Lin Ming nodded understandingly, knowing that the old man needed some time to process this.
After waiting a moment, Lin Ming continued, recounting the story he had meticulously woven and constructed, a story he had detached himself from. He spoke in a gentle, recounting tone, as if calmly recounting the past:
"At that time, that senior... no, His Majesty." Lin Ming corrected his form of address to show respect.
He looked at Zi Yan, his eyes filled with complex emotions—concern, guilt, and barely concealed excitement. He spoke, his voice trembling slightly, calling out, "My child... my child..."
"It was this call that sent a tremor through Zi Yan's body. At that very moment, the long-dormant memories and bloodline resonance deep within her soul were fully activated. She instantly realized that the ancient and majestic voice that had suddenly resounded in her mind in those Ancient Ruins, sternly warning her not to reveal the information about the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit and not to immediately return to Ancient Dragon Island, originated from the person standing before her—her own father!"
At this point, Lin Ming added a real detail to bring him closer to Zhu Kun, making his story a mix of truth and falsehood.
"Later, after a conversation, perhaps because of my close relationship with Zi Yan and our mutual support and care over the years, His Majesty... seemed quite easygoing. He said that since I am Zi Yan's most trusted and closest person, and the one who has actually taken care of her for many years, there is no need to be too formal, and that I don't need to be so distant, and can simply call him 'Uncle'."
At this moment, Lin Ming appropriately revealed a hint of "flattered" and "hesitant" expression on his face as he recalled the past, "I did hesitate for a moment about this, after all, His Majesty's status is extremely esteemed. But seeing that my uncle's attitude was sincere and not just polite, and with Zi Yan also gesturing from the side, if I insisted on declining, it would seem too distant. Therefore, I ultimately did not insist any further and went along with his wishes, changing my address to 'uncle'."
After establishing a closer relationship, Lin Ming returned to the main storyline. "Later, under the personal Protector of her uncle, Zi Yan officially began the process of refining the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit."
Here, Lin Ming specifically emphasized the risks of refining and the role of Zhu Kun to explain the rationale behind his earlier warnings:
"However, my uncle also clearly told us that the energy contained in the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit is far too vast and too domineering! This is not a simple accumulation of energy, but a fusion of the origins of two supreme bloodlines."
It is common knowledge that the powers of the Ancient Void Dragon and the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix clash. If one were to rashly absorb and refine them, even with Zi Yan's royal bloodline, the success rate would be extremely low. More likely, she would be internally blasted to death by the terrifying, irreconcilable clashing energies!
After speaking, Lin Ming added with a tone of lingering fear and relief, "This is the real reason why Uncle had to risk crossing endless space and send a wisp of his divine sense to warn Zi Yan in her mind!"
"He absolutely could not stand by and watch his daughter perish because she acted rashly without knowing the full story."
Then, Lin Ming's tone became calm. "But now, the situation is completely different. With his father, the Dragon Emperor, personally Protector him, he used his unparalleled cultivation to forcefully suppress the mutually repelling and violent energy within the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, calming and harmonizing it, making it docile and controllable."
"In this way, although Zi Yan's absorption and refining speed will be relatively slower and will require a lot of time, the whole process will be completely safe and without any danger."
After speaking, Lin Ming emphasized the issue of time. "That's why Uncle clearly stated that Zi Yan's refining of the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit is a transformative, ultimate evolution, and it won't be completed in a short time. It may very well take a considerable amount of time."
Then, Lin Ming cleverly introduced an emotional setup, "Before Zi Yan officially began her secluded cultivation, her uncle, in order to ease the sense of unfamiliarity and estrangement between him and Zi Yan caused by their long separation..."
"After all, in Zi Yan's past understanding, she always believed that she was an orphan abandoned by her father, and she harbored a deep resentment about this. Therefore, in order to win his daughter's understanding and forgiveness, and also to give her a firm belief, her uncle revealed another astonishing, top-secret message that was enough to overturn the entire Dou Qi Continent's understanding!"
At this moment, Lin Ming's voice became incredibly deep and solemn again, as if he were revealing a secret that was the very foundation of creation.
At this moment, Lin Ming paused, then dropped the core information that was even more shocking than the Dragon Emperor's survival:
"The reason my uncle disappeared for thousands of years, hiding in that strange dark space, was not because he was trapped or in a deep sleep, but because he was secretly plotting a world-shaking, earth-shattering event that would be recorded in the annals of history."
"A heaven-defying artifact that can enable the entire Ancient Void Dragon Clan, and indeed all races possessing the Ancient Dragon Bloodline, to achieve the ultimate sublimation of their Life Level!"
At this moment, Lin Ming's tone was filled with longing and awe for that realm. "My uncle frankly said that it was precisely because he needed an absolutely quiet environment free from any interference to plunder this item, as well as the possible celestial anomalies and rule backlashes that even he could not fully control, that he had to choose to hide for thousands of years, cutting off all contact with the outside world, and even being unable to take care of his own daughter who was wandering outside."
