As the word "Father," filled with both guilt and ecstasy, was confirmed, this ancient, dark space seemed to be infused with a warm current called "family affection," dispelling some of the ancient chill.
Zi Yan and Zhu Kun, a father and daughter who are connected by blood but separated for countless years, finally recognized each other in front of the Tou She Ancient God's Cave Mansion, a place that can be described as a dead end, overcoming Space-Time and misunderstandings.
Perhaps it was the pent-up loneliness and longing that had been suppressed for too long, or perhaps it was the overwhelming excitement of suddenly seeing his daughter that made him unable to contain himself. The once majestic and thunderous Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun, after confirming Zi Yan's identity, instantly transformed into a chattering chatterbox.
Although his enormous dragon head could not move, his Blood Moon -like eyes were fixed on Zi Yan, as if trying to etch her small figure into the depths of his soul.
Only an excited, trembling voice remained, echoing in the space like continuous rumble of thunder:
"My child! My child! How have you been all these years? Have you been alright? Has anyone bullied you? What... what's your name? It's all my fault, my useless father, trapped in this godforsaken place, leaving you to wander outside, suffering so much..."
One question after another, filled with urgency, concern, and deep self-reproach.
The enormous dragon's body even trembled slightly with excitement, causing subtle ripples to spread through the surrounding space.
Faced with her father's sudden appearance and volcanic outburst of emotion, Zi Yan was initially at a loss, but upon hearing the undisguised, almost overflowing concern and guilt in his words, the last bit of resentment in her heart melted away like snow under the sun.
Instead, a complex emotion, both bittersweet and warm, emerged.
Zi Yan felt quite helpless about this, but with a hint of dependence that she herself was unaware of, she began to intermittently tell her father, who was eager to know everything, about some of her experiences.
She recounted her solitary struggle for survival in the forest since she could remember, fighting Magical Beasts for food, a life filled with confusion and hardship; she told of how she accidentally ate Form-Shifting Grass and was transformed into Little Girl; she recounted how she was discovered by Great Elder Su Qian and taken back to the Jia Nan Academy, where she finally had her first "home";
Finally, she focused most of her story on how she met Lin Ming and Lin Ming took such good care of and protected her.
"... After that, I followed Lin Ming. He made me delicious pills and Sugar Pill, took me to many, many places, taught me cultivation, and always shielded me from danger... If it weren't for him, I might still be wandering aimlessly in the Black Corner Region."
Zi Yan's voice gradually became smoother, and when she mentioned Lin Ming, her amethyst-like eyes sparkled with a bright light, a light of unreserved trust and closeness.
Listening to his daughter recount her lonely childhood, Zhu Kun felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife, and his huge dragon eyes were filled with tears of heartache.
When he heard Zi Yan repeatedly mention Lin Ming, her words filled with dependence and gratitude, his massive head turned slightly in Lin Ming's direction, his scrutiny lessened, replaced by a heartfelt gratitude.
"Human boy... no, young friend Lin Ming." Zhu Kun's voice softened considerably, carrying a hint of solemnity.
"Thank you so much! Thank you for taking such good care of my daughter, protecting her, and giving her warmth. I, Zhu Kun... will remember this kindness!"
This expression of gratitude, coming from a Dragon Emperor who once stood at the pinnacle of the continent, carries a weight that would move any powerful individual.
However, no sooner had this gratitude been expressed than the father, who had just reunited with his daughter, began to unleash his deeply ingrained doting fatherly nature.
So when his enormous dragon eyes looked at Lin Ming again, although they were no longer as cold as before, they carried a hint of obvious blame and resentment.
"But!" Zhu Kun's voice suddenly rose a few decibels, carrying a hint of lingering fear and dissatisfaction.
"Young friend Lin Ming, you... you've been far too reckless! How could you bring Zi Yan to a place like this?! What kind of place is this? This is the Cave Mansion of that old bastard Tou She Ancient God! Outside is endless lava, and deep inside are those monstrous things called Flame Lizardman! Even in my prime, I was trapped here for a thousand years without being able to escape if I wasn't careful!"
"You... you're only Four-Star Dou Venerate Zun? How dare you bring her here in such danger?! If anything were to happen to her along the way, what would become of me... what would become of Zi Yan?! This action is truly too reckless, far too ill-considered!"
This rebuke was not out of malice, but purely out of a father's extreme concern for his daughter's safety.
He simply couldn't imagine what would happen if Lin Ming and Zi Yan had met with misfortune on their way here. The glimmer of hope he had just seen would be extinguished instantly, a blow far more cruel than ten thousand years of imprisonment.
Lin Ming inwardly grumbled, "If you hadn't accidentally gotten trapped here, leaving the Ancient Void Dragon Clan leaderless and fragmented with no absolutely safe place to put Zi Yan and the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, I wouldn't have taken such a huge risk to come to this godforsaken place! What can I do about the mess you've left behind?"
Of course, Lin Ming would never utter these blunt truths aloud, as that would be tantamount to rubbing salt into Zhu Kun's wounds and would do nothing to solve the problem.
At this moment, seeing that Zhu Kun was actually complaining about Lin Ming, Zi Yan immediately became unhappy.
