Chapter 152: The Three Great Treasures of the Ancient Dragon Clan!
"A forbidden art?"
"Just something this old man was playing with ages ago!" Zhu Kun's contemptuous voice became the final memory of the Northern Dragon King's life.
And with the deaths of the three Dragon Kings, the splintering and fragmentation of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, which had lasted for several thousand years, had come to an end.
Zhu Kun's gaze swept over the kneeling crowd. In a deep voice, he said, "Zhu Huo, you and the others are to proceed to the three Dragon Islands at once and seek out any who still harbor rebellious intent. Should there be those who refuse to repent—"
"Kill without mercy!"
"Your subordinates obey!"
Zhu Huo and the others spoke with expressions of surging emotion. The unification of the Ancient Dragon Clan was right before their eyes. A long-cherished wish of many years was about to be fulfilled—how could they not be stirred?
Accompanied by the deployment of Zhu Huo, a two-star Dou Sheng, and with the experts of the three Dragon Islands now having submitted, the group swept through and reorganized the three Dragon Islands as thoroughly as a plow through a courtyard.
Zhu Kun let out a sigh. Turning his head to look at Jiang Yun and his companions, he spoke in a righteous, solemn tone: "You've all seen it now. If the leader of a power is absent for too long, it will breed internal chaos. No matter how mighty the power, it will still collapse and fall apart. Therefore, in the future, you must pay extra attention to your own safety. Do not act recklessly or rashly!"
The group exchanged glances, forcibly suppressing the urge to laugh. It wouldn't be proper to expose Zhu Kun's method of awkwardly changing the subject.
Seeing their barely-contained laughter, Zhu Kun could no longer bear to stay. Hurriedly, he said, "I'm going to merge the four Dragon Islands back into one. Those little whelps aren't strong enough yet—I'll have to do it personally!"
After hastily tossing out these words, Zhu Kun flew off toward the four Dragon Islands in a fluster.
Within the resplendent, towering great hall, Zhu Kun looked at the Dragon Emperor's throne upon the dais. A complicated expression flickered through his eyes. Under the expectant gazes of the Ancient Dragon Clan members behind him, he slowly sat down.
"We pay respects to His Majesty the Dragon Emperor!!!"
As Zhu Kun took his seat, the dragon clan elders standing within the great hall immediately knelt toward Zhu Kun in fervent excitement.
"Rise," Zhu Kun waved his hand calmly.
Off to one side of the great hall, Jiang Yun and the group watched everything. A look of excitement sparkled in Zi Yan's eyes.
Jiang Yun swept his gaze over the crowd. Those standing within the great hall were all elders of the Half-Saint level and above. The rest—Dou Zun—were not qualified to stand inside.
After everyone had risen, Zhu Kun looked at Zhu Huo and said, "Zhu Huo, go sound the Dragon Bell. Tell those bastards to roll back here from the void. If I don't see them within two years, they needn't bother returning. When the time comes, this Emperor will personally go into the void to 'receive' them!"
Zhu Kun spoke with a face as dark as water. Toward the end, his tone carried a rare trace of fury.
"Yes!" Zhu Huo immediately acknowledged. Inwardly, he silently mourned for those few old seniors. The Old Dragon Emperor was currently in a fit of rage—he wondered which old senior would be the first to come back!
After giving his instructions, Zhu Kun waved his hand. "You are dismissed. During this period, settle your private grudges thoroughly. Once those fellows return, I do not want there to still be voices of discord within the Ancient Dragon Clan!"
The merger of the four Dragon Islands was not as simple as a surface-level unification!
Although there was now only Zhu Kun's single voice within the Ancient Dragon Clan, even he could not instantly dissolve the personal enmities accumulated over thousands of years of warfare among the four Dragon Islands. That would require the power of time.
"Zi Yan, prepare yourself. In a few days, I will conduct your bloodline baptism. After the baptism, your strength will likely advance by leaps and bounds once again!"
