Time seemed to lose its sense of speed in this silent Ancient Emperor Space.
Ten days have passed since the Purple-Gold Giant Cocoon took shape.
During this period, Lin Ming did not waste his time. In addition to having in-depth conversations with the ancient dragon Zhu Kun, which transcended Space-Time, and absorbing those long-lost secrets and cultivation insights, he spent most of his time preparing "food" for Zi Yan.
He knew that Zi Yan's evolution would take a long time, and that the girl was very greedy, especially for the "Sugar Pill" he made himself, which were made from concentrated medicinal herbs.
Thus, in this strange darkness, Lin Ming repeatedly summoned the Myriad Beast Cauldron, igniting the Heavenly Flames within his body, and meticulously refined the many rare medicinal herbs stored in his Inner World into thousands of crystal-clear Medicinal Pill that emitted an alluring Medicinal Fragrance.
These Medicinal Pill not only taste delicious, but also contain pure energy, enough to provide Zi Yan with extra nourishment after her evolution, and can be considered a small consolation for her long slumber.
On this day, Lin Ming carefully packed the last batch, which was also the best quality batch of Medicinal Pill, into several Jade Bottle.
Then, Lin Ming slowly stood up, his gaze falling on the Purple-Gold Giant Cocoon that floated quietly in front of him, radiating a powerful life force. His eyes were filled with complex emotions.
There was anticipation, reluctance, and above all, the resolute determination to leave.
Standing before the giant cocoon, Lin Ming reached out and gently stroked the smooth, warm surface of the cocoon, as if he could sense the tiny figure undergoing an astonishing transformation within it.
"Zi Yan!"
Lin Ming's voice was soft, yet filled with utmost sincerity.
"I look forward to the day you successfully emerge from your cocoon. I hope that when that day comes, I can witness your magnificent flight through the heavens and see you become a true Dragon Phoenix."
After speaking, Lin Ming paused, then gently placed the jade Jade Bottle next to the giant cocoon, as if placing a solemn gift.
"This is all I prepared for you; it'll be enough for you to eat for quite a while."
Then, Lin Ming's tone gradually lowered, tinged with helplessness. "But... I have to leave."
He seemed to be explaining to Zi Yan, yet also stating his reasons to himself. "After we came out of the ancient Secret Realm, we made a promise with Hei Qing that we would bring you back in two or three months. Now, more than one or two months have passed, or even longer. In addition, in order to conceal our whereabouts, we have concealed the Dragon Seal on our bodies, Elder Zhu Li and the others have no way of sensing our presence or safety."
Lin Ming frowned slightly, a look of worry on his face. "If this drags on for too long and there's no news at all, I'm afraid the seniors on East Dragon Island will become suspicious, or even... mistakenly think that I've done something to harm you."
"If they were to take their anger out on the Five Elements Sect, on Xiao Yi Xian, on Qing Lin, or even on my clansmen far away in the Jia Ma Empire... that would be the worst possible outcome that I least want to see and absolutely cannot bear."
Taking a deep breath, Lin Ming made his final decision. "So now, you are here under your father's personal protection, safe and sound, and your path of evolution has begun smoothly. I must also go out, return to the Middle Continent, handle these matters, prevent any misunderstandings, and protect the people I care about."
As Lin Ming finished his farewell and explanation, the Purple-Gold Giant Cocoon, which had been steadily radiating life energy, suddenly emitted a clear energy fluctuation carrying a sense of anxiety and reluctance!
The ripples spread outwards, striking the cocoon wall and causing the entire giant cocoon to tremble slightly, as if Zi Yan inside had heard Lin Ming's words and was trying to express something, trying to hold him back.
"Um?"
Zhu Kun immediately sensed his daughter's emotional fluctuation. His enormous dragon eyes turned to the giant cocoon, and he soothed her with a gentle yet powerful voice:
"Girl, focus on absorbing the energy and don't get distracted. I will handle Lin Ming's situation; I will ensure he doesn't suffer any injustice or that his family is implicated. Your task now is to concentrate on evolving. Once you successfully emerge, you will naturally be able to see him again."
