A deep violet-gold glow, hovering at the crest of the colossal dragon's head, was capable of withstanding the terrifying destructive force. Even for Zi Yan, it required closing her eyes tightly. Yet, as she prepared to endure the sudden, devastating assault, the glow suddenly ceased—stilled, motionless, suspended at the dragon's head. The sound of gasps filled the sky, and several elite members of the Hún clan expressed visible disappointment. "Stubborn fool!" Ancient Yuan's expression had grown increasingly stern. With a firm jaw, he moved swiftly, abandoning Hún Tiān Dì and stepping directly before the mysterious figure. He swept his sleeve back, sending a powerful gust of wind that sent Zi Yan and Xiao Yan reeling. His gaze carried a subtle anger as he spoke, his voice steady: "Your first move was a killing blow—this is simply too excessive." "As for Gu Yuan's words, the mysterious man seemed entirely unaware. His gaze was fixed steadily upon the golden dragon wrapped within Xiao Yan, and from within it, he sensed an extraordinarily familiar scent—of blood—akin to that of a shared lineage. In this entire world, only his own only child had ever possessed such blood. 'Child...' The golden eyes of the mysterious man, previously blazing with overwhelming fury and dignity, softened almost instantly. His heart, which had remained silent for countless years, surged with a sudden, powerful beat. His gaze remained locked on Zi Yan, as he murmured softly. Xiao Yan wiped the blood from his lips, looking at Zǐ Yán by his side and sighed with a wry smile. "You have the audacity to say so, when such a major matter wasn't even informed to me about the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan?" As soon as the topic came up, Zǐ Yán raised her brows, scolding him. "This event is too significant—bringing the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan into it might be risky; if anything goes wrong, their very existence might be jeopardized." Xiao Yan sighed. "Given the Hún Clan's nature, once they secure the Ancient Emperor's sanctuary, no other power on this continent will be able to remain untouched." Zǐ Yán gave Xiao Yan a withering glance, then turned her gaze to the mysterious figure being blocked by Gǔ Yuán, her brows furrowed. "Who is this person? His strength is absolutely terrifying. Yet, there's something familiar about his aura...". The last sentence was quite soft, as she couldn't recall having ever met a warrior of such caliber before. "The guardian of the Ancient Emperor's sanctuary—I still don't know why he insists on pursuing me." Xiao Yan smiled bitterly; he had merely ventured into that space, and there was no deep enmity between them. Thus, he could not comprehend the intensity of the hostility he now felt. "This situation is rather complicated," Zi Yan sighed lightly, then gently swept her hand through the space before her, causing a rift to tear open. A steady wind rushed through the crack, and soon, numerous figures emerged from within—clearly the senior elders of the Ancient Dragon Clan. "Though our Ancient Dragon Clan no longer holds the splendor it once did, you have rendered us great favors. We are not a people who forget kindness. Therefore, we shall do our utmost to support you this time." Gazing at the gathering of Ancient Dragon elders, Xiao Yan opened his mouth, then settled into a quiet sigh, bowing deeply to them: "Gratitude without words—your support today will be eternally remembered." "Ah, Xiao Yan, you're too kind," they laughed. "Were it not for your repeated acts of valor, how could our Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan have ever achieved unity?" "Heard what Xiao Yan had to say, the numerous ancient dragon elders immediately bowed politely. ... 'Ha ha, friend, if you'd like to engage that young man in combat, perhaps I can assist you in holding him off.' The Sky Soul Emperor, gazing at the mysterious figure now confronting Gu Yuan, felt a surge of joy and smiled. Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan's expression instantly changed. 'Enough! Don't interfere!' At the very moment Gu Yuan's demeanor shifted, the once-fierce mysterious figure turned sharply to the Sky Soul Emperor and issued a cold command. 'You!' Faced with such a contrast—warm enthusiasm met with cold resistance—even the Sky Soul Emperor's composed nature could not help but grow irritated. Yet he quickly composed himself, a glint of sharpness flashing in his eyes. 'Zhú Huǒ, you young upstart—do you still recognize me?' After repelling the Sky Soul Emperor, the mysterious figure turned once more, his gaze now fixed upon the group of ancient dragon elders who had just burst into the sky, and spoke with a deep, commanding tone. 