Chapter 448: Chapter 448: The Bad Guy Has Arrived
Word Count: 3,318 Words
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"Alright, alright, I’ll be waiting for you to unify the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, my dragon empress." Xiao Yan patted Zi Yan’s back, comforting this little girl who had never experienced familial warmth yet now shouldered the destiny of her entire race.
Zi Yan buried her face against his alchemist’s robe, vigorously wiping away all traces of tears and snot before lifting her head with a toothy grin.
Xiao Yan saw the slight redness at the corners of her eyes and didn’t bother scolding her. He figured Ancient Void Dragons were probably like cats and dogs, fond of leaving their scent on things they considered theirs.
Zi Yan looked back three times for every step she took before finally following Elder Zhu Li into the royal bloodline awakening chamber of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe.
This was a heritage site reserved exclusively for those with royal Ancient Void Dragon blood, designed to help Zi Yan successfully awaken her royal bloodline and familiarize herself with the Ancestral Dragon power.
Once she emerged from the inheritance site, she would likely be Rank 8. Then she would enter the Dragon Tomb.
The Dragon Tomb housed the remains of generations of Rank 9 Ancient Void Dragons. It was the place with the most concentrated dragon aura in the entire tribe. Cultivating there would allow her to absorb the dragon aura of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, strengthening her physique and increasing her cultivation.
This was the extent of Xiao Yan’s knowledge, which was why he had refined those three types of pills. The first two were specifically designed to complement these two inheritance sites, while the Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill would help Zi Yan’s bloodline revert to its ancestral form, slightly increasing her chances of breaking through to Rank 9.
Whether she could actually reach Rank 9, however, would depend on the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe’s remaining foundation. Truthfully, Xiao Yan felt that this tribe seemed somewhat unreliable. If this were the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe of old, he would have no concerns.
But Eastern Dragon Island now held only a quarter of what it once had. Did they truly possess sufficient foundation to help Zi Yan break through to Rank 9?
Still, as an outsider, it wasn’t his place to question. Who knew? Perhaps the old Dragon Emperor had left behind some powerful methods or great opportunities.
Now that Zi Yan had safely entered the dragon ruins, all Xiao Yan could do was offer his blessings and pay attention to news about the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. He hoped that one day, word would reach the Yan Alliance that the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe had ’returned to the world.’
Meanwhile, Xiong Zhan was refining the pill Cao Ying had created for him. From now on, he would serve as Zi Yan’s mount.
"Grandmaster Xiao Yan, Her Majesty instructed that you may freely gather any medicinal herbs from Dragon Island," Hei Qing said with a simple, honest smile.
Zi Yan had already instructed Hei Qing to serve as Xiao Yan’s guide and escort him when he wished to leave.
Hei Qing did not put on airs because of his high cultivation. Not only was Xiao Yan the closest confidant of the Dragon Queen, with an obviously profound relationship, but his status as Pill Gathering champion—an 8th-tier alchemist capable of refining pills that attracted seven-colored Pill Lightning—commanded respect even from a commander of the Ancient Void Dragons like himself.
If they ever needed pills in the future, they had no alchemist of such caliber within the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. Seeking Xiao Yan would be their best option.
Xiao Yan glanced around and then shook his head. It wasn’t that he looked down on the herbs and spirit fruits here; rather, he understood that the ones he truly valued were extremely precious. These herbs and fruits were considered delicacies on Dragon Island, with many young, growing Ancient Void Dragons waiting for their allotted portions. If he took them, they would be left with nothing.
Though Ancient Dragon Island appeared to be rich in medicinal herbs, the reality was that because the Ancient Void Dragons had been split apart and sealed themselves off from the outside world for so long, their provisions were already running low.
Hei Qing scratched his head, knowing Xiao Yan had perceived the tribe’s true state of being strong on the outside but weak on the inside. Otherwise, there would be no reason to seal off the island, allowing the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe to dominate the Beast Region and occupy the vast majority of its resources and treasured lands.
"It’s fine. I believe in Zi Yan’s potential. She’ll soon lead you to unify the entire Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. When that happens, your tribe will reclaim its position as overlord of all magical beasts," Xiao Yan said with a smile.
"Indeed, I also believe Her Majesty will lead us well." Then Hei Qing seemed to remember something and said with a hint of craftiness, "Though Ancient Dragon Island’s resources are limited, we could always go steal some."