As the crowd dispersed, Zhu Kun turned his gaze toward Zi Yan and spoke gently.
"I understand, Father!" Zi Yan nodded and replied softly.
Zhu Kun's gaze then shifted to Jiang Yun and the others. "Jiang Yun, my boy, do you and the others have any plans for what comes next?"
Medusa, Qing Lin, and Xiao Yi Xian exchanged glances, then together turned their eyes toward Jiang Yun. They were not familiar with the Central Plains—everything would depend on Jiang Yun's decision.
Before Jiang Yun could speak, Zi Yan impatiently jumped in first: "Of course we're staying on Dragon Island!" Turning her head to look at Zhu Kun, she continued, "Xiao Yun is an eighth-tier alchemist. He can refine all sorts of pills for Dragon Island. Father wouldn't be that stingy, would he?"
Zhu Kun felt somewhat speechless. Was he really that kind of stingy person?
With Dragon Island's resources, supporting Jiang Yun and the four of them was naturally no problem at all—even with a Nine-Colored Devouring Heaven Python, that gold-devouring beast, among them. But really, which Taixu Ancient Dragon wasn't a gold-devouring beast?
He had merely asked as a matter of routine. He had an intuition that Jiang Yun would not stay in one place for too long. He was a young man with his own ideas!
As expected, Jiang Yun did not disappoint his guess. Sweeping his gaze over the group, Jiang Yun spoke softly: "Dragon Island has just been unified. The various experts within the void are soon to return. Uncle will certainly be very busy, and Zi Yan, you will also be entering seclusion soon. Moreover, compared to Dragon Island, the outside world is more suitable for our growth!"
"Why?" Upon hearing Jiang Yun's words, Zi Yan immediately grew anxious.
"After you complete your bloodline baptism, you can still come out to find us. Qing Lin has the Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes—her fastest method of growth is to go to the Beast Domain and seek out the Nine Serene Deep Earth Pythons. And Medusa, being a Nine-Colored Devouring Heaven Python, will also find the territory of the Nine Serene Deep Earth Pythons extremely suitable for her. Xiao Yi Xian, furthermore, needs to sense the Bodhi Ancient Tree. So..."
Jiang Yun looked at the anxious Zi Yan and patiently explained.
"The Nine Serene Deep Earth Pythons are one of the three great magical beast clans of the Magical Beast World. There are certainly more than a few Dou Shengs among them. It's far too dangerous for you all to go!" Zi Yan opposed with a stern face.
Looking at the anxious Zi Yan, Zhu Kun spoke up: "Zi Yan, don't worry. Father will dispatch a Dou Sheng elder to protect Jiang Yun and the others. Moreover, with a Dou Sheng by their side, traveling between Dragon Island and the continent will also be much more convenient. What do you think?"
As expected, upon hearing Zhu Kun's words, Zi Yan's face lit up with joy. She leapt into Jiang Yun's arms and shouted happily, "That's wonderful!"
Seeing this scene, Zhu Kun was at a loss for words. Clearly, I'm the one solving the problem every time—so why does that brat Jiang Yun always reap all the benefits?
Should I just tie him up on Dragon Island and make him refine pills like mad for three years?
Jiang Yun was also rather moved. Impressive, my father-in-law! Deploying a Dou Sheng just like that!
It wasn't that he hadn't considered that Zhu Kun might assign someone from the Ancient Dragon Clan as a guard for them, but he had only expected a Nine-Transition Dou Zun at most. He had never imagined that Zhu Kun would actually dispatch a Dou Sheng.
As for why he hadn't used the corpses of the three Dragon Kings to refine Dou Sheng-level puppets—that was because, after the unification of Dragon Island, Zhu Kun had blasted them into utter oblivion.
Annihilation in the truest sense.
Dragon Island's division could not be punished by condemning everyone who had participated. Otherwise, apart from Eastern Dragon Island, there wouldn't be many people left on the other three Dragon Islands.
