Xiao Ming sensed something unusual as well. He followed Zi Yan's gaze and saw the incredibly massive creature. His pupils involuntarily contracted and warnings echoed deep within his soul, reminding him of the immense danger the creature before him posed.
Even though Xiao Ming had mentally prepared himself, actually facing this scene was an entirely different experience; words could not adequately describe the overwhelming sensation caused by Zhu Kun's enormous size in dragon form.
"Xiao Ming..."
Zi Yan was about to speak, but at that moment, she suddenly felt a slight tremor from the gigantic creature below. Then, slowly, its massive eyes opened.
These eyes were a faint shade of red, with pupils that seemed to merge. This pair of eyes alone was hundreds of times larger than Xiao Ming and Zi Yan combined!
The overwhelming pressure enveloped their bodies. Xiao Ming's expression changed as he stepped forward, exerting his aura to counter the sensation that felt like sinking into a quagmire.
"Tomb raider... did you bring the ancient jade?"
Xiao Ming erupted with his aura and glanced at the colossal eyes hidden within the darkness. At this moment, those eyes contained an icy chill as they stared at them in an indifferent fashion. There was no fluctuation in them.
"No!"
Upon hearing this response, the previously vacant and indifferent giant eyes began to focus, as if the slumbering beast was truly awakening.
A ferocious intent burst forth from these eyes, hundreds of times larger than Xiao Ming's. The colossal dragon's body moved slowly, and the dark void began to tremble as if it couldn't bear the immense power.
Zi Yan wouldn't let Xiao Ming face this pressure alone. She also stepped forward and the aura of the Ancient Void Dragon Emperor surged from her.
"Since there's no ancient jade, then you shall remain behind with this Emperor-"
The cold words came to an abrupt halt as the massive pupils stared fixedly at Zi Yan next to Xiao Ming. The sense of familiarity, the feeling of a bloodline connection, suddenly welled up within the previously indifferent heart.
It was the bloodline of the same origin, the same lineage, something that only his one and only child could possess in this world.
"Child..."
The golden pupils that had initially radiated overwhelming ferocity and majesty softened in an instant. The long-dormant heart was now beating vigorously. His gaze remained fixed on Zi Yan as he mumbled.
Although his words were mumbled, both Xiao Ming and Zi Yan could hear them clearly due to the creature's size.
Xiao Ming breathed a sigh of relief. He had no desire to face a nine-star Dou Saint if he could; the disparity in power was simply too great.
Zi Yan, on the other hand, was filled with anger and confusion. She was furious that the creature in front of her had considered harming both Xiao Ming and herself, and she was confused as to whom he was referring to as a 'child'.
Because of Zuo Kun's oppressive aura earlier, Zi Yan hadn't considered herself to be the subject.
In the eyes of both Xiao Ming and Zi Yan, a rich purple radiance began to shimmer on the seemingly endless dragon's body. The massive dragon body suddenly contracted, and in just a few breaths, the previously endless purple-golden dragon form had vanished.
A burst of intense purple light flashed, and a middle-aged man dressed in black dragon robes, with a stern and majestic face, appeared before them.
Just as he was about to step forward, he noticed Zi Yan staring at him with cold eyes. Her somewhat familiar, delicate face was now icy, leaving him momentarily unsure of what to do. He stood awkwardly in place, neither moving forward nor staying back.
Xiao Ming noticed his discomfort and thought that since he was his future father-in-law, if he could help, he would, he opened his mouth and said.
"Who is Your Excellency and why did you try to attack us?"
Although Xiao Ming's words may have seemed confrontational, his intention was to get Zhu Kun to introduce himself.
Zhu Kun had been contemplating what to say, and upon hearing Xiao Ming's words, his eyes lit up and his goodwill towards Xiao Ming increased greatly as he replied, "This Emperor is Zhu Kun, the Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe!"
"That's nonsense! The Ancient Void Dragon Tribe hasn't had a Dragon Emperor for a long time, and this Emperor is the current Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe!" Zi Yan's cheeks turned icy at Zhu Kun's words. If it weren't for her inability to defeat Zhu Kun, she would have thrown a few punches by now.
"Uh..." Zhu Kun paused awkwardly and rubbed his hands.
"You're right, whatever you say is right. You are the Dragon Emperor."
Zi Yan noticed Zhu Kun's puzzled reaction to her words and couldn't help but find it odd. This old guy, could he... could he have gone senile from staring at the stone door for too long or something?
As Zhu Kun spoke, his gaze once again swept over Zi Yan's pretty face. A complex smile appeared on his stern face. He sighed lightly and said, "You resemble your mother so much..."
