' Xiao Hua murmured inwardly, his tone weary.
He gave a faint shake of his head, then tossed the miniature tower toward Zi Yan with a light smile. Though he felt a trace of regret for not dealing with Qing Yan personally, he understood that there might be unspoken feelings on her side. Perhaps, it was better to let her decide Qing Yan's fate.
Zi Yan smiled at his helpless expression—but within that smile lay both guilt and sorrow. After all, this entire matter had spiraled out of control due to her recklessness. She could clearly see how exhausted Xiao Hua had become. Despite his efforts to remain composed, signs of fatigue and weakness were already surfacing on his face—something incredibly rare for him.
When her gaze fell upon his bloodstained eyes and trembling, stiffened hands, her purple-gold eyes—brimming with noble pride—finally revealed a flicker of emotion.
"You really know how to push yourself…" Zi Yan said softly, her voice laced with deep concern.
"Rest for now… You've done enough."
She gently placed her hand on Xiao Hua's forehead. A rich purple-golden glow emerged from her body, flowing through her fingertips and into Xiao Hua. In an instant, his body was enveloped by the radiant light. As its warmth coursed through him, the blood-soaked tension in his eyes slowly faded, and his eyelids fluttered shut.
"Great Dragon Emperor, it was thanks to little brother's tireless efforts during this time that the Dragon Phoenix Crystal was able to melt successfully…" Hei Qing rushed over after stabilizing the situation nearby, respectfully reporting the outcome.
"Aye, I know…" Zi Yan replied with a soft nod.
Ever since she had transformed into her current form, her temperament had undergone a drastic change. The mischievousness of the past had faded, replaced by a serene coldness wrapped in a majesty that felt as vast and untouchable as the heavens themselves. Beneath this noble aura, even Hei Qing no longer dared to treat her as the playful girl she once was. Instead, he bowed before her as the new Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe.
"Little girl, wouldn't your blood essence be completely useless? Especially with his bloodline?"
Three figures hurried over, and one of them spoke in a gentle, affectionate tone. They were Wei Jie and Mei Ling, having come after confirming that the Little Fairy Doctor's condition had stabilized—thanks to Xiao Hua's efforts before he left to seal Qing Yan.
The third was none other than the Little Fairy Doctor herself, currently being supported by Mei Ling. Her strength was nearly spent, her body weary beyond measure.
"You're right, Big Sister Mei Ling." Zi Yan turned to the two, responding with a calm smile. "I only replenished his energy a little, just enough to ease his exhaustion."
Though her bearing had become far more composed and dignified, she still regarded Mei Ling and Wei Jie as her big sister and big brother. As she spoke with them, the cold nobility in her demeanor gently softened, just as it had when she spoke to Xiao Hua.
Naturally, she understood the deeper meaning behind Mei Ling's words. Xiao Hua's Heavenly Lightning Bloodline was far more domineering than even the Dou Di or Dragon-Phoenix bloodlines. Her essence would do little to affect such a force. Thus, she answered simply and without further elaboration.
"Zi Yan, leave Xiao Hua to us," Wei Jie said, shaking his head with a warm smile. "We'll make sure he gets the rest he deserves."
He glanced toward the lively Eastern Dragon Island in the distance before turning his gaze back to her. With a soft sigh, he continued,
"You still have matters to settle here… Eastern Dragon Island won't stabilize itself."
"I understand, Big Brother Wei Jie," Zi Yan nodded in acknowledgment before gently handing Xiao Hua over to him. She then turned to Hei Qing and commanded calmly,
"Bring them to their resting place. Treat them with utmost care."
"Understood!"
Cupping his hands respectfully, Hei Qing responded without hesitation. He then turned toward Mei Ling, Wei Jie, and the Little Fairy Doctor, his demeanor solemn and reverent. Without delay, he led them away to a quiet and comfortable place where Xiao Hua could rest and recover properly.
As Hei Qing departed with the others, Zi Yan's gaze lingered for a brief moment. Once they were out of sight, she turned to Elder Zhu Li, who had been waiting silently at a respectful distance.
In that instant, the warmth in her eyes vanished. Cold majesty returned to her bearing, and the noble air around her surged once more. Even her voice carried a subtle but unmistakable weight—an aura of command that tolerated no defiance.
"Let's go. There are still matters we need to settle."
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