Breaking the Masked Man

"What are you thinking about?" Yao Yan walked over, gently ruffled Zi Yan's soft hair, and asked softly.

"Big brother..." Zi Yan looked at Yao Yan, her eyes regaining some of their liveliness, and muttered softly.

"It's normal to not be able to accept it right away, but no matter what, your older brother will be with you." Yao Yan said gently, with a hint of doting in his eyes. He genuinely cared for Zi Yan.

The other party should have had a wonderful childhood and an invincible path, but unfortunately, his father was unreliable and coveted the inheritance of the Dou Di, so he became a watchdog.

However, this incident also reflects the terrifying power of the Dou Di.

Even a wisp of remnant consciousness is enough to suppress everything. Even a peak nine-star Dou Sheng expert is no different from an ordinary person.

"Hmm... Big brother, why do you think they disappeared?" Zi Yan leaned against Yao Yan's side, her eyes lowered, her legs swinging again as she asked in a low voice.

"I don't know, but when you become stronger in the future, you can investigate it yourself and find the answer... I'll investigate with you then," Yao Yan said softly.

"Yes." Zi Yan nodded heavily. She really wanted to know the answer, and even wanted to ask them why they abandoned her.

After a while.

She looked at Yao Yan and said, "Brother, do you think I should go back with them?"

"Don't go back until you reach the level of a Dou Sheng. The Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan is in chaos right now. The three Dragon Kings are fighting over splitting up the clan. That old man is Zhu Li, the third elder of Donglong Island. He's on your father's side and supports you. However, you're too weak right now. If you return to the clan now and the three Dragon Kings find out, they will definitely want to kill you!" Yao Yan said in a deep voice.

"They abandoned me and left such a huge mess... Big brother, I don't want to go back." Zi Yan said angrily, her desire to return to the clan waning considerably.

“Then stay at Starfall Pavilion, and I’ll take care of you,” Yao Yan said with a light laugh.

"Okay." Zi Yan replied with a smile, leaning against Yao Yan like a little animal.

Yao Yan was pondering how to persuade Zi Yan to go to Donglong Island when he heard Zi Yan suddenly say, "Big brother, when are we going back? I miss Sister Cai Lin and the others... It's not fun here at all."

I used to look forward to coming to Zhongzhou to find my family.

Now I know everything.

There was clearly nothing left for her to cherish in Zhongzhou. Compared to this unfamiliar environment, the Black Corner Region was much more familiar and felt more like 'home'.

"Once my elder brother has refined the Three Thousand Burning Flames, we'll go back." Yao Yan lied outright, his dark eyes carrying a hint of coldness. He had no intention of returning to Zhongzhou after coming here, nor could he ever return.

After refining the Three Thousand Burning Flames, it will be time for him and Hun Xuzi to return to the Soul Clan.

Given how much Soul Void Prince values ​​him, he will never let him continue to wander around outside. Whether it's the bloodline baptism within the clan or something else, it all needs to be put on the agenda.

Strength is everything.

Indulging too much in the pleasures of love will only cause him to lose everything.

"Mm." Zi Yan nodded, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Yao Yan pondered for a moment before speaking, "How about we secretly go to Donglong Island and see where your parents used to live?"

"?!"

Zi Yan was taken aback by what she heard, and suddenly looked up at Yao Yan, puzzled, since the two of them had just made an agreement.

"Go secretly, without telling anyone else. Besides, according to that old man, your bloodline also needs to be baptized. If it's delayed any longer, it will affect your growth," Yao Yan said softly, patting Zi Yan's head.

“…I’ll listen to my older brother.” Zi Yan hesitated for a moment before replying.

Sensing Zi Yan's trust and reliance, Yao Yan smiled and said, "I love you all: Big brother will always be with you."

"Hmm~"

……

……

With Zhu Li, a high-level semi-saint, leading the way, Yao Yan and Zi Yan arrived at Donglong Island from Xingyun Pavilion in less than half an hour. It was still the place where Yao Yan had refined medicine before. The Yin-Yang Dragon-Phoenix Pill that had not yet been taken out was still hovering inside the Myriad Beasts Cauldron. Unfortunately, the space inside had been sealed off by Zhu Li, so it had nowhere to go.