She pouted and glared with her purple eyes, wanting to stand up for Lin Ming.
In her view, Lin Ming brought her here for her own good, to solve the huge problem of the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, and to let her see her father... how could she be blamed?
Lin Ming noticed Zi Yan's emotions and quickly reached out to gently stop her, shaking his head slightly to signal her to calm down.
Then, Lin Ming raised his head, his gaze calmly meeting Zhu Kun's huge dragon eyes, which were filled with reproach and lingering fear. His tone was neither humble nor arrogant, but with just the right amount of respect, as he said, "You are Zi Yan's father, an elder, so I will call you Uncle."
Having set the tone and shown respect, Lin Ming then First Revolution and dropped the crucial information. "Uncle, you've been trapped here for too long, I'm afraid... you're still unaware of the current situation within the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, aren't you?"
"Situation? What situation?" Zhu Kun's attention was indeed drawn, and a hint of doubt and solemnity flashed in his huge dragon eyes.
He had been missing for thousands of years, and he truly knew nothing about the exact state of his tribe, which was a constant worry and concern in his heart.
Lin Ming took a deep breath and laid out the information he had prepared beforehand, his voice clear and steady:
"Since your disappearance, the Ancient Void Dragon Clan has been leaderless. Back then, you had three branch elders with the Dragon Emperor Bloodline under your command. Do you still remember them?"
"After you disappeared, Uncle, while the three of them were still alive, although they may have had their own thoughts, they were ultimately afraid of your lingering Dragon Might. On the surface, they were obedient and dutifully assisted you, maintaining stability within the clan."
After speaking, Lin Ming paused, observed Zhu Kun's reaction, and saw that his dragon eyes were slightly narrowed, as if he was recalling the three elders, before continuing:
"However, as time passed and the three of them passed away one after another, the Ancient Dragon Clan had been without Dragon Emperor for a long time, and the situation completely spiraled out of control. Their descendants, relying on the trace of Dragon Emperor Bloodline inherited in their bodies, became ambitious and unwilling to be subordinate to others, and thus each declared themselves king!"
"What?! Become a king?!"
Zhu Kun's voice suddenly turned low and dangerous, like a volcano about to erupt, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze. The Dragon Emperor is supreme; how could he allow anyone to usurp the throne? This was something he absolutely could not tolerate!
"Yes!"
Lin Ming nodded firmly, then said in a heavy tone, "They directly divided the originally unified Ancient Void Dragon Clan of the Void into four! They also forcibly divided the massive Ancient Dragon Island, with each clan occupying one island and calling themselves the South Dragon King, the West Dragon King, and the North Dragon King!"
"Now, of the vast Ancient Void Dragon Clan of the Void, only the East Dragon Island still remembers the majesty of the Dragon Emperor and has been trying to find you and your descendant Zi Yan, hoping to welcome back the Dragon Emperor and restore order to the land."
Glancing at Zhu Kun, whose face had turned extremely pale, Lin Ming added the most crucial sentence, "However, the strength of East Dragon Island is now far inferior to that of the combined forces of the South, West, and North Islands, and it is even at a disadvantage when facing any one of the islands alone."
Finally, Lin Ming steered the conversation back to the core of their trip— the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit: "This time, Zi Yan and I, by sheer chance, found a Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit in an Ancient Ruins!"
"The Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit?!" Zhu Kun exclaimed in shock, his enormous dragon eyes bursting with unbelievable brilliance!
As the Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon, he understood better than anyone what this treasure meant for the two races possessing either the Ancient Dragon Bloodline or the bloodline of Ancient Heavenly Phoenix!
That is the bloodline capable of creating beings surpassing even the most powerful race of Magical Beasts. By combining the advantages of both races, it allows individuals from both races to combine the strengths of both and thus become Dragon Phoenix that transcend both races.
"Such a heaven-defying treasure, once the news leaks out, will surely cause a frenzied struggle among the entire Ancient Void Dragon Clan, and may even attract the covetousness of other super powers!" Lin Ming's tone became extremely serious.
"Given the circumstances at the time, I simply didn't dare let Zi Yan take the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit to East Dragon Island to absorb and refine it."
"Because if the other three islands were to discover this, with the strength of East Dragon Island, it would be impossible to protect the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit. In fact... Zi Yan's life would likely be directly threatened! Those three Dragon Kings would never allow a Dragon Emperor with complete Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline to appear and threaten their rule!"
After speaking, Lin Ming raised his head, looked at Zhu Kun honestly, and stated his final conclusion, which was also the reason he had to take the risk. "So, Uncle, this is the only way I can do it!"
"For Zi Yan's safety, and to ensure she can perfectly absorb the power of the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, I have no choice but to take the risk and bring her here to find you!"
"Under the whole heaven, perhaps only you, the Dragon Emperor Father, have the absolute certainty and ability to protect her and guide her to complete this ultimate evolution!"
His words were clear and logical, with a clear distinction between advantages and disadvantages. He thoroughly analyzed the dire situation of the internal division within the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, the enormous risks brought about by the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, and the helpless reasons why he had to take such a risky approach.