On his return to the ancient Lu Long Island, Xiao Yan found the atmosphere subtly changed. The previously faint yet powerful presence within the island had grown noticeably stronger. This observation stirred a sense of solemnity within him. The previously undetected strong energies—likely the senior elders of the Primordial Void Dragons, who had been meditating in the void—had now returned to the eastern dragon island, likely due to the reemergence of the Dragon Emperor, which had previously driven them into conflict over internal divisions within the clan. "Now that Donglong Island's strength has truly surged, once Ziyan fully emerges from her meditation, it will undoubtedly be time to begin the path toward unifying the ancient Dragon Clans..." Xiao Yan murmured to himself. Of course, he also knew this path would not be easy. During this time, he had heard from He Qing about the latest developments concerning the other three Dragon Islands. Back then, Donglong Island could only send its fourth among the four islands—how much more formidable must the so-called Three Dragon Kings be? Though these three powerful figures possessed less refined and less concentrated royal bloodlines than Ziyan's, their ambitions would surely not allow them to passively watch Ziyan achieve unification. Should that happen, their own status would dramatically decline, and a new authority capable of commanding them would rise above them. For the Three Dragon Kings, who had grown accustomed to issuing commands over the years, such a scenario would surely be difficult to accept. "Hehe, Xiao Yan, you've finally returned. The Void Thunder Pool was quite perilous—I was indeed worried about any unforeseen mishaps you might have encountered there." As soon as Xiao Yan and He Qing had just entered Dong Long Island, the elder Cuo Li appeared before them, smiling warmly at the younger man. "Thank you, Elder Cuo Li, for your concern." Xiao Yan smiled in return, bowed slightly to Elder Cuo Li, and his gaze shifted to the back, where two elderly figures in white robes stood. Though he had never seen these two before, the subtle aura emanating from them clearly indicated that both were at least at the level of Eight-Star Domain Masters, if not beyond. "Hehe, these two are elders from my ancient Dragon Clan. However, they have been practicing in the void for a long time and have not returned before." Noticing Xiao Yan's expression of surprise, Elder Cuo Li smiled gently and said. "May I introduce myself to the two elders." Xiao Yan smiled politely, bowing slightly to the two elders. In return, the elders smiled warmly and returned the gesture—they had already learned from Zhu Li’s elder that the relationship between Xiao Yan and the current Dragon Emperor was one of great respect, and thus they would certainly not treat him with any lack of courtesy. "Xiao Yan, sir!" A joyful voice rang out from below as Xiao Yan was conversing with Zhu Li and the others, and then a graceful figure in jade-green robes flashed into view, standing before them. "Qing Lin." Gazing at the youthful girl before him, Xiao Yan was momentarily taken aback, then smiled gently, "You’ve just emerged?" "Yes. Thanks to the dragon energy within the ancient dragon’s tomb, and with the assistance of several elder dragon clan members who helped stabilize the situation, we were finally able to fully integrate the soul of the nine-headed celestial serpent," Qing Lin beamed. "Hmm. While Qing Lin’s nine-headed celestial serpent soul hasn’t been completely absorbed yet, it has now lost its strength and will no longer be able to thrive—eventually, it will be fully assimilated by Qing Lin," said Zhu Li elder with a smile. Xiao Yan's gaze swept over Qinglin, and his eyebrows slightly lifted as he noticed that Qinglin's aura was now stronger than his own. "Six-star Battle Sovereign?" Qinglin nodded, hearing Xiao Yan's slightly exasperated expression, and couldn't help but smile lightly. "Stop worrying," said Elder Zhe Li, stroking his beard. "The Bishen Three-Flower Gaze is the most extraordinary among all eyes in the world—only one person on this continent is believed to possess it. Moreover, the soul of the Nine-Headed Heavensnake is likely unique in the entire world. If either of these two elements is missing, Qinglin's strength could not have surged so dramatically. Even for her, such an opportunity arises only once." Xiao Yan nodded with a wry smile. He naturally understood that such a sudden leap in strength required extremely stringent conditions. Yet, witnessing this young girl's remarkable progression—jumping nearly five star levels in a single leap—no one could help but feel a slight sense of imbalance. "With Qinglin's current six-star strength, combined with Bi She's three-flower gaze combat prowess, even a seven-star Duelist Master might be able to stand a chance. Moreover, Bi She's ability to seal powerful Snake Clan warriors has undoubtedly been greatly enhanced—perhaps she now possesses the sealing capabilities of a seven-star Snake Clan Duelist Master herself." Xiao Yan sighed, deepening his understanding of Bi She's abilities. Indeed, such a gaze technique truly deserved its reputation as the first among all on the continent. "Senior Zhuoli, has Ziyan still not awakened yet?" Xiao Yan paused a moment, then changed the subject. "Not yet. The Dragon Emperor requires a considerable amount of time. I myself am not entirely certain when exactly he will awaken..." Senior Zhuoli frowned slightly. Xiao Yan nodded silently. "Then, I fear I must leave soon. Having stayed so long this time, if I continue to remain without returning, my teacher might grow concerned." Upon seeing Xiao Yan had decided to depart, Zhuo Li did not hesitate to obstruct him. The atmosphere on the Eastern Dragon Island was now quite tense, with constant vigilance against potential attacks from the three Dragon Islands. Xiao Yan’s continued presence here was not particularly secure. After a brief pause, Zhuo Li nodded gently and said, “That would be fine.” "Very well. Once you return to Xingyin Pavilion, also give my regards to Yao Chen." Elder Zhuo smiled gently, then nodded toward He Qing. Seeing this, He Qing raised his hand, and with a swift motion, tore a crack in the space, chuckling, "Xiao Xin, please go!" Xiao Xin smiled, bowed once more to the group, and then stepped forward. Qing Lin and He Qing followed close behind. Only after all three had entered did the crack in the space gradually fade away. ... In the lush, verdant mountains, occasional deep roars of beasts echoed through the valleys. As these roars spread, the space suddenly split open, and three figures emerged slowly—naturally, the trio from Dong Long Island. "Hmm..." Stepping out of the space, Xiao Yan gazed at the endless ranges of mountains and land, then looked up at the vast blue sky, and couldn't help but take a deep, steady breath. Compared to the endless, dark void, the true continent felt far more refreshing and comforting. "Xiao Yan, if you head north from here, you'll reach the Starfall Pavilion within less than half a day's journey. However, due to the current situation within our clan, I'll have to return soon, so I won't be able to personally escort you both all the way there." Black Qing glanced around, oriented himself, and then spoke to Xiao Yan. "Thank you, Brother Black Qing." Xiao Yan smiled slightly and bowed respectfully. "Once the major affairs within the Ancient Dragon Clan are stabilized, I'll be free to come out whenever I wish. And should I meet the Spirit Palace delegation again, I'll make sure to settle matters with them." Black Qing patted his chest with a smile. Xiao Yan nodded with a warm expression. Black Qing was both straightforward and thoughtful—quite a suitable companion to cultivate a relationship with. "Alright, I won't waste any more time—here I go, saying goodbye!" Black Qing gave a wave to Xiao Yan, said no more, and once again tore through the space, his form swiftly vanishing into it... "Let's go." Seeing Black Qing depart, Xiao Yan smiled and turned, taking off toward the northern horizon. Qing Lin followed close behind. "Wind Master gazed at the young man who had appeared, slightly startled, and then his face suddenly lit up with astonishment—because he sensed that the young man's current aura was, in fact, subtly stronger than his own!"