"Steal? Steal what?" Xiao Yan asked, startled, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"Hehehe, we can raid the territory of those mixed-feather birds." Hei Qing revealed a cunning smile completely at odds with his earlier imposing presence.
How can this person be so sneaky?
Brother Hei Qing! Where’s that domineering aura from before? Your entire character has changed!
As Xiao Yan followed Hei Qing away from Eastern Dragon Island, he listened to his explanations along the way and finally understood what ’stealing’ entailed. At first, he had thought Hei Qing wanted to pilfer resources from the other three Dragon Islands, but the target turned out to be the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe!
This reminded him of when Zi Yan used to steal herbs from Jia Nan Academy’s medicine storehouse. Apparently it wasn’t just Zi Yan. The entire Ancient Void Dragon Tribe engaged in such activities!
Because the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe excelled at Spatial Strength, even if they couldn’t ignore barriers and shields like Zi Yan could, they could still silently bypass weaker barriers, guardians, and surveillance.
A peak 8-star Dou Venerate like Hei Qing possessed particularly formidable skills. Ordinary Space Locks set by Dou Venerates were useless against him; they couldn’t even detect his presence.
The place Hei Qing had brought Xiao Yan to was a self-contained space closely connected to the world belonging to the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe.
Like the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe and the Dou God Clans, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe possessed their own world. But unlike Ancient Dragon Island, this great world was an incomparably massive tree!
This colossal tree was rooted in the void itself, and the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe lived within it, much like ordinary birds nesting in branches.
Though this giant tree was about the same size as the Gu Realm or Hun Realm, without a Dou God-level existence to maintain it, the tree had gradually withered. Only the lower tree world remained habitable.
Even the Gu Realm and Hun Realm showed signs of decay. After all, with no Dou Gods remaining, naturally no one could accomplish what only Dou Gods could.
This particular space, however, was not within the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe’s great tree. It was located in the Beast Region, a territory belonging to the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe.
Hei Qing tore open the void with both hands, silently creating a small opening. He transmitted his voice: "Grandmaster Xiao Yan, you can wrap yourself in Spiritual Strength to avoid being noticed by the guards inside."
"Though the guards aren’t particularly strong, it would be troublesome if they attracted experts from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe."
Xiao Yan nodded and directly donned his Soul Robe, following behind Hei Qing to ’do bad things!’
Upon stepping through the portal, Xiao Yan was stunned by the sight before him. Mountain ranges rose in the distance, while a gentle breeze caressed his face, making it feel as though he had entered an ethereal paradise hidden from the mundane world.
But these were not the main attraction. What truly caught his attention were the numerous fruit trees, all bearing extremely rare spirit fruits!
"Hehe, though those mixed-feather birds aren’t particularly strong, their ability to cultivate trees and nurture fruits is truly first-rate. In ancient times, their tribe served as a subordinate race to the Ancient Heaven Phoenix, specializing in planting spirit fruits." Hei Qing explained with a chuckle, revealing some historical secrets.
Subordinate races could only attach themselves to powerful patrons because they had ’uses.’ The Ancient Dragon Bears, for instance, had always been the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe’s war beasts, responsible for transport and clearing paths.
The Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe had once held positions similar to ’fruit farmers,’ cultivating quality spirit fruits for the Ancient Heaven Phoenix to consume.
Even now, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe fed exclusively on spirit fruits, unlike the Ancient Void Dragons who consumed both herbs and spirit fruits.
"Hehe, Grandmaster Xiao Yan, pick whatever you like here. Just be careful not to get caught." Hei Qing drew a circle in the air, reached through it to retrieve a fist-sized spirit fruit, and devoured it in just two bites.
Despite Hei Qing’s casual consumption, that spirit fruit was a tier 7 medicinal ingredient containing enormous energy. An ordinary Dou Ancestor would need to refine it for some time after eating just one.
Though spirit fruits were gentler than medicinal herbs and could be consumed directly, their energy was considerably less, as a single tree could produce many fruits.
Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength swept out discreetly, locking onto the highest-grade fruit trees in this orchard. Following Hei Qing’s example, he used Nihility Devouring Flame’s Earth Seed Flame to draw a black circle and reached through to ’take’ a jade-white spirit fruit.
This White Jade Fruit was only tier 7, but its energy was beneficial for magical beast body tempering. Even human cultivators who consumed it could strengthen their physiques and increase their cultivation somewhat.
