Void Lightning Pool, Mang Tianchi

Outside the Volcanic Crater, Qing Yan and Xia Ao exchanged a glance, fear appearing on both their faces. From the pressure emanating through their bloodlines, they clearly sensed a killing intent. Today, retreating was probably the best course of action.

"Your subordinates pay respects to the Dragon Emperor! However, we do belong to the Three Great Dragon Kings, and we still have duties to carry out today, so we shall take our leave first!" Qing Yan said through gritted teeth. Before his words had even faded, the two of them pushed their speed to the limit. Within a few breaths, they had already returned to the void outside East Dragon Island.

"Get lost!" A fierce roar came from within the Volcanic Crater. Under that roar, all the Dragon Scale Army experts captured by the Ancient Dragon Island guards fainted. The bloodline suppression of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan's Dragon Emperor was truly terrifying.

"You've worked hard." Seeing Xiao Yan injured, a flash of savagery passed through Zi Yan's eyes. She lightly cut her slender jade hand across her wrist, and several drops of blood slowly flowed out. She then gently pressed her wrist against Xiao Yan's wound, and the drops of blood swiftly seeped into his body. As those drops entered him, Xiao Yan's eyes slowly closed...

Zi Yan, Zhu Li, Qing Yan—one figure after another flashed before his eyes, and the world grew scorching hot. That burning sensation reminded Xiao Yan of the pain he had endured when he first devoured the Green Lotus Core Flame. Amid the searing heat, a tall, blurry figure appeared before him, seeming to toy with three Heavenly Flames in its hand.

Gradually, the figure transformed into a giant dragon, and the burning sensation slowly weakened. The moment the figure completely became a giant dragon, Xiao Yan opened his eyes and found himself lying on a grassy field. The noon sunlight shone upon his face, and that warmth pulled his thoughts back to reality.

"Young friend Xiao Yan, you're awake?" The voice sounded somewhat familiar to Xiao Yan. He sat up and saw Elder Zhu Li looking at him with concern. He cupped his fists in return, opened his mouth, and asked the question that concerned him most.

"Where are Sister Zi Yan and Sister Yao Ling?"

"Lord Dragon Emperor has entered seclusion to recuperate. She has not fully absorbed the Dragon Emperor Origin Fruit and still needs to remain in seclusion for some time. As for the young lady who came with you, she is waiting for you at a place near East Dragon Island where lightning gathers," Elder Zhu Li said with a smile.

"I'm going right away!"

In the void outside East Dragon Island, thunder rumbled without pause above an enormous thousand-zhang "lake." Upon closer inspection, the lake contained no ordinary water at all, but entirely brilliant silver lightning...

"Sister Yao Ling, is this lake really a good place for cultivation?" Xiao Yan asked cautiously as he listened to the unceasing thunder.

"The Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan bestowed a portion of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan's bloodline upon the two of us. It is best to absorb this portion of the bloodline with the violent power within this lightning pool," Yao Ling said calmly.

"I understand." Xiao Yan assumed a meditative posture as lightning from all directions continuously struck his body. With each strike, the Ancient Void Dragon bloodline within him constantly fused with his blood. At the same time, his aura steadily rose, directly touching the barrier between Eight-star Dou Zun and Nine-star Dou Zun!

If this cultivation continued, he might directly advance to Nine-star Dou Zun before leaving the Void Lightning Pool. Unfortunately, his rapid cultivation was interrupted by an old man rushing toward him, followed by several bolts of black lightning.

Looking at the Black Demon Lightning behind the old man, each bolt brimming with destructive energy, Xiao Yan felt a fear that seeped into his bones. If even the slightest trace of that lightning touched him, he would be crippled even if he did not die. He took a deep breath and pushed Three Thousand Lightning Movement to its limit, narrowly rushing out of the Void Lightning Pool.

"An Eight-star Dou Zun like you dares to cultivate in the Void Lightning Pool?" Though the old man's clothes had been shredded by the lightning in the pool, his tongue remained quite sharp, and his first words were a mockery.

Xiao Yan forcefully suppressed the urge to retort and shot the old man an annoyed glare. The pressure this old man gave him was no weaker than that of Elder Zhu Li from the Ancient Void Dragon Clan. He was likely a mid-level Half-Saint as well. Before such an expert, Xiao Yan truly had to remain courteous.

"Elder Mang Tianchi?"

A familiar, ethereal female voice sounded out, leaving Xiao Yan extremely surprised. It seemed that this old man named Mang Tianchi knew Yao Ling. He was probably from one of the Ancient Eight Clans as well.

"Sister Yao Ling, do you know this elder?" Xiao Yan asked.

"Of course I know him. Xiao Yan, Elder Mang Tianchi is the wandering headmaster of the Jia Nan Academy you attended." At the mention of "wandering," Yao Ling smiled awkwardly. Even among the Ancient Eight Clans, where eccentrics abounded, Elder Mang Tianchi belonged to the most bizarre of them...

"Xiao Yan? You're the only genius Jia Nan Academy has produced in all these years, the one Bai Lie and Qian Mu keep talking about?" The white-robed old man, his clothes in tatters, looked at Xiao Yan in surprise. "At the peak of Eight-star Dou Zun, your strength is indeed not weak. No wonder they keep praising you so highly."

"Hehe, thank you for the praise, Headmaster." Xiao Yan nodded awkwardly. This headmaster truly had a strange temperament...

"In half a month, it will be the Gu Clan's coming-of-age ceremony. Your little girlfriend will be attending as well, and there's still time to get there. Are you going?" Mang Tianchi gave Xiao Yan a teasing look. "Young man, when chasing a girl, you must be bold. Don't wait until you lose her before drowning in regret..."

"I'm going. Please lead the way, Headmaster!" Xiao Yan said without hesitation. In half a month, he would be able to see the person he had missed day and night. Even if he had to pay an unimaginably heavy price, he would never shrink from it! Even if the Gu Clan was the greatest clan in the world, he would still charge in and contend against heaven and earth!

"Haha, worthy of being my, Mang Tianchi's, student!" The old man laughed loudly. "Let's go! Don't be afraid of the Gu Clan making things difficult for you. Your headmaster will back you up!"

"I'm also going to the Gu Clan to enter the Heavenly Tomb for cultivation. Elder Mang Tianchi, let the three of us travel together," Yao Ling said after hesitating for a moment.

"Huh? Didn't you already go once when the Heavenly Tomb last opened?" Mang Tianchi asked with a surprised expression. "The Yao Clan doesn't allow its members to take more than their share."

"Headmaster Mang, then you should ask the excellent student you taught." Yao Ling rolled her eyes. "He beat every Yao Clan expert of his generation above Six-Star Dou Zun. Those people were deeply affected and went into seclusion to cultivate. After he stirred up such chaos in my enormous Yao Clan, this time only I and another weaker young person can enter the Heavenly Tomb to cultivate."

Though Yao Ling's words seemed full of complaint, her tone was rather cheerful, even carrying a trace of praise. After all, the opportunity to cultivate in the Heavenly Tomb was something that could only be encountered by chance.

"You brat, you do have quite some ability." Mang Tianchi gave Xiao Yan a surprised look, said nothing further, then waved his hand. "Follow this old man!"