"You may all rise," Zi Yan said, her voice carrying a trace of discomfort. "Seeing you kneel like this makes me uneasy."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Hei Qing rose smoothly, then bowed once more. "Your Highness, shall we return to the clan now?"
Having located the imperial bloodline, his sole priority was to escort Zi Yan back to East Dragon Island without delay. They were still in the outer world; the slightest leak could alert the other three islands, inviting interception or open conflict.
Among the four fractured Dragon Isles, only East Dragon Island lacked any royal or imperial bloodline.
Zi Yan's gaze instinctively turned to Xiao Jietian. For as long as they had been together, whenever a decision required thought, she simply followed his lead. Thinking? She had no use for that in this lifetime. What good was a brain when one possessed such formidable fists?
"Hmm… you should return with them," Xiao Jietian said gently, stroking her soft purple hair. "It will benefit your future greatly."
A flicker of reluctance crossed his eyes, yet he knew the gains far outweighed any loss.
"You're not coming with me?" Zi Yan asked, tilting her head.
"We will not. But we still have the message stones, do we not? We can speak anytime. Moreover, I intend to prepare a gift for you."
At the mention of a gift, Zi Yan's eyes sparkled like stars. Anything Xiao Jietian bestowed was inevitably a priceless treasure. "What kind of gift? Can you tell me now?"
She looked up at him with an adorably innocent expression, batting her lashes.
Xiao Jietian shook his head with a faint smile. "If I told you now, it would no longer be a surprise. Rest assured—this item will be vital to your future."
For that particular treasure, he was prepared to slay anyone who stood in his path.
Seeing his resolute gaze, Zi Yan abandoned any further questioning, though anticipation still danced in her eyes. "Then it's settled. You can't break your word. Pinky promise!"
She extended her little finger and wiggled it playfully. Xiao Jietian hooked his own around hers, and their thumbs pressed together in solemn agreement.
With a powerful leap, Zi Yan jumped into his arms, legs wrapping tightly around his waist. "I won't go back to say goodbye. Little Ling and Little Meng will definitely cry their eyes out."
Hei Qing and the four subordinates politely averted their gazes, staring skyward as though something profoundly interesting hovered among the clouds.
"Mm. I'll explain it to them," Xiao Jietian promised.
Zi Yan nodded vigorously.
*Smack!*
She planted a loud kiss on his cheek. "You absolutely must come find me. I have a feeling I'm going to be terribly bored otherwise."
('Of course you'll be bored,' Xiao Jietian thought with silent amusement. 'You'll be training day and night.' Yet he kept the words unspoken—if he said them aloud, the little dragoness would surely refuse to leave. For someone as lively as Zi Yan, forced study would be the cruelest torture.)
"You must come find me," she repeated, nestling deeper into his embrace. Her eyes grew slightly red, voice thick with reluctance.
"I promise I will. But you must study the Void Ancient Dragon Clan's secret arts diligently. If you slack off, I'll spank you when I arrive."
"I'll study hard!" Zi Yan sniffled, eyes suddenly fierce with determination. "Once I master them, I might even surpass you. Then it'll be your turn to get beaten—hmph, hmph!"
Xiao Jietian gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and comforted her with a soft smile.
…
While the two shared their reluctant farewell, far away in an unknown stretch of endless void floated an island far larger than East Dragon Island.
At the heart of this isle stood a colossal hall. Upon a high dais rested a dragon-carved throne, and seated upon it was a middle-aged man clad in imperial dragon robes. A faint, benevolent smile perpetually graced his lips, making him appear as warm and gentle as a spring breeze.
Yet if one looked closely into his eyes, that benevolence felt hollow—nothing more than a carefully crafted mask.
He glanced at the intelligence report in his hand and let out a cold sneer. "A royal bloodline orphan? How ridiculous. Do you truly believe this changes the fact that East Dragon Island lacks any royal bloodline and remains the weakest of the four? Laughable."
"The next gathering of the four islands shall be my moment to unify the entire Void Ancient Dragon Clan. As for the Western and Southern Isles… let those two continue playing their little games for now."
Though his face remained kindly, his eyes gleamed like those of a venomous serpent—calculating, cold, and certain that everything unfolded according to his design.
It was he who had single-handedly engineered the shattering of Dragon Island all those years ago, deliberately weakening every faction so that he might one day seize ultimate power.
At the same time, news of the "royal bloodline orphan" reached two other nearly identical islands. The crowned middle-aged rulers of those isles both sneered in unison, as though they had heard the greatest joke in centuries.
"Why not simply wait for death? Bunch of old fools…"
…
Meanwhile, deep within an ancient secret chamber on East Dragon Island, an elderly man slowly opened his eyes.
"The news should have reached them by now," he murmured. "I imagine they are sneering with disdain at this very moment. Hei Qing… you must bring Her Highness back swiftly. We have little time left."
This was none other than the Great Elder who had stood within the Purple-Gold Divine Hall.
The rumor of a mere "royal bloodline orphan" had been deliberately leaked by him. The earlier dragon roar could not possibly have escaped the spies planted by the other three islands on East Dragon Island.
By releasing this smokescreen, he had ensured they would transmit false intelligence.
The Purple-Gold Divine Hall did possess the ability to detect other royal bloodlines, yet there existed a subtle yet crucial difference when compared to a pure imperial bloodline—the descendant of the Dragon Emperor himself. That distinction was imperceptible to ordinary experts; only ancient monsters of unfathomable age could sense it.
Had the other three islands learned the truth—that this was the true Dragon Emperor's bloodline—they would have launched an all-out assault on East Dragon Island without hesitation.
Only by feeding them false information could they buy precious time for the Dragon Emperor's heir to grow strong.
The appearance of the true Dragon Emperor's bloodline would shatter the fragile balance forever. Once the news spread, every scattered member of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan who had left the isles would be summoned home. Even the hearts of those on the other three islands would waver.
Most terrifying of all, a pure imperial bloodline could suppress the bloodlines of other dragons—even royal ones—to a certain degree.
Furthermore, the purest ancient dragon blood could unleash a forbidden technique known as the Dragon Slaying Sword.
The direct descendant of the Dragon Emperor was undoubtedly the closest to absolute purity—perhaps even the purest of all. Who could say otherwise?
This was the Void Ancient Dragon Clan's most dreadful secret art, exclusive to the Dragon Emperor. Unless one's strength vastly surpassed the wielder, any ancient dragon struck by the Dragon Slaying Sword would be as fragile as tofu.
Before that sword, no dragon could even dream of resistance.
The Great Elder's eyes gleamed with quiet resolve as he stared into the darkness of the chamber.
The game had begun.