As the Five Elements Sect gradually recovered and flourished, these ten days felt like an eternity for Zhu Li and his companion, who were temporarily Zhu Li in the guest hall.
Their anxiety of waiting did not lessen with the passage of time; instead, it accumulated in his heart like molten lava.
Lin Ming and Zi Yan remained missing. He tried to sense them using some secret techniques of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea. As time passed day by day, his unease and restlessness reached their peak.
At this moment, his face grew increasingly gloomy, and the terrifying aura of High-Tier Half Sage around him began to fluctuate unstablely, as if it were about to erupt.
However, at that moment, Zhu Li, who was sitting upright in the Quiet Room, suddenly shuddered! His eyes, which had been tightly closed, suddenly opened, and an unbelievable, dazzling light shot out from them!
Because, at the point of connection between his soul and Lin Ming, the Elder Dragon Seal, which had been as silent as death before, suddenly and clearly emitted an extremely faint fluctuation without any warning!
Although the fluctuation was faint, it was like a spark ignited in endless darkness, instantly illuminating his anxious heart!
At this moment, the anxiety, worry, and anger that had been building up in Zhu Li for months seemed to find an outlet. He was about to immediately use the Dragon Seal connection to demand an explanation of Lin Ming's whereabouts and where he had taken Zi Yan!
However, before his condensed soul intent could be transmitted, Lin Ming's voice, carrying a hint of urgency and unquestionable authority, resounded directly in his mind through the Dragon Seal:
"Elder Zhu Li?! Where are you right now?"
This sudden question startled Zhu Li for a moment, and then the suppressed anger surged up in her heart again.
This kid has been missing for so long, concealing the Dragon Seal, and now that we've finally made contact, instead of asking why, he's questioning my whereabouts?
Recalling the months of worry and waiting, and the horrific scene at the Five Elements Sect just now, Zhu Li and immediately responded without hesitation, with a hint of displaced resentment and coldness:
"The Five Elements Sect!"
He wanted to see how Lin Ming would react to this answer.
Sure enough, on the other end of the Dragon Seal, Lin Ming's voice suddenly rose, filled with shock and a hint of... panic?
"Five Elements Sect?! What are you doing there?! Listen, whatever your reason for being here, you are not to cause any trouble for my sect until I return! We'll discuss everything when I get back! I will definitely give you an explanation regarding Zi Yan!"
Lin Ming's tone was urgent and firm, even carrying a commanding air, as if he feared that if he delayed even a moment longer, the Five Elements Sect would meet with misfortune.
Before he could finish speaking, the connection with the Dragon Seal weakened rapidly, indicating that Lin Ming had cut off the communication and was rushing towards the Five Elements Sect at an extremely fast speed.
"Hmph! Explanation? I'd like to see what kind of explanation you can give!" Zhu Li snorted coldly. Although he was dissatisfied with Lin Ming's attitude, the other party's eagerness to return calmed his anger slightly.
He could sense that Lin Ming seemed unaware that the Five Elements Sect had just experienced a major battle that nearly wiped out the sect.
At the same time, Lin Ming, who had just set foot in the Middle Continent region and was countless miles away, felt a sudden chill in his heart when he sensed that Zhu Li was actually in the Five Elements Sect and that his tone was unfriendly.
His first thought was that East Dragon Island, unable to find him and Zi Yan for so long, was taking its anger out on the Five Elements Sect!
"Damn it! Am I still too late?" Lin Ming's face instantly turned extremely ugly, and a hint of ferocity flashed in his eyes.
He dared not delay for a moment. The immense Dou Qi of the peak Eight-Star Dou Venerate within him erupted without reservation, tearing through the space in front of him once more. His figure disappeared into the dark Spatial Rift, and he began a frantic journey, disregarding the consumption of his own energy! He had to get back as soon as possible; he absolutely could not let the Five Elements Sect suffer because of him!
Time passed once more as Zhu Li grew increasingly impatient while Lin Ming raced forward with all his might.
More than half a month later.
A slightly travel-worn but upright figure finally appeared at the edge of the Five Elements Sect's territory. It was Lin Ming, who had traveled a long distance and exhausted his Dou Qi to continuously traverse ultra-long-distance space!
Before he even reached the core area of the sect, his powerful Soul Power spread out like mercury, instantly enveloping the entire Five Elements Sect.
When his Soul Perception clearly "saw" the current state of the sect, an uncontrollable, overwhelming rage erupted like a volcano, instantly shattering his reason!
The Five Elements Sect's mountain gate, once shrouded in mist and filled with numerous palaces, has undergone some repairs, but the shocking traces of war are still visible everywhere!
Collapsed mountains, scorched and torn earth, ruins not yet fully cleared, and the lingering faint stench of blood and the chaos of an energy surge in the air...
All of this demonstrates the incredibly fierce battle that recently took place here!
"The Soul Hall... or Ancient Dragon Island?!"
Lin Ming's heart sank to the bottom instantly. A chilling Killing Intent mixed with worry for the sect members made his eyes turn bloodshot! His first thought was of Zhu Li and Hei Qing! Their early arrival—could it be that they had really made a move against the Five Elements Sect?!
Just as his heart was filled with anger and suspicion, and he accelerated to his maximum speed, hurtling towards the main hall of the summit—
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two powerful auras, as if anticipated, soared into the sky from within the Five Elements Sect, transforming into two streams of light that rushed straight toward him!