'You arrogant youngster!' The group of elders from the Tai-Xiu Ancient Dragon clan heard this and instantly grew furious, believing the young man was taking advantage of them in his words. When scolded by these elders, the enigmatic figure was momentarily stunned, then found himself both amused and helpless—after all, even with the Ancient Dragon clan's long lifespan, few had survived to this day. Among the elders, the eldest, the one known as the Candle Elder—the most senior elder of the Tai-Xiu Ancient Dragon clan—stared at the figure with a sense of surprise, his cloudy eyes reflecting a mixture of bewilderment and thoughtful contemplation. "The Tai-Xiu Ancient Dragon clan has not seen a Dragon Emperor in a long time, and I, Your Majesty, am the current Dragon Emperor of the Tai-Xiu Ancient Dragon clan!" Purple Yan's face had grown slightly cold as she spoke, her tone calm and clear. "Um…" As soon as Ziyan spoke, the mysterious figure who had just radiated such imposing dignity paused abruptly. Ancient Yuan had expected him to rise and storm off, but instead, he merely awkwardly rubbed his hands and nodded repeatedly, "You're absolutely right. The Dragon Emperor is correct. You truly deserve to be the Dragon Emperor." Seeing this, everyone—including Ziyan—was taken aback, their expressions now filled with bewilderment. What on earth was going on with this man? Hearing such unusual demands, everyone was struck once again, and Zi Yan's forehead grew furrowed with frustration. Yet, given the sheer strength of this person, she could only nod. The others, including Gu Yuan, noticed the stranger's sudden odd behavior and furrowed their brows. But seeing that he now seemed devoid of any intention to kill, they breathed a sigh of relief—after all, such a powerful opponent was ideal if he could be kept as an ally. Once granted permission, the mysterious figure materialized before Zi Yan almost instantly. He glanced over her graceful face, and a complex smile suddenly bloomed on his resolute features. He sighed softly, "You truly resemble your mother..." "Your mother?" Zi Yan's face changed instantly, her eyes filled with disbelief as she stared at the man. Yet, as her gaze settled upon his pair of golden eyes, a strange sense stirred deep within her. This strange sensation caused Zǐ Yán's delicate body to tremble slightly. She lightly bit her red-lipped lower lip and suddenly extended her jade-like hand, grasping the man before her firmly. As their hands touched, brilliant golden light surged simultaneously from both of them, eventually merging perfectly at the point where their palms met—radiating an increasingly formidable pressure that spread outward. "Plung!" Behind Zǐ Yán, the numerous elders of the Ancient Dragon clan instantly fell to their knees, unable to resist the overwhelming pressure. "You..." Staring in awe at the flawless convergence of golden light, Zǐ Yán's eyes flickered wildly. In an instant, she suddenly drew back her hand as though electrified, her gaze now fixed on the gentle-faced man before her—her eyes now cold and distant. Standing behind Zǐ Yán, Xiao Yan observed this scene and seemed to gain a sudden insight. He sensed a血脉 force identical to that of Zǐ Yán emanating from the mysterious figure—clearly, the two were related by blood. Indeed, the nature of their connection might very well be... maternal and paternal. This mysterious figure might very well be the ancient Dragon Emperor of the Tàixū Dragon Clan, who had vanished for several thousand years. "Child..." Seeing the suddenly cold expression on Zǐ Yán's face, the man with purple-gold hair seemed a bit at a loss. He clearly had little experience with such situations, and could only continuously rub his hands, staring at Zǐ Yán with hesitation, completely unsure of what to say. "I'm an orphan. I have neither father nor mother." Zǐ Yán spoke with a clear, cold tone, yet there was a subtle touch of tenderness that made one feel a bit moved. Xiao Yan sighed softly. Back then, Zǐ Yán had lived alone in the deep mountains of Hei Jiao Domain, though gifted, she had always struggled through life. It was only after accidentally consuming underripe Huà Xíng Cǎo that she had been brought back to the inner courtyard by Su Qiān, the senior elder. Even then, she remained isolated until she met him, and only then began to make friends. Reflecting on that, the memory of the once hungry, clever little girl now carried an unspoken sense of quiet ache. The purple-haired woman stood firm in front of him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she spoke—precisely the scene she had most hoped for. "It's my fault. It's my fault. I shouldn't have been so eager to secure the ancient emperor's estate. All this time, it's been that foolish Emperor Tuo She who has been scheming against me, trapping me here!" The people around them were equally silent, clearly at a loss as to what was unfolding. As for the elders of the Gu Long clan, they had gone completely still, their minds trembling with a single, profound thought. Zi Yan gently sniffed, her slightly flushed eyes fixed on the middle-aged man who was now nervously fidgeting with his hands—once so dignified, now appearing rather endearing. With a delicate finger, she suddenly pointed toward the Hún Tiān Emperor, her voice slightly nasal. "Can we kill him?" "Absolutely!" At these words, the middle-aged man was first startled, then his eyes instantly flared with fierce intensity.