"Zi... Zi Yan, is she doing well?"
Zhu Kun's eyes were filled with deep guilt as he looked at Zhou Yi, his voice trembling.
"How should I put it? She was alone before, so life wasn't easy for her. She was often bullied by other magical beasts. It only got slightly better when she grew older."
Zhou Yi said, "But ever since she met me, Zi Yan has been living well and happily."
"You said you could release me?"
Zhu Kun's guilt deepened. He wished he could sprout wings and fly to see Zi Yan immediately, so he hurriedly asked.
"Of course."
Zhou Yi didn't waste words and activated the Fallen Treasure Coin within his dantian.
The Fallen Treasure Coin not only suppressed magical artifacts but could also deduce the mysteries of the heavens. Since the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Abode was essentially a type of magical treasure, suppressing it was no problem.
Besides, with the treasure left behind by a Dou God, Zhou Yi's current strength, combined with his innate spiritual treasure, made it effortless to subdue it.
As expected.
A wisp of energy from the Fallen Treasure Coin spread out, and the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Abode was instantly subdued.
Zhu Kun immediately sensed the restrictive formation trapping him dissipate.
However, the power of the Fallen Treasure Coin made his hair stand on end, sending shivers down his spine.
"Could he be... a Dou God?"
Zhu Kun stared at Zhou Yi, waves of shock surging through his heart.
At this moment, Zhou Yi felt even more terrifying than the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor himself.
For the first time, he realized that Zhou Yi might not even need the ancient jade to claim the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's treasures.
He knew that within this abode lay an Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill.
Back then, his purpose in coming here had been precisely for that pill.
With it, he might have a chance to break through to the Dou God realm.
"This is where Zi Yan is now."
Zhou Yi handed Zhu Kun Zi Yan's location and then asked, "Do you want to go find Zi Yan now, or will you come inside with me?"
"I'll go see Zi Yan."
Zhu Kun hesitated, but in the end, he gritted his teeth, left a few words behind, and departed from the abode.
With Zhou Yi here, he had no chance of obtaining the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill anyway.
It was better not to tempt himself.
Watching Zhu Kun leave, Zhou Yi once again activated the Fallen Treasure Coin, opening the stone gate of the abode and forming a passageway.
He stepped forward, entering a strange space.
A faint mist enveloped the surroundings, making the entire space hazy and ethereal.
Zhou Yi spread out his divine sense, locked onto his target, and moved swiftly.
Soon, he arrived before an ancient stone hall.
The hall stood in silence atop a vast and boundless plain, radiating an ancient aura that reverberated through the heavens and the earth.
Before the hall lay a massive square. On both sides of the square, towering stone pillars, each thousands of meters high, loomed mightily, exuding an overwhelming presence.
Zhou Yi knew this was the Foreign Flame Plaza.
He extended his hand, and a devouring vortex appeared in his palm, instantly absorbing all the mist around him.
A colossal stone statue, nearly ten thousand meters tall, emerged before him.
The statue was of an elderly man—none other than the master of this abode, the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor.
The statue stood majestically between heaven and earth, emanating a supreme and commanding presence. Ordinary people would not even be able to withstand its aura.
"So, someone has managed to reach this place..."
A faint, ancient voice drifted from above. Zhou Yi calmly lifted his gaze toward the shoulder of the statue.
There, an aged figure stood with hands clasped behind his back, staring down at Zhou Yi with an indifferent gaze—one that regarded him as nothing more than an ant.
"Too bad, a fake is still a fake."
Zhou Yi shook his head. This being, pretending to be the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, was clearly the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill he was looking for.
An ordinary person might have been deceived.
After all, the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill was extremely powerful—stronger than even a peak Nine-Star Dou Saint.
But it had encountered Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi already knew its true nature.
Without hesitation, he summoned the Universe Ring.
The Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill's expression changed, and it tried to resist, but the Universe Ring's power was too immense, rendering it unable to move.
The ring descended upon its head.
"Ah!"
The Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill let out a scream, instantly transforming into a dazzling sphere of light the size of a human head, while the Universe Ring remained tightly bound around it, sealing it completely.
Zhou Yi extended his hand, and the Qiankun Ring, carrying the pill, landed in his palm.
