Standing on the solid and ancient land of East Dragon Island, feeling the immense energy and Dragon Might might permeating the air, Elder Zhu Li turned around, his deep eyes filled with undisguised urgency and solemnity as he looked at Lin Ming.
"Mr. Lin Ming, please come with me. We'll go directly to the main hall." Zhu Li's voice was low and swift, conveying a sense of urgency.
The appearance of the Dragon Emperor's Inverse Scale is a matter of life and death for the entire Ancient Void Dragon Clan, making every second crucial.
This was exactly what Lin Ming wanted to hear, so he immediately nodded, his expression calm. "Thank you for leading the way, Elder."
The group then took off again under Zhu Li's guidance, transforming into several streaks of light and heading straight for the central area of East Dragon Island, towards the most majestic and eye-catching Stone Hall, which resembled an Ancient Giant Dragon coiled and sleeping.
During the flight, as you fly over the rolling mountains and winding rivers below, you can also see the scenes of life on East Dragon Island.
Occasionally, one can see some members of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan. Some have completely transformed into Human Form, wearing simple leather armor or cloth, walking in the Mountain Forest or flying through the air; others retain some Dragon Clan characteristics, such as arms covered with scales or dragon horns on their foreheads; and one can even see several enormous Ancient Dragon True Body, stretching out their mountain-like bodies in specific areas, their scales shimmering with a cold luster in the energy mist.
Whether they were busy or resting, these Ancient Dragon Clan immediately stopped what they were doing when they sensed Elder Zhu Li's aura passing by. They faced the direction from which the elder was flying, bowed respectfully, and their eyes were filled with reverence for the elder.
However, when they saw Lin Ming, Qing Lin, and Xiong Zhan, who Zhu Li closely behind Zhu Li and were clearly unfamiliar faces with the air of outsiders, their respect was inevitably mixed with a strong sense of curiosity and scrutiny.
Some of the more senior clansmen, who might have seen Lin Ming three years ago, glanced at him with a look of surprise and uncertainty in their eyes. They seemed to be recalling something, or perhaps confirming it, as they whispered to their companions, creating a subtle commotion in the air.
Clearly, Lin Ming's return, especially with Elder Zhu Li personally leading the way straight to the main hall, conveyed an unusual signal.
However, these gazes and discussions had no effect on Lin Ming. His expression remained unchanged, his gaze calmly sweeping over the scenery and his people along the way, while his mind was constantly rehearsing the situation he was about to face.
The flight speed was extremely fast, and in just a short while, the magnificent palace was already in sight.
Upon closer inspection, its grandeur and magnificence become even more apparent.
The entire palace is constructed from a dark blue, giant Dragon Pattern Stone, with countless lifelike dragon reliefs carved on the stone walls, from the most primitive Ancestral Dragon to various forms of Battle Dragon, as if telling the glorious epic of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan of the Great Void.
The entire hall exuded a heavy, ancient, and majestic aura, as if it itself were a living, ancient being with an supreme will.
The massive Stone Hall doors were now wide open, like the open kiss of a giant beast.
The interior space is much more spacious than it appears from the outside, seemingly employing a sophisticated space expansion technique, which makes the light appear somewhat dim—not that there is no light, but rather that it possesses a profound depth that has been accumulated over countless years.
The walls were not inlaid with ordinary candles, but with fist-sized luminous pearls and Strange Ore emitted soft or cold halos. Their light intertwined, outlining the rugged pillars, deep corridors, and high dome of the hall, adding to the mystery and solemn majesty.
The group descended and entered the main hall. Under their feet were smooth stone slabs that still retained their original textures, and their footsteps echoed softly in the empty hall.
Elder Zhu Li stopped in his tracks. The earlier excitement on his face had subsided slightly, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and reverence. He turned around, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Ming, and spoke in a deep voice, which echoed clearly throughout the hall:
"Mr. Lin Ming, unifying the Ancient Dragon Clan and ending thousands of years of division and internal strife is the most important event for our clan in thousands of years. It concerns the future rise and fall of the clan and whether our clan can regain its ancient glory."