Thus, the three Dragon Kings became the natural and rightful scapegoats to bear the punishment!
"Thank you, Uncle!" Jiang Yun bowed deeply toward Zhu Kun from afar.
"Enough with these empty formalities. Setting aside your relationship with Zi Yan, you have also done me a kindness—and the Ancient Dragon Clan a kindness. Such a small matter needs no further mention!"
Zhu Kun waved his hand. An exquisite surge of spatial power rushed forth. Jiang Yun's hands, which had just been about to cup in salute, were instantly pressed down.
"Hmm. Set out in a few days. Over the next few days, I'll prepare a few small gifts for you all!"
After pondering for a moment, Zhu Kun looked at the group and spoke, keeping them in suspense!
With their heads full of questions, the group left the great hall and headed toward the residence Zhu Kun had arranged for them.
A dusky, hazy space was saturated with an ancient aura. The very sky overhead seemed tainted by this ancientness, piled thickly with heavy clouds. It was almost like a scene from a painting, giving one a feeling of the profound and the abstruse.
"Tap."
Several sets of footsteps broke the eternal silence of this place. Zhu Kun led Jiang Yun and the others quietly deeper inside.
"Father, you said you were taking Xiao Yun and the others somewhere good. Where is this place?"
Within the group, Zi Yan, holding Jiang Yun's hand, looked at Zhu Kun's back ahead and couldn't resist asking curiously.
"The Ancient Dragon Clan has three great treasure grounds. The first is the Dragon Tomb. Our clansmen who have fallen must all be buried within it." Pausing for a moment, Zhu Kun continued, "Of course, those three traitorous vile dragons do not have that right. The Dragon Tomb holds the bodies of countless mighty experts of our clan. After their fall, the dragon qi within their bodies saturates the entire Dragon Tomb. It is a supreme treasure ground for body tempering. Every Taixu Ancient Dragon has one opportunity in their lifetime to enter it. After that, it depends on their contributions!"
Hearing this, the group nodded. The more powerful the magical beast, the more importance they placed on whether their clansmen's corpses ended up outside their control. Take the Heavenly Demon Phoenix, for example—whoever dared lay a hand on their clansmen's corpses could expect the pursuit of their entire clan!
The Ancient Dragon Clan was exactly the same!
"Apart from the Dragon Tomb, our clan also possesses the Dragon Blood Pool. As the name implies, it is condensed from the blood of our clan's experts. Bathing within it has effects such as marrow-cleansing and meridian-forging, strengthening the physique, and more. No one may enter without great merit. This is also the destination of our trip!"
As he spoke, Zhu Kun glanced at Jiang Yun and the others. To the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, Jiang Yun and his group had brought back the Old Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun and the Princess of the Ancient Dragon Clan. This in itself was a tremendous kindness to the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan.
What's more...
Who would dare oppose Zhu Kun's decision?
Seeing Zhu Kun fall silent after mentioning only two of the treasure grounds, Zi Yan asked curiously, "What about the third one?"
Hearing this, the group similarly cast their gazes toward Zhu Kun. At this moment, Zhu Kun's expression had become much more complicated. A look of reminiscence flickered through his eyes. After a long while, he sighed and said:
"That place is far too 'distant' for our clan. I don't know if I'll ever have the chance in this lifetime to see someone enter it."
With a complicated expression, Zhu Kun turned his head to look at Zi Yan and spoke seriously: "Zi Yan, I hope that person will be you."
Left thoroughly baffled by Zhu Kun, Zi Yan looked at his intense, burning gaze and nodded subconsciously.
Jiang Yun and the others were equally confused. They had no idea what was so special about this third treasure ground.
Watching Zi Yan nod, Zhu Kun seemed to somewhat collect himself. "Let's go. We're almost there."
"Xiao Yun..." Looking at Zhu Kun's back, Zi Yan glanced at Jiang Yun with some bewilderment.
"Don't worry. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. You'll know when it's time to know." Jiang Yun gently rubbed the top of Zi Yan's head and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Mm!"
