"Pfft!" Despite the retreat of the three dragon kings, Purple Yan's body remained still. Her cold, violet eyes fixed on the spot where they had vanished. After a moment, the golden long sword, which seemed to flow like liquid, gently swayed before dissolving into nothingness. As the sword vanished, a gush of blood erupted from her mouth, and her body slowly leaned back. Seeing this, Xiao Yan was startled and quickly rushed forward, catching her firmly in his arms. Gazing at her pale face, he felt a pang of sympathy—clearly, the use of the so-called Dragon-Slaying Sword had imposed a tremendous cost on her, one that went beyond mere qi consumption. "I'm fine," Purple Yan said, her violet eyes gazing at Xiao Yan, though a faint, strained smile played on her cheeks. Hearing this, Xiao Yan shook his head slightly and then sat down with Zǐ Yán in the empty space, his body no less strained. The damage to his internal meridians was severe; had it not been for the bloodline energy pulsing from his heart repairing much of the injured pathways, he would have been completely incapacitated, like a broken man. Even now, however, Xiao Yan was nearing his breaking point—his injuries sustained during his solo battle against the three Dragon Kings were too profound. Below, the senior elders of Donglong Island swiftly flew over and halted a short distance before Zǐ Yán, bowing respectfully. They proved quite tactful, merely glancing at the two before promptly lowering their heads. "Senior Elder, has Donglong Island been spared?" Seeing these elders, the pale hue on Zǐ Yán's cheeks gently warmed, then settled back into calm. With some effort, she managed to push herself up from within Xiao Yan's embrace, her voice still slightly weak but regaining a touch of authority. "Your Majesty, Donglong Island is secure. All three island's inhabitants have evacuated. However, a considerable number of members from the Ancient Dragon Clan have chosen to remain with us." The senior elder spoke respectfully—those people he mentioned were precisely the ones who had knelt down earlier. "Understood. Temporarily house them, keep a close watch, in case any of them are spies from the three islands." Zǐ Yán nodded slightly. "Right. And the three Dragon Kings?" "The senior elder nodded, then hesitated. 'As long as the Three Dragon Kings remain immortal, the Three Dragon Islands will remain the greatest obstacle to the unification of the ancient Dragon Clan.' Said the purple-eyed Zi Yan, her tone edged with determination. 'The Western and Southern Dragon Kings have had their limbs severed by me. Even when they recover, their strength will be greatly diminished. With only the Northern Dragon King left, it will be difficult to achieve any significant accomplishments. Once the Eastern Dragon Island has had time to recover, we will launch a coordinated assault on the three islands and complete our unification.' There was an inherent weight to her voice, a quiet authority that naturally radiated from her—perhaps due to her Dragon-Phoenix lineage. Under this presence, even Xiao Yan, standing beside her, found himself subtly impressed, hardly able to imagine how the once-keenly-greedy young girl had grown into such a formidable figure. 'Yes!' The senior elder and others breathed a collective sigh of relief, bowing respectfully before swiftly taking off to return to the Eastern Dragon Island. Having just wielded the Dragon-Slaying Sword, Zi Yan's presence left them deeply apprehensive." With the senior elders and others now gone, Zi Yan finally turned her head and caught sight of Xiao Yan's slightly unusual gaze. She was momentarily startled, asking, "What's wrong?" "Ah, Emperor Long, this responsibility truly is enormous..." Xiao Yan shook his head, sighed, and expressed his thoughts. Compared to the current Zi Yan, he still preferred the younger girl who used to cling to him, always seeking food and drink, full of innocence and vitality. "Didn't she just act naturally in front of you? Why are you making such a fuss?" Zi Yan gave Xiao Yan a withering look, then stepped closer, a mischievous smile playing on her refined features. "You don't like it when she's like this, do you? I've often seen you fix your eyes on Cai Lin sister." "Hmph, nonsense," Xiao Yan blushed, his face turning crimson as he glanced at Zi Yan. The tone he used now was surprisingly reminiscent of that carefree, always-hungry little girl. "Hehe…" Zǐ Yán covered her mouth with a gentle smile, then softened it, looking at Xiāo Yīn and saying, "This time, thank you so much. If it weren't for your prolonged