Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Flame, Female Lead Plotline

The Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan both stood among the foremost divine beast races. Neither accepted the other's superiority, and countless wars had erupted between them.

Yet during a certain period in ancient history, the two clans had remarkably formed an alliance.

It was said that the one who had led both clans at the time was a legendary Dragon-Phoenix!

Only a creature that embodied the bloodlines of both clans could make the proud Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan willingly bow in submission.

Unfortunately, the chances of a Dragon-Phoenix being born were infinitesimal. There had not been any news of one for tens of thousands of years,

so most people were utterly unfamiliar with them.

However, Futu Yun, who had read the original novel, knew that there should be a Dragon-Phoenix within the Boundless Fire Territory.

It was a Lower Plane Dragon-Phoenix that had ascended from the Dou Qi Continent.

Though it could not compare to the Great Thousand World's strongest divine beasts, it was still a genuine Dragon-Phoenix!

By now, it had at least reached the Heavenly Sovereign level and might even have broken through to Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign.

If he could establish a bloodline connection with this Dragon-Phoenix, the benefits to Futu Yun would naturally be immense.

Zi Yan would likewise gain enormous benefits—such as bloodline purification.

Futu Yun was connected to the Endless Light Body and could use the Primordial Dharma Body to temper her bloodline.

Zi Yan had undoubtedly been the strongest magical beast on the Dou Qi Continent. Even before transforming into a Dragon-Phoenix, she had been royalty among the Void Ancient Dragons;

after becoming a Dragon-Phoenix, her strength had advanced by leaps and bounds.

But in the Great Thousand World, her bloodline purity was still lacking.

If she could become a true Pure-Blood Dragon-Phoenix, breaking through to Saint Grade would be within reach, and she might even have a chance to command both the Dragon and Phoenix Clans.

"No!" Yet ideals were full, while reality was cruel—Zi Yan had not considered this at all.

"What child is having such wild fantasies? A bloodline connection with a child?"

If it were Xiao Yan's son or daughter, that would be one thing, but who was this young clan leader of the Pagoda Ancient Clan?

Did she even know him?

She had heard that the Pagoda Ancient Clan was one of the Five Great Ancient Clans.

Back then, the Maha Ancient Clan, leader of the Five Great Ancient Clans, had attempted to encroach upon the Boundless Fire Territory,

only to be beaten so badly by Xiao Yan that they had not dared show their faces for more than a decade.

Thus, Zi Yan did not have a favorable impression of these ancient clans either.

Especially after hearing that the Pagoda Ancient Clan had recently been expanding its territory everywhere, acting exactly like the Maha Ancient Clan of old.

As for purifying her bloodline and helping her become a Pure-Blood Dragon-Phoenix?

Honestly, Zi Yan had no interest in it—she was a Void Ancient Dragon!

She was a Void Ancient Dragon with Dragon-Phoenix bloodline, not merely a Dragon-Phoenix!

Otherwise, what cultivation resource in the Great Thousand World could possibly surpass pills produced by the Flame Emperor?

Had Zi Yan lacked opportunities all these years?

She simply did not want to!

Still, the people of the Boundless Fire Territory remained fairly courteous toward Futu Yun. After all, these ancient clans were pillars of the Great Thousand World,

and while the Boundless Fire Territory feared nothing, it did not wish to make enemies without cause.

Thus, although Futu Yun's response was still a refusal, its tone was considerably more polite,

and the other party even sent him a silver flame.

As the flame rose, nine silver fire dragons swam through it. Their gathered dragon might even possessed the effect of intimidating Divine Souls.

"Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Flame," Futu Yun murmured.

This was the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Flame, ranked twelfth on the Dou Qi Continent's Heavenly Flame Ranking.

It had been passed down by the Burning Flame Valley for hundreds of years, and generations of experts had left blood-soul imprints within the flame's origin that were nearly impossible to erase.

Unless one cultivated the Burning Flame Valley's sect-defending art, the Azure Netherworld Flame Art,

even if one obtained this flame, it would be absolutely impossible to make it one's own.

But in the Flame Emperor's hands, those imprints had surely long since been erased, hadn't they?