With his father's assurance, the fluctuations within the giant cocoon gradually subsided, and stable energy circulation resumed.
After comforting his daughter, Zhu Kun turned his gaze to Lin Ming again. His huge dragon eyes were filled with incredibly complex emotions, the strongest of which were deep guilt and gratitude.
"Lin Ming..."
Zhu Kun's voice was slightly hoarse and heavy.
"You've helped Zi Yan so much—saving her, protecting her, helping her gain opportunities, and even safely bringing her to my side. Now, to avoid misunderstandings among my people and prevent them from potentially harming your family, you're leaving in such a hurry to face the possible risks alone... This makes me, your uncle... utterly ashamed!"
With a heavy sigh, Zhu Kun unleashed his immense Dragon Breath, his dragon head swaying slightly. "Now, the Ancient Dragon Clan is divided, embroiled in endless internal strife. I am trapped here and cannot extricate myself, and Zi Yan is at a critical stage of evolution, so this situation will not end anytime soon. The great cause of unifying the clan seems a long way off..."
Zhu Kun's dragon eyes were fixed on Lin Ming, his tone becoming extremely solemn, even with a hint of pleading. "Lin Ming, since you're leaving, your uncle will shamelessly ask you for another favor!"
"Could you... do me a favor for Zi Yan, and also for your uncle, and find a way to bring about the unification of the Ancient Dragon Clan?"
He explained, "If you can help East Dragon Island, or in your own way, reintegrate the four divided islands, not only will Zi Yan have a stable and powerful home when she returns in the future, but you will also gain the friendship and support of the entire Ancient Void Dragon Clan! At that time, with the entire Ancient Dragon Clan as your backing, it will be much easier to do anything in the Middle Continent, and no one will dare to easily harm you or your family!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Ming did not show any excitement or immediate agreement on his face. Instead, a bitter smile and a sense of helplessness appeared on his face.
At this moment, Lin Ming Mingchao respectfully cupped his hands in greeting to Zhu Kun and said frankly, "Uncle, since you have asked me for a favor, I should not refuse, both morally and logically. However..."
Lin Ming sighed and returned to reality, "Although I have made some progress, I am still only Four-Star Dou Venerate. This level of strength might be enough to hold my own against a first-rate force in the Middle Continent, but against your Ancient Void Dragon Clan..."
Lin Ming shook his head, his tone heavy. "As far as I know, even though the Ancient Dragon Clan is now divided and its strength is far less than before, even the weakest East Dragon Island, still has an elder at the level of Two-Star Dou Saint!"
"The Dragon King of the other Three Great Dragon Islands —South, West, and North—are all Late Stage Three-Star Dou Saint, some even approaching Four-Star Dou Saint! What difference is there between me, a mere Four-Star Dou Venerate, and an ant before them? Before I can even explain my purpose, I'll probably be slapped to death by some ill-tempered Dragon King! At that point, not only will I be unable to fulfill my uncle's request, but I'll likely lose my life, and it might even escalate the conflict."
Lin Ming's analysis was reasonable and entirely true. The gap between Dou Venerate and Dou Sheng is like Natural Chasm, let alone when facing a three-star or even Four-Star Dou Saint!
"They dare!"
Upon hearing Lin Ming say that he might be "slapped to death," Zhu Kun flew into a rage!
A terrifying Dragon Might's might swept out uncontrollably, and although he instantly restrained it, it still caused the space to tremble violently. The wrath of the Dragon Emperor, even when trapped, was enough to shake the heavens and earth!
"Anyone I, Zhu Kun, approve of, let's see who dares to touch them?!"