Xiao Yan picked up the White Jade Fruit, wiped it against his clothes, and then devoured five in quick succession. A warm current of energy flowed through every cell of his body, strengthening his physique before forming a strand of pure energy that merged into his Dou Qi ocean.
These were fruits that would normally require trading valuable pills to acquire, yet Xiao Yan had just consumed five at once. Still, his brow furrowed slightly. The advantage of White Jade Fruit over pills was the lack of side effects. These naturally grown spirit fruits could be consumed continuously as long as one’s body could handle them, unlike most cultivation-enhancing pills that could only be taken once in a lifetime before developing resistance.
Their disadvantage, however, was their relatively weak energy. After eating five, his Dou Qi had increased only minutely, and his physical strength hadn’t improved much either.
’After half a year of body tempering with the Three Thousand Burning Flame, my physical cultivation might not match a Rank 8 Ancient Void Dragon, but it should equal a typical peak Rank 7 magical beast. The body-strengthening effect of this White Jade Fruit is too weak for me.’
It wasn’t that the White Jade Fruit was inferior. On the contrary, even the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe’s prodigies consumed them. But if Xiao Yan wanted to rely on eating White Jade Fruit to enhance his body or cultivation, he would need to eat several thousand at minimum. He would practically need to clear out this entire small world’s supply.
And that was clearly impossible. Xiao Yan wasn’t a Heaven Swallowing Python; how could he possibly eat that much?
What Xiao Yan failed to notice was that his casual consumption of five White Jade Fruits without any adverse reaction had completely stunned Hei Qing beside him.
"Grandmaster Xiao Yan... is your body alright?" Hei Qing asked with concern. Normally, even a Rank 7 Ancient Void Dragon couldn’t eat five White Jade Fruits at once without experiencing energy overflow and cramping.
Aren’t human bodies supposed to be weak! What the hell, this guy’s physical strength exceeds even a Rank 7 Ancient Void Dragon?!
Xiao Yan shrugged helplessly. "Brother Hei Qing, are there any higher-grade spirit fruits here? It seems these tier 7 White Jade Fruits aren’t quite suitable for me."
A look of disbelief and surprise flashed in Hei Qing’s eyes. He had assumed that since Xiao Yan had only recently entered the Dou Venerate realm, his physical body would not be particularly strong. He had thought this place would satisfy Xiao Yan and help him improve, serving as a token of gratitude for bringing Zi Yan back to them.
He never expected this fellow’s body to be so strong!
Are you really human?
"Sigh, this is already the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe’s highest-grade orchard in the Beast Region. If you want something more advanced for body tempering... I recall the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe’s Heaven Phoenix Blood Pool sacred site is opening around this time. That sacred site can temper physiques, and with good fortune, if one could absorb the Ancient Heaven Phoenix Essence Blood within, even someone like me would benefit immensely."
A dim light flickered in Hei Qing’s eyes. The Ancient Void Dragon Tribe had once possessed its own Ancient Dragon Blood Pool, which opened annually for elite disciples to cultivate. However, when the tribe split, the Southern Dragon King took that sacred site, while the Western and Northern Dragon Kings claimed other holy lands. This had caused the younger generation of Eastern Dragon Island to grow progressively weaker, nearly falling behind the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe.
The civil war had consumed far too many resources and claimed countless lives.
That, combined with the old Dragon Emperor’s disappearance, had caused the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe’s strength to plummet.
Naturally, Xiao Yan didn’t notice the sorrow in Hei Qing’s eyes, as his attention was caught by that familiar name.
’The Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe ... is it?’ A strange light flashed in Xiao Yan’s eyes, and a wicked smile touched the corners of his mouth.
If someone were to claimed he was a Tianzun from the Hall of Souls right now, no one would doubt it.
"Yes, back when the old Dragon Emperor was still with us, those mixed-feather birds would even offer us slots for the Heaven Phoenix Blood Pool to curry favor. A pity that now, we don’t even have our own Ancient Dragon Blood Pool anymore." Hei Qing said with a heavy sigh.
"Brother Hei Qing, if I wanted to visit this Heaven Phoenix Blood Pool—"
Before Xiao Yan could finish, Hei Qing cut him off with a startled expression. "Grandmaster Xiao Yan, that’s simply not possible! The Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe already harbors intense hatred toward humans. In truth, almost all magical beasts are unfriendly to humans. Moreover, I’ve heard that Grandmaster Xiao Yan has some grievances with the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe."
