Elder Dragon Seal

A colossal black Giant Dragon tore through the void, carrying Lin Ming and his companions back from that eternal darkness.

When the familiar outline of East Dragon Island, shrouded in misty Dragon Qi and boundless power, appeared at the edge of his vision, a feeling of being in another world welled up in Lin Ming's heart.

During his two months in the Void Lightning Pool, he experienced so much. The leap in strength, the transformation of his physical body, and the unimaginably generous gift from Dean Mang Tianchi all made his current state of mind completely different from when he left.

The Giant Dragon landed steadily on the reception platform of East Dragon Island. Hei Qing transformed into Human Form and said to Lin Ming in a deep voice, "Brother Lin Ming, we've arrived."

Lin Ming nodded his thanks and landed together with Elder Yao and Xiao Yi Xian.

However, before they could even stand still, a streak of purple-gold light shot out from the depths of the island like a swallow returning to its nest, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound, and accurately struck Lin Ming in the arms.

"Lin Ming! You're finally back!"

A soft, sweet voice, tinged with deep grievance, rang out; it was Zi Yan.

She clung tightly to Lin Ming's waist, raised her small face, her large, amethyst-like eyes already misty with tears, her little mouth pouting, as if she were about to cry at any moment.

"I heard everything from Hei Qing. You went to that Void Lightning Pool and stayed there for two months! Such a dangerous place, why didn't you take me with you!" Zi Yan said, her voice trembling with tears.

Lin Ming chuckled and gently rubbed her head, soothingly saying, "That place is too dangerous. Even Elder Yao doesn't dare to venture there easily. Taking you there would be putting you on an adventure too. Look, I'm back safe and sound, aren't I?"

"I don't care! If you dare to leave me in such a dangerous place again, I'll... I'll never talk to you again!" Zi Yan said domineeringly, but she didn't loosen her grip on Lin Ming's arms at all.

At this moment, Elder Zhu Li also walked over slowly with several elders from Dragon Island. Seeing Zi Yan clinging to Lin Ming like this, the elders all showed a helpless yet doting smile.

Having finally managed to find this sole Dragon Emperor Bloodline, they naturally cherished her dearly, protecting her from all potential dangers.

"Young friend Lin Ming, it seems you've had a very fruitful trip." Elder Zhu Li swept over Lin Ming like lightning, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He could clearly sense that although Lin Ming's aura was still at the Dou Zong level, the immense power of Qi and Blood and qi hidden deep within his flesh and blood, as well as the subtle sense of oppression he brought, even made this Half Sage take notice! And the aura of Yao Tianhuo next to him also seemed to be more condensed and profound.

"Thanks to the elder, I've managed to make some gains." Lin Ming smiled modestly.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Elder Zhu Li subtly brought up the matter of Lin Ming and his companions' impending departure. With the Pill Gathering approaching and the journey to the Middle Continent long, it was indeed necessary to prepare for their departure in advance.

Upon hearing that Lin Ming was leaving again, Zi Yan immediately flew into a rage, grabbing Lin Ming's sleeve tightly and shouting at Elder Zhu Li and the others, "No! I want to go with Lin Ming too! You can't stop me!"

Upon hearing this, the elders' faces immediately fell. Sending Zi Yan, whose Dragon Emperor Bloodline had not yet fully awakened, away from Dragon Island to the Middle Continent —a place rife with powerful figures and complex power struggles? This was tantamount to playing with the future of the entire Ancient Void Dragon Clan! They absolutely could not agree to it.

"Zi Yan, your inheritance is not yet complete, and your bloodline urgently needs to be fully activated. Leaving Dragon Island at this time is not a wise move..." an elderly elder with white hair earnestly advised.

"Yes, the Middle Continent are dangerous, with various forces mixed together. What if it falls into the hands of other Dragon Island..."

"I won't listen! I want to be with Lin Ming!" Zi Yan covered her ears, shaking her head like a rattle-drum, her attitude resolute.

Seeing the situation reach a stalemate, Zi Yan's First Revolution, as if she had remembered something. She suddenly lowered her hands, put her hands on her hips, and pointed aggressively at Elder Zhu Li: "Old man! What nonsense are you spouting here! Hurry up and hand over the thing!"