"Not bad."
Examining the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill, Zhou Yi was very satisfied.
His cultivation method differed from those of the Dou Qi Continent, but the Dao had many paths, all leading to the same destination. The pill would still be of great use to him.
However, relying solely on the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill might not be enough for him to break through to the Dou God realm.
But if he added the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's inheritance, it might be possible.
Zhou Yi gazed at the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's statue. The inheritance was inside, but it was not accessible to just anyone. However, Zhou Yi was different.
Refining both the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's inheritance and the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill would take considerable time, and Zhou Yi needed to prepare.
Thus—
Zhou Yi collected the entire Foreign Flame Plaza into his Innate Spiritual Treasure Space, then left the magma world and returned to Zhou Manor.
At Zhou Manor.
Zhu Kun followed behind Zi Yan, wearing an eager and attentive expression, but Zi Yan maintained a cold face, unwilling to acknowledge him. Clearly, she was still upset.
Suddenly—
A bright smile spread across Zi Yan's face.
Zhu Kun was overjoyed, thinking she had finally forgiven him.
Zi Yan extended her arms.
Zhu Kun was so excited he could hardly contain himself.
He thought she wanted to embrace him.
Trembling with anticipation, he spread his arms and rushed forward.
But Zi Yan brushed right past him and threw herself into Zhou Yi's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
Zhu Kun's outstretched arms froze awkwardly in midair, his face turning alternately pale and dark with embarrassment.
Too awkward.
And that bastard Zhou Yi had appeared so silently that Zhu Kun hadn't even sensed him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a fool of himself.
Damn it.
Zhu Kun glared at Zhou Yi, feeling extremely uncomfortable. If he weren't sure he couldn't beat him, he would have loved to teach him a lesson with his father-in-law's iron fist.
"Old Dragon King, I think you should return to the Ancient Void Dragon Clan first. It has already fallen into disarray. Leave Zi Yan to me."
Zhou Yi spoke slowly, looking at Zhu Kun's troubled expression.
"Fine."
Zhu Kun frowned but nodded, then smiled at Zi Yan, saying, "Zi Yan, I'll return home and set things in order. Then, I'll come to take you back."
"This is my home!"
Zi Yan rested her head against Zhou Yi's chest and huffed.
"Yes, yes, of course. But the Ancient Void Dragon Clan is your home too. Once I've cleaned things up, you'll be its queen."
Zhu Kun left reluctantly to restore order to his clan.
"Big Brother, I want you!"
Standing on her tiptoes, Zi Yan planted a soft kiss on Zhou Yi's cheek.
This was her way of releasing the grievances and frustrations she had been holding in.
As expected from the ever-greedy Ancient Void Dragon, Zi Yan.
After comforting her, Zhou Yi felt completely refreshed, as if all worldly distractions had been wiped away—his mind as serene as that of a saint.
He sensed that the time had come. It was time to refine the inheritance left by the Ancient Emperor Tuoshe and the Imperial-Grade Nascent Pill, stepping into the realm of the Dou Emperor.
Zhou Yi retrieved the Foreign Flame Plaza, summoned the Falling Treasure Coin, and activated the entrance to the stone statue. A gentle radiance spread outward, enveloping him like a veil of light.
Instead of forcing his way in, Zhou Yi allowed several types of exotic flames to manifest around him. At that moment, a beam of light engulfed him, pulling him into the statue.
Inside lay an ocean of fire.
Brilliant flames filled the entire space, their dazzling colors intertwining—an awe-inspiring sight.
"You… do not seem to be from the Dou Qi Continent…"
As Zhou Yi scanned his surroundings, an ancient voice tinged with curiosity echoed through the sea of flames.
He remained unfazed, his gaze calmly shifting forward.
There, the flames began to condense, forming a massive, blossoming fire lotus. As the petals unfurled, an elderly figure in a dark robe emerged from within, appearing before Zhou Yi's eyes.
The old man's features were unremarkable, save for his strikingly radiant, multicolored hair. If not for that, he would have seemed no different from an ordinary elder.
Seated cross-legged atop the lotus, his aged face carried a hint of intrigue as he studied Zhou Yi.
"The Ancient Emperor Tuoshe!"
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