A hazy, indistinct consciousness drifted within a realm of shimmering purple and golden light. Within this light, a cool essence seeped out in countless threads, gradually weaving itself into the consciousness—this process continued for a long, long time. Eventually, the purple and golden glow gently faded, and the cool essence softened and diminished, until it finally vanished entirely. As the light faded, a subtle coolness spread throughout the hazy consciousness, and the mind slowly began to clear and awaken... Gently opening his eyes, the bright sunlight caused a slight frown on Xiao Yan's brow. He shook his head, and memories that had been swirling in his mind surged forth like a tide, making his head subtly ache. "Where am I?" Sitting up on the bed, Xiao Yan glanced around with a sense of bewilderment. He remembered he should have been refining the Dragon-Phoenix Crystal Layers for Ziyan, and that the Ancient Dragon Island had also been attacked. "Ziyan!" Thinking of Ziyan, Xiao Yan suddenly jolted. He placed his palms on the bed, ready to sit up—only to hear a crisp crack as the sturdy bed frame was pressed into fine powder. He stood still, staring at his hands, now realizing that his physical strength had suddenly surged significantly. "What on earth is going on?" "With a slightly furrowed brow, Xiao Yan lifted his sleeve and found that beneath his skin, there now subtly shimmered a faint purple-gold hue, resembling metal and giving off an impression of extraordinary firmness. 'Creak...' As Xiao Yan stood in wonder at his own bodily transformation, the closed door was pushed open, and two figures hurried in. Upon seeing Xiao Yan awake on the bed, they both expressed great joy and smiled, saying, 'Xiao Yan, you've finally awakened!' 'Zhu Li Elder...' Upon recognizing the elder who entered and the black-clad figure following him, Xiao Yan quickly rose and bowed respectfully to both of them. 'Ah, don't be so formal, Xiao Yan,' chuckled Zhu Li Elder. 'You've done so much good for our Too-Empty Ancient Dragon lineage—this courtesy is truly beyond our gratitude.' 'Did Zi Yan succeed?' Hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart stirred, and he promptly asked. 'Yes.' "Zhuo smiled warmly and nodded, his joy clearly evident to anyone observing him." "What about Zǐ Yán?" Xiao Yan glanced over, expressing some surprise. "The energy of the Long-Phoenix Primordial Fruit within the Dragon Emperor's body hasn't been fully absorbed. After defeating the invaders upon his initial appearance, he went back into seclusion. This time, it might take quite some time." Elder Zhuo chuckled. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded in turn, slightly disappointed—though he hadn't seen the girl, he still couldn't quite let go of his thoughts. "I feel as though something has changed within me," Xiao Yan said, hesitating as he gently rubbed his arm. "Hehe, Xiao Yan, have you also noticed this?" Elder Zhuo smiled and said, "This was done by the Dragon Emperor. She infused a strand of Dragon-Phoenix energy into your body and activated the ancient Dragon Blood Essence you consumed that day, greatly enhancing your physical strength. Your current physical prowess is quite comparable to that of some beasts who have reached the Battle Sovereign stage." Xiao Yan's eyes flashed with surprise—now he understood why he felt so different; his body had indeed grown significantly stronger. "The Dragon-Phoenix energy is far more than you might imagine. Focus your mind and channel that unfamiliar force within you. Observe what happens." Elder Zhuo spoke in a mysterious tone. "Hmm..." Hearing this, Xiao Yan hesitated slightly, then nodded, closing his eyes and focusing his mind to quickly locate the unfamiliar energy swirling within his flesh and muscle. He then activated it. As the energy surged, Xiao Yan suddenly became acutely aware of a tingling, itchy sensation spreading throughout his body—like countless ants were biting at every part of him. This change startled him, so he opened his eyes to find that, except for his head, every part of his body now shimmered with countless purple-gold dragon scales. These scales covered his body like armor, giving off an unshakable, resilient impression. "This is the Dragon Scale Armor—a defensive ability possessed by all members of the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan. However, your version is not ordinary—it is the highest-tier Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor," the Elder Zhe smiled, observing the astonishment on Xiao Yan's face. "Hehe, this Long-Huang Ancient Armor is indeed a precious item. With it, combined with your own strength, even if you take a direct hit from the Nine Heavens Sovereign's Magi Rain, you'll only suffer minor injuries." Black Qing smiled, his tone slightly admiring. As a member of the Tai-Xiu Ancient Dragon lineage, he was deeply familiar with this armor, which had existed only in ancient texts. Xiao Yan's initial shock gradually subsided, and he gently clasped his hands, the sense of unbreakable strength growing clearer in his mind. "It truly is a remarkable item..." Xiao Yan knew that possessing this Long-Huang Ancient Armor would instantly elevate his defensive capabilities by two or three levels. Attacks from six-star Battle Sovereigns and below would no longer be able to harm