Upon sensing the return of Yao Yan and the others, the little dragon-phoenix beast immediately let out a roar.

"Big brother, did you refine these pills?!" The moment Zi Yan looked at the little beast, her purple eyes lit up, revealing a small tiger tooth as she asked curiously.

"Hmm, a top-grade eighth-rank pill, the Yin-Yang Dragon-Phoenix Pill, which also happens to have nurtured a wisp of dragon-phoenix bloodline power. Its effects on you should be excellent." Yao Yan looked at Zi Yan's bright eyes and inexplicably thought of the little fox he used to raise, his tone becoming gentler.

Although this pill has a very high chance of allowing him to condense the body of an ancient dragon and the wings of a phoenix, Zi Yan will undergo a bloodline baptism next, and her body will undergo a transformation. With the assistance of this pill, her body will undergo a more complete transformation.

As for the Ancient Dragon's Body and the Heavenly Phoenix Wings... Yao Yan can ask the three Dragon Kings and the Heavenly Phoenix Clan for them later, so there's no rush.

He valued Zi Yan highly and naturally hoped that she could grow to a higher level.

"Did Big Brother refine this for me?" Zi Yan blinked, asking with considerable surprise.

"Eat up~" Yao Yan said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan didn't stand on ceremony with Yao Yan and strode directly to the Ten Thousand Beasts Cauldron. She then reached out to grab the small beast inside the cauldron. Because of her short stature, she could only use her battle qi wings to barely grab the little dragon-phoenix inside. The little dragon-phoenix sensed the danger and emitted invisible fluctuations around its body, seemingly trying to resist Zi Yan's capture.

"Hmph!" Zi Yan was also unreasonable and domineering. Her purple eyes shone with a rich purple light, like a prehistoric beast awakening. She suddenly exerted force with both arms and directly squeezed the little dragon phoenix back into its pill form.

Is it bloodline suppression?

Yao Yan's eyes flickered slightly when he saw this scene.

Seeing this scene, Zhu Li's eyes were filled with emotion. As expected of the direct descendant of the Dragon Emperor, the wisp of dragon-phoenix bloodline contained in the pill posed no threat to it and could only obediently become nourishment for its growth.

"Big brother, I've taken it~" Zi Yan held the pill, waved to Yao Yan, and confirmed.

"Eat."

Yao Yan said with a smile, not feeling it was a pity at all. Pills were meant to be made and consumed, especially since they were meant for his own people.

"Awoo~" Zi Yan threw the pill directly into her mouth. Before she could even chew it, the pill melted instantly. She only felt a warm sensation in her body and then felt nothing more.

She looked at Yao Yan with some confusion, wondering why this high-grade eighth-rank pill had no taste at all.

"It's different from the pills you usually take. Once you undergo the bloodline baptism, you'll understand how precious this pill is." Yao Yan saw Zi Yan's expression and understood what she was thinking, and for a moment he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He really is a foodie; he doesn't care about the effects of the pills at all, only about their taste.

Zi Yan pursed her lips, savoring the taste of the pill. Unfortunately, although the pill smelled very fragrant and tempting, it tasted bland and was not even as good as some pills made from herbal essences.

"I'll leave the rest to you, senior," Yao Yan said sincerely, looking at Zhu Li beside her.

"Young friend, you're too kind. This is what I should do," Zhu Li said slowly, stroking his white beard and looking at Yao Yan with increasing kindness and appreciation.

It is truly a great thing that the princess can befriend a human prodigy like Yao Yan.

"Big brother, come with me!" Zi Yan flashed to Yao Yan's side, grabbed his clothes, and said seriously, while looking at Zhu Li with a look that said, 'If you dare to refuse, I'll run away.'

Zhu Li frowned, hesitating for a moment. The Dragon Phoenix Pool was a forbidden area of ​​the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, and even members of the clan could not set foot there at will, let alone Yao Yan, an outsider.

"Zi Yan, stop fooling around." Yao Yan noticed Zhu Li's predicament, looked at Zi Yan, and said softly.

"If my brother doesn't go, I won't go either." Zi Yan tilted her head, not wanting to bargain at all.

“…Alright, given your relationship with the princess, you can’t be considered an outsider. Let’s go together.” Zhu Li remained silent for a moment, then looked at the resolute Zi Yan and compromised.