Pointed at by her, Elder Zhu Li's face showed even more helplessness, as if he had expected this scene to happen.

Lin Ming and his companions were somewhat puzzled. What was that?

Elder Zhu Li sighed, looked at Lin Ming, and explained, "Young friend Lin Ming, I heard that one of your goals in participating in this Pill Gathering is the Three Thousand Burning Flame imprisoned by the Pill Tower, right?"

Lin Ming's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded. "That's true."

"Then do you know that the Three Thousand Burning Flame actually have a deep connection with my Ancient Void Dragon Clan?" Elder Zhu Li slowly recounted a long-forgotten story.

It turns out that when the Three Thousand Burning Flame were still in their nascent stage, they were accidentally discovered by a powerful elder of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan.

However, it was too weak at the time, and the senior felt that refining it would be of little use, so he did not take it. Instead, he planted a unique Ancient Void Dragon Seal deep within its essence. This was originally for marking, so that it would be easier to sense and refine it after it grew to maturity, thus leaving an opportunity for future generations of the clan.

Unfortunately, fate is unpredictable, and that senior soon perished for some reason. Furthermore, the growth of the Three Thousand Burning Flame is extremely slow, often taking thousands of years.

As time passed, this matter was gradually forgotten by the clan. It wasn't until Zi Yan mentioned Lin Ming's desire to seize the Heavenly Flames that an Ancient One in the clan, who had lived for countless years, unearthed this Secrets from the dusty corners of his memory.

"Because of the existence of the Dragon Seal, in order to refine the Three Thousand Burning Flame, one must possess the Dragon Seal of my Ancient Void Dragon Clan. Otherwise, if an outsider forcibly refines it, it will only trigger a backlash from the original Dragon Seal. The final result will either be a failure to refine it, with the Heavenly Flames escaping, or... complete destruction, leaving no one with anything." Elder Zhu Li looked at Lin Ming, his tone serious.

"This is why, despite discovering it years ago, the Pill Tower could only seal it in the Void Space, allowing the top ten alchemists of each year's Pill Gathering to attempt to destroy it, but none of them could truly succeed. It's not that they were unwilling, but that they were unable. Destroying Heavenly Flames, especially the ninth-ranked Three Thousand Burning Flame, is an extremely difficult choice for Alchemist."

Lin Ming was already aware of this. Therefore, he might have considered taking the Dragon Seal upon his return.

At this moment, Zi Yan proudly raised her little face and said to Lin Ming, "Hmph, if it weren't for me, these old men wouldn't have remembered! As a condition for not letting me go with you, I already negotiated with them that I must give you a top-level Elder Dragon Seal!"

As she spoke, she glared at Zhu Li and said, "Old man, hurry up! Don't try to renege on your debt!"

Elder Zhu Li, pressed by Zi Yan, had no choice but to shake his head with a wry smile, then straightened his expression. He stretched out his right hand, palm up, and the powerful Dragon Force within his body began to gather, spreading an ancient and majestic aura.

The space in his palm distorted slightly, and mysterious purple-gold Mysterious Runes air, moving and intertwining like living things, eventually condensing into an incomparably complex Golden Mark that exuded the might of a primordial Dragon Might!

The shape of the mark vaguely resembled a Primordial Void Dragon, with majestic eyes, clear scales and claws, containing indescribable power and the mysteries of Space Laws.

"Young friend Lin Ming, this is the Elder Dragon Seal I promised." Elder Zhu Li solemnly handed the purple-gold Dragon Seal in his palm to Lin Ming.

"Since the disappearance of the His Majesty the Dragon Emperor, the Dragon Emperor Seal has been lost. Zi Yan's bloodline has not yet fully awakened, nor can it be condensed. Now, this Elder Dragon Seal is the highest-level mark of my Ancient Void Dragon Clan."

He paused, then continued, "This seal is of a far higher grade than the ordinary Dragon Seal that was planted within the Three Thousand Burning Flame back then. I won't go into its specific uses, lest Zi Yan accuse me of being long-winded. You will understand when you see the Three Thousand Burning Flame."

