An enormous island floated and slowly drifted within the Void Realm.
The island was extremely vast, stretching as far as the eye could see. Above the island, a pale silver, bowl-shaped light shield hung down, enveloping the entire island.
Suddenly, a sound rang out from a purple-gold palace in the center of the island. A soaring dragon roar echoed across most of the island, gradually spreading outwards, carrying an air of supreme dominance and indescribable nobility.
The entire island was startled by the sudden sound.
"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"
The sound of space shaking echoed inside the palace, and several figures emerged from the space.
As they watched the commotion in the center of the palace, their bodies trembled, their faces filled with excitement and ecstasy.
Before them stood nine dragons of different colors, carved from materials unknown, guarding something that looked like a compass. The nine dragons appeared lifelike, as if they were swimming.
The compass they guarded was engraved with purple-gold dragon patterns, making the entire compass look as if it were formed by several purple-gold dragons spiraling around.
The compass contained a dark purple mirror-like object, inside which two purple dragons, one large and one small, were swimming. Although they appeared small, when viewed closely, they seemed to contain endless space, and the two dragons appeared enormous, which was quite eerie.
The dragon roar came from the mouth of the smaller dragon, while the larger one lay motionless, as if hinting at something.
"The Imperial Blood Mirror has awakened; this is the Dragon Emperor's bloodline that has finally appeared!" One of the elders, whose body was filled with the strongest aura and who was also the oldest, murmured. His voice trembled slightly as he looked at the purple dragon phantom in front of him, his old eyes filled with wild joy.
The others also trembled slightly with excitement.
After more than a thousand years, they had finally found the Dragon Emperor's bloodline. It had returned, and many dragons had turned to dust during this long wait.
"Grand Elder, we must bring the bloodline back to Dragon Island as soon as possible. We cannot allow her to wander in other parts of the Central Plains. If the people of the other three Dragon Islands find out, it will inevitably be detrimental to her." One of the elders stepped forward and pleaded with the elder who had spoken earlier.
"Second Elder is right. Since the Dragon Emperor disappeared, the other royal bloodlines have harbored ulterior motives. After that battle, the entire Dragon Island was divided into four parts, forming the current situation of four major Dragon Islands. This has caused many people who could not bear the civil war to leave Dragon Island and wander in the endless space."
Another elderly man in white robes said in a deep voice, "Yes, the other three Dragon Islands are ridiculously self-proclaimed as kings. If word gets out, would they not become a laughing stock? Now that the royal bloodline has reappeared, we must find her as soon as possible, nurture her, and let her unify the four Dragon Islands to restore their former glory."
One of the older men, who appeared to be rather robust, had tears welling in his eyes, and his voice was filled with worry:
"Third Elder is absolutely right, Grand Elder. This matter is of utmost urgency. The forces outside are complex and intertwined, and we do not know the current strength of the royal bloodline. Delay could lead to unforeseen changes. If anything happens to her, we will be the greatest sinners of the ancient Dragon clan, and we will have no face to face our ancestors."
The old man known as the Grand Elder was also aware of the urgency of the situation. "I know that finding Your Highness is urgent, but we cannot be too conspicuous. I have ordered the entire Dragon Island to be temporarily sealed off, and no one or anything is allowed to enter or leave."
Then he called out to the Void Realm, "Hei Qing!"
After the sound faded, the space trembled, and a massive, towering middle-aged man emerged from within.
"Hei Qing greets all Elders!" The man bowed slightly to the several figures around him, his rough voice echoing in the palace. After the greeting, the man asked the elder known as the Grand Elder, "Grand Elder, is there anything you wish to instruct me to do?"
"Now that the Dragon Emperor's bloodline has appeared, take a trusted person to retrieve her. Be vigilant and do not allow yourself to be discovered by the other three Dragon Islands! Otherwise, you will be punished according to clan rules!"
Upon hearing this, Hei Qing's burly body trembled slightly, his eyes filled with disbelief. He felt his heart was about to leap out of his chest. Dragon Emperor bloodline—a word both familiar and unfamiliar. The people of East Dragon Island were all staunch supporters of the Dragon Emperor, dedicating their lives to finding him and his bloodline.
The old man ignored Hei Qing's expression and instead forced out a drop of blood, which landed on one of the dragons guarding the compass.
As blood dripped onto its body, the dragon opened its mouth and spat out a beam of light that landed on the compass. Then, a fragment of the compass separated and slowly drifted toward the old man.
The old man handed the fragment, made of some unknown metal, to Hei Qing:
"This is the quest for the Dragon Fragment. It will guide you to find the Royal Bloodline. Success is the only option; failure is not an option!!!"
Hei Qing raised both hands and respectfully accepted the fragment from Grand Elder's hand. The moment they touched, Hei Qing's hands trembled uncontrollably. "Yes, Grand Elder, even if it means sacrificing myself, I will complete this mission."
After taking the fragment, Hei Qing took a deep breath, feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders. He knew that receiving the fragment meant that the hopes of East Dragon Island, and even his ancestors, rested on his shoulders.
"Go!" The old man waved to Hei Qing and turned to look at the compass in front of him.
"Hei Qing takes his leave!"
Hei Qing clasped his hands in a fist salute, then turned and left!
After Hei Qing left, Grand Elder addressed the white-robed elder, "Zhu Li, you will secretly follow Hei Qing and ensure the safety of the Royal Bloodline at all costs."
"Yes!" The white-robed elder, known as Zhu Li, nodded and replied in a deep voice. He understood the meaning behind the Grand Elder's words, but this was also the hope he had long held onto.
After speaking, the white-robed elder slowly walked out of the palace. After leaving the palace, his body slowly merged into the space, leaving no trace, as if he had never existed.
"From this moment on, all Elders and commanders must not remain in seclusion. They must be on standby at all times, ready to provide support immediately should any problems arise!!"
After the old man finished speaking, he looked sharply at the several old men in front of him and gave instructions.
"As Grand Elder commands!!"
The elders bowed respectfully to accept the order and then withdrew, leaving only the Grand Elder inside the palace.
"I hope we can find Your Highness soon." Grand Elder sighed as he looked at the little dragon swimming in the compass in front of him. The Central Plains was so vast. Although they had the help of finding the Dragon fragments, it would still take a long time. He could only hope that everything would develop in a positive direction.