Chapter 360: Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit

After giving instructions, Xiao Ming led Zi Yan deep into the dense forest.

The ancient herb forest was vast, filled with a lingering fragrance, and enveloped in a faint mist. Small beasts would occasionally dart out from the bushes, creating a peaceful atmosphere reminiscent of a fairyland.

Xiao Ming scanned his surroundings, sensing the formidable auras within the forest. It was evident that there were powerful magical beasts here.

Over countless years, this ancient forest had become its own world, home to many incredibly strong magical beasts. Many of them were ancient beings with formidable combat capabilities. That was why Xiao Ming insisted on everyone sticking together.

Zi Yan had already eaten to her heart's content, and she touched her round belly before giggling.

"Xiao Ming, is there any particular herb we're looking for?"

"Try to find some high-grade herbs, preferably ones that are beneficial to the soul," Xiao Ming replied casually.

While it was just a casual remark, he indeed hoped to find herbs that could affect the soul. As he was currently at the peak of the Spirit Realm, he needed external forces, in addition to diligent cultivation, to break through to the Heaven Realm.

"Got it!" With a full belly, Zi Yan energetically started searching for herbs, leading Xiao Ming on a frenzied exploration.

Along the way, Xiao Ming sensed many fierce auras. Several times, they encountered large, ferocious-looking magical beasts that swiftly passed by. However, perhaps due to Zi Yan's identity as an Ancient Void Dragon, the faint but perceptible aura of a dragon prevented these beasts from actively harassing them. This made their journey relatively smooth.

After harvesting a few herbs, Zi Yan suddenly stopped in her tracks and stared blankly in a certain direction. Sorrow appeared on her face, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes and falling down her delicate cheeks.

Xiao Ming immediately noticed this and looked at the dazed Zi Yan with a hint of understanding in his eyes. Despite having a guess in his heart, he gently inquired, "What's wrong, Zi Yan?"

"There... something is summoning me," Zi Yan said, her gaze vacant and confused, the feeling originating from her bloodline.

'Indeed, she sensed it,' Xiao Ming pondered silently, touching Zi Yan's small head. He spoke softly, "If that's the case, shall we go and investigate?"

"Okay!" Zi Yan nodded vigorously.

After their conversation, the two of them immediately set off, traversing one forest after another. Occasionally, magical beasts would emit warning roars, but none dared to provoke them. As an Ancient Void Dragon, Zi Yan could drive away all magical beasts.

The closer they got, the clearer Zi Yan's sense of calling became, like a gentle breeze whispering in her ears.

Suddenly, the scenery opened up before their eyes, and the dense forest disappeared. In front of them was a green grassland, its energy of heaven and earth seemingly drained, insufficient to nurture high-grade herbs that required many years of growth.

Zi Yan stood at the edge of the plain without any hesitation. Swiftly reaching out her small hand, she touched the empty space half a foot in front of her. As her hand made contact, a golden light suddenly appeared out of thin air.

"This is the Beast Spiritual Barrier. Only magical beasts with extremely powerful strength before their death can condense such a barrier," Zi Yan explained.

She gently rubbed the light barrier with her small hand. Her mood had calmed down considerably, but a faint sadness still lingered on her face.

"It seems that an ancestor of your Ancient Void Dragon Tribe fell here. Let's go inside and take a look." Xiao Ming suggested.

Zi Yan nodded slightly. Since they had come here, they had to go inside and see for themselves. Without hesitation, she bit her slender jade finger, and a strand of golden blood emerged at her fingertip. She lightly touched the Beast Spiritual Barrier, leaving a golden bloodstain.

As the golden bloodstain appeared, the area began to fluctuate rapidly. The golden barrier rippled, and a crack slowly tore open.

"Let's go..."

Seeing this, Zi Yan waved her hand and stepped directly into the crack. Xiao Ming followed closely behind her, and as he entered the Beast Spiritual Barrier, the golden light fluctuated, and the crack quickly vanished without a trace.

...

As Xiao Ming and Zi Yan stepped into the Beast Spiritual Barrier, their surroundings transformed abruptly. The once lush forest disappeared, giving way to a desolate plain.

The plain was vast, covered with bright red sand that seemed dyed with fresh blood. Pale white stone dust dotted the landscape amidst the vibrant redness. At the center of the plain stood a majestic ancient stone altar, three hundred meters in size, exuding a tinge of blood color, giving it an ancient and desolate appearance.

A savage aura, as if from ancient times, rushed towards them. Surrounding the altar were two gigantic creatures, connected head to tail, encircling it in the center.

"Ancient Void Dragon! Ancient Heaven Phoenix?" Zi Yan exclaimed in shock. She had sensed that something was amiss when she entered, but she never expected to find an Ancient Heaven Phoenix here!

Xiao Ming's gaze remained fixed on the altar, looking into the distance. He saw a stone platform in the center of the altar, displaying a combination of golden and purple colors.

On the stone platform, there was a small groove, and within that groove, a small tree seedling was beginning to grow.

The tree seedling was only as thick as a thumb, but it meandered around like an enormous dragon. On the top of this little tree seedling hung a fruit.

The fruit was the size of a palm, displaying both golden and purple colors. The golden half twisted and turned, resembling a shrunk version of an Ancient Void Dragon, while the other purple half appeared like a phoenix dancing with spread wings.

A terrifying pressure emanated from the fruit as if facing the dreadful power of an Ancient Void Dragon and an Ancient Heaven Phoenix.

Xiao Ming had encountered the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit before and even had one sealed inside his storage ring.

Zi Yan, on the other hand, had a blank expression at first, but then a glimmer of excitement appeared in her eyes as she exclaimed:

"This is the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, mentioned in some of the ancient books of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe!"

"This kind of fruit requires the absorption of the lifeforce from an Ancient Void Dragon and an Ancient Heaven Phoenix in order to gain a ten percent chance of being born. Even in the records of the Ancient Void Dragon, this Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit had only appeared a mere five times, and this is the sixth time!"

"Each Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, if consumed by an Ancient Void Dragon or an Ancient Heaven Phoenix, is capable of giving birth to a True Ultimate Beast!"

Xiao Ming had wanted to mention that he had one Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit in his storage ring as well, but considering the complicated origins of the fruit, he decided against it. Currently, one Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit was sufficient for Zi Yan to use, and having more might only cause more trouble.

"In that case, go ahead and pluck the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit. You possess the bloodline of the Dragon Emperor, and with this fruit, it is certain that you will experience tremendous progress in all aspects," Xiao Ming said, having thought it through.

Zi Yan nodded in agreement, without any hesitation or refusal. Within the ancient remains, she was the only one with the bloodline of the Ancient Void Dragon, and only she had the ability to unlock the full power of this fruit to its utmost potential.