Chapter 382: Zhu Li

'Have we arrived?'

Xiao Ming and Medusa's spirits were lifted as they saw the halo, and they slightly increased their speed to keep up with Hei Qing. After a moment, the three of them transformed into streaks of light and rushed into the silver halo.

As they entered the halo, Xiao Ming's vision momentarily became blurred before returning to normal. The monotonous silver color was replaced by the sight of a lush green mountain before his eyes.

'This is...'

Floating high in the air, Xiao Ming looked at the land before him in astonishment. To be more precise, it was an island.

The size of the island was incredibly vast, and a faint silver circular outline in the sky above formed a bowl-like shape, encompassing the entire island. Beyond the barrier, one could see the pitch-black and chilling empty space.

The island was suspended in empty space!

"What magnificence..." Even Medusa couldn't help but gasp in awe.

Although the island's size couldn't match the realms created by Dou Saint-level experts, this place was even more hidden. Even Dou Venerate-level experts wouldn't dare to intrude randomly into the realm of emptiness. Establishing a resting place in this area was extremely secure. No wonder news about the Ancient Void Dragon in the Central Plains was scarce.

"Follow me."

Hei Qing's gaze swept below, and then he waved his hand, leading the way to a specific spot on the island. Xiao Ming and Medusa quickly followed suit.

While flying, Xiao Ming could faintly sense the presence of numerous powerful and elusive auras on the dragon island. It seemed that these auras belonged to formidable members of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe.

The Ancient Void Dragon Tribe truly lived up to its reputation as one of the top existences in the Magical Beast World. Xiao Ming had never encountered such a multitude of powerful auras, not even in Holy Pill City.

Moreover, these were only the auras he could detect. Xiao Ming believed that there were likely some auras on this dragon island that even he couldn't perceive, and those were the truly terrifying beings.

However, this didn't mean that the Pill Tower was inferior to the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. The organization of the Pill Tower was relatively loose, and there weren't as many powerful experts constantly residing in Holy Pill City. Additionally, there was also the Small Pill Tower.

Relying solely on Eastern Dragon Island was not enough to compete with the Pill Tower. Even if all four dragon islands were taken into account, they still couldn't match the Pill Tower with the presence of the Pill Tower Ancestor.

Of course, if Zhu Kun could be freed and the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe could summon back the experts who had left through the void, then it would be a different story.

...

Xiao Ming and Medusa followed Hei Qing as they descended towards a massive peak at the center of the island. Along the way, they encountered a couple of figures that appeared to be patrolling. When these figures saw Hei Qing, they stopped in their tracks and looked surprised at Xiao Ming and Medusa before stepping back.

Upon reaching the top of the peak, Xiao Ming and the others landed softly. As soon as their feet touched the ground, a figure in white robes silently appeared before them.

"Hei Qing greets the Third Elder," Hei Qing greeted respectfully, cupping his hands. He pointed at Xiao Ming and said, "This is Zi Yan's friend, Xiao Ming."

"Ke ke, please forgive us for summoning you so urgently, little friend Xiao Ming," the white-robed old man smiled as he spoke to Xiao Ming.

"This is the Third Elder, Zhu Li," Hei Qing introduced.

"Elder Zhu Li, you are too polite. Zi Yan is my friend, and I would naturally rush over if she is in any trouble," Xiao Ming replied.

Although the elderly man before him wore a benevolent expression, Xiao Ming dared not be negligent. From the elder's presence, he sensed an unparalleled sense of oppression, making him the most powerful person he had encountered so far.

'So, this is the oppressive feeling of a high-level Half-Saint? Even without deliberately emanating his aura, it gives me a sense of deadly danger,' Xiao Ming thought to himself, feeling his eyes involuntarily twitch.

Elder Zhu Li smiled, stroked his snowy white beard, and then his calm gaze suddenly fell upon Medusa standing behind Xiao Ming. He was momentarily taken aback and exclaimed in surprise.

"Is this... the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python? I didn't expect that there would still be a Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python in the world. I thought they had all disappeared."

Medusa cautiously looked at Elder Zhu Li and nodded gently. As top bloodlines of the Magical Beast World, the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python and the Ancient Void Dragon were said to have fought in the ancient past. She wondered how Elder Zhu Li would perceive her.

"Medusa is my wife and a close friend of Zi Yan. She accompanied me on this trip because she was worried about Zi Yan's safety," Xiao Ming explained quietly.

'Wife...' Medusa's eyes flickered with complex emotions. She had never imagined that Xiao Ming would introduce her as his wife to outsiders. Previously, it had only been a compromise she made to part ways with Xiao Ming and return to the Snake-People Tribe.

As Medusa contemplated these thoughts, she felt no resistance in her heart. On the contrary, she felt a sense of elation.

"Hehe, Xiao Ming, you don't need to worry. Those ancient grudges have long been settled. Moreover, we won't do anything to Zi Yan's friends..." Elder Zhu Li chuckled.

Xiao Ming smiled and decided to get straight to the point. "Elder Zhu Li, I wonder what exactly happened to Zi Yan?"

At the mention of Zi Yan, Elder Zhu Li fell silent for a moment and sighed softly before speaking. "It's all because of the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit."

"Zi Yan is a member of the royal bloodline of our Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. Her father was the king of the Ancient Void Dragons. He suddenly went missing, and Zi Yan went missing with him. We only sensed her presence when she arrived in the Central Plains a couple of years ago... and we have you to thank for that."

Xiao Ming was well aware of Zi Yan's origins, so his expression remained unchanged.

"The Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit is a mysterious treasure that is extremely unlikely to grow after absorbing the blood of an Ancient Void Dragon and that of an Ancient Heaven Phoenix. This kind of fruit can change the bloodline of an Ancient Dragon or Ancient Heaven Phoenix, allowing the body to possess the specialties of both creatures and gain a true Magical Beast king bloodline," Elder Zhu Li continued.

"After Zi Yan brought back the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, we decided, after much discussion, to allow her to inherit its strength. One reason is that she has the blood of royalty, and once she reaches maturity, she will become the new Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragons. It is most suitable for her to possess this bloodline. The second reason is that she is still young and adaptable, making it easier for her to absorb the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit..."

At this point, Elder Zhu Li couldn't help but force a bitter smile and said, "However, the outcome has somewhat exceeded our expectations. The energy contained in the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit is too powerful, and Zi Yan's body is unable to fully absorb it. As a result, the energy has started to solidify..."

"Energy solidifying?" Xiao Ming showed no particular reaction to the term, but Medusa was taken aback and asked in astonishment, "What do you mean?"