"And now, this great undertaking, planned for thousands of years, has reached the most crucial and unforgiving final sprint!"
At this moment, Lin Ming's voice carried an undeniable authority. "This time, in order to guide Zi Yan into that space, Uncle forcibly diverted his attention and interfered with the Space Laws, which already took a huge risk, and may even have a slight unpredictable impact on his plan that has lasted for thousands of years."
But then, Lin Ming's tone became incredibly firm and fervent. "However, Uncle assured Zi Yan that all the sacrifices and waiting would be worthwhile! At most, another hundred years! Just a hundred years! His plans will surely be successfully completed!"
Finally, Lin Ming, in an almost epic, yearning tone, uttered the ultimate prophecy that would drive all the top experts on the entire Dou Qi Continent mad and make them tremble:
"At that time," Uncle said, "This Supreme Realm — the Dou Di Realm —that has existed for ten thousand years, seemingly completely sealed off by the Heaven and Earth Rules, a realm that no one can reach or tread upon, will be broken by him, Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun, and will reappear in this vast world!"
"A... Dou Di?!"
Once again, Zhu Li was struck by these increasingly shocking messages, leaving him trembling with Divine Soul! He felt his brain had completely stopped thinking, with only the words "Dou Di" echoing wildly, making his eardrums ring and even causing him to feel dizzy for a moment!
Dou Di! That's a legendary realm that only exists in the oldest records. It's a supreme existence that transcends all living beings and truly controls the Heaven and Earth Rules! It's the ultimate goal that all cultivators dream of, and also the shackles of heaven and earth that have troubled countless brilliant talents for thousands of years!
Your His Majesty the Dragon Emperor, you actually... you actually plotted such a heaven-defying feat in secret?! This has gone beyond the realm of ambition; this is simply... stealing the creation of heaven and earth, Defying Fate!
Seeing Zhu Li's complete loss of composure, as if his very soul had been ripped away, Lin Ming quickly echoed his sentiment, his face mirroring the "utter shock" and "disbelief" he had felt when he first heard the news:
"Yes, yes, yes! Elder Zhu Li, to be honest, my reaction back then was exactly the same as yours, or even worse! I almost thought I was dreaming, or that the Spatial Turbulence had damaged my brain and caused me to hallucinate!"
"Dou Di! That's a legend among legends! I couldn't believe my ears. I had to confirm with my uncle several times before I had to accept this seemingly unbelievable fact!"
At this moment, both of them fell into a long silence. After an unknown amount of time, Lin Ming skillfully steered the conversation back to himself from the shocking news, giving Zhu Li a chance to process the information.
"Later, because I was really worried about the safety of the sect, after all, I had been away for a long time and a sense of unease lingered in my heart. After much hesitation, I asked my uncle if I could leave first and return to the sect to check on the situation. After understanding the relationship between the Five Elements Sect and me, my uncle finally expressed his understanding and agreed."
"Before I left," Lin Ming said, his tone becoming calm as he recounted his experiences.
"My uncle, mindful of my years of care for Zi Yan and the potential challenges I might face venturing out, bestowed upon me several strokes of good fortune."
Since this was a process he had personally experienced, Lin Ming immediately described it in detail.
After finishing speaking, looking at Zhu Li who was both shocked and envious, Lin Ming concluded, "In this way, my uncle used his incomparably pure Dragon Emperor Essence Blood to give me a thorough baptism and tempering, not only reshaping my physical body but also greatly purifying and enhancing my Dou Qi. This directly allowed my strength to soar from the previous Four-Star Dou Venerate to the current peak of Eight-Star Dou Venerate in a short period of time."
Then, Lin Ming raised his hand again, his fingertips gently tracing the now-disappeared dragon scale pattern between his brows, and uttered the most crucial part, the core of his "mission":
"At the same time, my uncle also formally bestowed upon me this Reverse Scale, which symbolizes the Ancient Void Dragon Emperor and contains his original Dragon Might!"
At this moment, Lin Ming's tone became extremely solemn, as if conveying a sacred decree. "My uncle solemnly entrusted me with the task of doing everything in my power to reunite the now divided Ancient Dragon Clan! To integrate the strength of the four islands, eliminate internal strife, and unite the clan's hearts! Only a unified, cohesive Ancient Void Dragon Clan can one day usher in the glorious era that belongs to our clan!"
Lin Ming finally pointed to his forehead and concluded, "The terrifying pressure I exerted on you and Brother Hei Qing outside just now, in the heat of the moment, to suppress you, originated from the Big Brother Hei Qing Emperor's pressure contained within this Reverse Scale — Dragon Emperor Pressure that is unique to Uncle Zhu Kun and surpasses all Dragon Clan Bloodline!"
Thus, Lin Ming's long narrative, which perfectly separated his true experiences from the events he meticulously fabricated and orchestrated, and transformed them into a narrative perfectly intertwined with events orchestrated by Zhu Kun, was finally presented to Zhu Li in its entirety and with clarity.