resistance—and if it weren't for the injuries you sustained to the Three Dragon Kings—I wouldn't have been able to achieve such a powerful impact with my still-developing Dragon-Slaying Sword." "Thanking me is unnecessary. For your sake, I've been constantly busy and stressed these days." Xiāo Yīn rolled his eyes. To secure support for Zǐ Yán, he had spent considerable effort in winning over the Nine-Deep Earth and Underworld Python Clan, even intercepting and defeating a powerful member of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan, using hostages to force them to retreat. When he finally arrived, he had to fight fiercely against the Three Dragon Kings, enduring injuries that nearly severed his meridians. If it weren't for his strong constitution, he might have fallen right here. Of course, such words would not naturally come out of Xiao Yan's nature. At that moment, he waved his hand and intended to sweep back to Dong Long Island. Yet, as soon as he moved, sharp pains surged through his meridians, causing his face to twist. He gently drew in a breath of cool air. "All these years, I still manage to hold on so strongly. For now, rest and recover well on Donglong Island... " As Xiao Yan drew in sharp breaths, a fragrant breeze blew past him, and then he felt his arm lifted, touching a smooth, delicate surface. Turning his head, he saw Zi Yan half-supporting him, her body moving gracefully as she swiftly took off toward the distant Dragon Island. Her purple hair swayed in the wind, gently brushing against Xiao Yan's face, bringing a profound sense of ease and comfort... Of course, that step still required a considerable amount of time... After the collapse of the three Dragon Kings, Donglong Island had also entered a period of busy activity, with post-war matters piling up—especially this time, with a growing number of new residents settling on the island. While the island was immersed in the aftermath of the great conflict, Xiao Yan had quietly found a secluded chamber and announced his intention to go into seclusion. This time, the injuries he had sustained were so severe that he had nearly perished on the spot. Thus, he needed to carefully restore and stabilize his internal condition to prevent any lingering complications that might hinder his progress in strength and cultivation; otherwise, the losses would have been truly unbearable... Since Xiao Yan entered the chamber, it has now been ten days. During this period, the severe injuries within his body have gradually healed. Yet despite this improvement, Xiao Yan has shown no signs of awakening. His body has remained as motionless as a statue since he entered, preserving the same posture without any movement. Yet no one knows that, while Xiao Yan's exterior appears still and serene, his inner state is far from tranquil. "Thud. Thud." Within Xiao Yan's body, the heart beat steadily. With each beat, a thin stream of deep purple-red blood slowly flowed out from within the heart and spread outward in all directions. This stream of blood carried an extraordinarily intense heat—any blood vessels or muscles it passed through instantly boiled, yet this boiling did not bring him any sharp pain. Instead, it gave him a peculiar, refreshing sensation of renewed vitality. He did not fully understand why this phenomenon occurred. All he knew was that, shortly after his period of meditation, the newly formed blood energy—originally fused by Xiao Xuan and previously hidden deep within his heart—had begun to flow out on its own. Though this blood energy was initially weak, it possessed a remarkably miraculous effect, enabling the severe injuries within his body to heal completely within less than ten days. Most of this recovery was directly attributable to the stream of deep purple-red blood. While he did not understand why this "deep purple-red blood" had suddenly awakened from its long period of dormancy, he had not attempted to control or direct it consciously. Rather, he allowed it to flow freely. This confidence stemmed from the fact that, with each passing stream of the blood, he gradually sensed a subtle enhancement in his own strength. That sensation was exactly like the "purple-red blood" continuously cleansing and refining his body. Undoubtedly a most excellent thing, so Xiao Yan did not deliberately hinder it. Instead, as time passed, he gradually entered a state akin to sleep. While in this state of slumber, his heart continued to beat in a steady, rhythmic manner, and the "purple-red blood" flowed forth without cease, tirelessly washing and nourishing his meridians and flesh.