He paused, his tone becoming more solemn, and continued, "Regular matters within the clan can be decided by me, the Third Elder, based on my seniority and strength. But decisions concerning the fate of the entire clan cannot be made by me alone. This requires not only His Majesty the Dragon Emperor's token, but also the recognition and support of the clan's true powerhouses."
At this point, Zhu Li's voice rose slightly. "Therefore, we must invite the Great Elder and the Second Elder, who are currently in seclusion to slow their lifespan. These two are the true Pillar of the Sea of our East Dragon Island, and besides His Majesty the Dragon Emperor, they are the most senior, strongest, and most prestigious figures in the clan. Their attitude will directly determine whether the unification cause can begin smoothly."
Upon hearing this, Lin Ming nodded solemnly, his tone sincere and firm. "Elder Zhu Li is absolutely right. Such an important matter should be decided by the two elders. This junior here respectfully requests Elder Zhu Li to awaken the two elders."
Having gained Lin Ming's understanding, Zhu Li said no more. He took a deep breath, as if to concentrate his mind, and then stepped forward, walking towards an area in the center of the main hall that was distinctly different from the surrounding floor.
There was a slightly raised circular stone platform, more like a small Altar, engraved with incredibly complex and mysterious dragon-shaped patterns. Those patterns seemed to be flowing slowly, containing some strange power that could communicate with heaven and earth and influence blood.
Elder Zhu Li stood before the Altar, his face solemn.
Then, he slowly raised his hands, his ten fingers moving rapidly, forming a series of dazzling hand seals that contained profound spatial principles and the mysteries of the Dragon Clan Bloodline.
As his hand seals changed, the vast and pure Dragon Force within his body began to surge violently, causing subtle ripples to spread throughout the surrounding space.
Finally, all the hand seals and Dragon Force converged between his hands, condensing into a mark that radiated brilliant light and ancient Dragon Might.
The shape of that mark was that of an Ancient Void Dragon soaring through the heavens, looking down upon the universe!
It is so lifelike, as if it possesses life, emanating a powerful wave of intent aimed at communicating with the unseen and awakening the dormant.
"By the Dragon Clan Bloodline, and for the sake of the survival of our clan, we respectfully request the Great Elder and the Second Elder to awaken!"
Elder Zhu Li's deep and solemn chanting, like an ancient dragon prayer, echoed in the main hall.
The moment he finished speaking, he thrust both hands forward, firmly embedding the dragon-shaped mark, which embodied his Essence Blood and will, into the center of the Altar!
"Buzz--!"
A deep, soul-piercing roar suddenly resounded! The entire Altar instantly burst into dazzling light, and the Dragon Pattern on it, which had seemed to be static, seemed to be infused with life, beginning to move and swirl rapidly. Streams of silver light rose from the Altar, drilling into the ground like living things, penetrating even deeper into the core of the earth's veins.
Immediately following, an immense pressure, indescribable in words, like a primordial beast that had slumbered for millennia being gently stirred, began to slowly emanate from the depths of the main hall, or rather, from the very core of the earth's veins on the entire East Dragon Island!
This oppressive aura wasn't specifically targeted at anyone present; it was more like a naturally emanating presence, as heavy as a mountain or as deep as the ocean.
However, it was this unconscious emanation that made everyone present, except for Zhu Li, including Lin Ming, Soul Power was exceptionally strong and who possessed the Initial World, feel a sudden tightness in their hearts!
It felt as if an invisible giant hand had pressed down on his chest, causing him to catch his breath. A tremendous weight suddenly seemed to press down on his shoulders, and even the stone slabs beneath his feet seemed to sink slightly.
The reactions were more pronounced for Qing Lin and Xiong Zhan, whose cultivation levels were slightly lower.
Qing Lin's pretty face instantly lost all color, turning pale. The fluctuations emanating from her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils suddenly intensified, a kind of instinctive tremor in the face of the pressure of a higher-level life form. Subconsciously, almost instinctively, she took a step closer to Lin Ming, as if only by being near him could she gain a sliver of peace of mind.