"Have you seen my mother?" Upon hearing this, Zi Yan, who had been crafting a story about Zhu Kun in her mind, finally realized that something was amiss. Her face changed color and she stared at the man in front of her in disbelief.
As she clearly saw the golden pupils in the man's eyes, a strange sensation welled up deep within her. This strange feeling made her slender body tremble slightly. Gently biting her red lips, she suddenly stepped forward and extended her jade-like hand to grasp the palm of the man in front of her.
As they made contact, a radiant golden light surged from both of them. The two lights merged perfectly in an instant at the point where their hands met. A faint, terrifying pressure began to emanate from them.
"You..."
Staring blankly at the perfect convergence of golden light, Zi Yan's gaze fluctuated intensely.
She suddenly withdrew her jade-like hand as if receiving an electric shock, her beautiful eyes fixed on the man in front of her, his expression now soft and gentle, yet her gaze grew increasingly cold.
Standing behind Zi Yan, Xiao Ming breathed a sigh of relief. They had finally recognized each other.
However, looking at Zi Yan's current expression, he noticed that she didn't seem overly excited. But knowing her as well as he did, Xiao Ming could sense the tumultuous emotions swirling within her at this moment.
"Child, I..."
Seeing Zi Yan's sudden icy expression, Zhu Kun felt a bit lost. He was clearly inexperienced in dealing with such a situation. He rubbed his hands nervously and stammered, unsure of how to proceed.
"Don't call me 'child'. Xiao Ming and the First Elder are the only members of my family."
Zi Yan bit her lip, her eyes reddening. Her thin face radiated stubbornness and her voice carried a heavy sense of grievance.
Father... this was the moment she had longed for the most.
Xiao Ming let out a soft sigh. Back then, Zi Yan had lived alone in the deep mountains of the Black-Corner Region at a very young age. Were it not for her extraordinary talent, she might have perished long ago.
Even after devouring the Body Transformation Grass and arriving at Jia Nan Academy, she was still very isolated. That might have been the reason why when she first saw him, she mistook him for a magical beast and wanted to take him as her little brother. Thinking about it now, it was quite heartrending.
Knowing that Zi Yan had few friends, he hadn't done much to stop her from hanging out with Medusa when he and she still had a grudge against each other.
Xiao Ming sensed something unusual as well. He followed Zi Yan's gaze and saw the incredibly massive creature. His pupils involuntarily contracted and warnings echoed deep within his soul, reminding him of the immense danger the creature before him posed.
Even though Xiao Ming had mentally prepared himself, actually facing this scene was an entirely different experience; words could not adequately describe the overwhelming sensation caused by Zhu Kun's enormous size in dragon form.
"Xiao Ming..."
Zi Yan was about to speak, but at that moment, she suddenly felt a slight tremor from the gigantic creature below. Then, slowly, its massive eyes opened.
These eyes were a faint shade of red, with pupils that seemed to merge. This pair of eyes alone was hundreds of times larger than Xiao Ming and Zi Yan combined!
The overwhelming pressure enveloped their bodies. Xiao Ming's expression changed as he stepped forward, exerting his aura to counter the sensation that felt like sinking into a quagmire.
"Tomb raider... did you bring the ancient jade?"
Xiao Ming erupted with his aura and glanced at the colossal eyes hidden within the darkness. At this moment, those eyes contained an icy chill as they stared at them in an indifferent fashion. There was no fluctuation in them.
"No!"
Upon hearing this response, the previously vacant and indifferent giant eyes began to focus, as if the slumbering beast was truly awakening.
A ferocious intent burst forth from these eyes, hundreds of times larger than Xiao Ming's. The colossal dragon's body moved slowly, and the dark void began to tremble as if it couldn't bear the immense power.
Zi Yan wouldn't let Xiao Ming face this pressure alone. She also stepped forward and the aura of the Ancient Void Dragon Emperor surged from her.
"Since there's no ancient jade, then you shall remain behind with this Emperor-"
The cold words came to an abrupt halt as the massive pupils stared fixedly at Zi Yan next to Xiao Ming. The sense of familiarity, the feeling of a bloodline connection, suddenly welled up within the previously indifferent heart.
It was the bloodline of the same origin, the same lineage, something that only his one and only child could possess in this world.
"Child..."
The golden pupils that had initially radiated overwhelming ferocity and majesty softened in an instant. The long-dormant heart was now beating vigorously. His gaze remained fixed on Zi Yan as he mumbled.
Although his words were mumbled, both Xiao Ming and Zi Yan could hear them clearly due to the creature's size.
