"Hmm…" Xiāo Yīn's gaze remained fixed upon the altar for a long time before he finally exhaled deeply, his face looking quite displeased. With his keen eyesight, he could clearly see that Zi Yan now exhibited not a single trace of life energy. Were it not for the familiar soul vibrations he still sensed, he would have believed Zi Yan had already perished. "This is energy solidifying..." Elder Zhú Lí, standing beside him, sighed, "The energy from the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit is so powerful—it has fully solidified and permeates every part of Zi Yan's body. Unless these energies are absorbed, Zi Yan will remain in this state forever, like a living corpse." "You were too hasty," Xiāo Yīn remarked, though he knew the elder before him was exceptionally powerful. "If things don't go smoothly, Zi Yan might actually die as a result of this." Candle Li, the senior monk, could only shake his head with a wry smile, yet remained silent—clearly regretting the situation as well. "Xiao Yan, don't blame Senior San. The Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit has been seen only a few times even by the ancient Void Dragon Clan, so it's not particularly well known. That's why such an incident has occurred," Black Qing said, stepping forward to offer advice. "Have there been any instances in the past where the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit has been successfully absorbed?" As if remembering something, Xiao Yan suddenly asked. "Yes, but only twice successfully—once when the Tianhuang Clan obtained it, which led to the emergence of a supreme powerhouse within that clan. During that period, even the TaiXu Ancient Dragon Clan was completely subdued by them. Fortunately, after several centuries, our Ancient Dragon Clan finally secured one of the Long-Huang Original Fruit, which allowed us to regain the upper hand. However, during the final battle between the two clans, these two powerful individuals with exceptional bloodlines perished together...” Elder Zhe Li nodded. “Since then, the Tianhuang Clan has gradually faded from the scene, and the Long-Huang Original Fruit has not reappeared. This is the first time in my lifetime that I have witnessed such an occurrence.” "Only twice successfully..." Xiao Yan frowned, then sighed. He realized that further discussion on this matter would now be futile. He then said, "So, what should we do now to save Zi Yan?" "The solidified energy formed from the Dragon-Phoenix Primordial Fruit is exceptionally hard; even if I personally wield my strength, I cannot shatter it..." Cui Li said. "Moreover, if I were to break it, that energy would be wasted." "Should we still be concerned about these energies now?" Xiao Yan asked, frowning. "Ah, Xiao Yan, you haven't yet grasped the current state of our Tai Xu Ancient Dragon clan. We now urgently need a clan leader who not only carries royal bloodline but also possesses the presence to command and steady the situation." Cui Li sighed. "What's going on? Your Tai Xu Ancient Dragon clan is so formidable—what could possibly be causing such a pressing challenge for you?" Seeing his expression, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, his voice filled with surprise. Hearing this, Zhu Li hesitated for a moment before finally biting her lip and said, "Xiao Xin, your acquaintance with the ancient void dragon clan is quite close. I'll share this with you—what you see now as the ancient dragon island is actually only one-quarter of the original island." "One-quarter?" Xin was startled, reacting swiftly. "Then what about the other three parts?" "Shortly after Master Ziyan, your father, went missing, the ancient void dragon clan split into four parts, and the ancient dragon island likewise divided into four, each drifting through the void." Zhu Li explained. "Therefore, the ancient void dragon clan you now see is not complete." "Hmm..." Xin couldn't help but take a steady breath, amazed. Just one-quarter of their strength was already so formidable—how powerful indeed was the ancient void dragon clan! It was no wonder they had remained unbroken since ancient times. "Every so often, the four dragon islands converge in the void, and at those times, they inevitably engage in combat. The island lords of the other three islands all aspire to unify the ancient dragon race of Tai Xu, yet their relative strengths are not vastly different, so despite all these years, the Tai Xu ancient dragon lineage remains fragmented." Zhu Li sighed. "The other three dragon islands also have Tai Xu ancient dragons of royal bloodline?" Xiao Yan asked softly. Clearly, the Tai Xu ancient dragons placed great emphasis on lineage—ordinary dragons, unless under exceptional circumstances, would rarely emerge as true leaders. "They're somewhat qualified, but their bloodlines are far less pure than Zi Yan's..." Zhu Li shook her head. "We're so eager to have Zi Yan absorb the Dragon Phoenix Source Fruit as quickly as possible—not only because it will accelerate her evolution, but also so that when the four islands converge again, she can unify the entire Tai Xu ancient dragon lineage." "It's no wonder..." Hearing this, Xiao Yan's mind also cleared slightly. It made sense why the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan had remained so understated these years—this wasn't simply a preference; it was due to internal strife within the clan, leaving them unable to focus on other powerful rivals. "If it weren't for this, how could the Beast Kingdom have allowed the Celestial Fiend Phoenix Clan and the