Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
******
"The Sky Demon Phoenix Clan is one of the three great beast clans in the Magical Beast Realm. Their clan is filled with powerful individuals and is incredibly terrifying. Even at your current peak Nine-Star Dou Zong level, facing such a fearsome power would force you to retreat," Mu Qingluan said seriously.
"That's why, before entering the Beast Region, you'd best find a way to conceal the Demon Phoenix blood essence in your body."
"Tch, what's so scary about the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan? Xiao Yan, don't worry. I'm here, and if they dare to show up, I'll make sure they don't leave," Ziyan, still happily munching away, pouted and patted her chest proudly.
Before she could get carried away, Qian Renhan poured cold water on her bravado.
"You're overthinking it. Before you boast like that, clean up the mess your own clan is in. The Sky Demon Phoenix Clan is very strong."
Ziyan blinked and asked,
"Very strong? Just some mixed-breed birds, right? They're not ancient Heavenly Phoenixes or anything."
Mu Qingluan was stunned upon hearing this. To call the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan "mixed birds" and then casually reference the extinct, apex-class Ancient Heavenly Phoenix race—who exactly was this little girl?
"Their clan leader, Feng Tian, is a Five-Star Dou Sheng. He's stronger than even the Soul Hall's Hall Master."
The group collectively inhaled sharply. Even Ziyan fell silent. She hadn't expected that the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan—whom the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan considered their snack suppliers—had grown so powerful. Without her elder present, even resisting Feng Tian would require complete unity among the fractured Ancient Dragon Clan. Unfortunately, her clan had split into four factions and was rife with internal conflict.
Ziyan suddenly remembered how, when she'd asked Xiong Zhan to head to East Dragon Island, Hei Qing had told her to start displaying the majesty befitting a ruler of beast clans—especially when facing the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan. Perhaps this was precisely to bluff and keep other clans believing the Ancient Dragon Clan was still as formidable as before.
For the first time, the usually innocent, food-loving Ziyan narrowed her bright eyes, sensing the weight on her shoulders. As the Dragon Emperor's daughter, born with royal blood, and the chosen next ruler of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, she had to reunify the fragmented factions. Only by re-integrating the resources and secret realms of Dragon Island could her clan reclaim its place among the continent's elite. And she had to rescue her old man too.
The Beast Region, though not as vast as Central Plains, was by no means small. Its boundless, overlapping mountain ranges emitted a raw, untamed aura unique to this land.
Upon reaching the Skeletal Mountain Range, Mu Qingluan finally took out an ancient jade from her storage ring and gently crushed it.
Not long after the jade shattered, a figure rapidly approached from the distant mountains. It was an old man in gray robes, wearing a Starfall Pavilion elder's badge on his chest. However, he appeared a bit disheveled, as if he'd just come out of a battle.
"Elder Hu, what happened? Where is Elder Qi?" Mu Qingluan asked, startled.
Elder Hu forced a wry smile and replied with a trace of anger,
"Elder Qi and I were ordered by the Pavilion Masters to scout the Skeletal Mountain Range ahead of time. We were lucky enough to find a mountain close to the ancient relic—perfect for monitoring any activity. But as we began setting up camp with a few Starfall Pavilion disciples, we ran into people from the Wind and Thunder Pavilion."
"Even their Pavilion Master, Venerable Lei, showed up personally. When we tried to reason with them, he kicked us out directly. Elder Qi was injured and couldn't move, so I came alone to greet you."
Everyone turned to Qian Renhan—clearly awaiting his decision.
"I'm not interested in faction disputes," Qian Renhan said plainly.
"Let Xiao Yan handle it. He's the Young Pavilion Master of Starfall Pavilion."
With that, Qian Renhan took Ziyan and left. He had no time to waste here. If not for the presence of the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit, he wouldn't have come at all. From what he could see, this area had only attracted Dou Zong and Dou Zun experts.
At the center of the Skeletal Mountain Range lay a massive basin stretching over a thousand li. Now, however, this entire basin was filled with countless bleached bones, forming a vast white sea of skeletons. From afar, it was blindingly white and eerily chilling—enough to make one's skin crawl.
Surrounding this skeletal sea stood dense crowds of experts. Dozens of fiery gazes were locked onto the twisted space at the center. As soon as the spatial seal dissolved, they would flood in like a tidal wave, hungry for opportunity.
Qian Renhan arrived with Ziyan. After examining the spatial seal for a moment, he prepared to take her into the ancient Dou Sheng relic.
Below the level of a Saint, all are ants.
Even the protagonist Xiao Yan, during his Nine-Rotation Dou Zun phase, hadn't defeated a true Half-Sage. So it was only natural that a relic left behind by a Saint-level powerhouse could only be entered by another Saint or higher.
Qian Renhan didn't need to break the seal. He simply tore open space and brought Ziyan into the relic. They passed through a magma sea, and with Ziyan's acute sense for herbs, they arrived in an ancient forest composed entirely of rare medicinal plants. While it wasn't as vast as the Ten Thousand Medicine Mountains, the quality of the herbs here was on a completely different level.
"Wow! Now this is a paradise!"
Ziyan's eyes sparkled with stars as she wiped the drool from her mouth. With a joyful squeal, she leaped into a cluster of high-energy lingzhi mushrooms and began stuffing them into her mouth like candy.
Qian Renhan chuckled lightly and shook his head. He planned to wait until Ziyan filled her belly, then go retrieve the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit. The seal on the Dou Sheng relic wouldn't fully dissolve for another week anyway, and this forest still housed many powerful magical beasts.
What he didn't know was that, just as he and Ziyan had entered the relic, a group of powerful auras suddenly streaked across the skies above the Skeletal Mountain Range—so overwhelming that even the Dou Zong and Dou Zun experts present paused and looked up.
Leading the group were two elderly figures, followed by several younger individuals. Among them, the one who stood out the most was a woman in elegant green robes. Though her clothing wasn't lavish, it exuded a subtle, commanding nobility—one that transcended worldly status. It was the kind of majesty that seemed to belong to a sovereign born of the heavens themselves—ancient, dignified, and undiminished by time.
Her long, dark hair flowed like silk, casually tied back with a faint violet ribbon. The strands traced the graceful curves of her form, cascading down her back in a mesmerizing flow. When the breeze passed, her hair fluttered gently, lending her an ethereal presence—like a celestial being who had mistakenly wandered into the mortal realm, radiating a purity that felt untouchable, sacred.
"Xun'er..."
Xiao Yan raised his head, gazing at the familiar silhouette that had haunted his dreams—yet now appeared even more refined, more graceful, and breathtakingly beautiful than he remembered. His throat tightened. For a long moment, he stood frozen, until finally, in a soft, trembling murmur that escaped almost against his will, he whispered her name.
His voice was low, his tone reverent—heavy with longing and disbelief.
(End of Chapter)