Xiong Zhan let out a muffled groan, his burly body tense, and the veins on his forehead throbbed slightly. He gritted his teeth and tried to straighten his back, but the awe that came from the depths of his blood made him involuntarily lower his head slightly.
Even Hei Qing, who had been silent and depressed, suddenly raised his head, his rugged face filled with undisguised awe and excitement, his gaze fixed intently on the direction from which the oppressive aura emanated.
This is just the beginning!
Immediately following, two indescribably powerful auras, like dormant volcanoes erupting or ancient beasts breaking free of their shackles, surged up from the depths of East Dragon Island, instantly breaking through some kind of boundary and sweeping out like invisible waters, enveloping the entire East Dragon Island!
"Boom!!" A roar, though not a loud bang, seemed to explode directly into the depths of one's soul!
Behind the main hall, where what appeared to be a solid wall, the space rippled violently like water, then parted like a curtain to reveal the entrances to two deep, ancient cave Cave Mansion.
The vast and pure Dragon Qi, as if it had been suppressed for millions of years and finally found an outlet, transformed into two tangible silver pillars of light that gushed out from the entrances of the two Cave Mansion!
Within the pillar of light, two blurry yet enormous dragon shadows slowly emerged. The dragon shadows were incredibly solid, with clear scales and claws, and their Dragon Might might was vast. Even as mere phantoms, they caused this space to tremble.
The dragon's shadow swirled, then rapidly contracted and solidified, eventually transforming into two Human Form figures.
With a single step, as if shrinking the distance to an inch, they disregarded the limitations of space and arrived directly from the depths of the Cave Mansion into the main hall, silently standing before Zhu Li, Lin Ming, and the others.
On the left is a man dressed in the simplest linen robe, with white hair and beard, his face covered with deep wrinkles, his appearance withered, and his body even somewhat hunched. He looks like an ordinary old man whose life is about to end.
However, his eyes, when they opened and closed, shone with a sharp light, as if they contained the universe within which the sun and moon revolved and stars rose and fell, so deep that one who looked into them felt as if they were lost in them.
He simply stood there, and the space around him seemed to spontaneously distort and collapse slightly, as if showing him awe and worship.
He is none other than the pillar of East Dragon Island, Great Elder Qing Shan, an ancient being whose strength has long since reached the Mid-stage Two-star Dou Saint.
The person on the right is an elderly man wearing a gray robe.
He looked slightly younger than the Great Elder. Although he also had white hair, there were still some grayish-blue streaks mixed in with his hair.
However, at this moment, his face was cold and stern, as if sculpted from ten thousand years of Mysterious Iron. He was unsmiling, and his lips were pressed into a cold, hard line. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and wherever his gaze swept, it seemed as if even the air itself would freeze. He exuded an aura of coldness, hardness, and indestructibility, like ten thousand years of black iron.
The energy fluctuations emanating from him, though slightly inferior to the unfathomable abyss of the Great Elder, still reached the terrifying level of the Early-stage Two-star Dou Saint! He was none other than Qing Mu, the Second Elder of East Dragon Island, known for his iron-bloodedness and fortitude.
The two elders' gazes, like tangible beams of light, swept across the entire area with incredible speed.
Zhu Li and Hei Qing were familiar clansmen to them, and their gazes swept over them. Then, their eyes focused on Lin Ming, Qing Lin, and Xiong Zhan.
The faint bloodline fluctuations on Xiong Zhan's body, carrying a hint of the Dragon Clan aura, instantly led them to determine that he might be a vassal of some kind of Dragon-Blooded Magical Beast.
Lin Ming and Qing Lin, on the other hand, did not possess the slightest aura of the Ancient Dragon Clan; they were complete "outsiders."
At this moment, the atmosphere in the main hall instantly became heavy and oppressive to the extreme, as if the air itself had turned into a viscous gel.
Even without deliberately releasing their pressure, the gazes of the two Dou Sheng Elders were enough to shatter the minds of ordinary Dou Venerate and cause their Dou Qi to dissipate. An invisible storm seemed to be brewing in the silence.