him at all, and even when struck directly by the Nine Heavens Sovereign, he would remain unscathed, suffering only minor impacts. "The Long Phoenix Ancient Scale usually hides beneath your skin; all you need to do is stimulate it, and it will instantly appear..." Elder Zhuo Li smiled. Xiao Yan nodded with a smile, and as his mind focused, the purple-gold scales on his skin swiftly penetrated into his flesh, then vanished completely, leaving only a sensation of coolness. After mastering the art of summoning and concealing the Long Phoenix Ancient Scale, Xiao Yan grew more confident, and his satisfaction with this ability deepened. "By the way, where's Qing Lin?" After playing with the Long Phoenix Ancient Scale for a while, Xiao Yan finally settled down, and asked with a touch of curiosity. "Ah, that little girl harbors the soul of an ancient celestial serpent—specifically, the most fierce of the ancient celestial serpents, the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent. This creature is fiercely wild and unruly. Even though she can currently control it through her Bi She San Hua Eyes, as the Nine-Headed Celestial Serpent's powers gradually recover, it will inevitably begin to overwhelm her, eventually taking control of her..." Elder Zhuo Li smiled, stroking his beard. "Oh?" Hearing this, Xiao Yan also grew slightly surprised, not expecting that even with the power of the Bi She San Hua Eye, they were still unable to subdue the Nine-Headed Heaven Snake. "Since that young girl is your friend, we naturally stepped in to help. Shortly after you fell unconscious, we sent her to train within the Ancient Dragon Mausoleum—where the ancient dragons rest across generations. The dragon energy there is exceptionally strong, capable of suppressing the Nine-Headed Heaven Snake's soul and ultimately refining and absorbing it completely..." Zhu Li smiled and said, "So you needn't worry. Once the young girl fully refines and absorbs the Nine-Headed Heaven Snake, her own strength will soar significantly. With the Bi She San Hua Eye, she will easily gain the soul power of the Nine-Headed Heaven Snake." Xiao Yan nodded silently. Qinglin, with only a single Stellar Sovereign's strength, could already match a Stellar Sovereign of sixth rank when bolstered by the soul power of the Nine-Headed Sky Serpent. Should he fully integrate and absorb that power, his true strength would surely rise to at least the level of a fifth-rank Stellar Sovereign. Reflecting on this, Xiao Yan shook his head with a wry smile. Indeed, this girl could surge her strength by at least four stars in an instant—far faster than he had achieved through absorbing the Strange Fires. The Bi-Serpent's Three-Flower Gaze truly was renowned as the finest among all known eyes. "Then, perhaps we should stay a bit longer on the Ancient Dragon Island. If we encounter the same situation again, we can lend a hand." Since Qinglin was still in the midst of cultivation, it would be impractical for Xiao Yan to leave alone. After a brief pause, he said so. "Hehe, of course we're delighted. Before Lord Dragon Emperor entered seclusion, he specifically instructed us to treat Xiao Yan, our young guest, as a distinguished honored visitor—how could we possibly be negligent? Moreover, since this incident, I've already sent out messages summoning the clan elders who have been practicing in the void space back to our island. These elders had previously chosen to leave during the initial classification of our ancient dragon lineage, unwilling to get involved—thus, they've remained absent for many years. But now that Lord Dragon Emperor has reappeared, they should surely return by now." Cen Li, stroking his beard, smiled, "With these elders returning to serve as stalwarts, the Eastern Dragon Island will be as unshakably strong as a fortress—unless the Three Dragon Kings themselves come to visit." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan felt a subtle stir in his heart. It seemed that the once-quiet, long-dormant lineage of the Ancient Dragon Clan was finally beginning to take action. Should they reunite once more, their strength would undoubtedly surge again, and they would surely reemerge as one of the premier powerhouses. "By the way, Elder Cen Li, do you know if there are Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked. The Tian Yao Puppet within his Na Ji had been nearly destroyed by the powerful cultivator from Tian Ming Sect and could no longer be used to defend against attacks. To repair the Tian Yao Puppet, however, he would need the power of thunder—specifically, the Dan Lei. To summon such Dan Lei, he would require at least a seventh or eighth-grade pill, which would be quite cumbersome. Since Dan Lei was not feasible, he turned his attention to the natural thunder that existed in the world itself. Yet, such natural thunder was hard to find outside the outer realms, and its power was relatively weak, with insufficient volume to provide the necessary energy to the Tian Yao Puppet. Thus, he decided to focus his efforts on this void space—a realm distinct from the Zhong Zhou, far more perilous, yet rich with unique and extraordinary phenomena. Upon hearing Xiao Yan’s words, Elder Zhu Li was momentarily startled, then fell into thoughtful contemplation. After a long while, he slowly nodded, to the delight of Xiao Yan.