He looked at Lin Ming, his tone carrying a deeper meaning. "Furthermore, you can also contact me through this Dragon Seal. If you encounter any trouble you can't solve in the future, you can infuse your Dou Qi into the Dragon Seal. At that time, I will sense it and send someone to help you."

This gift is of immense importance! It not only relates to the refining of the Three Thousand Burning Flame, but it is also equivalent to giving Lin Ming a protective talisman, a token that can summon the powerful reinforcements of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan!

"Elder, your generosity is beyond words, Lin Ming is deeply grateful!" Lin Ming did not feign reluctance; he knew what this Dragon Seal meant to him. So he extended his right hand and solemnly accepted the floating purple-gold Dragon Seal.

The Dragon Seal felt cool to the touch, its texture not quite tangible, but rather like a condensed mass of Law and energy. The moment it touched Lin Ming's palm, it seemed to find its home, a flash of golden light, and like mercury, it silently disappeared into Lin Ming's palm.

Lin Ming felt a slight warmth in his palm. Looking down, he saw a miniature Purple-Gold Dragon Seal flash by beneath his skin, then completely disappear without a trace.

However, he could clearly feel that the Dragon Seal was already connected to his bloodline. As long as he had a thought, it could appear at any time, radiating the unique pressure of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan.

Seeing that Lin Ming had successfully received the Dragon Seal, Zi Yan finally let out a satisfied hum, barely accepting the reality that she couldn't go with Lin Ming for the time being.

That night, Lin Ming and his companions stayed overnight on Dragon Island again.

At Zi Yan's insistence, Lin Ming spent the whole night using his inventory and the rare medicinal herbs brought by Elder Zhu Li to refine a "special edition" of medicinal Sugar Pill for Zi Yan in far greater quantities than before. The little girl was so happy that her eyes disappeared from her teeth. She hugged several Jade Bottle filled with Sugar Pill before going to sleep contentedly.

The next day, as dawn broke.

At the pier of East Dragon Island, Zi Yan, her eyes red-rimmed, clung to Lin Ming's sleeve, her face filled with reluctance. Elder Zhu Li, Hei Qing, and several other elders of Dragon Island were all present to see her off.

"Lin Ming, you must come back to see me soon! And Pill Gathering! Otherwise... otherwise I'll have old man Zhu Li spank you!" Zi Yan said childishly, her voice trembling with tears.

Lin Ming couldn't help but chuckle. He knelt down, gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and said softly, "Okay, I promise you. I will definitely come back to see you, and I will definitely work hard to achieve a good ranking in the Pill Gathering. Zi Yan, you must also be a good girl, accept the inheritance properly, and become stronger quickly."

"Yes!" Zi Yan nodded vigorously.

"Young friend Lin Ming, take care on your journey!" Elder Zhu Li.

"Until we meet again, everyone!" Lin Ming, Elder Yao, and Xiao Yi Xian returned the greeting with clasped hands.

"Roar--!"

With a resounding dragon roar that shook Dragon Island, Hei Qing once again transformed into the enormous black Giant Dragon. Lin Ming and the other two leaped onto the dragon's head, bidding a final farewell to Zi Yan and the elders below who were waving vigorously.

The Giant Dragon swung its tail, its massive body soaring into the sky, crashing into the distorted Space Gate, and vanishing instantly.

East Dragon Island returned to its former tranquility, with only the lingering Dragon Qi still flowing slowly. Zi Yan gazed in the direction where Lin Ming had disappeared for a long time before, with Elder Zhu Li's gentle persuasion, she reluctantly walked towards the Ancestral Shrine, turning back every few steps. In her eyes, besides reluctance, there was an even stronger determination to become stronger as soon as possible.

Having left East Dragon Island, Lin Ming stood atop the galloping Giant Dragon, gazing towards the Middle Continent. He gently clenched his fist, feeling the hidden power of the Dragon Seal within his palm, his eyes burning with intense flames.

The Pill Gathering, the Three Thousand Burning Flame, the Soul Hall... the vast stage of the Middle Continent awaits his debut!