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and distorted the surrounding space, turning it into a silver light gate. He gestured to the two of them and then stepped into it first.

Yao Yan retrieved the Myriad Beasts Cauldron and looked at Zi Yan, who was sticking her tongue out at him. He knew perfectly well that the little girl was doing it on purpose. He smiled, took Zi Yan's hand, and stepped into the silver light gate. As the scene before them distorted, a fiery red world came into view.

A pool of blood, resembling a ruby, exudes indescribable, terrifying energy. Even the power of the soul cannot penetrate it; one can only sense the immense power of blood and qi, the light emanating from it illuminating this small world.

Looking around, this small world is contained within a silver barrier, surrounded by endless, pitch-black void.

"This place is where generations of our clansmen have passed away. It contains a vast amount of pure energy, making it the perfect place to baptize the princess's bloodline. There will be some pain during the process, but once you get through it, you will reap great benefits and allow the princess to grow up quickly!" Zhu Li said to Zi Yan, who was walking out of the light gate.

Zi Yan's eyes brightened slightly as she looked at the blood pool that resembled a jewel. She felt her body burning, as if something was calling to her, making her instinctively crave it.

The stronger the bloodline, the more energy it needs to be stimulated to grow.

If Zi Yan were to cultivate on her own, it would take countless years to fully 'feed' her bloodline. The bloodline baptism, on the other hand, activates the unawakened portion of her bloodline, unleashing her full potential.

Imagine.

Once Zi Yan's bloodline is fully revived, her strength will increase dramatically. This is the benefit of being born into a powerful family!

Yao Yan withdrew his gaze from the area. Apart from a blood pool, there was nothing special about the place. As for the blood pool, one could only find out by going inside; simply looking at it would not yield any conclusions.

"Big brother, want to come together?" Zi Yan tugged at Yao Yan's clothes, saying impatiently.

Zhu Li opened his mouth, but ultimately chose to remain silent. One reason was the relationship between Yao Yan and Zi Yan, and the other was that the energy contained in this blood pool was left behind by the deceased experts of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, which was not suitable for outsiders to absorb. Even though Yao Yan had exceptional talent, he could not absorb much of it.

Its primary function is to baptize the royal bloodline of people like Zi Yan.

Seeing that Zhu Li did not stop him, Yao Yan followed Zi Yan to the edge of the blood pool. Zi Yan had already released Yao Yan's clothes and jumped down, plunging into the blood pool. The entire blood pool reacted, and with a terrifying surge of blood energy, Zi Yan's petite body was instantly enveloped by the blood energy, transforming into a purple-gold 'egg' covered with mysterious patterns.

Clearly, the baptism has begun.

Upon seeing this scene, Yao Yan hesitated for a moment and did not immediately step inside.

“Young friend, you are a member of the Medicine Clan, born with the bloodline of a Dou Di. However, this place is the blood pool of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, which will not have much effect on your Dou Di bloodline… But if you would like to try, you can go in and absorb some of it. The energy contained within can improve your strength to some extent.” Zhu Li came to the edge of the pool and looked at the hesitant Yao Yan, speaking softly.

"Won't this disturb Ziyan?" Yaoyan asked the key question.

Zhu Li's gaze towards Yao Yan grew even more amiable as he chuckled, "The origin of this blood pool can be traced back to ancient times. The energy it contains is virtually limitless; even a Dou Sheng expert could not affect it."

He smiled and gestured for Yao Yan to leave.

"In that case, this junior will not stand on ceremony." Upon hearing this, Yao Yan stopped being coy and, with a burning glint in his eyes, leaped directly into the Dragon-Phoenix Pool.

As he immersed himself in it, he felt waves of incredibly powerful energy surge into his body through his limbs and bones. The terrifying energy even caused a slight stinging sensation in his body, and these energies also contained strands of spatial power.

"As expected of the place where the powerful members of the Ancient Dragon Clan of the Void have passed away..." Yao Yan's eyes flickered slightly, and then he chose a place away from Zi Yan and sat down cross-legged.

"Wow~"

As he closed his eyes and began to circulate the Burning Technique, the energy in the surrounding blood pool began to boil and surge towards Yao Yan, instantly entering his body. The absorption speed was like that of a whale swallowing its prey whole, accepting everything that came.