It was precisely because of the reconnected Dragon Seal that Zhu Li and Hei Qing were able to sense his return location in advance!
Zhu Li's face was gloomy, and the pressure of High-Tier Half Sage was faintly visible. It was clear that the month-long wait had exhausted his patience. Hei Qing was even more eager to fight, his beard bristling, looking ready to take down Lin Ming and bring him to justice at any moment.
The two had just come face to face with Lin Ming, hovering in the air and blocking his path. Zhu Li was about to speak, to question Lin Ming in an authoritative manner about his whereabouts over the past few months and the location of Zi Yan; Hei Qing had already opened his mouth wide, ready to unleash a thunderous roar—
However, Lin Ming's face had turned completely black, and his eyes were as cold as ice, giving them no chance to speak!
He was now convinced that the sect's tragic state was the work of these two people! This prompted him to react with the most intense urgency!
"You did it?! Good! Very good!" Lin Ming's voice seemed to come from the Nine Nether, carrying a chilling aura.
Before he finished speaking, the hidden purple-gold dragon scale pattern between Lin Ming's eyebrows suddenly shone brightly!
It wasn't just a simple radiance; it was as if a miniature, purplish-gold sun had been born on his forehead!
The light shone brightly, instantly dispelling all the gloom and impurities in the surrounding world, and painting the entire sky a noble and majestic purple-gold color!
Boom----!!!
An unparalleled majesty, surpassing all things and seemingly originating from the primordial Ancestral Dragon at the beginning of creation, erupted with an ancient dragon roar that seemed to traverse Eternal Space-Time and resounded deep within the souls of Ancient Void Dragon!
This dragon's roar did not travel through the air, but resounded directly within the Soul Origin of every being with Dragon Clan Bloodline, and indeed, all powerful beings!
"Buzz--!"
The Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale has been fully revealed! It is no longer a simple pattern, but has transformed into a tangible, palm-sized, purplish-gold rhomboid scale, hovering in front of Lin Ming's brow.
On the scales, the naturally formed Great Dao Dragon Patterns moved as if they were alive. With each flash, they caused the surrounding Space Laws to wail and submit!
As the Reverse Scale was fully revealed, an incomparably complex Purple-Gold Dragon Seal, containing the supreme will and authority of the Ancient Void Dragon Imperial Clan of the Void, soared into the sky from the Reverse Scale, instantly expanding to a hundred feet in size, like an immortal decree issued by a supreme being who reigns over all the heavens and myriad worlds, its magnificent divine power impossible to look directly at!
At the same time, a vast, ancient, and domineering aura, as powerful as Star Sea and as ancient as an era, a golden Chaos tide, centered on Lin Ming, Zhu Li towards Zhu Li and Hei Qing in front of him, Dragon Emperor Pressure them relentlessly and overwhelmingly!
This oppressive aura did not originate from Lin Ming's own power, but rather from a trace of the Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun's primordial Dragon Might and imperial will within the Reverse Scale!
Although it is only a trace, its high quality and noble status give it an absolute and unquestionable suppressive power that originates from the very source of life for the clan members who possess the Ancient Void Dragon Bloodline!
"What?!"
"This... this is?! The Dragon Emperor's majesty?! The Dragon Emperor's Seal?!"
The moment Zhu Li and Hei Qing sensed this oppressive aura, their expressions changed drastically! It was a fear and awe that originated from the deepest part of their bloodline, the instinctive reaction of those in a lower position facing supreme imperial power!
Zhu Li's powerful aura as High-Tier Half Sage crumbled instantly before the pure Dragon Emperor Pressure, like a paper tiger!
So much so that he immediately let out a muffled groan, feeling the space around him freeze, and the surging Dou Qi within his body instantly become stagnant, as that invisible force pressed down hard on his soul and body!
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
Two heavy, muffled thuds!
Neither Zhu Li, whose strength reached the High-Tier Half Sage, nor Hei Qing, who was at the peak of the Eight-Star Dou Venerate, could withstand this sudden and absolute suppression originating from their bloodline source for even a second. Both of them were severely suppressed by the terrifying Dragon Emperor Pressure and fell from the sky, kneeling on one knee in the void!
Their bodies trembled violently, as if they were carrying a towering mountain on their backs, making it extremely difficult even to lift their heads!
"Ugh...!" Hei Qing let out a low growl of unwillingness, his muscles bulging and veins popping out as he tried to resist the oppressive force, but it was all in vain, and the oppressive feeling only intensified.
Zhu Li was slightly better, but he was still deathly pale, with fine beads of cold sweat on his forehead.
He struggled to lift his head, looking at the Reverse Scale Lin Ming's brows that radiated a majestic Dragon Might's might, and the solid Dragon Emperor's Seal in the air. His expression was filled with extreme shock, bewilderment, and disbelief!
"This... this pure Dragon Emperor Pressure, this is the Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale... and the Dragon Emperor's... Dragon Seal... How is this possible?! What is Zi Yan's strength? How could she condense such... Could it be..."
This Reverse Scale cannot be faked, and the pure Dragon Emperor Pressure is impossible to imitate! Zhu Li's heart was filled with shock and disbelief; this sudden turn of events was completely beyond his comprehension.