Dou Qi Continent.
Zhou Manor.
As the morning sun bathed the land, crystal-clear dewdrops clung to the emerald blades of grass, refracting a dazzling spectrum of colors.
Zhou Yi awoke from his slumber, gazing at the petite figure nestled in his arms—Zi Yan. His large hand gently caressed her smooth, jade-like back.
Under his careful guidance, Zi Yan's cultivation had progressed rapidly. She had now reached the Dou Venerate level.
Zhou Yi had decided it was time to venture to the Ancient Emperor's Tomb. With his current strength, even without the Ancient Emperor's Jade, he could still open the tomb.
And within that tomb, trapped for countless years, was Zi Yan's father—the Old Dragon King, Zhu Kun of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan.
"Big brother…"
Zi Yan's sleepy, violet eyes fluttered open. She wriggled slightly, looking up at Zhou Yi and calling out to him.
Hiss—
Zhou Yi sucked in a breath.
Zi Yan instantly froze, not daring to move again.
Zhou Yi composed himself, then met her delicate gaze. "Zi Yan, you've heard of the Ancient Emperor, haven't you? The last Dou God of the Dou Qi Continent."
Zi Yan nodded lightly, careful not to shift too much.
They were still intimately entwined.
"I know your father is imprisoned in the Ancient Emperor's Tomb. I plan to go there. Do you want to come with me?"
Zi Yan's soft, curvaceous body trembled, her fair face turning pale.
"I'm an orphan. I have no parents."
Her voice was calm, almost indifferent, yet there was an underlying sorrow in her words.
Back then, the Old Dragon King, Zhu Kun, had entered the Ancient Emperor's Tomb and never returned, leaving a young Zi Yan alone in the deep mountains of the Black-Corner Region.
Although she was an Ancient Void Dragon, she was still a child, weak in strength and constantly bullied by other magical beasts. She had accidentally consumed an unripe Transformation Grass, taking on the form of a young girl. It was then that she encountered Elder Su Qian of the Jia Nan Academy, who took her back to the Inner Academy.
But even there, she remained alone—until she met him.
Zhou Yi placed a gentle kiss on Zi Yan's cheek.
Zi Yan suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, a surge of emotions overwhelming her.
She didn't want to talk anymore. She only wanted to act.
As the crimson sun slowly rose in the east, its warm rays gradually spread across the land, increasing the temperature.
By noon, the fiery orb had begun its descent westward.
At sunset, the sky was painted in shades of blood-red.
Zhou Yi gazed down at the sleeping Zi Yan in his arms. Without disturbing her, he carefully slipped away.
However, the moment he left, Zi Yan's eyes fluttered open. A complex light swirled in her violet pupils.
She knew that once Zhou Yi returned…
Her father, Zhu Kun, would soon reappear.
She wasn't sure if she should feel happy—or resentful.
Without alerting anyone, Zhou Yi stepped across space, arriving in the underground magma world beneath Jia Nan Academy.
With his current strength, the scorching lava posed no threat to him. It felt no different from a warm spring.
Soon, as he delved deeper, he sensed several hidden presences swiftly approaching.
Magma beasts—lizard-like creatures that thrived in this fiery abyss.
Zhou Yi remained unfazed.
Among them, two were different. Their bodies were an eerie, milky white, and they appeared far older than the rest. Their strength had even reached the Half-Saint level!
"Human! Leave at once, or die!"
The two white-scaled magma lizardmen fixed their cold eyes on Zhou Yi, their speech rough and unnatural.
"Scram."
Zhou Yi uttered a single word.
A terrifying force erupted like a tidal wave, sending every magma lizard flying.
Even the two Half-Saint lizardmen were powerless before him.
Sensing Zhou Yi's overwhelming power, the creatures didn't dare to resist. They scattered in all directions.
Zhou Yi pressed forward, eventually arriving at a vast, open space.
In the distance, a glowing radiance flickered.
He stepped forward.
Before him stood an enormous stone gate—towering tens of thousands of feet high!
The gate stood silently in the void, exuding an ancient and primal aura. It felt eternal, as though it had existed since the dawn of time.
Before the gate lay an equally massive plaza.
At the top of the gate, four ancient characters were carved:
Ancient Emperor's Tomb!
The inscriptions weren't ornate or extravagant. Yet within their simplicity, they emanated an undeniable majesty, as if standing above all creation.
Zhou Yi paid no heed.
It was merely a Dou God's tomb.
He had treasures far greater than this.
His divine sense swept through the space below, and there, lurking in the darkness, he saw it—
A colossal being coiled in the void, unmoving.
Its entire body shimmered with a purple-gold hue, its hardened scales exuding an indomitable, metallic resilience.
The moment Zhou Yi laid eyes upon it, the creature's tightly shut eyes suddenly snapped open!
Its pupils were blood-red—layered and complex.
Even a single eye was hundreds of times larger than Zhou Yi's entire body!
As its gaze locked onto him, an incomparably terrifying pressure descended.
"Trespasser… do you possess the Ancient Jade?"
The space trembled, and a deep, thunderous voice echoed throughout the void.
"Old Dragon King, spare me the theatrics. I'm here to let you out."
Zhou Yi remained indifferent to Zhu Kun's oppressive aura, speaking in a calm tone.
"You know who I am?"
A deafening roar shook the heavens.
The massive purple-gold dragon materialized in the air, its overwhelming presence making the entire realm tremble.
In the next instant, a burst of radiant light erupted.
The dragon's gigantic form rapidly shrank.
Moments later, a middle-aged man with long, flowing purple-gold hair stood before Zhou Yi.
His golden eyes, still carrying an oppressive might, bore into Zhou Yi with anticipation.
"You have the Ancient Jade?"
"No."
Zhou Yi smiled faintly.
"You dare toy with me?!"
A chilling gleam flashed through Zhu Kun's golden eyes.
Even with his immense strength, he had been trapped here for over a thousand years, unable to break free.
Zhou Yi was merely a Nine-Star Dou Saint—how could he possibly succeed where he had failed?
After all, this grand formation had been laid by the Ancient Emperor himself.
Not even Zhu Kun could destroy it.
And yet…
His golden pupils suddenly contracted.
His gaze locked onto Zhou Yi as his nostrils flared.
"Why do you carry my child's scent?"
Zhou Yi remained unshaken.
"You must be referring to Zi Yan."
He met Zhu Kun's piercing gaze and spoke slowly.
"I know you've been trapped here. I wanted to bring Zi Yan with me, but… she refused to see you."
Hearing those words, Zhu Kun's entire being trembled.
Before coming here, Zhou Yi had trained with Zi Yan—intimately. Naturally, her scent had lingered on him.
He had chosen not to erase it.
Because he wanted Zhu Kun to know—
Zi Yan was alive.
She was waiting.
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