During the month Xiao Yan had spent refining pills, Hei Qing had naturally made inquiries about him in the Central Plains and learned that Xiao Yan had once refined the corpse of a Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe member, though the matter was eventually dismissed as a misunderstanding.
That’s why the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe hadn’t made a move.
Xiao Yan revealed a meaningful smile and cupped his hands toward Hei Qing. "Thank you, Brother Hei Qing. Rest assured, I won’t act recklessly."
Originally, he had been troubled about where to find a suitable place to advance his cultivation, hoping to gain another star or two within half a year—no, it should be five months—so he’d have more confidence when going to Tian Gang Hall.
He had thought that bringing Zi Yan home might yield some benefits, but he hadn’t expected the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe to have weakened so drastically. Most of their sacred lands and inheritances had been carted off by the three traitors, leaving only those ruins and inheritance sites on Eastern Dragon Island that required the Dragon Emperor’s bloodline to enter.
He had basically worked for free!
Fortunately, as they say, the boat will straighten by itself upon reaching the bridgehead, and after darkness, there’s always another village ahead!
Since Yan Tianzun had come all this way, how could he possibly return empty-handed!
And wasn’t this a perfect coincidence? He knew someone in the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, and that person was even one of their geniuses.
Getting himself into that Heaven Phoenix Blood Pool shouldn’t be too difficult, right?
Of course, Xiao Yan had no intention of letting these spirit fruits go to waste either. All the ripe fruits in the orchard were stealthily plucked by black cat paws that kept quietly reaching out from the void.
He completely ransacked the entire orchard, showing no inclination to leave anything behind for the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe.
...
In the self-contained world of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, the roots of that incomparably massive divine tree were anchored in the void.
From a distance, it was an enormous tree of unimaginable size. Its branches stretched out in all directions like mountain ranges, forming a giant umbrella that covered thousands of miles of void.
Even a single branch was as large as a small mountain range, its tips like peaks or islands blotting out the sky.
One could only imagine how magnificent the Dou Qi Continent must have been in ancient times when Dou Gods still existed.
The Ancient Void Dragons’ continent floating in the void, this invincible giant tree where the Ancient Heaven Phoenix Tribe resided, the various worlds created by Dou Gods.
But now Ancient Dragon Island lay torn apart, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe no longer had Ancient Heaven Phoenixes among them, and the giant tree showed signs of withering.
The treetop had long gone bare without a single leaf, its branches withered and ready to snap at any moment. Only the lower regions of the giant tree remained habitable, and likely wouldn’t last much longer.
Ever since all Dou Gods mysteriously vanished in ancient times, Dou Qi Continent’s civilization seemed severed at the waist. Everything related to Dou Gods was gradually disappearing.
Now, let alone breaking through to Dou God, even advancing to high-star Dou Saint had become incredibly difficult. Among the Dou God Clans, aside from the strongest Gu and Hun Clans, other Dou God Clans didn’t even have 9-star Dou Saints. It was a decline visible to the naked eye.
On a branch resembling a mountain range in the middle layer, a captivating figure in flowing colorful robes sat cross-legged in meditation. The woman wore seven-colored robes, strands of wind and lightning power flickering around her body.
Even from a distance, her noble bearing was unmistakable. Her face was slightly slender, possessing a beauty and sanctity reminiscent of an imperial princess.
The only flaw was that beneath that sanctity lay unmistakable coldness that kept people at a distance, making her difficult to approach.
Feng Qing Er slowly opened her beautiful eyes. Those purple gemstone-like orbs gazed toward a distant mountain peak where birds with blue-green feathers chirped noisily.
Never mind the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe—even in the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, those who could transform were exceedingly rare. After all, transformation required not only Rank 7 but also surviving a heavenly tribulation.
"What’s all this commotion?" Feng Qing Er’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. She most despised being disturbed during quiet cultivation.
A half-transformed woman with the lower body of an eagle, resembling a harpy, flew from the distance and knelt on one knee. "Reporting to Miss Qing Er, the spirit fruit orchard outside our territory has been robbed. A large quantity of spirit fruits were stolen."
"Stolen?" Feng Qing Er was stunned. Someone in the Beast Region actually dared steal from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe! Who could be so bold?!