Xiao Ming breathed a sigh of relief. He had no desire to face a nine-star Dou Saint if he could; the disparity in power was simply too great.
Zi Yan, on the other hand, was filled with anger and confusion. She was furious that the creature in front of her had considered harming both Xiao Ming and herself, and she was confused as to whom he was referring to as a 'child'.
Because of Zuo Kun's oppressive aura earlier, Zi Yan hadn't considered herself to be the subject.
In the eyes of both Xiao Ming and Zi Yan, a rich purple radiance began to shimmer on the seemingly endless dragon's body. The massive dragon body suddenly contracted, and in just a few breaths, the previously endless purple-golden dragon form had vanished.
A burst of intense purple light flashed, and a middle-aged man dressed in black dragon robes, with a stern and majestic face, appeared before them.
Just as he was about to step forward, he noticed Zi Yan staring at him with cold eyes. Her somewhat familiar, delicate face was now icy, leaving him momentarily unsure of what to do. He stood awkwardly in place, neither moving forward nor staying back.
Xiao Ming noticed his discomfort and thought that since he was his future father-in-law, if he could help, he would, he opened his mouth and said.
"Who is Your Excellency and why did you try to attack us?"
Although Xiao Ming's words may have seemed confrontational, his intention was to get Zhu Kun to introduce himself.
Zhu Kun had been contemplating what to say, and upon hearing Xiao Ming's words, his eyes lit up and his goodwill towards Xiao Ming increased greatly as he replied, "This Emperor is Zhu Kun, the Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe!"
"That's nonsense! The Ancient Void Dragon Tribe hasn't had a Dragon Emperor for a long time, and this Emperor is the current Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe!" Zi Yan's cheeks turned icy at Zhu Kun's words. If it weren't for her inability to defeat Zhu Kun, she would have thrown a few punches by now.
"Uh..." Zhu Kun paused awkwardly and rubbed his hands.
"You're right, whatever you say is right. You are the Dragon Emperor."
Zi Yan noticed Zhu Kun's puzzled reaction to her words and couldn't help but find it odd. This old guy, could he... could he have gone senile from staring at the stone door for too long or something?
As Zhu Kun spoke, his gaze once again swept over Zi Yan's pretty face. A complex smile appeared on his stern face. He sighed lightly and said, "You resemble your mother so much..."
"Have you seen my mother?" Upon hearing this, Zi Yan, who had been crafting a story about Zhu Kun in her mind, finally realized that something was amiss. Her face changed color and she stared at the man in front of her in disbelief.
As she clearly saw the golden pupils in the man's eyes, a strange sensation welled up deep within her. This strange feeling made her slender body tremble slightly. Gently biting her red lips, she suddenly stepped forward and extended her jade-like hand to grasp the palm of the man in front of her.
As they made contact, a radiant golden light surged from both of them. The two lights merged perfectly in an instant at the point where their hands met. A faint, terrifying pressure began to emanate from them.
"You..."
Staring blankly at the perfect convergence of golden light, Zi Yan's gaze fluctuated intensely.
She suddenly withdrew her jade-like hand as if receiving an electric shock, her beautiful eyes fixed on the man in front of her, his expression now soft and gentle, yet her gaze grew increasingly cold.
Standing behind Zi Yan, Xiao Ming breathed a sigh of relief. They had finally recognized each other.
However, looking at Zi Yan's current expression, he noticed that she didn't seem overly excited. But knowing her as well as he did, Xiao Ming could sense the tumultuous emotions swirling within her at this moment.
"Child, I..."
Seeing Zi Yan's sudden icy expression, Zhu Kun felt a bit lost. He was clearly inexperienced in dealing with such a situation. He rubbed his hands nervously and stammered, unsure of how to proceed.
"Don't call me 'child'. Xiao Ming and the First Elder are the only members of my family."
Zi Yan bit her lip, her eyes reddening. Her thin face radiated stubbornness and her voice carried a heavy sense of grievance.
Father... this was the moment she had longed for the most.
Xiao Ming let out a soft sigh. Back then, Zi Yan had lived alone in the deep mountains of the Black-Corner Region at a very young age. Were it not for her extraordinary talent, she might have perished long ago.
Even after devouring the Body Transformation Grass and arriving at Jia Nan Academy, she was still very isolated. That might have been the reason why when she first saw him, she mistook him for a magical beast and wanted to take him as her little brother. Thinking about it now, it was quite heartrending.
Knowing that Zi Yan had few friends, he hadn't done much to stop her from hanging out with Medusa when he and she still had a grudge against each other.