Nine-Abysmal Earth-Mortar Serpent Clan to rise so prominently?" Zhu Li sighed, speaking with clear disdain toward the other two clans. In ancient times, only the elder ancestors of these two clans had been capable of standing against the Ancient Dragon Clan. What could the descendants, who relied merely on fragmented ancestral bloodlines, possibly offer? "I didn't expect the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan to have such secrets. Yet, their secrecy has been truly impeccable—perhaps only a handful of powers across this continent are aware that the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan is currently experiencing internal turmoil." Xiao Yan silently admired their efforts. "These matters, I hope Xiao Yan, my young friend, will keep confidential. After all, should word of them get out, it's not certain that some powerful factions with longstanding grievances against our ancient Long clan won't intervene." Zhu Li said solemnly. "Zhu Li Elder, please rest assured—this matter will absolutely remain confidential." Xiao Yan nodded seriously, then turned his gaze back to the altar, saying, "Since Zhu Li Elder summoned me, I assume you believe I can offer some assistance to Zi Yan. If my judgment is correct, it must be the异fire." "Xiao Yan believed that, with his abilities, the only two things that could attract the Tai Xu Gu Long clan were his alchemy techniques or the unique flame within him. However, although Xiao Yan had now reached the eighth rank of alchemy master, there were certainly others in the Zhongzhou region who surpassed him in alchemy. Therefore, the only remaining possibility was the unique flame. 'Indeed, it's no surprise that he's a descendant of Xiao Xuan,' said Zhu Li, smiling and nodding. 'The energy crystal layer formed by the Long-Phoenix Origin Fruit is exceptionally hard—so hard that even I cannot shatter it. To melt this crystal layer and bring its energy close to Zi Yan's body requires the power of the unique flame.' "However, ordinary hetero-flames remain ineffective against such energy crystal layers. Only the top ten hetero-flames on the Hetero-Flame Ranking can handle them... With Xiao Xiang's mastery of multiple hetero-flames and his ability to fuse them together, the power he commands undoubtedly rivals those of the sixth or seventh-ranked hetero-flames. Thus, using them to counter these energy crystal layers is by no means impossible." "Although I am aware of other strong figures from the Central Plains who possess hetero-flames, few—those who possess such capabilities and are also trustworthy—exist. Indeed, Xiao Xiang is the only one. That is precisely why Black Qing Flame has been so eager to summon you here." Candle Li smiled and said. Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiang felt a moment of clarity, then fell into thoughtful contemplation. If the requirement were for the top ten hetero-flames, it would certainly be feasible—after all, the Three Thousand Yan Flame alone already meets that standard, not to mention the fusion of the other three hetero-flames? "This matter is of vital importance to the future succession of the Tai Xu ancient Dragon clan, and thus I sincerely hope Xiao Yan, the young friend, will do your utmost to assist." Zhu Li bowed solemnly to Xiao Yan and spoke in a serious tone, while Hei Qing also maintained a serious expression, bowing respectfully. "Zhu Li Elder, please rest assured. The fact that Guang Ziyan is my friend means I will give my full support. As for how this matter should be handled, I will follow your instructions entirely. Should there be any need for me, merely let me know." Xiao Yan said with a serious expression. Hearing Xiao Yan say this, Elder Zhuo's smile on his face also brightened. He sighed, "If Xiao Xuan knew that, after him, the Xiao family still had such outstanding descendants, he would surely be smiling in peace even now..." "Hehe, I think Xiao Xuan still falls short when compared to this younger descendant. Back then, he reached such a lofty level by fully harnessing the power of the Xiao family's bloodline, but that very effort left the subsequent generations with completely dormant bloodlines. Now, Xiao Yan has achieved this milestone through his own capabilities, giving him ample time and opportunity—thus, surpassing Xiao Xuan is by no means impossible," Black Qing chuckled. Hearing this, Zhú Lí also smiled and nodded, turning to Xiāo Yín and saying, "Don't blame Xiāo Xuán for having drained the last remnants of the Xiāo family's ancestral vitality—he indeed intended to make a decisive stand. If he had succeeded in breaking through to the level of Battle Saint, the Xiāo family's ancestral power would have been renewed, and the family would have become akin to the ancient clans, existing as a primordial lineage. Unfortunately, however, he underestimated the difficulty of achieving that breakthrough, and thus ended up regretting deeply before his demise." Listening to their words, Xiāo Yín felt somewhat bewildered, yet he could sense clearly the dire circumstances his ancestor had faced, as well as the profound sorrow and regret at the final moments. "He did it all for the future of the Xiāo family..." Xiāo Yín gently pressed his lips. Though they had never met, he now felt a growing respect for the ancestor named Xiāo Xuán. "Hehe, let's not dwell on that anymore, Xiao Yin. For the next few days, you rest first. I need to prepare a few things in advance, and once everything is ready, we'll proceed!" Zhu Li didn't linger on the topic, but quickly shifted to a smile. "Hmm."