As they ventured deeper, the group's expressions gradually grew solemn, for they could feel that this stretch of heaven and earth seemed to ripple with an ancient, oppressive might.
That pressure caused the very flow of air here to slow, and even the Dou Qi within their bodies became heavy.
"We've arrived!"
After walking for an unknown length of time, Zhu Kun's solemn voice rang out. The group looked ahead.
What appeared before everyone's eyes was a stretch of shattered earth. A deep, abyssal sinkhole, roughly tens of thousands of zhang wide, was present there. The pitch-black depths were practically bottomless, looking like a black hole where a demon might dwell—enough to make one's scalp tingle just looking at it.
"Where's the blood pool?" Xiao Yi Xian looked at the empty, abyssal sinkhole and asked, somewhat puzzled.
Qing Lin and Medusa also furrowed their brows, continuously studying their surroundings.
Only Jiang Yun and Zi Yan, brows slightly furrowed, gazed thoughtfully at the deep, abyssal sinkhole ahead.
"Hehe!" Seeing this, Zhu Kun chuckled lightly. With a flick of his sleeve, a ripple of spatial fluctuation spread outward. Instantly, the originally deep, abyssal sinkhole vanished. What appeared before everyone's eyes was an enormous pool, brimming with purplish-red liquid.
As the pool's waters churned, ancient dragons could be seen soaring upward from within. Faintly, clear, resonant dragon roars could be heard.
An incomparably rich, dense exotic fragrance slowly wafted out. Just inhaling that exotic fragrance, the group felt even the blood within their bodies begin to stir restlessly.
"It was actually a spatial fold! The Taixu Ancient Dragon's innate talent in the path of space is truly breathtaking!" Medusa, seeing this scene, felt her purple pupils contract slightly. For the first time in her heart, she felt envy toward the Taixu Ancient Dragon's bloodline.
"You will cultivate here next. Try your best to endure as long as you can. But if you cannot withstand it, do not force yourselves!" After opening the Dragon Blood Pool, Zhu Kun looked at Jiang Yun and the others and gave his instructions.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Jiang Yun and the group thanked Zhu Kun in unison.
"Zi Yan, come with me to undergo the bloodline baptism!" Nodding, Zhu Kun turned his head and spoke to Zi Yan.
"Mm!" Zi Yan instantly wilted like a deflated ball, replying listlessly. Then, raising her head to look at Jiang Yun, she said, "Xiao Yun, I don't know how long this seclusion will take either. If you leave first, I'll come find you on the continent when the time comes. But don't you dare slack off! When I see you then, watch me suppress you with one hand!"
Watching the playful Zi Yan, the sorrow of parting instantly lightened considerably. Jiang Yun chuckled softly, "With Uncle, such a great expert, here on Dragon Island, you should seek his guidance often. Don't just think about rushing out the moment you leave seclusion. I'll also come back to visit you!"
Zi Yan nodded seriously. She lifted her head and gazed at Jiang Yun, her eyes rippling with emotion. Suddenly, the corner of her vision caught Medusa. Abruptly, a mischievous gleam flashed through her eyes. Stepping forward slowly, she wrapped her arms around Jiang Yun's neck and gently pressed her red lips against the mouth of the still-unresponsive Jiang Yun.
Feeling that sudden softness, Jiang Yun was briefly stunned. Aware that Zhu Kun was right beside him, he intended to show a bit of restraint, but Zi Yan's strength was, at this moment, astonishingly great.
In the end, Jiang Yun simply stopped caring. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Zi Yan's soft, boneless waist—a slender waist that nonetheless contained world-shaking power.
"Hmph!!!" Two dissatisfied snorts rang out. Medusa and Zhu Kun both turned their heads away with icy expressions, their clenched fists betraying the lack of calm within their hearts at that moment.
As for Qing Lin and Xiao Yi Xian, their faces slightly flushed, they watched the entwined Jiang Yun and Zi Yan with great interest.