"That's right. I didn't expect Young Clan Leader Futu to recognize this," the young man delivering the flame said in some surprise.

"My father said that this flame is quite compatible with your Divine Soul. It has also given birth to a flame spirit, so you may try refining it."

Back on the Dou Qi Continent, only the top three Heavenly Flames had been able to give birth to flame spirits.

For this twelfth-ranked Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Flame to achieve this now, it was surely the Flame Emperor's doing.

After a moment of silence, Futu Yun cupped his fists toward the visitor. "Please convey this to Senior Flame Emperor:

"I will never forget Senior's kindness in protecting me."

The Flame Emperor, hidden nearby, was slightly surprised upon hearing this—he had not expected Futu Yun to see through the deeper meaning of this gesture.

This junior possessed a keen and discerning mind. He would surely accomplish great things in the future.

Because of his own experiences, the Flame Emperor had never looked down on the young.

Even though he now held an exalted position in the Great Thousand World, seeing the extraordinary potential of the youth before him, he was willing to forge a good relationship.

But more importantly, it was a matter of character:

Zi Yan was merely a Mixed-Blood Dragon-Phoenix, while Futu Yun was the young clan leader of the Pagoda Ancient Clan.

Even experts below Saint Grade in the Great Thousand World had to show him a measure of deference.

In fact, the young clan leader of any faction with a Saint-grade Heavenly Sovereign overseeing it enjoyed such treatment in the Great Thousand World,

simply because a Saint Grade expert stood behind them.

Although Zi Yan had the Flame Emperor, a Saint Grade expert, behind her, she was not the Boundless Fire Territory's heir.

Futu Yun had come from afar, yet Zi Yan had avoided meeting him. This was undoubtedly discourteous.

After all, Futu Yun was visiting in his capacity as the young clan leader of the Pagoda Ancient Clan, and presenting a visiting card was an extremely formal courtesy.

Unless they bore a blood feud, one would normally accept the visiting card amicably.

Refusing to accept it, on the other hand, was a tremendous insult and slight to the other party—more serious in consequence than secretly beating Futu Yun up.

Although the Boundless Fire Territory did not fear the Pagoda Ancient Clan, it did not wish to offend them for no reason.

This was also one of the reasons the Flame Emperor had intervened.

At the same time, the Flame Emperor secretly observed Futu Yun's reaction and found that he had shown no negative emotions after being refused,

nor had he uttered words like, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river."

The Flame Emperor recalled his own youthful past and could not help feeling that the "three-year agreement" back then had been somewhat impulsive.

Was Nalan Yanran truly wrong to break off the engagement?

From the Flame Emperor's perspective, she had been the first stepping stone on his path to growth,

but that was hindsight—who could have predicted his rise at the time?

Xun'er had been childhood sweethearts with him and had stayed by his side from the time he was considered "trash,"

witnessing his ascent to the peak every step of the way. The depth of their bond needed no explanation.

But Nalan Yanran had merely been unwilling to casually marry a stranger and had wanted to choose her own life.

Even if he had not become "trash" back then, Nalan Yanran would still have broken off the engagement.

She had always been a woman who dared to resist, dared to love, and dared to hate.

Had he not risen to prominence, Nalan Yanran might have become the "female lead" of the Misty Cloud Sect.

Unfortunately, she had been born at the wrong time,

and encountered him, the protagonist of a "trash's comeback,"

ultimately becoming a mere tool for him to slap in the face.

So even if Futu Yun had become angry because Zi Yan refused to see him, the Flame Emperor would have found it understandable.

Yet Futu Yun had accepted it calmly.

On one hand, it was because he was broad-minded. On the other, it stemmed from confidence.

Xiao Yan had considered Nalan Yanran's actions an insult back then

only because, after falling from genius to trash, he had already become sensitive and somewhat insecure inside.

Nalan Yanran's decision to break off the engagement had happened to strike directly at his sore spot.

But Futu Yun, who had been born above others, clearly would not believe that Zi Yan looked down on him for his low cultivation.

After all, in his mind,

reaching the pinnacle was merely a matter of time.

Thus, Zi Yan's refusal seemed to him

as ordinary as saying, "We're not a good match," after a blind date.