His enormous dragon eyes flashed with a cold light, but he quickly forced himself to calm down, and said to Lin Ming in a steady and powerful voice, "Lin Ming, don't worry! Since your uncle has entrusted you with this, he will never let you take any risks! Nor will he let you face those rebellious bastards empty-handed!"
Before he could finish speaking, a look of pain suddenly appeared in Zhu Kun's enormous dragon eyes! At the same time, below the neck of his massive dragon body, in a place that Lin Ming could not directly see, a scale that was completely different from the other purple-gold dragon scales that grew in the same direction, grew in the opposite direction, and exuded a more ancient and mysterious aura, quietly fell off.
This Reverse Scale seemed to embody a portion of his Life Origin!
Immediately afterwards, four more drops of Essence Blood, shimmering with a deep purple-gold light and containing terrifying energy, were slowly forced out of his body and floated up.
The moment the Reverse Scale fell off and four drops of Essence Blood left the body, although Zhu Kun's enormous dragon body was still coiled up like a mountain, Lin Ming could clearly feel that its overall size seemed to have shrunk by a circle!
Moreover, the purplish-gold dragon scales covering its entire body had lost much of their luster, as if they had lost some of their brilliance.
Clearly, he had previously condensed more than ten drops of his Essence Blood so that Zi Yan could absorb the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit without danger. Now, with this additional consumption, the combined consumption of the two is far greater than when he condensed the giant cocoon to protect Zi Yan!
After finishing all this, Zhu Kun's voice was filled with undisguised exhaustion, but he said with unusual firmness, "Lin Ming, since your uncle has entrusted you with this, he won't let you take any risks!"
After speaking, he controlled the Reverse Scale and four drops of Essence Blood, and slowly flew to Lin Ming's front.
"This scale is my Reverse Scale!" Zhu Kun solemnly introduced.
"This is the condensation of my Dragon Might and a portion of my essence! I have planted Imperial Dragon Seal, unique to the Dragon Emperor, upon it! When you face any member of my clan, simply summon this Reverse Scale, and the pure Dragon Emperor's might and Dragon Seal contained within it will absolutely suppress them at the level of bloodline and soul! Unless they intend to betray the clan, they will never dare to be presumptuous before the Reverse Scale!"
Then, he pointed to three drops of Essence Blood: "These three drops are my Natal Blood Essence, containing a portion of my power and Soul Imprint. If you encounter an insurmountable danger, or need to intimidate the Three Great Dragon Kings with absolute power, you can throw one of these drops into this Reverse Scale."
"Within the Reverse Scale lies a trace of my Soul Imprint that I left beforehand. Combined with the immense energy contained in this drop of Essence Blood, it can condense an Energy Avatar of me in a short time!"
After speaking, Zhu Kun's voice carried a hint of arrogance. "Although this clone can only stay for a short time due to energy limitations, only one hour, within that one hour, it possesses the strength of Seven-Star Dou Saint! Enough to sweep away any dissent on Ancient Dragon Island and guarantee your absolute safety!"
Finally, he looked at the last drop of Essence Blood, his tone softening. "As for this last drop of Essence Blood, consider it a blessing from your uncle!"
"This contains not only immense energy, but also the purest Dragon Force of my Ancient Void Dragon Clan. If you carefully refine and absorb it, it will greatly enhance both your Dou Qi cultivation and your physical strength! Of course, the specific extent of the enhancement depends on your own foundation and your limits."
Hearing Zhu Kun's words and seeing the Reverse Scale and the four drops of Dragon Emperor Essence Blood floating in front of him, radiating a heart-pounding energy fluctuation, Lin Ming was deeply shocked.
Among these, whether it's the dragon scales that can intimidate the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, the ability to summon a clone that can rival a Seven-Star Dou Saint when combined with the dragon scales, or the last drop of Essence Blood that can enhance Dou Qi and physical body, any one of these would likely cause a sensation if the outside world knew about them. However, right now, all three of these items are laid out before him, waiting for him to take them.